# Characterizing phenotypic data of Peromyscus leucopus compared to C57BL/6J Mus musculus and diversity outbred (DO) Mus musculus

## TL;DR

This study compares the white-footed deer mouse to common lab mice to assess its usefulness in aging research, highlighting differences in body composition and cardiovascular traits.

## Contribution

The paper introduces the white-footed deer mouse as a potential aging model, identifying unique physiological traits and challenges in its use.

## Key findings

- P. leucopus shows distinct body composition with reduced muscle force and unique fat metabolism.
- Cardiovascular changes in P. leucopus challenge assumptions about aging-related phenotypes.
- Behavioral and anatomical differences complicate phenotyping and require adapted protocols.

## Abstract

Translational research is commonly performed in the C57B6/J mouse strain, chosen for its genetic homogeneity and phenotypic uniformity. Here, we evaluate the suitability of the white-footed deer mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) as a model organism for aging research, offering a comparative analysis against C57B6/J and diversity outbred (DO) Mus musculus strains. Our study includes comparisons of body composition, skeletal muscle function, and cardiovascular parameters, shedding light on potential applications and limitations of P. leucopus in aging studies. Notably, P. leucopus exhibits distinct body composition characteristics, emphasizing reduced muscle force exertion and a unique metabolism, particularly in fat mass. Cardiovascular assessments showed changes in arterial stiffness, challenging conventional assumptions and highlighting the need for a nuanced interpretation of aging-related phenotypes. Our study also highlights inherent challenges associated with maintaining and phenotyping P. leucopus cohorts. Behavioral considerations, including anxiety-induced responses during handling and phenotyping assessment, pose obstacles in acquiring meaningful data. Moreover, the unique anatomy of P. leucopus necessitates careful adaptation of protocols designed for Mus musculus. While showcasing potential benefits, further extensive analyses across broader age ranges and larger cohorts are necessary to establish the reliability of P. leucopus as a robust and translatable model for aging studies.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11357-024-01175-3.