A Model System for Feralizing Laboratory Mice in Large Farmyard-Like Pens
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 t...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2021-01-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Microbiology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2020.615661/full |
| _version_ | 1818382730962927616 |
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| author | Henriette Arnesen Henriette Arnesen Linn Emilie Knutsen Bente Wabakken Hognestad Grethe Marie Johansen Mats Bemark Mats Bemark Oliver Pabst Anne Kristine Storset Preben Boysen |
| author_facet | Henriette Arnesen Henriette Arnesen Linn Emilie Knutsen Bente Wabakken Hognestad Grethe Marie Johansen Mats Bemark Mats Bemark Oliver Pabst Anne Kristine Storset Preben Boysen |
| author_sort | Henriette Arnesen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | 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. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-14T02:55:07Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d52e4f153e484959b2366e4de98119e2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-302X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-14T02:55:07Z |
| publishDate | 2021-01-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Microbiology |
| spelling | doaj.art-d52e4f153e484959b2366e4de98119e22022-12-21T23:19:39ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Microbiology1664-302X2021-01-011110.3389/fmicb.2020.615661615661A Model System for Feralizing Laboratory Mice in Large Farmyard-Like PensHenriette Arnesen0Henriette Arnesen1Linn Emilie Knutsen2Bente Wabakken Hognestad3Grethe Marie Johansen4Mats Bemark5Mats Bemark6Oliver Pabst7Anne Kristine Storset8Preben Boysen9Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Oslo, NorwayFaculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Aas, NorwayFaculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Oslo, NorwayFaculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Oslo, NorwayFaculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Oslo, NorwayDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, SwedenRegion Västra Götaland, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Department of Clinical Immunology and Transfusion Medicine, Gothenburg, SwedenInstitute of Molecular Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, GermanyFaculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Oslo, NorwayFaculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Oslo, NorwayLaboratory 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.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2020.615661/fullanimal modelmiceferal miceferalized micetrained immunityimmune experience |
| spellingShingle | Henriette Arnesen Henriette Arnesen Linn Emilie Knutsen Bente Wabakken Hognestad Grethe Marie Johansen Mats Bemark Mats Bemark Oliver Pabst Anne Kristine Storset Preben Boysen A Model System for Feralizing Laboratory Mice in Large Farmyard-Like Pens Frontiers in Microbiology animal model mice feral mice feralized mice trained immunity immune experience |
| title | A Model System for Feralizing Laboratory Mice in Large Farmyard-Like Pens |
| title_full | A Model System for Feralizing Laboratory Mice in Large Farmyard-Like Pens |
| title_fullStr | A Model System for Feralizing Laboratory Mice in Large Farmyard-Like Pens |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Model System for Feralizing Laboratory Mice in Large Farmyard-Like Pens |
| title_short | A Model System for Feralizing Laboratory Mice in Large Farmyard-Like Pens |
| title_sort | model system for feralizing laboratory mice in large farmyard like pens |
| topic | animal model mice feral mice feralized mice trained immunity immune experience |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2020.615661/full |
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