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Ahmed KT, Amin MR, Razmara P, Roy B, Cai R, Tang J, Chen XZ, Ali DW. Expression and Development of TARP γ-4 in Embryonic Zebrafish. Dev Neurosci 2022; 44:518-531. [PMID: 35728564 DOI: 10.1159/000525578] [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: 02/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Fast excitatory synaptic transmission in the CNS is mediated by the neurotransmitter glutamate, binding to and activating AMPA receptors (AMPARs). AMPARs are known to interact with auxiliary proteins that modulate their behavior. One such family of proteins is the transmembrane AMPAR-related proteins, known as TARPs. Little is known about the role of TARPs during development or about their function in nonmammalian organisms. Here, we report on the presence of TARP γ-4 in developing zebrafish. We find that zebrafish express 2 forms of TARP γ-4: γ-4a and γ-4b as early as 12 h post-fertilization. Sequence analysis shows that both γ-4a and γ-4b shows great level of variation particularly in the intracellular C-terminal domain compared to rat, mouse, and human γ-4. RT-qPCR showed a gradual increase in the expression of γ-4a throughout the first 5 days of development, whereas γ-4b levels were constant until day 5 when levels increased significantly. Knockdown of TARP γ-4a and γ-4b via either splice-blocking morpholinos or translation-blocking morpholinos resulted in embryos that exhibited deficits in C-start escape responses, showing reduced C-bend angles. Morphant larvae displayed reduced bouts of swimming. Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings of AMPAR-mediated currents from Mauthner cells showed a reduction in the frequency of mEPCs but no change in amplitude or kinetics. Together, these results suggest that γ-4a and γ-4b are required for proper neuronal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazi Tanveer Ahmed
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Md Ruhul Amin
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Parastoo Razmara
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Birbickram Roy
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Ruiqi Cai
- Department of Physiology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Jingfeng Tang
- National "111" Center for Cellular Regulation and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xing-Zhen Chen
- Department of Physiology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- National "111" Center for Cellular Regulation and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Declan William Ali
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Physiology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- National "111" Center for Cellular Regulation and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, China
- Centre for Neuroscience, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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Quelle-Regaldie A, Sobrido-Cameán D, Barreiro-Iglesias A, Sobrido MJ, Sánchez L. Zebrafish Models of Autosomal Dominant Ataxias. Cells 2021; 10:421. [PMID: 33671313 PMCID: PMC7922657 DOI: 10.3390/cells10020421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Revised: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Hereditary dominant ataxias are a heterogeneous group of neurodegenerative conditions causing cerebellar dysfunction and characterized by progressive motor incoordination. Despite many efforts put into the study of these diseases, there are no effective treatments yet. Zebrafish models are widely used to characterize neuronal disorders due to its conserved vertebrate genetics that easily support genetic edition and their optic transparency that allows observing the intact CNS and its connections. In addition, its small size and external fertilization help to develop high throughput assays of candidate drugs. Here, we discuss the contributions of zebrafish models to the study of dominant ataxias defining phenotypes, genetic function, behavior and possible treatments. In addition, we review the zebrafish models created for X-linked repeat expansion diseases X-fragile/fragile-X tremor ataxia. Most of the models reviewed here presented neuronal damage and locomotor deficits. However, there is a generalized lack of zebrafish adult heterozygous models and there are no knock-in zebrafish models available for these diseases. The models created for dominant ataxias helped to elucidate gene function and mechanisms that cause neuronal damage. In the future, the application of new genetic edition techniques would help to develop more accurate zebrafish models of dominant ataxias.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Quelle-Regaldie
- Department of Zoology, Genetics and Physical Anthropology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Universidade of Santiago de Compostela, 27002 Lugo, Spain; (A.Q.-R.); (L.S.)
| | - Daniel Sobrido-Cameán
- Department of Functional Biology, CIBUS, Faculty of Biology, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain;
| | - Antón Barreiro-Iglesias
- Department of Functional Biology, CIBUS, Faculty of Biology, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain;
| | - María Jesús Sobrido
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de A Coruña (INIBIC), Servicio Galego de Saúde, 15006 Coruña, Spain;
| | - Laura Sánchez
- Department of Zoology, Genetics and Physical Anthropology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Universidade of Santiago de Compostela, 27002 Lugo, Spain; (A.Q.-R.); (L.S.)
- Preclinical Animal Models Group, Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
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Yao C, Vanderpool KG, Delfiner M, Eddy V, Lucaci AG, Soto-Riveros C, Yasumura T, Rash JE, Pereda AE. Electrical synaptic transmission in developing zebrafish: properties and molecular composition of gap junctions at a central auditory synapse. J Neurophysiol 2014; 112:2102-13. [PMID: 25080573 PMCID: PMC4274921 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00397.2014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2014] [Accepted: 07/29/2014] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
In contrast to the knowledge of chemical synapses, little is known regarding the properties of gap junction-mediated electrical synapses in developing zebrafish, which provide a valuable model to study neural function at the systems level. Identifiable "mixed" (electrical and chemical) auditory synaptic contacts known as "club endings" on Mauthner cells (2 large reticulospinal neurons involved in tail-flip escape responses) allow exploration of electrical transmission in fish. Here, we show that paralleling the development of auditory responses, electrical synapses at these contacts become anatomically identifiable at day 3 postfertilization, reaching a number of ∼6 between days 4 and 9. Furthermore, each terminal contains ∼18 gap junctions, representing between 2,000 and 3,000 connexon channels formed by the teleost homologs of mammalian connexin 36. Electrophysiological recordings revealed that gap junctions at each of these contacts are functional and that synaptic transmission has properties that are comparable with those of adult fish. Thus a surprisingly small number of mixed synapses are responsible for the acquisition of auditory responses by the Mauthner cells, and these are likely sufficient to support escape behaviors at early developmental stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cong Yao
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York
| | - Kimberly G Vanderpool
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado; and
| | - Matthew Delfiner
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York
| | - Vanessa Eddy
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York
| | - Alexander G Lucaci
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York
| | - Carolina Soto-Riveros
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York
| | - Thomas Yasumura
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado; and
| | - John E Rash
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado; and Program in Molecular, Cellular and Integrative Neurosciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
| | - Alberto E Pereda
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York;
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Abstract
Mauthner cells (M-cells) are large reticulospinal neurons located in the hindbrain of teleost fish. They are key neurons involved in a characteristic behavior known as the C-start or escape response that occurs when the organism perceives a threat. The M-cell has been extensively studied in adult goldfish where it has been shown to receive a wide range of excitatory, inhibitory and neuromodulatory signals1. We have been examining M-cell activity in embryonic zebrafish in order to study aspects of synaptic development in a vertebrate preparation. In the late 1990s Ali and colleagues developed a preparation for patch clamp recording from M-cells in zebrafish embryos, in which the CNS was largely intact2,3,4. The objective at that time was to record synaptic activity from hindbrain neurons, spinal cord neurons and trunk skeletal muscle while maintaining functional synaptic connections within an intact brain-spinal cord preparation. This preparation is still used in our laboratory today. To examine the mechanisms underlying developmental synaptic plasticity, we record excitatory (AMPA and NMDA-mediated)5,6 and inhibitory (GABA and glycine) synaptic currents from developing M-cells. Importantly, this unique preparation allows us to return to the same cell (M-cell) from preparation to preparation to carefully examine synaptic plasticity and neuro-development in an embryonic organism. The benefits provided by this preparation include 1) intact, functional synaptic connections onto the M-cell, 2) relatively inexpensive preparations, 3) a large supply of readily available embryos 4) the ability to return to the same cell type (i.e. M-cell) in every preparation, so that synaptic development at the level of an individual cell can be examined from fish to fish, and 5) imaging of whole preparations due to the transparent nature of the embryos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Birbickram Roy
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta
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