Choosing the right black mice – a matter of particular importance!

A lot of effort has been put in functional genomics to learn more about the specific role of particular genes in biological and medical questions, including the regulation of behavior. C57BL/6 mice are among the most commonly used mouse strains in biological research and often serve as background strain in genetically engineered mouse models. There are two sub-strains available, which we show to differ markedly in emotional and alcohol drinking behavior. We suggest that it is of high importance to be aware of these differences and – depending on the focus of a study – to choose the right sub-strain.