| Strain | Color | Major use | Other Charateristics | Origin | Generationa | |||||
| 129/Sv-Sl/+, c+p+ (129) | Agouti | Source of most ES cell lines and genetic material used for homologous recombination. Used of studies of embryology and reproduction. | Relatively high testicular teratoma incidence. Relatively small size. Resistant to radiation. | ~1930 (Dunn) | F79 (JAX) | |||||
| BALB/c | Albino | Used in immunological studies and for the production of hybridomas. A new congenic strain BALB/cByJ-Rb(8.12)5Bnr available from JAX is most efficient for hybridoma production. | Docile females. Males of the J substrain only are extremely aggressive. Relatively poor breeders, but variation among sublines. Sensitive to radiation. | 1913 (Bagg) | F105 (CR) F180 (JAX) F195 (Taconic) |
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| C57BL/6 (B6) | Black | Standard strain for genetic studies; common backcross partner for congenic construction and mapping panels. | Relatively long lived and hearty. Excellent breeders. Resistant to radiation. | 1921 (Little) | F160 (CR) F187 (JAX) F155 (Taconic) |
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| C57BL/10 (B10) | Black | Commonly used in genetic studies performed outside of the US and for the construction of congenics at the H2 complex. | Common ancestry with B6. | 1921 (Little) | F192 (JAX) | |||||
| CAST/Ei | Agouti | Used in matings with traditional inbred strains to create F1 hybrids with high levels of heterozygosity for linkage studies. Better intercross reproductive performance than M. spretus strains. | Derived from wild animals of the subspecies M. m. castaneus. Male F1 hybrids formed with lab strains are fertile. | 1971 (Marshall to Eicher) | F53 (JAX) | |||||
| C3H | Agouti | Used commonly in genetic studies. | High mammary tumor incidence. Large adults. | 1920 (Strong) | F167 (CR) F139 (JAX) F160 (Taconic) |
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| DBA/2 | Dilute brown | Used in crosses with B6 to produce the best-characterized set of RI strains, and for the production of standard F1 hybrid animals. | 1909 (Little) | F164 (CR) F183 (JAX) F165 (Taconic) |
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| FVB/N | Albino | Recently derived strain with special characteristics that are ideal for the production of transgenic mice. An agouti congenic is currently under construction. | Very large litters, easy to handle, large and prominent pronuclei in zygotes. | 1975 (NIH) | F30 (CR) F57 (JAX) F40 (Taconic) |
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| MOLF/Ei | Agouti | Used in matings with traditional inbred strains to create F1 hybrids with high levels of heterozygosity for linkage studies. Better intercross reproductive performance than M. spretus strains. | Derived from wild animals of the faux subspecies M. m. molossinus (Section 2.3). | ~1975 (Potter to Eicher) | F50 (JAX) | |||||
| SPRET/Ei | Agouti | Used in matings with traditional inbred strains to create highly heterozygous backcross panels for linkage analysis. | Derived from the species M. spretus. Small animals. Difficult to handle. | 1988 (Eicher) | F37 (JAX) | |||||