C57BL/6 mouse substrain differences in the ontogeny of auditory fear

Early life adversity is a major risk factor for mental disorders later in life. Genetic and individual differences modulate the impact of early life trauma and stress on adult mental health, emphasizing the importance of understanding how the early onset of individual differences may shape behavioral outcomes across life. In rodents, genetic differences can be studied using inbred rodent strains or substrains. While C57BL/6 mouse substrains differ in their adult fear behavior, it is unclear when in development these differences emerge. Here we compared the ontogenesis of remote auditory fear retrieval, spontaneous recovery and renewal in the mouse C57BL/6J (Jax, from Jackson Laboratories) and C57BL/6NTac (Taconic Biosciences) substrains spanning postnatal days (P)16, P18, P21, P25 and P30. Taconic male and female mice show an earlier onset of persistent auditory fear memory and spontaneous recovery (females only) compared to Jax mice. Male Taconic mice also display earlier onset of renewal compared to Jax males. These data identify ontogenetic differences in fear processing among C57BL/6 mouse substrains, highlighting how individual differences can contribute to altered behavioral phenotypes in early development.