Behavioural phenotyping of mouse mutants

Behavioural phenotyping of mouse mutants is not a goal in itself but serves to characterise the behavioural effects of naturally occurring or experime ntally induced mutations. Genetically engineered mouse mutants are valuable tools to elucidate the genetic control of behaviour and the interaction be tween genetic and environmental factors. However. a prerequisite for their use is the ability to assess different elements of behaviour. To this end, a battery of tests, which should be flexible enough to meet the needs of a particular study, should be used to characterise the behavioural phenotype. Detailed and extensive information about the effects of gene mutations is crucial for model building and model evaluation. Model building is an itera tive process. switching between experimental data and theory formation. In order to facilitate this process and to allow comparison of results within and between laboratories, the standardisation of breeding. housing, and tes ting conditions is essential. The development and standardisation of sensit ive, valid behavioural tests which are suited to phenotype mouse mutants is both a responsibility and a challenge to investigators of mouse behaviour. (C) 2001 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.