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Adel MR, Antón-Galindo E, Gago-Garcia E, Arias-Dimas A, Arenas C, Artuch R, Cormand B, Fernàndez-Castillo N. Decreased Brain Serotonin in rbfox1 Mutant Zebrafish and Partial Reversion of Behavioural Alterations by the SSRI Fluoxetine. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2024; 17:254. [PMID: 38399469 PMCID: PMC10891829 DOI: 10.3390/ph17020254] [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: 11/15/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
RBFOX1 functions as a master regulator of thousands of genes, exerting a pleiotropic effect on numerous neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders. A potential mechanism by which RBFOX1 may impact these disorders is through its modulation of serotonergic neurotransmission, a common target for pharmacological intervention in psychiatric conditions linked to RBFOX1. However, the precise effects of RBFOX1 on the serotonergic system remain largely unexplored. Here we show that homozygous rbfox1sa15940 zebrafish, which express a shorter, aberrant rbfox1 mRNA, have significantly reduced serotonin levels in telencephalon and diencephalon. We observed that the acute administration of fluoxetine partially reverses the associated behavioural alterations. The hyperactive phenotype and altered shoaling behaviour of the rbfox1sa15940/sa15940 zebrafish could be reversed with acute fluoxetine exposure in the Open Field and the Shoaling test, respectively. However, in the other paradigms, hyperactivity was not diminished, suggesting a distinct intrinsic motivation for locomotion in the different paradigms. Acute fluoxetine exposure did not reverse the alterations observed in the aggression and social novelty tests, suggesting the involvement of other neurological mechanisms in these behaviours. These findings underscore the importance of investigating the intricate working mechanisms of RBFOX1 in neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders to gain a better understanding of the associated disorders along with their pharmacological treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maja R. Adel
- Departament de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ester Antón-Galindo
- Departament de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Institut de Biomedicina de la Universitat de Barcelona (IBUB), 08028 Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, 08950 Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain
| | - Edurne Gago-Garcia
- Departament de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Angela Arias-Dimas
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Clinical Biochemistry Department, Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, 08950 Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain
| | - Concepció Arenas
- Departament de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Rafael Artuch
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Clinical Biochemistry Department, Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, 08950 Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain
| | - Bru Cormand
- Departament de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Institut de Biomedicina de la Universitat de Barcelona (IBUB), 08028 Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, 08950 Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain
| | - Noèlia Fernàndez-Castillo
- Departament de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Institut de Biomedicina de la Universitat de Barcelona (IBUB), 08028 Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, 08950 Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain
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Xiang J, Guo RY, Wang T, Zhang N, Chen XR, Li EC, Zhang JL. Brain metabolite profiles provide insight into mechanisms for behavior sexual dimorphisms in zebrafish (Danio rerio). Physiol Behav 2023; 263:114132. [PMID: 36801416 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2023.114132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Revised: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/19/2023]
Abstract
The zebrafish (Danio rerio) has historically been a useful model for research in genetics, ecology, biology, toxicology, and neurobehavior. Zebrafish have been demonstrated to have brain sexual dimorphism. However, the sexual dimorphism of zebrafish behavior demands our attention, particularly. To evaluate the behavior and brain sexual dimorphisms in zebrafish, this study assessed sex differences in adult D. rerio in four behavioral domains, including aggression, fear, anxiety, and shoaling, and further compared with metabolites in the brain tissue of females and males. Our findings showed that aggression, fear, anxiety and shoaling behaviors were significantly sexually dimorphic. Interestingly, we also show through a novel data analysis method, that the female zebrafish exhibited significantly increased shoaling behavior when shoaled with male zebrafish groups and, for the first time, we offer evidence that male shoals are beneficial in dramatically alleviating anxiety in zebrafish. In addition, there were significant changes in metabolites in zebrafish brain tissue between the sexes. Furthermore, zebrafish behavioral sexual dimorphism may be associated with brain sexual dimorphism, with significant differences in brain metabolites. Therefore, to prevent the influence or even bias of behavioral sex differences on results, it is suggested that behavioral studies or behavioral-based other relevant investigations consider sexual dimorphism of behavior and brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Xiang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, Key Laboratory of Tropical Animal and Plant Ecology of Hainan Province, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou, Hainan, China
| | - Rui-Ying Guo
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, Key Laboratory of Tropical Animal and Plant Ecology of Hainan Province, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou, Hainan, China
| | - Ting Wang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, Key Laboratory of Tropical Animal and Plant Ecology of Hainan Province, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou, Hainan, China
| | - Nan Zhang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, Key Laboratory of Tropical Animal and Plant Ecology of Hainan Province, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou, Hainan, China
| | - Xian-Rui Chen
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, Key Laboratory of Tropical Animal and Plant Ecology of Hainan Province, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou, Hainan, China
| | - Er-Chao Li
- College of Marine Sciences, Hainan University, Haikou, Hainan, China
| | - Ji-Liang Zhang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, Key Laboratory of Tropical Animal and Plant Ecology of Hainan Province, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou, Hainan, China.
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3
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Zhang C, Ren Z, Gong Z. Generation of Albino Phenotype in Ornamental Fish by CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Genome Editing of slc45a2 Gene. MARINE BIOTECHNOLOGY (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2023; 25:281-290. [PMID: 36917276 DOI: 10.1007/s10126-023-10204-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Albinism is the most common color variation described in fish and is a fascinating trait of some ornamental fish species. Albino mutants can be generated by knocking out core genes affecting melanin synthesis like slc45a2 in several fish species. However, genetic mutation remains challenging for species with unknown genome information. In this study, we generated albino mutants in two selected ornamental fish species, royal farlowella (Sturisoma panamense), and redhead cichlid (Vieja melanura). For this purpose, we carried out phylogenetic analyses of fish slc45a2 sequences and identified a highly conserved region among different fish species. A pair of degenerate primers spanning this region was designed and used to amplify a conserved slc45a2 fragment of 340 bp from the two fish species. Based on the amplified sequences, a target site in the 6th exon was used for designing guide RNA and this targeted site was first verified by the CRISPR/Cas9 system in the zebrafish (Danio rerio) model for the effectiveness. Then, specific guide RNAs were designed for the two ornamental fish species and tested. Most of the injected larvae completely lost black pigment over the whole body and eyes. DNA sequencing confirmed a high degree of mutation at the targeted site. Overall, we described a fast and efficient method to generate albino phenotype in fish species by targeting the conserved 6th exon of slc45a2 gene for genome editing via CRISPR/Cas9 and this approach could be a new genetic tool to generate desirable albino ornamental fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changqing Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Birth Regulation and Control Technology of National Health Commission of China, Shandong Provincial Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, 250014, Jinan, China.
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Sciences Drive 4, 117558, Singapore, Singapore.
| | - Ziheng Ren
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Sciences Drive 4, 117558, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Zhiyuan Gong
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Sciences Drive 4, 117558, Singapore, Singapore.
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de Abreu MS, Costa F, Giacomini ACVV, Demin KA, Zabegalov KN, Maslov GO, Kositsyn YM, Petersen EV, Strekalova T, Rosemberg DB, Kalueff AV. Towards Modeling Anhedonia and Its Treatment in Zebrafish. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2021; 25:293-306. [PMID: 34918075 PMCID: PMC9017771 DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyab092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Revised: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Mood disorders, especially depression, are a major cause of human disability. The loss of pleasure (anhedonia) is a common, severely debilitating symptom of clinical depression. Experimental animal models are widely used to better understand depression pathogenesis and to develop novel antidepressant therapies. In rodents, various experimental models of anhedonia have already been developed and extensively validated. Complementing rodent studies, the zebrafish (Danio rerio) is emerging as a powerful model organism to assess pathobiological mechanisms of affective disorders, including depression. Here, we critically discuss the potential of zebrafish for modeling anhedonia and studying its molecular mechanisms and translational implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Murilo S de Abreu
- School of Pharmacy, Southwest University, Chongqing, China,Bioscience Institute, University of Passo Fundo, Passo Fundo, RS, Brazil,Laboratory of Cell and Molecular Biology and Neurobiology, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Moscow, Russia
| | - Fabiano Costa
- Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Toxicological Biochemistry, Natural and Exact Sciences Center, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Brazil
| | - Ana C V V Giacomini
- Bioscience Institute, University of Passo Fundo, Passo Fundo, RS, Brazil,Graduate Program in Environmental Sciences, University of Passo Fundo, Passo Fundo, RS, Brazil
| | - Konstantin A Demin
- Drug Screening Platform, School of Pharmacy, Southwest University, Chongqing, China,Ural Federal University, Ekaterinburg, Russia,Institute of Experimental Medicine, Almazov National Medical Research Centre, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | | | - Gleb O Maslov
- Ural Federal University, Ekaterinburg, Russia,Neurobiology Program, Sirius University of Science and Technology, Sochi, Russia
| | - Yuriy M Kositsyn
- Neurobiology Program, Sirius University of Science and Technology, Sochi, Russia
| | - Elena V Petersen
- Laboratory of Cell and Molecular Biology and Neurobiology, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Moscow, Russia
| | - Tatiana Strekalova
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Maastricht Medical Center Annadal, Maastricht, Netherlands,Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, University of Maastricht, Maasticht, the Netherlands,Laboratory of Psychiatric Neurobiology, Institute of Molecular Medicine and Department of Normal Physiology, Sechenov 1st Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia,Institute of General Pathology and Pathophysiology, Moscow, Russia
| | - Denis B Rosemberg
- Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Toxicological Biochemistry, Natural and Exact Sciences Center, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Brazil,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Natural and Exact Sciences Center, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Brazil
| | - Allan V Kalueff
- School of Pharmacy, Southwest University, Chongqing, China,Drug Screening Platform, School of Pharmacy, Southwest University, Chongqing, China,Ural Federal University, Ekaterinburg, Russia,Russian Research Center of Radiology and Surgical Technologies, Ministry of Healthcare of Russian Federation, St. Petersburg, Russia,Institute of Experimental Medicine, Almazov National Medical Research Centre, St. Petersburg, Russia,Novosibirsk State University, Novosibisk, Russia,Scientific Research Institute of Neurosciences and Medicine, Novosibirsk, Russia,Correspondence: Allan V. Kalueff, PhD, School of Pharmacy, Southwest University, Chongqing, China ()
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5
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Yang W, Wang W, Jing L, Chen SL. Label-free photoacoustic microscopy: a potential tool for the live imaging of blood disorders in zebrafish. BIOMEDICAL OPTICS EXPRESS 2021; 12:3643-3657. [PMID: 34221685 PMCID: PMC8221952 DOI: 10.1364/boe.425994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Revised: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
The zebrafish has emerged as a useful model for human hematological disorders. Transgenic zebrafish that express green fluorescence protein (GFP) in red blood cells (RBCs) visualized by fluorescence microscopy (FLM) is a fundamental approach in such studies to understand the cellular processes and biological functions. However, additional and cumbersome efforts are required to breed a transgenic zebrafish line with reliable GFP expression. Further, the yolk autofluorescence and finite GFP fluorescence lifetimes also have an adverse impact on the observation of target signals. Here, we investigate the identification of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and hemolytic anemia (HA) in zebrafish embryos using label-free photoacoustic microscopy (PAM) for imaging. First, ICH and HA in transgenic LCR-EGFP zebrafish are mainly studied by PAM and FLM. The results show that PAM is comparable to FLM in good identification of ICH and HA. Besides, PAM is more advantageous in circumventing the issue of autofluorescence. Secondly, ICH and HA in the transparent casper zebrafish without fluorescent labeling are imaged by PAM and bright-field microscopy (BFM). Because of the high contrast to reveal RBCs, PAM obviously outperforms BFM in the identification of both ICH and HA. Note that FLM cannot observe casper zebrafish due to its lack of fluorescent labeling. Our work proves that PAM can be a useful tool to study blood disorders in zebrafish, which has advantages: (i) Reliable results enabled by intrinsic absorption of RBCs; (ii) wide applicability to zebrafish strains (no requirement of a transgene); (iii) high sensitivity in identification of ICH and HA compared with BFM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenzhao Yang
- University of Michigan-Shanghai Jiao Tong University Joint Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
- These authors contributed equally to this work
| | - Wei Wang
- Engineering Research Center of Cell & Therapeutic Antibody, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
- These authors contributed equally to this work
| | - Lili Jing
- Engineering Research Center of Cell & Therapeutic Antibody, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Sung-Liang Chen
- University of Michigan-Shanghai Jiao Tong University Joint Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
- Engineering Research Center of Digital Medicine and Clinical Translation, Ministry of Education, Shanghai 200030, China
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Optical Communication Systems and Networks, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
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Fontana BD, Müller TE, Cleal M, de Abreu MS, Norton WHJ, Demin KA, Amstislavskaya TG, Petersen EV, Kalueff AV, Parker MO, Rosemberg DB. Using zebrafish (Danio rerio) models to understand the critical role of social interactions in mental health and wellbeing. Prog Neurobiol 2021; 208:101993. [PMID: 33440208 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2021.101993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Revised: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 01/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Social behavior represents a beneficial interaction between conspecifics that is critical for maintaining health and wellbeing. Dysfunctional or poor social interaction are associated with increased risk of physical (e.g., vascular) and psychiatric disorders (e.g., anxiety, depression, and substance abuse). Although the impact of negative and positive social interactions is well-studied, their underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Zebrafish have well-characterized social behavior phenotypes, high genetic homology with humans, relative experimental simplicity and the potential for high-throughput screens. Here, we discuss the use of zebrafish as a candidate model organism for studying the fundamental mechanisms underlying social interactions, as well as potential impacts of social isolation on human health and wellbeing. Overall, the growing utility of zebrafish models may improve our understanding of how the presence and absence of social interactions can differentially modulate various molecular and physiological biomarkers, as well as a wide range of other behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara D Fontana
- Brain and Behaviour Laboratory, School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Portsmouth, UK.
| | - Talise E Müller
- Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Toxicological Biochemistry, Natural and Exact Sciences Center, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil; Laboratory of Experimental Neuropscychobiology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Natural and Exact Sciences Center, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
| | - Madeleine Cleal
- Brain and Behaviour Laboratory, School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Portsmouth, UK
| | - Murilo S de Abreu
- Bioscience Institute, University of Passo Fundo, Passo Fundo, Brazil
| | - William H J Norton
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour, College of Medicine, Biological Sciences and Psychology, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK; The International Zebrafish Neuroscience Research Consortium (ZNRC), Slidell, LA, USA
| | - Konstantin A Demin
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Almazov National Medical Research Center, St. Petersburg, Russia; Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia; Scientific Research Center of Radiology and Surgical Technologies, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | | | - Elena V Petersen
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Neuroscience and Bioscreening, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Moscow, Russia
| | - Allan V Kalueff
- School of Pharmacy, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, China; Ural Federal University, Ekaterinburg, Russia
| | - Matthew O Parker
- Brain and Behaviour Laboratory, School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Portsmouth, UK; The International Zebrafish Neuroscience Research Consortium (ZNRC), Slidell, LA, USA
| | - Denis B Rosemberg
- Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Toxicological Biochemistry, Natural and Exact Sciences Center, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil; Laboratory of Experimental Neuropscychobiology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Natural and Exact Sciences Center, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil; The International Zebrafish Neuroscience Research Consortium (ZNRC), Slidell, LA, USA.
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7
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The cognitive and behavioral effects of D-amphetamine and nicotine sensitization in adult zebrafish. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2021; 238:2191-2200. [PMID: 33963883 PMCID: PMC8292302 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-021-05844-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Zebrafish are growing in use as a model for understanding drug dependence and addiction. Sensitization paradigms have been a useful tool in identifying mechanisms involved in drug-induced behavioral and neurological changes, but in zebrafish have tended to focus on locomotor, rather than cognitive, endpoints. METHODS Here, we used a novel method, the FMP Y-maze, which measures continuous performance through a series of repeated binary choices (L vs R), to establish a model for assessing parameters associated with psychostimulant-induced behavioral and cognitive sensitization in adult zebrafish. RESULTS Repeat, intermittent exposure to d-amphetamine (AMPH) for 14 days increased alternations (LRLR) in the maze, suggesting improved working memory, which was enhanced further following drug challenge after a short withdrawal period, suggesting behavioral sensitization. However, this cognitive enhancement coincided with a reduction in the use of other exploration strategies, hypolocomotion, and inhibition of cognitive flexibility. Like AMPH, exposure to nicotine (NIC) increased alternations following drug challenge after chronic treatment. Repeat NIC exposure appeared to induce both cognitive and psychomotor sensitization, as evidenced by increased working memory performance (alternations) and locomotor activity, without negatively impacting other search strategies or cognitive flexibility. CONCLUSION Chronic treatment with AMPH or NIC boosts cognitive performance in adult zebrafish. Cognitive sensitization occurred with both drugs, resulting in enhanced working memory; however, repeat AMPH exposure, following a withdrawal period, resulted in inhibited cognitive flexibility, an effect not evident with repeat NIC exposure. Cognitive and behavioral sensitization paradigms in zebrafish could serve as a useful tool for assessing cognitive states which result in cognitive enhancing or impairing effects of drugs.
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De Oliveira J, Chadili E, Turies C, Brion F, Cousin X, Hinfray N. A comparison of behavioral and reproductive parameters between wild-type, transgenic and mutant zebrafish: Could they all be considered the same "zebrafish" for reglementary assays on endocrine disruption? Comp Biochem Physiol C Toxicol Pharmacol 2021; 239:108879. [PMID: 32877737 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpc.2020.108879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Revised: 08/26/2020] [Accepted: 08/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Transgenic zebrafish models are efficiently used to study the effects of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDC); thereby informing on their mechanisms of action. However, given the reported differences between zebrafish strains at the genetical, physiological and behavioral levels; care should be taken before using these transgenic models for EDC testing. In the present study, we undertook a set of experiments in different transgenic and/or mutant zebrafish strains of interest for EDC testing: casper, cyp19a1a-eGFP, cyp19a1a-eGFP-casper, cyp11c1-eGFP, cyp11c1-eGFP-casper. Some behavioral traits, and some biochemical and reproductive physiological endpoints commonly used in EDC testing were assessed and compared to those obtained in WT AB zebrafish to ensure that transgene insertion and/or mutations do not negatively modify basal reproductive physiology or behavior of the fish. Behavioral traits considered as anxiety and sociality have been monitored. Sociality was evaluated by monitoring the time spent near congeners in a shuttle box while anxiety was evaluated using the Novel tank diving test. No critical difference was observed between strains for either sociality or anxiety level. Concerning reproduction, no significant difference in the number of eggs laid per female, in the viability of eggs or in the female circulating VTG concentrations was noted between the 5 transgenic/mutants and the WT AB zebrafish studied. In summary, the transgene insertion and the mutations had no influence on the endpoints measured in basal conditions. These results were a prerequisite to the use of these transgenic/mutant models for EDC testing. Next step will be to determine the sensitivity of these biological models to chemical exposure to accurately validate their use in existing fish assays for EDC testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie De Oliveira
- INERIS, Unité d'écotoxicologie in vitro et in vivo, UMR I-02 SEBIO, Verneuil-en-Halatte, France
| | - Edith Chadili
- INERIS, Unité d'écotoxicologie in vitro et in vivo, UMR I-02 SEBIO, Verneuil-en-Halatte, France
| | - Cyril Turies
- INERIS, Unité d'écotoxicologie in vitro et in vivo, UMR I-02 SEBIO, Verneuil-en-Halatte, France
| | - François Brion
- INERIS, Unité d'écotoxicologie in vitro et in vivo, UMR I-02 SEBIO, Verneuil-en-Halatte, France
| | - Xavier Cousin
- MARBEC Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, IRD, Palavas-les-Flots, France; Univ. Paris-Saclay, AgroParisTech, INRAE, GABI, France
| | - Nathalie Hinfray
- INERIS, Unité d'écotoxicologie in vitro et in vivo, UMR I-02 SEBIO, Verneuil-en-Halatte, France.
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9
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da Costa Araújo AP, de Andrade Vieira JE, Malafaia G. Toxicity and trophic transfer of polyethylene microplastics from Poecilia reticulata to Danio rerio. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 742:140217. [PMID: 32623154 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Revised: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 06/12/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The potential transfer of microplastics (MPs) between vertebrates belonging to the same taxonomic group, and the impact of such a transfer on higher trophic levels remains little explored. An experimental food chain with two fish species was installed to test the hypothesis that polyethylene MPs (PE MPs) can accumulate in animals and cause behavioral, mutagenic and cytotoxic changes at upper trophic levels. Poecilia reticulata fry were exposed to MPs for 48 h and, subsequently, offered (as food) to Danio rerio adults for 10 days to simulate an upper level food chain. PE MPs quantification in fry and in different Danio rerio tissues evidenced their accumulation at the two assessed trophic levels. This finding suggested their absorption, adherence and translocation from one organism to another. The accumulation seen in D. rerio directly exposed to MPs was associated with behavioral disorders at upper trophic level. These animals presented behavior suggestive of anti-predatory response deficit when they were confronted with a potential aquatic predator (Geophagus brasiliensis). This finding was inferred through lower school cohesion, shallower school depth and shorter distance from the potential predator. In addition, animals exposed to MPs recorded higher nuclear abnormality rates and changes in the size and shape of erythrocytes and in their nuclei; this outcome has suggested mutagenic and cytotoxic effects, respectively. Based on the current results, MPs are transferred through a food chain that only involves two vertebrates. MPs enter the vertebrates' organs, change their behavior and induce mutagenic and cytotoxic processes in animals, which can cause significant ecological consequences in freshwater ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Pereira da Costa Araújo
- Biological Research Laboratory, Post-Graduation Program in Conservation of Cerrado Natural Resources, Goiano Federal Institute - Urutaí Campus, Urutaí, GO, Brazil
| | - Julya Emmanuela de Andrade Vieira
- Biological Research Laboratory, Post-Graduation Program in Conservation of Cerrado Natural Resources, Goiano Federal Institute - Urutaí Campus, Urutaí, GO, Brazil
| | - Guilherme Malafaia
- Biological Research Laboratory, Post-Graduation Program in Conservation of Cerrado Natural Resources, Goiano Federal Institute - Urutaí Campus, Urutaí, GO, Brazil.
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Lai YH, Audira G, Liang ST, Siregar P, Suryanto ME, Lin HC, Villalobos O, Villaflores OB, Hao E, Lim KH, Hsiao CD. Duplicated dnmt3aa and dnmt3ab DNA Methyltransferase Genes Play Essential and Non-Overlapped Functions on Modulating Behavioral Control in Zebrafish. Genes (Basel) 2020; 11:genes11111322. [PMID: 33171840 PMCID: PMC7695179 DOI: 10.3390/genes11111322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2020] [Revised: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA methylation plays several roles in regulating neuronal proliferation, differentiation, and physiological functions. The major de novo methyltransferase, DNMT3, controls the DNA methylation pattern in neurons according to environmental stimulations and behavioral regulations. Previous studies demonstrated that knockout of Dnmt3 induced mouse anxiety; however, controversial results showed that activation of Dnmt3 causes anxiolytic behavior. Thus, an alternative animal model to clarify Dnmt3 on modulating behavior is crucial. Therefore, we aimed to establish a zebrafish (Danio rerio) model to clarify the function of dnmt3 on fish behavior by behavioral endpoint analyses. We evaluated the behaviors of the wild type, dnmt3aa, and dnmt3ab knockout (KO) fish by the novel tank, mirror biting, predator avoidance, social interaction, shoaling, circadian rhythm locomotor activity, color preference, and short-term memory tests. The results indicated that the dnmt3aa KO fish possessed abnormal exploratory behaviors and less fear response to the predator. On the other hand, dnmt3ab KO fish displayed less aggression, fear response to the predator, and interests to interact with their conspecifics, loosen shoaling formation, and dysregulated color preference index ranking. Furthermore, both knockout fishes showed higher locomotion activity during the night cycle, which is a sign of anxiety. However, changes in some neurotransmitter levels were observed in the mutant fishes. Lastly, whole-genome DNA methylation sequencing demonstrates a potential network of Dnmt3a proteins that is responsive to behavioral alterations. To sum up, the results suggested that the dnmt3aa KO or dnmt3ab KO fish display anxiety symptoms, which supported the idea that Dnmt3 modulates the function involved in emotional control, social interaction, and cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Heng Lai
- Department of Chemistry, Chinese Culture University, Taipei 11114, Taiwan;
| | - Gilbert Audira
- Department of Chemistry, Chung Yuan Christian University, Chung-Li 320314, Taiwan; (G.A.); (P.S.)
- Department of Bioscience Technology, Chung Yuan Christian University, Chung-Li 320314, Taiwan; (S.-T.L.); (M.E.S.)
| | - Sung-Tzu Liang
- Department of Bioscience Technology, Chung Yuan Christian University, Chung-Li 320314, Taiwan; (S.-T.L.); (M.E.S.)
| | - Petrus Siregar
- Department of Chemistry, Chung Yuan Christian University, Chung-Li 320314, Taiwan; (G.A.); (P.S.)
- Department of Bioscience Technology, Chung Yuan Christian University, Chung-Li 320314, Taiwan; (S.-T.L.); (M.E.S.)
| | - Michael Edbert Suryanto
- Department of Bioscience Technology, Chung Yuan Christian University, Chung-Li 320314, Taiwan; (S.-T.L.); (M.E.S.)
| | - Huan-Chau Lin
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Number 92, Section 2, Chungshan North Road, Taipei 10449, Taiwan;
| | - Omar Villalobos
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Santo Tomas, Manila 1015, Philippines;
| | - Oliver B. Villaflores
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Santo Tomas, Manila 1015, Philippines;
| | - Erwei Hao
- Guangxi Scientific Experimental Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning 530200, Guangxi, China
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Efficacy Study on Chinese Materia Medica, Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning 530200, Guangxi, China
- Correspondence: (E.H.); (K.-H.L.); (C.-D.H.)
| | - Ken-Hong Lim
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Number 92, Section 2, Chungshan North Road, Taipei 10449, Taiwan;
- Department of Medicine, MacKay Medical College, Sanzhi Dist., New Taipei City 252, Taiwan
- Correspondence: (E.H.); (K.-H.L.); (C.-D.H.)
| | - Chung-Der Hsiao
- Department of Chemistry, Chung Yuan Christian University, Chung-Li 320314, Taiwan; (G.A.); (P.S.)
- Department of Bioscience Technology, Chung Yuan Christian University, Chung-Li 320314, Taiwan; (S.-T.L.); (M.E.S.)
- Center of Nanotechnology, Chung Yuan Christian University, Chung-Li 320314, Taiwan
- Correspondence: (E.H.); (K.-H.L.); (C.-D.H.)
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11
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Which Zebrafish Strains Are More Suitable to Perform Behavioral Studies? A Comprehensive Comparison by Phenomic Approach. BIOLOGY 2020; 9:biology9080200. [PMID: 32752218 PMCID: PMC7465594 DOI: 10.3390/biology9080200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2020] [Revised: 07/25/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Wild-type (WT) zebrafish are commonly used in behavioral tests, however, the term WT corresponds to many different strains, such as AB, Tübingen long fin (TL), and Wild Indian Karyotype (WIK). Since these strains are widely used, there has to be at least one study to demonstrate the behavioral differences between them. In our study, six zebrafish strains were used, which are AB, absolute, TL, golden, pet store-purchased (PET), and WIK zebrafishes. The behavior of these fishes was tested in a set of behavioral tests, including novel tank, mirror-biting, predator avoidance, social interaction, and shoaling tests. From the results, the differences were observed for all behavioral tests, and each strain displayed particular behavior depending on the tests. In addition, from the heatmap and PCA (principal component analysis) results, two major clusters were displayed, separating the AB and TL zebrafishes with other strains in another cluster. Furthermore, after the coefficient of variation of each strain in every behavioral test was calculated, the AB and TL zebrafishes were found to possess a low percentage of the coefficient of variation, highlighting the strong reproducibility and the robustness of the behaviors tested in both fishes. Each zebrafish strain tested in this experiment showed specifically different behaviors from each other, thus, strain-specific zebrafish behavior should be considered when designing experiments using zebrafish behavior.
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12
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Wertman JN, Melong N, Stoyek MR, Piccolo O, Langley S, Orr B, Steele SL, Razaghi B, Berman JN. The identification of dual protective agents against cisplatin-induced oto- and nephrotoxicity using the zebrafish model. eLife 2020; 9:e56235. [PMID: 32720645 PMCID: PMC7470826 DOI: 10.7554/elife.56235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Dose-limiting toxicities for cisplatin administration, including ototoxicity and nephrotoxicity, impact the clinical utility of this effective chemotherapy agent and lead to lifelong complications, particularly in pediatric cancer survivors. Using a two-pronged drug screen employing the zebrafish lateral line as an in vivo readout for ototoxicity and kidney cell-based nephrotoxicity assay, we screened 1280 compounds and identified 22 that were both oto- and nephroprotective. Of these, dopamine and L-mimosine, a plant-based amino acid active in the dopamine pathway, were further investigated. Dopamine and L-mimosine protected the hair cells in the zebrafish otic vesicle from cisplatin-induced damage and preserved zebrafish larval glomerular filtration. Importantly, these compounds did not abrogate the cytotoxic effects of cisplatin on human cancer cells. This study provides insights into the mechanisms underlying cisplatin-induced oto- and nephrotoxicity and compelling preclinical evidence for the potential utility of dopamine and L-mimosine in the safer administration of cisplatin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaime N Wertman
- Dalhousie University, Department of Microbiology and ImmunologyHalifaxCanada
- IWK Health Centre, Department of PediatricsHalifaxCanada
| | - Nicole Melong
- IWK Health Centre, Department of PediatricsHalifaxCanada
- CHEO Research InstituteOttawaCanada
| | - Matthew R Stoyek
- Dalhousie University, Department of Physiology & BiophysicsHalifaxCanada
| | - Olivia Piccolo
- IWK Health Centre, Department of PediatricsHalifaxCanada
- McMaster University, Department of Global HealthHamiltonCanada
| | | | - Benno Orr
- University of Toronto, Department of Molecular GeneticsTorontoCanada
| | | | - Babak Razaghi
- Dalhousie University, Faculty of DentistryHalifaxCanada
| | - Jason N Berman
- IWK Health Centre, Department of PediatricsHalifaxCanada
- CHEO Research InstituteOttawaCanada
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13
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Fontana BD, Gibbon AJ, Cleal M, Sudwarts A, Pritchett D, Miletto Petrazzini ME, Brennan CH, Parker MO. Moderate early life stress improves adult zebrafish (Danio rerio) working memory but does not affect social and anxiety-like responses. Dev Psychobiol 2020; 63:54-64. [PMID: 32497270 DOI: 10.1002/dev.21986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2019] [Revised: 04/21/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Early life stress (ELS) is defined as a short or chronic period of trauma, environmental or social deprivation, which can affect different neurochemical and behavioral patterns during adulthood. Zebrafish (Danio rerio) have been widely used as a model system to understand human neurodevelopmental disorders and display translationally relevant behavioral and stress-regulating systems. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of moderate ELS by exposing young animals (6-weeks postfertilization), for 3 consecutive days, to three stressors, and analyzing the impact of this on adult zebrafish behavior (16-week postfertilization). The ELS impact in adults was assessed through analysis of performance on tests of unconditioned memory (free movement pattern Y-maze test), exploratory and anxiety-related task (novel tank diving test), and social cohesion (shoaling test). Here, we show for the first time that moderate ELS increases the number of alternations in turn-direction compared to repetitions in the unconditioned Y-maze task, suggesting increased working memory, but has no effect on shoal cohesion, locomotor profile, or anxiety-like behavior. Overall, our data suggest that moderate ELS may be linked to adaptive flexibility which contributes to build "resilience" in adult zebrafish by improving working memory performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara D Fontana
- Brain and Behaviour Laboratory, School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK
| | - Alistair J Gibbon
- Brain and Behaviour Laboratory, School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK
| | - Madeleine Cleal
- Brain and Behaviour Laboratory, School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK
| | - Ari Sudwarts
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University London, London, UK
| | - David Pritchett
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University London, London, UK
| | | | - Caroline H Brennan
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University London, London, UK
| | - Matthew O Parker
- Brain and Behaviour Laboratory, School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK.,The International Zebrafish Neuroscience Research Consortium (ZNRC), Slidell, LA, USA
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14
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Dalla Vecchia E, Di Donato V, Young AMJ, Del Bene F, Norton WHJ. Reelin Signaling Controls the Preference for Social Novelty in Zebrafish. Front Behav Neurosci 2019; 13:214. [PMID: 31607872 PMCID: PMC6761276 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2019] [Accepted: 08/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Reelin (Reln) is an extracellular glycoprotein that is important for brain patterning. During development Reln coordinates the radial migration of postmitotic cortical neurons, cerebellar and hippocampal neurons, whereas it promotes dendrite maturation, synaptogenesis, synaptic transmission, plasticity and neurotransmitter release in the postnatal and adult brain. Genetic studies of human patients have demonstrated association between the RELN locus and autism spectrum disorder, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and Alzheimer’s disease. In this study we have characterized the behavioral phenotype of reelin (reln) mutant zebrafish, as well as two canonical signaling pathway targets DAB adaptor protein 1a (dab1a) and the very low density lipoprotein receptor (vldlr). Zebrafish reln–/– mutants display a selective reduction in preference for social novelty that is not observed in dab1a–/– or vldlr–/– mutant lines. They also exhibit an increase in 5-HT signaling in the hindbrain that parallels but does not underpin the alteration in social preference. These results suggest that zebrafish reln–/– mutants can be used to model some aspects of human diseases in which changes to Reln signaling alter social behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Dalla Vecchia
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
| | - Vincenzo Di Donato
- Institut Curie, Paris, France.,ZeClinics SL, Institute for Health Science Research Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Andrew M J Young
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
| | | | - William H J Norton
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
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15
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Haghani S, Karia M, Cheng RK, Mathuru AS. An Automated Assay System to Study Novel Tank Induced Anxiety. Front Behav Neurosci 2019; 13:180. [PMID: 31481885 PMCID: PMC6709859 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2019] [Accepted: 07/18/2019] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
New environments are known to be anxiogenic initially for many animals including the zebrafish. In the zebrafish, a novel tank diving (NTD) assay for solitary fish has been used extensively to model anxiety and the effect of anxiolytics. However, studies can differ in the conditions used to perform this assay. Here, we report the development of an efficient, automated toolset and optimal conditions for effective use of this assay. Applying these tools, we found that two important variables in previous studies, the direction of illumination of the novel tank and the age of the subject fish, both influence endpoints commonly measured to assess anxiety. When tanks are illuminated from underneath, several parameters such as the time spent at the bottom of the tank, or the transitions to the top half of the tank become poor measures of acclimation to the novel environment. Older fish acclimate faster to the same settings. The size of the novel tank and the intensity of the illuminating light can also influence acclimation. Among the parameters measured, reduction in the frequency of erratic swimming (darting) is the most reliable indicator of anxiolysis. Open source pipeline for automated data acquisition and systematic analysis generated here and available to other researchers will improve accessibility and uniformity in measurements. They can also be directly applied to study other fish. As this assay is commonly used to model anxiety phenotype of neuropsychiatric ailments in zebrafish, we expect our tools will further aid comparative and meta-analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Haghani
- Yale-NUS College, Science Division, Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - Ruey-Kuang Cheng
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Ajay S Mathuru
- Yale-NUS College, Science Division, Singapore, Singapore.,Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Singapore, Singapore.,Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
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16
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Sensitization-dependent nicotine place preference in the adult zebrafish. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2019; 92:457-469. [PMID: 30826460 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2019.02.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2018] [Revised: 02/21/2019] [Accepted: 02/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Sensitization of motor activity is a behavioural test to evaluate the effects of psychostimulants. Conditioned place preference (CPP) is an associative learning procedure to examine the rewarding properties of drugs. We aimed to assess whether motor sensitization to drugs of abuse can make zebrafish more vulnerable to establishing drug-induced CPP. We first evaluated sensitization of locomotor activity of zebrafish to repeated administrations of nicotine and cocaine during 5 days and after 5 days of withdrawal. After withdrawal, when zebrafish were re-exposed to the same dose of nicotine or cocaine locomotor activity was increased by 103% and 166%, respectively. Different groups of zebrafish were sensitized to nicotine or cocaine and trained on a nicotine-CPP task the day after withdrawal. The nicotine dose selected for sensitization was not effective for developing CPP in naïve zebrafish whereas it elicited CPP in zebrafish that were previously sensitized to nicotine or cocaine. Levels of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor β2, α6 and α7 subunit, Pitx3, and tyrosine hydroxylase 1 (TH1) mRNAs were increased in the brain of nicotine- and cocaine-sensitized zebrafish. Nicotine-CPP performed with drug-sensitized zebrafish provoked further enhancements in the expression of α6 and α7 subunit, Pitx3, and TH1 mRNAs suggesting that the expression of these molecules in the reward pathway is involved in both processes. Our findings indicate that repeated exposures to low doses of drugs of abuse can increase subject's sensitivity to the rewarding properties of the same or different drugs. This further suggests that casual drug intake increases the probability of becoming addict.
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17
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The three-spined stickleback as a model for behavioural neuroscience. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0213320. [PMID: 30913214 PMCID: PMC6435232 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0213320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2018] [Accepted: 02/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) is a small teleost fish that is ubiquitous across the Northern Hemisphere. Among the behaviours that have been characterised in this species is ritualized courtship, aggressiveness and parental behaviour. Whereas three-spined sticklebacks have been used for ecological, evolutionary, parasitological and toxicological research, its complex behavioural repertoire and experimental advantages have not been exploited for basic neuroscience research. The aim of the present study is to describe some innate behaviours of laboratory bred three-spined sticklebacks by using a battery of tests that have been developed and validated to model some aspects of human psychiatric disorders in zebrafish. We recorded mirror induced aggression, novel object boldness, shoaling, and anxiety-like behaviour using both the novel tank diving and the black-white preference tests. We show that behaviour of three-spined sticklebacks in these standard tests is remarkably similar to that of zebrafish and other species and can be altered by fluoxetine and buspirone. These findings highlight the potential of using three-spined sticklebacks for cross-species and translational studies.
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18
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Endothelin neurotransmitter signalling controls zebrafish social behaviour. Sci Rep 2019; 9:3040. [PMID: 30816294 PMCID: PMC6395658 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-39907-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2018] [Accepted: 01/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The formation of social groups is an adaptive behaviour that can provide protection from predators, improve foraging and facilitate social learning. However, the costs of proximity can include competition for resources, aggression and kleptoparasitism meaning that the decision whether to interact represents a trade-off. Here we show that zebrafish harbouring a mutation in endothelin receptor aa (ednraa) form less cohesive shoals than wild-types. ednraa−/− mutants exhibit heightened aggression and decreased whole-body cortisol levels suggesting that they are dominant. These behavioural changes correlate with a reduction of parvocellular arginine vasopressin (AVP)-positive neurons in the preoptic area, an increase in the size of magnocellular AVP neurons and a higher concentration of 5-HT and dopamine in the brain. Manipulation of AVP or 5-HT signalling can rescue the shoaling phenotype of ednraa−/− providing an insight into how the brain controls social interactions.
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19
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Yang W, Meng Y, Li D, Wen Q. Visual Contrast Modulates Operant Learning Responses in Larval Zebrafish. Front Behav Neurosci 2019; 13:4. [PMID: 30733672 PMCID: PMC6353835 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2018] [Accepted: 01/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The larval zebrafish is a promising vertebrate model organism to study neural mechanisms underlying learning and memory due to its small brain and rich behavioral repertoire. Here, we report on a high-throughput operant conditioning system for zebrafish larvae, which can simultaneously train 12 fish to associate a visual conditioned pattern with electroshocks. We find that the learning responses can be enhanced by the visual contrast, not the spatial features of the conditioned patterns, highlighted by several behavioral metrics. By further characterizing the learning curves as well as memory extinction, we demonstrate that the percentage of learners and the memory length increase as the conditioned pattern becomes darker. Finally, little difference in operant learning responses was found between AB wild-type fish and elavl3:H2B-GCaMP6f transgenic fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenbin Yang
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Center for Integrative Imaging, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Hefei, China
| | - Yutong Meng
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Center for Integrative Imaging, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Hefei, China
| | - Danyang Li
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Center for Integrative Imaging, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Hefei, China
| | - Quan Wen
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Center for Integrative Imaging, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Hefei, China
- Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
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20
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Ratnayake D, Currie PD. Fluorescence-Activated Cell Sorting of Larval Zebrafish Muscle Stem/Progenitor Cells Following Skeletal Muscle Injury. Methods Mol Biol 2019; 1889:245-254. [PMID: 30367418 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-8897-6_14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
This chapter describes a protocol for the isolation of larval zebrafish muscle stem/progenitor cells by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). This method has been successfully applied to isolate pax3a expressing cells 3 days following needle stab skeletal muscle injury. The cell sorting strategy described here can easily be adapted to any cell type at embryonic or larval stages. RNA extracted from the sorted cells can be used for subsequent downstream applications such as quantitative PCR (qPCR), microarrays, or next generation sequencing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dhanushika Ratnayake
- Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia. .,European Molecular Biology Laboratory Australia Melbourne Node, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia.
| | - Peter D Currie
- Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia.,European Molecular Biology Laboratory Australia Melbourne Node, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
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21
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A tRNA-based multiplex sgRNA expression system in zebrafish and its application to generation of transgenic albino fish. Sci Rep 2018; 8:13366. [PMID: 30190522 PMCID: PMC6127137 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-31476-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2018] [Accepted: 08/20/2018] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The CRISPR/Cas9 system can be introduced into zebrafish as transgenes. Namely, expression of single-guide RNA (sgRNA) and controlled expression of Cas9 in transgenic zebrafish enables the study of gene functions in specific cell types. This transgenic CRISPR/Cas9 approach would be more useful if multiple sgRNAs could be expressed simultaneously since we could knock-out a gene more efficiently or disrupt multiple genes simultaneously. Here we describe a novel system to express multiple sgRNAs efficiently in zebrafish, that relies on the endogenous tRNA processing machinery. We cloned nine endogenous zebrafish tRNA genes, fused them to sgRNAs, and demonstrated that an active sgRNA can be produced from a precursor transcript containing either of these tRNAs. To show a proof of principle, we constructed transgenic fish expressing Cas9 under the control of the ubiquitin promoter and a single transcript containing three distinct sgRNAs, that targeted the slc45a2 (albino) gene, fused to tRNAs under the control of the U6 promoter. We found that the Tg(ubb:SpCas9,u6c:3xslc45a2-sgRNA) harbored mutations in all of the target sites in the albino gene and showed nearly complete albino phenotypes, which were amenable to imaging experiments. Thus, the tRNA-based multiplex sgRNA expression system should facilitate gene knock-out studies in transgenic zebrafish.
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22
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Fernandes Y, Rampersad M, Eberhart JK. Social behavioral phenotyping of the zebrafish casper mutant following embryonic alcohol exposure. Behav Brain Res 2018; 356:46-50. [PMID: 30107225 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2018.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2018] [Revised: 08/07/2018] [Accepted: 08/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The term Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) describes all the deleterious consequences of prenatal alcohol exposure. Impaired social behavior is a common symptom of FASD. The zebrafish has emerged as a powerful model organism with which to examine the effects of embryonic alcohol exposure on social behavior due to an innate strong behavior, called shoaling. The relative transparency of the embryo also makes zebrafish powerful for cellular analyses, such as characterizing neural circuitry. However, as zebrafish develop, pigmentation begins to obscure the brain and other tissues. Due to mutations disrupting pigmentation, the casper zebrafish strain remains relatively transparent throughout adulthood, potentially permitting researchers to image neural circuits in vivo, via epifluorescence, confocal and light sheet microscopy. Currently, however the behavioral profile of casper zebrafish post embryonic alcohol exposure has not been completed. We report that exposure to 1% alcohol from either 6 to 24, or 24 to 26 h postfertilization reduces the social behavior of adult casper zebrafish. Our findings set the stage for the use of this important zebrafish resource in studies of FASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yohaan Fernandes
- University of Texas at Austin, 2401 Speedway, Patterson Hall Room 522, Austin, TX 78712, United States of America.
| | - Mindy Rampersad
- University of Texas at Austin, 2401 Speedway, Patterson Hall Room 522, Austin, TX 78712, United States of America.
| | - Johann K Eberhart
- University of Texas at Austin, 2401 Speedway, Patterson Hall Room 522, Austin, TX 78712, United States of America.
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23
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Zebrafish skeleton development: High resolution micro-CT and FIB-SEM block surface serial imaging for phenotype identification. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0177731. [PMID: 29220379 PMCID: PMC5722281 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0177731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2016] [Accepted: 05/02/2017] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Although bone is one of the most studied living materials, many questions about the manner in which bones form remain unresolved, including fine details of the skeletal structure during development. In this study, we monitored skeleton development of zebrafish larvae, using calcein fluorescence, high-resolution micro-CT 3D images and FIB-SEM in the block surface serial imaging mode. We compared calcein staining of the skeletons of the wild type and nacre mutants, which are transparent zebrafish, with micro-CT for the first 30 days post fertilization embryos, and identified significant differences. We quantified the bone volumes and mineral contents of bones, including otoliths, during development, and showed that such developmental differences, including otolith development, could be helpful in identifying phenotypes. In addition, high-resolution imaging revealed the presence of mineralized aggregates in the notochord, before the formation of the first bone in the axial skeleton. These structures might play a role in the storage of the mineral. Our results highlight the potential of these high-resolution 3D approaches to characterize the zebrafish skeleton, which in turn could prove invaluable information for better understanding the development and the characterization of skeletal phenotypes.
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Brock AJ, Goody SMG, Mead AN, Sudwarts A, Parker MO, Brennan CH. Assessing the Value of the Zebrafish Conditioned Place Preference Model for Predicting Human Abuse Potential. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2017; 363:66-79. [PMID: 28790193 DOI: 10.1124/jpet.117.242628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2017] [Accepted: 08/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Regulatory agencies recommend that centrally active drugs are tested for abuse potential before approval. Standard preclinical assessments are conducted in rats or non-human primates (NHPs). This study evaluated the ability of the zebrafish conditioned place preference (CPP) model to predict human abuse outcomes. Twenty-seven compounds from a variety of pharmacological classes were tested in zebrafish CPP, categorized as positive or negative, and analyzed using standard diagnostic tests of binary classification to determine the likelihood that zebrafish correctly predict robust positive signals in human subjective effects studies (+HSE) and/or Drug Enforcement Administration drug scheduling. Results were then compared with those generated for rat self-administration and CPP, as well as NHP self-administration, using this same set of compounds. The findings reveal that zebrafish concordance and sensitivity values were not significantly different from chance for both +HSE and scheduling. Although significant improvements in specificity and negative predictive values were observed for zebrafish relative to +HSE, specificity without sensitivity provides limited predictive value. Moreover, assessments in zebrafish provided no added value for predicting scheduling. By contrast, rat and NHP models generally possessed significantly improved concordance, sensitivity, and positive predictive values for both clinical measures. Although there may be predictive value with compounds from specific pharmacological classes (e.g., µ-opioid receptor agonists, psychostimulants) for zebrafish CPP, altogether these data highlight that using the current methodology, the zebrafish CPP model does not add value to the preclinical assessment of abuse potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- A J Brock
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom (A.J.B., A.S., C.H.B.); Global Safety Pharmacology, Drug Safety Research and Development, Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, Groton, Connecticut (S.M.G.G., A.N.M.); and School of Health Sciences and Social Work, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, United Kingdom (M.O.P.)
| | - S M G Goody
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom (A.J.B., A.S., C.H.B.); Global Safety Pharmacology, Drug Safety Research and Development, Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, Groton, Connecticut (S.M.G.G., A.N.M.); and School of Health Sciences and Social Work, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, United Kingdom (M.O.P.)
| | - A N Mead
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom (A.J.B., A.S., C.H.B.); Global Safety Pharmacology, Drug Safety Research and Development, Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, Groton, Connecticut (S.M.G.G., A.N.M.); and School of Health Sciences and Social Work, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, United Kingdom (M.O.P.)
| | - A Sudwarts
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom (A.J.B., A.S., C.H.B.); Global Safety Pharmacology, Drug Safety Research and Development, Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, Groton, Connecticut (S.M.G.G., A.N.M.); and School of Health Sciences and Social Work, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, United Kingdom (M.O.P.)
| | - M O Parker
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom (A.J.B., A.S., C.H.B.); Global Safety Pharmacology, Drug Safety Research and Development, Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, Groton, Connecticut (S.M.G.G., A.N.M.); and School of Health Sciences and Social Work, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, United Kingdom (M.O.P.)
| | - C H Brennan
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom (A.J.B., A.S., C.H.B.); Global Safety Pharmacology, Drug Safety Research and Development, Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, Groton, Connecticut (S.M.G.G., A.N.M.); and School of Health Sciences and Social Work, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, United Kingdom (M.O.P.)
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de Alvarenga KAF, Sacramento EK, Rosa DV, Souza BR, de Rezende VB, Romano-Silva MA. Effects of antipsychotics on intestinal motility in zebrafish larvae. Neurogastroenterol Motil 2017; 29. [PMID: 27981679 DOI: 10.1111/nmo.13006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2016] [Accepted: 11/09/2016] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Antipsychotics are essential for the treatment of schizophrenia. However, due to side effects, both continuity of treatment and patients' general health can be jeopardized. Some of these drugs, especially clozapine, have a class of side effects attributed to their antimuscarinic properties, such as dysmotility, a condition in which muscles of the digestive system become impaired. Dysmotility may also alter the speed, strength or coordination of the digestive organs, causing distention, disturbing gastrointestinal transit, leading to symptoms such as bloating, nausea, vomiting, and even malnutrition. In this study, our aim was to develop an in vivo assay capable of identifying and studying the antimuscarinic effects of antipsychotics in a zebrafish model. METHODS We performed video recordings of in vivo 5-day postfertilization (dpf) zebrafish larvae gastrointestinal tracts and analyzed the frequency of spontaneous and regular cycles of contractions of the gut. KEY RESULTS The assay was first validated with treatment with atropine. We showed that this antimuscarinic drug reduces peristaltic cycles. Subsequently, the larvae were treated with the antipsychotics haloperidol, risperidone, and clozapine. Neither haloperidol nor risperidone reduced gut motility, but clozapine significantly reduced the frequency of cycles of contractions (P<.0001), which confirms the existing clinical data. CONCLUSIONS & INFERENCES We conclude that this zebrafish assay efficiently identifies anticholinergic side effects of antipsychotics, and can thus be a quick and useful way to screen for this property in new drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- K A F de Alvarenga
- Laboratório de Neurociência, Departamento de Saúde Mental, Faculdade de Medicina, UFMG, Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia de Medicina Molecular, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - E K Sacramento
- Laboratório de Neurociência, Departamento de Saúde Mental, Faculdade de Medicina, UFMG, Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia de Medicina Molecular, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - D V Rosa
- Laboratório de Neurociência, Departamento de Saúde Mental, Faculdade de Medicina, UFMG, Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia de Medicina Molecular, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - B R Souza
- Laboratório de Neurociência, Departamento de Saúde Mental, Faculdade de Medicina, UFMG, Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia de Medicina Molecular, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.,Núcleo de Neurociências, Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, UFMG, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - V B de Rezende
- Laboratório de Neurociência, Departamento de Saúde Mental, Faculdade de Medicina, UFMG, Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia de Medicina Molecular, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - M A Romano-Silva
- Laboratório de Neurociência, Departamento de Saúde Mental, Faculdade de Medicina, UFMG, Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia de Medicina Molecular, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
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Kim DC, Kim S, Hwang KS, Kim CH. p-Coumaric Acid Potently Down-regulates Zebrafish Embryo Pigmentation: Comparison ofin vivoAssay and Computational Molecular Modeling with Phenylthiourea. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017. [DOI: 10.15616/bsl.2017.23.1.8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dong-Chan Kim
- Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science, Gimcheon University, Gimcheon 39528, Korea
| | - Seonlin Kim
- Department of Novel Drug Design Laboratory, Neuronex, Goryeong 40152, Korea
| | - Kyu-Seok Hwang
- Department of Biology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Korea
| | - Cheol-Hee Kim
- Department of Biology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Korea
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Presslauer C, Bizuayehu TT, Razmi K, Fernandes JMO, Babiak I. See-Thru-Gonad zebrafish line: developmental and functional validation. Reproduction 2016; 152:507-17. [DOI: 10.1530/rep-16-0328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2016] [Accepted: 08/30/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Zebrafish are an important model species in developmental biology. However, their potential in reproductive biology research has yet to be realized. In this study, we established See-Thru-Gonad zebrafish, a transparent line with fluorescently labeled germ cells visible throughout the life cycle, validated its gonadal development features, and demonstrated its applicability by performing a targeted gene knockdown experiment using vivo-morpholinos (VMOs). To establish the line, we crossed the zf45Tg and mitfaw2/w2; mpv17b18/b18 zebrafish lines. We documented the in vivo visibility of the germline-specific fluorescent signal throughout development, from gametes through embryonic and juvenile stages up to sexual maturity, and validated gonadal development with histology. We performed targeted gene knockdown of the microRNA (miRNA) miR-92a-3p through injection of VMOs directly to maturing ovaries. After the treatment, zebrafish were bred naturally. Embryos from miR-92a-3p knockdown ovaries had a significant reduction in relative miR-92a-3p expression and a higher percentage of developmental arrest at the 1-cell stage as compared with 5-base mismatch-treated controls. The experiment demonstrates that See-Thru-Gonad line can be successfully used for vertical transmission of the effects of targeted gene knockdown in ovaries into their offspring.
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Zhang J, Zhang C, Sun P, Shao X. Tributyltin affects shoaling and anxiety behavior in female rare minnow (Gobiocypris rarus). AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2016; 178:80-87. [PMID: 27472783 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2016.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2016] [Revised: 07/10/2016] [Accepted: 07/14/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Effects of tributyltin (TBT) on reproduction are well established in many fish species. However, few studies report the effects of TBT on non-reproductive behaviors, which is a novel aspect of endocrine disruption in fish. Thus, the present study used rare minnow (Gobiocypris rarus) to investigate the effects of TBT, at environmental concentrations of 1, 10 and 100ng/L, on shoaling and anxiety behaviors. The results showed that fish exposed to TBT had less group cohesion during the course of the 10-min observation period as compared with the control fish. Further, TBT altered the shoaling in the Novel tank test, where shoaling is determined as the tendency to leave a shoal of littermates trapped behind a Plexiglas barrier at one end of the test tank. Fish exposed to TBT had shorter latency before leaving shoal mates and spent more time away from shoal than control fish. In addition, we also used Novel tanks to study the anxiety behavior as the tendency to stay at the bottom when introduced into an unfamiliar environment. The fish exposed to TBT showed increased anxiety, manifested as increased latency to enter the upper half and decreased time in upper half when compared with the control fish. TBT exposure increased the levels of dopamine and its metabolite 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, and decreased the levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine and its metabolite 5-hydroxy indole acetic acid in the brain. Thus, the hypofunction of the dopaminergic system or of the serotoninergic system or the combination of the two may underlie the observed behavioral change, which might affect the fitness of fish in their natural environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiliang Zhang
- Henan Open Laboratory of Key Subjects of Environmental and Animal Products Safety, College of Animal Science and Technology, Henan University of Science and Technology, Henan, China.
| | - Chunnuan Zhang
- Henan Open Laboratory of Key Subjects of Environmental and Animal Products Safety, College of Animal Science and Technology, Henan University of Science and Technology, Henan, China
| | - Ping Sun
- Henan Open Laboratory of Key Subjects of Environmental and Animal Products Safety, College of Animal Science and Technology, Henan University of Science and Technology, Henan, China
| | - Xian Shao
- Henan Open Laboratory of Key Subjects of Environmental and Animal Products Safety, College of Animal Science and Technology, Henan University of Science and Technology, Henan, China
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Abstract
The larval zebrafish (Danio rerio) is an excellent vertebrate model for in vivo imaging of biological phenomena at subcellular, cellular and systems levels. However, the optical accessibility of highly pigmented tissues, like the eyes, is limited even in this animal model. Typical strategies to improve the transparency of zebrafish larvae require the use of either highly toxic chemical compounds (e.g. 1-phenyl-2-thiourea, PTU) or pigmentation mutant strains (e.g. casper mutant). To date none of these strategies produce normally behaving larvae that are transparent in both the body and the eyes. Here we present crystal, an optically clear zebrafish mutant obtained by combining different viable mutations affecting skin pigmentation. Compared to the previously described combinatorial mutant casper, the crystal mutant lacks pigmentation also in the retinal pigment epithelium, therefore enabling optical access to the eyes. Unlike PTU-treated animals, crystal larvae are able to perform visually guided behaviours, such as the optomotor response, as efficiently as wild type larvae. To validate the in vivo application of crystal larvae, we performed whole-brain light-sheet imaging and two-photon calcium imaging of neural activity in the retina. In conclusion, this novel combinatorial pigmentation mutant represents an ideal vertebrate tool for completely unobstructed structural and functional in vivo investigations of biological processes, particularly when imaging tissues inside or between the eyes.
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Abstract
The larval zebrafish (Danio rerio) is an excellent vertebrate model for in vivo imaging of biological phenomena at subcellular, cellular and systems levels. However, the optical accessibility of highly pigmented tissues, like the eyes, is limited even in this animal model. Typical strategies to improve the transparency of zebrafish larvae require the use of either highly toxic chemical compounds (e.g. 1-phenyl-2-thiourea, PTU) or pigmentation mutant strains (e.g. casper mutant). To date none of these strategies produce normally behaving larvae that are transparent in both the body and the eyes. Here we present crystal, an optically clear zebrafish mutant obtained by combining different viable mutations affecting skin pigmentation. Compared to the previously described combinatorial mutant casper, the crystal mutant lacks pigmentation also in the retinal pigment epithelium, therefore enabling optical access to the eyes. Unlike PTU-treated animals, crystal larvae are able to perform visually guided behaviours, such as the optomotor response, as efficiently as wild type larvae. To validate the in vivo application of crystal larvae, we performed whole-brain light-sheet imaging and two-photon calcium imaging of neural activity in the retina. In conclusion, this novel combinatorial pigmentation mutant represents an ideal vertebrate tool for completely unobstructed structural and functional in vivo investigations of biological processes, particularly when imaging tissues inside or between the eyes.
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Parker MO, Evans AMD, Brock AJ, Combe FJ, Teh MT, Brennan CH. Moderate alcohol exposure during early brain development increases stimulus-response habits in adulthood. Addict Biol 2016; 21:49-60. [PMID: 25138642 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to alcohol during early central nervous system development has been shown variously to affect aspects of physiological and behavioural development. In extreme cases, this can extend to craniofacial defects, severe developmental delay and mental retardation. At more moderate levels, subtle differences in brain morphology and behaviour have been observed. One clear effect of developmental alcohol exposure is an increase in the propensity to develop alcoholism and other addictions. The mechanisms by which this occurs, however, are not currently understood. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that adult zebrafish chronically exposed to moderate levels of ethanol during early brain ontogenesis would show an increase in conditioned place preference for alcohol and an increased propensity towards habit formation, a key component of drug addiction in humans. We found support for both of these hypotheses and found that the exposed fish had changes in mRNA expression patterns for dopamine receptor, nicotinic acetylcholine receptor and μ-opioid receptor encoding genes. Collectively, these data show an explicit link between the increased proclivity for addiction and addiction-related behaviour following exposure to ethanol during early brain development and alterations in the neural circuits underlying habit learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew O. Parker
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences; Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry; Queen Mary University of London; UK
| | - Alexandra M-D. Evans
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences; Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry; Queen Mary University of London; UK
| | - Alistair J. Brock
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences; Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry; Queen Mary University of London; UK
| | - Fraser J. Combe
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences; Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry; Queen Mary University of London; UK
| | - Muy-Teck Teh
- Centre for Clinical and Diagnostic Oral Sciences; Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry; Queen Mary University of London; UK
| | - Caroline H. Brennan
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences; Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry; Queen Mary University of London; UK
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32
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Kalueff AV, Echevarria DJ, Homechaudhuri S, Stewart AM, Collier AD, Kaluyeva AA, Li S, Liu Y, Chen P, Wang J, Yang L, Mitra A, Pal S, Chaudhuri A, Roy A, Biswas M, Roy D, Podder A, Poudel MK, Katare DP, Mani RJ, Kyzar EJ, Gaikwad S, Nguyen M, Song C. Zebrafish neurobehavioral phenomics for aquatic neuropharmacology and toxicology research. AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2016; 170:297-309. [PMID: 26372090 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2015.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2015] [Revised: 08/13/2015] [Accepted: 08/17/2015] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Zebrafish (Danio rerio) are rapidly emerging as an important model organism for aquatic neuropharmacology and toxicology research. The behavioral/phenotypic complexity of zebrafish allows for thorough dissection of complex human brain disorders and drug-evoked pathological states. As numerous zebrafish models become available with a wide spectrum of behavioral, genetic, and environmental methods to test novel drugs, here we discuss recent zebrafish phenomics methods to facilitate drug discovery, particularly in the field of biological psychiatry. Additionally, behavioral, neurological, and endocrine endpoints are becoming increasingly well-characterized in zebrafish, making them an inexpensive, robust and effective model for toxicology research and pharmacological screening. We also discuss zebrafish behavioral phenotypes, experimental considerations, pharmacological candidates and relevance of zebrafish neurophenomics to other 'omics' (e.g., genomic, proteomic) approaches. Finally, we critically evaluate the limitations of utilizing this model organism, and outline future strategies of research in the field of zebrafish phenomics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allan V Kalueff
- Research Institute for Marine Drugs and Nutrition, College of Food Science and Technology, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, Guangdong 524025, China; The International Zebrafish Neuroscience Research Consortium (ZNRC), Slidell, LA 70458, USA; ZENEREI Institute, 309 Palmer Court, Slidell, LA 70458, USA; Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg 199034, Russia; Chemical-Technological Institute and Institute of Natural Sciences, Ural Federal University, Ekaterinburg 620002, Russia.
| | - David J Echevarria
- The International Zebrafish Neuroscience Research Consortium (ZNRC), Slidell, LA 70458, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Southern Mississippi, 118 College Drive, Hattiesburg, MS 39406, USA
| | - Sumit Homechaudhuri
- Department of Zoology, University of Calcutta, 35, Ballygunge Circular Road, Kolkata 700019, India
| | - Adam Michael Stewart
- The International Zebrafish Neuroscience Research Consortium (ZNRC), Slidell, LA 70458, USA; ZENEREI Institute, 309 Palmer Court, Slidell, LA 70458, USA
| | - Adam D Collier
- The International Zebrafish Neuroscience Research Consortium (ZNRC), Slidell, LA 70458, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Southern Mississippi, 118 College Drive, Hattiesburg, MS 39406, USA
| | | | - Shaomin Li
- Research Institute for Marine Drugs and Nutrition, College of Food Science and Technology, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, Guangdong 524025, China
| | - Yingcong Liu
- Research Institute for Marine Drugs and Nutrition, College of Food Science and Technology, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, Guangdong 524025, China
| | - Peirong Chen
- Research Institute for Marine Drugs and Nutrition, College of Food Science and Technology, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, Guangdong 524025, China
| | - JiaJia Wang
- Research Institute for Marine Drugs and Nutrition, College of Food Science and Technology, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, Guangdong 524025, China
| | - Lei Yang
- Research Institute for Marine Drugs and Nutrition, College of Food Science and Technology, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, Guangdong 524025, China
| | - Anisa Mitra
- Department of Zoology, University of Calcutta, 35, Ballygunge Circular Road, Kolkata 700019, India
| | - Subharthi Pal
- Department of Zoology, University of Calcutta, 35, Ballygunge Circular Road, Kolkata 700019, India
| | - Adwitiya Chaudhuri
- Department of Zoology, University of Calcutta, 35, Ballygunge Circular Road, Kolkata 700019, India
| | - Anwesha Roy
- Department of Zoology, University of Calcutta, 35, Ballygunge Circular Road, Kolkata 700019, India
| | - Missidona Biswas
- Department of Zoology, University of Calcutta, 35, Ballygunge Circular Road, Kolkata 700019, India
| | - Dola Roy
- Department of Zoology, University of Calcutta, 35, Ballygunge Circular Road, Kolkata 700019, India
| | - Anupam Podder
- Department of Zoology, University of Calcutta, 35, Ballygunge Circular Road, Kolkata 700019, India
| | - Manoj K Poudel
- The International Zebrafish Neuroscience Research Consortium (ZNRC), Slidell, LA 70458, USA; ZENEREI Institute, 309 Palmer Court, Slidell, LA 70458, USA
| | - Deepshikha P Katare
- Proteomics and Translational Research Lab, Centre for Medical Biotechnology, Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Noida 201303, UP, India
| | - Ruchi J Mani
- Proteomics and Translational Research Lab, Centre for Medical Biotechnology, Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Noida 201303, UP, India
| | - Evan J Kyzar
- The International Zebrafish Neuroscience Research Consortium (ZNRC), Slidell, LA 70458, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Psychiatric Institute, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1601 W Taylor St., Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Siddharth Gaikwad
- Graduate Institute of Neural and Cognitive Sciences, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung 40402, Taiwan
| | - Michael Nguyen
- The International Zebrafish Neuroscience Research Consortium (ZNRC), Slidell, LA 70458, USA; ZENEREI Institute, 309 Palmer Court, Slidell, LA 70458, USA
| | - Cai Song
- Research Institute for Marine Drugs and Nutrition, College of Food Science and Technology, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, Guangdong 524025, China; Graduate Institute of Neural and Cognitive Sciences, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung 40402, Taiwan
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Faillace MP, Bernabeu RO. Conditioned Place Preference and Behavioral Analysis to Evaluate Nicotine Reinforcement Properties in Zebrafish. NICOTINIC ACETYLCHOLINE RECEPTOR TECHNOLOGIES 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-3768-4_3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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Parker MO. Adult vertebrate behavioural aquatic toxicology: Reliability and validity. AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2016; 170:323-329. [PMID: 26358137 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2015.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2015] [Revised: 08/27/2015] [Accepted: 09/01/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Current advances in the ability to assay adult aquatic vertebrate behaviour are potentially very useful to aquatic toxicologists wishing to characterise the effects of pollutants on behaviour, cognition or neurodevelopment. This review considers two specific challenges faced by researchers wishing to exploit these technologies: maximising reliability and validity. It will suggest two behavioural procedures, with the potential for automation and high-throughput implementation, which can be used to measure social cohesion and anxiety, two areas of interest in behavioural aquatic toxicology. In addition, the review will make recommendations about how these procedures (and others) could be carried out to maximise reliability and validity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew O Parker
- School of Health Sciences and Social Work, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK.
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35
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Stewart AM, Grossman L, Collier AD, Echevarria DJ, Kalueff AV. Anxiogenic-like effects of chronic nicotine exposure in zebrafish. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2015; 139 Pt B:112-20. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2015.01.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2014] [Revised: 01/15/2015] [Accepted: 01/21/2015] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
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Glazer L, Hahn ME, Aluru N. Delayed effects of developmental exposure to low levels of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor agonist 3,3',4,4',5-pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB126) on adult zebrafish behavior. Neurotoxicology 2015; 52:134-43. [PMID: 26616910 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2015.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2015] [Revised: 11/18/2015] [Accepted: 11/19/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are ubiquitous environmental contaminants. The most toxic PCBs are the non-ortho-substituted ("dioxin-like") congeners that act through the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) pathway. In humans, perinatal exposure to dioxin-like PCBs is associated with neurodevelopmental toxicity in children. Yet, the full potential for later-life neurobehavioral effects that result from early-life low level exposure to dioxin-like PCBs is not well understood. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of developmental exposure to low levels of dioxin-like PCBs on early- and later-life behavioral phenotypes using zebrafish as a model system. We exposed zebrafish embryos to either vehicle (DMSO) or low concentrations of PCB126 (0.3, 0.6, 1.2nM) for 20h (4-24h post fertilization), and then reared them to adulthood in clean water. Locomotor activity was tested at two larval stages (7 and 14 days post fertilization). Adult fish were tested for anxiety-related behavior using the novel tank and shoaling assays. Adult behavioral assays were repeated several times on the same group of fish and effects on intra- and inter-trial habituation were determined. While there was no effect of PCB126 on larval locomotor activity in response to changes in light conditions, developmental exposure to PCB126 resulted in impaired short- and long-term habituation to a novel environment in adult zebrafish. Cyp1a induction was measured as an indicator for AHR activation. Despite high induction at early stages, cyp1a expression was not induced in the brains of developmentally exposed adult fish that showed altered behavior, suggesting that AHR was not activated at this stage. Our results demonstrate the effectiveness of the zebrafish model in detecting subtle and delayed behavioral effects resulting from developmental exposure to an environmental contaminant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lilah Glazer
- Biology Department and Woods Hole Center for Oceans and Human Health, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA.
| | - Mark E Hahn
- Biology Department and Woods Hole Center for Oceans and Human Health, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
| | - Neelakanteswar Aluru
- Biology Department and Woods Hole Center for Oceans and Human Health, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA.
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MacDonald TC, Nehzati S, Sylvain NJ, James AK, Korbas M, Caine S, Pickering IJ, George GN, Krone PH. Phenylthiourea alters toxicity of mercury compounds in zebrafish larvae. J Inorg Biochem 2015; 151:10-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2015.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2015] [Revised: 06/12/2015] [Accepted: 07/09/2015] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
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Stewart AM, Kaluyeva AA, Poudel MK, Nguyen M, Song C, Kalueff AV. Building Zebrafish Neurobehavioral Phenomics: Effects of Common Environmental Factors on Anxiety and Locomotor Activity. Zebrafish 2015; 12:339-48. [DOI: 10.1089/zeb.2015.1106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Adam Michael Stewart
- International Zebrafish Neuroscience Research Consortium (ZNRC), ZENEREI Institute, Slidell, Louisiana
| | - Alexandra A. Kaluyeva
- International Zebrafish Neuroscience Research Consortium (ZNRC), ZENEREI Institute, Slidell, Louisiana
| | - Manoj K. Poudel
- International Zebrafish Neuroscience Research Consortium (ZNRC), ZENEREI Institute, Slidell, Louisiana
| | - Michael Nguyen
- International Zebrafish Neuroscience Research Consortium (ZNRC), ZENEREI Institute, Slidell, Louisiana
| | - Cai Song
- Research Institute for Marine Drugs and Nutrition, College of Food Science and Technology, Guangdong Ocean University (GDOU), Zhanjiang, China
| | - Allan V. Kalueff
- International Zebrafish Neuroscience Research Consortium (ZNRC), ZENEREI Institute, Slidell, Louisiana
- Research Institute for Marine Drugs and Nutrition, College of Food Science and Technology, Guangdong Ocean University (GDOU), Zhanjiang, China
- Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University (SPSU), St. Petersburg, Russia
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Stewart AM, Gerlai R, Kalueff AV. Developing highER-throughput zebrafish screens for in-vivo CNS drug discovery. Front Behav Neurosci 2015; 9:14. [PMID: 25729356 PMCID: PMC4325915 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2015.00014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2014] [Accepted: 01/14/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The high prevalence of brain disorders and the lack of their efficient treatments necessitate improved in-vivo pre-clinical models and tests. The zebrafish (Danio rerio), a vertebrate species with high genetic and physiological homology to humans, is an excellent organism for innovative central nervous system (CNS) drug discovery and small molecule screening. Here, we outline new strategies for developing higher-throughput zebrafish screens to test neuroactive drugs and predict their pharmacological mechanisms. With the growing application of automated 3D phenotyping, machine learning algorithms, movement pattern- and behavior recognition, and multi-animal video-tracking, zebrafish screens are expected to markedly improve CNS drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Michael Stewart
- ZENEREI Institute and The International Zebrafish Neuroscience Research Consortium Slidell, LA, USA
| | - Robert Gerlai
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga ON, Canada
| | - Allan V Kalueff
- ZENEREI Institute and The International Zebrafish Neuroscience Research Consortium Slidell, LA, USA ; Research Institute for Marine Drugs and Nutrients, College of Food Science and Technology, Guangdong Ocean University Zhanjiang, Guangdong, China
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Parker MO, Annan LV, Kanellopoulos AH, Brock AJ, Combe FJ, Baiamonte M, Teh MT, Brennan CH. The utility of zebrafish to study the mechanisms by which ethanol affects social behavior and anxiety during early brain development. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2014; 55:94-100. [PMID: 24690524 PMCID: PMC4186787 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2014.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2014] [Revised: 03/07/2014] [Accepted: 03/21/2014] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to moderate levels of ethanol during brain development has a number of effects on social behavior but the molecular mechanisms that mediate this are not well understood. Gaining a better understanding of these factors may help to develop therapeutic interventions in the future. Zebrafish offer a potentially useful model in this regard. Here, we introduce a zebrafish model of moderate prenatal ethanol exposure. Embryos were exposed to 20mM ethanol for seven days (48hpf-9dpf) and tested as adults for individual social behavior and shoaling. We also tested their basal anxiety with the novel tank diving test. We found that the ethanol-exposed fish displayed reductions in social approach and shoaling, and an increase in anxiety in the novel tank test. These behavioral differences corresponded to differences in hrt1aa, slc6a4 and oxtr expression. Namely, acute ethanol caused a spike in oxtr and ht1aa mRNA expression, which was followed by down-regulation at 7dpf, and an up-regulation in slc6a4 at 72hpf. This study confirms the utility of zebrafish as a model system for studying the molecular basis of developmental ethanol exposure. Furthermore, it proposes a putative developmental mechanism characterized by ethanol-induced OT inhibition leading to suppression of 5-HT and up-regulation of 5-HT1A, which leads, in turn, to possible homeostatic up-regulation of 5-HTT at 72hpf and subsequent imbalance of the 5-HT system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew O Parker
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, United Kingdom
| | - Leonette V Annan
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, United Kingdom
| | - Alexandros H Kanellopoulos
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, United Kingdom
| | - Alistair J Brock
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, United Kingdom
| | - Fraser J Combe
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, United Kingdom
| | - Matteo Baiamonte
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, United Kingdom
| | - Muy-Teck Teh
- Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 2AD, United Kingdom
| | - Caroline H Brennan
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, United Kingdom.
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