Social transmission of food preference in mice

Abstract

The social transmission of food preference (STFP) is an ethologically relevant test of olfactory memory that can be used in mice. In this test, "observer" mice interact with a "demonstrator" mouse that has recently eaten a novel food. When observer mice are presented with a choice between the food eaten by the demonstrator and some other novel food, observer mice prefer the food eaten by the demonstrator. This phenomenon depends on the observer mice detecting olfactory cues on the breath of the demonstrator mouse during their interaction. The subsequent food preference serves as a measure of memory for those olfactory cues. This unit describes a method for performing STFP in mutant mice. The method explains how to address potential confounding factors and avoid possible pitfalls.