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Background and Environment Affect Phenotype

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Optogenetic Manipulation of Neuronal Activity to Modulate Behavior in Freely Moving Mice

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Gene-environment interaction influences anxiety-like behavior in ethologically based mouse models.

Antonia M Post¹, Peter Weyers, Peter Holzer

¹Molecular Psychiatry, Laboratory of Translational Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, University of Würzburg, Fuechsleinstrasse 15, 97080 Wuerzburg, Germany.

Behavioural Brain Research

|November 30, 2010

Summary

Standardizing animal models is crucial for reliable results. Lighting conditions significantly impact mouse behavior in anxiety tests, more than circadian rhythms, highlighting the need for controlled environments in behavioral phenotyping.

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Use of the Open Field Maze to Measure Locomotor and Anxiety-like Behavior in Mice

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Published on: February 6, 2015

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Animal Behavior
Behavioral Phenotyping

Background:

Ethologically based animal models are essential for research but suffer from variability.
Lack of standardization in experimental conditions contributes to inconsistent results across laboratories.
Anxiety-like behavior is commonly assessed using the Elevated Plus Maze (EPM) and Open Field (OF) tests in mice.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the influence of circadian rhythm, lighting conditions, and mouse strain on EPM and OF test outcomes.
To assess how BALB/c and C57BL/6 mouse strains respond differently to these variables.
To evaluate a novel infrared lighting method for standardized behavioral testing in darkness.

Main Methods:

Comparison of BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice in EPM and OF tests under different lighting (regular vs. dark) and circadian time (morning vs. night) conditions.
Development and application of an infrared lighting system for interference-free testing in complete darkness.
Analysis of anxiety-related variables within each test paradigm.

Main Results:

Significant differences in anxiety-related variables were observed between mouse strains, dependent on lighting conditions.
BALB/c mice exhibited greater anxiety-like behavior in the OF under regular lighting, but less in the EPM in the dark compared to C57BL/6 mice.
Lighting conditions exerted a more substantial influence on behavioral outcomes than circadian rhythm, with significant strain-by-lighting interactions.

Conclusions:

Environmental variables, particularly lighting, critically affect anxiety-like behavior in mice.
Standardization of lighting conditions is paramount for enhancing the comparability and reliability of behavioral phenotyping across studies.
The findings underscore the necessity of controlling environmental factors to ensure valid interpretation of animal model data.