PhenoTyper Home-Cage

The PhenoTyper (model 3000, Noldus Information technology, Wageningen, the Netherlands) is an observation home-cage in which mouse behavior can be automatically tracked by integrated cameras, and hardware actions can be initiated through various triggers using the video tracking software controlling the cages (EthoVision XT version 11, Noldus Information Technology, Wageningen, the Netherlands). Cages (Length (L) = 30 cm x Width (W) = 30 cm x Height (H) = 35 cm) are made from transparent Perspex walls with an opaque Perspex floor covered with bedding based on cellulose. The cages are equipped with a water bottle, a food grid and a triangular-shaped shelter, fixed in one corner, that has two entrances and is made from non-transparent material (W = 17.5 cm, H = 10 cm, diameter entrances = 9 cm). In the opposite corner, a reward pellet dispenser protruded with an aluminum tube into the cage. During the DL and RL tests an opaque Perspex wall (CognitionWall^TM, Noldus Information Technology, Wageningen, the Netherlands) with three entrances was placed in front of the pellet dispenser (W = 17 cm, H = 25 cm, diameter entrances = 3.3 cm, Supplementary Figure 1).