A standardized method of nomenclature has been developed for laboratory rodents in recognition of these differences. The method is almost universally used by commercial vendors. Records and publications should record the complete substrain designation of rodents. Capital letters following the colon are used by a breeder to identify his stock. Letters in parentheses denote origin of the stock.
Subscript symbols indicate rearing by means other than natural mother and microbiological status.
Inbred Strains 1. The strain designation is given in capital letters followed by a slash. The substrain designation follows the slash and is given as numbers or as individual or company codes. Numbers are used to denote substrains that were derived from a common strain but separated before the completion of inbreeding. Subscript symbols indicate rearing by means other than natural mother and microbiological status.