Fifteen years of the Diversity Outbred mouse model: a review.

Abstract

Mouse models have played a critical role in complementing human genetics research due to their genetic similarity to humans and well-annotated and tractable genome. For over 15 years, the Diversity Outbred (DO) mice have existed as a powerful tool for mapping complex traits. With eight founder strains contributing to high levels of genetic diversity, heterozygosity, and large numbers of recombination events, DO mice allow for high-resolution genetic mapping. DO mice have been used to dissect the genetic architecture of physiological traits like blood lipids, behavioral traits such as cocaine self-administration, and molecular phenotypes such as gene expression across various tissues. Here we aim to exhaustively catalog DO mouse studies over the last 15 years, including both mapping and non-mapping studies, as well as to provide an overview of software tools and online resources related to the model.