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Liu KE, Kucenas S. Rohon-beard neurons do not succumb to programmed cell death during zebrafish development. Dev Biol 2024; 515:186-198. [PMID: 38944329 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2024.06.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2024] [Revised: 06/21/2024] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/01/2024]
Abstract
During neural development, sculpting of early formed circuits by cell death and synaptic pruning is necessary to generate a functional and efficient nervous system. This allows for the establishment of rudimentary circuits which necessitate early organism survival to later undergo subsequent refinement. These changes facilitate additional specificity to stimuli which can lead to increased behavioral complexity. In multiple species, Rohon-Beard neurons (RBs) are the earliest mechanosensory neurons specified and are critical in establishing a rudimentary motor response circuit. Sensory input from RBs gradually becomes redundant as dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons develop and integrate into motor circuits. Previous studies demonstrate that RBs undergo a dramatic wave of cell death concurrent with development of the DRG. However, contrary to these studies, we show that neurogenin1+ (ngn1) RBs do not undergo a widespread wave of programmed cell death during early zebrafish development and instead persist until at least 15 days post fertilization (dpf). Starting at 2 dpf, we also observed a dramatic medialization and shrinkage of ngn1+ RB somas along with a gradual downregulation of ngn1 in RBs. This alters a fundamental premise of early zebrafish neural development and opens new avenues to explore mechanisms of RB function, persistence, and circuit refinement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kendra E Liu
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22904, USA; Program in Fundamental Neuroscience, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22904, USA
| | - Sarah Kucenas
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22904, USA; Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22904, USA; Program in Fundamental Neuroscience, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22904, USA.
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2
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von Hellfeld R, Gade C, Leist M, Braunbeck T. Rearing conditions (isolated versus group rearing) affect rotenone-induced changes in the behavior of zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos in the coiling assay. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2024:10.1007/s11356-024-34870-x. [PMID: 39240433 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-34870-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 08/26/2024] [Indexed: 09/07/2024]
Abstract
Under regulations such as REACH, testing of novel and established compounds for their (neuro)toxic potential is a legal requirement in many countries. These are largely based on animal-, cost-, and time-intensive in vivo models, not in line with the 3 Rs' principle of animal experimentation. Thus, the development of alternative test methods has also received increasing attention in neurotoxicology. Such methods focus either on physiological alterations in brain development and neuronal pathways or on behavioral changes. An example of a behavioral developmental neurotoxicity (DNT) assay is the zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryo coiling assay, which quantifies effects of compounds on the development of spontaneous movement of zebrafish embryos. While the importance of embryo-to-embryo contact prior to hatching in response to environmental contaminants or natural threats has been documented for many other clutch-laying fish species, little is known about the relevance of intra-clutch contacts for zebrafish. Here, the model neurotoxin rotenone was used to assess the effect of grouped versus separate rearing of the embryos on the expression of the coiling behavior. Some group-reared embryos reacted with hyperactivity to the exposure, to an extent that could not be recorded effectively with the utilized software. Separately reared embryos showed reduced activity, compared with group-reared individuals when assessing. However, even the control group embryos of the separately reared cohort showed reduced activity, compared with group-reared controls. Rotenone could thus be confirmed to induce neurotoxic effects in zebrafish embryos, yet modifying one parameter in an otherwise well-established neurotoxicity assay such as the coiling assay may lead to changes in behavior influenced by the proximity between individual embryos. This indicates a complex dependence of the outcome of behavior assays on a multitude of environmental parameters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca von Hellfeld
- Centre for Organismal Studies, Aquatic Ecology and Toxicology, University of Heidelberg, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB24 3UU, UK.
| | - Christoph Gade
- Centre for Organismal Studies, Aquatic Ecology and Toxicology, University of Heidelberg, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB24 3UU, UK
| | - Marcel Leist
- In Vitro Toxicology and Biomedicine, Department Inaugurated By the Doerenkamp-Zbinden Foundation, University of Konstanz, 78457, Constance, Germany
- CAAT Europe, University of Konstanz, 78457, Constance, Germany
| | - Thomas Braunbeck
- Centre for Organismal Studies, Aquatic Ecology and Toxicology, University of Heidelberg, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
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3
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Bellantoni E, Marini M, Chieca M, Gabellini C, Crapanzano EL, Souza Monteiro de Araujo D, Nosi D, Roschi L, Landini L, De Siena G, Pensieri P, Mastricci A, Scuffi I, Geppetti P, Nassini R, De Logu F. Schwann cell transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) ortholog in zebrafish larvae mediates chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. Br J Pharmacol 2024. [PMID: 39238161 DOI: 10.1111/bph.17318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2024] [Revised: 06/07/2024] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 09/07/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The oxidant sensor transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) channel expressed by Schwann cells (SCs) has recently been implicated in several models of neuropathic pain in rodents. Here we investigate whether the pro-algesic function of Schwann cell TRPA1 is not limited to mammals by exploring the role of TRPA1 in a model of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) in zebrafish larvae. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH We used zebrafish larvae and a mouse model to test oxaliplatin-evoked nociceptive behaviours. We also performed a TRPA1 selective silencing in Schwann cells both in zebrafish larvae and mice to study their contribution in oxaliplatin-induced CIPN model. KEY RESULTS We found that zebrafish larvae and zebrafish TRPA1 (zTRPA1)-transfected HEK293T cells respond to reactive oxygen species (ROS) with nociceptive behaviours and intracellular calcium increases, respectively. TRPA1 was found to be co-expressed with the Schwann cell marker, SOX10, in zebrafish larvae. Oxaliplatin caused nociceptive behaviours in zebrafish larvae that were attenuated by a TRPA1 antagonist and a ROS scavenger. Oxaliplatin failed to produce mechanical allodynia in mice with Schwann cell TRPA1 selective silencing (Plp1+-Trpa1 mice). Comparable results were observed in zebrafish larvae where TRPA1 selective silencing in Schwann cells, using the specific Schwann cell promoter myelin basic protein (MBP), attenuated oxaliplatin-evoked nociceptive behaviours. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS These results indicate that the contribution of the oxidative stress/Schwann cell/TRPA1 pro-allodynic pathway to neuropathic pain models seems to be conserved across the animal kingdom.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Bellantoni
- Department of Health Sciences, Clinical Pharmacology and Oncology Section, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Matilde Marini
- Department of Health Sciences, Clinical Pharmacology and Oncology Section, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Martina Chieca
- Department of Health Sciences, Clinical Pharmacology and Oncology Section, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Chiara Gabellini
- Department of Biology, Unit of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Erica Lucia Crapanzano
- Department of Biology, Unit of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | | | - Daniele Nosi
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Roschi
- LENS-European Laboratory for Nonlinear Spectroscopy, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Landini
- Department of Health Sciences, Clinical Pharmacology and Oncology Section, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Gaetano De Siena
- Department of Health Sciences, Clinical Pharmacology and Oncology Section, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Pasquale Pensieri
- Department of Health Sciences, Clinical Pharmacology and Oncology Section, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Alessandra Mastricci
- Department of Health Sciences, Clinical Pharmacology and Oncology Section, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Irene Scuffi
- Department of Health Sciences, Clinical Pharmacology and Oncology Section, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Pierangelo Geppetti
- Department of Health Sciences, Clinical Pharmacology and Oncology Section, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
- Department of Molecular Pathobiology, College of Dentistry, New York University, New York, New York, USA
- Pain Research Center, College of Dentistry, New York University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Romina Nassini
- Department of Health Sciences, Clinical Pharmacology and Oncology Section, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Francesco De Logu
- Department of Health Sciences, Clinical Pharmacology and Oncology Section, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
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4
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Iyer S, Dhiman N, Zade SP, Mukherjee S, Singla N, Kumar M. Exposure to Tetrabutylammonium Bromide Impairs Cranial Neural Crest Specification, Neurogenic Program, and Brain Morphogenesis. ACS Chem Neurosci 2023; 14:1785-1798. [PMID: 37125651 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.2c00728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Tetrabutylammonium bromide (TBAB) is a widely used industrial reagent and is commonly found in our aquatic ecosystem as an industrial byproduct. In humans, the ingestion of TBAB causes severe neurological impairments and disorders such as vertigo, hallucinations, and delirium. Yet, the extent of environmental risk and TBAB toxicity to human health is poorly understood. In this study, we aim to determine the developmental toxicity of TBAB using zebrafish embryos as a model and provide novel insights into the mechanism of action of such chemicals on neurodevelopment and the overall embryonic program. Our results show that exposure to TBAB results in impaired development of the brain, inner ear, and pharyngeal skeletal elements in the zebrafish embryo. TBAB treatment resulted in aberrations in the specification of the neural crest precursors, hindbrain segmentation, and otic neurogenesis. TBAB treatment also induced a surge in apoptosis in the head, tail, and trunk regions of the developing embryo. Long-term TBAB exposure resulted in cardiac edema and craniofacial defects. Further, in silico molecular docking analysis indicated that TBAB binds to AMPA receptors and modulates neural developmental genes such as olfactomedin and acetylcholinesterase in the embryonic brain. To summarize, our study highlights the novel effects of TBAB on embryonic brain formation and segmentation, ear morphogenesis, and craniofacial skeletal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharada Iyer
- CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CSIR-CCMB), Uppal Road, Habsiguda, Hyderabad 500007, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
| | - Neha Dhiman
- Department of Biochemistry, Panjab University, Chandigarh160014, India
| | - Suraj P Zade
- Global Product Compliance─India, 301, Samved Sankul, Near MLA Hostel, Civil Lines, Nagpur 440001, India
| | - Sulagna Mukherjee
- CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CSIR-CCMB), Uppal Road, Habsiguda, Hyderabad 500007, India
| | - Neha Singla
- Department of Biophysics, Panjab University, Chandigarh160014, India
| | - Megha Kumar
- CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CSIR-CCMB), Uppal Road, Habsiguda, Hyderabad 500007, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
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5
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Wilson AC, Sweeney LB. Spinal cords: Symphonies of interneurons across species. Front Neural Circuits 2023; 17:1146449. [PMID: 37180760 PMCID: PMC10169611 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2023.1146449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Vertebrate movement is orchestrated by spinal inter- and motor neurons that, together with sensory and cognitive input, produce dynamic motor behaviors. These behaviors vary from the simple undulatory swimming of fish and larval aquatic species to the highly coordinated running, reaching and grasping of mice, humans and other mammals. This variation raises the fundamental question of how spinal circuits have changed in register with motor behavior. In simple, undulatory fish, exemplified by the lamprey, two broad classes of interneurons shape motor neuron output: ipsilateral-projecting excitatory neurons, and commissural-projecting inhibitory neurons. An additional class of ipsilateral inhibitory neurons is required to generate escape swim behavior in larval zebrafish and tadpoles. In limbed vertebrates, a more complex spinal neuron composition is observed. In this review, we provide evidence that movement elaboration correlates with an increase and specialization of these three basic interneuron types into molecularly, anatomically, and functionally distinct subpopulations. We summarize recent work linking neuron types to movement-pattern generation across fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lora B. Sweeney
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria (IST Austria), Klosterneuburg, Lower Austria, Austria
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6
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Skiba A, Kozioł E, Luca SV, Budzyńska B, Podlasz P, Van Der Ent W, Shojaeinia E, Esguerra CV, Nour M, Marcourt L, Wolfender JL, Skalicka-Woźniak K. Evaluation of the Antiseizure Activity of Endemic Plant Halfordia kendack Guillaumin and Its Main Constituent, Halfordin, on a Zebrafish Pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-Induced Seizure Model. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24032598. [PMID: 36768918 PMCID: PMC9916433 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24032598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Epilepsy is a neurological disease that burdens over 50 million people worldwide. Despite the considerable number of available antiseizure medications, it is estimated that around 30% of patients still do not respond to available treatment. Herbal medicines represent a promising source of new antiseizure drugs. This study aimed to identify new drug lead candidates with antiseizure activity from endemic plants of New Caledonia. The crude methanolic leaf extract of Halfordia kendack Guillaumin (Rutaceae) significantly decreased (75 μg/mL and 100 μg/mL) seizure-like behaviour compared to sodium valproate in a zebrafish pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-induced acute seizure model. The main coumarin compound, halfordin, was subsequently isolated by liquid-liquid chromatography and subjected to locomotor, local field potential (LFP), and gene expression assays. Halfordin (20 μM) significantly decreased convulsive-like behaviour in the locomotor and LFP analysis (by 41.4% and 60%, respectively) and significantly modulated galn, and penka gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrianna Skiba
- Department of Natural Products Chemistry, Medical University of Lublin, 20-093 Lublin, Poland
- Correspondence: (A.S.); (K.S.-W.); Tel.: +48-81448-7093 (A.S.); +48-81448-7089 (K.S.-W.)
| | - Ewelina Kozioł
- Department of Natural Products Chemistry, Medical University of Lublin, 20-093 Lublin, Poland
| | - Simon Vlad Luca
- Biothermodynamics, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, 85354 Freising, Germany
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy Iasi, 700115 Iasi, Romania
| | - Barbara Budzyńska
- Independent Laboratory of Behavioral Studies, Medical University, Chodzki 4a, 20-090 Lublin, Poland
| | - Piotr Podlasz
- Department of Pathophysiology, Forensic Veterinary and Administration, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Warmia and Mazury, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland
| | - Wietske Van Der Ent
- Chemical Neuroscience Group, Centre for Molecular Medicine Norway (NCMM), University of Oslo, Forskningsparken, Gaustadalleén 21, 0349 Oslo, Norway
| | - Elham Shojaeinia
- Chemical Neuroscience Group, Centre for Molecular Medicine Norway (NCMM), University of Oslo, Forskningsparken, Gaustadalleén 21, 0349 Oslo, Norway
| | - Camila V. Esguerra
- Chemical Neuroscience Group, Centre for Molecular Medicine Norway (NCMM), University of Oslo, Forskningsparken, Gaustadalleén 21, 0349 Oslo, Norway
- Department of Pharmacy, Section for Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Oslo, Blindern, P.O. Box 1068, 0316 Oslo, Norway
| | - Mohammed Nour
- Institut des Sciences Exactes et Appliquées (ISEA)-EA 4243, France University of New Caledonia, 98851 Nouméa, New Caledonia, France
| | - Laurence Marcourt
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Geneva, CMU, Rue Michel Servet 1, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Western Switzerland, University of Geneva, CMU, Rue Michel Servet 1, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Jean-Luc Wolfender
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Geneva, CMU, Rue Michel Servet 1, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Western Switzerland, University of Geneva, CMU, Rue Michel Servet 1, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Krystyna Skalicka-Woźniak
- Department of Natural Products Chemistry, Medical University of Lublin, 20-093 Lublin, Poland
- Correspondence: (A.S.); (K.S.-W.); Tel.: +48-81448-7093 (A.S.); +48-81448-7089 (K.S.-W.)
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7
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Dorigo A, Valishetti K, Hetsch F, Matsui H, Meier JC, Namikawa K, Köster RW. Functional regionalization of the differentiating cerebellar Purkinje cell population occurs in an activity-dependent manner. Front Mol Neurosci 2023; 16:1166900. [PMID: 37181649 PMCID: PMC10174242 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2023.1166900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction The cerebellum is organized into functional regions each dedicated to process different motor or sensory inputs for controlling different locomotor behaviors. This functional regionalization is prominent in the evolutionary conserved single-cell layered Purkinje cell (PC) population. Fragmented gene expression domains suggest a genetic organization of PC layer regionalization during cerebellum development. However, the establishment of such functionally specific domains during PC differentiation remained elusive. Methods and results We show the progressive emergence of functional regionalization of PCs from broad responses to spatially restricted regions in zebrafish by means of in vivo Ca2+-imaging during stereotypic locomotive behavior. Moreover, we reveal that formation of new dendritic spines during cerebellar development using in vivo imaging parallels the time course of functional domain development. Pharmacological as well as cell-type specific optogenetic inhibition of PC neuronal activity results in reduced PC dendritic spine density and an altered stagnant pattern of functional domain formation in the PC layer. Discussion Hence, our study suggests that functional regionalization of the PC layer is driven by physiological activity of maturing PCs themselves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Dorigo
- Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Komali Valishetti
- Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Florian Hetsch
- Cell Physiology, Zoological Institute, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
- Institute of Pathophysiology, University Medical Center, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Hideaki Matsui
- Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
- Department of Neuroscience of Disease, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Jochen C. Meier
- Cell Physiology, Zoological Institute, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Kazuhiko Namikawa
- Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
- *Correspondence: Kazuhiko Namikawa,
| | - Reinhard W. Köster
- Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
- Reinhard W. Köster,
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8
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A Missense Variant in PDK1 Associated with Severe Neurodevelopmental Delay and Epilepsy. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10123171. [PMID: 36551928 PMCID: PMC9775741 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10123171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC) is responsible for the conversion of pyruvate into acetyl-CoA, which is used for energy conversion in cells. PDC activity is regulated by phosphorylation via kinases and phosphatases (PDK/PDP). Variants in all subunits of the PDC and in PDK3 have been reported, with varying phenotypes including lactic acidosis, neurodevelopmental delay, peripheral neuropathy, or seizures. Here, we report a de novo heterozygous missense variant in PDK1 (c.1139G > A; p.G380D) in a girl with developmental delay and early onset severe epilepsy. To investigate the role of PDK1G380D in energy metabolism and neuronal development, we used a zebrafish model. In zebrafish embryos we show a reduced number of cells with mitochondria with membrane potential, reduced movements, and a delay in neuronal development. Furthermore, we observe a reduction in the phosphorylation of PDH-E1α by PDKG380D, which suggests a disruption in the regulation of PDC activity. Finally, in patient fibroblasts, a mild reduction in the ratio of phosphorylated PDH over total PDH-E1α was detected. In summary, our findings support the notion that this aberrant PDK1 activity is the cause of clinical symptoms in the patient.
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9
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Lysko DE, Talbot WS. Unmyelinated sensory neurons use Neuregulin signals to promote myelination of interneurons in the CNS. Cell Rep 2022; 41:111669. [PMID: 36384112 PMCID: PMC9719401 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Revised: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The signaling mechanisms neurons use to modulate myelination of circuits in the central nervous system (CNS) are only partly understood. Through analysis of isoform-specific neuregulin1 (nrg1) mutants in zebrafish, we demonstrate that nrg1 type II is an important regulator of myelination of two classes of spinal cord interneurons. Surprisingly, nrg1 type II expression is prominent in unmyelinated Rohon-Beard sensory neurons, whereas myelination of neighboring interneurons is reduced in nrg1 type II mutants. Cell-type-specific loss-of-function studies indicate that nrg1 type II is required in Rohon-Beard neurons to signal to other neurons, not oligodendrocytes, to modulate spinal cord myelination. Together, our data support a model in which unmyelinated neurons express Nrg1 type II proteins to regulate myelination of neighboring neurons, a mode of action that may coordinate the functions of unmyelinated and myelinated neurons in the CNS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel E Lysko
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - William S Talbot
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
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10
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Barnaby W, Dorman Barclay HE, Nagarkar A, Perkins M, Teicher G, Trapani JG, Downes GB. GABAA α subunit control of hyperactive behavior in developing zebrafish. Genetics 2022; 220:6519832. [PMID: 35106556 PMCID: PMC8982038 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyac011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
GABAA receptors mediate rapid responses to the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid and are robust regulators of the brain and spinal cord neural networks that control locomotor behaviors, such as walking and swimming. In developing zebrafish, gross pharmacological blockade of these receptors causes hyperactive swimming, which is also a feature of many zebrafish epilepsy models. Although GABAA receptors are important to control locomotor behavior, the large number of subunits and homeostatic compensatory mechanisms have challenged efforts to determine subunit-selective roles. To address this issue, we mutated each of the 8 zebrafish GABAA α subunit genes individually and in pairs using a CRISPR-Cas9 somatic inactivation approach and, then, we examined the swimming behavior of the mutants at 2 developmental stages, 48 and 96 h postfertilization. We found that disrupting the expression of specific pairs of subunits resulted in different abnormalities in swimming behavior at 48 h postfertilization. Mutation of α4 and α5 selectively resulted in longer duration swimming episodes, mutations in α3 and α4 selectively caused excess, large-amplitude body flexions (C-bends), and mutation of α3 and α5 resulted in increases in both of these measures of hyperactivity. At 96 h postfertilization, hyperactive phenotypes were nearly absent, suggesting that homeostatic compensation was able to overcome the disruption of even multiple subunits. Taken together, our results identify subunit-selective roles for GABAA α3, α4, and α5 in regulating locomotion. Given that these subunits exhibit spatially restricted expression patterns, these results provide a foundation to identify neurons and GABAergic networks that control discrete aspects of locomotor behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wayne Barnaby
- Neuroscience and Behavior Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA,Biology Department, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | | | - Akanksha Nagarkar
- Biology Department, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Matthew Perkins
- Biology Department and Neuroscience Program, Amherst College, Amherst, MA 01002, USA
| | - Gregory Teicher
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA,Biology Department, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Josef G Trapani
- Neuroscience and Behavior Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA,Biology Department and Neuroscience Program, Amherst College, Amherst, MA 01002, USA
| | - Gerald B Downes
- Neuroscience and Behavior Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA,Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA,Biology Department, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA,Corresponding author: Biology Department, Neuroscience and Behavior Graduate Program, and Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, 611 North Pleasant St., Morrill Science Center, Building 4 North, Amherst, MA 01003, USA.
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11
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Abstract
Zebrafish behavioral assays are commonly used to identify and study environmental stressors that elicit adverse effects on neurobehavior. Behavioral assay platforms are available for multiple life stages (embryonic, juvenile, and adults) and are robust in detecting stressor-induced acute effects on neurodevelopment as well as long term deficits in sensory mechanisms, social behavior, learning, memory, and neurodegenerative diseases. Within this chapter, we present an overview of zebrafish behavioral assays that are commonly used to study environmental neurotoxicants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Subham Dasgupta
- Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Sinnhuber Aquatic Research Laboratory, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Michael T Simonich
- Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Sinnhuber Aquatic Research Laboratory, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Robyn L Tanguay
- Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Sinnhuber Aquatic Research Laboratory, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA.
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12
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Abstract
Locomotion requires the segmental coordination of activity along the body. A new study in zebrafish reveals that spinal inhibitory interneurons are wired to execute different functions depending on whether their targets are nearby or further away.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Jay
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60201, USA
| | - David L McLean
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60201, USA.
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13
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Chen J, Kong A, Shelton D, Dong H, Li J, Zhao F, Bai C, Huang K, Mo W, Chen S, Xu H, Tanguay RL, Dong Q. Early life stage transient aristolochic acid exposure induces behavioral hyperactivity but not nephrotoxicity in larval zebrafish. AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2021; 238:105916. [PMID: 34303159 PMCID: PMC8881052 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2021.105916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Revised: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Aristolochic acids (AA) are nitrophenanthrene carboxylic acids found in plants of the Aristolochiaceae family. Humans are exposed to AA by deliberately taking herbal medicines or unintentionally as a result of environmental contamination. AA is notorious for its nephrotoxicity, however, fewer studies explore potential neurotoxicity associated with AA exposure. The developing nervous system is vulnerable to xenobiotics, and pregnant women exposed to AA may put their fetuses at risk. In the present study, we used the embryonic zebrafish model to evaluate the developmental neurotoxicity associated with AA exposure. At non-teratogenic concentrations (≤ 4 µM), continuous AA exposure from 8 to 120 hours post fertilization (hpf) resulted in larval hyperactivity that was characterized by increased moving distance, elevated activity and faster swimming speeds in several behavioral assays. Further analysis revealed that 8-24 hpf is the most sensitive exposure window for AA-induced hyperactivity. AA exposures specifically increased motor neuron proliferation, increased apoptosis in the eye, and resulted in cellular oxidative stress. In addition, AA exposures increased larval eye size and perturbed the expression of vision genes. Our study, for the first time, demonstrates that AA is neurotoxic to the developmental zebrafish with a sensitive window distinct from its well-documented nephrotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiangfei Chen
- The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325035, PR China; Institute of Environmental Safety and Human Health, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325035, PR China..
| | - Aijun Kong
- Institute of Environmental Safety and Human Health, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325035, PR China
| | - Delia Shelton
- Sinnhuber Aquatic Research Laboratory, Department of Environmental & Molecular Toxicology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97333, United States
| | - Haojia Dong
- Institute of Environmental Safety and Human Health, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325035, PR China
| | - Jiani Li
- Institute of Environmental Safety and Human Health, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325035, PR China
| | - Fan Zhao
- Institute of Environmental Safety and Human Health, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325035, PR China
| | - Chenglian Bai
- Institute of Environmental Safety and Human Health, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325035, PR China
| | - Kaiyu Huang
- The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325035, PR China
| | - Wen Mo
- Zhejiang rehabilitation medical center, Hangzhou 310051, PR China
| | - Shan Chen
- The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325035, PR China
| | - Hui Xu
- The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325035, PR China
| | - Robyn L Tanguay
- Sinnhuber Aquatic Research Laboratory, Department of Environmental & Molecular Toxicology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97333, United States
| | - Qiaoxiang Dong
- The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325035, PR China; Institute of Environmental Safety and Human Health, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325035, PR China..
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14
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Benvenutti R, Gallas-Lopes M, Marcon M, Reschke CR, Herrmann AP, Piato A. Glutamate Nmda Receptor Antagonists With Relevance To Schizophrenia: A Review Of Zebrafish Behavioral Studies. Curr Neuropharmacol 2021; 20:494-509. [PMID: 33588731 PMCID: PMC9608229 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x19666210215121428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2020] [Revised: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia pathophysiology is associated with hypofunction of glutamate NMDA receptors (NMDAR) in GABAergic interneurons and dopaminergic hyperactivation in subcortical brain areas. The administration of NMDAR antagonists is used as an animal model that replicates behavioral phenotypes relevant to the positive, negative, and cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia. Such models overwhelmingly rely on rodents, which may lead to species-specific biases and poor translatability. Zebrafish, however, is increasingly used as a model organism to study evolutionarily conserved aspects of behavior. We thus aimed to review and integrate the major findings reported in the zebrafish literature regarding the behavioral effects of NMDAR antagonists with relevance to schizophrenia. We identified 44 research articles that met our inclusion criteria from 590 studies retrieved from MEDLINE (PubMed) and Web of Science databases. Dizocilpine (MK-801) and ketamine were employed in 29 and 10 studies, respectively. The use of other NMDAR antagonists, such as phencyclidine (PCP), APV, memantine, and tiletamine, was described in 6 studies. Frequently reported findings are the social interaction and memory deficits induced by MK-801 and circling behavior induced by ketamine. However, mixed results were described for several locomotor and exploratory parameters in the novel tank and open tank tests. The present review integrates the most relevant results while discussing variation in experimental design and methodological procedures. We conclude that zebrafish is a suitable model organism to study drug-induced behavioral phenotypes relevant to schizophrenia. However, more studies are necessary to further characterize the major differences in behavior as compared to mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Radharani Benvenutti
- Departamento de Farmacologia, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS. Brazil
| | - Matheus Gallas-Lopes
- Departamento de Farmacologia, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS. Brazil
| | - Matheus Marcon
- Departamento de Farmacologia, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS. Brazil
| | - Cristina R Reschke
- School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin. Ireland
| | - Ana Paula Herrmann
- Departamento de Farmacologia, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS. Brazil
| | - Angelo Piato
- Departamento de Farmacologia, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS. Brazil
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15
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Trawiński J, Kozioł E, Skibiński R. Influence of the UV-Vis irradiation on the acute toxicity to zebrafish and mutagenicity of the selected psychotropic drugs. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND HEALTH. PART A, TOXIC/HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING 2020; 55:1624-1637. [PMID: 33043805 DOI: 10.1080/10934529.2020.1829890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2020] [Revised: 09/24/2020] [Accepted: 09/24/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The influence of the UV-Vis radiation on the toxicity of agomelatine, loxapine, clozapine and tiapride was studied. The phototransformation procedure was conducted with the use of simulated solar radiation. In the case of each compound irradiation time necessary to decompose half of the initial concentration was chosen. The embryotoxicity and acute toxicity were evaluated using zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos and larvae. The mutagenicity assay was done with the use of a micro-plate Ames test. Generally, the embryotoxicity decreased after the irradiation procedure. The obtained results showed that tiapride is the least toxic compound to zebrafish, however, its toxicity toward larvae increases after the irradiation. Similarly, the mutagenic potential of the mixture of tiapride photoproducts is higher than in the case of parent compound. The phototransformation of loxapine resulted in the change of the acute toxicity profile and increased the rate of reverse mutations in the Ames test. Oppositely, the irradiation of agomelatine caused the decrease of mutagenic potential and acute toxicity was also lower in the postirradiated mixture. The phototransformation of clozapine did not alter the mutagenicity and decreased the acute toxicity to the zebrafish larvae. In silico calculations showed a satisfactory prediction ability in some instances, especially in the case of mutagenic potential of the tiapride phototransformation products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakub Trawiński
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland
| | - Ewelina Kozioł
- Department of Pharmacognosy with Medicinal Plant Unit, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland
| | - Robert Skibiński
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland
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16
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Aourz N, Serruys ASK, Chabwine JN, Balegamire PB, Afrikanova T, Edrada-Ebel R, Grey AI, Kamuhabwa AR, Walrave L, Esguerra CV, van Leuven F, de Witte PAM, Smolders I, Crawford AD. Identification of GSK-3 as a Potential Therapeutic Entry Point for Epilepsy. ACS Chem Neurosci 2019; 10:1992-2003. [PMID: 30351911 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.8b00281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
In view of the clinical need for new antiseizure drugs (ASDs) with novel modes of action, we used a zebrafish seizure model to screen the anticonvulsant activity of medicinal plants used by traditional healers in the Congo for the treatment of epilepsy, and identified a crude plant extract that inhibited pentylenetetrazol (PTZ)-induced seizures in zebrafish larvae. Zebrafish bioassay-guided fractionation of this anticonvulsant Fabaceae species, Indigofera arrecta, identified indirubin, a compound with known inhibitory activity of glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)-3, as the bioactive component. Indirubin, as well as the more potent and selective GSK-3 inhibitor 6-bromoindirubin-3'-oxime (BIO-acetoxime) were tested in zebrafish and rodent seizure assays. Both compounds revealed anticonvulsant activity in PTZ-treated zebrafish larvae, with electroencephalographic recordings revealing reduction of epileptiform discharges. Both indirubin and BIO-acetoxime also showed anticonvulsant activity in the pilocarpine rat model for limbic seizures and in the 6-Hz refractory seizure mouse model. Most interestingly, BIO-acetoxime also exhibited anticonvulsant actions in 6-Hz fully kindled mice. Our findings thus provide the first evidence for anticonvulsant activity of GSK-3 inhibition, thereby implicating GSK-3 as a potential therapeutic entry point for epilepsy. Our results also support the use of zebrafish bioassay-guided fractionation of antiepileptic medicinal plant extracts as an effective strategy for the discovery of new ASDs with novel mechanisms of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Najat Aourz
- Center for Neurosciences (C4N), Research Group Experimental Pharmacology (EFAR/FASC), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Ann-Sophie K. Serruys
- Laboratory for Molecular Biodiscovery, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Joëlle N. Chabwine
- Salama Neuroscience Center, Bukavu, South Kivu BP 54, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | | | - Tatiana Afrikanova
- Laboratory for Molecular Biodiscovery, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - RuAngelie Edrada-Ebel
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy & Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0RE, Scotland, U.K
| | - Alexander I. Grey
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy & Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0RE, Scotland, U.K
| | - Appolinary R. Kamuhabwa
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Muhimbili University of Health & Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam 11000, Tanzania
| | - Laura Walrave
- Center for Neurosciences (C4N), Research Group Experimental Pharmacology (EFAR/FASC), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Camila V. Esguerra
- Laboratory for Molecular Biodiscovery, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Fred van Leuven
- Experimental Genetics Group (LEGTEGG), Department of Human Genetics, University of Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Peter A. M. de Witte
- Laboratory for Molecular Biodiscovery, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Ilse Smolders
- Center for Neurosciences (C4N), Research Group Experimental Pharmacology (EFAR/FASC), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Alexander D. Crawford
- Laboratory for Molecular Biodiscovery, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
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17
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Kozioł E, Deniz FSS, Orhan IE, Marcourt L, Budzyńska B, Wolfender JL, Crawford AD, Skalicka-Woźniak K. High-performance counter-current chromatography isolation and initial neuroactivity characterization of furanocoumarin derivatives from Peucedanum alsaticum L (Apiaceae). PHYTOMEDICINE : INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHYTOTHERAPY AND PHYTOPHARMACOLOGY 2019; 54:259-264. [PMID: 30668376 DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2018.10.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2018] [Revised: 10/21/2018] [Accepted: 10/23/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Medicinal plants are a proven source of drug-like small molecules with activity towards targets relevant for diseases of the central nervous system (CNS). Plant species of the Apiaceae family have to date yielded a number of neuroactive metabolites, such as coumarin derivatives with acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity or anti-seizure activity. PURPOSE To accelerate the discovery of neuroactive phytochemicals with potential as CNS drug leads, we sought to rapidly isolate furanocoumarins, primary constituents of the dichloromethane (DCM) extract of the fruits of Peucedanum alsaticum L. (Apiaceae), using high-performance counter-current chromatography (HPCCC) and to evaluate their neuroactivity using both in vitro and in vivo microscale bioassays based on cholinesterase ELISAs and zebrafish epilepsy models. RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURE In this study the DCM extract was subjected to HPCCC for the efficient separation (60 min) and isolation of furanocoumarins. Isolated compounds were identified with TOF-ESI-MS and NMR techniques and examined as inhibitors of AChE and BChE using ELISA microtiter assays. Anti-seizure properties of the extract and of the isolated compounds were evaluated using a zebrafish epilepsy model based on the GABAA antagonist pentylenetetrazol (PTZ), which induces increased locomotor activity and seizure-like behavior. RESULTS The solvent system, composed of n-heptane, ethyl acetate, methanol and water (3:1:3:1, v/v/v/v), enabled the isolation of 2.63 mg lucidafuranocoumarin A (purity 98%) and 8.82 mg bergamottin (purity 96%) from 1.6 g crude DCM extract. The crude extract, at a concentration of 100 µg/ml, exhibited a weak inhibitory activity against acetylcholinesterase (AChE) (9.63 ± 1.59%) and a moderate inhibitory activity against butyrylcholinestrase (BChE) (49.41 ± 2.19%). Lucidafuranocoumarin A (100 µg/ml) was inactive against AChE but showed moderate inhibition towards BChE (40.66 ± 1.25%). The DCM extract of P. alsaticum fruits (0.62-1.75 µg/ml) and bergamottin (2-10 µm) exhibited weak anti-seizure activity, while lucidafuranocoumarin A (10-16 µm) was found to significantly inhibit PTZ-induced seizures. The percentage of seizure inhibition for the isolated compounds, at their most bioactive concentration, was 26% for bergamottin and 69% for lucidafuranocoumarin A. CONCLUSION Our findings underscore the utility of HPCCC for the rapid isolation of rare coumarin derivatives, and the potential of microscale in vivo bioassays based on zebrafish disease models for the rapid assessment of neuroactivity of these drug-like natural products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewelina Kozioł
- Department of Pharmacognosy with Medicinal Plant Unit, Medical University of Lublin, 1 Chodźki Str., 20-093 Lublin, Poland
| | | | - Ilkay Erdogan Orhan
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Gazi University, 06330 Ankara, Turkey
| | - Laurence Marcourt
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Geneva, University of Lausanne, Rue Michel-Servet 1, CH-1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Barbara Budzyńska
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacodynamics, Medical University of Lublin, 4a Chodźki Str., 20-093 Lublin, Poland
| | - Jean-Luc Wolfender
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Geneva, University of Lausanne, Rue Michel-Servet 1, CH-1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Alexander D Crawford
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Ullevålsveien 72, 0454 Oslo, Norway
| | - Krystyna Skalicka-Woźniak
- Department of Pharmacognosy with Medicinal Plant Unit, Medical University of Lublin, 1 Chodźki Str., 20-093 Lublin, Poland.
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18
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Fierro J, Haynes DR, Washbourne P. 4.1Ba is necessary for glutamatergic synapse formation in the sensorimotor circuit of developing zebrafish. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0205255. [PMID: 30286167 PMCID: PMC6171929 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0205255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2018] [Accepted: 09/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
During the process of synapse formation, thousands of proteins assemble at prospective sites of cell-cell communication. Although many of these proteins have been identified, the roles they play in generating functional connections during development remain unknown. 4.1 scaffolding proteins have been implicated in synapse formation and maturation in vitro, but in vivo studies for some family members have suggested these proteins are not important for this role. We examined the role of family member 4.1B because it has been implicated in glutamatergic synaptogenesis, but has not been described in vivo. We identified two 4.1B genes in zebrafish, 4.1Ba and 4.1Bb, by sequence comparisons and synteny analysis. In situ hybridization shows these genes are differentially expressed, with 4.1Ba expressed primarily in the nervous system and 4.1Bb expressed in the nervous system and muscle, but not the spinal cord. We focused our studies on 4.1Ba in the spinal cord. 4.1Ba knockdown reduced the number of glutamatergic synapses at caudal primary motor neurons and caused an increase in the duration of touch-evoked coiling. These results suggest 4.1Ba is important for the formation of functional glutamatergic synapses in the developing zebrafish spinal cord.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Fierro
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Dylan R. Haynes
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Philip Washbourne
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, United States of America
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19
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Berg EM, Björnfors ER, Pallucchi I, Picton LD, El Manira A. Principles Governing Locomotion in Vertebrates: Lessons From Zebrafish. Front Neural Circuits 2018; 12:73. [PMID: 30271327 PMCID: PMC6146226 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2018.00073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2018] [Accepted: 08/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Locomotor behaviors are critical for survival and enable animals to navigate their environment, find food and evade predators. The circuits in the brain and spinal cord that initiate and maintain such different modes of locomotion in vertebrates have been studied in numerous species for over a century. In recent decades, the zebrafish has emerged as one of the main model systems for the study of locomotion, owing to its experimental amenability, and work in zebrafish has revealed numerous new insights into locomotor circuit function. Here, we review the literature that has led to our current understanding of the neural circuits controlling swimming and escape in zebrafish. We highlight recent studies that have enriched our comprehension of key topics, such as the interactions between premotor excitatory interneurons (INs) and motoneurons (MNs), supraspinal and spinal circuits that coordinate escape maneuvers, and developmental changes in overall circuit composition. We also discuss roles for neuromodulators and sensory inputs in modifying the relative strengths of constituent circuit components to provide flexibility in zebrafish behavior, allowing the animal to accommodate changes in the environment. We aim to provide a coherent framework for understanding the circuitry in the brain and spinal cord of zebrafish that allows the animal to flexibly transition between different speeds, and modes, of locomotion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva M Berg
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute (KI), Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Irene Pallucchi
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute (KI), Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Laurence D Picton
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute (KI), Stockholm, Sweden
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20
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Active mechanosensory feedback during locomotion in the zebrafish spinal cord. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2018; 52:48-53. [PMID: 29704750 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2018.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2018] [Revised: 03/20/2018] [Accepted: 04/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The investigation of mechanosensory feedback to locomotion has been hindered by the challenge of recording neurons in motion. Genetic accessibility and optical transparency of zebrafish larvae provide means to revisit this question. Glutamatergic Rohon-Beard (RB) and GABAergic CSF-contacting neurons (CSF-cNs) are spinal mechanosensory neurons. Recent studies combining bioluminescence, silencing and optogenetic activation show that mechanosensory neurons enhance speed and stabilize posture during locomotion. RB neurons can modulate speed by projecting onto glutamatergic premotor V2a interneurons during fast swimming, while CSF-cNs inhibit V0-v interneurons sustaining slow swimming. Sensory gating, either through inhibition of sensory interneurons (CoPA) or though the direct inhibition of primary motor neurons by CSF-cNs, mediates postural control. Advanced optical methods have shed light on the dynamics of sensorimotor integration during active locomotion unraveling implications for translational research.
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21
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Knafo S, Fidelin K, Prendergast A, Tseng PEB, Parrin A, Dickey C, Böhm UL, Figueiredo SN, Thouvenin O, Pascal-Moussellard H, Wyart C. Mechanosensory neurons control the timing of spinal microcircuit selection during locomotion. eLife 2017; 6:e25260. [PMID: 28623664 PMCID: PMC5499942 DOI: 10.7554/elife.25260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2017] [Accepted: 06/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite numerous physiological studies about reflexes in the spinal cord, the contribution of mechanosensory feedback to active locomotion and the nature of underlying spinal circuits remains elusive. Here we investigate how mechanosensory feedback shapes active locomotion in a genetic model organism exhibiting simple locomotion-the zebrafish larva. We show that mechanosensory feedback enhances the recruitment of motor pools during active locomotion. Furthermore, we demonstrate that inputs from mechanosensory neurons increase locomotor speed by prolonging fast swimming at the expense of slow swimming during stereotyped acoustic escape responses. This effect could be mediated by distinct mechanosensory neurons. In the spinal cord, we show that connections compatible with monosynaptic inputs from mechanosensory Rohon-Beard neurons onto ipsilateral V2a interneurons selectively recruited at high speed can contribute to the observed enhancement of speed. Altogether, our study reveals the basic principles and a circuit diagram enabling speed modulation by mechanosensory feedback in the vertebrate spinal cord.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven Knafo
- Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière (I.C.M.), Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, Inserm, CNRS, Institut du Cerveau et la Moelle épinière, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
- AP-HP, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Kevin Fidelin
- Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière (I.C.M.), Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, Inserm, CNRS, Institut du Cerveau et la Moelle épinière, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Andrew Prendergast
- Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière (I.C.M.), Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, Inserm, CNRS, Institut du Cerveau et la Moelle épinière, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Po-En Brian Tseng
- Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière (I.C.M.), Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, Inserm, CNRS, Institut du Cerveau et la Moelle épinière, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Alexandre Parrin
- Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière (I.C.M.), Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, Inserm, CNRS, Institut du Cerveau et la Moelle épinière, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Charles Dickey
- Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière (I.C.M.), Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, Inserm, CNRS, Institut du Cerveau et la Moelle épinière, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Urs Lucas Böhm
- Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière (I.C.M.), Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, Inserm, CNRS, Institut du Cerveau et la Moelle épinière, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Sophie Nunes Figueiredo
- Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière (I.C.M.), Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, Inserm, CNRS, Institut du Cerveau et la Moelle épinière, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Olivier Thouvenin
- Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière (I.C.M.), Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, Inserm, CNRS, Institut du Cerveau et la Moelle épinière, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Hugues Pascal-Moussellard
- Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière (I.C.M.), Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, Inserm, CNRS, Institut du Cerveau et la Moelle épinière, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
- AP-HP, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Claire Wyart
- Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière (I.C.M.), Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, Inserm, CNRS, Institut du Cerveau et la Moelle épinière, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
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22
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Umeda K, Shoji W. From neuron to behavior: Sensory-motor coordination of zebrafish turning behavior. Dev Growth Differ 2017; 59:107-114. [DOI: 10.1111/dgd.12345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2016] [Revised: 02/07/2017] [Accepted: 02/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Keiko Umeda
- Frontier Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Sciences; Tohoku University; Sendai 9808578 Japan
| | - Wataru Shoji
- Frontier Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Sciences; Tohoku University; Sendai 9808578 Japan
- Department of Project Programs; Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer; Tohoku University; Sendai 9808575 Japan
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23
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Tsuruwaka Y, Shimada E, Tsutsui K, Ogawa T. Ca 2+ dynamics in zebrafish morphogenesis. PeerJ 2017; 5:e2894. [PMID: 28133572 PMCID: PMC5251937 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.2894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2016] [Accepted: 12/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Intracellular calcium ion (Ca2+) signaling is heavily involved in development, as illustrated by the use of a number of Ca2+ indicators. However, continuous Ca2+ patterns during morphogenesis have not yet been studied using fluorescence resonance energy transfer to track the Ca2+ sensor. In the present study, we monitored Ca2+ levels during zebrafish morphogenesis and differentiation with yellow cameleon, YC2.12. Our results show not only clear changes in Ca2+ levels but also continuous Ca2+ patterns at 24 hpf and later periods for the first time. Serial Ca2+dynamics during early pharyngula period (Prim-5-20; 24–33 hpf) was successfully observed with cameleon, which have not reported anywhere yet. In fact, high Ca2+ level occurred concurrently with hindbrain development in segmentation and pharyngula periods. Ca2+ patterns in the late gastrula through segmentation periods which were obtained with cameleon, were similar to those obtained previously with other Ca2+sensor. Our results suggested that the use of various Ca2+ sensors may lead to novel findings in studies of Ca2+ dynamics. We hope that these results will prove valuable for further research in Ca2+ signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yusuke Tsuruwaka
- Marine Bioresource Exploration Research Group, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Yokosuka, Japan
| | - Eriko Shimada
- Marine Bioresource Exploration Research Group, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Yokosuka, Japan.,Department of Animal Science, University of California, Davis, CA, United States.,Cellevolt, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Kenta Tsutsui
- Marine Bioresource Exploration Research Group, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Yokosuka, Japan
| | - Tomohisa Ogawa
- Marine Bioresource Exploration Research Group, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Yokosuka, Japan
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24
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Hubbard JM, Böhm UL, Prendergast A, Tseng PEB, Newman M, Stokes C, Wyart C. Intraspinal Sensory Neurons Provide Powerful Inhibition to Motor Circuits Ensuring Postural Control during Locomotion. Curr Biol 2016; 26:2841-2853. [PMID: 27720623 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2016.08.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2016] [Revised: 08/08/2016] [Accepted: 08/10/2016] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
In the vertebrate spinal cord, cerebrospinal fluid-contacting neurons (CSF-cNs) are GABAergic neurons whose functions are only beginning to unfold. Recent evidence indicates that CSF-cNs detect local spinal bending and relay this mechanosensory feedback information to motor circuits, yet many CSF-cN targets remain unknown. Using optogenetics, patterned illumination, and in vivo electrophysiology, we show here that CSF-cNs provide somatic inhibition to fast motor neurons and excitatory sensory interneurons involved in the escape circuit. Ventral CSF-cNs respond to longitudinal spinal contractions and induce large inhibitory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs) sufficient to silence spiking of their targets. Upon repetitive stimulation, these IPSCs promptly depress, enabling the mechanosensory response to the first bend to be the most effective. When CSF-cNs are silenced, postural control is compromised, resulting in rollovers during escapes. Altogether, our data demonstrate how GABAergic sensory neurons provide powerful inhibitory feedback to the escape circuit to maintain balance during active locomotion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey Michael Hubbard
- Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Épinière, Hôpital Pitié Salpêtrière, 47 Boulevard de l'Hôpital, 75013 Paris, France; INSERM UMRS 1127, 75013 Paris, France; CNRS UMR 7225, 75005 Paris, France; UPMC University Paris 06, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Urs Lucas Böhm
- Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Épinière, Hôpital Pitié Salpêtrière, 47 Boulevard de l'Hôpital, 75013 Paris, France; INSERM UMRS 1127, 75013 Paris, France; CNRS UMR 7225, 75005 Paris, France; UPMC University Paris 06, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Andrew Prendergast
- Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Épinière, Hôpital Pitié Salpêtrière, 47 Boulevard de l'Hôpital, 75013 Paris, France; INSERM UMRS 1127, 75013 Paris, France; CNRS UMR 7225, 75005 Paris, France; UPMC University Paris 06, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Po-En Brian Tseng
- Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Épinière, Hôpital Pitié Salpêtrière, 47 Boulevard de l'Hôpital, 75013 Paris, France; INSERM UMRS 1127, 75013 Paris, France; CNRS UMR 7225, 75005 Paris, France; UPMC University Paris 06, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Morgan Newman
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
| | - Caleb Stokes
- Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Épinière, Hôpital Pitié Salpêtrière, 47 Boulevard de l'Hôpital, 75013 Paris, France; INSERM UMRS 1127, 75013 Paris, France; CNRS UMR 7225, 75005 Paris, France; UPMC University Paris 06, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Claire Wyart
- Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Épinière, Hôpital Pitié Salpêtrière, 47 Boulevard de l'Hôpital, 75013 Paris, France; INSERM UMRS 1127, 75013 Paris, France; CNRS UMR 7225, 75005 Paris, France; UPMC University Paris 06, 75005 Paris, France.
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25
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Ogino K, Hirata H. Defects of the Glycinergic Synapse in Zebrafish. Front Mol Neurosci 2016; 9:50. [PMID: 27445686 PMCID: PMC4925712 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2016.00050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2016] [Accepted: 06/13/2016] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Glycine mediates fast inhibitory synaptic transmission. Physiological importance of the glycinergic synapse is well established in the brainstem and the spinal cord. In humans, the loss of glycinergic function in the spinal cord and brainstem leads to hyperekplexia, which is characterized by an excess startle reflex to sudden acoustic or tactile stimulation. In addition, glycinergic synapses in this region are also involved in the regulation of respiration and locomotion, and in the nociceptive processing. The importance of the glycinergic synapse is conserved across vertebrate species. A teleost fish, the zebrafish, offers several advantages as a vertebrate model for research of glycinergic synapse. Mutagenesis screens in zebrafish have isolated two motor defective mutants that have pathogenic mutations in glycinergic synaptic transmission: bandoneon (beo) and shocked (sho). Beo mutants have a loss-of-function mutation of glycine receptor (GlyR) β-subunit b, alternatively, sho mutant is a glycinergic transporter 1 (GlyT1) defective mutant. These mutants are useful animal models for understanding of glycinergic synaptic transmission and for identification of novel therapeutic agents for human diseases arising from defect in glycinergic transmission, such as hyperekplexia or glycine encephalopathy. Recent advances in techniques for genome editing and for imaging and manipulating of a molecule or a physiological process make zebrafish more attractive model. In this review, we describe the glycinergic defective zebrafish mutants and the technical advances in both forward and reverse genetic approaches as well as in vivo visualization and manipulation approaches for the study of the glycinergic synapse in zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazutoyo Ogino
- Department of Chemistry and Biological Science, College of Science and Engineering, Aoyama Gakuin University Sagamihara, Japan
| | - Hiromi Hirata
- Department of Chemistry and Biological Science, College of Science and Engineering, Aoyama Gakuin University Sagamihara, Japan
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26
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Umeda K, Ishizuka T, Yawo H, Shoji W. Position- and quantity-dependent responses in zebrafish turning behavior. Sci Rep 2016; 6:27888. [PMID: 27292818 PMCID: PMC4904276 DOI: 10.1038/srep27888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2016] [Accepted: 05/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Neural reflexes are stereotypical automatic responses often modulated by both intrinsic and environmental factors. We report herein that zebrafish larval C-shaped turning is modulated by the stimulated position of Rohon-Beard (RB) neurons. Targeted stimulation of more anterior RB neurons produces larger trunk flexion, which anticipates adult escape behavior by coordinated turning toward the appropriate direction. We also demonstrated that turning laterality varies with the numbers of stimulated neurons. Multi-cell stimulation of RB neurons elicits contralateral turning, as seen in the touch response to physical contact, while minimum input from single-cell stimulation induces ipsilateral turning, a phenomenon not previously reported. This ipsilateral response, but not the contralateral one, is impaired by transecting the ascending neural tract known as the dorsolateral fascicule (DLF), indicating that two, distinct neural circuits trigger these two responses. Our results suggest that RB neurons transmit the position and quantity of sensory information, which are then processed separately to modulate behavioral strength and to select turning laterality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keiko Umeda
- Frontier Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, 9808578, Japan
| | - Toru Ishizuka
- Department of Developmental Biology &Neuroscience, Tohoku University Graduate School of Life Sciences, Sendai, 9808577, Japan
| | - Hiromu Yawo
- Department of Developmental Biology &Neuroscience, Tohoku University Graduate School of Life Sciences, Sendai, 9808577, Japan
| | - Wataru Shoji
- Frontier Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, 9808578, Japan.,Department of Project Programs, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, 9808575, Japan
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27
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McNeil PL, Nebot C, Sloman KA. Physiological and Behavioral Effects of Exposure to Environmentally Relevant Concentrations of Prednisolone During Zebrafish (Danio rerio) Embryogenesis. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2016; 50:5294-304. [PMID: 27120978 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.6b00276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
The presence of synthetic glucocorticoids within the aquatic environment has been highlighted as a potential environmental concern as they may mimic the role of endogenous glucocorticoids during vertebrate ontogeny. Prednisolone is a commonly prescribed synthetic glucocorticoid which has been repeatedly detected in the environment. This study investigated the impact of environmentally relevant concentrations of prednisolone (0.1, 1, and 10 μg/L) during zebrafish embryogenesis using physiological and behavioral end points which are known to be mediated by endogenous glucocorticoids. The frequency of spontaneous muscle contractions (24 hpf) was significantly reduced by prednisolone and 0.1 μg/L increased the distance embryos swam in response to a mechanosensory stimulus (48 hpf). The percentage of embryos hatched significantly increased following prednisolone treatment (1 and 10 μg/L), while growth and mortality were unaffected. The onset of heart contraction was differentially affected by prednisolone while heart rate and oxygen consumption both increased significantly throughout embryogenesis. No substantial effect on the axial musculature was observed. Morphological changes to the lower jaw were detected at 96 hpf in response to 1 μg/L of prednisolone. Several parameters of swim behavior were also significantly affected. Environmentally relevant concentrations of prednisolone therefore alter early zebrafish ontogeny and significantly affect embryo behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul L McNeil
- Institute of Biomedical and Environmental Health Research, School of Science and Sport, University of the West of Scotland , Paisley, U.K
| | - Carolina Nebot
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Nutrition and Bromatology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Santiago de Compostela , Lugo, Spain
| | - Katherine A Sloman
- Institute of Biomedical and Environmental Health Research, School of Science and Sport, University of the West of Scotland , Paisley, U.K
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28
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Giacomotto J, Carroll AP, Rinkwitz S, Mowry B, Cairns MJ, Becker TS. Developmental suppression of schizophrenia-associated miR-137 alters sensorimotor function in zebrafish. Transl Psychiatry 2016; 6:e818. [PMID: 27219344 PMCID: PMC5070046 DOI: 10.1038/tp.2016.88] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2015] [Revised: 03/21/2016] [Accepted: 03/23/2016] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The neurodevelopmentally regulated microRNA miR-137 was strongly implicated as risk locus for schizophrenia in the most recent genome wide association study coordinated by the Psychiatric Genome Consortium (PGC). This molecule is highly conserved in vertebrates enabling the investigation of its function in the developing zebrafish. We utilized this model system to achieve overexpression and suppression of miR-137, both transiently and stably through transgenesis. While miR-137 overexpression was not associated with an observable specific phenotype, downregulation by antisense morpholino and/or transgenic expression of miR-sponge RNA induced significant impairment of both embryonic and larval touch-sensitivity without compromising overall anatomical development. We observed miR-137 expression and activity in sensory neurons including Rohon-Beard neurons and dorsal root ganglia, two neuronal cell types that confer touch-sensitivity in normal zebrafish, suggesting a role of these cell types in the observed phenotype. The lack of obvious anatomical or histological pathology in these cells, however, suggested that subtle axonal network defects or a change in synaptic function and neural connectivity might be responsible for the behavioral phenotype rather than a change in the cellular morphology or neuroanatomy.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Giacomotto
- Brain and Mind Research Institute, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia,Psychiatric Genomics Group, Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia,Brain and Mind Research Institute, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, 94 Mallet Street, Camperdown, NSW 2050, Australia. E-mail: or or
| | - A P Carroll
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, Faculty of Health and Medicine, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
| | - S Rinkwitz
- Brain and Mind Research Institute, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
| | - B Mowry
- Psychiatric Genomics Group, Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia,Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - M J Cairns
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, Faculty of Health and Medicine, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia,Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, NSW, Australia,Brain and Mind Research Institute, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, 94 Mallet Street, Camperdown, NSW 2050, Australia. E-mail: or or
| | - T S Becker
- Brain and Mind Research Institute, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia,Brain and Mind Research Institute, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, 94 Mallet Street, Camperdown, NSW 2050, Australia. E-mail: or or
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29
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Svahn AJ, Giacomotto J, Graeber MB, Rinkwitz S, Becker TS. miR-124 Contributes to the functional maturity of microglia. Dev Neurobiol 2015; 76:507-18. [PMID: 26184457 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2015] [Revised: 07/13/2015] [Accepted: 07/14/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
During early development of the central nervous system (CNS), a subset of yolk-sac derived myeloid cells populate the brain and provide the seed for the microglial cell population, which will self-renew throughout life. As development progresses, individual microglial cells transition from a phagocytic amoeboid state through a transitional morphing phase into the sessile, ramified, and normally nonphagocytic microglia observed in the adult CNS under healthy conditions. The molecular drivers of this tissue-specific maturation profile are not known. However, a survey of tissue resident macrophages identified miR-124 to be expressed in microglia. In this study, we used transgenic zebrafish to overexpress miR-124 in the mpeg1 expressing yolk-sac-derived myeloid cells that seed the microglia. In addition, a systemic sponge designed to neutralize the effects of miR-124 was used to assess microglial development in a miR-124 loss-of-function environment. Following the induction of miR-124 overexpression, microglial motility and phagocytosis of apoptotic cells were significantly reduced. miR-124 overexpression in microglia resulted in the accumulation of residual apoptotic cell bodies in the optic tectum, which could not be achieved by miR-124 overexpression in differentiated neurons. Conversely, expression of the miR-124 sponge caused an increase in the motility of microglia and transiently rescued motility and phagocytosis functions when activated simultaneously with miR-124 overexpression. This study provides in vivo evidence that miR-124 activity has a key role in the development of functionally mature microglia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam J Svahn
- Brain and Mind Research Institute, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Jean Giacomotto
- Brain and Mind Research Institute, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Manuel B Graeber
- Brain and Mind Research Institute, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.,Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Silke Rinkwitz
- Brain and Mind Research Institute, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.,Department of Physiology and School of Medicine, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Thomas S Becker
- Brain and Mind Research Institute, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.,Department of Physiology and School of Medicine, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
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30
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Carmean V, Yonkers MA, Tellez MB, Willer JR, Willer GB, Gregg RG, Geisler R, Neuhauss SC, Ribera AB. pigk Mutation underlies macho behavior and affects Rohon-Beard cell excitability. J Neurophysiol 2015; 114:1146-57. [PMID: 26133798 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00355.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2015] [Accepted: 06/25/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The study of touch-evoked behavior allows investigation of both the cells and circuits that generate a response to tactile stimulation. We investigate a touch-insensitive zebrafish mutant, macho (maco), previously shown to have reduced sodium current amplitude and lack of action potential firing in sensory neurons. In the genomes of mutant but not wild-type embryos, we identify a mutation in the pigk gene. The encoded protein, PigK, functions in attachment of glycophosphatidylinositol anchors to precursor proteins. In wild-type embryos, pigk mRNA is present at times when mutant embryos display behavioral phenotypes. Consistent with the predicted loss of function induced by the mutation, knock-down of PigK phenocopies maco touch insensitivity and leads to reduced sodium current (INa) amplitudes in sensory neurons. We further test whether the genetic defect in pigk underlies the maco phenotype by overexpressing wild-type pigk in mutant embryos. We find that ubiquitous expression of wild-type pigk rescues the touch response in maco mutants. In addition, for maco mutants, expression of wild-type pigk restricted to sensory neurons rescues sodium current amplitudes and action potential firing in sensory neurons. However, expression of wild-type pigk limited to sensory cells of mutant embryos does not allow rescue of the behavioral touch response. Our results demonstrate an essential role for pigk in generation of the touch response beyond that required for maintenance of proper INa density and action potential firing in sensory neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Carmean
- Neuroscience Program, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado; Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - M A Yonkers
- Neuroscience Program, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado; Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - M B Tellez
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - J R Willer
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky; Zebrafish Mutant Mapping Facility, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky; and
| | - G B Willer
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky; Zebrafish Mutant Mapping Facility, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky; and
| | - R G Gregg
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky; Zebrafish Mutant Mapping Facility, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky; and
| | - R Geisler
- Max-Planck-Institut für Entwicklungsbiologie, Tübingen, Germany
| | - S C Neuhauss
- Max-Planck-Institut für Entwicklungsbiologie, Tübingen, Germany
| | - A B Ribera
- Neuroscience Program, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado; Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado;
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31
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Menezes FP, Kist LW, Bogo MR, Bonan CD, Da Silva RS. Evaluation of age-dependent response to NMDA receptor antagonism in zebrafish. Zebrafish 2015; 12:137-43. [PMID: 25602300 DOI: 10.1089/zeb.2014.1018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Imbalances in glutamatergic signaling have been proposed as the cause of several neurological disturbances. The use of MK-801, an N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, to mimic features of these neurological disorders is effective both in mammals and in fish. However, the variability of the subunits comprising the NMDA receptor during development alters the pharmacokinetic properties of the receptor and leads to different responses to this drug. Here, we evaluated the locomotor response of zebrafish to MK-801 (1, 5, and 20 μM) through the development (30 days postfertilization [dpf] to 2 years postfertilization [ypf]). The NMDA receptor subunit gene expression was also analyzed through the development (7 dpf to 2 ypf). Zebrafish displayed an age-related response to MK-801 with a higher response at 60 and 120 dpf. The magnitude of hyperlocomotion promoted by MK-801 seems to be less powerful for zebrafish in relation to rodents. The verification of expression levels in zebrafish NMDA receptor subunits shows that NR1.1 had a slight reduction throughout the development, while the NR2 subunits, especially NR2A.2 and NR2C.1, vary their expression levels according to the stage of development. The time-specific locomotor response to MK-801 through the development could be a consequence of differential NMDA receptor subunit expression. This result of developmental response to MK-801 is a crucial component in the consolidation of zebrafish as a suitable model to study glutamatergic neurotransmission in early phases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabiano Peres Menezes
- 1 Laboratório de Neuroquímica e Psicofarmacologia, Departamento de Biologia Celular e Molecular, Faculdade de Biociências, PUCRS , Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
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32
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Wyart C, Knafo S. Sensorimotor Integration in the Spinal Cord, from Behaviors to Circuits: New Tools to Close the Loop? BIOLOGICAL AND MEDICAL PHYSICS, BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-12913-6_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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33
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Key B. Fish do not feel pain and its implications for understanding phenomenal consciousness. BIOLOGY & PHILOSOPHY 2014; 30:149-165. [PMID: 25798021 PMCID: PMC4356734 DOI: 10.1007/s10539-014-9469-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2014] [Accepted: 12/06/2014] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Phenomenal consciousness or the subjective experience of feeling sensory stimuli is fundamental to human existence. Because of the ubiquity of their subjective experiences, humans seem to readily accept the anthropomorphic extension of these mental states to other animals. Humans will typically extrapolate feelings of pain to animals if they respond physiologically and behaviourally to noxious stimuli. The alternative view that fish instead respond to noxious stimuli reflexly and with a limited behavioural repertoire is defended within the context of our current understanding of the neuroanatomy and neurophysiology of mental states. Consequently, a set of fundamental properties of neural tissue necessary for feeling pain or experiencing affective states in vertebrates is proposed. While mammals and birds possess the prerequisite neural architecture for phenomenal consciousness, it is concluded that fish lack these essential characteristics and hence do not feel pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Key
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4072 Australia
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34
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Friedmann D, Hoagland A, Berlin S, Isacoff EY. A spinal opsin controls early neural activity and drives a behavioral light response. Curr Biol 2014; 25:69-74. [PMID: 25484291 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2014.10.055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2014] [Revised: 10/21/2014] [Accepted: 10/23/2014] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Nonvisual detection of light by the vertebrate hypothalamus, pineal, and retina is known to govern seasonal and circadian behaviors. However, the expression of opsins in multiple other brain structures suggests a more expansive repertoire for light regulation of physiology, behavior, and development. Translucent zebrafish embryos express extraretinal opsins early on, at a time when spontaneous activity in the developing CNS plays a role in neuronal maturation and circuit formation. Though the presence of extraretinal opsins is well documented, the function of direct photoreception by the CNS remains largely unknown. Here, we show that early activity in the zebrafish spinal central pattern generator (CPG) and the earliest locomotory behavior are dramatically inhibited by physiological levels of environmental light. We find that the photosensitivity of this circuit is conferred by vertebrate ancient long opsin A (VALopA), which we show to be a Gα(i)-coupled receptor that is expressed in the neurons of the spinal network. Sustained photoactivation of VALopA not only suppresses spontaneous activity but also alters the maturation of time-locked correlated network patterns. These results uncover a novel role for nonvisual opsins and a mechanism for environmental regulation of spontaneous motor behavior and neural activity in a circuit previously thought to be governed only by intrinsic developmental programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Drew Friedmann
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Adam Hoagland
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Shai Berlin
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Ehud Y Isacoff
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Physical Bioscience Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
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35
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Schubert J, Siekierska A, Langlois M, May P, Huneau C, Becker F, Muhle H, Suls A, Lemke JR, de Kovel CGF, Thiele H, Konrad K, Kawalia A, Toliat MR, Sander T, Rüschendorf F, Caliebe A, Nagel I, Kohl B, Kecskés A, Jacmin M, Hardies K, Weckhuysen S, Riesch E, Dorn T, Brilstra EH, Baulac S, Møller RS, Hjalgrim H, Koeleman BPC, Jurkat-Rott K, Lehmann-Horn F, Roach JC, Glusman G, Hood L, Galas DJ, Martin B, de Witte PAM, Biskup S, De Jonghe P, Helbig I, Balling R, Nürnberg P, Crawford AD, Esguerra CV, Weber YG, Lerche H. Mutations in STX1B, encoding a presynaptic protein, cause fever-associated epilepsy syndromes. Nat Genet 2014; 46:1327-32. [DOI: 10.1038/ng.3130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 144] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2014] [Accepted: 10/06/2014] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
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36
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Knogler LD, Drapeau P. Sensory gating of an embryonic zebrafish interneuron during spontaneous motor behaviors. Front Neural Circuits 2014; 8:121. [PMID: 25324729 PMCID: PMC4179717 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2014.00121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2014] [Accepted: 09/13/2014] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
In all but the simplest monosynaptic reflex arcs, sensory stimuli are encoded by sensory neurons that transmit a signal via sensory interneurons to downstream partners in order to elicit a response. In the embryonic zebrafish (Danio rerio), cutaneous Rohon-Beard (RB) sensory neurons fire in response to mechanical stimuli and excite downstream glutamatergic commissural primary ascending (CoPA) interneurons to produce a flexion response contralateral to the site of stimulus. In the absence of sensory stimuli, zebrafish spinal locomotor circuits are spontaneously active during development due to pacemaker activity resulting in repetitive coiling of the trunk. Self-generated movement must therefore be distinguishable from external stimuli in order to ensure the appropriate activation of touch reflexes. Here, we recorded from CoPAs during spontaneous and evoked fictive motor behaviors in order to examine how responses to self-movement are gated in sensory interneurons. During spontaneous coiling, CoPAs received glycinergic inputs coincident with contralateral flexions that shunted firing for the duration of the coiling event. Shunting inactivation of CoPAs was caused by a slowly deactivating chloride conductance that resulted in lowered membrane resistance and increased action potential threshold. During spontaneous burst swimming, which develops later, CoPAs received glycinergic inputs that arrived in phase with excitation to ipsilateral motoneurons and provided persistent shunting. During a touch stimulus, short latency glutamatergic inputs produced cationic currents through AMPA receptors that drove a single, large amplitude action potential in the CoPA before shunting inhibition began, providing a brief window for the activation of downstream neurons. We compared the properties of CoPAs to those of other spinal neurons and propose that glycinergic signaling onto CoPAs acts as a corollary discharge signal for reflex inhibition during movement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura D Knogler
- Departments of Pathology and Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal Research Centre and Le Groupe de Recherche sur le Système Nerveux Central, Université de Montréal Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Pierre Drapeau
- Departments of Pathology and Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal Research Centre and Le Groupe de Recherche sur le Système Nerveux Central, Université de Montréal Montréal, QC, Canada
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A hybrid electrical/chemical circuit in the spinal cord generates a transient embryonic motor behavior. J Neurosci 2014; 34:9644-55. [PMID: 25031404 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1225-14.2014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Spontaneous network activity is a highly stereotyped early feature of developing circuits throughout the nervous system, including in the spinal cord. Spinal locomotor circuits produce a series of behaviors during development before locomotion that reflect the continual integration of spinal neurons into a functional network, but how the circuitry is reconfigured is not understood. The first behavior of the zebrafish embryo (spontaneous coiling) is mediated by an electrical circuit that subsequently generates mature locomotion (swimming) as chemical neurotransmission develops. We describe here a new spontaneous behavior, double coiling, that consists of two alternating contractions of the tail in rapid succession. Double coiling was glutamate-dependent and required descending hindbrain excitation, similar to but preceding swimming, making it a discrete intermediary developmental behavior. At the cellular level, motoneurons had a distinctive glutamate-dependent activity pattern that correlated with double coiling. Two glutamatergic interneurons, CoPAs and CiDs, had different activity profiles during this novel behavior. CoPA neurons failed to show changes in activity patterns during the period in which double coiling appears, whereas CiD neurons developed a glutamate-dependent activity pattern that correlated with double coiling and they innervated motoneurons at that time. Additionally, double coils were modified after pharmacological reduction of glycinergic neurotransmission such that embryos produced three or more rapidly alternating coils. We propose that double coiling behavior represents an important transition of the motor network from an electrically coupled spinal cord circuit that produces simple periodic coils to a spinal network driven by descending chemical neurotransmission, which generates more complex behaviors.
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Menelaou E, Udvadia AJ, Tanguay RL, Svoboda KR. Activation of α2A-containing nicotinic acetylcholine receptors mediates nicotine-induced motor output in embryonic zebrafish. Eur J Neurosci 2014; 40:2225-40. [PMID: 24738729 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.12591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2013] [Revised: 03/12/2014] [Accepted: 03/16/2014] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
It is well established that cholinergic signaling has critical roles during central nervous system development. In physiological and behavioral studies, activation of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) has been implicated in mediating cholinergic signaling. In developing spinal cord, cholinergic transmission is associated with neural circuits responsible for producing locomotor behaviors. In this study, we investigated the expression pattern of the α2A nAChR subunit as previous evidence suggested it could be expressed by spinal neurons. In situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry revealed that the α2A nAChR subunits are expressed in spinal Rohon-Beard (RB) neurons and olfactory sensory neurons in young embryos. To examine the functional role of the α2A nAChR subunit during embryogenesis, we blocked its expression using antisense modified oligonucleotides. Blocking the expression of α2A nAChR subunits had no effect on spontaneous motor activity. However, it did alter the embryonic nicotine-induced motor output. This reduction in motor activity was not accompanied by defects in neuronal and muscle elements associated with the motor output. Moreover, the anatomy and functionality of RB neurons was normal even in the absence of the α2A nAChR subunit. Thus, we propose that α2A-containing nAChRs are dispensable for normal RB development. However, in the context of nicotine-induced motor output, α2A-containing nAChRs on RB neurons provide the substrate that nicotine acts upon to induce the motor output. These findings also indicate that functional neuronal nAChRs are present within spinal cord at the time when locomotor output in zebrafish first begins to manifest itself.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evdokia Menelaou
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
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39
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Abstract
The sense of touch allows an organism to detect and respond to physical environmental stimuli. Mechanosensitive proteins play a crucial role in this process by converting the mechanical cue into a biological response. Recently, the Piezo family of stretch-activated ion channels has been identified as genuine mechanosensitive proteins. We set out to determine whether any of these genes are involved in touch response during zebrafish development. In situ hybridization indicates that piezo2b is specifically expressed in a subset of neurons (Rohon-Beard cells) responsible for detecting light touch. Using morpholino-mediated knockdown, we specifically targeted piezo2b and determined that it is involved in mediating touch-evoked response.
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40
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Zhang DL, Hu CX, Li DH, Liu YD. Zebrafish locomotor capacity and brain acetylcholinesterase activity is altered by Aphanizomenon flos-aquae DC-1 aphantoxins. AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2013; 138-139:139-149. [PMID: 23792258 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2013.04.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2013] [Revised: 04/20/2013] [Accepted: 04/22/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Aphanizomenon flos-aquae (A. flos-aquae) is a source of neurotoxins known as aphantoxins or paralytic shellfish poisons (PSPs) that present a major threat to the environment and to human health. Generally, altered neurological function is reflected in behavior. Although the molecular mechanism of action of PSPs is well known, its neurobehavioral effects on adult zebrafish and its relationship with altered neurological functions are poorly understood. Aphantoxins purified from a natural isolate of A. flos-aquae DC-1 were analyzed by HPLC. The major analogs found in the toxins were the gonyautoxins 1 and 5 (GTX1 and GTX5; 34.04% and 21.28%, respectively) and the neosaxitoxin (neoSTX, 12.77%). Zebrafish (Danio rerio) were intraperitoneally injected with 5.3 and 7.61 μg STXeq/kg (low and high dose, respectively) of A. flos-aquae DC-1 aphantoxins. The swimming activity was investigated by observation combined with video at 6 timepoints from 1 to 24 h post-exposure. Both aphantoxin doses were associated with delayed touch responses, reduced head-tail locomotory abilities, inflexible turning of head, and a tailward-shifted center of gravity. The normal S-pattern (or undulating) locomotor trajectory was replaced by a mechanical motor pattern of swinging the head after wagging the tail. Finally, these fish principally distributed at the top and/or bottom water of the aquarium, and showed a clear polarized distribution pattern at 12 h post-exposure. Further analysis of neurological function demonstrated that both aphantoxin doses inhibited brain acetylcholinesterase activity. All these changes were dose- and time-dependent. These results demonstrate that aphantoxins can alter locomotor capacity, touch responses and distribution patterns by damaging the cholinergic system of zebrafish, and suggest that zebrafish locomotor behavior and acetylcholinesterase can be used as indicators for investigating aphantoxins and blooms in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- De Lu Zhang
- Department of Lifescience and Biotechnology, College of Science, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, PR China.
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41
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Pietri T, Roman AC, Guyon N, Romano SA, Washbourne P, Moens CB, de Polavieja GG, Sumbre G. The first mecp2-null zebrafish model shows altered motor behaviors. Front Neural Circuits 2013; 7:118. [PMID: 23874272 PMCID: PMC3712905 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2013.00118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2013] [Accepted: 06/21/2013] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Rett syndrome (RTT) is an X-linked neurodevelopmental disorder and one of the most common causes of mental retardation in affected girls. Other symptoms include a rapid regression of motor and cognitive skills after an apparently early normal development. Sporadic mutations in the transcription factor MECP2 has been shown to be present in more than 90% of the patients and several models of MeCP2-deficient mice have been created to understand the role of this gene. These models have pointed toward alterations in the maintenance of the central nervous system rather than its development, in line with the late onset of the disease in humans. However, the exact functions of MeCP2 remain difficult to delineate and the animal models have yielded contradictory results. Here, we present the first mecp2-null allele mutation zebrafish model. Surprisingly and in contrast to MeCP2-null mouse models, mecp2-null zebrafish are viable and fertile. They present nonetheless clear behavioral alterations during their early development, including spontaneous and sensory-evoked motor anomalies, as well as defective thigmotaxis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Pietri
- Ecole Normale Supérieure, Institut de Biologie de l'ENS Paris, France ; Inserm, U1024 Paris, France ; CNRS, UMR 8197 Paris, France
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Jackson HE, Ingham PW. Control of muscle fibre-type diversity during embryonic development: the zebrafish paradigm. Mech Dev 2013; 130:447-57. [PMID: 23811405 DOI: 10.1016/j.mod.2013.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2013] [Revised: 06/04/2013] [Accepted: 06/04/2013] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Vertebrate skeletal muscle is composed of distinct types of fibre that are functionally adapted through differences in their physiological and metabolic properties. An understanding of the molecular basis of fibre-type specification is of relevance to human health and fitness. The zebrafish provides an attractive model for investigating fibre type specification; not only are their rapidly developing embryos optically transparent, but in contrast to amniotes, the embryonic myotome shows a discrete temporal and spatial separation of fibre type ontogeny that simplifies its analysis. Here we review the current state of understanding of muscle fibre type specification and differentiation during embryonic development of the zebrafish, with a particular focus on the roles of the Prdm1a and Sox6 transcription factors, and consider the relevance of these findings to higher vertebrate muscle biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harriet E Jackson
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, 61 Biopolis Drive, Proteos, Singapore 138673, Singapore
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Easley-Neal C, Fierro J, Buchanan J, Washbourne P. Late recruitment of synapsin to nascent synapses is regulated by Cdk5. Cell Rep 2013; 3:1199-212. [PMID: 23602570 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2013.03.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2012] [Revised: 03/05/2013] [Accepted: 03/20/2013] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Synapse formation is a complex process that involves the recruitment and assembly of a myriad of pre- and postsynaptic proteins. Despite being present at every synapse in the vertebrate CNS, little is known about the transport, recruitment, and stabilization of synapsin at nascent synapses during development. We examined the transport and recruitment of synapsin to nascent presynaptic terminals in vivo in the developing zebrafish spinal cord. Synapsin was transported in a transport packet independently of two other presynaptic organelles: synaptic vesicle (SV) protein transport vesicles (STVs) and Piccolo-containing active zone precursor transport vesicles (PTVs). During presynaptic assembly, recruitment of all three transport packets occurred in an ordered sequence: STVs preceded PTVs, which in turn preceded synapsin. Importantly, cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5) specifically regulated the late recruitment of synapsin transport packets at synapses. These results point to additional layers of complexity in the established mechanisms of synaptogenesis.
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44
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Afrikanova T, Serruys ASK, Buenafe OEM, Clinckers R, Smolders I, de Witte PAM, Crawford AD, Esguerra CV. Validation of the zebrafish pentylenetetrazol seizure model: locomotor versus electrographic responses to antiepileptic drugs. PLoS One 2013; 8:e54166. [PMID: 23342097 PMCID: PMC3544809 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0054166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 166] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2012] [Accepted: 12/07/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Zebrafish have recently emerged as an attractive in vivo model for epilepsy. Seven-day-old zebrafish larvae exposed to the GABA(A) antagonist pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) exhibit increased locomotor activity, seizure-like behavior, and epileptiform electrographic activity. A previous study showed that 12 out of 13 antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) suppressed PTZ-mediated increases in larval movement, indicating the potential utility of zebrafish as a high-throughput in vivo model for AED discovery. However, a question remained as to whether an AED-induced decrease in locomotion is truly indicative of anticonvulsant activity, as some drugs may impair larval movement through other mechanisms such as general toxicity or sedation. We therefore carried out a study in PTZ-treated zebrafish larvae, to directly compare the ability of AEDs to inhibit seizure-like behavioral manifestations with their capacity to suppress epileptiform electrographic activity. We re-tested the 13 AEDs of which 12 were previously reported to inhibit convulsions in the larval movement tracking assay, administering concentrations that did not, on their own, impair locomotion. In parallel, we carried out open-field recordings on larval brains after treatment with each AED. For the majority of AEDs we obtained the same response in both the behavioral and electrographic assays. Overall our data correlate well with those reported in the literature for acute rodent PTZ tests, indicating that the larval zebrafish brain is more discriminatory than previously thought in its response to AEDs with different modes of action. Our results underscore the validity of using the zebrafish larval locomotor assay as a rapid first-pass screening tool in assessing the anticonvulsant and/or proconvulsant activity of compounds, but also highlight the importance of performing adequate validation when using in vivo models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana Afrikanova
- Laboratory for Molecular Biodiscovery, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ann-Sophie K. Serruys
- Laboratory for Molecular Biodiscovery, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Olivia E. M. Buenafe
- Laboratory for Molecular Biodiscovery, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ralph Clinckers
- Center for Neurosciences, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Drug Analysis, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Ilse Smolders
- Center for Neurosciences, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Drug Analysis, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Peter A. M. de Witte
- Laboratory for Molecular Biodiscovery, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Alexander D. Crawford
- Laboratory for Molecular Biodiscovery, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Camila V. Esguerra
- Laboratory for Molecular Biodiscovery, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- * E-mail:
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Wiggin TD, Anderson TM, Eian J, Peck JH, Masino MA. Episodic swimming in the larval zebrafish is generated by a spatially distributed spinal network with modular functional organization. J Neurophysiol 2012; 108:925-34. [PMID: 22572943 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00233.2012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite the diverse methods vertebrates use for locomotion, there is evidence that components of the locomotor central pattern generator (CPG) are conserved across species. When zebrafish begin swimming early in development, they perform short episodes of activity separated by periods of inactivity. Within these episodes, the trunk flexes with side-to-side alternation and the traveling body wave progresses rostrocaudally. To characterize the distribution of the swimming CPG along the rostrocaudal axis, we performed transections of the larval zebrafish spinal cord and induced fictive swimming using N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA). In both intact and spinalized larvae, bursting is found throughout the rostrocaudal extent of the spinal cord, and the properties of fictive swimming observed were dependent on the concentration of NMDA. We isolated series of contiguous spinal segments by performing multiple spinal transections on the same larvae. Although series from all regions of the spinal cord have the capacity to produce bursts, the capacity to produce organized episodes of fictive swimming has a rostral bias: in the rostral spinal cord, only 12 contiguous body segments are necessary, whereas 23 contiguous body segments are necessary in the caudal spinal cord. Shorter series of segments were often active but produced either continuous rhythmic bursting or sporadic, nonrhythmic bursting. Both episodic and continuous bursting alternated between the left and right sides of the body and showed rostrocaudal progression, demonstrating the functional dissociation of the circuits responsible for episodic structure and fine burst timing. These findings parallel results in mammalian locomotion, and we propose a hierarchical model of the larval zebrafish swimming CPG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy D Wiggin
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA
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Giusi G, Zizza M, Facciolo RM, Chew SF, Ip YK, Canonaco M. Aestivation and hypoxia-related events share common silent neuron trafficking processes. BMC Neurosci 2012; 13:39. [PMID: 22520032 PMCID: PMC3407487 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2202-13-39] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2011] [Accepted: 04/20/2012] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The availability of oxygen is a limiting factor for neuronal survival since low levels account not only for the impairment of physiological activities such as sleep-wake cycle, but above all for ischemic-like neurodegenerative disorders. In an attempt to improve our knowledge concerning the type of molecular mechanisms operating during stressful states like those of hypoxic conditions, attention was focused on eventual transcriptional alterations of some key AMPAergic silent neuronal receptor subtypes (GluR1 and GluR2) along with HSPs and HIF-1α during either a normoxic or a hypoxic aestivation of a typical aquatic aestivator, i.e. the lungfish (Protopterus annectens). Results The identification of partial nucleotide fragments codifying for both AMPA receptor subtypes in Protopterus annectens displayed a putative high degree of similarity to that of not only fish but also to those of amphibians, birds and mammals. qPCR and in situ hybridization supplied a very high (p < 0.001) reduction of GluR1 mRNA expression in diencephalic areas after 6 months of aerial normoxic aestivation (6mAE). Concomitantly, high (p < 0.01) levels of HSP70 mRNAs in hypothalamic, mesencephalic and cerebellar areas of both 6mAE and after 6 months of mud hypoxic aestivation (6mMUD) were detected together with evident apoptotic signals. Surprisingly, very high levels of GluR2 mRNAs were instead detected in thalamic along with mesencephalic areas after 6 days of normoxic (6dAE) and hypoxic (6dMUD) aestivation. Moreover, even short- and long-term hypoxic states featured high levels of HIF-1α and HSP27 transcripts in the different brain regions of the lungfish. Conclusions The distinct transcriptional variations of silent neurons expressing GluR1/2 and HSPs tend to corroborate these factors as determining elements for the physiological success of normoxic and hypoxic aestivation. A distinct switching among these AMPA receptor subtypes during aestivation highlights new potential adaptive strategies operating in key brain regions of the lungfish in relation to oxygen availability. This functional relationship might have therapeutic bearings for hypoxia-related dysfunctions, above all in view of recently identified silent neuron-dependent motor activity ameliorations in mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppina Giusi
- Comparative Neuroanatomy Laboratory, University of Calabria, 87030 Arcavacata di Rende-CS, Italy.
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Low SE, Woods IG, Lachance M, Ryan J, Schier AF, Saint-Amant L. Touch responsiveness in zebrafish requires voltage-gated calcium channel 2.1b. J Neurophysiol 2012; 108:148-59. [PMID: 22490555 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00839.2011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The molecular and physiological basis of the touch-unresponsive zebrafish mutant fakir has remained elusive. Here we report that the fakir phenotype is caused by a missense mutation in the gene encoding voltage-gated calcium channel 2.1b (CACNA1Ab). Injection of RNA encoding wild-type CaV2.1 restores touch responsiveness in fakir mutants, whereas knockdown of CACNA1Ab via morpholino oligonucleotides recapitulates the fakir mutant phenotype. Fakir mutants display normal current-evoked synaptic communication at the neuromuscular junction but have attenuated touch-evoked activation of motor neurons. NMDA-evoked fictive swimming is not affected by the loss of CaV2.1b, suggesting that this channel is not required for motor pattern generation. These results, coupled with the expression of CACNA1Ab by sensory neurons, suggest that CaV2.1b channel activity is necessary for touch-evoked activation of the locomotor network in zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean E Low
- Départment de Pathologie et Biologie Cellulaire, Groupe de Recherche sur le Système Nerveux Central et Centre d'Excellence en Neuromique de l'Université de Montéral, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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48
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Tegelenbosch RA, Noldus LP, Richardson MK, Ahmad F. Zebrafish embryos and larvae in behavioural assays. BEHAVIOUR 2012. [DOI: 10.1163/1568539x-00003020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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49
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Doğanlı C, Kjaer-Sorensen K, Knoeckel C, Beck HC, Nyengaard JR, Honoré B, Nissen P, Ribera A, Oxvig C, Lykke-Hartmann K. The α2Na+/K+-ATPase is critical for skeletal and heart muscle function in zebrafish. J Cell Sci 2012; 125:6166-75. [DOI: 10.1242/jcs.115808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The Na+/K+-ATPase generates ion gradients across the plasma membrane, essential for multiple cellular functions. In mammals, four different Na+/K+-ATPase α-subunit isoforms are associated with characteristic cell-type expression profiles and kinetics. We found the zebrafish α2Na+/K+-ATPase associated with striated muscles and that α2Na+/K+-ATPase knockdown causes a significant depolarization of the resting membrane potential in slow-twitch fibers of skeletal muscles. Abrupt mechanosensory responses were observed in α2Na+/K+-ATPase deficient embryos, possibly linked to a postsynaptic defect. The α2Na+/K+-ATPase deficiency reduced the heart rate and caused a loss of left-right asymmetry in the heart tube. Similar phenotypes observed by knockdown of the Na+/Ca2+ exchanger indicated a role for the interplay between these two proteins on the observed phenotypes. Furthermore, proteomics identified up- and down-regulation of specific phenotype-related proteins, such as parvalbumin, CaM, GFAP and multiple kinases, thus highlighting a potential proteome change associated with the dynamics of α2Na+/K+-ATPase. Taken together, our findings display that zebrafish α2Na+/K+-ATPase is important for skeletal and heart muscle functions.
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50
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Hirata H, Wen H, Kawakami Y, Naganawa Y, Ogino K, Yamada K, Saint-Amant L, Low SE, Cui WW, Zhou W, Sprague SM, Asakawa K, Muto A, Kawakami K, Kuwada JY. Connexin 39.9 protein is necessary for coordinated activation of slow-twitch muscle and normal behavior in zebrafish. J Biol Chem 2011; 287:1080-9. [PMID: 22075003 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m111.308205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
In many tissues and organs, connexin proteins assemble between neighboring cells to form gap junctions. These gap junctions facilitate direct intercellular communication between adjoining cells, allowing for the transmission of both chemical and electrical signals. In rodents, gap junctions are found in differentiating myoblasts and are important for myogenesis. Although gap junctions were once believed to be absent from differentiated skeletal muscle in mammals, recent studies in teleosts revealed that differentiated muscle does express connexins and is electrically coupled, at least at the larval stage. These findings raised questions regarding the functional significance of gap junctions in differentiated muscle. Our analysis of gap junctions in muscle began with the isolation of a zebrafish motor mutant that displayed weak coiling at day 1 of development, a behavior known to be driven by slow-twitch muscle (slow muscle). We identified a missense mutation in the gene encoding Connexin 39.9. In situ hybridization found connexin 39.9 to be expressed by slow muscle. Paired muscle recordings uncovered that wild-type slow muscles are electrically coupled, whereas mutant slow muscles are not. The further examination of cellular activity revealed aberrant, arrhythmic touch-evoked Ca(2+) transients in mutant slow muscle and a reduction in the number of muscle fibers contracting in response to touch in mutants. These results indicate that Connexin 39.9 facilitates the spreading of neuronal inputs, which is irregular during motor development, beyond the muscle cells and that gap junctions play an essential role in the efficient recruitment of slow muscle fibers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiromi Hirata
- Center for Frontier Research, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima 411-8540, Japan.
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