title: Use of a standard strain for external calibration in behavioral phenotyping.
abstract: The present paper evaluates the inclusion of a standard strain or outbred stock in multi-strain behavioral phenotyping protocols to perform the same role as the external standard in biochemical assay procedures. As potential standards, the F344 inbred strain and an outbred stock of Long Evans were tested with three other inbred strains. To evaluate the influence of rearing conditions on phenotype stability, one group of F344s was born at the University of Tsukuba, another, bred elsewhere and delivered to Tsukuba at 4 weeks of age. All animals were tested in open-field (OF), runway emergence (RE) and digging tests as adults. The results showed no influence of breeding or transportation history on OF and RE behavior of the two F344 groups, while there was evidence that digging behavior may be affected by the different rearing experience. The inclusion of a 'standard strain or stock' in phenotyping protocols involving multiple inbred strains or lines of rats, mice and flies has obvious advantages by providing a reference point for inter-laboratory comparisons. The properties of inbred strains and outbred stocks favorable to their use as standards are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Center for Developmental and Health Genetics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16801, USA. dab22@psu.edu
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Blizard
authors.forename: Yumiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wada
authors.forename: Yasuhiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Onuki
authors.forename: Katsunori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Toshiyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: Tohru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Taniuchi
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hosokawa
authors.forename: Takayuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Otobe
authors.forename: Aki
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Hayase
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shisa
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hiai
authors.forename: Junshiro
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Makino
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002138:Calibration; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D003672:Defecation / Q000502:physiology; D005824:Genetics, Behavioral / Q000379:methods*; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000235:genetics*; D015588:Observer Variation; D010641:Phenotype; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344 / Q000235:genetics*; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D020318:Rats, Long-Evans / Q000235:genetics*; D011930:Reaction Time; D013045:Species Specificity