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Cherng BW, Islam T, Torigoe M, Tsuboi T, Okamoto H. The Dorsal Lateral Habenula-Interpeduncular Nucleus Pathway Is Essential for Left-Right-Dependent Decision Making in Zebrafish. Cell Rep 2021; 32:108143. [PMID: 32937118 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2020] [Revised: 07/29/2020] [Accepted: 08/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
How animals behave using suitable information to adapt to the environment is not well known. We address this issue by devising an automated system to let zebrafish exploit either internal (choice of left or right turn) or external (choice of cue color) navigation information to achieve operant behavior by reward reinforcement learning. The results of behavioral task with repeated rule shift indicate that zebrafish can learn operant behavior using both internal-directional and external-cued information. The learning time is reduced as rule shifts are repeated, revealing the capacity of zebrafish to adaptively retrieve the suitable rule memory after training. Zebrafish with an impairment in the neural pathway from the lateral subregion of the dorsal habenula to the interpeduncular nucleus, known to be potentiated in the winners of social conflicts, show specific defects in the application of the internal-directional rule, suggesting the dual roles of this pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bor-Wei Cherng
- Laboratory for Neural Circuit Dynamics of Decision-making, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama 351-0198, Japan; Department of Life Science, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan
| | - Tanvir Islam
- Laboratory for Neural Circuit Dynamics of Decision-making, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Makio Torigoe
- Laboratory for Neural Circuit Dynamics of Decision-making, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Takashi Tsuboi
- Department of Life Science, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan
| | - Hitoshi Okamoto
- Laboratory for Neural Circuit Dynamics of Decision-making, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama 351-0198, Japan; RIKEN CBS-Kao Collaboration Center, Saitama 351-0198, Japan; Department of Life Science, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan.
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Duboué ER, Halpern ME. Genetic and Transgenic Approaches to Study Zebrafish Brain Asymmetry and Lateralized Behavior. LATERALIZED BRAIN FUNCTIONS 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-6725-4_17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/08/2022]
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deCarvalho TN, Subedi A, Rock J, Harfe BD, Thisse C, Thisse B, Halpern ME, Hong E. Neurotransmitter map of the asymmetric dorsal habenular nuclei of zebrafish. Genesis 2014; 52:636-55. [PMID: 24753112 DOI: 10.1002/dvg.22785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2014] [Revised: 04/16/2014] [Accepted: 04/18/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The role of the habenular nuclei in modulating fear and reward pathways has sparked a renewed interest in this conserved forebrain region. The bilaterally paired habenular nuclei, each consisting of a medial/dorsal and lateral/ventral nucleus, can be further divided into discrete subdomains whose neuronal populations, precise connectivity, and specific functions are not well understood. An added complexity is that the left and right habenulae show pronounced morphological differences in many non-mammalian species. Notably, the dorsal habenulae of larval zebrafish provide a vertebrate genetic model to probe the development and functional significance of brain asymmetry. Previous reports have described a number of genes that are expressed in the zebrafish habenulae, either in bilaterally symmetric patterns or more extensively on one side of the brain than the other. The goal of our study was to generate a comprehensive map of the zebrafish dorsal habenular nuclei, by delineating the relationship between gene expression domains, comparing the extent of left-right asymmetry at larval and adult stages, and identifying potentially functional subnuclear regions as defined by neurotransmitter phenotype. Although many aspects of habenular organization appear conserved with rodents, the zebrafish habenulae also possess unique properties that may underlie lateralization of their functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tagide N deCarvalho
- Department of Embryology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Baltimore, Maryland
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Kermen F, Franco LM, Wyatt C, Yaksi E. Neural circuits mediating olfactory-driven behavior in fish. Front Neural Circuits 2013; 7:62. [PMID: 23596397 PMCID: PMC3622886 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2013.00062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2013] [Accepted: 03/18/2013] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The fish olfactory system processes odor signals and mediates behaviors that are crucial for survival such as foraging, courtship, and alarm response. Although the upstream olfactory brain areas (olfactory epithelium and olfactory bulb) are well-studied, less is known about their target brain areas and the role they play in generating odor-driven behaviors. Here we review a broad range of literature on the anatomy, physiology, and behavioral output of the olfactory system and its target areas in a wide range of teleost fish. Additionally, we discuss how applying recent technological advancements to the zebrafish (Danio rerio) could help in understanding the function of these target areas. We hope to provide a framework for elucidating the neural circuit computations underlying the odor-driven behaviors in this small, transparent, and genetically amenable vertebrate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florence Kermen
- Neuroelectronics Research Flanders Leuven, Belgium ; Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie Leuven, Belgium
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Maximino C, Lima MG, Oliveira KRM, Batista EDJO, Herculano AM. “Limbic associative” and “autonomic” amygdala in teleosts: A review of the evidence. J Chem Neuroanat 2013; 48-49:1-13. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jchemneu.2012.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2012] [Revised: 10/04/2012] [Accepted: 10/05/2012] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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Aizawa H, Amo R, Okamoto H. Phylogeny and ontogeny of the habenular structure. Front Neurosci 2011; 5:138. [PMID: 22203792 PMCID: PMC3244072 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2011.00138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2011] [Accepted: 12/01/2011] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Habenula is an epithalamic nucleus connecting the forebrain with the ventral midbrain and hindbrain that plays a pivotal role in decision making by regulating dopaminergic and serotonergic activities. Intriguingly, habenula has also attracted interest as a model for brain asymmetry, since many vertebrates show left–right differences in habenula size and neural circuitry. Despite the functional significance of this nucleus, few studies have addressed the molecular mechanisms underlying habenular development. Mammalian habenula consists of the medial and lateral habenulae, which have distinct neural connectivity. The habenula shows phylogenetic conservation from fish to human, and studies using genetically accessible model animals have provided molecular insights into the developmental mechanisms of the habenula. The results suggest that development of the habenular asymmetry is mediated by differential regulation of the neurogenetic period for generating specific neuronal subtypes. Since the orientation and size ratio of the medial and lateral habenulae differ across species, the evolution of those subregions within the habenula may also reflect changes in neurogenesis duration for each habenular subdivision according to the evolutionary process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hidenori Aizawa
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University Tokyo, Japan
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7
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Identification of the zebrafish ventral habenula as a homolog of the mammalian lateral habenula. J Neurosci 2010; 30:1566-74. [PMID: 20107084 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3690-09.2010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 171] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The mammalian habenula consists of the medial and lateral habenulae. Recent behavioral and electrophysiological studies suggested that the lateral habenula plays a pivotal role in controlling motor and cognitive behaviors by influencing the activity of dopaminergic and serotonergic neurons. Despite the functional significance, manipulating neural activity in this pathway remains difficult because of the absence of a genetically accessible animal model such as zebrafish. To address the level of lateral habenula conservation in zebrafish, we applied the tract-tracing technique to GFP (green fluorescent protein)-expressing transgenic zebrafish to identify habenular neurons that project to the raphe nuclei, a major target of the mammalian lateral habenula. Axonal tracing in live and fixed fish showed projection of zebrafish ventral habenula axons to the ventral part of the median raphe, but not to the interpeduncular nucleus where the dorsal habenula projected. The ventral habenula expressed protocadherin 10a, a specific marker of the rat lateral habenula, whereas the dorsal habenula showed no such expression. Gene expression analyses revealed that the ventromedially positioned ventral habenula in the adult originated from the region of primordium lateral to the dorsal habenula during development. This suggested that zebrafish habenulae emerge during development with mediolateral orientation similar to that of the mammalian medial and lateral habenulae. These findings indicated that the lateral habenular pathways are evolutionarily conserved pathways and might control adaptive behaviors in vertebrates through the regulation of monoaminergic activities.
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Booker TK, Butt CM, Wehner JM, Heinemann SF, Collins AC. Decreased anxiety-like behavior in beta3 nicotinic receptor subunit knockout mice. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2007; 87:146-57. [PMID: 17509676 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2007.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2006] [Revised: 04/04/2007] [Accepted: 04/12/2007] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Nicotine, via a family of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, elicits many physiological responses, including alterations in anxiety. Studies suggest that the effects of nicotine on anxiety may support smoking behaviors. We reported previously that mice lacking the beta3 nicotinic receptor subunit demonstrate increased activity in the open field arena. Open field activity has been shown to be a composite of anxiety and locomotor activity, behaviors that are both altered by nicotine. We therefore sought to differentiate the role(s) of beta3-containing receptors in anxiety and locomotor activity. Anxiety behaviors were examined in the elevated plus maze, the black/white box and the mirrored chamber. Beta3 null mutant mice demonstrated decreased anxiety with more time spent on the open arm of the elevated plus maze than their wildtype littermates. No significant differences were observed with the black/white box or the mirrored chamber. Levels of the stress hormone, corticosterone, were significantly higher in the beta3 null mutant mice at baseline and following exposure to stress. Increased locomotor activity in the Y-maze was also observed for the beta3 null mutant mice, but only following exposure to stress. These findings strongly suggest that beta3-containing nicotinic receptors influence anxiety and may be critical for the continuation of smoking behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- T K Booker
- Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037 USA.
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Kuan YS, Gamse JT, Schreiber AM, Halpern ME. Selective asymmetry in a conserved forebrain to midbrain projection. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART B-MOLECULAR AND DEVELOPMENTAL EVOLUTION 2007; 308:669-78. [PMID: 17592620 DOI: 10.1002/jez.b.21184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
How the left and right sides of the brain acquire anatomical and functional specializations is not well understood. The zebrafish has proven to be a useful model to explore the genetic basis of neuroanatomical asymmetry in the developing forebrain. The dorsal diencephalon or epithalamus consists of the asymmetric pineal complex and adjacent paired nuclei, the left and right medial habenulae, which in zebrafish larvae, exhibit differences in their size, neuropil density and patterns of gene expression. In all vertebrates, axons from the medial habenular nuclei project within a prominent fiber bundle, the fasciculus retroflexus, to a shared midbrain target, the interpeduncular nucleus of the ventral tegmentum. However, in zebrafish, projections from the left habenula innervate the dorsal and ventral regions of the target nucleus, whereas right habenular efferents project only to the ventral region. A similar dorsoventral difference in habenular connectivity is found in another teleost species, the highly derived southern flounder, Paralichthys lethostima. In this flatfish, directional asymmetry of the habenular projection appears to be independent of the left-right morphology and orientation that an individual adopts post-metamorphosis. Comparative anterograde labeling of the brains of salamanders, frogs and mice reveals that axons emanating from the left and right medial habenulae do not project to different domains, but rather, they traverse the target nucleus in a complementary mirror image pattern. Thus, although the habenulo-interpeduncular conduction system is highly conserved in the vertebrate brain, the stereotypic dorsoventral topography of left-right connections appears to be a feature that is specific to teleosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yung-Shu Kuan
- Department of Embryology, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, USA
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Anichtchik O, Sallinen V, Peitsaro N, Panula P. Distinct structure and activity of monoamine oxidase in the brain of zebrafish (Danio rerio). J Comp Neurol 2006; 498:593-610. [PMID: 16917825 DOI: 10.1002/cne.21057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Monoamine oxidase (MAO) is a mitochondrial flavoprotein involved in the metabolism of, e.g., aminergic neurotransmitters and the parkinsonism-inducing neurotoxin 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,5,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP). We have reported earlier MPTP-related alterations of brain catecholaminergic system in zebrafish (Danio rerio) brain. Here we describe the structural and functional properties of zebrafish MAO and the distribution of MAO mRNA and activity in zebrafish brain. The gene is located in chromosome 9 and consists of 15 exons. The amino acid composition of the active center resembles both human MAO-A and MAO-B. The enzyme displayed the highest substrate specificity for tyramine, followed by serotonin, phenylethylamine, MPTP, and dopamine; isoform-specific antagonists blocked the activity of the enzyme with equal potency. Zebrafish MAO mRNA, which was present in several tissues, and enzyme displayed differential distribution in the brain; dopaminergic cell clusters had low to moderate levels of MAO activity, whereas the highest levels of MAO activity were detected in noradrenergic and serotonergic cell groups and the habenulointerpeduncular pathway, including its caudal projection to the medial ventral rhombencephalon. The results of this study confirm the presence of functionally active MAO in zebrafish brain and other tissues and characterize the neural systems that express MAO and areas of intense activity in the brain. They also suggest that MPTP toxicity not related to MAO may affect the zebrafish brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oleg Anichtchik
- Neuroscience Center, Institute of Biomedicine/Anatomy, University of Helsinki, Biomedicum Helsinki, 00290 Helsinki, Finland
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Gamse JT, Kuan YS, Macurak M, Brösamle C, Thisse B, Thisse C, Halpern ME. Directional asymmetry of the zebrafish epithalamus guides dorsoventral innervation of the midbrain target. Development 2005; 132:4869-81. [PMID: 16207761 DOI: 10.1242/dev.02046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 155] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The zebrafish epithalamus, consisting of the pineal complex and flanking dorsal habenular nuclei, provides a valuable model for exploring how left-right differences could arise in the vertebrate brain. The parapineal lies to the left of the pineal and the left habenula is larger, has expanded dense neuropil, and distinct patterns of gene expression from the right habenula. Under the influence of Nodal signaling, positioning of the parapineal sets the direction of habenular asymmetry and thereby determines the left-right origin of habenular projections onto the midbrain target, the interpeduncular nucleus (IPN). In zebrafish with parapineal reversal, neurons from the left habenula project to a more limited ventral IPN region where right habenular axons would normally project. Conversely, efferents from the right habenula adopt a more extensive dorsoventral IPN projection pattern typical of left habenular neurons. Three members of the leftover-related KCTD (potassium channel tetramerization domain containing) gene family are expressed differently by the left and right habenula, in patterns that define asymmetric subnuclei. Molecular asymmetry extends to protein levels in habenular efferents, providing additional evidence that left and right axons terminate within different dorsoventral regions of the midbrain target. Laser-mediated ablation of the parapineal disrupts habenular asymmetry and consequently alters the dorsoventral distribution of innervating axons. The results demonstrate that laterality of the dorsal forebrain influences the formation of midbrain connections and their molecular properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua T Gamse
- Carnegie Institution of Washington, Department of Embryology, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
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12
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Abstract
Nicotine, acting at nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), is the primary addictive component of tobacco. Smokers often report an anxiolytic effect of cigarettes. This relief of anxiety, attributed to nicotine, is an important contributor to relapse when smokers try to quit. Hence, the study of the anxiolytic effects of nicotine is important for understanding the mechanisms underlying nicotine addiction. Mammalian nAChRs are pentameric ion channels usually composed of alpha andbeta subunits. Taking advantage of beta4-homozygous-null mice (beta4-/-), we examined the role of the nAChR beta4 subunit in anxiety-related behaviors. The beta4-/- mice behaved as though they were less anxious than wild-type littermates on the elevated-plus and staircase mazes, tests that measure anxiety-related behaviors. To obtain an independent, physiological indication of the stress produced by several tests, we measured changes in heart rate using telemetry. Consistently with the behavioral phenotype, beta4-/- mice had a smaller heart rate increase in the elevated-plus maze than did wild-type littermates. In contrast, during social isolation, a separate test for anxiety,beta4-/- mice exhibited a greater increase in heart rate than did wild-type littermates. Finally, beta4-/- mice were indistinguishable from their wild-type littermates in the open field, the light/dark box, and the mirrored chamber. The overall results demonstrate that beta4-containing (beta4*) nAChRs influence behavioral responses during anxiety-related tests, and that this effect depends on the type of anxiety-provoking experience. Through their influence on anxiety-related behavior, beta4* nAChRs might influence both tobacco consumption and smoking relapse.
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Abstract
We produced a monoclonal antibody, named A20, which specifically recognizes a 35 kDa protein and stains myelinated axons in zebrafish brain. The A20 antigen is located at the outside of the myelin layer of large axons, and comprises a fine meshwork composed of thin unit fibers about 1-2 microm in length and about 100-200 nm in thickness. The unit fibers form pentagonal and hexagonal structures, which further polymerize into an envelope structure on the axons. The A20 monoclonal antibody did not stain neuronal cell bodies nor synapses. Instead, the distribution of the A20 antigen was along axons, practically coincident with the distribution of myelin basic protein. The monoclonal antibody stained only axons in the central nervous system (CNS), and not the extracellular matrix surrounding Schwann cells. These results suggest that this antigenic meshwork (which we call the periaxonal net) is synthesized by oligodendrocytes. During the development of the zebrafish brain, the periaxonal net appeared after the formation of myelin on the axons. The periaxonal net developed first at the brain stem, then gradually appeared at the caudal end of the spinal cord. The thickness of the periaxonal net around the Mauthner axon changed during development. Although the thickness of the Mauthner axon continues to grow throughout life, the thickness of periaxonal net stopped growing at 6 months after fertilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noriko Arata
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Okayama University, Japan
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Giuliani A, Minelli D, Quaglia A, Villani L. Telencephalo-habenulo-interpeduncular connections in the brain of the shark Chiloscyllium arabicum. Brain Res 2002; 926:186-90. [PMID: 11814423 DOI: 10.1016/s0006-8993(01)03310-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
The telencephalo-habenulo-interpeduncular connections have been studied in the brain of the cartilaginous fish Chiloscyllium arabicum. In addition to telencephalic and diencephalic projections to the habenula and to habenulo-interpeduncular projection, the presence of a direct telencephalo-interpeduncular connection confirmed some homologies of this system in cartilaginous fishes with actinopterigian fishes and land vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Giuliani
- Department of Biology, Via Selmi 3, University of Bologna, I-40126 Bologna, Italy
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