The very first C57BL/6 mouse was bred in 1921. “Black 6” mice have been distributed to a number of different institutions over the years that have since developed and maintained their own C57BL/6 populations. Given that it’s an inbred mouse strain, a C57BL/6 should be a C57BL/6 no matter where it’s from, right? That’s not quite the case –genetic drift and environmental variables over time have produced subtle differences in animals originating from different providers. Substrain matters, with potential consequences for experimental outcomes that should be taken into consideration.
In a new research article, Johanna Åhlgren & Vootele Voikar from the University of Helsinki in Finland present the results of their systematic evaluation of behavioral differences observed in female C57BL/6 mice obtained from three commercial European mouse vendors.
