A Model System for Feralizing Laboratory Mice in Large Farmyard-Like Pens
(2021) In Frontiers in Microbiology 11. p.1-16- Abstract
Laboratory mice are typically housed under extremely clean laboratory conditions, far removed from the natural lifestyle of a free-living mouse. There is a risk that this isolation from real-life conditions may lead to poor translatability and misinterpretation of results. We and others have shown that feral mice as well as laboratory mice exposed to naturalistic environments harbor a more diverse gut microbiota and display an activated immunological phenotype compared to hygienic laboratory mice. We here describe a naturalistic indoors housing system for mice, representing a farmyard-type habitat typical for house mice. Large open pens were installed with soil and domestic animal feces, creating a highly diverse microbial environment... (More)
Laboratory mice are typically housed under extremely clean laboratory conditions, far removed from the natural lifestyle of a free-living mouse. There is a risk that this isolation from real-life conditions may lead to poor translatability and misinterpretation of results. We and others have shown that feral mice as well as laboratory mice exposed to naturalistic environments harbor a more diverse gut microbiota and display an activated immunological phenotype compared to hygienic laboratory mice. We here describe a naturalistic indoors housing system for mice, representing a farmyard-type habitat typical for house mice. Large open pens were installed with soil and domestic animal feces, creating a highly diverse microbial environment and providing space and complexity allowing for natural behavior. Laboratory C57BL/6 mice were co-housed in this system together with wild-caught feral mice, included as a source of murine microbionts. We found that mice feralized in this manner displayed a gut microbiota structure similar to their feral cohabitants, such as higher relative content of Firmicutes and enrichment of Proteobacteria. Furthermore, the immunophenotype of feralized mice approached that of feral mice, with elevated levels of memory T-cells and late-stage NK cells compared to laboratory-housed control mice, indicating antigenic experience and immune training. The dietary elements presented in the mouse pens could only moderately explain changes in microbial colonization, and none of the immunological changes. In conclusion, this system enables various types of studies using genetically controlled mice on the background of adaptation to a high diversity microbial environment and a lifestyle natural for the species.
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- author
- Arnesen, Henriette ; Knutsen, Linn Emilie ; Hognestad, Bente Wabakken ; Johansen, Grethe Marie ; Bemark, Mats LU ; Pabst, Oliver ; Storset, Anne Kristine and Boysen, Preben
- publishing date
- 2021-01-11
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- keywords
- animal model, feral mice, feralized mice, gut micobiota, immune experience, mice, naturalistic environment, trained immunity
- in
- Frontiers in Microbiology
- volume
- 11
- article number
- 615661
- pages
- 1 - 16
- publisher
- Frontiers Media S. A.
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85099760081
- ISSN
- 1664-302X
- DOI
- 10.3389/fmicb.2020.615661
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- no
- additional info
- Publisher Copyright: © Copyright © 2021 Arnesen, Knutsen, Hognestad, Johansen, Bemark, Pabst, Storset and Boysen.
- id
- 84f7c0e7-7cdd-4e61-9f1e-06d13e08306b
- date added to LUP
- 2023-12-06 16:35:48
- date last changed
- 2023-12-07 07:44:59
@article{84f7c0e7-7cdd-4e61-9f1e-06d13e08306b, abstract = {{<p>Laboratory mice are typically housed under extremely clean laboratory conditions, far removed from the natural lifestyle of a free-living mouse. There is a risk that this isolation from real-life conditions may lead to poor translatability and misinterpretation of results. We and others have shown that feral mice as well as laboratory mice exposed to naturalistic environments harbor a more diverse gut microbiota and display an activated immunological phenotype compared to hygienic laboratory mice. We here describe a naturalistic indoors housing system for mice, representing a farmyard-type habitat typical for house mice. Large open pens were installed with soil and domestic animal feces, creating a highly diverse microbial environment and providing space and complexity allowing for natural behavior. Laboratory C57BL/6 mice were co-housed in this system together with wild-caught feral mice, included as a source of murine microbionts. We found that mice feralized in this manner displayed a gut microbiota structure similar to their feral cohabitants, such as higher relative content of Firmicutes and enrichment of Proteobacteria. Furthermore, the immunophenotype of feralized mice approached that of feral mice, with elevated levels of memory T-cells and late-stage NK cells compared to laboratory-housed control mice, indicating antigenic experience and immune training. The dietary elements presented in the mouse pens could only moderately explain changes in microbial colonization, and none of the immunological changes. In conclusion, this system enables various types of studies using genetically controlled mice on the background of adaptation to a high diversity microbial environment and a lifestyle natural for the species.</p>}}, author = {{Arnesen, Henriette and Knutsen, Linn Emilie and Hognestad, Bente Wabakken and Johansen, Grethe Marie and Bemark, Mats and Pabst, Oliver and Storset, Anne Kristine and Boysen, Preben}}, issn = {{1664-302X}}, keywords = {{animal model; feral mice; feralized mice; gut micobiota; immune experience; mice; naturalistic environment; trained immunity}}, language = {{eng}}, month = {{01}}, pages = {{1--16}}, publisher = {{Frontiers Media S. A.}}, series = {{Frontiers in Microbiology}}, title = {{A Model System for Feralizing Laboratory Mice in Large Farmyard-Like Pens}}, url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2020.615661}}, doi = {{10.3389/fmicb.2020.615661}}, volume = {{11}}, year = {{2021}}, }