title: Toward a mouse neuroethology in the laboratory environment.
abstract: In this report we demonstrate that differences in cage type brought unexpected effects on aggressive behavior and neuroanatomical features of the mouse olfactory bulb. A careful characterization of two cage types, including a comparison of the auditory and temperature environments, coupled with a demonstration that naris occlusion abolishes the neuroanatomical changes, lead us to conclude that a likely important factor mediating the phenotypic changes we find is the olfactory environment of the two cages. We infer that seemingly innocuous changes in cage environment can affect sensory input relevant to mice and elicit profound effects on neural output. Study of the neural mechanisms underlying animal behavior in the laboratory environment should be broadened to include neuroethological approaches to examine how the laboratory environment (beyond animal well-being and enrichment) influences neural systems and behavior.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Medical School, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America.
authors.forename: Anthony M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Oliva
authors.forename: Ernesto
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Salcedo
authors.forename: Jennifer L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Hellier
authors.forename: Xuan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ly
authors.forename: Kanthaiah
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Koka
authors.forename: Daniel J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Tollin
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Restrepo
mesh_terms: D000374:Aggression; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D051379:Mice