Housing and testing environment conditions were maintained throughout testing. Except where noted, BXD RI lines were imported into the Russell Vivarium at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) for environmentally controlled, year round breeding and distribution for all assays except for handling-induced convulsion (HIC) and footshock vocalization, for which mice were bred at University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) and housed as described in Matthews et al. (2008). Litters were weaned at about 3 weeks of age and shipped to various test sites in the TMGC's climate controlled, specific pathogen-free (SPF) mouse transport van at about 6–7 weeks of age, allowing at least 1 week of acclimation to their new home colony. Animals were transported in static micro-isolators. Housing conditions, apparatus information and testing protocols specific to each battery are summarized in Table 2. All mice were housed in rooms lit with fluorescent ceiling lights and had Harlan Softcob bedding. No other species were present in the room and mice received daily health checks.
