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Ayana R, Zandecki C, Van Houcke J, Mariën V, Seuntjens E, Arckens L. Single-cell sequencing unveils the impact of aging on the progenitor cell diversity in the telencephalon of the female killifish N. furzeri. Aging Cell 2024:e14251. [PMID: 38949249 DOI: 10.1111/acel.14251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2024] [Revised: 06/04/2024] [Accepted: 06/06/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024] Open
Abstract
The African turquoise killifish (Nothobranchius furzeri) combines a short lifespan with spontaneous age-associated loss of neuro-regenerative capacity, an intriguing trait atypical for a teleost. The impact of aging on the cellular composition of the adult stem cell niches, leading to this dramatic decline in the postnatal neuro- and gliogenesis, remains elusive. Single-cell RNA sequencing of the telencephalon of young adult female killifish of the short-lived GRZ-AD strain unveiled progenitors of glial and non-glial nature, different excitatory and inhibitory neuron subtypes, as well as non-neural cell types. Sub-clustering of the progenitors identified four radial glia (RG) cell types, two non-glial progenitor (NGP) and four intermediate (intercell) cell states. Two astroglia-like, one ependymal, and one neuroepithelial-like (NE) RG subtype were found at different locations in the forebrain in line with their role, while proliferative, active NGPs were spread throughout. Lineage inference pointed to NE-RG and NGPs as start and intercessor populations for glio- and neurogenesis. Upon aging, single-cell RNA sequencing revealed major perturbations in the proportions of the astroglia and intercell states, and in the molecular signatures of specific subtypes, including altered MAPK, mTOR, Notch, and Wnt pathways. This cell catalog of the young regeneration-competent killifish telencephalon, combined with the evidence for aging-related transcriptomic changes, presents a useful resource to understand the molecular basis of age-dependent neuroplasticity. This data is also available through an online database (killifishbrain_scseq).
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajagopal Ayana
- KU Leuven, Leuven Brain Institute, Department of Biology, Animal Physiology and Neurobiology Section, Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neuroproteomics, Leuven, Belgium
- KU Leuven, Leuven Brain Institute, Department of Biology, Animal Physiology and Neurobiology section, Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Caroline Zandecki
- KU Leuven, Leuven Brain Institute, Department of Biology, Animal Physiology and Neurobiology Section, Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neuroproteomics, Leuven, Belgium
- KU Leuven, Leuven Brain Institute, Department of Biology, Animal Physiology and Neurobiology section, Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jolien Van Houcke
- KU Leuven, Leuven Brain Institute, Department of Biology, Animal Physiology and Neurobiology Section, Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neuroproteomics, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Valerie Mariën
- KU Leuven, Leuven Brain Institute, Department of Biology, Animal Physiology and Neurobiology Section, Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neuroproteomics, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Eve Seuntjens
- KU Leuven, Leuven Brain Institute, Department of Biology, Animal Physiology and Neurobiology section, Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology, Leuven, Belgium
- Leuven Institute for Single-Cell Omics, Leuven, Belgium
- KU Leuven Brain Institute, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Lutgarde Arckens
- KU Leuven, Leuven Brain Institute, Department of Biology, Animal Physiology and Neurobiology Section, Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neuroproteomics, Leuven, Belgium
- Leuven Institute for Single-Cell Omics, Leuven, Belgium
- KU Leuven Brain Institute, Leuven, Belgium
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2
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Singh PP, Reeves GA, Contrepois K, Papsdorf K, Miklas JW, Ellenberger M, Hu CK, Snyder MP, Brunet A. Evolution of diapause in the African turquoise killifish by remodeling the ancient gene regulatory landscape. Cell 2024; 187:3338-3356.e30. [PMID: 38810644 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.04.048] [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: 11/24/2021] [Revised: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
Suspended animation states allow organisms to survive extreme environments. The African turquoise killifish has evolved diapause as a form of suspended development to survive a complete drought. However, the mechanisms underlying the evolution of extreme survival states are unknown. To understand diapause evolution, we performed integrative multi-omics (gene expression, chromatin accessibility, and lipidomics) in the embryos of multiple killifish species. We find that diapause evolved by a recent remodeling of regulatory elements at very ancient gene duplicates (paralogs) present in all vertebrates. CRISPR-Cas9-based perturbations identify the transcription factors REST/NRSF and FOXOs as critical for the diapause gene expression program, including genes involved in lipid metabolism. Indeed, diapause shows a distinct lipid profile, with an increase in triglycerides with very-long-chain fatty acids. Our work suggests a mechanism for the evolution of complex adaptations and offers strategies to promote long-term survival by activating suspended animation programs in other species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - G Adam Reeves
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Kévin Contrepois
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA; Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | | | - Jason W Miklas
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | | | - Chi-Kuo Hu
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Michael P Snyder
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA; Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA; Stanford Diabetes Research Center, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Anne Brunet
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA; Glenn Center for the Biology of Aging, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA; Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA; Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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3
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Abitua PB, Stump LM, Aksel DC, Schier AF. Axis formation in annual killifish: Nodal and β-catenin regulate morphogenesis without Huluwa prepatterning. Science 2024; 384:1105-1110. [PMID: 38843334 DOI: 10.1126/science.ado7604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024]
Abstract
Axis formation in fish and amphibians typically begins with a prepattern of maternal gene products. Annual killifish embryogenesis, however, challenges prepatterning models as blastomeres disperse and then aggregate to form the germ layers and body axes. We show that huluwa, a prepatterning factor thought to break symmetry by stabilizing β-catenin, is truncated and inactive in Nothobranchius furzeri. Nuclear β-catenin is not selectively stabilized on one side of the blastula but accumulates in cells forming the aggregate. Blocking β-catenin activity or Nodal signaling disrupts aggregate formation and germ layer specification. Nodal signaling coordinates cell migration, establishing an early role for this signaling pathway. These results reveal a surprising departure from established mechanisms of axis formation: Huluwa-mediated prepatterning is dispensable, and β-catenin and Nodal regulate morphogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip B Abitua
- Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98105, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Laura M Stump
- Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98105, USA
| | - Deniz C Aksel
- Biophysics Program, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Alexander F Schier
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- FAS Center for Systems Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, 4051 Basel, Switzerland
- Allen Discovery Center for Cell Lineage Tracing, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
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4
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Lou Y, Lin W, Wang W. Efficient Transgenesis in African Turquoise Killifish Using a Gibson Assembly-Based Tol2 Transposon System. Cold Spring Harb Protoc 2024; 2024:107806. [PMID: 37100470 DOI: 10.1101/pdb.prot107806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/28/2023]
Abstract
The short-lived African killifish Nothobranchius furzeri is an attractive genetic model for vertebrate aging and regeneration studies. The utilization of genetically modified animals is a common strategy for unveiling molecular mechanisms responsible for a biological phenomenon. Here, we report a highly efficient protocol for generating transgenic African killifish using the Tol2 transposon system, which creates random insertions in the genome. Transgenic vectors carrying gene-expression cassettes of interest and an eye-specific marker for transgene identification can be quickly assembled through Gibson assembly. The development of this new pipeline will facilitate transgenic reporter assays and gene-expression-related manipulations in African killifish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yufei Lou
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing 102206, China
- Tsinghua Institute of Multidisciplinary Biomedical Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Weifeng Lin
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing 102206, China
- Tsinghua Institute of Multidisciplinary Biomedical Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Wei Wang
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing 102206, China
- Tsinghua Institute of Multidisciplinary Biomedical Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
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5
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Ripa R, Ballhysa E, Steiner JD, Laboy R, Annibal A, Hochhard N, Latza C, Dolfi L, Calabrese C, Meyer AM, Polidori MC, Müller RU, Antebi A. Refeeding-associated AMPK γ1 complex activity is a hallmark of health and longevity. NATURE AGING 2023; 3:1544-1560. [PMID: 37957359 PMCID: PMC10724066 DOI: 10.1038/s43587-023-00521-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Late-life-initiated dietary interventions show limited efficacy in extending longevity or mitigating frailty, yet the underlying causes remain unclear. Here we studied the age-related fasting response of the short-lived killifish Nothobranchius furzeri. Transcriptomic analysis uncovered the existence of a fasting-like transcriptional program in the adipose tissue of old fish that overrides the feeding response, setting the tissue in persistent metabolic quiescence. The fasting-refeeding cycle triggers an inverse oscillatory expression of genes encoding the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) regulatory subunits Prkag1 (γ1) and Prkag2 (γ2) in young individuals. Aging blunts such regulation, resulting in reduced Prkag1 expression. Transgenic fish with sustained AMPKγ1 countered the fasting-like transcriptional program, exhibiting a more youthful feeding and fasting response in older age, improved metabolic health and longevity. Accordingly, Prkag1 expression declines with age in human tissues and is associated with multimorbidity and multidimensional frailty risk. Thus, selective activation of AMPKγ1 prevents metabolic quiescence and preserves healthy aging in vertebrates, offering potential avenues for intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Ripa
- Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing, Cologne, Germany
| | - Eugen Ballhysa
- Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing, Cologne, Germany
- Cologne Graduate School for Ageing Research (CGA), Cologne, Germany
| | - Joachim D Steiner
- Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing, Cologne, Germany
- Department II of Internal Medicine and Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Raymond Laboy
- Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing, Cologne, Germany
| | - Andrea Annibal
- Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing, Cologne, Germany
| | - Nadine Hochhard
- Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing, Cologne, Germany
| | - Christian Latza
- Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing, Cologne, Germany
| | - Luca Dolfi
- Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing, Cologne, Germany
| | - Chiara Calabrese
- Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing, Cologne, Germany
- Cologne Graduate School for Ageing Research (CGA), Cologne, Germany
| | - Anna M Meyer
- Department II of Internal Medicine and Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Maria Cristina Polidori
- Department II of Internal Medicine and Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Roman-Ulrich Müller
- Department II of Internal Medicine and Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Adam Antebi
- Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing, Cologne, Germany.
- Cologne Graduate School for Ageing Research (CGA), Cologne, Germany.
- Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
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6
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Callegari S, Mirzaei F, Agbaria L, Shariff S, Kantawala B, Moronge D, Ogendi BMO. Zebrafish as an Emerging Model for Sarcopenia: Considerations, Current Insights, and Future Directions. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:17018. [PMID: 38069340 PMCID: PMC10707505 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242317018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2023] [Revised: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Sarcopenia poses a significant challenge to public health and can severely impact the quality of life of aging populations. Despite extensive efforts to study muscle degeneration using traditional animal models, there is still a lack of effective diagnostic tools, precise biomarkers, and treatments for sarcopenia. Zebrafish models have emerged as powerful tools in biomedical research, providing unique insights into age-related muscle disorders like sarcopenia. The advantages of using zebrafish models include their rapid growth outside of the embryo, optical transparency during early developmental stages, high reproductive potential, ease of husbandry, compact size, and genetic tractability. By deepening our understanding of the molecular processes underlying sarcopenia, we may develop novel diagnostic tools and effective treatments that can improve the lives of aging individuals affected by this condition. This review aims to explore the unique advantages of zebrafish as a model for sarcopenia research, highlight recent breakthroughs, outline potential avenues for future investigations, and emphasize the distinctive contributions that zebrafish models offer. Our research endeavors to contribute significantly to address the urgent need for practical solutions to reduce the impact of sarcopenia on aging populations, ultimately striving to enhance the quality of life for individuals affected by this condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santiago Callegari
- Vascular Medicine Outcomes Laboratory, Cardiology Department, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Foad Mirzaei
- Faculty of General Medicine, Yerevan State Medical University after Mikhtar Heratsi, 2 Koryun, Yerevan 0025, Armenia; (F.M.); (L.A.); (B.K.)
| | - Lila Agbaria
- Faculty of General Medicine, Yerevan State Medical University after Mikhtar Heratsi, 2 Koryun, Yerevan 0025, Armenia; (F.M.); (L.A.); (B.K.)
| | - Sanobar Shariff
- Faculty of General Medicine, Yerevan State Medical University after Mikhtar Heratsi, 2 Koryun, Yerevan 0025, Armenia; (F.M.); (L.A.); (B.K.)
| | - Burhan Kantawala
- Faculty of General Medicine, Yerevan State Medical University after Mikhtar Heratsi, 2 Koryun, Yerevan 0025, Armenia; (F.M.); (L.A.); (B.K.)
| | - Desmond Moronge
- Department of Physiology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA 30912, USA;
| | - Brian M. O. Ogendi
- Department of Medicine, Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA;
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7
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de Bakker DEM, Valenzano DR. Turquoise killifish: A natural model of age-dependent brain degeneration. Ageing Res Rev 2023; 90:102019. [PMID: 37482345 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2023.102019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
Turquoise killifish (Nothobranchius furzeri) are naturally short-lived vertebrates that display a wide range of spontaneous age-related changes, including onset of cancer, reduced mobility, and cognitive decline. Here, we focus on describing the phenotypic spectrum of the aging killifish brain. As turquoise killifish age, their dopaminergic and noradrenergic neurons undergo a significant decline in number. Furthermore, brain aging in turquoise killifish is associated with several glial-specific changes, such as an increase in the astrocyte-covered surface area and an increase in the numbers of microglial cells, i.e. the brain-specific macrophage population. Killifish brains undergo age-dependent reduced proteasome activity and increased protein aggregation, including the aggregation of the Parkinson's disease marker α-synuclein. Parallel to brain degeneration, turquoise killifish develop spontaneous age-related gut dysbiosis, which has been proposed to affect human neurodegenerative disease. Finally, aged turquoise killifish display declined learning capacity. We argue that, taken together, the molecular, cellular and functional changes that spontaneously take place during aging in killifish brains are consistent with a robust degenerative process that shares remarkable similarities with human neurodegenerative diseases. Hence, we propose that turquoise killifish represent a powerful model of spontaneous brain degeneration which can be effectively used to explore the causal mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dennis E M de Bakker
- Leibniz Institute on Aging - Fritz Lipmann Institute (FLI), Beutenbergstrasse 11, D-07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Dario R Valenzano
- Leibniz Institute on Aging - Fritz Lipmann Institute (FLI), Beutenbergstrasse 11, D-07745, Jena, Germany.
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8
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Van Houcke J, Mariën V, Zandecki C, Ayana R, Pepermans E, Boonen K, Seuntjens E, Baggerman G, Arckens L. A short dasatinib and quercetin treatment is sufficient to reinstate potent adult neuroregenesis in the aged killifish. NPJ Regen Med 2023; 8:31. [PMID: 37328477 DOI: 10.1038/s41536-023-00304-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The young African turquoise killifish has a high regenerative capacity, but loses it with advancing age, adopting several aspects of the limited form of mammalian regeneration. We deployed a proteomic strategy to identify pathways that underpin the loss of regenerative power caused by aging. Cellular senescence stood out as a potential brake on successful neurorepair. We applied the senolytic cocktail Dasatinib and Quercetin (D + Q) to test clearance of chronic senescent cells from the aged killifish central nervous system (CNS) as well as rebooting the neurogenic output. Our results show that the entire aged killifish telencephalon holds a very high senescent cell burden, including the parenchyma and the neurogenic niches, which could be diminished by a short-term, late-onset D + Q treatment. Reactive proliferation of non-glial progenitors increased substantially and lead to restorative neurogenesis after traumatic brain injury. Our results provide a cellular mechanism for age-related regeneration resilience and a proof-of-concept of a potential therapy to revive the neurogenic potential in an already aged or diseased CNS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jolien Van Houcke
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neuroproteomics, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Valerie Mariën
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neuroproteomics, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Caroline Zandecki
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neuroproteomics, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
- Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Rajagopal Ayana
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neuroproteomics, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
- Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Elise Pepermans
- Centre for Proteomics, University of Antwerp, 2020, Antwerpen, Belgium
| | - Kurt Boonen
- Centre for Proteomics, University of Antwerp, 2020, Antwerpen, Belgium
- Health Unit, VITO, 2400, Mol, Belgium
| | - Eve Seuntjens
- Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
- KU Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Geert Baggerman
- Centre for Proteomics, University of Antwerp, 2020, Antwerpen, Belgium
- Health Unit, VITO, 2400, Mol, Belgium
| | - Lutgarde Arckens
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neuroproteomics, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
- KU Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
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9
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Thoré ESJ, Merckx W. Substrate colour guides turquoise killifish's (Nothobranchius furzeri) choice of preferred spawning habitat. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2023; 102:1434-1441. [PMID: 37009851 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.15392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Turquoise killifish (Nothobranchius furzeri) is a promising new model species used in biomedical and ecological laboratory experiments, and should be kept under optimal conditions to ensure fish welfare and the quality of science. While the popularity of this model species is rapidly increasing, we need to improve our understanding of how the species interacts with its environment to optimize its husbandry. Specifically, turquoise killifish are substrate spawners that bury their eggs in the sediment, which can be accommodated under captive conditions, but it is not yet known whether or not turquoise killifish have a preference for a specific sediment colour. Here, we performed a laboratory experiment in which fish could choose between white, orange and black sand for spawning, colours which are relevant in both laboratory and field conditions. We assessed their preference in the context of single breeding pairs, as well as in a social group setting. Additionally, we also assessed the preference of individuals for a white versus black background in a nonmating context. Single breeding pairs deposited over 3.5 times more eggs in black compared to orange or white sand. Similarly, fish in social groups deposited over 3.5 times more eggs in black compared to orange sand, which in turn was over two times higher than that in white sand. Fish showed a slight preference for the black compared to the white zone in a nonmating context, but this did not correlate with substrate choice during the spawning tests. The results suggest that turquoise killifish select their preferred spawning location based on the colour of the substrate. These findings contribute to our understanding of the species' biology and can help to guide good welfare and scientific practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eli S J Thoré
- TRANSfarm - Science, Engineering & Technology Group, Leuven, Belgium
- Laboratory of Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Wouter Merckx
- TRANSfarm - Science, Engineering & Technology Group, Leuven, Belgium
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10
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Bedbrook CN, Nath RD, Nagvekar R, Deisseroth K, Brunet A. Rapid and precise genome engineering in a naturally short-lived vertebrate. eLife 2023; 12:80639. [PMID: 37191291 DOI: 10.7554/elife.80639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The African turquoise killifish is a powerful vertebrate system to study complex phenotypes at scale, including aging and age-related disease. Here, we develop a rapid and precise CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knock-in approach in the killifish. We show its efficient application to precisely insert fluorescent reporters of different sizes at various genomic loci in order to drive cell-type- and tissue-specific expression. This knock-in method should allow the establishment of humanized disease models and the development of cell-type-specific molecular probes for studying complex vertebrate biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire N Bedbrook
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, United States
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, United States
| | - Ravi D Nath
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, United States
| | - Rahul Nagvekar
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, United States
| | - Karl Deisseroth
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, United States
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, United States
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, United States
| | - Anne Brunet
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, United States
- Glenn Laboratories for the Biology of Aging at Stanford, Stanford, United States
- Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, United States
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11
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Součková K, Jasík M, Sovadinová I, Sember A, Sychrová E, Konieczna A, Bystrý V, Dyková I, Blažek R, Lukšíková K, Pavlica T, Jankásek M, Altmanová M, Žák J, Zbončáková A, Reichard M, Slabý O. From fish to cells: Establishment of continuous cell lines from embryos of annual killifish Nothobranchius furzeri and N. kadleci. AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2023; 259:106517. [PMID: 37087860 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2023.106517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
There is a growing need of alternative experimental models that avoid or minimize the use of animals due to ethical, economical, and scientific reasons. Surprisingly, the stable embryonic cell lines representing Nothobranchius spp., emerging vertebrate models in aging research, regenerative medicine, ecotoxicology, or genomics, have been not derived so far. This paper reports establishment and deep characterization of ten continuous cell lines from annual killifish embryos of N. furzeri and N. kadleci. The established cell lines exhibited mostly fibroblast- and epithelial-like morphology and steady growth rates with cell doubling time ranging from 27 to 40 h. All cell lines retained very similar characteristics even after continuous subcultivation (more than 100 passages) and extended storage in liquid nitrogen (∼3 years). The cytogenetic analysis of the cell lines revealed a diploid chromosome number mostly equal to 38 elements (i.e., the native chromosome count for both killifish species), with minor but diverse line/passage-specific karyotype changes compared to the patterns observed in non-cultured N. furzeri and N. kadleci somatic cells. Based on transcriptional analysis of marker genes, the cell lines displayed features of an undifferentiated state without signs of senescence even in advanced passages. We confirmed that the cell lines are transfectable and can form viable 3-D spheroids. The applicability of the cell lines for (eco)toxicological surveys was confirmed by assessing the effect of cytotoxic and growth inhibitory agents. Properties of established Nothobranchius embryonic cell lines open new possibilities for the application of this model in various fields of life sciences including molecular mechanisms of aging, karyotype (in)stability or differences in lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamila Součková
- Ondřej Slabý Group, Molecular Medicine, Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Brno 625 00, Czech Republic.
| | - Matej Jasík
- Ondřej Slabý Group, Molecular Medicine, Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Brno 625 00, Czech Republic
| | - Iva Sovadinová
- RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlarska 2, Brno 602 00, Czech Republic
| | - Alexandr Sember
- Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Liběchov 277 21, Czech Republic
| | - Eliška Sychrová
- RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlarska 2, Brno 602 00, Czech Republic
| | - Anna Konieczna
- Ondřej Slabý Group, Molecular Medicine, Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Brno 625 00, Czech Republic
| | - Vojtěch Bystrý
- Ondřej Slabý Group, Molecular Medicine, Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Brno 625 00, Czech Republic
| | - Iva Dyková
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno 611 37, Czech Republic
| | - Radim Blažek
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno 611 37, Czech Republic; Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno 603 00, Czech Republic
| | - Karolína Lukšíková
- Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Liběchov 277 21, Czech Republic; Department of Genetics and Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague 128 44, Czech Republic
| | - Tomáš Pavlica
- Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Liběchov 277 21, Czech Republic; Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague 128 44, Czech Republic
| | - Marek Jankásek
- Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Liběchov 277 21, Czech Republic; Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague 128 44, Czech Republic
| | - Marie Altmanová
- Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Liběchov 277 21, Czech Republic; Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague 128 44, Czech Republic
| | - Jakub Žák
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno 611 37, Czech Republic; Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno 603 00, Czech Republic
| | - Adriana Zbončáková
- Ondřej Slabý Group, Molecular Medicine, Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Brno 625 00, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Reichard
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno 611 37, Czech Republic; Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno 603 00, Czech Republic; Department of Ecology and Vertebrate Zoology, University of Łódź, Łódź 90-237, Poland
| | - Ondřej Slabý
- Ondřej Slabý Group, Molecular Medicine, Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Brno 625 00, Czech Republic; Department of Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno 625 00, Czech Republic
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12
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Evsiukova VS, Arefieva AB, Sorokin IE, Kulikov AV. Age-Related Alterations in the Level and Metabolism of Serotonin in the Brain of Males and Females of Annual Turquoise Killifish ( Nothobranchius furzeri). Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24043185. [PMID: 36834593 PMCID: PMC9959878 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24043185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The annual turquoise killifish (Nothobranchius furzeri) is a laboratory model organism for neuroscience of aging. In the present study, we investigated for the first time the levels of serotonin and its main metabolite, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid, as well as the activities of the key enzymes of its synthesis, tryptophan hydroxylases, and degradation, monoamine oxidase, in the brains of 2-, 4- and 7-month-old male and female N. furzeri. The marked effect of age on the body mass and the level of serotonin, as well as the activities of tryptophan hydroxylases and monoamine oxidase in the brain of killifish were revealed. The level of serotonin decreased in the brain of 7-month-old males and females compared with 2-month-old ones. A significant decrease in the tryptophan hydroxylase activity and an increase in the monoamine oxidase activity in the brain of 7-month-old females compared to 2-month-old females was shown. These findings agree with the age-related alterations in expression of the genes encoding tryptophan hydroxylases and monoamine oxidase. N. furzeri is a suitable model with which to study the fundamental problems of age-related changes of the serotonin system in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina S. Evsiukova
- Department of Psychoneuropharmacology, Federal Research Center Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Alla B. Arefieva
- Department of Genetic Collections of Neural Disorders, Federal Research Center Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Ivan E. Sorokin
- Department of Monogenic Forms of Human Common Disorders, Federal Research Center Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Alexander V. Kulikov
- Department of Genetic Collections of Neural Disorders, Federal Research Center Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +7-3833636187
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13
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Hu CK. Handling Diapause Embryos of the African Turquoise Killifish Nothobranchius furzeri. Cold Spring Harb Protoc 2023; 2023:130-137. [PMID: 36283839 DOI: 10.1101/pdb.prot107752] [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] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
The African turquoise killifish Nothobranchius furzeri is an emerging research organism known for its short life span and long-term diapause. Diapause is a unique dormant state that suspends embryonic development without tradeoffs in the adulthood life span. Recently, diapause has been gaining increasing interest from the research community. Here, we report our methods for handling the embryos of N. furzeri that go through diapause. We focus on a few key steps: (1) collecting N. furzeri embryos, (2) sorting embryos entering diapause, (3) storing diapause embryos, (4) screening embryos exiting diapause, and (5) hatching post-diapause and fully developed embryos. This method should help the need to obtain a large number of embryos in synchronization with their diapause-entering and -exiting status and satisfy the need for cell biology, genetic, genomic, and biochemistry experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi-Kuo Hu
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook University, New York 11794, USA
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14
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Rozenberg I, Moses E, Harel I. CRISPR-Cas9 Genome Editing in Nothobranchius furzeri for Gene Knockout and Knock-In. Cold Spring Harb Protoc 2023; 2023:90-99. [PMID: 36223984 DOI: 10.1101/pdb.prot107742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
The African turquoise killifish Nothobranchius furzeri has recently gained interest as an emerging vertebrate model system for the study of aging, owing to its naturally short life span and generation time. Here, we provide a step-by-step guide for effective genome engineering using the CRISPR-Cas9 system to generate loss-of-function (i.e., knockout) alleles and for precise editing (i.e., knock-in) of short sequences into the genome. Using this approach, a new stable line can be created within several months. The killifish's tough chorion, rapid growth, and short life span are considered in this protocol and account for the key deviations from similar protocols in other fish models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Itai Rozenberg
- Department of Genetics, the Silberman Institute, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Givat Ram, Jerusalem, 91904 Israel
| | - Eitan Moses
- Department of Genetics, the Silberman Institute, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Givat Ram, Jerusalem, 91904 Israel
| | - Itamar Harel
- Department of Genetics, the Silberman Institute, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Givat Ram, Jerusalem, 91904 Israel
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15
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Reichard M, Giannetti K, Ferreira T, Maouche A, Vrtílek M, Polačik M, Blažek R, Ferreira MG. Lifespan and telomere length variation across populations of wild-derived African killifish. Mol Ecol 2022; 31:5979-5992. [PMID: 34826177 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Revised: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Telomeres and telomerase prevent the continuous erosion of chromosome-ends caused by lifelong cell division. Shortened telomeres are associated with age-related pathologies. While short telomere length is positively correlated with increased lethality at the individual level, in comparisons across species short telomeres are associated with long (and not short) lifespans. Here, we tested this contradiction between individual and evolutionary patterns in telomere length using African annual killifish. We analysed lifespan and telomere length in a set of captive strains derived from well-defined wild populations of Nothobranchius furzeri and its sister species, N. kadleci, from sites along a strong gradient of aridity which ultimately determines maximum natural lifespan. Overall, males were shorter-lived than females, and also had shorter telomeres. Male lifespan (measured in controlled laboratory conditions) was positively associated with the amount of annual rainfall in the site of strain origin. However, fish from wetter climates had shorter telomeres. In addition, individual fish which grew largest over the juvenile period possessed shorter telomeres at the onset of adulthood. This demonstrates that individual condition and environmentally-driven selection indeed modulate the relationship between telomere length and lifespan in opposite directions, validating the existence of inverse trends within a single taxon. Intraindividual heterogeneity of telomere length (capable to detect very short telomeres) was not associated with mean telomere length, suggesting that the shortest telomeres are controlled by regulatory pathways other than those that determine mean telomere length. The substantial variation in telomere length between strains from different environments identifies killifish as a powerful system in understanding the adaptive value of telomere length.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Reichard
- Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Brno, Czech Republic.,Department of Ecology and Vertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Łódź, Łódź, Poland.,Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | | | | | - Ahmed Maouche
- Institute for Research on Cancer and Aging of Nice (IRCAN), UMR7284 U1081 Université Côte d'Azur, Nice, France
| | - Milan Vrtílek
- Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Matej Polačik
- Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Radim Blažek
- Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Miguel Godinho Ferreira
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal.,Institute for Research on Cancer and Aging of Nice (IRCAN), UMR7284 U1081 Université Côte d'Azur, Nice, France
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16
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Dohi E, Matsui H. The Utility of Small Fishes for the Genetic Study of Human Age-Related Disorders. Front Genet 2022; 13:928597. [PMID: 35910227 PMCID: PMC9335361 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.928597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal models have been used to model human diseases, and among them, small fishes have been highlighted for their usefulness in various ways, such as the low cost of maintenance, ease of genetic modification, small size for easy handling, and strength in imaging studies due to their relative transparency. Recently, the use of turquoise killifish, Nothobranchius furzeri, which is known to exhibit various aging phenotypes in a short period, has attracted attention in research on aging and age-related diseases. However, when using animal models, it is important to keep their genetic background and interspecies differences in mind for translating them into human diseases. In this article, we obtained the gene symbols of protein-coding genes of turquoise killifish, medaka, zebrafish, and humans from NCBI datasets and extracted common shared genes among four species to explore the potential of interspecies translational research and to apply small fish models for human age-related disorders. Common shared protein-coding genes were analyzed with the Reactome Pathway Database to determine the coverage of these genes in each pathway in humans. We applied common shared genes to the Orphanet database to establish a list of human diseases that contain common shared genes among the four species. As examples, the senescence-related pathways and some pathways of human age-related diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, frontotemporal dementia, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, progeria, hepatocellular carcinoma, and renal cell carcinoma, were extracted from the curated pathway and disease list to discuss the further utility of fish models for human age-related disorders.
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17
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Mocho JP, Collymore C, Farmer SC, Leguay E, Murray KN, Pereira N. FELASA-AALAS Recommendations for Biosecurity in an Aquatic Facility, Including Prevention of Zoonosis, Introduction of New Fish Colonies, and Quarantine. Comp Med 2022; 72:149-168. [PMID: 35688609 PMCID: PMC9334003 DOI: 10.30802/aalas-cm-22-000042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
FELASA and AALAS established a joint working group to advise on good practices for the exchange of fish for research. In a first manuscript, the working group made recommendations for health monitoring and reporting of monitoring results. The focus of this second related manuscript is biosecurity in fish facilities. First, we define the risk of contamination of personnel by zoonotic pathogens from fish or from system water, including human mycobacteriosis. Preventive measures are recommended, such as wearing task-specific personal protective equipment. Then we discuss biosecurity, highlighting the establishment of biosecurity barriers to preserve the health status of a facility. A functional biosecurity program relies on integration of the entire animal facility organization, including the flow of staff and animals, water treatments, and equipment sanitation. Finally, we propose 4 steps for introducing new fish colonies: consideration of international trade and national restrictions; assessing risk according to fish source and developmental stage; establishing quarantine barriers; and the triage, screening, and treatment of newly imported fish. We then provide 3 realistic sample scenarios to illustrate practical biosecurity risk assessments and mitigation measures based on considerations of health status and quarantine conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Chereen Collymore
- Veterinary Care and Services, Charles River Laboratories, Senneville, Quebec, Canada
| | - Susan C Farmer
- Zebrafish Research Facility, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | | | - Katrina N Murray
- Zebrafish International Resource Center, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, USA
| | - Nuno Pereira
- Chronic Diseases Research Center (CEDOC), Nova Medical School, Lisbon; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Lusophone University of Humanities and Technologies, Lisbon, Portugal; Gulbenkian Institute of Science, Oeiras, Portugal; ISPA - University Institute of Psychological, Social and Life Sciences, Lisbon, Portugal; Lisbon Oceanarium, Lisbon, Portugal
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18
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Mocho JP, Collymore C, Farmer SC, Leguay E, Murray KN, Pereira N. FELASA-AALAS Recommendations for Monitoring and Reporting of Laboratory Fish Diseases and Health Status, with an Emphasis on Zebrafish ( Danio Rerio). Comp Med 2022; 72:127-148. [PMID: 35513000 PMCID: PMC9334007 DOI: 10.30802/aalas-cm-22-000034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
The exchange of fish for research may expose an aquatic laboratory to pathogen contamination as incoming fish can introduce bacteria, fungi, parasites, and viruses capable of affecting both experimental results and fish and personnel health and welfare. To develop risk mitigation strategies, FELASA and AALAS established a joint working group to recommend good practices for health monitoring of laboratory fish. The recommendations address all fish species used for research, with a particular focus on zebrafish (Danio rerio). First, the background of the working group and key definitions are provided. Next, fish diseases of high impact are described. Third, recommendations are made for health monitoring of laboratory fishes. The recommendations emphasize the importance of daily observation of the fish and strategies to determine fish colony health status. Finally, report templates are proposed for historical screening data and aquatic facility description to facilitate biohazard risk assessment when exchanging fish.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Chereen Collymore
- Veterinary Care and Services, Charles River Laboratories, Senneville, Quebec, Canada
| | - Susan C Farmer
- Zebrafish Research Facility, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | | | - Katrina N Murray
- Zebrafish International Resource Center, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, USA
| | - Nuno Pereira
- Chronic Diseases Research Center (CEDOC), Nova Medical School, Lisbon; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Lusophone University of Humanities and Technologies, Lisbon, Portugal; Gulbenkian Institute of Science, Oeiras. Portugal; ISPA - University Institute of Psychological, Social and Life Sciences, Lisbon, Portugal; Lisbon Oceanarium, Lisbon, Portugal
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19
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Žák J, Roy K, Dyková I, Mráz J, Reichard M. Starter feed for carnivorous species as a practical replacement of bloodworms for a vertebrate model organism in ageing, the turquoise killifish Nothobranchius furzeri. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2022; 100:894-908. [PMID: 35195903 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.15021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Revised: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The absence of a controlled diet is unfortunate in a promising model organism for ageing, the turquoise killifish (Nothobranchius furzeri Jubb, 1971). Currently captive N. furzeri are fed bloodworms but it is not known whether this is an optimal diet. Replacing bloodworms with a practical dry feed would reduce diet variability. In the present study, we estimated the nutritional value of the diet ingested by wild fish and determined the fish-body amino acid profile as a proxy for their nutritional requirements. We compared the performance of fish fed four commercial feeds containing 46%-64% protein to that achieved with bloodworms and that of wild fish. Wild fish target a high-protein (60%) diet and this is supported by their superior performance on high-protein diets in captivity. In contrast, feeds for omnivores led to slower growth, lower fecundity and unnatural liver size. In comparison to wild fish, a bloodworm diet led to lower body condition, overfeeding and male liver enlargement. Out of the four dry feeds tested, the fish fed Aller matched wild fish in body condition and liver size, and was comparable to bloodworms in terms of growth and fecundity. A starter feed for carnivorous species appears to be a practical replacement for bloodworms for N. furzeri. The use of dry feeds improved performance in comparison to bloodworms and thus may contribute to reducing response variability and improving research reproducibility in N. furzeri research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakub Žák
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Science, Brno, Czech Republic
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Koushik Roy
- Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Iva Dyková
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Mráz
- Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Reichard
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Science, Brno, Czech Republic
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
- Department of Ecology and Vertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Łódź, Łódź, Poland
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20
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Kafula YA, Philippe C, Pinceel T, Munishi LK, Moyo F, Vanschoenwinkel B, Brendonck L, Thoré ESJ. Pesticide sensitivity of Nothobranchius neumanni, a temporary pond predator with a non-generic life-history. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 291:132823. [PMID: 34767842 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.132823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Revised: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Pesticides are crucial to improve agricultural productivity, but often adversely affect surrounding aquatic systems and their fauna. To determine the environmental risk of pesticides, routine ecotoxicological tests are performed on several organisms, including standard fish models. However, these typically do not include fish species from variable habitats and with non-generic life-histories. In particular, inhabitants from temporary ponds such as annual killifish are conventionally understood to be resilient to natural stressors which could translate to higher pesticide resistance or, alternatively, trade-off with their resistance to pesticides and render them more sensitive than classic fish models. Using standard exposure tests, we assessed short-term toxicity effects of two commonly used pesticides, Roundup and cypermethrin, on the annual killifish Nothobranchius neumanni, and compared its sensitivity with that of classic fish models. For Roundup, we found a 72 h-LC50 of 1.79 ± 0.11 mg/L, which is lower than the values reported for zebrafish, medaka, fathead minnow and rainbow trout, suggesting that N. neumanni is more sensitive to the compound. The opposite was true for cypermethrin, with a 72 h-LC50 of 0.27 ± 0.03 mg/L. However, these LC50-values do not deviate strongly from those reported for other fish species, supporting earlier findings in the congeneric N. furzeri that the sensitivity of annual killifish to pollutants is similar to that of classic fish models despite their assumed robustness to environmental stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yusuph A Kafula
- Department of Aquatic Sciences, College of Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries, Mwalimu Julius K. Nyerere University of Agriculture and Technology, P. O Box 976, Musoma, Tanzania; Department of Sustainable Agriculture, Biodiversity and Ecosystem Management, School of Life Sciences and Bio-Engineering, Nelson Mandela - African Institution of Science and Technology, P. O Box 447, Arusha, Tanzania; Laboratory of Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Charlotte Philippe
- Laboratory of Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Tom Pinceel
- Laboratory of Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, 3000, Leuven, Belgium; Centre for Environmental Management, University of the Free State, P. O. Box 339, Bloemfontein, 9300, South Africa
| | - Linus K Munishi
- Department of Sustainable Agriculture, Biodiversity and Ecosystem Management, School of Life Sciences and Bio-Engineering, Nelson Mandela - African Institution of Science and Technology, P. O Box 447, Arusha, Tanzania
| | - Francis Moyo
- Department of Sustainable Agriculture, Biodiversity and Ecosystem Management, School of Life Sciences and Bio-Engineering, Nelson Mandela - African Institution of Science and Technology, P. O Box 447, Arusha, Tanzania
| | - Bram Vanschoenwinkel
- Community Ecology Laboratory, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussels, Belgium; Centre for Environmental Management, University of the Free State, P. O. Box 339, Bloemfontein, 9300, South Africa
| | - Luc Brendonck
- Laboratory of Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, 3000, Leuven, Belgium; Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences, And Management, North-West University, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom, 2520, South Africa
| | - Eli S J Thoré
- Laboratory of Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
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21
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Dyková I, Žák J, Blažek R, Reichard M, Součková K, Slabý O. Histology of major organ systems of Nothobranchius fishes: short-lived model species. JOURNAL OF VERTEBRATE BIOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.25225/jvb.21074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Iva Dyková
- Institute of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic, e-mail:
| | - Jakub Žák
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic; e-mail: , ,
| | - Radim Blažek
- Institute of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic, e-mail:
| | - Martin Reichard
- Institute of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic, e-mail:
| | - Kamila Součková
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic; e-mail: ,
| | - Ondřej Slabý
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic; e-mail: ,
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22
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Reichard M, Blažek R, Žák J, Cellerino A, Polačik M. The sources of sex differences in aging in annual fishes. J Anim Ecol 2021; 91:540-550. [PMID: 34954818 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13656] [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: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Inter-sexual differences in lifespan (age at death) and aging (increase in mortality risk associated with functional deterioration) are widespread among animals, from nematodes to humans. Males often live shorter than females, but there is substantial unexplained variation among species and populations. Despite extensive research, it is poorly understood how lifespan differences between the sexes are modulated by an interplay among genetic, environmental and social factors. The goal of our study was to test how sex differences in lifespan and ageing are modulated by social and environmental factors, and by intrinsic differences between males and females. To disentangle the complex basis of sex differences in lifespan and aging, we combined comparative data from sex ratios in 367 natural populations of four species of African annual killifish with experimental results on sex differences in lifespan and aging from eight laboratory populations tested in treatments that varied social and environmental conditions. In the wild, females consistently outlived males. In captivity, sex-specific mortality depended on social conditions. In social-housed experimental groups, male-biased mortality persisted in two aggressive species, but ceased in two placid species. When social and physical contacts were prevented by housing all fish individually, male-biased mortality ceased in all four species. This outcome held across benign and challenging environmental conditions. Fitting demographic survival models revealed that increased baseline mortality was primarily responsible for a shorter male lifespan in social-housing conditions. The timing and rate of aging were not different between the sexes. No marker of functional aging we recorded in our study (lipofuscin accumulation, proliferative changes in kidney and liver) differed between males and females, despite their previously confirmed association with functional aging in Nothobranchius killifish. We show that sex differences in lifespan and aging in killifish are driven by a combination of social and environmental conditions, rather than differential functional aging. They are primarily linked to sexual selection but precipitated through multiple processes (predation, social interference). This demonstrates how sex-specific mortality varies among species even within an ecologically and evolutionary discrete lineage and explains how external factors mediate this difference.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Reichard
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic.,Department of Ecology and Vertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Łódź, Łódź, Poland.,Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Radim Blažek
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jakub Žák
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic.,Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Alessandro Cellerino
- Bio@SNS, Scuola Normale Superiore, Department of Neurosciences, Pisa, Italy.,Fritz Lipmann Institute for Age Research, Leibniz Institute, Beutenbergstr. 11, Jena, Germany
| | - Matej Polačik
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
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23
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Age-Related Alterations in the Behavior and Serotonin-Related Gene mRNA Levels in the Brain of Males and Females of Short-Lived Turquoise Killifish ( Nothobranchius furzeri). Biomolecules 2021; 11:biom11101421. [PMID: 34680051 PMCID: PMC8533623 DOI: 10.3390/biom11101421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Revised: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Short-lived turquoise killifish (Nothobranchius furzeri) have become a popular model organism for neuroscience. In the present paper we study for the first time their behavior in the novel tank diving test and the levels of mRNA of various 5-HT-related genes in brains of 2-, 4- and 6-month-old males and females of N. furzeri. The marked effect of age on body mass, locomotor activity and the mRNA level of Tph1b, Tph2, Slc6a4b, Mao, Htr1aa, Htr2a, Htr3a, Htr3b, Htr4, Htr6 genes in the brains of N. furzeri males was shown. Locomotor activity and expression of the Mao gene increased, while expression of Tph1b, Tph2, Slc6a4b, Htr1aa, Htr2a, Htr3a, Htr3b, Htr4, Htr6 genes decreased in 6-month-old killifish. Significant effects of sex on body mass as well as on mRNA level of Tph1a, Tph1b, Tph2, Slc6a4b, Htr1aa, 5-HT2a, Htr3a, Htr3b, Htr4, and Htr6 genes were revealed: in general both the body mass and the expression of these genes were higher in males. N. furzeri is a suitable model with which to study the fundamental problems of age-related alterations in various mRNA levels related with the brains 5-HT system.
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24
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Van houcke J, Mariën V, Zandecki C, Vanhunsel S, Moons L, Ayana R, Seuntjens E, Arckens L. Aging impairs the essential contributions of non-glial progenitors to neurorepair in the dorsal telencephalon of the Killifish Nothobranchius furzeri. Aging Cell 2021; 20:e13464. [PMID: 34428340 PMCID: PMC8441397 DOI: 10.1111/acel.13464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Revised: 07/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The aging central nervous system (CNS) of mammals displays progressive limited regenerative abilities. Recovery after loss of neurons is extremely restricted in the aged brain. Many research models fall short in recapitulating mammalian aging hallmarks or have an impractically long lifespan. We established a traumatic brain injury model in the African turquoise killifish (Nothobranchius furzeri), a regeneration‐competent vertebrate that evolved to naturally age extremely fast. Stab‐wound injury of the aged killifish dorsal telencephalon unveils an impaired and incomplete regeneration response when compared to young individuals. In the young adult killifish, brain regeneration is mainly supported by atypical non‐glial progenitors, yet their proliferation capacity clearly declines with age. We identified a high inflammatory response and glial scarring to also underlie the hampered generation of new neurons in aged fish. These primary results will pave the way to unravel the factor age in relation to neurorepair, and to improve therapeutic strategies to restore the injured and/or diseased aged mammalian CNS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jolien Van houcke
- Department of Biology Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neuroproteomics KU Leuven Leuven Belgium
| | - Valerie Mariën
- Department of Biology Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neuroproteomics KU Leuven Leuven Belgium
| | - Caroline Zandecki
- Department of Biology Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neuroproteomics KU Leuven Leuven Belgium
- Department of Biology Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology KU Leuven Leuven Belgium
| | - Sophie Vanhunsel
- Department of Biology Laboratory of Neural Circuit Development and Regeneration KU Leuven Leuven Belgium
| | - Lieve Moons
- Department of Biology Laboratory of Neural Circuit Development and Regeneration KU Leuven Leuven Belgium
- KU Leuven Brain Institute Leuven Belgium
| | - Rajagopal Ayana
- Department of Biology Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neuroproteomics KU Leuven Leuven Belgium
- Department of Biology Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology KU Leuven Leuven Belgium
| | - Eve Seuntjens
- Department of Biology Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology KU Leuven Leuven Belgium
- KU Leuven Brain Institute Leuven Belgium
| | - Lutgarde Arckens
- Department of Biology Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neuroproteomics KU Leuven Leuven Belgium
- KU Leuven Brain Institute Leuven Belgium
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25
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Sperm cryopreservation and in vitro fertilization techniques for the African turquoise killifish Nothobranchius furzeri. Sci Rep 2021; 11:17145. [PMID: 34433853 PMCID: PMC8387425 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-96383-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the last decade, the African turquoise killifish, Nothobranchius furzeri, has emerged as an important model system for the study of vertebrate biology and ageing. Propagation of laboratory inbred strains of Nothobranchius furzeri, such as GRZ, however, can pose challenges due to the short window of fertility, the efforts and space requirements involved in continuous strain maintenance, and the risks of further inbreeding. The current method for long term strain preservation relies on arrest of embryos in diapause. To create an alternative for long term maintenance, we developed a robust protocol to cryopreserve and revive sperm for in vitro fertilization (IVF). We tested a variety of extender and activator buffers for sperm IVF, as well as cryoprotectants to achieve practical long-term storage and fertilization conditions tailored to this species. Our protocol enabled sperm to be preserved in a cryogenic condition for months and to be revived with an average of 40% viability upon thawing. Thawed sperm were able to fertilize nearly the same number of eggs as natural fertilization, with an average of ~ 25% and peaks of ~ 55% fertilization. This technical advance will greatly facilitate the use of N. furzeri as a model organism.
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26
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Vanhunsel S, Bergmans S, Beckers A, Etienne I, Van Houcke J, Seuntjens E, Arckens L, De Groef L, Moons L. The killifish visual system as an in vivo model to study brain aging and rejuvenation. NPJ Aging Mech Dis 2021; 7:22. [PMID: 34404797 PMCID: PMC8371010 DOI: 10.1038/s41514-021-00077-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Worldwide, people are getting older, and this prolonged lifespan unfortunately also results in an increased prevalence of age-related neurodegenerative diseases, contributing to a diminished life quality of elderly. Age-associated neuropathies typically include diseases leading to dementia (Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease), as well as eye diseases such as glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration. Despite many research attempts aiming to unravel aging processes and their involvement in neurodegeneration and functional decline, achieving healthy brain aging remains a challenge. The African turquoise killifish (Nothobranchius furzeri) is the shortest-lived reported vertebrate that can be bred in captivity and displays many of the aging hallmarks that have been described for human aging, which makes it a very promising biogerontology model. As vision decline is an important hallmark of aging as well as a manifestation of many neurodegenerative diseases, we performed a comprehensive characterization of this fish's aging visual system. Our work reveals several aging hallmarks in the killifish retina and brain that eventually result in a diminished visual performance. Moreover, we found evidence for the occurrence of neurodegenerative events in the old killifish retina. Altogether, we introduce the visual system of the fast-aging killifish as a valuable model to understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying aging in the vertebrate central nervous system. These findings put forward the killifish for target validation as well as drug discovery for rejuvenating or neuroprotective therapies ensuring healthy aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Vanhunsel
- Neural Circuit Development and Regeneration Research Group, Animal Physiology and Neurobiology Section, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Steven Bergmans
- Neural Circuit Development and Regeneration Research Group, Animal Physiology and Neurobiology Section, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - An Beckers
- Neural Circuit Development and Regeneration Research Group, Animal Physiology and Neurobiology Section, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Jolien Van Houcke
- Neuroplasticity and Neuroproteomics Research Group, Animal Physiology and Neurobiology Section, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Eve Seuntjens
- Developmental Neurobiology Research Group, Animal Physiology and Neurobiology Section, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Leuven Brain Institute, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Lut Arckens
- Neuroplasticity and Neuroproteomics Research Group, Animal Physiology and Neurobiology Section, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Leuven Brain Institute, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Lies De Groef
- Neural Circuit Development and Regeneration Research Group, Animal Physiology and Neurobiology Section, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Leuven Brain Institute, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Lieve Moons
- Neural Circuit Development and Regeneration Research Group, Animal Physiology and Neurobiology Section, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
- Leuven Brain Institute, Leuven, Belgium.
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27
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Vrtílek M, Bolnick DI. Macroevolutionary foundations of a recently evolved innate immune defense. Evolution 2021; 75:2600-2612. [PMID: 34347301 PMCID: PMC8488947 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Revised: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Antagonistic interactions between hosts and parasites may drive the evolution of novel host defenses, or new parasite strategies. Host immunity is therefore one of the fastest evolving traits. But where do the novel immune traits come from? Here, we test for phylogenetic conservation in a rapidly evolving immune trait—peritoneal fibrosis. Peritoneal fibrosis is a costly defense against a specialist tapeworm, Schistocephalus solidus (Cestoda), expressed in some freshwater populations of threespine stickleback fish (Gasterosteus aculeatus, Perciformes). We asked whether stickleback fibrosis is a derived species‐specific trait or an ancestral immune response that was widely distributed across ray‐finned fish (Actinopterygii) only to be employed by threespine stickleback against the specialist parasite. We combined literature review on peritoneal fibrosis with a comparative experiment using either parasite‐specific, or nonspecific, immune challenge in deliberately selected species across fish tree of life. We show that ray‐finned fish are broadly, but not universally, able to induce peritoneal fibrosis when challenged with a generic stimulus (Alum adjuvant). The experimental species were, however, largely indifferent to the tapeworm antigen homogenate. Peritoneal fibrosis, thus, appears to be a common and deeply conserved fish immune response that was co‐opted by stickleback to adapt to a new selective challenge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milan Vrtílek
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, 603 65, Czech Republic
| | - Daniel I Bolnick
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, 06269
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28
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Dyková I, Žák J, Reichard M, Součková K, Slabý O, Bystrý V, Blažek R. Histopathology of laboratory-reared Nothobranchius fishes: Mycobacterial infections versus neoplastic lesions. JOURNAL OF FISH DISEASES 2021; 44:1179-1190. [PMID: 33844322 DOI: 10.1111/jfd.13378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2021] [Revised: 03/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Short-lived killifishes of the genus Nothobranchius Peters, 1868 (Cyprinodontiformes) are considered promising model organisms for biomedical research on ageing and tumorigenesis. We conducted histopathological analysis of 411 adult individuals from three Nothobranchius species to study details on spontaneous age-related neoplastic lesions. Light microscopy based on H&E and toluidine blue-stained sections revealed (a) non-proliferative liver changes with pronounced vacuolation of hepatocytes; (b) proliferation of kidney haemopoietic tissue contributing to excretory system damage; (c) proliferation of splenic mononuclear haemoblasts accompanied by reduced erythropoiesis; (d) proliferation of mononuclear cell aggregates in the liver parenchyma; and (e) rare occurrence of hepatocellular adenomas. Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) staining revealed that the proliferative lesions are a host defence response to mycobacterial infections manifested by activation of the mononuclear phagocytic system and atypical granulomatous inflammatory reaction. 16S rRNA analysis identified three species of Mycobacterium in our samples. Our findings turn attention to lesions which mimic neoplasms by their gross appearance and question the light microscopic interpretation of lesions unless differential ZN staining is included. Beyond the limitations of our morphological approach, the intensity of mycobacterial infections is a challenging opportunity for research into the molecular-genetic background of the mononuclear phagocytic system reaction in Nothobranchius killifish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iva Dyková
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jakub Žák
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Reichard
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Kamila Součková
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Ondřej Slabý
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
- Department of Comprehensive Cancer Care, Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Vojtěch Bystrý
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Radim Blažek
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
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29
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Evsiukova V, Antonov E, Kulikov AV. Effects of Sex and Group Size on Behavior and Brain Biogenic Amines in Short-Lived Turquoise Killifish ( Nothobranchius furzeri). Zebrafish 2021; 18:265-273. [PMID: 34324391 DOI: 10.1089/zeb.2021.0001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Short-lived turquoise killifish (Nothobranchius furzeri) becomes a popular model species for neuroscience. However, the effects of sex and rearing conditions on behavior and brain monoamines in N. furzeri are unknown. In this article, we study the body mass, behavior in the novel tank diving test, levels of noradrenaline (NA), dopamine (DA), serotonin (5-HT), 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) in the brain of 108 day-old N. furzeri males and females reared in small (one male and one or two females in 4-L tanks) and large (four males and four females in 25-L tanks) groups. Males were heavier and had a lower NA level in the brain compared with females. The behavior of males and females did not differ in the novel tank diving test. Their DA, 5-HT, DOPAC, and 5-HIAA levels in the brain did not differ too. Males from small groups spent more time near the tank's bottom. Rearing in small groups reduced the DA level in the female brain and the DOPAC level in female and male brains. However, group size did not affect body mass, 5-HT and 5-HIAA levels in the brain. Thus, group size is important for behavior and neuroscience studies of N. furzeri.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Evsiukova
- Federal Research Center Institute of Cytology and Genetics SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia.,Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Egor Antonov
- Federal Research Center Institute of Cytology and Genetics SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Alexander V Kulikov
- Federal Research Center Institute of Cytology and Genetics SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia
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30
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Pinceel T, Vanden Berghen B, Buschke F, Waterkeyn A, da Costa Nerantzoulis I, Rodrigues M, Thoré E, Burrough R, Worth E, Brendonck L. Co-occurrence of large branchiopods and killifish in African savannah ponds. Ecology 2021; 102:e03505. [PMID: 34319594 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Revised: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tom Pinceel
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Centre for Environmental Management, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein, 9300, South Africa
| | - Birgit Vanden Berghen
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Society-Environment Interactions, Division of Bio-economics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Falko Buschke
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Centre for Environmental Management, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein, 9300, South Africa
| | - Aline Waterkeyn
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Mery Rodrigues
- Department of Biological Sciences, Eduardo Mondlane University, P.O. Box 257, Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Eli Thoré
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | | | - Luc Brendonck
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, Potchefstroom Campus, North-West University, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom, South Africa
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31
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Thoré ESJ, Philippe C, Brendonck L, Pinceel T. Towards improved fish tests in ecotoxicology - Efficient chronic and multi-generational testing with the killifish Nothobranchius furzeri. CHEMOSPHERE 2021; 273:129697. [PMID: 33517116 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.129697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2020] [Revised: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
As many freshwaters are chemically polluted, one of the challenges for policy makers is to determine the potential impact of these pollutants on ecosystems and to define safe concentrations. Common practice is the use of ecotoxicological assays to assess the response of model organisms from different trophic levels such as algae, invertebrates and fish during exposure to dilutions of a specific compound. Ideally, ecotoxicological assessments of (pseudo-)persistent chemicals should be performed across the life-cycle or even multiple generations for an accurate risk assessment. Multigenerational tests with fish are, however, impractical and costly given the long lifespan and generation time of classic model species. Here, we suggest a framework for more relevant, time- and cost-efficient fish-based testing in ecotoxicology and align it with accredited test guidelines. Next, we introduce an upcoming fish model, the turquoise killifish Nothobranchius furzeri, and show how it facilitates such research agendas due to a short lifespan and generation time. Through a review of fish-based exposure studies with a set of reference toxicants, we position N. furzeri as a sensitive species, suitable for screening effects of different pollutant types. Ultimately, we perform a cost-benefit analysis and propose a plan of action for the introduction of N. furzeri into accredited test guidelines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eli S J Thoré
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Charlotte Philippe
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Luc Brendonck
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
| | - Tom Pinceel
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Centre for Environmental Management, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
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32
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Rowiński PK, Sowersby W, Näslund J, Eckerström-Liedholm S, Gotthard K, Rogell B. Variation in developmental rates is not linked to environmental unpredictability in annual killifishes. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:8027-8037. [PMID: 34188869 PMCID: PMC8216982 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2021] [Revised: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Comparative evidence suggests that adaptive plasticity may evolve as a response to predictable environmental variation. However, less attention has been placed on unpredictable environmental variation, which is considered to affect evolutionary trajectories by increasing phenotypic variation (or bet hedging). Here, we examine the occurrence of bet hedging in egg developmental rates in seven species of annual killifish that originate from a gradient of variation in precipitation rates, under three treatment incubation temperatures (21, 23, and 25°C). In the wild, these species survive regular and seasonal habitat desiccation, as dormant eggs buried in the soil. At the onset of the rainy season, embryos must be sufficiently developed in order to hatch and complete their life cycle. We found substantial differences among species in both the mean and variation of egg development rates, as well as species-specific plastic responses to incubation temperature. Yet, there was no clear relationship between variation in egg development time and variation in precipitation rate (environmental predictability). The exact cause of these differences therefore remains enigmatic, possibly depending on differences in other natural environmental conditions in addition to precipitation predictability. Hence, if species-specific variances are adaptive, the relationship between development and variation in precipitation is complex and does not diverge in accordance with simple linear relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Will Sowersby
- Department of Zoology Stockholm University Stockholm Sweden
- Department of Biology Faculty of Science Osaka City University Osaka Japan
| | - Joacim Näslund
- Department of Zoology Stockholm University Stockholm Sweden
- Department of Aquatic Resources Institute of Freshwater Research Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Drottningholm Sweden
| | | | - Karl Gotthard
- Department of Zoology Stockholm University Stockholm Sweden
| | - Björn Rogell
- Department of Zoology Stockholm University Stockholm Sweden
- Department of Aquatic Resources Institute of Freshwater Research Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Drottningholm Sweden
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33
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Holtze S, Gorshkova E, Braude S, Cellerino A, Dammann P, Hildebrandt TB, Hoeflich A, Hoffmann S, Koch P, Terzibasi Tozzini E, Skulachev M, Skulachev VP, Sahm A. Alternative Animal Models of Aging Research. Front Mol Biosci 2021; 8:660959. [PMID: 34079817 PMCID: PMC8166319 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.660959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2021] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Most research on mechanisms of aging is being conducted in a very limited number of classical model species, i.e., laboratory mouse (Mus musculus), rat (Rattus norvegicus domestica), the common fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) and roundworm (Caenorhabditis elegans). The obvious advantages of using these models are access to resources such as strains with known genetic properties, high-quality genomic and transcriptomic sequencing data, versatile experimental manipulation capabilities including well-established genome editing tools, as well as extensive experience in husbandry. However, this approach may introduce interpretation biases due to the specific characteristics of the investigated species, which may lead to inappropriate, or even false, generalization. For example, it is still unclear to what extent knowledge of aging mechanisms gained in short-lived model organisms is transferable to long-lived species such as humans. In addition, other specific adaptations favoring a long and healthy life from the immense evolutionary toolbox may be entirely missed. In this review, we summarize the specific characteristics of emerging animal models that have attracted the attention of gerontologists, we provide an overview of the available data and resources related to these models, and we summarize important insights gained from them in recent years. The models presented include short-lived ones such as killifish (Nothobranchius furzeri), long-lived ones such as primates (Callithrix jacchus, Cebus imitator, Macaca mulatta), bathyergid mole-rats (Heterocephalus glaber, Fukomys spp.), bats (Myotis spp.), birds, olms (Proteus anguinus), turtles, greenland sharks, bivalves (Arctica islandica), and potentially non-aging ones such as Hydra and Planaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Holtze
- Department of Reproduction Management, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ekaterina Gorshkova
- Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
- Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Stan Braude
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Alessandro Cellerino
- Biology Laboratory, Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa, Italy
- Leibniz Institute on Aging – Fritz Lipmann Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Philip Dammann
- Department of General Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
- Central Animal Laboratory, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Thomas B. Hildebrandt
- Department of Reproduction Management, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Free University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Andreas Hoeflich
- Division Signal Transduction, Institute for Genome Biology, Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology, Dummerstorf, Germany
| | - Steve Hoffmann
- Computational Biology Group, Leibniz Institute on Aging – Fritz Lipmann Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Philipp Koch
- Core Facility Life Science Computing, Leibniz Institute on Aging – Fritz Lipmann Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Eva Terzibasi Tozzini
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy
| | - Maxim Skulachev
- Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Vladimir P. Skulachev
- Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Arne Sahm
- Computational Biology Group, Leibniz Institute on Aging – Fritz Lipmann Institute, Jena, Germany
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34
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Thoré ESJ, Brendonck L, Pinceel T. Natural daily patterns in fish behaviour may confound results of ecotoxicological testing. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2021; 276:116738. [PMID: 33611201 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Revised: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Low doses of neuroactive chemicals end up in the environment and disrupt behaviour of non-target organisms. Although a whole range of studies have documented pollutant-induced changes in behaviour, natural daily variability in behaviour is rarely taken into account. This is surprising because biological rhythms may affect the outcome of experiments, are adaptive and are expected to be sensitive to neurochemical exposure. Here, we exploit daily behavioural variation in the fish model Nothobranchius furzeri to examine if behavioural effects of chronic exposure (74 days) to an environmentally relevant level (28 ng/L) of the neurochemical fluoxetine depend on the time of day. Fluoxetine exposure induced an increase in anxiety-related behaviour that was slightly more pronounced in the evening compared to the morning. Moreover, open-field locomotor activity was disrupted and daily patterns in activity lifted upon exposure to the compound. These results imply that short-term behavioural variability should be considered both to standardise ecological risk assessment of neuroactive chemicals as well as to better understand the environmental impact of such compounds in aquatic ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eli S J Thoré
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Luc Brendonck
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa.
| | - Tom Pinceel
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Centre for Environmental Management, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa.
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35
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Polačik M, Vrtílek M, Reichard M, Žák J, Blažek R, Podrabsky J. Embryo ecology: Developmental synchrony and asynchrony in the embryonic development of wild annual fish populations. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:4945-4956. [PMID: 33976861 PMCID: PMC8093744 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2020] [Revised: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Embryo-environment interactions are of paramount importance during the development of all organisms, and impacts during this period can echo far into later stages of ontogeny. African annual fish of the genus Nothobranchius live in temporary pools and their eggs survive the dry season in the dry bottom substrate of the pools by entering a facultative developmental arrest termed diapause. Uniquely among animals, the embryos (encased in eggs) may enter diapause at three different developmental stages. Such a system allows for the potential to employ different regulation mechanisms for each diapause. We sampled multiple Nothobranchius embryo banks across the progressing season, species, and populations. We present important baseline field data and examine the role of environmental regulation in the embryonic development of this unique system. We describe the course of embryo development in the wild and find it to be very different from the typical development under laboratory conditions. Development across the embryo banks was synchronized within and across the sampled populations with all embryos entering diapause I during the rainy season and diapause II during the dry season. Asynchrony occurred at transient phases of the habitat, during the process of habitat desiccation, and at the end of the dry season. Our findings reveal the significance of environmental conditions in the serial character of the annual fish diapauses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matej Polačik
- Institute of Vertebrate BiologyThe Czech Academy of SciencesBrnoCzech Republic
| | - Milan Vrtílek
- Institute of Vertebrate BiologyThe Czech Academy of SciencesBrnoCzech Republic
| | - Martin Reichard
- Institute of Vertebrate BiologyThe Czech Academy of SciencesBrnoCzech Republic
| | - Jakub Žák
- Institute of Vertebrate BiologyThe Czech Academy of SciencesBrnoCzech Republic
- Department of ZoologyCharles UniversityPragueCzech Republic
| | - Radim Blažek
- Institute of Vertebrate BiologyThe Czech Academy of SciencesBrnoCzech Republic
| | - Jason Podrabsky
- Center for Life in Extreme EnvironmentsPortland State UniversityPortlandORUSA
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36
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Riddle MR, Hu CK. Fish models for investigating nutritional regulation of embryonic development. Dev Biol 2021; 476:101-111. [PMID: 33831748 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2021.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Revised: 03/16/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
In recent decades, biologist have focused on the spatiotemporal regulation and function of genes to understand embryogenesis. It is clear that maternal diet impacts fetal development but how nutrients, like lipids and vitamins, modify developmental programs is not completely understood. Fish are useful research organisms for such investigations. Most species of fish produce eggs that develop outside the mother, dependent on a finite amount of yolk to form and grow. The developing embryo is a closed system that can be readily biochemically analyzed, easily visualized, and manipulated to understand the role of nutrients in tissue specification, organogenesis, and growth. Natural variation in yolk composition observed across fish species may be related to unique developmental strategies. In this review, we discuss the reasons that teleost fishes are powerful models to understand nutritional control of development and highlight three species that are particularly valuable for future investigations: the zebrafish, Danio rerio, the African Killifish, Nothobranchius furzeri, and the Mexican tetra, Astyanax mexicanus. This review is a part of a special issue on nutritional, hormonal, and metabolic drivers of development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Misty R Riddle
- Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, NV, USA.
| | - Chi-Kuo Hu
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
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Thoré ESJ, Van Hooreweghe F, Philippe C, Brendonck L, Pinceel T. Generation-specific and interactive effects of pesticide and antidepressant exposure in a fish model call for multi-stressor and multigenerational testing. AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2021; 232:105743. [PMID: 33460950 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2021.105743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Revised: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Ecological risks of a pollutant are typically assessed via short-term exposure of model organisms to that single compound. Such tests are informative, but cannot ascertain effects of long-term and multigenerational mixed-stressor exposure with which organisms are often confronted in their natural environment. Therefore, full life-cycle and multigenerational tests are needed. Yet, these are hampered due to long lifespans and generation times of many standard laboratory species, in particular for vertebrates such as fish. With a typical lifespan of 6 months and a generation time of about 3 months, the turquoise killifish (Nothobranchius furzeri) may be an ideal model for multigenerational testing. In this study, we assessed the impact of full life-cycle exposure to the emerging pollutant fluoxetine (0, 0.5 μg/L) in combination with chronic exposure during adulthood to the pesticide 3,4-dichloroaniline (0, 50, 100 μg/L) over two successive generations of N. furzeri. Overall, both life-history and behaviour were affected by exposure to fluoxetine and 3,4-DCA. Inhibitory effects of single chemical exposure on growth and fecundity were generation-dependent, while enhanced swimming acceleration and feeding in response to fluoxetine were dependent on the presence of 3,4-DCA. Together, these findings show the relevance of a multi-stressor approach across successive generations. Although full life-cycle and multigenerational tests are typically assumed to be impractical and costly for fish, we deliver an effective demonstration that such studies are possible within a timespan of less than 6 months with the killifish N. furzeri as a model organism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eli S J Thoré
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Floor Van Hooreweghe
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Charlotte Philippe
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Luc Brendonck
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, 3000, Leuven, Belgium; Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Private Bag X6001, 2520, Potchefstroom, South Africa.
| | - Tom Pinceel
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, 3000, Leuven, Belgium; Centre for Environmental Management, University of the Free State, P. O. Box 339, 9300, Bloemfontein, South Africa.
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38
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Terzibasi Tozzini E, Cellerino A. Nothobranchius annual killifishes. EvoDevo 2020; 11:25. [PMID: 33323125 PMCID: PMC7739477 DOI: 10.1186/s13227-020-00170-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2019] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Annual fishes of the genus Nothobranchius inhabit ephemeral habitats in Eastern and Southeastern Africa. Their life cycle is characterized by very rapid maturation, a posthatch lifespan of a few weeks to months and embryonic diapause to survive the dry season. The species N. furzeri holds the record of the fastest-maturing vertebrate and of the vertebrate with the shortest captive lifespan and is emerging as model organism in biomedical research, evolutionary biology, and developmental biology. Extensive characterization of age-related phenotypes in the laboratory and of ecology, distribution, and demography in the wild are available. Species/populations from habitats differing in precipitation intensity show parallel evolution of lifespan and age-related traits that conform to the classical theories on aging. Genome sequencing and the establishment of CRISPR/Cas9 techniques made this species particularly attractive to investigate the effects genetic and non-genetic intervention on lifespan and aging-related phenotypes. At the same time, annual fishes are a very interesting subject for comparative approaches, including genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics. The N. furzeri community is highly diverse and rapidly expanding and organizes a biannual meeting.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alessandro Cellerino
- Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa, Italy. .,Leibniz Institute on Aging-Fritz Lipmann Institute, Jena, Germany.
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39
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Wang W, Hu CK, Zeng A, Alegre D, Hu D, Gotting K, Ortega Granillo A, Wang Y, Robb S, Schnittker R, Zhang S, Alegre D, Li H, Ross E, Zhang N, Brunet A, Sánchez Alvarado A. Changes in regeneration-responsive enhancers shape regenerative capacities in vertebrates. Science 2020; 369:369/6508/eaaz3090. [PMID: 32883834 DOI: 10.1126/science.aaz3090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 119] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2019] [Revised: 03/05/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Vertebrates vary in their ability to regenerate, and the genetic mechanisms underlying such disparity remain elusive. Comparative epigenomic profiling and single-cell sequencing of two related teleost fish uncovered species-specific and evolutionarily conserved genomic responses to regeneration. The conserved response revealed several regeneration-responsive enhancers (RREs), including an element upstream to inhibin beta A (inhba), a known effector of vertebrate regeneration. This element activated expression in regenerating transgenic fish, and its genomic deletion perturbed caudal fin regeneration and abrogated cardiac regeneration altogether. The enhancer is present in mammals, shares functionally essential activator protein 1 (AP-1)-binding motifs, and responds to injury, but it cannot rescue regeneration in fish. This work suggests that changes in AP-1-enriched RREs are likely a crucial source of loss of regenerative capacities in vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Wang
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Chi-Kuo Hu
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - An Zeng
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Dana Alegre
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Deqing Hu
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Kirsten Gotting
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | | | - Yongfu Wang
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Sofia Robb
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | | | - Shasha Zhang
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Dillon Alegre
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Hua Li
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Eric Ross
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Ning Zhang
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Anne Brunet
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.,Glenn Laboratories for the Biology of Aging. Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Alejandro Sánchez Alvarado
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA. .,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
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40
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Žák J, Reichard M. Reproductive senescence in a short-lived fish. J Anim Ecol 2020; 90:492-502. [PMID: 33159690 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Reproductive senescence is an age-associated decline in reproductive performance, which often arises as a trade-off between current and future reproduction. Given that mortality is inevitable, increased allocation into current reproduction is favoured despite costs paid later in life. This assumption is violated in organisms with post-maturity growth whose reproductive output increases long after maturity. While reproductive senescence is frequently studied in animals with determinate growth at maturity, such as insects or mammals, we have very limited understanding of reproductive senescence in organisms with an extensive post-maturity growth period. The fact that many post-maturity growers experience strong adult mortality leads to conflicting expectations for reproductive senescence. The aim of this study was to investigate how co-occurrence of rapid life history and post-maturity growth mould reproductive senescence in a short-lived killifish, Nothobranchius furzeri, using longitudinal data on laboratory and wild-type populations. We followed the individual fecundity, fertility and fertilization of 132 singly housed fish from the perspectives of chronological and biological age. At the onset of senescence, the sex-specific contribution to decrease in fertilization capacity was investigated. Allocation trade-offs were estimated through the association between reproductive parameters and life span, and between early-life and late-life fecundity. We demonstrate that female fecundity increased steadily after maturity and reproductive senescence occurred long after the growth asymptote. The prime age for fecundity coincided with 50% female survival and consequent decline in fecundity implies an association with somatic deterioration. Reproductive senescence in fertilization rate was stronger in females than in males. Females with high early fecundity experienced a long life span and high late-life fecundity, discounting the role of allocation trade-offs in reproductive senescence. The present study reports a clear case of reproductive senescence in a fish with a long post-maturation growth period, unusually rapid development and short life span. The onset of reproductive senescence was postponed compared to animals that cease growing at sexual maturity. Fish and other animals with post-maturity growth have long been considered insusceptible to ageing but this conclusion may be related to the previous lack of longitudinal data rather than to the absence of reproductive senescence in such organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakub Žák
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic.,Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Reichard
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic.,Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
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41
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Thoré ESJ, Brendonck L, Pinceel T. Conspecific density and environmental complexity impact behaviour of turquoise killifish (Nothobranchius furzeri). JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2020; 97:1448-1461. [PMID: 32845514 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.14512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Revised: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 08/23/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Fish models are essential for research in many biological and medical disciplines. With a typical lifespan of only 6 months, the Turquoise killifish (Nothobranchius furzeri) was recently established as a time- and cost-efficient model to facilitate whole-life and multigenerational studies in several research fields, including behavioural ecotoxicology. Essential information on the behavioural norm and on how laboratory conditions affect behaviour, however, is deficient. In the current study, we examined the impact of the social and structural environment on a broad spectrum of behavioural endpoints in N. furzeri. While structural enrichment affected only fish boldness and exploratory behaviour, fish rearing density affected the total body length, locomotor activity, boldness, aggressiveness and feeding behaviour of N. furzeri individuals. Overall, these results contribute to compiling a behavioural baseline for N. furzeri that increases the applicability of this new model species. Furthermore, our findings will fuel the development of improved husbandry protocols to maximize the welfare of N. furzeri in a laboratory setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eli S J Thoré
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Luc Brendonck
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
| | - Tom Pinceel
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Centre for Environmental Management, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
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42
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Vrtílek M, Van Dooren TJ, Beaudard M. Egg size does not universally predict embryonic resources and hatchling size across annual killifish species. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2020; 249:110769. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2020.110769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2020] [Revised: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 07/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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43
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Thoré ESJ, Philippe C, Brendonck L, Pinceel T. Antidepressant exposure reduces body size, increases fecundity and alters social behavior in the short-lived killifish Nothobranchius furzeri. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2020; 265:115068. [PMID: 32806394 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.115068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2020] [Revised: 05/28/2020] [Accepted: 06/17/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Social and mating behavior are fundamental fitness determinants in fish. Although fish are increasingly exposed to pharmaceutical compounds that may alter expression of such behavior, potential effects are understudied. Here, we examine the impact of lifelong exposure to two concentrations (0.7 and 5.3 μg/L) of the antidepressant fluoxetine on fecundity and social behavior (i.e. sociability and male-male aggression) in the turquoise killifish, Nothobranchius furzeri. When exposed to the highest concentration of fluoxetine (5.3 μg/L), fish were smaller at maturation but they more frequently engaged in mating. In addition, in both fluoxetine treatments females roughly doubled their overall fecundity while egg fertilization rates were the same for exposed and unexposed fish. Although aggression of male fish was not impacted by fluoxetine exposure, exposed male fish (5.3 μg/L) spent more time in the proximity of a group of conspecifics, which implies an increased sociability in these individuals. Overall, the results of this study indicate that exposure to fluoxetine may result in disrupted male sociability, increased mating frequency and an increased reproductive output in fish populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eli S J Thoré
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Charlotte Philippe
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Luc Brendonck
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
| | - Tom Pinceel
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Centre for Environmental Management, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
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44
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Žák J, Reichard M. Fluctuating temperatures extend median lifespan, improve reproduction and reduce growth in turquoise killifish. Exp Gerontol 2020; 140:111073. [PMID: 32858146 DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2020.111073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Revised: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 08/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
In natural populations, individuals experience daily fluctuations in environmental conditions that synchronise endogenous biorhythms. Artificial alterations of environmental fluctuations can have negative consequences for life history traits, including lifespan. In laboratory studies of aging, the role of fluctuating temperature is usually overlooked and we know little of how thermal fluctuation modulates senescence in vertebrates. In this longitudinal study we followed individually-housed turquoise killifish, Nothobranchius furzeri, from two thermal regimes; ecologically relevant diel fluctuations (20 °C - 35 °C) and stable temperature (27.5 °C), and compared their survival, growth and reproduction. Fish experiencing fluctuating temperatures had a longer median lifespan but reached smaller asymptotic body size. Within-treatment variation indicated that extended lifespan in fluctuating temperatures was not causally linked to decreased growth rate or smaller body size, but occurred solely due to the effect of thermal fluctuations. Male body size was positively associated with lifespan in stable temperatures but this relationship was disrupted in fluctuating thermal regimes. Females exposed to fluctuating temperatures effectively compensated egg production for their smaller size. Thus, there was no difference in absolute fecundity between thermal regimes and body-size corrected fecundity was higher in females in fluctuating temperatures. Overall, despite a brief exposure to sub-optimal thermal conditions during fluctuations, fluctuating temperature had a positive effect on survival and reproduction. These results suggest that the expression of life history traits and their associations under stable temperatures are a poor representation of the relationships obtained from ecologically relevant thermal fluctuations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakub Žák
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Květná 8, 603 65 Brno, Czechia; Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Viničná 7, 128 00, Czechia
| | - Martin Reichard
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Květná 8, 603 65 Brno, Czechia; Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czechia.
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45
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Katoch S, Patial V. Zebrafish: An emerging model system to study liver diseases and related drug discovery. J Appl Toxicol 2020; 41:33-51. [PMID: 32656821 DOI: 10.1002/jat.4031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2020] [Revised: 05/31/2020] [Accepted: 06/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
The zebrafish has emerged as a powerful vertebrate model for studying liver-associated disorders. Liver damage is a crucial problem in the process of drug development and zebrafish have proven to be an important tool for the high-throughput screening of drugs for hepatotoxicity. Although the structure of the zebrafish liver differs to that of mammals, the fundamental physiologic processes, genetic mutations and manifestations of pathogenic responses to environmental insults exhibit much similarity. The larval transparency of the zebrafish is a great advantage for real-time imaging in hepatic studies. The zebrafish has a broad spectrum of cytochrome P450 enzymes, which enable the biotransformation of drugs via similar pathways as mammals, including oxidation, reduction and hydrolysis reactions. In the present review, we appraise the various drugs, chemicals and toxins used to study liver toxicity in zebrafish and their similarities to the rodent models for liver-related studies. Interestingly, the zebrafish has also been effectively used to study the pathophysiology of nonalcoholic and alcoholic fatty liver disease. The genetic models of liver disorders and their easy manipulation provide great opportunity in the area of drug development. The zebrafish has proven to be an influential model for the hepatic system due to its invertebrate-like advantages coupled with its vertebrate biology. The present review highlights the pivotal role of zebrafish in bridging the gap between cell-based and mammalian models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swati Katoch
- Pharmacology and Toxicology Laboratory, Food and Nutraceuticals Division, CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology, Palampur, India
| | - Vikram Patial
- Pharmacology and Toxicology Laboratory, Food and Nutraceuticals Division, CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology, Palampur, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), CSIR- Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology, Palampur, India
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46
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Methling C, Blažek R, Řežucha R, Reichard M. Individual-level pace-of-life syndromes in annual killifish are mediated by intersexual and interspecific differences. Evol Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10682-020-10059-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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47
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Žák J, Dyková I, Reichard M. Good performance of turquoise killifish (Nothobranchius furzeri) on pelleted diet as a step towards husbandry standardization. Sci Rep 2020; 10:8986. [PMID: 32488062 PMCID: PMC7265286 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-65930-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2019] [Accepted: 04/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Dietary alteration is one of the most universally effective aging interventions, making its standardization a fundamental need for model organisms in aging. In this dietetic study we address the current lack of standardized formulated diet for turquoise killifish Nothobranchius furzeri – a promising model organism. We first demonstrated that N. furzeri can be fully weaned at the onset of puberty onto a commercially available pelleted diet as the sole nutrition when kept in social tanks. We then compared nine somatic and six reproductive parameters between fish fed a typical laboratory diet - frozen chironomid larvae (bloodworms) and fish weaned from bloodworms to BioMar pellets. Both dietary groups had comparable somatic and reproductive performance. There was no difference between diet groups in adult body size, specific growth rate, condition or extent of hepatocellular vacuolation. Fish fed a pelleted diet had higher juvenile body mass and more visceral fat. Pellet-fed males had lower liver mass and possessed a lipid type of hepatocellular vacuolation instead of the prevailing glycogen-like vacuolation in the bloodworm-fed group. No considerable effect was found on reproductive parameters. The negligible differences between dietary groups and good acceptance of pellets indicate their suitability as a useful starting point for the development of standardized diet for Nothobranchius furzeri.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakub Žák
- Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Květná 8, 603 65, Brno, Czech Republic.,Department of Zoology, Faculty of Sciences, Charles University, Viničná 7, 122 44, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Iva Dyková
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, Brno, 611 37, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Reichard
- Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Květná 8, 603 65, Brno, Czech Republic.
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Poeschla M, Valenzano DR. The turquoise killifish: a genetically tractable model for the study of aging. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020; 223:223/Suppl_1/jeb209296. [PMID: 32034047 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.209296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Lifespan is a remarkably diverse trait in nature, ranging from just hours in adult mayflies to hundreds of years in the Greenland shark and quahog clam. Great disparities in lifespan are often observed even among somewhat closely related species; for example, in the laboratory, wild-derived strains of the common house mouse have a maximum observed lifespan of approximately 6 years, while a similarly sized rodent, the naked mole rat, can live for over 30 years. Comparative biology of aging across the tree of life provides a tremendous opportunity for understanding the molecular and genetic basis underlying lifespan and aging. However, a lack of molecular and laboratory tools has limited the ability of researchers to take full advantage of the incredible diversity of aging phenotypes in nature. Recent developments in genomic technology have made it increasingly possible to study non-canonical model organisms for aging. One promising new genetic model organism amenable to a range of experimental interventions is the turquoise killifish (Nothobranchius furzeri). This fish species has a naturally short lifespan and undergoes a wide range of aging-related transformations. These fish have a fully sequenced genome and transcriptome, and killifish embryos are accessible to transgenesis and genome editing. Furthermore, different killifish species and populations show striking differences in lifespan, providing the opportunity for comparative analysis of aging. This Review introduces the natural life history of the turquoise killifish, its emerging applicability as an aging model system, the genetic tools that have been developed to study aging for this species and a summary of recent studies facilitated by these new tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Poeschla
- Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing, 50931 Cologne, Germany.,CECAD, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany
| | - Dario R Valenzano
- Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing, 50931 Cologne, Germany .,CECAD, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany
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Dyková I, Blažek R, Součková K, Reichard M, Slabý O. Spontaneous adenocarcinoma of the gas gland in Nothobranchius fishes. DISEASES OF AQUATIC ORGANISMS 2020; 137:205-210. [PMID: 32132273 DOI: 10.3354/dao03437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Nothobranchius fishes (Cyprinodontiformes), known for their genetically encoded extremely compressed lifespan, are considered an excellent vertebrate model for the research of aging. Unlike the rapid accumulation of data concerning their biology, ecology and genome, knowledge of their age-related diseases, including tumours, is still very limited. This Note reports spontaneous neoplastic lesions in the swim bladder gas glands of Nothobranchius furzeri, N. kadleci and N. orthonotus. Based on light and transmission electron microscopy, the neoplastic proliferation of gas gland cells was classified as adenocarcinoma. There was a concurrent proliferation of haemopoietic cells in the kidney interstitium in all individuals diagnosed with this type of primary neoplasia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iva Dyková
- Institute of Botany and Zoology, Masaryk University, Brno 60137, Czech Republic
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Coolen M, Labusch M, Mannioui A, Bally-Cuif L. Mosaic Heterochrony in Neural Progenitors Sustains Accelerated Brain Growth and Neurogenesis in the Juvenile Killifish N. furzeri. Curr Biol 2020; 30:736-745.e4. [PMID: 32004451 PMCID: PMC7040570 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.12.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2019] [Revised: 11/16/2019] [Accepted: 12/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Although developmental mechanisms driving an increase in brain size during vertebrate evolution are actively studied, we know less about evolutionary strategies allowing accelerated brain growth. In zebrafish and other vertebrates studied to date, apical radial glia (RG) constitute the primary neurogenic progenitor population throughout life [1]; thus, RG activity is a determining factor of growth speed. Here, we ask whether enhanced RG activity is the mechanism selected to drive explosive growth, in adaptation to an ephemeral habitat. In post-hatching larvae of the turquoise killifish, which display drastic developmental acceleration, we show that the dorsal telencephalon (pallium) grows three times faster than in zebrafish. Rather than resulting from enhanced RG activity, we demonstrate that pallial growth is the product of a second type of progenitors (that we term NGPs for non-glial progenitors) that actively sustains neurogenesis and germinal zone self-renewal. Intriguingly, NGPs appear to retain, at larval stages, features of early embryonic progenitors. In parallel, RGs enter premature quiescence and express markers of astroglial function. Altogether, we propose that mosaic heterochrony within the neural progenitor population might permit rapid pallial growth by safeguarding both continued neurogenesis and astroglial function. Two types of apical progenitors exist in the pallium of the fast-growing killifish Killifish pallial RGs enter precociously into an adult-like quiescent state NGPs, both self-renewing and neurogenic, resemble early neuroepithelial progenitors Mosaic heterochrony among progenitors sustains rapid killifish pallial growth
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Affiliation(s)
- Marion Coolen
- Zebrafish Neurogenetics Unit, Developmental & Stem Cell Biology Department, Institut Pasteur, UMR3738, CNRS, 25 rue du Dr Roux, 75015 Paris, France.
| | - Miriam Labusch
- Zebrafish Neurogenetics Unit, Developmental & Stem Cell Biology Department, Institut Pasteur, UMR3738, CNRS, 25 rue du Dr Roux, 75015 Paris, France; Sorbonne Université, Collège doctoral, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Abdelkrim Mannioui
- Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine (IBPS), Aquatic Facility, Sorbonne Université, 7 quai Saint Bernard, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Laure Bally-Cuif
- Zebrafish Neurogenetics Unit, Developmental & Stem Cell Biology Department, Institut Pasteur, UMR3738, CNRS, 25 rue du Dr Roux, 75015 Paris, France.
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