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Stednitz SJ, Lesak A, Fecker AL, Painter P, Washbourne P, Mazzucato L, Scott EK. Probabilistic modeling reveals coordinated social interaction states and their multisensory bases. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.08.02.606104. [PMID: 39149367 PMCID: PMC11326195 DOI: 10.1101/2024.08.02.606104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/17/2024]
Abstract
Social behavior across animal species ranges from simple pairwise interactions to thousands of individuals coordinating goal-directed movements. Regardless of the scale, these interactions are governed by the interplay between multimodal sensory information and the internal state of each animal. Here, we investigate how animals use multiple sensory modalities to guide social behavior in the highly social zebrafish (Danio rerio) and uncover the complex features of pairwise interactions early in development. To identify distinct behaviors and understand how they vary over time, we developed a new hidden Markov model with constrained linear-model emissions to automatically classify states of coordinated interaction, using the movements of one animal to predict those of another. We discovered that social behaviors alternate between two interaction states within a single experimental session, distinguished by unique movements and timescales. Long-range interactions, akin to shoaling, rely on vision, while mechanosensation underlies rapid synchronized movements and parallel swimming, precursors of schooling. Altogether, we observe spontaneous interactions in pairs of fish, develop novel hidden Markov modeling to reveal two fundamental interaction modes, and identify the sensory systems involved in each. Our modeling approach to pairwise social interactions has broad applicability to a wide variety of naturalistic behaviors and species and solves the challenge of detecting transient couplings between quasi-periodic time series.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrew Lesak
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
| | - Adeline L Fecker
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
| | | | - Phil Washbourne
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
| | - Luca Mazzucato
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
| | - Ethan K Scott
- Department of Anatomy & Physiology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
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Josephine Stednitz S, Lesak A, Fecker AL, Painter P, Washbourne P, Mazzucato L, Scott EK. Probabilistic modeling reveals coordinated social interaction states and their multisensory bases. ARXIV 2024:arXiv:2408.01683v1. [PMID: 39130202 PMCID: PMC11312628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/13/2024]
Abstract
Social behavior across animal species ranges from simple pairwise interactions to thousands of individuals coordinating goal-directed movements. Regardless of the scale, these interactions are governed by the interplay between multimodal sensory information and the internal state of each animal. Here, we investigate how animals use multiple sensory modalities to guide social behavior in the highly social zebrafish (Danio rerio) and uncover the complex features of pairwise interactions early in development. To identify distinct behaviors and understand how they vary over time, we developed a new hidden Markov model with constrained linear-model emissions to automatically classify states of coordinated interaction, using the movements of one animal to predict those of another. We discovered that social behaviors alternate between two interaction states within a single experimental session, distinguished by unique movements and timescales. Long-range interactions, akin to shoaling, rely on vision, while mechanosensation underlies rapid synchronized movements and parallel swimming, precursors of schooling. Altogether, we observe spontaneous interactions in pairs of fish, develop novel hidden Markov modeling to reveal two fundamental interaction modes, and identify the sensory systems involved in each. Our modeling approach to pairwise social interactions has broad applicability to a wide variety of naturalistic behaviors and species and solves the challenge of detecting transient couplings between quasi-periodic time series.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrew Lesak
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
| | - Adeline L Fecker
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
| | | | - Phil Washbourne
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
| | - Luca Mazzucato
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
| | - Ethan K Scott
- Department of Anatomy & Physiology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
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Wang N, Dong G, Qiao R, Yin X, Lin S. Bringing Artificial Intelligence (AI) into Environmental Toxicology Studies: A Perspective of AI-Enabled Zebrafish High-Throughput Screening. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:9487-9499. [PMID: 38691763 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.4c00480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2024]
Abstract
The booming development of artificial intelligence (AI) has brought excitement to many research fields that could benefit from its big data analysis capability for causative relationship establishment and knowledge generation. In toxicology studies using zebrafish, the microscopic images and videos that illustrate the developmental stages, phenotypic morphologies, and animal behaviors possess great potential to facilitate rapid hazard assessment and dissection of the toxicity mechanism of environmental pollutants. However, the traditional manual observation approach is both labor-intensive and time-consuming. In this Perspective, we aim to summarize the current AI-enabled image and video analysis tools to realize the full potential of AI. For image analysis, AI-based tools allow fast and objective determination of morphological features and extraction of quantitative information from images of various sorts. The advantages of providing accurate and reproducible results while avoiding human intervention play a critical role in speeding up the screening process. For video analysis, AI-based tools enable the tracking of dynamic changes in both microscopic cellular events and macroscopic animal behaviors. The subtle changes revealed by video analysis could serve as sensitive indicators of adverse outcomes. With AI-based toxicity analysis in its infancy, exciting developments and applications are expected to appear in the years to come.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Wang
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Biomedical Multidisciplinary Innovation Research Institute, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, Ministry of Education; Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai 200092, People's Republic of China
| | - Gongqing Dong
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Biomedical Multidisciplinary Innovation Research Institute, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, Ministry of Education; Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai 200092, People's Republic of China
| | - Ruxia Qiao
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Biomedical Multidisciplinary Innovation Research Institute, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, Ministry of Education; Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai 200092, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiang Yin
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Biomedical Multidisciplinary Innovation Research Institute, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, Ministry of Education; Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai 200092, People's Republic of China
| | - Sijie Lin
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Biomedical Multidisciplinary Innovation Research Institute, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, Ministry of Education; Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai 200092, People's Republic of China
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Kareklas K, Teles MC, Nunes AR, Oliveira RF. Social zebrafish: Danio rerio as an emerging model in social neuroendocrinology. J Neuroendocrinol 2023; 35:e13280. [PMID: 37165563 DOI: 10.1111/jne.13280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Revised: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
The fitness benefits of social life depend on the ability of animals to affiliate with others and form groups, on dominance hierarchies within groups that determine resource distribution, and on cognitive capacities for recognition, learning and information transfer. The evolution of these phenotypes is coupled with that of neuroendocrine mechanisms, but the causal link between the two remains underexplored. Growing evidence from our research group and others demonstrates that the tools available in zebrafish, Danio rerio, can markedly facilitate progress in this field. Here, we review this evidence and provide a synthesis of the state-of-the-art in this model system. We discuss the involvement of generalized motivation and cognitive components, neuroplasticity and functional connectivity across social decision-making brain areas, and how these are modulated chiefly by the oxytocin-vasopressin neuroendocrine system, but also by reward-pathway monoamine signaling and the effects of sex-hormones and stress physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Magda C Teles
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal
- ISPA-Instituto Universitário, Lisbon, Portugal
| | | | - Rui F Oliveira
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal
- ISPA-Instituto Universitário, Lisbon, Portugal
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Resmim CM, Borba JV, Pretzel CW, Santos LW, Rubin MA, Rosemberg DB. Assessing the exploratory profile of two zebrafish populations: influence of anxiety-like phenotypes and independent trials on homebase-related parameters and exploration. Behav Processes 2023:104912. [PMID: 37406867 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2023.104912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023]
Abstract
Anxiety is a protective behavior when animals face aversive conditions. The open field test (OFT) is used to assess the spatio-temporal dynamics of exploration, in which both homebase formation and recognition of environmental cues may reflect habituation to unfamiliar conditions. Because emotional- and affective-like states influence exploration patterns and mnemonic aspects, we aimed to verify whether the exploratory behaviors of two zebrafish populations showing distinct baselines of anxiety differ in two OFT sessions. Firstly, we assessed the baseline anxiety-like responses of short fin (SF) and leopard (LEO) populations using the novel tank test (NTT) and light-dark test (LDT) in 6-min trials. Fish were later tested in two consecutive days in the OFT, in which the spatial occupancy and exploratory profile were analyzed for 30min. In general, LEO showed pronounced diving behavior and scototaxis in the NTT and LDT, respectively, in which an "anxiety index" corroborated their exacerbated anxiety-like behavior. In the OFT, the SF population spent less time to establish the homebase in the 1st trial, while only LEO showed a markedly reduction in the latency to homebase formation in the 2nd trial. Both locomotion and homebase-related activities were decreased in the 2nd trial, in which animals also revealed increased occupancy in the center area of the apparatus. Moreover, we verified a significant percentage of homebase conservation for both populations, while only SF showed reduced the number of trips and increased the average length of trips. Principal component analyses revealed that distinct factors accounted for total variances between trials for each population tested. While homebase exploration was reduced in the 2nd trial for SF, an increased occupancy in the center area and hypolocomotion were the main factors that contribute to the effects observed in LEO during re-exposure to the OFT. In conclusion, our novel data support the homebase conservation in zebrafish subjected to independent OFT sessions, as well as corroborate a population-dependent effect on specific behavioral parameters related to exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cássio M Resmim
- Laboratory of Experimental Neuropsychobiology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Natural and Exact Sciences Center, Federal University of Santa Maria, 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil; Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Toxicological Biochemistry, Federal University of Santa Maria, 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil.
| | - João V Borba
- Laboratory of Experimental Neuropsychobiology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Natural and Exact Sciences Center, Federal University of Santa Maria, 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil; Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Toxicological Biochemistry, Federal University of Santa Maria, 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil
| | - Camilla W Pretzel
- Laboratory of Experimental Neuropsychobiology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Natural and Exact Sciences Center, Federal University of Santa Maria, 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil
| | - Laura W Santos
- Laboratory of Experimental Neuropsychobiology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Natural and Exact Sciences Center, Federal University of Santa Maria, 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil
| | - Maribel A Rubin
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Natural and Exact Sciences Center, Federal University of Santa Maria, 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil
| | - Denis B Rosemberg
- Laboratory of Experimental Neuropsychobiology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Natural and Exact Sciences Center, Federal University of Santa Maria, 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Natural and Exact Sciences Center, Federal University of Santa Maria, 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil; The International Zebrafish Neuroscience Research Consortium (ZNRC), 309 Palmer Court, Slidell, LA 70458, USA.
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Romero-Ferrero F, Heras FJH, Rance D, de Polavieja GG. A study of transfer of information in animal collectives using deep learning tools. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20220073. [PMID: 36802786 PMCID: PMC9939271 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/21/2023] Open
Abstract
We studied how the interactions among animals in a collective allow for the transfer of information. We performed laboratory experiments to study how zebrafish in a collective follow a subset of trained animals that move towards a light when it turns on because they expect food at that location. We built some deep learning tools to distinguish from video which are the trained and the naïve animals and to detect when each animal reacts to the light turning on. These tools gave us the data to build a model of interactions that we designed to have a balance between transparency and accuracy. The model finds a low-dimensional function that describes how a naïve animal weights neighbours depending on focal and neighbour variables. According to this low-dimensional function, neighbour speed plays an important role in the interactions. Specifically, a naïve animal weights more a neighbour in front than to the sides or behind, and more so the faster the neighbour is moving; and if the neighbour moves fast enough, the differences coming from the neighbour's relative position largely disappear. From the lens of decision-making, neighbour speed acts as confidence measure about where to go. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Collective behaviour through time'.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Dean Rance
- Champalimaud Research, Champalimaud Foundation, 1400-038 Lisbon, Portugal
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Geng Y, Yates C, Peterson RT. Social behavioral profiling by unsupervised deep learning reveals a stimulative effect of dopamine D3 agonists on zebrafish sociality. CELL REPORTS METHODS 2023; 3:100381. [PMID: 36814839 PMCID: PMC9939379 DOI: 10.1016/j.crmeth.2022.100381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Revised: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
It has been a major challenge to systematically evaluate and compare how pharmacological perturbations influence social behavioral outcomes. Although some pharmacological agents are known to alter social behavior, precise description and quantification of such effects have proven difficult. We developed a scalable social behavioral assay for zebrafish named ZeChat based on unsupervised deep learning to characterize sociality at high resolution. High-dimensional and dynamic social behavioral phenotypes are automatically classified using this method. By screening a neuroactive compound library, we found that different classes of chemicals evoke distinct patterns of social behavioral fingerprints. By examining these patterns, we discovered that dopamine D3 agonists possess a social stimulative effect on zebrafish. The D3 agonists pramipexole, piribedil, and 7-hydroxy-DPAT-HBr rescued social deficits in a valproic-acid-induced zebrafish autism model. The ZeChat platform provides a promising approach for dissecting the pharmacology of social behavior and discovering novel social-modulatory compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yijie Geng
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Christopher Yates
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Randall T. Peterson
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
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Reichmann F, Pilic J, Trajanoski S, Norton WHJ. Transcriptomic underpinnings of high and low mirror aggression zebrafish behaviours. BMC Biol 2022; 20:97. [PMID: 35501893 PMCID: PMC9059464 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-022-01298-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Aggression is an adaptive behaviour that animals use to protect offspring, defend themselves and obtain resources. Zebrafish, like many other animals, are not able to recognize themselves in the mirror and typically respond to their own reflection with aggression. However, mirror aggression is not an all-or-nothing phenomenon, with some individuals displaying high levels of aggression against their mirror image, while others show none at all. In the current work, we have investigated the genetic basis of mirror aggression by using a classic forward genetics approach - selective breeding for high and low mirror aggression zebrafish (HAZ and LAZ). Results We characterized AB wild-type zebrafish for their response to the mirror image. Both aggressive and non-aggressive fish were inbred over several generations. We found that HAZ were on average more aggressive than the corresponding LAZ across generations and that the most aggressive adult HAZ were less anxious than the least aggressive adult LAZ after prolonged selective breeding. RNAseq analysis of these fish revealed that hundreds of protein-encoding genes with important diverse biological functions such as arsenic metabolism (as3mt), cell migration (arl4ab), immune system activity (ptgr1), actin cytoskeletal remodelling (wdr1), corticogenesis (dgcr2), protein dephosphorylation (ublcp1), sialic acid metabolism (st6galnac3) and ketone body metabolism (aacs) were differentially expressed between HAZ and LAZ, suggesting a strong genetic contribution to this phenotype. DAVID pathway analysis showed that a number of diverse pathways are enriched in HAZ over LAZ including pathways related to immune function, oxidation-reduction processes and cell signalling. In addition, weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) identified 12 modules of highly correlated genes that were significantly associated with aggression duration and/or experimental group. Conclusions The current study shows that selective breeding based of the mirror aggression phenotype induces strong, heritable changes in behaviour and gene expression within the brain of zebrafish suggesting a strong genetic basis for this behaviour. Our transcriptomic analysis of fish selectively bred for high and low levels of mirror aggression revealed specific transcriptomic signatures induced by selective breeding and mirror aggression and thus provides a large and novel resource of candidate genes for future study. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12915-022-01298-z.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Reichmann
- Division of Pharmacology, Otto Loewi Research Center, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
| | - Johannes Pilic
- Division of Pharmacology, Otto Loewi Research Center, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Slave Trajanoski
- Center for Medical Research, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - William H J Norton
- Department of Genetics and Genome Biology, College of Life Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK. .,Department of Genetics, Institute of Biology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary.
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Gutiérrez HC, Vacca I, Schoenmacker G, Cleal M, Tochwin A, O'Connor B, Young AMJ, Vasquez AA, Winter MJ, Parker MO, Norton WHJ. Screening for drugs to reduce zebrafish aggression identifies caffeine and sildenafil. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2020; 30:17-29. [PMID: 31679888 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2019.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2019] [Revised: 10/04/2019] [Accepted: 10/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Although aggression is a common symptom of psychiatric disorders the drugs available to treat it are non-specific and can have unwanted side effects. In this study we have used a behavioural platform in a phenotypic screen to identify drugs that can reduce zebrafish aggression without affecting locomotion. In a three tier screen of ninety-four drugs we discovered that caffeine and sildenafil can selectively reduce aggression. Caffeine also decreased attention and increased impulsivity in the 5-choice serial reaction time task whereas sildenafil showed the opposite effect. Imaging studies revealed that both caffeine and sildenafil are active in the zebrafish brain, with prominent activation of the thalamus and cerebellum evident. They also interact with 5-HT neurotransmitter signalling. In summary, we have demonstrated that juvenile zebrafish are a suitable model to screen for novel drugs to reduce aggression, with the potential to uncover the neural circuits and signalling pathways that mediate such behavioural effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Héctor Carreño Gutiérrez
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour, College of Life Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
| | - Irene Vacca
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour, College of Life Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
| | - Gido Schoenmacker
- Radboudumc Human Genetics/Radboud University Institute for Computing and Information Sciences (iCIS)/Donders Centre for Neuroscience, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Madeleine Cleal
- School of Health Sciences and Social Work, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth PO1 2FR, UK
| | - Anna Tochwin
- Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Bethan O'Connor
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour, College of Life Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
| | - Andrew M J Young
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour, College of Life Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
| | - Alejandro Arias Vasquez
- Radboudumc Human Genetics/Radboud University Institute for Computing and Information Sciences (iCIS)/Donders Centre for Neuroscience, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Matthew J Winter
- Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Matthew O Parker
- School of Health Sciences and Social Work, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth PO1 2FR, UK
| | - William H J Norton
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour, College of Life Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK.
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Geng Y, Peterson RT. The zebrafish subcortical social brain as a model for studying social behavior disorders. Dis Model Mech 2019; 12:dmm039446. [PMID: 31413047 PMCID: PMC6737945 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.039446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Social behaviors are essential for the survival and reproduction of social species. Many, if not most, neuropsychiatric disorders in humans are either associated with underlying social deficits or are accompanied by social dysfunctions. Traditionally, rodent models have been used to model these behavioral impairments. However, rodent assays are often difficult to scale up and adapt to high-throughput formats, which severely limits their use for systems-level science. In recent years, an increasing number of studies have used zebrafish (Danio rerio) as a model system to study social behavior. These studies have demonstrated clear potential in overcoming some of the limitations of rodent models. In this Review, we explore the evolutionary conservation of a subcortical social brain between teleosts and mammals as the biological basis for using zebrafish to model human social behavior disorders, while summarizing relevant experimental tools and assays. We then discuss the recent advances gleaned from zebrafish social behavior assays, the applications of these assays to studying related disorders, and the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yijie Geng
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, University of Utah, 30 S. 2000 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Randall T Peterson
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, University of Utah, 30 S. 2000 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
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11
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Neuropharmacology, pharmacogenetics and pharmacogenomics of aggression: The zebrafish model. Pharmacol Res 2019; 141:602-608. [DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2019.01.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2018] [Revised: 12/16/2018] [Accepted: 01/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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idtracker.ai: tracking all individuals in small or large collectives of unmarked animals. Nat Methods 2019; 16:179-182. [PMID: 30643215 DOI: 10.1038/s41592-018-0295-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 139] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2018] [Accepted: 11/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Understanding of animal collectives is limited by the ability to track each individual. We describe an algorithm and software that extract all trajectories from video, with high identification accuracy for collectives of up to 100 individuals. idtracker.ai uses two convolutional networks: one that detects when animals touch or cross and another for animal identification. The tool is trained with a protocol that adapts to video conditions and tracking difficulty.
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13
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Screening for drugs to reduce aggression in zebrafish. Neuropharmacology 2018; 156:107394. [PMID: 30336150 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2018.10.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2018] [Revised: 09/28/2018] [Accepted: 10/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Aggression is a common symptom of several human psychiatric disorders. However, the drugs available to treat aggression are non-specific and can have unwanted side effects. The zebrafish is an ideal model for behavioural pharmacology. They are small, aggression can be measured reliably, and drugs can be applied by immersion in the tank water. The ability to visualise and manipulate circuits in the intact brain represents an excellent opportunity to understand how chemical compounds modify the signalling pathways that control this behaviour. This review discusses protocols to measure zebrafish aggression, the neural circuits that control this behaviour and how pharmacological studies can inform us about environmental toxicology and the development of therapeutic drugs for humans. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled 'Current status of the neurobiology of aggression and impulsivity'.
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