BALB/c Strain Characteristics
Strain Origin and History
BALB/c is one of the oldest and most widely used inbred mouse strains, developed by Halsey Bagg in 1913 and inbred by George Snell beginning in 1932. The albino (c) designation reflects the tyrosinase mutation that eliminates pigmentation.
BALB/c has been inbred for over 200 generations, making it highly genetically uniform and reproducible across experiments.
Physical Characteristics
BALB/c mice are albino with pink eyes and white fur. They are docile and easy to handle, making them suitable for studies requiring regular manipulation. Adults typically weigh 25 to 30 grams with relatively low body fat compared to C57BL/6.
Reproductive Characteristics
BALB/c females are good mothers with typical litter sizes of 5 to 8 pups. The strain breeds reliably and is compatible with standard breeding protocols for genetically modified mice.
Immunological Characteristics
Th2 Biased Immune Response
BALB/c mice show a tendency toward Th2 type immune responses, characterized by IL4, IL5, and IL13 production. This makes them particularly useful for studying allergic diseases, asthma, and parasitic infections.
In contrast, C57BL/6 mice tend toward Th1 responses. This fundamental difference in immune bias should inform strain selection for immunology research.
Antibody Production
BALB/c mice are widely used for monoclonal antibody production due to their ability to generate strong antibody responses. The strain is the source of myeloma cell lines used in hybridoma technology.
Complement System
BALB/c mice have a functional complement system, making them suitable for studies of complement mediated immunity and inflammation.
Research Applications
Syngeneic Tumor Models
Multiple tumor cell lines are derived from BALB/c background and are compatible for syngeneic transplantation:
- CT26 (colon carcinoma)
- 4T1 (breast carcinoma)
- RENCA (renal carcinoma)
- A20 (lymphoma)
These models enable immunotherapy studies in immunocompetent mice with functional immune systems.
Allergy and Asthma Research
The Th2 bias of BALB/c mice makes them particularly suitable for modeling allergic airway disease, atopic dermatitis, and other allergic conditions.
Infectious Disease
BALB/c mice are commonly used in infectious disease research. Their susceptibility or resistance to various pathogens is well characterized, enabling reproducible infection studies.
Autoimmune Disease
BALB/c mice are susceptible to certain autoimmune phenotypes and are used in models of lupus, arthritis, and other autoimmune conditions, often in combination with genetic modifications.
Gene Targeting on BALB/c Background
Strain Availability
For more complex targeting projects, BALB/c derived ES cells can be used for direct targeting on this background. For simpler project types, direct injection into BALB/c embryos is possible.
Backcrossing Strategy
Models initially generated on other backgrounds can be backcrossed onto BALB/c. Speed congenic approaches using marker assisted selection can accelerate establishment of BALB/c congenic lines.
Backcrossing ServicesBackground Considerations
When planning gene targeting on BALB/c background, consider the strain's specific characteristics:
Advantages:
- Th2 immune bias for allergy and parasitology
- Syngeneic tumor model compatibility
- Docile temperament
- Extensive historical data
Considerations:
- Some phenotypes may differ from C57BL/6
- Fewer characterized Cre driver lines available on pure BALB/c background
BALB/c vs C57BL/6
Understanding differences between BALB/c and C57BL/6 helps guide strain selection:
Immune Response
BALB/c shows Th2 bias while C57BL/6 shows Th1 bias. This affects susceptibility to infections, vaccine responses, and autoimmune phenotypes.
Susceptibility to Disease
The strains differ in susceptibility to many disease models. BALB/c is more susceptible to Leishmania major infection while C57BL/6 is resistant. C57BL/6 is more susceptible to diet induced obesity.
Behavioral Differences
BALB/c mice show higher anxiety-like behaviors than C57BL/6 in standard behavioral tests. This should be considered for neurobehavioral studies.
Metabolic Differences
C57BL/6 is more susceptible to diet induced obesity and metabolic dysfunction. BALB/c is relatively resistant to high fat diet induced weight gain.
What Researchers Say
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— Joshua Dunaief, PhD, MD
University of Pennsylvania
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— Carla Rothlin, Professor and Director of Center of Immunology
Yale University
“ingenious Targeting Laboratory is highly recommended for generating custom animal models. Past 2 years, we have made 2 conditional knockout mouse lines. All processes of each project were scientifically and professionally handled. Their scientific consulting to initiate the project was superb compared to other companies, and transparency of the project progress reported by project managers was excellent. Their excellency and dedication to meet our needs in a timely manner are invaluable to continuation of our research progress.”
— Hyekyung Plumley, PhD
Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery
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— Albert Basson, PhD
King's College London
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