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Schmidt AR, Placer HJ, Muhammad IM, Shephard R, Patrick RL, Saurborn T, Horstick EJ, Bergeron SA. Transcriptional control of visual neural circuit development by GS homeobox 1. PLoS Genet 2024; 20:e1011139. [PMID: 38669217 PMCID: PMC11051655 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1011139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
As essential components of gene expression networks, transcription factors regulate neural circuit assembly. The homeobox transcription factor encoding gene, gs homeobox 1 (gsx1), is expressed in the developing visual system; however, no studies have examined its role in visual system formation. In zebrafish, retinal ganglion cell (RGC) axons that transmit visual information to the brain terminate in ten arborization fields (AFs) in the optic tectum (TeO), pretectum (Pr), and thalamus. Pretectal AFs (AF1-AF9) mediate distinct visual behaviors, yet we understand less about their development compared to AF10 in the TeO. Using gsx1 zebrafish mutants, immunohistochemistry, and transgenic lines, we observed that gsx1 is required for vesicular glutamate transporter, Tg(slc17a6b:DsRed), expression in the Pr, but not overall neuron number. gsx1 mutants have normal eye morphology, yet they exhibit impaired visual ability during prey capture. RGC axon volume in the gsx1 mutant Pr and TeO is reduced, and AF7 that is active during feeding is missing which is consistent with reduced hunting performance. Timed laser ablation of Tg(slc17a6b:DsRed)-positive cells reveals that they are necessary for AF7 formation. This work is the first to implicate gsx1 in establishing cell identity and functional neural circuits in the visual system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra R. Schmidt
- Department of Biology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virgina, United States of America
| | - Haiden J. Placer
- Department of Biology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virgina, United States of America
| | - Ishmael M. Muhammad
- Department of Biology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virgina, United States of America
| | - Rebekah Shephard
- Department of Biology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virgina, United States of America
| | - Regina L. Patrick
- Department of Biology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virgina, United States of America
| | - Taylor Saurborn
- Department of Biology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virgina, United States of America
| | - Eric J. Horstick
- Department of Biology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virgina, United States of America
- Department of Neuroscience, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virgina, United States of America
| | - Sadie A. Bergeron
- Department of Biology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virgina, United States of America
- Department of Neuroscience, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virgina, United States of America
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Read E, Hindges R. A novel locomotion-based prepulse inhibition assay in zebrafish larvae. MICROPUBLICATION BIOLOGY 2024; 2024:10.17912/micropub.biology.000914. [PMID: 38344062 PMCID: PMC10853821 DOI: 10.17912/micropub.biology.000914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
Sensory gating, measured using prepulse inhibition (PPI), is an endophenotype of neuropsychiatric disorders that can be assessed in larval zebrafish models. However, current PPI assays require high-speed cameras to capture rapid c-bend startle behaviours of the larvae. In this study, we designed and employed a PPI paradigm that uses locomotion as a read-out of zebrafish larval startle responses. PPI percentage was measured at a maximum of 87% and strongly reduced upon administration of the NMDA receptor antagonist, MK-801. This work provides the foundation for simpler and more accessible PPI assays using larval zebrafish to model key endophenotypes of neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Read
- Centre for Developmental Neurobiology & MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, England, United Kingdom
| | - Robert Hindges
- Centre for Developmental Neurobiology & MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, England, United Kingdom
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3
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Viragh E, Asztalos L, Fenckova M, Szlanka T, Gyorgypal Z, Kovacs K, IntHout J, Cizek P, Konda M, Szucs E, Zvara A, Biro J, Csapo E, Lukacsovich T, Hegedus Z, Puskas L, Schenck A, Asztalos Z. Pre-Pulse Inhibition of an escape response in adult fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster. RESEARCH SQUARE 2024:rs.3.rs-3853873. [PMID: 38343805 PMCID: PMC10854311 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3853873/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/19/2024]
Abstract
Pre-Pulse Inhibition (PPI) is a neural process where suppression of a startle response is elicited by preceding the startling stimulus (Pulse) with a weak, non-startling one (Pre-Pulse). Defective PPI is widely employed as a behavioural endophenotype in humans and mammalian disorder-relevant models for neuropsychiatric disorders. We have developed a user-friendly, semi-automated, high-throughput-compatible Drosophila light-off jump response PPI paradigm, with which we demonstrate that PPI, with similar parameters measured in mammals, exists in adults of this model organism. We report that Drosophila PPI is affected by reduced expression of Dysbindin and both reduced and increased expression of Nmdar1 (N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor 1), perturbations associated with schizophrenia. Studying the biology of PPI in an organism that offers a plethora of genetic tools and a complex and well characterized connectome will greatly facilitate our efforts to gain deeper insight into the aetiology of human mental disorders, while reducing the need for mammalian models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika Viragh
- Institute of Biochemistry, HUN-REN Biological Research Centre, Szeged, Hungary
- Aktogen Hungary Ltd., Szeged, Hungary
| | - Lenke Asztalos
- Aktogen Hungary Ltd., Szeged, Hungary
- Aktogen Ltd., Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Current address: Aktogen Ltd. Ramsey, Huntingdon, United Kingdom
| | - Michaela Fenckova
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
| | - Tamas Szlanka
- Institute of Biochemistry, HUN-REN Biological Research Centre, Szeged, Hungary
- Aktogen Hungary Ltd., Szeged, Hungary
| | - Zoltan Gyorgypal
- Institute of Biophysics & Core Facilities, HUN-REN Biological Research Centre, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Karoly Kovacs
- Institute of Biochemistry, HUN-REN Biological Research Centre, Szeged, Hungary
- HCEMM-BRC Metabolic Systems Biology Lab, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Joanna IntHout
- Department for Health Evidence (HEV), Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Pavel Cizek
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Mihaly Konda
- Aktogen Hungary Ltd., Szeged, Hungary
- Voalaz Ltd., Szeged, Hungary
| | | | - Agnes Zvara
- Laboratory of Functional Genomics, HUN-REN Biological Research Centre Szeged, Hungary
| | | | | | | | - Zoltan Hegedus
- Institute of Biophysics & Core Facilities, HUN-REN Biological Research Centre, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Laszlo Puskas
- Laboratory of Functional Genomics, HUN-REN Biological Research Centre Szeged, Hungary
| | - Annette Schenck
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Zoltan Asztalos
- Institute of Biochemistry, HUN-REN Biological Research Centre, Szeged, Hungary
- Aktogen Hungary Ltd., Szeged, Hungary
- Aktogen Ltd., Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Current address: Aktogen Ltd. Ramsey, Huntingdon, United Kingdom
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Coltogirone RA, Sherfinski EI, Dobler ZA, Peterson SN, Andlinger AR, Fadel LC, Patrick RL, Bergeron SA. Gsx2, but not Gsx1, is necessary for early forebrain patterning and long-term survival in zebrafish. Dev Dyn 2023; 252:377-399. [PMID: 36184733 PMCID: PMC9992111 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 07/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Homeobox transcription factor encoding genes, genomic screen homeobox 1 and 2 (gsx1 and gsx2), are expressed during neurodevelopment in multiple vertebrates. However, we have limited knowledge of the dynamic expression of these genes through developmental time and the gene networks that they regulate in zebrafish. RESULTS We confirmed that gsx1 is expressed initially in the hindbrain and diencephalon and later in the optic tectum, pretectum, and cerebellar plate. gsx2 is expressed in the early telencephalon and later in the pallium and olfactory bulb. gsx1 and gsx2 are co-expressed in the hypothalamus, preoptic area, and hindbrain, however, rarely co-localize in the same cells. gsx1 and gsx2 mutant zebrafish were made with TALENs. gsx1 mutants exhibit stunted growth, however, they survive to adulthood and are fertile. gsx2 mutants experience swim bladder inflation failure that prevents survival. We also observed significantly reduced expression of multiple forebrain patterning distal-less homeobox genes in mutants, and expression of foxp2 was not significantly affected. CONCLUSIONS This work provides novel tools with which other target genes and functions of Gsx1 and Gsx2 can be characterized across the central nervous system to better understand the unique and overlapping roles of these highly conserved transcription factors.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Emma I. Sherfinski
- Department of Biology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West, Virginia, USA
| | - Zoë A. Dobler
- Department of Biology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West, Virginia, USA
| | - Sarah N. Peterson
- Department of Biology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West, Virginia, USA
| | | | - Lindsay C. Fadel
- Department of Biology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West, Virginia, USA
| | - Regina L. Patrick
- Department of Biology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West, Virginia, USA
| | - Sadie A. Bergeron
- Department of Biology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West, Virginia, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West, Virginia, USA
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Burton EA, Burgess HA. A Critical Review of Zebrafish Neurological Disease Models-2. Application: Functional and Neuroanatomical Phenotyping Strategies and Chemical Screens. OXFORD OPEN NEUROSCIENCE 2022; 2:kvac019. [PMID: 37637775 PMCID: PMC10455049 DOI: 10.1093/oons/kvac019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2022] [Revised: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 08/29/2023]
Abstract
Extensive phylogenetic conservation of molecular pathways and neuroanatomical structures, associated with efficient methods for genetic modification, have been exploited increasingly to generate zebrafish models of human disease. A range of powerful approaches can be deployed to analyze these models with the ultimate goal of elucidating pathogenic mechanisms and accelerating efforts to find effective treatments. Unbiased neurobehavioral assays can provide readouts that parallel clinical abnormalities found in patients, although some of the most useful assays quantify responses that are not routinely evaluated clinically, and differences between zebrafish and human brains preclude expression of the full range of neurobehavioral abnormalities seen in disease. Imaging approaches that use fluorescent reporters and standardized brain atlases coupled with quantitative measurements of brain structure offer an unbiased means to link experimental manipulations to changes in neural architecture. Together, quantitative structural and functional analyses allow dissection of the cellular and physiological basis underlying neurological phenotypes. These approaches can be used as outputs in chemical modifier screens, which provide a major opportunity to exploit zebrafish models to identify small molecule modulators of pathophysiology that may be informative for understanding disease mechanisms and possible therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward A Burton
- Pittsburgh Institute of Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
- Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Pittsburgh VA Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA 15240, USA
| | - Harold A Burgess
- Division of Developmental Biology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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Scaramella C, Alzagatiti JB, Creighton C, Mankatala S, Licea F, Winter GM, Emtage J, Wisnieski JR, Salazar L, Hussain A, Lee FM, Mammootty A, Mammootty N, Aldujaili A, Runnberg KA, Hernandez D, Zimmerman-Thompson T, Makwana R, Rouvere J, Tahmasebi Z, Zavradyan G, Campbell CS, Komaranchath M, Carmona J, Trevitt J, Glanzman D, Roberts AC. Bisphenol A Exposure Induces Sensory Processing Deficits in Larval Zebrafish during Neurodevelopment. eNeuro 2022; 9:ENEURO.0020-22.2022. [PMID: 35508370 PMCID: PMC9116930 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0020-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2022] [Revised: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Because of their ex utero development, relatively simple nervous system, translucency, and availability of tools to investigate neural function, larval zebrafish are an exceptional model for understanding neurodevelopmental disorders and the consequences of environmental toxins. Furthermore, early in development, zebrafish larvae easily absorb chemicals from water, a significant advantage over methods required to expose developing organisms to chemical agents in utero Bisphenol A (BPA) and BPA analogs are ubiquitous environmental toxins with known molecular consequences. All humans have measurable quantities of BPA in their bodies. Most concerning, the level of BPA exposure is correlated with neurodevelopmental difficulties in people. Given the importance of understanding the health-related effects of this common toxin, we have exploited the experimental advantages of the larval zebrafish model system to investigate the behavioral and anatomic effects of BPA exposure. We discovered that BPA exposure early in development leads to deficits in the processing of sensory information, as indicated by BPA's effects on prepulse inhibition (PPI) and short-term habituation (STH) of the C-start reflex. We observed no changes in locomotion, thigmotaxis, and repetitive behaviors (circling). Despite changes in sensory processing, we detected no regional or whole-brain volume changes. Our results show that early BPA exposure can induce sensory processing deficits, as revealed by alterations in simple behaviors that are mediated by a well-defined neural circuit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney Scaramella
- Department of Psychology, California State University at Fullerton, Fullerton, CA 92831
| | - Joseph B Alzagatiti
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106
| | - Christopher Creighton
- Department of Psychology, California State University at Fullerton, Fullerton, CA 92831
| | - Samandeep Mankatala
- Department of Psychology, California State University at Fullerton, Fullerton, CA 92831
| | - Fernando Licea
- Department of Psychology, California State University at Fullerton, Fullerton, CA 92831
| | - Gabriel M Winter
- Department of Psychology, California State University at Fullerton, Fullerton, CA 92831
| | - Jasmine Emtage
- Department of Biology, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125
| | - Joseph R Wisnieski
- Department of Psychology, California State University at Fullerton, Fullerton, CA 92831
| | - Luis Salazar
- Department of Psychology, California State University at Fullerton, Fullerton, CA 92831
| | - Anjum Hussain
- Department of Neuroscience, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521
| | - Faith M Lee
- Department of Society and Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Asma Mammootty
- Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63104
| | | | - Andrew Aldujaili
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Kristine A Runnberg
- Department of Psychology, California State University at Fullerton, Fullerton, CA 92831
| | - Daniela Hernandez
- Department of Psychology, California State University at Fullerton, Fullerton, CA 92831
| | | | - Rikhil Makwana
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720
| | - Julien Rouvere
- Department of Psychology, California State University at Fullerton, Fullerton, CA 92831
| | - Zahra Tahmasebi
- Department of Psychology, California State University at Fullerton, Fullerton, CA 92831
| | - Gohar Zavradyan
- Department of Neuroscience, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521
| | | | - Meghna Komaranchath
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027
| | - Javier Carmona
- Department of Physics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Jennifer Trevitt
- Department of Psychology, California State University at Fullerton, Fullerton, CA 92831
| | - David Glanzman
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095
- Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095
- Integrative Center for Learning and Memory, Brain Research Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Adam C Roberts
- Department of Psychology, California State University at Fullerton, Fullerton, CA 92831
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Burton AH, Bai Q, Burton EA. Sinusoidal analysis reveals a non-linear and dopamine-dependent relationship between ambient illumination and motor activity in larval zebrafish. Neurosci Lett 2021; 761:136121. [PMID: 34293416 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2021.136121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2021] [Revised: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Larval zebrafish show stereotyped motor responses to changes in ambient illumination. The responses can be evaluated in 96-well plates, and are used widely to assess neurological function in zebrafish models. However, the square-wave (on/off) light stimuli commonly employed in these studies do not allow analysis of the relationship between motor activity and illumination intensity or its rate of change. To address this limitation, we measured larval zebrafish motor function while ambient illumination was modulated sinusoidally. Motor activity varied robustly and reproducibly in antiphase with illumination. The relationship between mean swimming speed (dependent variable) and illuminance (independent variable) was described most closely by a power function, and was influenced dynamically by the proportional rate of change of illuminance. Several predictions from this model were verified experimentally by testing responses to sinusoidal illumination waveforms that were amplitude-, phase-, or offset-modulated, or transformed by a power function. At concentrations ≤5 μM, the dopamine D2 receptor inverse agonist haloperidol selectively abrogated the motor response to decreasing Illuminance without altering baseline activity in bright light, suggesting that dopamine is essential for illuminance-dependent motor function. These data contribute to understanding the environmental determinants of motor activity in zebrafish larvae, suggest experimental opportunities to elucidate underlying neural mechanisms, and potentially provide an assay of dopaminergic function for chemical and genetic screening applications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Qing Bai
- Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Edward A Burton
- Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Pittsburgh VA Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
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8
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Corradi L, Filosa A. Neuromodulation and Behavioral Flexibility in Larval Zebrafish: From Neurotransmitters to Circuits. Front Mol Neurosci 2021; 14:718951. [PMID: 34335183 PMCID: PMC8319623 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2021.718951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals adapt their behaviors to their ever-changing needs. Internal states, such as hunger, fear, stress, and arousal are important behavioral modulators controlling the way an organism perceives sensory stimuli and reacts to them. The translucent zebrafish larva is an ideal model organism for studying neuronal circuits regulating brain states, owning to the possibility of easy imaging and manipulating activity of genetically identified neurons while the animal performs stereotyped and well-characterized behaviors. The main neuromodulatory circuits present in mammals can also be found in the larval zebrafish brain, with the advantage that they contain small numbers of neurons. Importantly, imaging and behavioral techniques can be combined with methods for generating targeted genetic modifications to reveal the molecular underpinnings mediating the functions of such circuits. In this review we discuss how studying the larval zebrafish brain has contributed to advance our understanding of circuits and molecular mechanisms regulating neuromodulation and behavioral flexibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Corradi
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin, Germany
| | - Alessandro Filosa
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin, Germany
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9
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Cano JC, Huang W, Fénelon K. The amygdala modulates prepulse inhibition of the auditory startle reflex through excitatory inputs to the caudal pontine reticular nucleus. BMC Biol 2021; 19:116. [PMID: 34082731 PMCID: PMC8176709 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-021-01050-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Sensorimotor gating is a fundamental pre-attentive process that is defined as the inhibition of a motor response by a sensory event. Sensorimotor gating, commonly measured using the prepulse inhibition (PPI) of the auditory startle reflex task, is impaired in patients suffering from various neurological and psychiatric disorders. PPI deficits are a hallmark of schizophrenia, and they are often associated with attention and other cognitive impairments. Although the reversal of PPI deficits in animal models is widely used in pre-clinical research for antipsychotic drug screening, the neurotransmitter systems and synaptic mechanisms underlying PPI are still not resolved, even under physiological conditions. Recent evidence ruled out the longstanding hypothesis that PPI is mediated by midbrain cholinergic inputs to the caudal pontine reticular nucleus (PnC). Instead, glutamatergic, glycinergic, and GABAergic inhibitory mechanisms are now suggested to be crucial for PPI, at the PnC level. Since amygdalar dysfunctions alter PPI and are common to pathologies displaying sensorimotor gating deficits, the present study was designed to test that direct projections to the PnC originating from the amygdala contribute to PPI. Results Using wild type and transgenic mice expressing eGFP under the control of the glycine transporter type 2 promoter (GlyT2-eGFP mice), we first employed tract-tracing, morphological reconstructions, and immunohistochemical analyses to demonstrate that the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) sends glutamatergic inputs lateroventrally to PnC neurons, including GlyT2+ cells. Then, we showed the contribution of the CeA-PnC excitatory synapses to PPI in vivo by demonstrating that optogenetic inhibition of this connection decreases PPI, and optogenetic activation induces partial PPI. Finally, in GlyT2-Cre mice, whole-cell recordings of GlyT2+ PnC neurons in vitro paired with optogenetic stimulation of CeA fibers, as well as photo-inhibition of GlyT2+ PnC neurons in vivo, allowed us to implicate GlyT2+ neurons in the PPI pathway. Conclusions Our results uncover a feedforward inhibitory mechanism within the brainstem startle circuit by which amygdalar glutamatergic inputs and GlyT2+ PnC neurons contribute to PPI. We are providing new insights to the clinically relevant theoretical construct of PPI, which is disrupted in various neuropsychiatric and neurological diseases. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12915-021-01050-z.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose Carlos Cano
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, 500 West University Avenue, El Paso, TX, 79912, USA
| | - Wanyun Huang
- Biology Department, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Life Science Laboratories, 240 Thatcher Road, Amherst, MA, 01002, USA
| | - Karine Fénelon
- Biology Department, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Life Science Laboratories, 240 Thatcher Road, Amherst, MA, 01002, USA.
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10
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A Model to Study NMDA Receptors in Early Nervous System Development. J Neurosci 2020; 40:3631-3645. [PMID: 32245827 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3025-19.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2019] [Revised: 03/05/2020] [Accepted: 03/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) are glutamate-gated ion channels that play critical roles in neuronal development and nervous system function. Here, we developed a model to study NMDARs in early development in zebrafish, by generating CRISPR-mediated lesions in the NMDAR genes, grin1a and grin1b, which encode the obligatory GluN1 subunits. While receptors containing grin1a or grin1b show high Ca2+ permeability, like their mammalian counterpart, grin1a is expressed earlier and more broadly in development than grin1b Both grin1a -/- and grin1b -/- zebrafish are viable. Unlike in rodents, where the grin1 knockout is embryonic lethal, grin1 double-mutant fish (grin1a -/- ; grin1b -/-), which lack all NMDAR-mediated synaptic transmission, survive until ∼10 d dpf (days post fertilization), providing a unique opportunity to explore NMDAR function during development and in generating behaviors. Many behavioral defects in the grin1 double-mutant larvae, including abnormal evoked responses to light and acoustic stimuli, prey-capture deficits, and a failure to habituate to acoustic stimuli, are replicated by short-term treatment with the NMDAR antagonist MK-801, suggesting that they arise from acute effects of compromised NMDAR-mediated transmission. Other defects, however, such as periods of hyperactivity and alterations in place preference, are not phenocopied by MK-801, suggesting a developmental origin. Together, we have developed a unique model to study NMDARs in the developing vertebrate nervous system.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Rapid communication between cells in the nervous system depends on ion channels that are directly activated by chemical neurotransmitters. One such ligand-gated ion channel, the NMDAR, impacts nearly all forms of nervous system function. It has been challenging, however, to study the prolonged absence of NMDARs in vertebrates, and hence their role in nervous system development, due to experimental limitations. Here, we demonstrate that zebrafish lacking all NMDAR transmission are viable through early development and are capable of a wide range of stereotypic behaviors. As such, this zebrafish model provides a unique opportunity to study the role of NMDAR in the development of the early vertebrate nervous system.
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11
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Xie W, Jiao B, Bai Q, Ilin VA, Sun M, Burton CE, Kolodieznyi D, Calderon MJ, Stolz DB, Opresko PL, St Croix CM, Watkins S, Van Houten B, Bruchez MP, Burton EA. Chemoptogenetic ablation of neuronal mitochondria in vivo with spatiotemporal precision and controllable severity. eLife 2020; 9:e51845. [PMID: 32180546 PMCID: PMC7077989 DOI: 10.7554/elife.51845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2019] [Accepted: 02/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Mitochondrial dysfunction is implicated in the pathogenesis of multiple neurological diseases, but elucidation of underlying mechanisms is limited experimentally by the inability to damage specific mitochondria in defined neuronal groups. We developed a precision chemoptogenetic approach to target neuronal mitochondria in the intact nervous system in vivo. MG2I, a chemical fluorogen, produces singlet oxygen when bound to the fluorogen-activating protein dL5** and exposed to far-red light. Transgenic zebrafish expressing dL5** within neuronal mitochondria showed dramatic MG2I- and light-dependent neurobehavioral deficits, caused by neuronal bioenergetic crisis and acute neuronal depolarization. These abnormalities resulted from loss of neuronal respiration, associated with mitochondrial fragmentation, swelling and elimination of cristae. Remaining cellular ultrastructure was preserved initially, but cellular pathology downstream of mitochondrial damage eventually culminated in neuronal death. Our work provides powerful new chemoptogenetic tools for investigating mitochondrial homeostasis and pathophysiology and shows a direct relationship between mitochondrial function, neuronal biogenetics and whole-animal behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenting Xie
- Department of Neurology, University of PittsburghPittsburghUnited States
- Pittsburgh Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of PittsburghPittsburghUnited States
- Tsinghua University Medical SchoolBeijingChina
| | - Binxuan Jiao
- Department of Neurology, University of PittsburghPittsburghUnited States
- Pittsburgh Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of PittsburghPittsburghUnited States
- Tsinghua University Medical SchoolBeijingChina
| | - Qing Bai
- Department of Neurology, University of PittsburghPittsburghUnited States
- Pittsburgh Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of PittsburghPittsburghUnited States
| | - Vladimir A Ilin
- Department of Neurology, University of PittsburghPittsburghUnited States
- Pittsburgh Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of PittsburghPittsburghUnited States
| | - Ming Sun
- Center for Biologic Imaging, University of PittsburghPittsburghUnited States
| | | | - Dmytro Kolodieznyi
- Departments of Biological Sciences and Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon UniversityPittsburghUnited States
| | - Michael J Calderon
- Center for Biologic Imaging, University of PittsburghPittsburghUnited States
- Department of Cell Biology, University of PittsburghPittsburghUnited States
| | - Donna B Stolz
- Center for Biologic Imaging, University of PittsburghPittsburghUnited States
- Department of Cell Biology, University of PittsburghPittsburghUnited States
| | - Patricia L Opresko
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of PittsburghPittsburghUnited States
- Genome Stability Program, UPMC Hillman Cancer CenterPittsburghUnited States
| | - Claudette M St Croix
- Center for Biologic Imaging, University of PittsburghPittsburghUnited States
- Department of Cell Biology, University of PittsburghPittsburghUnited States
| | - Simon Watkins
- Center for Biologic Imaging, University of PittsburghPittsburghUnited States
- Department of Cell Biology, University of PittsburghPittsburghUnited States
| | - Bennett Van Houten
- Genome Stability Program, UPMC Hillman Cancer CenterPittsburghUnited States
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, University of PittsburghPittsburghUnited States
| | - Marcel P Bruchez
- Departments of Biological Sciences and Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon UniversityPittsburghUnited States
- Molecular Biosensors and Imaging Center, Carnegie Mellon UniversityPittsburghUnited States
| | - Edward A Burton
- Department of Neurology, University of PittsburghPittsburghUnited States
- Pittsburgh Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of PittsburghPittsburghUnited States
- Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center, Pittsburgh VA Healthcare SystemPittsburghUnited States
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12
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Marquart GD, Tabor KM, Bergeron SA, Briggman KL, Burgess HA. Prepontine non-giant neurons drive flexible escape behavior in zebrafish. PLoS Biol 2019; 17:e3000480. [PMID: 31613896 PMCID: PMC6793939 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2019] [Accepted: 09/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Many species execute ballistic escape reactions to avoid imminent danger. Despite fast reaction times, responses are often highly regulated, reflecting a trade-off between costly motor actions and perceived threat level. However, how sensory cues are integrated within premotor escape circuits remains poorly understood. Here, we show that in zebrafish, less precipitous threats elicit a delayed escape, characterized by flexible trajectories, which are driven by a cluster of 38 prepontine neurons that are completely separate from the fast escape pathway. Whereas neurons that initiate rapid escapes receive direct auditory input and drive motor neurons, input and output pathways for delayed escapes are indirect, facilitating integration of cross-modal sensory information. These results show that rapid decision-making in the escape system is enabled by parallel pathways for ballistic responses and flexible delayed actions and defines a neuronal substrate for hierarchical choice in the vertebrate nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory D. Marquart
- Division of Developmental Biology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
- Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, University of Maryland, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Kathryn M. Tabor
- Division of Developmental Biology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Sadie A. Bergeron
- Division of Developmental Biology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Kevin L. Briggman
- Circuit Dynamics and Connectivity Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Harold A. Burgess
- Division of Developmental Biology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
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13
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Marsden KC, Jain RA, Wolman MA, Echeverry FA, Nelson JC, Hayer KE, Miltenberg B, Pereda AE, Granato M. A Cyfip2-Dependent Excitatory Interneuron Pathway Establishes the Innate Startle Threshold. Cell Rep 2019; 23:878-887. [PMID: 29669291 PMCID: PMC6642828 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.03.095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2017] [Revised: 12/13/2017] [Accepted: 03/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Sensory experiences dynamically modify whether animals respond to a given stimulus, but it is unclear how innate behavioral thresholds are established. Here, we identify molecular and circuit-level mechanisms underlying the innate threshold of the zebrafish startle response. From a forward genetic screen, we isolated five mutant lines with reduced innate startle thresholds. Using whole-genome sequencing, we identify the causative mutation for one line to be in the fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP)-interacting protein cyfip2. We show that cyfip2 acts independently of FMRP and that reactivation of cyfip2 restores the baseline threshold after phenotype onset. Finally, we show that cyfip2 regulates the innate startle threshold by reducing neural activity in a small group of excitatory hindbrain interneurons. Thus, we identify a selective set of genes critical to establishing an innate behavioral threshold and uncover a circuit-level role for cyfip2 in this process. Using forward genetics, electrophysiology, and combined behavior and Ca2+ imaging in zebrafish, Marsden et al. show that cyfip2 regulates the acoustic startle threshold by controlling the activity of excitatory spiral fiber interneurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kurt C Marsden
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, 1157 BRB II/III, 421 Curie Blvd., Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, W.M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, 127 David Clark Labs, 100 Brooks Ave., Raleigh, NC 27607, USA
| | - Roshan A Jain
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, 1157 BRB II/III, 421 Curie Blvd., Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Biology, Haverford College, S108 Sharpless Hall, 370 Lancaster Ave., Haverford, PA 19041, USA
| | - Marc A Wolman
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, 1157 BRB II/III, 421 Curie Blvd., Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Zoology, 213 Zoology Research Building, 1117 West Johnson St., University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Fabio A Echeverry
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 431 Rose F. Kennedy Center, 1410 Pelham Parkway South, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Jessica C Nelson
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, 1157 BRB II/III, 421 Curie Blvd., Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Katharina E Hayer
- Department of Biomedical and Health Informatics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Ben Miltenberg
- Department of Biology, Haverford College, S108 Sharpless Hall, 370 Lancaster Ave., Haverford, PA 19041, USA
| | - Alberto E Pereda
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 431 Rose F. Kennedy Center, 1410 Pelham Parkway South, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Michael Granato
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, 1157 BRB II/III, 421 Curie Blvd., Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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14
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Social context influences sensorimotor gating in female African cichlid fish Astatotilapia burtoni. Behav Brain Res 2019; 370:111925. [PMID: 31102599 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.111925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2019] [Revised: 04/23/2019] [Accepted: 04/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Disruption in prepulse inhibition (PPI), a sensorimotor gating phenomenon found in many species, has been associated with various psychiatric disorders in humans. Social defeat has been identified as a mediator of naturally evoked reductions of PPI in African cichlid fish Astatotilapia burtoni where males reversibly alter social status and their sensorimotor gating abilities. Here we investigated A. burtoni females, which establish a male-like social hierarchy with dominant (DOM) and subordinate (SUB) individuals when housed in communities without males. We asked if DOM and SUB females demonstrate socially induced PPI differences comparable to their male DOM and SUB counterparts. Results suggest that social defeat reduced PPI in SUB females as compared to DOM females (p = 0.033) and mixed-sex community female controls (p = 0.017). However, socially defeated females in same-sex communities remained proactive when engaging in antagonistic behaviors, which appears beneficial in avoiding substantial reductions in PPI as seen in reactive, socially defeated males. In open field swimming tests, SUB females exhibited increased anxiety-related behavior (thigmotaxis) as compared to females from mixed-sex communities (COM). Taken together, our results emphasize social defeat is a reliable modulator of PPI independent of sex, and anxiety related to social defeat might be a factor in mediating PPI plasticity.
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15
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Bhandiwad AA, Raible DW, Rubel EW, Sisneros JA. Noise-Induced Hypersensitization of the Acoustic Startle Response in Larval Zebrafish. J Assoc Res Otolaryngol 2018; 19:741-752. [PMID: 30191425 PMCID: PMC6249159 DOI: 10.1007/s10162-018-00685-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2017] [Accepted: 01/21/2018] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Overexposure to loud noise is known to lead to deficits in auditory sensitivity and perception. We studied the effects of noise exposure on sensorimotor behaviors of larval (5-7 days post-fertilization) zebrafish (Danio rerio), particularly the auditory-evoked startle response and hearing sensitivity to acoustic startle stimuli. We observed a temporary 10-15 dB decrease in startle response threshold after 18 h of flat-spectrum noise exposure at 20 dB re·1 ms-2. Larval zebrafish also exhibited decreased habituation to startle-inducing stimuli following noise exposure. The noise-induced sensitization was not due to changes in absolute hearing thresholds, but was specific to the auditory-evoked escape responses. The observed noise-induced sensitization was disrupted by AMPA receptor blockade using DNQX, but not NMDA receptor blockade. Together, these experiments suggest a complex effect of noise exposure on the neural circuits mediating auditory-evoked behaviors in larval zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - David W. Raible
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 USA
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 USA
- Virginia M. Bloedel Hearing Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 USA
| | - Edwin W. Rubel
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 USA
- Virginia M. Bloedel Hearing Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 USA
| | - Joseph A. Sisneros
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 USA
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 USA
- Virginia M. Bloedel Hearing Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 USA
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16
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López-Schier H. Neuroplasticity in the acoustic startle reflex in larval zebrafish. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2018; 54:134-139. [PMID: 30359930 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2018.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2018] [Accepted: 10/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Learning is essential for animal survival under changing environments. Even in its simplest form, learning involves interactions between a handful of neuronal circuits, hundreds of neurons and many thousand synapses. In this review I will focus on habituation - a form of non-associative learning during which organisms decrease their response to repetitions of identical sensory stimuli. I will discuss how recent studies of the acoustic startle reflex mediated by the Mauthner cell in the zebrafish larva are helping to understand the neuroplastic processes that underlie habituation. In addition to being a fascinating biological process, habituation is clinically relevant because it is affected in various neuropsychiatric disorders in humans, including autism, schizophrenia, Fragile-X and Tourette's syndromes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hernán López-Schier
- Research Unit Sensory Biology & Organogenesis, Helmholtz Zentrum Munich, Neuherberg 85764, Germany.
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17
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The Role of Cholinergic Midbrain Neurons in Startle and Prepulse Inhibition. J Neurosci 2018; 38:8798-8808. [PMID: 30171090 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0984-18.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2018] [Revised: 08/01/2018] [Accepted: 08/20/2018] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
One of the two major cholinergic centers of the mammalian brain is located in the midbrain, i.e., the pedunculopontine tegmentum (PPTg) and the adjacent laterodorsal tegmentum. These cholinergic neurons have been shown to be important for e.g., arousal, reward associations, and sleep. They also have been suggested to mediate sensorimotor gating, measured as prepulse inhibition of startle (PPI). PPI disruptions are a hallmark of schizophrenia and are observed in various other psychiatric disorders, where they are associated with, and often predictive of, other cognitive symptoms. PPI has been proposed to be mediated by a short midbrain circuitry including inhibitory cholinergic projections from PPTg to the startle pathway. Although the data indicating the involvement of the PPTg is very robust, some more recent evidence challenges that there is a cholinergic contribution to PPI. We here use transient optogenetic activation of specifically the cholinergic PPTg neurons in male and female rats to address their role in startle modulation in general, and in PPI specifically. Although we could confirm the crucial role of PPTg cholinergic neurons in associative reward learning, validating our experimental approach, we found that activation of cholinergic PPTg neurons did not inhibit startle responses. In contrast, activation of cholinergic PPTg neurons enhanced startle, which is in accordance with their general role in arousal and indicate a potential involvement in sensitization of startle. We conclude that noncholinergic PPTg neurons mediate PPI in contrast to the longstanding hypothetical view that PPI is mediated by cholinergic PPTg neurons.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Activation of cholinergic neurons in the midbrain has been assumed to mediate prepulse inhibition of startle (PPI), a common measure of sensorimotor gating that is disrupted in schizophrenia and other psychiatric disorders. We here revisit this long-standing hypothesis using optogenetic activation of these specific neurons combined with startle testing in rats. In contrast to the hypothetical role of these neurons in startle modulation, we show that their activation leads to an increase of baseline startle and to prepulse facilitation. This supports recent data by others that have started to cast some doubt on the cholinergic hypothesis of PPI, and calls for a revision of the theoretical construct of PPI mechanisms.
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18
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Tabor KM, Smith TS, Brown M, Bergeron SA, Briggman KL, Burgess HA. Presynaptic Inhibition Selectively Gates Auditory Transmission to the Brainstem Startle Circuit. Curr Biol 2018; 28:2527-2535.e8. [PMID: 30078569 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2018.06.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2018] [Revised: 06/11/2018] [Accepted: 06/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Filtering mechanisms prevent a continuous stream of sensory information from swamping perception, leading to diminished focal attention and cognitive processing. Mechanisms for sensory gating are commonly studied using prepulse inhibition, a paradigm that measures the regulated transmission of auditory information to the startle circuit; however, the underlying neuronal pathways are unresolved. Using large-scale calcium imaging, optogenetics, and laser ablations, we reveal a cluster of 30 morphologically identified neurons in zebrafish that suppress the transmission of auditory signals during prepulse inhibition. These neurons project to a key sensorimotor interface in the startle circuit-the termination zone of auditory afferents on the dendrite of a startle command neuron. Direct measurement of auditory nerve neurotransmitter release revealed selective presynaptic inhibition of sensory transmission to the startle circuit, sparing signaling to other brain regions. Our results provide the first cellular resolution circuit for prepulse inhibition in a vertebrate, revealing a central role for presynaptic gating of sensory information to a brainstem motor circuit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn M Tabor
- Division of Developmental Biology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
| | - Trevor S Smith
- Division of Developmental Biology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Mary Brown
- Division of Developmental Biology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Sadie A Bergeron
- Division of Developmental Biology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Kevin L Briggman
- Circuit Dynamics and Connectivity Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Harold A Burgess
- Division of Developmental Biology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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19
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20
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Morphometric analysis and neuroanatomical mapping of the zebrafish brain. Methods 2018; 150:49-62. [PMID: 29936090 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2018.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2018] [Accepted: 06/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Large-scale genomic studies have recently identified genetic variants causative for major neurodevelopmental disorders, such as intellectual disability and autism. However, determining how underlying developmental processes are affected by these mutations remains a significant challenge in the field. Zebrafish is an established model system in developmental neurogenetics that may be useful in uncovering the mechanisms of these mutations. Here we describe the use of voxel-intensity, deformation field, and volume-based morphometric techniques for the systematic and unbiased analysis of gene knock-down and environmental exposure-induced phenotypes in zebrafish. We first present a computational method for brain segmentation based on transgene expression patterns to create a comprehensive neuroanatomical map. This map allowed us to disclose statistically significant changes in brain microstructure and composition in neurodevelopmental models. We demonstrate the effectiveness of morphometric techniques in measuring changes in the relative size of neuroanatomical subdivisions in atoh7 morphant larvae and in identifying phenotypes in larvae treated with valproic acid, a chemical demonstrated to increase the risk of autism in humans. These tools enable rigorous evaluation of the effects of gene mutations and environmental exposures on neural development, providing an entry point for cellular and molecular analysis of basic developmental processes as well as neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders.
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21
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Abstract
The past decade has witnessed the development of powerful, genetically encoded tools for manipulating and monitoring neuronal function in freely moving animals. These tools are most readily deployed in genetic model organisms and efforts to map the circuits that govern behavior have increasingly focused on worms, flies, zebrafish, and mice. The traditional virtues of these animals for genetic studies in terms of small size, short generation times, and ease of animal husbandry in a laboratory setting have facilitated rapid progress, and the neural basis of an increasing number of behaviors is being established at cellular resolution in each of these animals. The depth and breadth of this analysis should soon offer a significantly more comprehensive understanding of how the circuitry underlying behavior is organized in particular animals and promises to help answer long-standing questions that have waited for such a brain-wide perspective on nervous system function. The comprehensive understanding achieved in genetic model animals is thus likely to make them into paradigmatic examples that will serve as touchstones for comparisons to understand how behavior is organized in other animals, including ourselves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin H White
- a Laboratory of Molecular Biology , National Institute of Mental Health, NIH , Bethesda , MD , USA
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22
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Scheetz SD, Shao E, Zhou Y, Cario CL, Bai Q, Burton EA. An open-source method to analyze optokinetic reflex responses in larval zebrafish. J Neurosci Methods 2017; 293:329-337. [PMID: 29042258 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2017.10.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2017] [Revised: 10/10/2017] [Accepted: 10/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Optokinetic reflex (OKR) responses provide a convenient means to evaluate oculomotor, integrative and afferent visual function in larval zebrafish models, which are commonly used to elucidate molecular mechanisms underlying development, disease and repair of the vertebrate nervous system. NEW METHOD We developed an open-source MATLAB-based solution for automated quantitative analysis of OKR responses in larval zebrafish. The package includes applications to: (i) generate sinusoidally-transformed animated grating patterns suitable for projection onto a cylindrical screen to elicit the OKR; (ii) determine and record the angular orientations of the eyes in each frame of a video recording showing the OKR response; and (iii) analyze angular orientation data from the tracking program to yield a set of parameters that quantify essential elements of the OKR. The method can be employed without modification using the operating manual provided. In addition, annotated source code is included, allowing users to modify or adapt the software for other applications. RESULTS We validated the algorithms and measured OKR responses in normal larval zebrafish, showing good agreement with published quantitative data, where available. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHOD(S) We provide the first open-source method to elicit and analyze the OKR in larval zebrafish. The wide range of parameters that are automatically quantified by our algorithms significantly expands the scope of quantitative analysis previously reported. CONCLUSIONS Our method for quantifying OKR responses will be useful for numerous applications in neuroscience using the genetically- and chemically-tractable zebrafish model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seth D Scheetz
- Pittsburgh Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Enhua Shao
- Pittsburgh Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Tsinghua University Medical School, Beijing, China
| | - Yangzhong Zhou
- Pittsburgh Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Tsinghua University Medical School, Beijing, China
| | - Clinton L Cario
- Pittsburgh Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Qing Bai
- Pittsburgh Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Edward A Burton
- Pittsburgh Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center, Pittsburgh VA Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
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23
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Bronson DR, Preuss T. Cellular Mechanisms of Cortisol-Induced Changes in Mauthner-Cell Excitability in the Startle Circuit of Goldfish. Front Neural Circuits 2017; 11:68. [PMID: 29033795 PMCID: PMC5625080 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2017.00068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2017] [Accepted: 09/11/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Predator pressure and olfactory cues (alarm substance) have been shown to modulate Mauthner cell (M-cell) initiated startle escape responses (C-starts) in teleost fish. The regulation of such adaptive responses to potential threats is thought to involve the release of steroid hormones such as cortisol. However, the mechanism by which cortisol may regulate M-cell excitability is not known. Here, we used intrasomatic, in vivo recordings to elucidate the acute effects of cortisol on M-cell membrane properties and sound evoked post-synaptic potentials (PSPs). Cortisol tonically decreased threshold current in the M-cell within 10 min before trending towards baseline excitability over an hour later, which may indicate the involvement of non-genomic mechanisms. Consistently, current ramp injection experiments showed that cortisol increased M-cell input resistance in the depolarizing membrane, i.e., by a voltage-dependent postsynaptic mechanism. Cortisol also increases the magnitude of sound-evoked M-cell PSPs by reducing the efficacy of local feedforward inhibition (FFI). Interestingly, another pre-synaptic inhibitory network mediating prepulse inhibition (PPI) remained unaffected. Together, our results suggest that cortisol rapidly increases M-cell excitability via a post-synaptic effector mechanism, likely a chloride conductance, which, in combination with its dampening effect on FFI, will modulate information processing to reach threshold. Given the central role of the M-cell in initiating startle, these results are consistent with a role of cortisol in mediating the expression of a vital behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel R Bronson
- The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY, United States
| | - Thomas Preuss
- Hunter College, City University of New York, New York, NY, United States
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24
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Socially induced plasticity in sensorimotor gating in the African cichlid fish Astatotilapia burtoni. Behav Brain Res 2017; 332:32-39. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.05.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2017] [Revised: 05/18/2017] [Accepted: 05/22/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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25
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael B. Orger
- Champalimaud Research, Champalimaud Foundation, 1400-038 Lisbon, Portugal;,
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26
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Duboué ER, Halpern ME. Genetic and Transgenic Approaches to Study Zebrafish Brain Asymmetry and Lateralized Behavior. LATERALIZED BRAIN FUNCTIONS 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-6725-4_17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/08/2022]
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27
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Schoenrock SA, Tarantino LM. Developmental vitamin D deficiency and schizophrenia: the role of animal models. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2016; 15:45-61. [PMID: 26560996 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2015] [Revised: 10/22/2015] [Accepted: 11/04/2015] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a debilitating neuropsychiatric disorder that affects 1% of the US population. Based on twin and genome-wide association studies, it is clear that both genetics and environmental factors increase the risk for developing schizophrenia. Moreover, there is evidence that conditions in utero, either alone or in concert with genetic factors, may alter neurodevelopment and lead to an increased risk for schizophrenia. There has been progress in identifying genetic loci and environmental exposures that increase risk, but there are still considerable gaps in our knowledge. Furthermore, very little is known about the specific neurodevelopmental mechanisms upon which genetics and the environment act to increase disposition to developing schizophrenia in adulthood. Vitamin D deficiency during the perinatal period has been hypothesized to increase risk for schizophrenia in humans. The developmental vitamin D (DVD) deficiency hypothesis of schizophrenia arises from the observation that disease risk is increased in individuals who are born in winter or spring, live further from the equator or live in urban vs. rural settings. These environments result in less exposure to sunlight, thereby reducing the initial steps in the production of vitamin D. Rodent models have been developed to characterize the behavioral and developmental effects of DVD deficiency. This review focuses on these animal models and discusses the current knowledge of the role of DVD deficiency in altering behavior and neurobiology relevant to schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- S A Schoenrock
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.,Neurobiology Curriculum, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - L M Tarantino
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.,Division of Pharmacotherapy and Experimental Therapeutics, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
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28
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Horstick EJ, Tabor KM, Jordan DC, Burgess HA. Genetic Ablation, Sensitization, and Isolation of Neurons Using Nitroreductase and Tetrodotoxin-Insensitive Channels. Methods Mol Biol 2016; 1451:355-66. [PMID: 27464821 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-3771-4_25] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Advances in genetic technologies enable the highly selective expression of transgenes in targeted neuronal cell types. Transgene expression can be used to noninvasively ablate, silence or activate neurons, providing a tool to probe their contribution to the control of behavior or physiology. Here, we describe the use of the tetrodotoxin (TTX)-resistant voltage-gated sodium channel Nav1.5 for either sensitizing neurons to depolarizing input, or isolating targeted neurons from surrounding neural activity, and methods for selective neuronal ablation using the bacterial nitroreductase NfsB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric J Horstick
- Division of Developmental Biology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Kathryn M Tabor
- Division of Developmental Biology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Diana C Jordan
- Division of Developmental Biology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Harold A Burgess
- Division of Developmental Biology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA. .,NIH, 6 Center Drive, Building 6B, Room 3B308, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
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Marquart GD, Tabor KM, Brown M, Strykowski JL, Varshney GK, LaFave MC, Mueller T, Burgess SM, Higashijima SI, Burgess HA. A 3D Searchable Database of Transgenic Zebrafish Gal4 and Cre Lines for Functional Neuroanatomy Studies. Front Neural Circuits 2015; 9:78. [PMID: 26635538 PMCID: PMC4656851 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2015.00078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2015] [Accepted: 11/06/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Transgenic methods enable the selective manipulation of neurons for functional mapping of neuronal circuits. Using confocal microscopy, we have imaged the cellular-level expression of 109 transgenic lines in live 6 day post fertilization larvae, including 80 Gal4 enhancer trap lines, 9 Cre enhancer trap lines and 20 transgenic lines that express fluorescent proteins in defined gene-specific patterns. Image stacks were acquired at single micron resolution, together with a broadly expressed neural marker, which we used to align enhancer trap reporter patterns into a common 3-dimensional reference space. To facilitate use of this resource, we have written software that enables searching for transgenic lines that label cells within a selectable 3-dimensional region of interest (ROI) or neuroanatomical area. This software also enables the intersectional expression of transgenes to be predicted, a feature which we validated by detecting cells with co-expression of Cre and Gal4. Many of the imaged enhancer trap lines show intrinsic brain-specific expression. However, to increase the utility of lines that also drive expression in non-neuronal tissue we have designed a novel UAS reporter, that suppresses expression in heart, muscle, and skin through the incorporation of microRNA binding sites in a synthetic 3′ untranslated region. Finally, we mapped the site of transgene integration, thus providing molecular identification of the expression pattern for most lines. Cumulatively, this library of enhancer trap lines provides genetic access to 70% of the larval brain and is therefore a powerful and broadly accessible tool for the dissection of neural circuits in larval zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory D Marquart
- Division of Developmental Biology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health Bethesda, MD, USA ; Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, University of Maryland College Park, MD, USA
| | - Kathryn M Tabor
- Division of Developmental Biology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Mary Brown
- Division of Developmental Biology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Jennifer L Strykowski
- Division of Developmental Biology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Gaurav K Varshney
- Translational and Functional Genomics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Matthew C LaFave
- Translational and Functional Genomics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Thomas Mueller
- Division of Biology, Kansas State University Manhattan, KS, USA
| | - Shawn M Burgess
- Translational and Functional Genomics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Shin-Ichi Higashijima
- National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki Institute for Integrative Bioscience, National Institute for Physiological Sciences Aichi, Japan
| | - Harold A Burgess
- Division of Developmental Biology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health Bethesda, MD, USA ; Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, University of Maryland College Park, MD, USA
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Horstick EJ, Jordan DC, Bergeron SA, Tabor KM, Serpe M, Feldman B, Burgess HA. Increased functional protein expression using nucleotide sequence features enriched in highly expressed genes in zebrafish. Nucleic Acids Res 2015; 43:e48. [PMID: 25628360 PMCID: PMC4402511 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkv035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2014] [Accepted: 01/12/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Many genetic manipulations are limited by difficulty in obtaining adequate levels of protein expression. Bioinformatic and experimental studies have identified nucleotide sequence features that may increase expression, however it is difficult to assess the relative influence of these features. Zebrafish embryos are rapidly injected with calibrated doses of mRNA, enabling the effects of multiple sequence changes to be compared in vivo. Using RNAseq and microarray data, we identified a set of genes that are highly expressed in zebrafish embryos and systematically analyzed for enrichment of sequence features correlated with levels of protein expression. We then tested enriched features by embryo microinjection and functional tests of multiple protein reporters. Codon selection, releasing factor recognition sequence and specific introns and 3′ untranslated regions each increased protein expression between 1.5- and 3-fold. These results suggested principles for increasing protein yield in zebrafish through biomolecular engineering. We implemented these principles for rational gene design in software for codon selection (CodonZ) and plasmid vectors incorporating the most active non-coding elements. Rational gene design thus significantly boosts expression in zebrafish, and a similar approach will likely elevate expression in other animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric J Horstick
- Program in Genomics of Differentiation, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Diana C Jordan
- Program in Genomics of Differentiation, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Sadie A Bergeron
- Program in Genomics of Differentiation, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Kathryn M Tabor
- Program in Genomics of Differentiation, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Mihaela Serpe
- Program in Cellular Regulation and Metabolism, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Benjamin Feldman
- Zebrafish Core, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Harold A Burgess
- Program in Genomics of Differentiation, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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