Mouse Diversity Study

Introduction

The Allen Mouse Diversity Study characterizes the varied expression patterns of genes encoding therapeutic drug targets in the mouse brain across different genetic backgrounds and sex.

About the Resource

The Allen Mouse Diversity Study expands beyond the adult male reference brain analyzed for the Allen Mouse Brain Atlas and characterizes gene expression patterns in the adult mouse brain across multiple genetic backgrounds and sex. Allowing comparisons between different mice, this dataset has the potential to help researchers select appropriate model systems for their studies, as well as to improve understanding of how genetic background influences individual behavior and response to therapeutic drugs.

The Mouse Diversity Study includes gene expression data for a set of 49 well-known pharmaceutical drug target genes and a selected set of additional genes in male mice representing seven inbred mouse strains and, for one strain, in both male and female mice. As for the Allen Mouse Brain Atlas, the gene expression data was generated using an industrialized version of a process called in situ hybridization, which pinpoints and marks where a gene is expressed in thin tissue sections, offering microscopic detail down to the cellular level.