1
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Ilyin NP, Petersen EV, Kolesnikova TO, Demin KA, Khatsko SL, Apuhtin KV, Kalueff AV. Developing Peripheral Biochemical Biomarkers of Brain Disorders: Insights from Zebrafish Models. BIOCHEMISTRY. BIOKHIMIIA 2024; 89:377-391. [PMID: 38622104 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297924020160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
High prevalence of human brain disorders necessitates development of the reliable peripheral biomarkers as diagnostic and disease-monitoring tools. In addition to clinical studies, animal models markedly advance studying of non-brain abnormalities associated with brain pathogenesis. The zebrafish (Danio rerio) is becoming increasingly popular as an animal model organism in translational neuroscience. These fish share some practical advantages over mammalian models together with high genetic homology and evolutionarily conserved biochemical and neurobehavioral phenotypes, thus enabling large-scale modeling of human brain diseases. Here, we review mounting evidence on peripheral biomarkers of brain disorders in zebrafish models, focusing on altered biochemistry (lipids, carbohydrates, proteins, and other non-signal molecules, as well as metabolic reactions and activity of enzymes). Collectively, these data strongly support the utility of zebrafish (from a systems biology standpoint) to study peripheral manifestations of brain disorders, as well as highlight potential applications of biochemical biomarkers in zebrafish models to biomarker-based drug discovery and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikita P Ilyin
- Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, 199034, Russia.
| | - Elena V Petersen
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Moscow, 115184, Russia.
| | - Tatyana O Kolesnikova
- Neuroscience Program, Sirius University of Science and Technology, Sochi, 354340, Russia.
| | - Konstantin A Demin
- Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, 199034, Russia.
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Moscow, 115184, Russia
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Almazov National Medical Research Centre, Ministry of Healthcare of the Russian Federation, St. Petersburg, 197341, Russia
- Laboratory of Preclinical Bioscreening, Granov Russian Research Center of Radiology and Surgical Technologies, Ministry of Healthcare of the Russian Federation, Pesochny, 197758, Russia
| | | | - Kirill V Apuhtin
- Laboratory of Biopsychiatry, Scientific Research Institute of Neurosciences and Medicine, Novosibirsk, 630117, Russia.
- Neuroscience Division, Sirius University of Science and Technology, Sirius Federal Territory, 354340, Russia
| | - Allan V Kalueff
- Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, 199034, Russia.
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Almazov National Medical Research Centre, Ministry of Healthcare of the Russian Federation, St. Petersburg, 197341, Russia
- Ural Federal University, Ekaterinburg, 620002, Russia
- Laboratory of Biopsychiatry, Scientific Research Institute of Neurosciences and Medicine, Novosibirsk, 630117, Russia
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2
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Tang C, Zhu Y, Laziyan Y, Yang C, He C, Zuo Z. Long-term exposure to cyprodinil causes abnormal zebrafish aggressive and antipredator behavior through the hypothalamic-pituitary-interrenal axis. AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2021; 241:106002. [PMID: 34717145 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2021.106002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2021] [Revised: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Cyprodinil, one of the main pyrimidinamine fungicides, has been used to control fungal diseases in plants and vegetables worldwide. Previous studies have investigated the influences of cyprodinil on the developmental and reproductive toxicity of fish. However, it remains unknown whether it affects fish behaviors and the underlying mechanisms. In our current study, zebrafish, an ideal model animal for behavioral studies, were exposed to cyprodinil from fertilization to 240 days postfertilization at 0.1 μg/L (environmentally relevant concentration) and 1, 10 μg/L. Firstly, we observed that aggressive behavior of zebrafish was significantly enhanced after exposure to 0.1-10 μg/L cyprodinil and antipredator behavior was decreased after exposure. Cyprodinil exposure altered the adrenocorticotropic hormone and cortisol levels, which regulate cortisol homeostasis and were significantly reduced in all exposure groups (0.1-10 μg/L). In addition, most of the key genes in the hypothalamic-pituitary-interrenal gland axis, such as corticotropin-releasing hormone and melanocortin 2 receptor, were downregulated significantly in all exposure groups, which was consistent with the hormone levels. In addition, in the hypothalamus, the number of apoptotic cells increased in a dose-dependent manner in the cyprodinil exposure groups. Moreover, these changes were potentially responsible for the increased aggression of zebrafish during the mirror-like aggressive test and for the reduced antipredator behavior during the predator avoidance test. Overall, the data provided herein further our understanding of cyprodinil toxicity and can be used to assess the ecological effects of cyprodinil on the induction of abnormal behaviors at the environmental level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005, China
| | - Yue Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005, China
| | - Yibimu Laziyan
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005, China
| | - Chunyan Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005, China
| | - Chengyong He
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005, China
| | - Zhenghong Zuo
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005, China; State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005, China.
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3
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Parvez S, Herdman C, Beerens M, Chakraborti K, Harmer ZP, Yeh JRJ, MacRae CA, Yost HJ, Peterson RT. MIC-Drop: A platform for large-scale in vivo CRISPR screens. Science 2021; 373:1146-1151. [PMID: 34413171 DOI: 10.1126/science.abi8870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
[Figure: see text].
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Affiliation(s)
- Saba Parvez
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Chelsea Herdman
- Department of Neurobiology and Molecular Medicine Program, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Manu Beerens
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Genetics and Network Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Korak Chakraborti
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Zachary P Harmer
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Jing-Ruey J Yeh
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Calum A MacRae
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Genetics and Network Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - H Joseph Yost
- Department of Neurobiology and Molecular Medicine Program, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Randall T Peterson
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
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4
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Zhao Z, Li G, Xiao Q, Jiang HR, Tchivelekete GM, Shu X, Liu H. Quantification of the influence of drugs on zebrafish larvae swimming kinematics and energetics. PeerJ 2020; 8:e8374. [PMID: 31938582 PMCID: PMC6954687 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.8374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2019] [Accepted: 12/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of zebrafish larvae has aroused wide interest in the medical field for its potential role in the development of new therapies. The larvae grow extremely quickly and the embryos are nearly transparent which allows easy examination of its internal structures using fluorescent imaging techniques. Medical treatment of zebrafish larvae can directly influence its swimming behaviours. These behaviour changes are related to functional changes of central nervous system and transformations of the zebrafish body such as muscle mechanical power and force variation, which cannot be measured directly by pure experiment observation. To quantify the influence of drugs on zebrafish larvae swimming behaviours and energetics, we have developed a novel methodology to exploit intravital changes based on observed zebrafish locomotion. Specifically, by using an in-house MATLAB code to process the recorded live zebrafish swimming video, the kinematic locomotion equation of a 3D zebrafish larvae was obtained, and a customised Computational Fluid Dynamics tool was used to solve the fluid flow around the fish model which was geometrically the same as experimentally tested zebrafish. The developed methodology was firstly verified against experiment, and further applied to quantify the fish internal body force, torque and power consumption associated with a group of normal zebrafish larvae vs. those immersed in acetic acid and two neuroactive drugs. As indicated by our results, zebrafish larvae immersed in 0.01% acetic acid display approximately 30% higher hydrodynamic power and 10% higher cost of transport than control group. In addition, 500 μM diphenylhydantoin significantly decreases the locomotion activity for approximately 50% lower hydrodynamic power, whereas 100 mg/L yohimbine has not caused any significant influences on 5 dpf zebrafish larvae locomotion. The approach has potential to evaluate the influence of drugs on the aquatic animal’s behaviour changes and thus support the development of new analgesic and neuroactive drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenkai Zhao
- Department of Naval Architecture, Ocean, and Marine Engineering, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK
| | - Gen Li
- Department of Mathematical Science and Advanced Technology, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Yokohama-City, Japan
| | - Qing Xiao
- Department of Naval Architecture, Ocean, and Marine Engineering, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK
| | - Hui-Rong Jiang
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK
| | | | - Xinhua Shu
- Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow, UK
| | - Hao Liu
- Graduate School of Engineering, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
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Cheresiz SV, Volgin AD, Kokorina Evsyukova A, Bashirzade AAO, Demin KA, de Abreu MS, Amstislavskaya TG, Kalueff AV. Understanding neurobehavioral genetics of zebrafish. J Neurogenet 2020; 34:203-215. [PMID: 31902276 DOI: 10.1080/01677063.2019.1698565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Due to its fully sequenced genome, high genetic homology to humans, external fertilization, fast development, transparency of embryos, low cost and active reproduction, the zebrafish (Danio rerio) has become a novel promising model organism in biomedicine. Zebrafish are a useful tool in genetic and neuroscience research, including linking various genetic mutations to brain mechanisms using forward and reverse genetics. These approaches have produced novel models of rare genetic CNS disorders and common brain illnesses, such as addiction, aggression, anxiety and depression. Genetically modified zebrafish also foster neuroanatomical studies, manipulating neural circuits and linking them to different behaviors. Here, we discuss recent advances in neurogenetics of zebrafish, and evaluate their unique strengths, inherent limitations and the rapidly growing potential for elucidating the conserved roles of genes in neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergey V Cheresiz
- Scientific Research Institute of Physiology and Basic Medicine, Novosibirsk, Russia.,Institute of Medicine and Psychology, Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Andrey D Volgin
- Scientific Research Institute of Physiology and Basic Medicine, Novosibirsk, Russia.,Institute of Medicine and Psychology, Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Alexandra Kokorina Evsyukova
- Scientific Research Institute of Physiology and Basic Medicine, Novosibirsk, Russia.,Institute of Medicine and Psychology, Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Alim A O Bashirzade
- Scientific Research Institute of Physiology and Basic Medicine, Novosibirsk, Russia.,Institute of Medicine and Psychology, Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Konstantin A Demin
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Almazov National Medical Research Centre, St. Petersburg, Russia.,Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Murilo S de Abreu
- Bioscience Institute, University of Passo Fundo, Passo Fundo, Brazil.,The International Zebrafish Neuroscience Research Consortium (ZNRC), Slidell, LA, USA
| | - Tamara G Amstislavskaya
- Scientific Research Institute of Physiology and Basic Medicine, Novosibirsk, Russia.,Institute of Medicine and Psychology, Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia.,The International Zebrafish Neuroscience Research Consortium (ZNRC), Slidell, LA, USA
| | - Allan V Kalueff
- School of Pharmacy, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.,Ural Federal University, Ekaterinburg, Russia.,Laboratory of Biological Psychiatry, Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia.,Russian Scientific Center of Radiology and Surgical Technologies, Ministry of Healthcare of Russian Federation, St. Petersburg, Russia
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6
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Park M, Lee Y, Khan A, Aleta P, Cho Y, Park H, Park YH, Kim S. Metabolite tracking to elucidate the effects of environmental pollutants. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2019; 376:112-124. [PMID: 31128390 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2019.05.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2018] [Revised: 04/30/2019] [Accepted: 05/11/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine whether behavioral tests and metabolic profiling of organisms can be promising alternatives for assessing the health of aquatic systems. Water samples from four potential pollution sources in South Korea were collected for toxicity evaluation. First, conventional acute toxicity test in Daphnia magna and behavioral test in zebrafish was conducted to assess water quality. Second, metabolomic analysis was performed on zebrafish exposed to water samples and on environmental fish collected from the same source. Acute toxicity test in D. magna showed that none of the water samples exerted significant adverse effects. However, activity of zebrafish larvae exposed to samples from the zinc smelter (ZS) and industrial complex (IND) sites decreased compared to those exposed to samples from the reference site (RS). Metabolomic analysis using the Manhattan plot and Partial Least Square (PLS)/Orthogonal PLS Discriminant Analysis (OPLS-DA) showed differences in metabolic profiles between RS and ZS, and between IND and abandoned mine site (M). Interestingly, applying the same metabolomic analysis to environmental fish revealed patterns similar to those for zebrafish, despite the uncontrollable variables involved in environmental sampling. This study shows that metabolomics is a promising tool in assessing the health of aquatic environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minseung Park
- Bio Monitoring Laboratory, Program in Environmental Technology and Policy, Korea University Sejong Campus, 2511 Sejong-ro, Sejong City, Chungnam 30019, Republic of Korea
| | - Yeseung Lee
- Metabolomics Laboratory, College of Pharmacy, Korea University Sejong Campus, 2511 Sejong-ro, Sejong City, Chungnam 30019, Republic of Korea
| | - Adnan Khan
- Metabolomics Laboratory, College of Pharmacy, Korea University Sejong Campus, 2511 Sejong-ro, Sejong City, Chungnam 30019, Republic of Korea
| | - Prince Aleta
- Bio Monitoring Laboratory, Program in Environmental Technology and Policy, Korea University Sejong Campus, 2511 Sejong-ro, Sejong City, Chungnam 30019, Republic of Korea
| | - Yunchul Cho
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Daejeon University, 62 Daehak-ro, Dong-gu, Daejeon 300-716, Republic of Korea
| | | | - Youngja Hwang Park
- Metabolomics Laboratory, College of Pharmacy, Korea University Sejong Campus, 2511 Sejong-ro, Sejong City, Chungnam 30019, Republic of Korea.
| | - Sungpyo Kim
- Bio Monitoring Laboratory, Program in Environmental Technology and Policy, Korea University Sejong Campus, 2511 Sejong-ro, Sejong City, Chungnam 30019, Republic of Korea.
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7
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Almeida AR, Tacão M, Machado AL, Golovko O, Zlabek V, Domingues I, Henriques I. Long-term effects of oxytetracycline exposure in zebrafish: A multi-level perspective. CHEMOSPHERE 2019; 222:333-344. [PMID: 30708167 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.01.147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2018] [Revised: 01/23/2019] [Accepted: 01/25/2019] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Oxytetracycline (OTC) is a broad-spectrum antibiotic widely used in livestock production. Like many other pharmaceuticals, OTC is not completely metabolized by the organism and thus, increasing amounts of the compound are being detected in the aquatic environment. The assessment of the environmental risk of pharmaceuticals is hindered by their very low concentrations and specific modes of action and thus relevant exposure scenarios and sensitive endpoints are needed. Thus, this work aimed to study the long-term effect of OTC exposure in zebrafish (at behavior and biochemical levels) and associated bacterial communities (fish gut and water bacterial communities). Results revealed that at behavioral level, boldness increase (manifested by increased exploratory behavior of a new environment) was observed in fish exposed to low OTC concentrations. Moreover, changes in fish swimming pattern were observed in light periods (increased stress response: hyperactivity and freezing) probably due to photo-sensibility conferred by OTC exposure. Effects at biochemical level suggest that long-term exposure to OTC interfere with cellular energy allocation mainly by reducing lipids levels and increasing energy consumption. Moreover, evidences of oxidative damage were also observed (reduced levels of TG, GST and CAT). The analysis of water and gut microbiome revealed changes in the structure and diversity of bacterial communities potentially leading to changes in communities' biological function. Some of the effects were observed at the lowest concentration tested, 0.1 μg/L which is a concentration already detected in the environment and thus clearly demonstrating the need of a serious ecotoxicological assessment of OTC effects on non-target organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Rita Almeida
- Department of Biology & CESAM, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Marta Tacão
- Department of Biology & CESAM, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Ana Luísa Machado
- Department of Biology & CESAM, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Oksana Golovko
- University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Zatisi 728/II, Vodnany 389 25, Czech Republic
| | - Vladimir Zlabek
- University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Zatisi 728/II, Vodnany 389 25, Czech Republic
| | - Inês Domingues
- Department of Biology & CESAM, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
| | - Isabel Henriques
- CESAM & Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of Coimbra, Calçada Martins de Freitas, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal
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8
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Demin KA, Lakstygal AM, Alekseeva PA, Sysoev M, de Abreu MS, Alpyshov ET, Serikuly N, Wang D, Wang M, Tang Z, Yan D, Strekalova TV, Volgin AD, Amstislavskaya TG, Wang J, Song C, Kalueff AV. The role of intraspecies variation in fish neurobehavioral and neuropharmacological phenotypes in aquatic models. AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2019; 210:44-55. [PMID: 30822702 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2019.02.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2018] [Revised: 02/15/2019] [Accepted: 02/19/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Intraspecies variation is common in both clinical and animal research of various brain disorders. Relatively well-studied in mammals, intraspecies variation in aquatic fish models and its role in their behavioral and pharmacological responses remain poorly understood. Like humans and mammals, fishes show high variance of behavioral and drug-evoked responses, modulated both genetically and environmentally. The zebrafish (Danio rerio) has emerged as a particularly useful model organism tool to access neurobehavioral and drug-evoked responses. Here, we discuss recent findings and the role of the intraspecies variance in neurobehavioral, pharmacological and toxicological studies utilizing zebrafish and other fish models. We also critically evaluate common sources of intraspecies variation and outline potential strategies to improve data reproducibility and translatability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Konstantin A Demin
- Almazov National Medical Research Centre, Ministry of Healthcare of Russian Federation, St. Petersburg, Russia; Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Anton M Lakstygal
- Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia; Granov Russian Research Centre of Radiology and Surgical Technologies, Ministry of Healthcare of Russian Federation, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Polina A Alekseeva
- Almazov National Medical Research Centre, Ministry of Healthcare of Russian Federation, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Maxim Sysoev
- Granov Russian Research Centre of Radiology and Surgical Technologies, Ministry of Healthcare of Russian Federation, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Murilo S de Abreu
- The International Zebrafish Neuroscience Research Consortium (ZNRC), Slidell, LA, USA; Bioscience Institute, University of Passo Fundo, Passo Fundo, RS, Brazil
| | | | - Nazar Serikuly
- School of Pharmacy, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - DongMei Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - MengYao Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - ZhiChong Tang
- School of Pharmacy, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - DongNi Yan
- School of Pharmacy, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Tatyana V Strekalova
- Department of Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands; Laboratory of Psychiatric Neurobiology and Department of Normal Physiology, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Andrey D Volgin
- Scientific Research Institute of Physiology and Basic Medicine, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | | | - JiaJia Wang
- Research Institute of Marine Drugs and Nutrition, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, China
| | - Cai Song
- Research Institute of Marine Drugs and Nutrition, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, China
| | - Allan V Kalueff
- School of Pharmacy, Southwest University, Chongqing, China; Scientific Research Institute of Physiology and Basic Medicine, Novosibirsk, Russia; The International Zebrafish Neuroscience Research Consortium (ZNRC), Slidell, LA, USA; Ural Federal University, Ekaterinburg, Russia; ZENEREI Research Center, Slidell, LA, USA; Laboratory of Biological Psychiatry, Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia; Institute of Experimental Medicine, Almazov National Medical Research Centre, Ministry of Healthcare of Russian Federation, St. Petersburg, Russia; Granov Russian Research Centre of Radiology and Surgical Technologies, Ministry of Healthcare of Russian Federation, St. Petersburg, Russia.
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9
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Mezzomo NJ, Fontana BD, Müller TE, Duarte T, Quadros VA, Canzian J, Pompermaier A, Soares SM, Koakoski G, Loro VL, Rosemberg DB, Barcellos LJG. Taurine modulates the stress response in zebrafish. Horm Behav 2019; 109:44-52. [PMID: 30742830 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2019.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2018] [Revised: 01/31/2019] [Accepted: 02/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The zebrafish (Danio rerio) is used as an emergent model organism to investigate the behavioral and physiological responses to stress. The anxiolytic-like effects of taurine in zebrafish support the existence of different mechanisms of action, which can play a role in preventing stress-related disorders (i.e., modulation of GABAA, strychnine-sensitive glycine, and NMDA receptors, as well as antioxidant properties). Herein, we investigate whether taurine modulates some behavioral and biochemical responses in zebrafish acutely submitted to chemical and mechanical stressors. We pretreated zebrafish for 1 h in beakers at 42, 150, and 400 mg/L taurine. Fish were later acutely exposed to a chemical stressor (conspecific alarm substance) or to a mechanical stressor (net chasing), which elicits escaping responses and aversive behaviors. Locomotion, exploration, and defensive-like behaviors were measured using the novel tank and the light-dark tests. Biochemical (brain oxidative stress-related parameters) and whole-body cortisol levels were also quantified. We showed that taurine prevents anxiety/fear-like behaviors and protein carbonylation and dampens the cortisol response following acute stress in zebrafish. In summary, our results demonstrate a protective role of taurine against stress-induced behavioral and biochemical changes, thereby reinforcing the growing utility of zebrafish models to investigate the neuroprotective actions of taurine in vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathana J Mezzomo
- Laboratory of Experimental Neuropsychobiology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Natural and Exact Sciences Center, Federal University of Santa Maria, 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil; Graduate Program in Pharmacology, Federal University of Santa Maria, 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil.
| | - Barbara D Fontana
- Laboratory of Experimental Neuropsychobiology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Natural and Exact Sciences Center, Federal University of Santa Maria, 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil; Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Toxicological Biochemistry, Federal University of Santa Maria, 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil
| | - Talise E Müller
- Laboratory of Experimental Neuropsychobiology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Natural and Exact Sciences Center, Federal University of Santa Maria, 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil; Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Toxicological Biochemistry, Federal University of Santa Maria, 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil
| | - Tâmie Duarte
- Laboratory of Experimental Neuropsychobiology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Natural and Exact Sciences Center, Federal University of Santa Maria, 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil; Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Toxicological Biochemistry, Federal University of Santa Maria, 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil
| | - Vanessa A Quadros
- Laboratory of Experimental Neuropsychobiology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Natural and Exact Sciences Center, Federal University of Santa Maria, 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil; Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Toxicological Biochemistry, Federal University of Santa Maria, 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil
| | - Julia Canzian
- Laboratory of Experimental Neuropsychobiology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Natural and Exact Sciences Center, Federal University of Santa Maria, 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil
| | - Aline Pompermaier
- Graduate Program in Bio-Experimentation, University of Passo Fundo (UPF), BR 285, Passo Fundo, RS 99052-900, Brazil
| | - Suelen M Soares
- Graduate Program in Pharmacology, Federal University of Santa Maria, 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil
| | - Gessi Koakoski
- Graduate Program in Bio-Experimentation, University of Passo Fundo (UPF), BR 285, Passo Fundo, RS 99052-900, Brazil
| | - Vania L Loro
- Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Toxicological Biochemistry, Federal University of Santa Maria, 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil
| | - Denis B Rosemberg
- Laboratory of Experimental Neuropsychobiology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Natural and Exact Sciences Center, Federal University of Santa Maria, 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil; Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Toxicological Biochemistry, Federal University of Santa Maria, 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil; The International Zebrafish Neuroscience Research Consortium (ZNRC), 309 Palmer Court, Slidell, LA 70458, USA
| | - Leonardo J G Barcellos
- Graduate Program in Pharmacology, Federal University of Santa Maria, 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil; Graduate Program in Bio-Experimentation, University of Passo Fundo (UPF), BR 285, Passo Fundo, RS 99052-900, Brazil; Graduate Program in Environmental Sciences, University of Passo Fundo (UPF), BR 285, Passo Fundo, RS 99052-900, Brazil
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10
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Argus: An open-source and flexible software application for automated quantification of behavior during social interaction in adult zebrafish. Behav Res Methods 2018; 51:727-746. [PMID: 30105442 DOI: 10.3758/s13428-018-1083-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Zebrafish show great potential for behavioral neuroscience. Promising lines of research, however, require the development and validation of software tools that will allow automated and cost-effective behavioral analysis. Building on our previous work with the RealFishTracker (in-house-developed tracking system), we present Argus, a data extraction and analysis tool built in the open-source R language for behavioral researchers without any expertise in R. Argus includes a new, user-friendly, and efficient graphical user interface, instead of a command-line interface, and offers simplicity and flexibility in measuring complex zebrafish behavior through customizable parameters. In this article, we compare Argus with Noldus EthoVision and Noldus The Observer, to validate this new system. All three software applications were originally designed to quantify the behavior of a single subject. We first also performed an analysis of the movement of individual fish and compared the performance of the three software applications. Next we computed and quantified the behavioral variables that characterize dyadic interactions between zebrafish. We found that Argus and EthoVision extract similar absolute values and patterns of changes in these values for several behavioral measures, including speed, freezing, erratic movement, and interindividual distance. In contrast, the manual coding of behavior in The Observer showed weaker correlations with the two tracking methods (EthoVision and Argus). Thus, Argus is a novel, cost-effective, and customizable method for the analysis of adult zebrafish behavior that may be utilized for the behavioral quantification of both single and dyadic interacting subjects, but further sophistication will be needed for the proper identification of complex motor patterns, measures that a human observers can easily detect.
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11
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Mezzomo NJ, Fontana BD, Kalueff AV, Barcellos LJ, Rosemberg DB. Understanding taurine CNS activity using alternative zebrafish models. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2018; 90:471-485. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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12
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Li F, Lin J, Liu X, Li W, Ding Y, Zhang Y, Zhou S, Guo N, Li Q. Characterization of the locomotor activities of zebrafish larvae under the influence of various neuroactive drugs. ANNALS OF TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE 2018; 6:173. [PMID: 29951495 DOI: 10.21037/atm.2018.04.25] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Background Behavioral changes in animals reflect functional changes in their central nervous system. Neuroactive drugs that act on different neural pathways can induce specific behavioral responses; therefore, it is possible to infer the activities of neuroactive drugs by studying the behavioral changes induced by drugs of interest in animals. Methods In this study, AB strain zebrafish larvae at 7 days post fertilization (dpf) were treated with different concentrations of drugs that act on different neural pathways. Changes in the swimming distances of zebrafish larvae under different illumination conditions and the differences in locomotor activities between light and dark conditions (lighting motor index) were analyzed. Results Among the drugs studied, different concentrations of sulpiride had no effect on larval locomotor activity either under light or dark conditions. Progressively decreased spontaneous movements were observed in zebrafish larvae treated with increasing doses of MK-801 and valproic acid. With increasing concentrations of pentylenetetrazole and yohimbine, the spontaneous movement of larval zebrafish presented a bell-shaped response. When the illumination changed from light to dark, zebrafish larvae not treated with drugs demonstrated increased locomotor activities. However, high levels of yohimbine, pentylenetetrazole decreased the degree of change in the lighting motor index. Conclusions In conclusion, drugs that affect different neural pathways exert different influences on the locomotor activities of zebrafish larvae. This study presents an initial effort to establish a framework that correlates the drug activities and the behavioral responses of zebrafish larvae under drug treatments, which may provide a potential identification of the pathways of novel drugs with neurological activities through their behavioral influences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Li
- Translational Medical Center for Development and Disease, Institute of Pediatrics, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Birth Defect, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai 201102, China
| | - Jia Lin
- Translational Medical Center for Development and Disease, Institute of Pediatrics, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Birth Defect, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai 201102, China
| | - Xiuyun Liu
- Translational Medical Center for Development and Disease, Institute of Pediatrics, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Birth Defect, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai 201102, China
| | - Wenhui Li
- Department of Neurology, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai 201102, China
| | - Yifeng Ding
- Department of Neurology, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai 201102, China
| | - Yunjian Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai 201102, China
| | - Shuizhen Zhou
- Department of Neurology, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai 201102, China
| | - Ning Guo
- Center for Chinese Medical Therapy and Systems Biology, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Qiang Li
- Translational Medical Center for Development and Disease, Institute of Pediatrics, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Birth Defect, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai 201102, China
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13
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Zahid H, Tsang B, Ahmed H, Lee RCY, Tran S, Gerlai R. Diazepam fails to alter anxiety-like responses but affects motor function in a white-black test paradigm in larval zebrafish (Danio rerio). Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2018; 83:127-136. [PMID: 29360490 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2018.01.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2017] [Revised: 01/09/2018] [Accepted: 01/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The growing popularity of zebrafish in psychopharmacology and behavioral brain research is partly due to the practicality and simplicity of drug administration in this species. Several drugs may be administered to zebrafish by immersing the fish in the drug solution. Furthermore, numerous drugs developed for mammals, including humans, have been found to show a similar effect profile in the zebrafish. Thus, the zebrafish has been suggested as a potentially useful animal screening tool. Despite decades of drug development, anxiety still represents a major unmet medical need, and the search for anxiolytic compounds is continuing. The zebrafish has been proposed for high throughput screens for anxiolytic compounds, and the effects of anxiolytic compounds on the behavior of zebrafish have started to be explored. Diazepam (Valium®) is a frequently prescribed human anxiolytic, a GABAA receptor agonist, has also started to be tested in zebrafish, but with occasional contradicting results. Here, we investigate the effects of diazepam in larval (6-day post-fertilization old) zebrafish in a black-white preference paradigm. We found significant white preference and thigmotaxis (edge preference) in our control fish, anxiety-like responses that habituated over time. However, unexpectedly, we observed no anxiolytic effects of diazepam on these behaviors, and only detected significant motor activity reducing effect of the drug. We discuss the complex interpretation of light/dark tests in zebrafish, and also speculate about the possibility of differential GABAergic mechanisms that diazepam affects in larval vs adult zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hifsa Zahid
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Canada
| | - Benjamin Tsang
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Canada
| | - Hira Ahmed
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Canada
| | | | - Steven Tran
- Department of Cell and System Biology, University of Toronto, Canada
| | - Robert Gerlai
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Canada; Department of Cell and System Biology, University of Toronto, Canada.
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14
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Shams S, Rihel J, Ortiz JG, Gerlai R. The zebrafish as a promising tool for modeling human brain disorders: A review based upon an IBNS Symposium. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2018; 85:176-190. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2017] [Revised: 08/28/2017] [Accepted: 09/02/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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15
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Fontana BD, Mezzomo NJ, Kalueff AV, Rosemberg DB. The developing utility of zebrafish models of neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders: A critical review. Exp Neurol 2018; 299:157-171. [DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2017.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 130] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2017] [Revised: 09/15/2017] [Accepted: 10/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
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16
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Li X, Sun MZ, Li X, Zhang SH, Dai LT, Liu XY, Zhao X, Chen DY, Feng XZ. Impact of low-dose chronic exposure to Bisphenol A (BPA) on adult male zebrafish adaption to the environmental complexity: Disturbing the color preference patterns and reliving the anxiety behavior. CHEMOSPHERE 2017; 186:295-304. [PMID: 28787685 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2017.07.164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2017] [Revised: 07/28/2017] [Accepted: 07/31/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED The extensive usage of xenobiotic endocrine disrupting chemicals (XEDCs), such as Bisphenol A (BPA), has created obvious threat to aquatic ecosystems worldwide. Although a comprehensive understanding of the adverse effect of BPA on behaviors and physiology have been proven, the potential impact of low-dose BPA on altering the basic ability of aquatic organism in adapting to the surrounded complex environment still remains elusive. In this research, we report that treatment of adult male zebrafish with chronic (7 weeks) low-dose (0.22 nM-2.2 nM) BPA, altered the ability in adapting the complex environment by disturbing the natural color preference patterns. In addition, chronic 50 ng/L (0.22 nM) BPA exposure alleviated the anxiety behavior of male zebrafish confronted with the novel environment by enhancing the preference towards light in the light/dark preference test. This phenotype was associated with less expression of serotonin (5-TH) in the hypothalamus and the down-regulation of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) in brain tissues. As such, our results show that low-dose BPA remnant in surface waters altered zebrafish behavior that are known to have ecological and evolutionary consequences. HIGHLIGHTS Here we reported that the impact of chronic low-dose BPA exposure on the basic capability of zebrafish to adapt to the environmental complexity. Specifically, BPA at low concentration, under the environmental safety level and 3000-fold lower than the accepted human daily exposure, interfered with the ability to discriminate color and alleviate anxiety induced by the novel environment, which finally altered the capability of male zebrafish to adapt to the environmental complexity. These findings revealed the ecological effect of low-dose BPA and regular BPA concentration standard are not necessarily safe. The result also provided the consideration of retuning the hazard concentration level of BPA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Key Laboratory of Bioactive Materials, Ministry of Education, College of Life Science, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China; Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Natural Products, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China
| | - Ming-Zhu Sun
- The Institute of Robotics and Automatic Information Systems, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Intelligent Robotics, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Xu Li
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Tumor Microenvironment and Neurovascular Regulation, Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Shu-Hui Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Key Laboratory of Bioactive Materials, Ministry of Education, College of Life Science, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Liang-Ti Dai
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Key Laboratory of Bioactive Materials, Ministry of Education, College of Life Science, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Xing-Yu Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Key Laboratory of Bioactive Materials, Ministry of Education, College of Life Science, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Xin Zhao
- The Institute of Robotics and Automatic Information Systems, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Intelligent Robotics, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China.
| | - Dong-Yan Chen
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Tumor Microenvironment and Neurovascular Regulation, Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China.
| | - Xi-Zeng Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Key Laboratory of Bioactive Materials, Ministry of Education, College of Life Science, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China.
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Mahabir S, Gerlai R. The Importance of Holding Water: Salinity and Chemosensory Cues Affect Zebrafish Behavior. Zebrafish 2017; 14:444-458. [DOI: 10.1089/zeb.2017.1472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Samantha Mahabir
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Robert Gerlai
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Canada
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18
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Understanding taurine CNS activity using alternative zebrafish models. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2017; 83:525-539. [PMID: 28916270 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2017] [Revised: 08/08/2017] [Accepted: 09/02/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Taurine is a highly abundant "amino acid" in the brain. Despite the potential neuroactive role of taurine in vertebrates has long been recognized, the underlying molecular mechanisms related to its pleiotropic effects in the brain remain poorly understood. Due to the genetic tractability, rich behavioral repertoire, neurochemical conservation, and small size, the zebrafish (Danio rerio) has emerged as a powerful candidate for neuropsychopharmacology investigation and in vivo drug screening. Here, we summarize the main physiological roles of taurine in mammals, including neuromodulation, osmoregulation, membrane stabilization, and antioxidant action. In this context, we also highlight how zebrafish models of brain disorders may present interesting approaches to assess molecular mechanisms underlying positive effects of taurine in the brain. Finally, we outline recent advances in zebrafish drug screening that significantly improve neuropsychiatric translational researches and small molecule screens.
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19
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Gerlai R. Animated images in the analysis of zebrafish behavior. Curr Zool 2017; 63:35-44. [PMID: 29491961 PMCID: PMC5804150 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zow077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2016] [Accepted: 06/22/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
This invited review is based upon a recent oral paper I presented at the Virtual Reality Symposium of the 34th International Ethological Conference (2015, Cairns, Australia), and as such it describes studies conducted mainly in my own laboratory. It reviews how we utilized visual stimuli for inducing behavioral responses in the zebrafish with a focus on shoaling, group forming behavior. The zebrafish is gaining increasing popularity in neuroscience. With this interest, its behavior is also more frequently studied. One of the many advantages of the zebrafish over traditional laboratory rodents is that this species is diurnal, and it relies heavily upon its visual system. Thus, similarly to our own species, zebrafish respond to visual stimuli in a robust and easily quantifiable manner. For the past decade, we have been exploring how to use such visual stimuli, and have developed numerous paradigms with which we can induce and quantify a variety of behavioral responses, including shoaling. This review summarizes some of these studies, and discusses questions including whether one should use live fish as stimulus, whether and how one could present animated (moving images) of fish, and how one could optimize a range of stimulus presentation parameters to elicit the most robust responses in zebrafish. Although the zebrafish is a relative newcomer in ethology and behavioral neuroscience, and although many of our findings only represent the first steps in this research, our results suggest that the behavioral analysis of the zebrafish will have an important place in biomedical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Gerlai
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, 3359 Mississauga Road North, Rm CCT4004, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5L 1C6
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20
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Ndikumana S, Pelin A, Williot A, Sanders JL, Kent M, Corradi N. Genome Analysis of Pseudoloma neurophilia: A Microsporidian Parasite of Zebrafish (Danio rerio). J Eukaryot Microbiol 2017; 64:18-30. [PMID: 27230544 PMCID: PMC5124540 DOI: 10.1111/jeu.12331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2016] [Revised: 05/06/2016] [Accepted: 05/18/2016] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Microsporidia are highly successful parasites that infect virtually all known animal lineages, including the model Danio rerio (zebrafish). The widespread use of this aquatic model for biomedical research has resulted in an unexpected increase in infections from the microsporidium Pseudoloma neurophilia, which can lead to significant physical, behavioral, and immunological modifications, resulting in nonprotocol variation during experimental procedures. Here, we seek to obtain insights into the biology of P. neurophilia by investigating its genome content, which was obtained from only 29 nanograms of DNA using the MiSeq technology and paired-end Illumina sequencing. We found that the genome of P. neurophilia is phylogenetically and genetically related to other fish-microsporidians, but features unique to this intracellular parasite are also found. The small 5.25-Mb genome assembly includes 1,139 unique open-reading frames and an unusually high number of transposable elements for such a small genome. Investigations of intragenomic diversity also provided strong indications that the mononucleate nucleus of this species is diploid. Overall, our study provides insights into the dynamics of microsporidian genomes and a solid sequence reference to be used in future studies of host-parasite interactions using the zebrafish D. rerio and P. neurophilia as a model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steve Ndikumana
- Center for Advanced Research in Environment Genomic, Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Adrian Pelin
- Center for Advanced Research in Environment Genomic, Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Alex Williot
- Center for Advanced Research in Environment Genomic, Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Justin L. Sanders
- Department of Microbiology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331, USA
| | - Michael Kent
- Department of Microbiology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331, USA
| | - Nicolas Corradi
- Center for Advanced Research in Environment Genomic, Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, ON, Canada
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21
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Baggio S, Mussulini BH, de Oliveira DL, Zenki KC, Santos da Silva E, Rico EP. Embryonic alcohol exposure promotes long-term effects on cerebral glutamate transport of adult zebrafish. Neurosci Lett 2016; 636:265-269. [PMID: 27838452 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2016.11.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2016] [Revised: 10/14/2016] [Accepted: 11/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Ethanol is a widely consumed substance throughout the world. During development it can substantially damage the human fetus, whereas the developing brain is particularly vulnerable. The brain damage induced by prenatal alcohol exposure may lead to a variety of long-lasting behavioral and neurochemical problems. However, there are no data concerning the effects of developmental ethanol exposure on the glutamatergic system, where extracellular glutamate acts as signaling molecule. Here we investigated the effect of ethanol exposure for 2h (concentrations of 0.0%, 0.1%, 0.25%, 0.50%, and 1.00%) in embryos at 24h post-fertilization (hpf) by measuring the functionality of glutamate transporters in the brain of adult (4 months) zebrafish. However, ethanol 0.1%, 0.25% and 0.50% decreased transport of glutamate to 81.96%, 60.65% and 45.91% respectively, when compared with the control group. Interestingly, 1.00% was able to inhibit the transport activity to 68.85%. In response to the embryonic alcohol exposure, we found impairment in the function of cerebral glutamate transport in adult fish, contributing to long-term alteration in the homeostasis glutamatergic signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suelen Baggio
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Bioquímica, Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Rua Ramiro Barcelos 2600-Anexo, 90035-003, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Ben Hur Mussulini
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Bioquímica, Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Rua Ramiro Barcelos 2600-Anexo, 90035-003, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Diogo Losch de Oliveira
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Bioquímica, Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Rua Ramiro Barcelos 2600-Anexo, 90035-003, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Kamila Cagliari Zenki
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Bioquímica, Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Rua Ramiro Barcelos 2600-Anexo, 90035-003, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Emerson Santos da Silva
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Bioquímica, Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Rua Ramiro Barcelos 2600-Anexo, 90035-003, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Eduardo Pacheco Rico
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde, Universidade do Extremo Sul Catarinense - UNESC, Av. Universitária, 1105, Bairro Universitário, 88806-000, Criciúma, SC, Brazil.
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Gerlai R, Poshusta TL, Rampersad M, Fernandes Y, Greenwood TM, Cousin MA, Klee EW, Clark KJ. Forward Genetic Screening Using Behavioral Tests in Zebrafish: A Proof of Concept Analysis of Mutants. Behav Genet 2016; 47:125-139. [DOI: 10.1007/s10519-016-9818-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2015] [Accepted: 09/08/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Naderi M, Jamwal A, Ferrari MCO, Niyogi S, Chivers DP. Dopamine receptors participate in acquisition and consolidation of latent learning of spatial information in zebrafish (Danio rerio). Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2016; 67:21-30. [PMID: 26772761 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2016.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2015] [Revised: 12/23/2015] [Accepted: 01/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
There is growing appreciation that various aspects of learning and memory are strongly influenced by dopamine neurotransmission, and that zebrafish hold particular promise in the study of neurotransmitter systems. In this study, we sought to investigate the effect of dopamine receptors on acquisition and consolidation of memory in zebrafish using a latent learning paradigm. To this end, fish were subjected to a 30 min training trial each day for 16 days during which fish were allowed to freely explore a complex maze with the left or right path blocked and without the presence of a reward. During 16 days fish were treated with dopaminergic agonists (apomorphine, SKF-38393, and quinpirole) and antagonists (SCH-23390 and eticlopride) before or after training trials. To assess cognitive performance of fish, a subsequent probe trial was performed on day 17 while all paths leading to a reward chamber were open and the maze now contained stimulus fish as a reward. Pre- and post-training exposure to apomorphine, SKF-38393, and quinpirole significantly impaired learning and memory in fish. In contrast, fish exposed to eticlopride before and after training exhibited improved performance in a latent learning task. Administration of SCH-23390 before training did not affect zebrafish learning ability, but produced significant memory enhancement when given after training trials. Taken together, these findings are the first indications that D1 and D2 receptors are critically involved in acquisition and consolidation of latent learning in zebrafish, with a more prominent role for D2 receptors. The current study opens the door to future studies to investigate the involvement of dopamine receptors in various aspects of cognitive processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Naderi
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, 112 Science Place, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E2, Canada.
| | - Ankur Jamwal
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, 112 Science Place, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E2, Canada
| | - Maud C O Ferrari
- Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5B4, Canada
| | - Som Niyogi
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, 112 Science Place, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E2, Canada; Toxicology Centre, University of Saskatchewan, 44 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5B3, Canada
| | - Douglas P Chivers
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, 112 Science Place, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E2, Canada
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Li X, Li X, Chen D, Guo JL, Feng DF, Sun MZ, Lu Y, Chen DY, Zhao X, Feng XZ. Evaluating the biological impact of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) on developmental and exploratory profile of zebrafish larvae. RSC Adv 2016. [DOI: 10.1039/c6ra04329a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
In this study, we employed zebrafish as an animal model to evaluate the biological effect of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) on early developmentviamorphological, physiological, and behavioural analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology
- The Key Laboratory of Bioactive Materials
- Ministry of Education
- College of Life Science
- Nankai University
| | - Xu Li
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Tumor Microenvironment and Neurovascular Regulation
- Department of Histology and Embryology
- School of Medicine
- Nankai University
- Tianjin 300071
| | - Di Chen
- The Institute of Robotics and Automatic Information Systems
- Nankai University
- Tianjin 300071
- China
| | | | - Dao-Fu Feng
- Department of General Surgery
- Tianjin Medical University General Hospital
- Tianjin
- China
| | - Ming-Zhu Sun
- The Institute of Robotics and Automatic Information Systems
- Nankai University
- Tianjin 300071
- China
| | - Yun Lu
- TEDA Hospital
- Tianjin 300457
- China
| | - Dong-Yan Chen
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Tumor Microenvironment and Neurovascular Regulation
- Department of Histology and Embryology
- School of Medicine
- Nankai University
- Tianjin 300071
| | - Xin Zhao
- The Institute of Robotics and Automatic Information Systems
- Nankai University
- Tianjin 300071
- China
| | - Xi-Zeng Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology
- The Key Laboratory of Bioactive Materials
- Ministry of Education
- College of Life Science
- Nankai University
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25
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26
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The effect of the number and size of animated conspecific images on shoaling responses of zebrafish. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2015; 139 Pt B:94-102. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2015.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2014] [Revised: 12/15/2014] [Accepted: 01/19/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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Braida D, Ponzoni L, Martucci R, Sala M. A new model to study visual attention in zebrafish. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2014; 55:80-6. [PMID: 24681194 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2014.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2014] [Revised: 03/14/2014] [Accepted: 03/14/2014] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The major part of cognitive tasks applied to zebrafish has not fully assessed their attentional ability, a process by which the nervous system learns, organizes sensory input and generates coordinated behaviour. In an attempt to maximize the value of zebrafish as an animal model of cognition, we tested the possibility to apply a modified version of novel object recognition test named virtual object recognition test (VORT) using 2D geometrical shapes (square, triangle, circle, cross, etc.) on two iPod 3.5-inch widescreen displays, located on two opposite walls of the water tank. Each fish was subjected to a familiarization trial (T1), and after different time delays (from 5 min to 96 h) to a novel shape recognition trial (T2). A progressive decrease, across time, of memory performance, in terms of mean discrimination index and mean exploration time, was shown. The predictive validity was tested using cholinergic drugs. Nicotine (0.02 mg/kg intraperitoneally, IP) significantly increased, while scopolamine (0.025 mg/kg IP) and mecamylamine decreased, mean discrimination index. Zebrafish discriminated different movements (vertical, horizontal, oblique) and the discrimination index increased significantly when moving poorly discriminated shapes were presented, thus increasing visual attention. Taken together these findings demonstrate that VORT is a viable, fast and useful model to evaluate sustained attention in zebrafish and for predicting the efficacy of pharmacotherapies for cognitive disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Braida
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy; Fondazione IRCCS Don Gnocchi, Milan, Italy
| | - Luisa Ponzoni
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy; Fondazione Fratelli Confalonieri, Milan, Italy
| | - Roberta Martucci
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Mariaelvina Sala
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy; CNR, Institute of Neuroscience, Milan, Italy.
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29
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Subcutaneous dye injection for marking and identification of individual adult zebrafish (Danio rerio) in behavioral studies. Behav Res Methods 2014; 46:619-24. [PMID: 24057277 DOI: 10.3758/s13428-013-0399-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The zebrafish is increasingly utilized in behavioral brain research, as it offers a useful compromise between system complexity and practical simplicity. However, a potential drawback of this species in behavioral research is that individuals are difficult to distinguish. Here we describe a simple marking procedure, subcutaneous injection of color dyes, that may alleviate this problem. The procedure allowed us to successfully mark zebrafish and distinguish them for a period of more than 30 days, which is sufficiently long for most behavioral paradigms developed for this species. In addition, we also provide data suggesting that the injection-based marking does not significantly alter social interaction, as defined by the frequency of agonistic behaviors within shoals.
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A method for resolving occlusions when multitracking individuals in a shoal. Behav Res Methods 2014; 47:1032-1043. [DOI: 10.3758/s13428-014-0520-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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31
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Harris MP, Henke K, Hawkins MB, Witten PE. Fish is Fish: the use of experimental model species to reveal causes of skeletal diversity in evolution and disease. ZEITSCHRIFT FUR ANGEWANDTE ICHTHYOLOGIE = JOURNAL OF APPLIED ICHTHYOLOGY 2014; 30:616-629. [PMID: 25221374 PMCID: PMC4159207 DOI: 10.1111/jai.12533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Fishes are wonderfully diverse. This variety is a result of the ability of ray-finned fishes to adapt to a wide range of environments, and has made them more specious than the rest of vertebrates combined. With such diversity it is easy to dismiss comparisons between distantly related fishes in efforts to understand the biology of a particular fish species. However, shared ancestry and the conservation of developmental mechanisms, morphological features and physiology provide the ability to use comparative analyses between different organisms to understand mechanisms of development and physiology. The use of species that are amenable to experimental investigation provides tools to approach questions that would not be feasible in other 'non-model' organisms. For example, the use of small teleost fishes such as zebrafish and medaka has been powerful for analysis of gene function and mechanisms of disease in humans, including skeletal diseases. However, use of these fish to aid in understanding variation and disease in other fishes has been largely unexplored. This is especially evident in aquaculture research. Here we highlight the utility of these small laboratory fishes to study genetic and developmental factors that underlie skeletal malformations that occur under farming conditions. We highlight several areas in which model species can serve as a resource for identifying the causes of variation in economically important fish species as well as to assess strategies to alleviate the expression of the variant phenotypes in farmed fish. We focus on genetic causes of skeletal deformities in the zebrafish and medaka that closely resemble phenotypes observed both in farmed as well as natural populations of fishes.
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Affiliation(s)
- M P Harris
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA ; Department of Orthopaedic Research, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - K Henke
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA ; Department of Orthopaedic Research, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - M B Hawkins
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA ; Department of Orthopaedic Research, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA ; Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - P E Witten
- Department of Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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32
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Short-term memory in zebrafish (Danio rerio). Behav Brain Res 2014; 270:29-36. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2014.04.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2014] [Revised: 04/25/2014] [Accepted: 04/28/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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33
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Buske C, Gerlai R. Diving deeper into Zebrafish development of social behavior: analyzing high resolution data. J Neurosci Methods 2014; 234:66-72. [PMID: 24970579 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2014.06.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2014] [Revised: 06/16/2014] [Accepted: 06/16/2014] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Vertebrate model organisms have been utilized in high throughput screening but only with substantial cost and human capital investment. The zebrafish is a vertebrate model species that is a promising and cost effective candidate for efficient high throughput screening. Larval zebrafish have already been successfully employed in this regard (Lessman, 2011), but adult zebrafish also show great promise. High throughput screening requires the use of a large number of subjects and collection of substantial amount of data. Collection of data is only one of the demanding aspects of screening. However, in most screening approaches that involve behavioral data the main bottleneck that slows throughput is the time consuming aspect of analysis of the collected data. Some automated analytical tools do exist, but often they only work for one subject at a time, eliminating the possibility of fully utilizing zebrafish as a screening tool. This is a particularly important limitation for such complex phenotypes as social behavior. Testing multiple fish at a time can reveal complex social interactions but it may also allow the identification of outliers from a group of mutagenized or pharmacologically treated fish. Here, we describe a novel method using a custom software tool developed within our laboratory, which enables tracking multiple fish, in combination with a sophisticated analytical approach for summarizing and analyzing high resolution behavioral data. This paper focuses on the latter, the analytic tool, which we have developed using the R programming language and environment for statistical computing. We argue that combining sophisticated data collection methods with appropriate analytical tools will propel zebrafish into the future of neurobehavioral genetic research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Buske
- Papers/Springer SBM, London, UK (previously: University of Toronto, Department of Cell & Systems Biology); University of Toronto Mississauga, Department of Psychology, Toronto, Canada.
| | - Robert Gerlai
- University of Toronto Mississauga, Department of Psychology, Toronto, Canada
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34
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Qin M, Wong A, Seguin D, Gerlai R. Induction of social behavior in zebrafish: live versus computer animated fish as stimuli. Zebrafish 2014; 11:185-97. [PMID: 24575942 PMCID: PMC4050712 DOI: 10.1089/zeb.2013.0969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The zebrafish offers an excellent compromise between system complexity and practical simplicity and has been suggested as a translational research tool for the analysis of human brain disorders associated with abnormalities of social behavior. Unlike laboratory rodents zebrafish are diurnal, thus visual cues may be easily utilized in the analysis of their behavior and brain function. Visual cues, including the sight of conspecifics, have been employed to induce social behavior in zebrafish. However, the method of presentation of these cues and the question of whether computer animated images versus live stimulus fish have differential effects have not been systematically analyzed. Here, we compare the effects of five stimulus presentation types: live conspecifics in the experimental tank or outside the tank, playback of video-recorded live conspecifics, computer animated images of conspecifics presented by two software applications, the previously employed General Fish Animator, and a new application Zebrafish Presenter. We report that all stimuli were equally effective and induced a robust social response (shoaling) manifesting as reduced distance between stimulus and experimental fish. We conclude that presentation of live stimulus fish, or 3D images, is not required and 2D computer animated images are sufficient to induce robust and consistent social behavioral responses in zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meiying Qin
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Computer Science, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
| | - Albert Wong
- Department of Computer Science, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
| | - Diane Seguin
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
| | - Robert Gerlai
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Cell and System Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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35
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Role of neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) on learning and memory in zebrafish. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2014; 231:1975-85. [PMID: 24311357 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-013-3340-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2013] [Accepted: 10/14/2013] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) play a modulatory role in cognition, and zebrafish provide a preclinical model to study learning and memory. OBJECTIVES We investigated the effect of nicotine (NIC) and some new cytisine-derived partial agonists (CC4 and CC26) on spatial memory in zebrafish using a rapid assay on T-maze task. The role of α4/α6β2 and the α7 nAChRs in NIC-induced memory enhancement was evaluated using selective nAChR antagonists. RESULTS Low and high doses of NIC, cytisine (CYT), CC4 and CC26 respectively improved and worsened the mean running time, showing an inverted U dose-response function. The effective dose (ED50) (×10⁻⁵ mg/kg) was 0.4 for CC4, 4.5 for CYT, 140 for NIC and 200 for CC26. NIC-induced cognitive enhancement was reduced by the selective nAChR subtype antagonists: methyllycaconitine (MLA) for α7, α-conotoxin (MII) for α6β2, dihydro-β-erythroidine (DhβE) for α4β2, the nonselective antagonist mecamylamine (MEC) and the muscarinic antagonist scopolamine (SCOP), with DhβE being more active than MLA or MII. All the partial agonists blocked the cognitive enhancement. The improvement with the maximal active dose of each partial agonist was blocked by low doses of DhβE (0.001 mg/kg) and MII (0.01 mg/kg). MLA reduced the effects of CC26 and CC4 at doses of 0.01 and 1 mg/kg, respectively, but did not antagonize CYT-induced memory improvement at any of the tested dose. No change in swimming activity was observed. CONCLUSIONS Our findings demonstrate that zebrafish make a useful model for the rapid screening of the effect of new α4β2 nAChR compounds on spatial memory.
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36
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Blaser R, Vira D. Experiments on learning in zebrafish (Danio rerio): A promising model of neurocognitive function. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2014; 42:224-31. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2014.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2014] [Revised: 03/02/2014] [Accepted: 03/04/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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37
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Gerlai R. Fish in behavior research: unique tools with a great promise! J Neurosci Methods 2014; 234:54-8. [PMID: 24768578 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2014.04.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2014] [Revised: 04/15/2014] [Accepted: 04/15/2014] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Fish represent the most diverse class of vertebrates on Earth and also an unprecedented, but as of yet still largely untapped, resource for comparative analyses that can illuminate answers to questions about both how organisms work and how they evolved. The current review is a general discussion of some of the basic principles of why adding new species such as fish to the short list of biomedical model organisms (mainly the house mouse and the rat) has merit. In addition to the general points, it also reviews some questions about a newcomer, the zebrafish, which is rapidly gaining popularity in brain and behavior research. It discusses some examples demonstrating the advantages and disadvantages of the zebrafish mainly in the context of biomedical research. It is followed by other articles that further elaborate on these questions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Gerlai
- University of Toronto Mississauga, Department of Psychology, Canada.
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38
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Ali S, Aalders J, Richardson MK. Teratological effects of a panel of sixty water-soluble toxicants on zebrafish development. Zebrafish 2014; 11:129-41. [PMID: 24650241 DOI: 10.1089/zeb.2013.0901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The zebrafish larva is a promising whole-animal model for safety pharmacology, environmental risk assessment, and developmental toxicity. This model has been used for the high-throughput toxicity screening of various compounds. Our aim here is to identify possible phenotypic markers of teratogenicity in zebrafish embryos that could be used for the assaying compounds for reproductive toxicity. We have screened a panel of 60 water-soluble toxicants to examine their effects on zebrafish development. A total of 22,080 wild-type zebrafish larvae were raised in 250 μL defined buffer in 96-well plates at a plating density of one embryo per well. They were exposed for a 96-h period starting at 24 h post-fertilization. A logarithmic concentration series was used for range-finding, followed by a narrower geometric series for developmental toxicity assessment. A total of 9017 survivors were analyzed at 5 days post-fertilization for nine phenotypes, namely, (1) normal, (2) pericardial oedema, (3) yolk sac oedema, (4) melanophores dispersed, (5) bent tail tip, (6) bent body axis, (7) abnormal Meckel's cartilage, (8) abnormal branchial arches, and (9) uninflated swim bladder. For each toxicant, the EC50 (concentration required to produce one or more of these abnormalities in 50% of embryos) was also calculated. For the majority of toxicants (55/60) there was, at the population level, a statistically significant, concentration-dependent increase in the incidence of abnormal phenotypes among survivors. The commonest abnormalities were pericardial oedema, yolk sac oedema, dispersed melanophores, and uninflated swim bladder. It is possible therefore that these could prove to be general indicators of reproductive toxicity in the zebrafish embryo assay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaukat Ali
- 1 Sylvius Laboratory, Institute of Biology, Leiden University , Leiden, The Netherlands
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39
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Kalueff AV, Stewart AM, Gerlai R. Zebrafish as an emerging model for studying complex brain disorders. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2014; 35:63-75. [PMID: 24412421 DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2013.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 697] [Impact Index Per Article: 69.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2013] [Revised: 12/06/2013] [Accepted: 12/09/2013] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The zebrafish (Danio rerio) is rapidly becoming a popular model organism in pharmacogenetics and neuropharmacology. Both larval and adult zebrafish are currently used to increase our understanding of brain function, dysfunction, and their genetic and pharmacological modulation. Here we review the developing utility of zebrafish in the analysis of complex brain disorders (including, e.g., depression, autism, psychoses, drug abuse, and cognitive deficits), also covering zebrafish applications towards the goal of modeling major human neuropsychiatric and drug-induced syndromes. We argue that zebrafish models of complex brain disorders and drug-induced conditions are a rapidly emerging critical field in translational neuroscience and pharmacology research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allan V Kalueff
- ZENEREI Institute and the International Zebrafish Neuroscience Research Consortium (ZNRC), 309 Palmer Court, Slidell, LA 70458, USA.
| | - Adam Michael Stewart
- ZENEREI Institute and the International Zebrafish Neuroscience Research Consortium (ZNRC), 309 Palmer Court, Slidell, LA 70458, USA; Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, A210 Langley Hall, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Robert Gerlai
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto at Mississauga, 3359 Mississauga Road North, Mississauga, Ontario L5L 1C6, Canada
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40
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Startle response memory and hippocampal changes in adult zebrafish pharmacologically-induced to exhibit anxiety/depression-like behaviors. Physiol Behav 2014; 123:174-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2013.10.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2013] [Revised: 09/02/2013] [Accepted: 10/22/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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41
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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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42
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Cianca V, Bartolini T, Porfiri M, Macrì S. A robotics-based behavioral paradigm to measure anxiety-related responses in zebrafish. PLoS One 2013; 8:e69661. [PMID: 23922773 PMCID: PMC3726767 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0069661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2012] [Accepted: 06/11/2013] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Zebrafish are gaining momentum as a laboratory animal species for the study of anxiety-related disorders in translational research, whereby they serve a fundamental complement to laboratory rodents. Several anxiety-related behavioral paradigms, which rest upon the presentation of live predatorial stimuli, may yield inconsistent results due to fatigue, habituation, or idiosyncratic responses exhibited by the stimulus itself. To overcome these limitations, we designed and manufactured a fully controllable robot inspired by a natural aquatic predator (Indian leaf fish, Nandus nandus) of zebrafish. We report that this robot elicits aversive antipredatorial reactions in a preference test and that data obtained therein correlate with data observed in traditional anxiety- and fear-related tests (light/dark preference and shelter-seeking). Finally, ethanol administration (0.25; 0.50; 1.00%) exerts anxiolytic effects, thus supporting the view that robotic stimuli can be used in the analysis of anxiety-related behaviors in zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Cianca
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Polytechnic Institute of New York University, Brooklyn, New York, United States of America
| | - Tiziana Bartolini
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Polytechnic Institute of New York University, Brooklyn, New York, United States of America
| | - Maurizio Porfiri
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Polytechnic Institute of New York University, Brooklyn, New York, United States of America
- * E-mail: (MP); (SM)
| | - Simone Macrì
- Section of Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Roma, Italy
- * E-mail: (MP); (SM)
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43
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Gerlai R. Antipredatory behavior of zebrafish: adaptive function and a tool for translational research. EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY 2013; 11:591-605. [PMID: 23864295 PMCID: PMC10481052 DOI: 10.1177/147470491301100308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2012] [Accepted: 10/23/2012] [Indexed: 03/29/2024] Open
Abstract
The zebrafish is gaining popularity in behavioral brain research. It may be a cost-effective tool with which we can improve our understanding of the biological and genetic mechanisms of human brain function and dysfunction. Some, myself and collaborators included, have argued that such translational relevance may be best achieved if one considers the ecology and species-specific characteristics of the study organism. In this review, I focus on our own studies investigating zebrafish fear responses, which may be utilized in analyzing the mechanisms of fear and anxiety, and which may be used for screening anxiolytic drugs. I review how zebrafish respond to their natural and synthetic alarm substance as well as to other fear-inducing stimuli, including sympatric and allopatric predatory fish, sympatric or allopatric harmless fish, moving (animated) images of predatory fish and moving images of abstract shapes. I discuss the behavioral responses these stimuli elicit, summarize the methods of the quantification of the behaviors, and speculate about their possible adaptive nature. Although we utilize complex visual stimuli and do not yet know what key features zebrafish may be sensitive to, our results, together with those published by others, imply that this simple vertebrate may have a bright future in behavioral brain research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Gerlai
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Canada.
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44
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Oswald ME, Singer M, Robison BD. The quantitative genetic architecture of the bold-shy continuum in zebrafish, Danio rerio. PLoS One 2013; 8:e68828. [PMID: 23840902 PMCID: PMC3698077 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0068828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2013] [Accepted: 06/03/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In studies of consistent individual differences (personality) along the bold-shy continuum, a pattern of behavioral correlations frequently emerges: individuals towards the bold end of the continuum are more likely to utilize risky habitat, approach potential predators, and feed under risky conditions. Here, we address the hypothesis that observed phenotypic correlations among component behaviors of the bold-shy continuum are a result of underlying genetic correlations (quantitative genetic architecture). We used a replicated three-generation pedigree of zebrafish (Danio rerio) to study three putative components of the bold-shy continuum: horizontal position, swim level, and feeding latency. We detected significant narrow-sense heritabilities as well as significant genetic and phenotypic correlations among all three behaviors, such that fish selected for swimming at the front of the tank swam closer to the observer, swam higher in the water column, and fed more quickly than fish selected for swimming at the back of the tank. Further, the lines varied in their initial open field behavior (swim level and activity level). The quantitative genetic architecture of the bold-shy continuum indicates that the multivariate behavioral phenotype characteristic of a “bold” personality type may be a result of correlated evolution via underlying genetic correlations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary E. Oswald
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, United States of America
| | - Mathew Singer
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, United States of America
| | - Barrie D. Robison
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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45
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Belo AI, van der Sar AM, Tefsen B, van Die I. Galectin-4 Reduces Migration and Metastasis Formation of Pancreatic Cancer Cells. PLoS One 2013; 8:e65957. [PMID: 23824659 PMCID: PMC3688853 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0065957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2013] [Accepted: 04/29/2013] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Galectin-4 (Gal-4) is a member of the galectin family of glycan binding proteins that shows a significantly higher expression in cystic tumors of the human pancreas and in pancreatic adenocarcinomas compared to normal pancreas. However, the putative function of Gal-4 in tumor progression of pancreatic cancer is still incompletely understood. In this study the role of Gal-4 in cancer progression was investigated, using a set of defined pancreatic cancer cell lines, Pa-Tu-8988S (PaTu-S) and Pa-Tu-8988T (PaTu-T), as a model. These two cell lines are derived from the same liver metastasis of a human primary pancreatic adenocarcinoma, but differ in their growth characteristics and metastatic capacity. We demonstrated that Gal-4 expression is high in PaTu-S, which shows poor migratory properties, whereas much lower Gal-4 levels are observed in the highly metastatic cell line PaTu-T. In PaTu-S, Gal-4 is found in the cytoplasm, but it is also secreted and accumulates at the membrane at sites of contact with neighboring cells. Moreover, we show that Gal-4 inhibits metastasis formation by delaying migration of pancreatic cancer cells in vitro using a scratch assay, and in vivo using zebrafish (Danio rerio) as an experimental model. Our data suggest that Gal-4 may act at the cell-surface of PaTu-S as an adhesion molecule to prevent release of the tumor cells, but has in addition a cytosolic function by inhibiting migration via a yet unknown mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana I. Belo
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology, VU University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Astrid M. van der Sar
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection control, VU University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Boris Tefsen
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology, VU University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Irma van Die
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology, VU University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- * E-mail:
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Oswald ME, Drew RE, Racine M, Murdoch GK, Robison BD. Is Behavioral Variation along the Bold-Shy Continuum Associated with Variation in the Stress Axis in Zebrafish? Physiol Biochem Zool 2012; 85:718-28. [DOI: 10.1086/668203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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Drew RE, Settles ML, Churchill EJ, Williams SM, Balli S, Robison BD. Brain transcriptome variation among behaviorally distinct strains of zebrafish (Danio rerio). BMC Genomics 2012; 13:323. [PMID: 22817472 PMCID: PMC3434030 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-13-323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2012] [Accepted: 06/28/2012] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Domesticated animal populations often show profound reductions in predator avoidance and fear-related behavior compared to wild populations. These reductions are remarkably consistent and have been observed in a diverse array of taxa including fish, birds, and mammals. Experiments conducted in common environments indicate that these behavioral differences have a genetic basis. In this study, we quantified differences in fear-related behavior between wild and domesticated zebrafish strains and used microarray analysis to identify genes that may be associated with this variation. RESULTS Compared to wild zebrafish, domesticated zebrafish spent more time near the water surface and were more likely to occupy the front of the aquarium nearest a human observer. Microarray analysis of the brain transcriptome identified high levels of population variation in gene expression, with 1,749 genes significantly differentially expressed among populations. Genes that varied among populations belonged to functional categories that included DNA repair, DNA photolyase activity, response to light stimulus, neuron development and axon guidance, cell death, iron-binding, chromatin reorganization, and homeobox genes. Comparatively fewer genes (112) differed between domesticated and wild strains with notable genes including gpr177 (wntless), selenoprotein P1a, synaptophysin and synaptoporin, and acyl-CoA binding domain containing proteins (acbd3 and acbd4). CONCLUSIONS Microarray analysis identified a large number of genes that differed among zebrafish populations and may underlie behavioral domestication. Comparisons with similar microarray studies of domestication in rainbow trout and canids identified sixteen evolutionarily or functionally related genes that may represent components of shared molecular mechanisms underlying convergent behavioral evolution during vertebrate domestication. However, this conclusion must be tempered by limitations associated with comparisons among microarray studies and the low level of population-level replication inherent to these studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert E Drew
- Department of Biological Sciences and Program in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844, USA
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Scerbina T, Chatterjee D, Gerlai R. Dopamine receptor antagonism disrupts social preference in zebrafish: a strain comparison study. Amino Acids 2012; 43:2059-72. [PMID: 22491827 DOI: 10.1007/s00726-012-1284-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2011] [Accepted: 03/31/2012] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Zebrafish form shoals in nature and in the laboratory. The sight of conspecifics has been found reinforcing in zebrafish learning tasks. However, the mechanisms of shoaling, and those of its reinforcing properties, are not known. The dopaminergic system has been implicated in reward among other functions and it is also engaged by drugs of abuse as shown in a variety of vertebrates including zebrafish. The ontogenetic changes in dopamine levels and, to a lesser degree, in serotonin levels, have been found to accompany the maturation of shoaling in zebrafish. Thus, we hypothesized that the dopaminergic system may contribute to shoaling in zebrafish. To test this we employed a D1-receptor antagonist and quantified behavioral responses of our subjects using a social preference (shoaling) paradigm. We found significant reduction of social preference induced by the D1-R antagonist, SCH23390, in the AB strain of zebrafish, an alteration that was not accompanied by changes in motor function or vision. We also detected D1-R antagonist-induced changes in the level of dopamine, DOPAC, serotonin and 5HIAA, respectively, in the brain of AB zebrafish as quantified by HPLC with electrochemical detection. We found the antagonist-induced behavioral changes to be absent and the levels of these neurochemicals to be lower in another zebrafish population, SF, demonstrating naturally occurring genetic variability in these traits. We conclude that this variability may be utilized to unravel the mechanisms of social behavior in zebrafish, a line of research that may be extended to other vertebrates including our own species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanya Scerbina
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, 3359 Mississauga Road North, Rm 4020C, Mississauga, ON, L5L 1C6, Canada
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The role of CRH in behavioral responses to acute restraint stress in zebrafish. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2012; 36:176-82. [PMID: 21893154 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2011.08.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2011] [Revised: 08/15/2011] [Accepted: 08/22/2011] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
In teleosts, changes in swimming, exploring, general locomotor activity, and anxious state can be a response to stress mediated by the corticotropin-releasing hormone system activation and its effects on glucocorticoid levels. Zebrafish has been widely used to study neuropharmacology and has become a promising animal model to investigate neurobehavioral mechanisms of stress. In this report the animals were submitted to acute restraint stress for different time lengths (15, 60 and 90 min) for further evaluation of behavioral patterns, whole-body cortisol content, and corticotropin-releasing hormone expression. The results demonstrated an increase in the locomotor activity and an alteration in the swimming pattern during a 5-min trial after the acute restraint stress. Interestingly, all groups of fish tested in the novel tank test exhibited signs of anxiety as evaluated by the time spent in the bottom of the tank. Whole-body cortisol content showed a positive correlation with increased behavioral indices of locomotion in zebrafish whereas molecular analysis of corticotropin-releasing hormone showed a late reduction of mRNA expression (90 min). Altogether, we present a model of acute restraint stress in zebrafish, confirmed by elevated cortisol content, as a valid and reliable model to study the biochemical basis of stress behavior, which seems to be accompanied by a negative feedback of corticotropin-release hormone mRNA expression.
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Methods to Quantify Basal and Stress-Induced Cortisol Response in Larval Zebrafish. NEUROMETHODS 2012. [DOI: 10.1007/978-1-61779-597-8_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
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