Prenatal maternal influence on behavior in mice: Evidence of a genetic basis.

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Abstract
Females from 2 inbred strains of mice (BALB/cJ and C57BL/6J) were subjected to several stress situations during pregnancy; open-field behavior of the resulting offspring was compared with that of controls. A differential response of the offspring of the 2 strains (genotype-environment interaction) was observed, indicating a heritable basis for the response to prenatal maternal stress. Offspring of treated females from the high-active strain were found to be less active than the controls, whereas those of the low-active strain were more active than controls.