Cited by 32Animal Behavior and ReproductionEpigenetics and DNA MethylationAnimal Behavior and Welfare Studies

The rearing environment persistently modulates mouse phenotypes from the molecular to the behavioural level

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Jaric, Ivana, Voelkl, Bernhard, Clerc, Melanie, Schmid, Marc W., Novak, Janja, Rosso, Marianna, Rufener, Reto, von Kortzfleisch, Vanessa Tabea +8 more·2022·PLoS Biology

Abstract

The phenotype of an organism results from its genotype and the influence of the environment throughout development. Even when using animals of the same genotype, independent studies may test animals of different phenotypes, resulting in poor replicability due to genotype-by-environment interactions. Thus, genetically defined strains of mice may respond differently to experimental treatments depending on their rearing environment. However, the extent of such phenotypic plasticity and its implications for the replicability of research findings have remained unknown. Here, we examined the extent to which common environmental differences between animal facilities modulate the phenotype of genetically homogeneous (inbred) mice. We conducted a comprehensive multicentre study, whereby inbred C57BL/6J mice from a single breeding cohort were allocated to and reared in 5 different animal facilities throughout early life and adolescence, before being transported to a single test laboratory. We found persistent effects of the rearing facility on the composition and heterogeneity of the gut microbial community. These effects were paralleled by persistent differences in body weight and in the behavioural phenotype of the mice. Furthermore, we show that environmental variation among animal facilities is strong enough to influence epigenetic patterns in neurons at the level of chromatin organisation. We detected changes in chromatin organisation in the regulatory regions of genes involved in nucleosome assembly, neuronal differentiation, synaptic plasticity, and regulation of behaviour. Our findings demonstrate that common environmental differences between animal facilities may produce facility-specific phenotypes, from the molecular to the behavioural level. Furthermore, they highlight an important limitation of inferences from single-laboratory studies and thus argue that study designs should take environmental background into account to increase the robustness and replicability of findings.

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Crossref · 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001837

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  • Subtle environmental variation such as the rearing facility of mice significantly influences epigenetic patterns in neuronal genes at the level of chromatin organization, with effects on nucleosome assembly, neuronal differentiation, synaptic plasticity, and regulation of behavior.

    “Jaric et al. showed that even subtle environmental variation, such as the rearing facility of the mice, significantly influenced epigenetic patterns in neuronal genes at the level of chromatin organization, with effects on nucleosome assembly, neuronal differentiation, synaptic plasticity, and regulation of behavior (518).”

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  1. [84]Crabbe JC, Wahlsten D, Dudek BC. Genetics of mouse behavior: interactions with laboratory environment. Science. 1999 Jun 4; 284(5420): 1670– 2. doi: 10.1126/science.284.5420.1670 10356397 · DOI · Paper page
  2. [85]Ericsson AC, Davis JW, Spollen W, Bivens N, Givan S, Hagan CE, et al. Effects of vendor and genetic background on the composition of the fecal microbiota of inbred mice. PLoS ONE. 2015; 10(2): e0116704. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0116704 25675094 PMC4326421 · DOI
  3. [89]Dulac C. Brain function and chromatin plasticity. Nature. 2010 Jun 10; 465(7299): 728– 35. doi: 10.1038/nature09231 20535202 PMC3075582 · DOI

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Authors
Jaric, I., Voelkl, B., Clerc, M., Schmid, M. W., Novak, J., Rosso, M., Rufener, R., von Kortzfleisch, V. T., Richter, S. H., Buettner, M., Bleich, A., Amrein, I., Wolfer, D. P., Touma, C., Sunagawa, S., & Würbel, H.
Affiliations
  • University of Bern (CH)
  • Karolinska Institutet (SE)
  • University of Münster (DE)
  • Medizinische Hochschule Hannover (DE)
  • University of Zurich (CH)
  • Osnabrück University (DE)
  • SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (CH)
Corresponding author
Würbel, Hanno
Venue
PLoS Biology
Published
2022-10-21
Volume
20
Issue
10
Pages
e3001837
ISSN
  • 1544-9173 (ISSN-L)
  • 1545-7885
OpenAlex
W4307001986
Cited by
32
References
134
Citations by year
2026: 9 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 11
FWCI
4.77
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • PLoS Biology (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Zurich Open Repository and Archive (University of Zurich) (acceptedVersion, cc-by)
  • Bern Open Repository and Information System (University of Bern) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
  • Repository for Publications and Research Data (ETH Zurich) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • Zurich Open Repository and Archive (University of Zurich) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • ETH Zürich Research Collection
  • Zurich Open Repository and Archive (University of Zurich)
Funders
  • Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung (310030_179254)
  • Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich (Core funding)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics › Animal Behavior and Reproduction
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Epigenetics and DNA Methylation
  • Health Sciences › Veterinary › Small Animals › Animal Behavior and Welfare Studies
Keywords
rearing conditions, inbred mouse strains, C57BL/6J mice, phenotypic plasticity, gut microbiota, body weight, behavioral phenotypes, nucleosome assembly, neuronal differentiation, synaptic plasticity, gene-environment interaction, replicability
MeSH terms
Animals, Chromatin, Environment, Genotype, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Phenotype, Mice

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