Optimizing Experimental Design Using the House Mouse (<i>Mus musculus</i> L.) as a Model for Determining Grain Feeding Preferences

Fuerst, E. Patrick; Morris, Craig F.; Dasgupta, Nairanjana; McLean, Daniel G.

doi:10.1111/1750-3841.12245

Cited by 10 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…It is reasonable to assume that for several thousand years, mice have had access to stores of cereal grains, including wheat. In previous studies (Morris and others , ; Fuerst and others ), we found that the house mouse exerted a strong (up to 5‑fold) preference for soft wheat over hard, and a moderate preference for white kernels over those with red bran. In the present study, we have extended those observations by providing a group of individually housed mice binary paired preference choices of mixed kernels of 2 hard red or 2 hard white spring wheat varieties grown under a single field environment.…”

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 54%

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The House Mouse (Mus musculus L.) Exerts Strong Differential Grain Consumption Preferences among Hard Red and White Spring Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Varieties in a Single‐Elimination Tournament Design

Morris¹,

Fuerst

McLean

et al. 2014

Journal of Food Science

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Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) plays a central role in the health and nutrition of humans. Yet, little is known about possible flavor differences among different varieties. We have developed a model system using the house mouse (Mus musculus L.) to determine feeding preferences as a prelude to extending results to human sensory analysis. Here, we examine the application of a single-elimination tournament design to the analysis of consumption preferences of a set of hard red and hard white spring wheat varieties. A single-elimination tournament design in this case pairs 2 wheat varieties and only 1 of the 2 is advanced to further tests. Preferred varieties were advanced until an overall "winner" was identified; conversely, less desirable varieties were advanced such that an overall "loser" was identified. Hollis and IDO702 were the winner and loser, respectively, for the hard red varieties, and Clear White 515 and WA8123 were the winner and loser, respectively, for the hard white varieties. When using the more powerful protocol of 14 mice and a 4-d trial, differences in mean daily consumption preferences of 2 varieties were separated at P-values as small as 2 × 10(-8) . The single-elimination tournament design is an efficient means of identifying the most and least desirable varieties among a larger set of samples. One application for identifying the 2 extremes in preference within a group of varieties would be to use them as parents of a population to identify quantitative trait loci for preference.

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Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 54%

“…Protocol 2 involved 2 consecutive days as described below. The reduction in number of days from 4 to 2, and number of mice from 14 to 10 in “protocol 2” was based on a study optimizing the design for these binary comparisons (Fuerst and others ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The House Mouse (Mus musculus L.) Exerts Strong Differential Grain Consumption Preferences among Hard Red and White Spring Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Varieties in a Single‐Elimination Tournament Design

Morris¹,

Fuerst

McLean

et al. 2014

Journal of Food Science

Self Cite

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“…; Fuerst et al. ; data not shown). A total of 9.0 g (4.5 g each texture class) of kernels were provided to each of 14 mice.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 76%

“…Trial 1 used equal 50:50 blends by weight of soft and hard kernel texture classes which were prepared using the established system of marking each kernel of the two classes with a tiny dot with one of two different colors of ink ). Repeated trials have demonstrated no detectable effect of the dot or the color on feeding preference Fuerst et al 2013; data not shown). A total of 9.0 g (4.5 g each texture class) of kernels were provided to each of 14 mice.…”

Section: Feeding Trialsmentioning

confidence: 87%

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Did the house mouse (Mus musculus L.) shape the evolutionary trajectory of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)?

Morris¹,

Fuerst

Beecher³

et al. 2013

Ecology and Evolution

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Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is one of the most successful domesticated plant species in the world. The majority of wheat carries mutations in the Puroindoline genes that result in a hard kernel phenotype. An evolutionary explanation, or selective advantage, for the spread and persistence of these hard kernel mutations has yet to be established. Here, we demonstrate that the house mouse (Mus musculus L.) exerts a pronounced feeding preference for soft over hard kernels. When allele frequencies ranged from 0.5 to 0.009, mouse predation increased the hard allele frequency as much as 10-fold. Studies involving a single hard kernel mixed with ∼1000 soft kernels failed to recover the mutant kernel. Nevertheless, the study clearly demonstrates that the house mouse could have played a role in the evolution of wheat, and therefore the cultural trajectory of humankind.

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Effects of background food on alternative grain uptake and zinc phosphide efficacy in wild house mice

Henry

Brown

Weyer

et al. 2021

Pest Management Science

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BACKGROUND: House mice (Mus musculus) cause significant, ongoing losses to grain crops in Australia, particularly during mouse plagues. Zinc phosphide (ZnP) coated grain is used for control, but with variable success. In a laboratory setting, we tested if mice would (i) switch from consumption of one grain type to another when presented with an alternative and (ii) consume ZnP-treated grains when presented as a choice with a different grain.RESULTS: Mice readily switched from their background grain to an alternative grain, preferring cereals (wheat or barley) over lentils. Mice readily consumed ZnP-coated barley grains. Their mortality rate was significantly higher (86%, n = 30) in the presence of a less-favoured grain (lentils) compared to their mortality rate (47%, n = 29; 53%, n = 30) in the presence of a morefavoured grain (wheat and barley, respectively). Mice died between 4 and 112 h (median = 18 h) after consuming one or more toxic grains. Independent analysis of ZnP-coated grains showed variable toxin loading indicating that consumption of a single grain would not guarantee intake of a lethal dose. There was also a strong and rapid behavioural aversion if mice did not consume a lethal dose on the first night. CONCLUSIONS:The registered dose rate of 25 g of ZnP/kg wheat (∼1 mg of ZnP/grain) in Australia needs to be re-evaluated to determine what factors may be contributing to variation in efficacy. Further field research is also required to understand the complex association between ZnP dose, and quantity and quality of background food on efficacy of ZnP baits.

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Optimizing Experimental Design Using the House Mouse (Mus musculus L.) as a Model for Determining Grain Feeding Preferences

Cited by 10 publications

References 17 publications

The House Mouse (Mus musculus L.) Exerts Strong Differential Grain Consumption Preferences among Hard Red and White Spring Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Varieties in a Single‐Elimination Tournament Design

The House Mouse (Mus musculus L.) Exerts Strong Differential Grain Consumption Preferences among Hard Red and White Spring Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Varieties in a Single‐Elimination Tournament Design

Did the house mouse (Mus musculus L.) shape the evolutionary trajectory of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)?

Effects of background food on alternative grain uptake and zinc phosphide efficacy in wild house mice

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