Fifteen years of the Diversity Outbred mouse model: a review

TL;DR

This paper reviews the 15-year history of Diversity Outbred mice, a genetic model used to study complex traits and gene mapping in a genetically diverse population.

Contribution

The paper provides a comprehensive catalog of DO mouse studies and resources over 15 years, highlighting their use in genetic and phenotypic research.

Findings

DO mice enable high-resolution genetic mapping due to their genetic diversity and recombination events.

They have been used to study traits like blood lipids, behavior, and gene expression across tissues.

The paper compiles mapping and non-mapping studies along with relevant software and resources.

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.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00335-026-10196-6.

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