Supplier-origin mouse microbiomes significantly influence locomotor and anxiety-related behavior, body morphology, and metabolism

Abstract

Ericsson et al. show that different vendors (suppliers of mouse strains) harbor distinct microbiomes, which drive distinct behavioral phenotypes when the genetics are fixed. They specifically focus on changes relating to exploratory and anxiety-related behavior, physiological phenotypic parameters, glucose metabolism, and blood leukocytes. They conclude by emphasizing that supplier-origin fecal microbiomes represent potential sources of poor experimental reproducibility and suggest means to optimize experimentation with mice and their microbiomes.