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Jia X, Feng Y, Ma W, Zhao W, Liu Y, Jing G, Tian J, Yang T, Zhang C. A fluidic platform for mobility evaluation of zebrafish with gene deficiency. Front Mol Neurosci 2023; 16:1114928. [PMID: 37089692 PMCID: PMC10117665 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2023.1114928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/09/2023] Open
Abstract
IntroductionZebrafish is a suitable animal model for molecular genetic tests and drug discovery due to its characteristics including optical transparency, genetic manipulability, genetic similarity to humans, and cost-effectiveness. Mobility of the zebrafish reflects pathological conditions leading to brain disorders, disrupted motor functions, and sensitivity to environmental challenges. However, it remains technologically challenging to quantitively assess zebrafish's mobility in a flowing environment and simultaneously monitor cellular behavior in vivo.MethodsWe herein developed a facile fluidic device using mechanical vibration to controllably generate various flow patterns in a droplet housing single zebrafish, which mimics its dynamically flowing habitats.ResultsWe observe that in the four recirculating flow patterns, there are two equilibrium stagnation positions for zebrafish constrained in the droplet, i.e., the “source” with the outward flow and the “sink” with the inward flow. Wild-type zebrafish, whose mobility remains intact, tend to swim against the flow and fight to stay at the source point. A slight deviation from streamline leads to an increased torque pushing the zebrafish further away, whereas zebrafish with motor neuron dysfunction caused by lipin-1 deficiency are forced to stay in the “sink,” where both their head and tail align with the flow direction. Deviation angle from the source point can, therefore, be used to quantify the mobility of zebrafish under flowing environmental conditions. Moreover, in a droplet of comparable size, single zebrafish can be effectively restrained for high-resolution imaging.ConclusionUsing the proposed methodology, zebrafish mobility reflecting pathological symptoms can be quantitively investigated and directly linked to cellular behavior in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyu Jia
- State Key Laboratory of Photon-Technology in Western China Energy, Institute of Photonics and Photon-Technology, Northwest University, Shaanxi, Xi'an, China
- School of Physics, Northwest University, Shaanxi, Xi'an, China
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Theoretical Physics Frontiers, Institute of Modern Physics, Northwest University, Shaanxi, Xi'an, China
| | - Yibo Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Photon-Technology in Western China Energy, Institute of Photonics and Photon-Technology, Northwest University, Shaanxi, Xi'an, China
- School of Physics, Northwest University, Shaanxi, Xi'an, China
| | - Wenju Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Photon-Technology in Western China Energy, Institute of Photonics and Photon-Technology, Northwest University, Shaanxi, Xi'an, China
| | - Wei Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Photon-Technology in Western China Energy, Institute of Photonics and Photon-Technology, Northwest University, Shaanxi, Xi'an, China
| | - Yanan Liu
- School of Physics, Northwest University, Shaanxi, Xi'an, China
| | - Guangyin Jing
- School of Physics, Northwest University, Shaanxi, Xi'an, China
- *Correspondence: Guangyin Jing
| | - Jing Tian
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Northwest University, Shaanxi, Xi'an, China
- Jing Tian
| | - Tao Yang
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Theoretical Physics Frontiers, Institute of Modern Physics, Northwest University, Shaanxi, Xi'an, China
- Tao Yang
| | - Ce Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Photon-Technology in Western China Energy, Institute of Photonics and Photon-Technology, Northwest University, Shaanxi, Xi'an, China
- School of Physics, Northwest University, Shaanxi, Xi'an, China
- Ce Zhang
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