1
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Jia X, Wyart C. Holographic Optogenetic Activation of Neurons Eliciting Locomotion in Head-Embedded Larval Zebrafish. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2707:125-140. [PMID: 37668909 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3401-1_8] [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] [Indexed: 09/06/2023]
Abstract
Understanding how motor circuits are organized and recruited in order to perform complex behavior is an essential question of neuroscience. Here we present an optogenetic protocol on larval zebrafish that allows spatial selective control of neuronal activity within a genetically defined population. We combine holographic illumination with the use of effective opsin transgenic lines, alongside high-speed behavioral monitoring to dissect the motor circuits of the larval zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyu Jia
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau (ICM), Paris, France
| | - Claire Wyart
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau (ICM), Paris, France.
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2
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Turner KJ, Hawkins TA, Henriques PM, Valdivia LE, Bianco IH, Wilson SW, Folgueira M. A Structural Atlas of the Developing Zebrafish Telencephalon Based on Spatially-Restricted Transgene Expression. Front Neuroanat 2022; 16:840924. [PMID: 35721460 PMCID: PMC9198225 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2022.840924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Zebrafish telencephalon acquires an everted morphology by a two-step process that occurs from 1 to 5 days post-fertilization (dpf). Little is known about how this process affects the positioning of discrete telencephalic cell populations, hindering our understanding of how eversion impacts telencephalic structural organization. In this study, we characterize the neurochemistry, cycle state and morphology of an EGFP positive (+) cell population in the telencephalon of Et(gata2:EGFP)bi105 transgenic fish during eversion and up to 20dpf. We map the transgene insertion to the early-growth-response-gene-3 (egr3) locus and show that EGFP expression recapitulates endogenous egr3 expression throughout much of the pallial telencephalon. Using the gata2:EGFPbi105 transgene, in combination with other well-characterized transgenes and structural markers, we track the development of various cell populations in the zebrafish telencephalon as it undergoes the morphological changes underlying eversion. These datasets were registered to reference brains to form an atlas of telencephalic development at key stages of the eversion process (1dpf, 2dpf, and 5dpf) and compared to expression in adulthood. Finally, we registered gata2:EGFPbi105 expression to the Zebrafish Brain Browser 6dpf reference brain (ZBB, see Marquart et al., 2015, 2017; Tabor et al., 2019), to allow comparison of this expression pattern with anatomical data already in ZBB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine J. Turner
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas A. Hawkins
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Pedro M. Henriques
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Leonardo E. Valdivia
- Center for Integrative Biology, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Mayor, Santiago, Chile
- Escuela de Biotecnología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Mayor, Santiago, Chile
| | - Isaac H. Bianco
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen W. Wilson
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Stephen W. Wilson,
| | - Mónica Folgueira
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Neurover Group, Centro de Investigacións Científicas Avanzadas (CICA), Facultade de Ciencias, Department of Biology, University of A Coruña, A Coruña, Spain
- Mónica Folgueira,
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3
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Perelsman O, Asano S, Freifeld L. Expansion Microscopy of Larval Zebrafish Brains and Zebrafish Embryos. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2440:211-222. [PMID: 35218542 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2051-9_13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Since its introduction in 2015, expansion microscopy (ExM) allowed imaging a broad variety of biological structures in many models, at nanoscale resolution. Here, we describe in detail a protocol for application of ExM in whole-brains of zebrafish larvae and intact embryos, and discuss the considerations involved in the imaging of nonflat, whole-organ or organism samples, more broadly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ory Perelsman
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Shoh Asano
- Internal Medicine Research Unit, Pfizer, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Limor Freifeld
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.
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4
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Feng C, Nita-Lazar M, González-Montalbán N, Wang J, Mancini J, Wang S, Ravindran C, Ahmed H, Vasta GR. Manipulating Galectin Expression in Zebrafish (Danio rerio). Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2442:425-443. [PMID: 35320539 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2055-7_23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Techniques for disrupting gene expression are invaluable tools for the analysis of the biological role of a gene product. Because of its genetic tractability and multiple advantages over conventional mammalian models, the zebrafish (Danio rerio) is recognized as a powerful system for gaining new insight into diverse aspects of human health and disease. Among the multiple mammalian gene families for which the zebrafish has shown promise as an invaluable model for functional studies, the galectins have attracted great interest due to their participation in early development, regulation of immune homeostasis, and recognition of microbial pathogens. Galectins are β-galactosyl-binding lectins with a characteristic sequence motif in their carbohydrate recognition domains (CRDs), that constitute an evolutionary conserved family ubiquitous in eukaryotic taxa. Galectins are emerging as key players in the modulation of many important pathological processes, which include acute and chronic inflammatory diseases, autoimmunity and cancer, thus making them potential molecular targets for innovative drug discovery. Here, we provide a review of the current methods available for the manipulation of gene expression in the zebrafish, with a focus on gene knockdown [morpholino (MO)-derived antisense oligonucleotides] and knockout (CRISPR-Cas) technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiguang Feng
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology, University of Maryland Baltimore, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Mihai Nita-Lazar
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology, University of Maryland Baltimore, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Nuria González-Montalbán
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology, University of Maryland Baltimore, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jingyu Wang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology, University of Maryland Baltimore, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Justin Mancini
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology, University of Maryland Baltimore, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Sheng Wang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology, University of Maryland Baltimore, Baltimore, MD, USA
- State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol, School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Chinnarajan Ravindran
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology, University of Maryland Baltimore, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Marine Biotechnology, National Institute of Oceanography (CSIR), Dona Paula, Goa, India
| | - Hafiz Ahmed
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology, University of Maryland Baltimore, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Gerardo R Vasta
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology, University of Maryland Baltimore, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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5
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Lai S, Kumari A, Liu J, Zhang Y, Zhang W, Yen K, Xu J. Chemical screening reveals Ronidazole is a superior prodrug to Metronidazole for nitroreductase-induced cell ablation system in zebrafish larvae. J Genet Genomics 2021; 48:1081-1090. [PMID: 34411714 DOI: 10.1016/j.jgg.2021.07.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2021] [Revised: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The Metronidazole (MTZ)/nitroreductase (NTR)-mediated cell ablation system is the most commonly used chemical-genetic cell ablation method in zebrafish. This system can specifically ablate target cells under spatial and temporal control. The MTZ/NTR system has become a widely used cell ablation system in biological, developmental, and functional studies. However, the inadequate cell-ablation ability of some cell types and the side effects of high concentration MTZ impede extensive applications of the MTZ/NTR system. In the present study, the US drug collection library was searched to extend the NTR system. Six MTZ analogs were found, and the cell-ablation ability of these analogs was tested in zebrafish larvae. The results revealed that two of the NTR substrates, Furazolidone and Ronidazole, ablated target cells more efficiently than MTZ at lower concentrations. Furthermore, the working concentration of Ronidazole, but not Furazolidone and MTZ, did not affect axonal bridge formation during spinal cord regeneration. Our results, taken together, indicate that Ronidazole is a superior prodrug to MTZ for the NTR system, especially for the study of neuron regeneration in zebrafish larvae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siting Lai
- Department of Developmental Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Ankita Kumari
- Division of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Jixiang Liu
- Division of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Yiyue Zhang
- Division of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Wenqing Zhang
- Division of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Kuangyu Yen
- Department of Developmental Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
| | - Jin Xu
- Division of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China.
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6
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Cheresiz SV, Volgin AD, Kokorina Evsyukova A, Bashirzade AAO, Demin KA, de Abreu MS, Amstislavskaya TG, Kalueff AV. Understanding neurobehavioral genetics of zebrafish. J Neurogenet 2020; 34:203-215. [PMID: 31902276 DOI: 10.1080/01677063.2019.1698565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Due to its fully sequenced genome, high genetic homology to humans, external fertilization, fast development, transparency of embryos, low cost and active reproduction, the zebrafish (Danio rerio) has become a novel promising model organism in biomedicine. Zebrafish are a useful tool in genetic and neuroscience research, including linking various genetic mutations to brain mechanisms using forward and reverse genetics. These approaches have produced novel models of rare genetic CNS disorders and common brain illnesses, such as addiction, aggression, anxiety and depression. Genetically modified zebrafish also foster neuroanatomical studies, manipulating neural circuits and linking them to different behaviors. Here, we discuss recent advances in neurogenetics of zebrafish, and evaluate their unique strengths, inherent limitations and the rapidly growing potential for elucidating the conserved roles of genes in neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergey V Cheresiz
- Scientific Research Institute of Physiology and Basic Medicine, Novosibirsk, Russia.,Institute of Medicine and Psychology, Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Andrey D Volgin
- Scientific Research Institute of Physiology and Basic Medicine, Novosibirsk, Russia.,Institute of Medicine and Psychology, Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Alexandra Kokorina Evsyukova
- Scientific Research Institute of Physiology and Basic Medicine, Novosibirsk, Russia.,Institute of Medicine and Psychology, Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Alim A O Bashirzade
- Scientific Research Institute of Physiology and Basic Medicine, Novosibirsk, Russia.,Institute of Medicine and Psychology, Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Konstantin A Demin
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Almazov National Medical Research Centre, St. Petersburg, Russia.,Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Murilo S de Abreu
- Bioscience Institute, University of Passo Fundo, Passo Fundo, Brazil.,The International Zebrafish Neuroscience Research Consortium (ZNRC), Slidell, LA, USA
| | - Tamara G Amstislavskaya
- Scientific Research Institute of Physiology and Basic Medicine, Novosibirsk, Russia.,Institute of Medicine and Psychology, Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia.,The International Zebrafish Neuroscience Research Consortium (ZNRC), Slidell, LA, USA
| | - Allan V Kalueff
- School of Pharmacy, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.,Ural Federal University, Ekaterinburg, Russia.,Laboratory of Biological Psychiatry, Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia.,Russian Scientific Center of Radiology and Surgical Technologies, Ministry of Healthcare of Russian Federation, St. Petersburg, Russia
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7
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A fluorescent protein-readout for transcriptional activity reveals regulation of APP nuclear signaling by phosphorylation sites. Biol Chem 2019; 400:1191-1203. [DOI: 10.1515/hsz-2019-0125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2019] [Accepted: 05/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Signaling pathways that originate at the plasma membrane, including regulated intramembrane proteolysis (RIP), enable extracellular cues to control transcription. We modified the yeast Gal4 transcription system to study the nuclear translocation of transcriptionally active complexes using the fluorescent protein citrine (Cit) as a reporter. This enabled highly sensitive quantitative analysis of transcription in situ at the single cell level. The Gal4/UAS-Cit transcription assay displayed a sigmoidal response limited by the number of integrated reporter cassettes. We validated the assay by analyzing nuclear translocation of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) intracellular domain (AICD) and confirmed the requirement of Fe65 for nuclear translocation of AICD. In addition to the strong on-off effects on transcriptional activity, the results of this assay establish that phosphorylation modifies nuclear signaling. The Y682F mutation in APP showed the strongest increase in Cit expression, underscoring its role in regulating Fe65 binding. Together, we established a highly sensitive fluorescent protein-based assay that can monitor transcriptional activity at the single cell level and demonstrate that AICD phosphorylation affects Fe65 nuclear activity. This assay also introduces a platform for future single cell-based drug screening methods for nuclear translocation.
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8
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Roberts AC, Chornak J, Alzagatiti JB, Ly DT, Bill BR, Trinkeller J, Pearce KC, Choe RC, Campbell CS, Wong D, Deutsch E, Hernandez S, Glanzman DL. Rapid habituation of a touch-induced escape response in Zebrafish (Danio rerio) Larvae. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0214374. [PMID: 30946762 PMCID: PMC6449028 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0214374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2018] [Accepted: 03/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Zebrafish larvae have several biological features that make them useful for cellular investigations of the mechanisms underlying learning and memory. Of particular interest in this regard is a rapid escape, or startle, reflex possessed by zebrafish larvae; this reflex, the C-start, is mediated by a relatively simple neuronal circuit and exhibits habituation, a non-associative form of learning. Here we demonstrate a rapid form of habituation of the C-start to touch that resembles the previously reported rapid habituation induced by auditory or vibrational stimuli. We also show that touch-induced habituation exhibits input specificity. This work sets the stage for in vivo optical investigations of the cellular sites of plasticity that mediate habituation of the C-start in the larval zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam C. Roberts
- Department of Psychology, California State University at Fullerton, Fullerton, CA, United States of America
| | - Julia Chornak
- Department of Neuroscience, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
| | - Joseph B. Alzagatiti
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
| | - Duy T. Ly
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
| | - Brent R. Bill
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Tyler, Tyler, TX, United States of America
| | - Janie Trinkeller
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
| | - Kaycey C. Pearce
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
| | - Ronny C. Choe
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
| | - C. S. Campbell
- Department of Psychology, California State University at Fullerton, Fullerton, CA, United States of America
| | - Dustin Wong
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
| | - Emily Deutsch
- Department of Psychology, California State University at Fullerton, Fullerton, CA, United States of America
| | - Sarah Hernandez
- Department of Psychology, California State University at Fullerton, Fullerton, CA, United States of America
| | - David L. Glanzman
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
- Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
- Integrative Center for Learning and Memory, Brain Research Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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9
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Miller GW, Chandrasekaran V, Yaghoobi B, Lein PJ. Opportunities and challenges for using the zebrafish to study neuronal connectivity as an endpoint of developmental neurotoxicity. Neurotoxicology 2018; 67:102-111. [PMID: 29704525 PMCID: PMC6177215 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2018.04.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2018] [Revised: 04/23/2018] [Accepted: 04/24/2018] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Chemical exposures have been implicated as environmental risk factors that interact with genetic susceptibilities to influence individual risk for complex neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder, schizophrenia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and intellectual disabilities. Altered patterns of neuronal connectivity represent a convergent mechanism of pathogenesis for these and other neurodevelopmental disorders, and growing evidence suggests that chemicals can interfere with specific signaling pathways that regulate the development of neuronal connections. There is, therefore, a growing interest in developing screening platforms to identify chemicals that alter neuronal connectivity. Cell-cell, cell-matrix interactions and systemic influences are known to be important in defining neuronal connectivity in the developing brain, thus, a systems-based model offers significant advantages over cell-based models for screening chemicals for effects on neuronal connectivity. The embryonic zebrafish represents a vertebrate model amenable to higher throughput chemical screening that has proven useful in characterizing conserved mechanisms of neurodevelopment. Moreover, the zebrafish is readily amenable to gene editing to integrate genetic susceptibilities. Although use of the zebrafish model in toxicity testing has increased in recent years, the diverse tools available for imaging structural differences in the developing zebrafish brain have not been widely applied to studies of the influence of gene by environment interactions on neuronal connectivity in the developing zebrafish brain. Here, we discuss tools available for imaging of neuronal connectivity in the developing zebrafish, review what has been published in this regard, and suggest a path forward for applying this information to developmental neurotoxicity testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Galen W. Miller
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Vidya Chandrasekaran
- Department of Biology, Saint Mary’s College of California, Moraga, CA 94575, USA
| | - Bianca Yaghoobi
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Pamela J. Lein
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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10
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Abstract
The zebrafish model is the only available high-throughput vertebrate assessment system, and it is uniquely suited for studies of in vivo cell biology. A sequenced and annotated genome has revealed a large degree of evolutionary conservation in comparison to the human genome. Due to our shared evolutionary history, the anatomical and physiological features of fish are highly homologous to humans, which facilitates studies relevant to human health. In addition, zebrafish provide a very unique vertebrate data stream that allows researchers to anchor hypotheses at the biochemical, genetic, and cellular levels to observations at the structural, functional, and behavioral level in a high-throughput format. In this review, we will draw heavily from toxicological studies to highlight advances in zebrafish high-throughput systems. Breakthroughs in transgenic/reporter lines and methods for genetic manipulation, such as the CRISPR-Cas9 system, will be comprised of reports across diverse disciplines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gloria R Garcia
- Oregon State University, Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Environmental Health Sciences Center, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Pamela D Noyes
- Oregon State University, Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Environmental Health Sciences Center, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Robert L Tanguay
- Oregon State University, Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Environmental Health Sciences Center, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA.
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11
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Mayrhofer M, Mione M. The Toolbox for Conditional Zebrafish Cancer Models. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2016; 916:21-59. [PMID: 27165348 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-30654-4_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Here we describe the conditional zebrafish cancer toolbox, which allows for fine control of the expression of oncogenes or downregulation of tumor suppressors at the spatial and temporal level. Methods such as the Gal4/UAS or the Cre/lox systems paved the way to the development of elegant tumor models, which are now being used to study cancer cell biology, clonal evolution, identification of cancer stem cells and anti-cancer drug screening. Combination of these tools, as well as novel developments such as the promising genome editing system through CRISPR/Cas9 and clever application of light reactive proteins will enable the development of even more sophisticated zebrafish cancer models. Here, we introduce this growing toolbox of conditional transgenic approaches, discuss its current application in zebrafish cancer models and provide an outlook on future perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Mayrhofer
- Institute of Toxicology and Genetics, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
| | - Marina Mione
- Institute of Toxicology and Genetics, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany.
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12
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Erickson T, Nicolson T. Cell type-specific transcriptomic analysis by thiouracil tagging in zebrafish. Methods Cell Biol 2016; 135:309-28. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.mcb.2016.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
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13
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Svahn AJ, Giacomotto J, Graeber MB, Rinkwitz S, Becker TS. miR-124 Contributes to the functional maturity of microglia. Dev Neurobiol 2015; 76:507-18. [PMID: 26184457 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2015] [Revised: 07/13/2015] [Accepted: 07/14/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
During early development of the central nervous system (CNS), a subset of yolk-sac derived myeloid cells populate the brain and provide the seed for the microglial cell population, which will self-renew throughout life. As development progresses, individual microglial cells transition from a phagocytic amoeboid state through a transitional morphing phase into the sessile, ramified, and normally nonphagocytic microglia observed in the adult CNS under healthy conditions. The molecular drivers of this tissue-specific maturation profile are not known. However, a survey of tissue resident macrophages identified miR-124 to be expressed in microglia. In this study, we used transgenic zebrafish to overexpress miR-124 in the mpeg1 expressing yolk-sac-derived myeloid cells that seed the microglia. In addition, a systemic sponge designed to neutralize the effects of miR-124 was used to assess microglial development in a miR-124 loss-of-function environment. Following the induction of miR-124 overexpression, microglial motility and phagocytosis of apoptotic cells were significantly reduced. miR-124 overexpression in microglia resulted in the accumulation of residual apoptotic cell bodies in the optic tectum, which could not be achieved by miR-124 overexpression in differentiated neurons. Conversely, expression of the miR-124 sponge caused an increase in the motility of microglia and transiently rescued motility and phagocytosis functions when activated simultaneously with miR-124 overexpression. This study provides in vivo evidence that miR-124 activity has a key role in the development of functionally mature microglia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam J Svahn
- Brain and Mind Research Institute, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Jean Giacomotto
- Brain and Mind Research Institute, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Manuel B Graeber
- Brain and Mind Research Institute, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.,Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Silke Rinkwitz
- Brain and Mind Research Institute, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.,Department of Physiology and School of Medicine, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Thomas S Becker
- Brain and Mind Research Institute, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.,Department of Physiology and School of Medicine, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
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14
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Otsuna H, Hutcheson DA, Duncan RN, McPherson AD, Scoresby AN, Gaynes BF, Tong Z, Fujimoto E, Kwan KM, Chien CB, Dorsky RI. High-resolution analysis of central nervous system expression patterns in zebrafish Gal4 enhancer-trap lines. Dev Dyn 2015; 244:785-96. [PMID: 25694140 PMCID: PMC4449297 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.24260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2014] [Accepted: 01/26/2015] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The application of the Gal4/UAS system to enhancer and gene trapping screens in zebrafish has greatly increased the ability to label and manipulate cell populations in multiple tissues, including the central nervous system (CNS). However the ability to select existing lines for specific applications has been limited by the lack of detailed expression analysis. RESULTS We describe a Gal4 enhancer trap screen in which we used advanced image analysis, including three-dimensional confocal reconstructions and documentation of expression patterns at multiple developmental time points. In all, we have created and annotated 98 lines exhibiting a wide range of expression patterns, most of which include CNS expression. Expression was also observed in nonneural tissues such as muscle, skin epithelium, vasculature, and neural crest derivatives. All lines and data are publicly available from the Zebrafish International Research Center (ZIRC) from the Zebrafish Model Organism Database (ZFIN). CONCLUSIONS Our detailed documentation of expression patterns, combined with the public availability of images and fish lines, provides a valuable resource for researchers wishing to study CNS development and function in zebrafish. Our data also suggest that many existing enhancer trap lines may have previously uncharacterized expression in multiple tissues and cell types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hideo Otsuna
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
| | - David A Hutcheson
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
| | - Robert N Duncan
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
| | - Adam D McPherson
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
| | - Aaron N Scoresby
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
| | - Brooke F Gaynes
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
| | - Zongzong Tong
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
| | - Esther Fujimoto
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
| | - Kristen M Kwan
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
| | - Chi-Bin Chien
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
| | - Richard I Dorsky
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
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15
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Feng C, Nita-Lazar M, González-Montalbán N, Wang J, Mancini J, Ravindran C, Ahmed H, Vasta GR. Manipulating galectin expression in zebrafish (Danio rerio). Methods Mol Biol 2015; 1207:327-41. [PMID: 25253151 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-1396-1_22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Techniques for disrupting gene expression are invaluable tools for the analysis of the biological role(s) of a gene product. Because of its genetic tractability and multiple advantages over conventional mammalian models, the zebrafish (Danio rerio) is recognized as a powerful system for gaining new insight into diverse aspects of human health and disease. Among the multiple mammalian gene families for which the zebrafish has shown promise as an invaluable model for functional studies, the galectins have attracted great interest due to their participation in early development, regulation of immune homeostasis, and recognition of microbial pathogens. Galectins are β-galactosyl-binding lectins with a characteristic sequence motif in their carbohydrate recognition domains (CRDs), which comprise an evolutionary conserved family ubiquitous in eukaryotic taxa. Galectins are emerging as key players in the modulation of many important pathological processes, which include acute and chronic inflammatory diseases, autoimmunity and cancer, thus making them potential molecular targets for innovative drug discovery. Here, we provide a review of the current methods available for the manipulation of gene expression in the zebrafish, with a focus on gene knockdown [morpholino (MO)-derived antisense oligonucleotides] and knockout (CRISPR-Cas) technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiguang Feng
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA
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16
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Takeuchi M, Matsuda K, Yamaguchi S, Asakawa K, Miyasaka N, Lal P, Yoshihara Y, Koga A, Kawakami K, Shimizu T, Hibi M. Establishment of Gal4 transgenic zebrafish lines for analysis of development of cerebellar neural circuitry. Dev Biol 2014; 397:1-17. [PMID: 25300581 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2014.09.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2014] [Revised: 09/03/2014] [Accepted: 09/26/2014] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
The cerebellum is involved in some forms of motor coordination and motor learning. Here we isolated transgenic (Tg) zebrafish lines that express a modified version of Gal4-VP16 (GFF) in the cerebellar neural circuits: granule, Purkinje, or eurydendroid cells, Bergmann glia, or the neurons in the inferior olive nuclei (IO) which send climbing fibers to Purkinje cells, with the transposon Tol2 system. By combining GFF lines with Tg lines carrying a reporter gene located downstream of Gal4 binding sequences (upstream activating sequence: UAS), we investigated the anatomy and developmental processes of the cerebellar neural circuitry. Combining an IO-specific Gal4 line with a UAS reporter line expressing the photoconvertible fluorescent protein Kaede demonstrated the contralateral projections of climbing fibers. Combining a granule cell-specific Gal4 line with a UAS reporter line expressing wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) confirmed direct and/or indirect connections of granule cells with Purkinje cells, eurydendroid cells, and IO neurons in zebrafish. Time-lapse analysis of a granule cell-specific Gal4 line revealed initial random movements and ventral migration of granule cell nuclei. Transgenesis of a reporter gene with another transposon Tol1 system visualized neuronal structure at a single cell resolution. Our findings indicate the usefulness of these zebrafish Gal4 Tg lines for studying the development and function of cerebellar neural circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miki Takeuchi
- Laboratory of Organogenesis and Organ Function, Bioscience and Biotechnology Center, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8601, Japan
| | - Koji Matsuda
- Division of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8602, Japan
| | - Shingo Yamaguchi
- Division of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8602, Japan
| | - Kazuhide Asakawa
- Division of Molecular and Developmental Biology, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Shizuoka 411-8540, Japan
| | | | - Pradeep Lal
- Division of Molecular and Developmental Biology, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Shizuoka 411-8540, Japan
| | | | - Akihiko Koga
- Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama 464-8506, Japan
| | - Koichi Kawakami
- Division of Molecular and Developmental Biology, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Shizuoka 411-8540, Japan
| | - Takashi Shimizu
- Laboratory of Organogenesis and Organ Function, Bioscience and Biotechnology Center, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8601, Japan; Division of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8602, Japan
| | - Masahiko Hibi
- Laboratory of Organogenesis and Organ Function, Bioscience and Biotechnology Center, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8601, Japan; Division of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8602, Japan.
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17
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Matsui H, Namikawa K, Babaryka A, Köster RW. Functional regionalization of the teleost cerebellum analyzed in vivo. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2014; 111:11846-51. [PMID: 25002482 PMCID: PMC4136595 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1403105111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
There has been accumulating evidence for a regionalized organization of the cerebellum, which was mostly deduced from anatomical mapping of axonal projections of cerebellar afferents. A likewise regionalization of the cerebellar output has been suggested from lesion studies and dye-tracer experiments, but its physiological targets as well as the functional relevance of such an output regionalization are less clear. Ideally, such functional regionalization should be proven noninvasively in vivo. We here provide evidence for such a regionalization of the output from the cerebellar cortex by genetically encoded transneuronal mapping of efferent circuits of zebrafish Purkinje neurons. These identified circuits correspond to distinct regionalized Purkinje cell activity patterns in freely behaving zebrafish larvae during the performance of cerebellar-dependent behaviors. Furthermore, optogenetic interrogation of selected Purkinje cell regions during animal behavior confirms the functional regionalization of Purkinje cell efferents and reveals their contribution to behavior control as well as their function in controlling lateralized behavioral output. Our findings reveal how brain compartments serve to fulfill a multitude of functions by dedicating specialized efferent circuits to distinct behavioral tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hideaki Matsui
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology, Zoological Institute, Technical University Braunschweig, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany;Department of Neuroscience, Section of Integrative Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki 8891692, Japan; and
| | - Kazuhiko Namikawa
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology, Zoological Institute, Technical University Braunschweig, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany;Institute of Developmental Genetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, 85764 Neuherberg, Munich, Germany
| | - Andreas Babaryka
- Institute of Developmental Genetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, 85764 Neuherberg, Munich, Germany
| | - Reinhard W Köster
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology, Zoological Institute, Technical University Braunschweig, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
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18
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Akerberg AA, Stewart S, Stankunas K. Spatial and temporal control of transgene expression in zebrafish. PLoS One 2014; 9:e92217. [PMID: 24643048 PMCID: PMC3958484 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0092217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2013] [Accepted: 02/19/2014] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Transgenic zebrafish research has provided valuable insights into gene functions and cell behaviors directing vertebrate development, physiology, and disease models. Most approaches use constitutive transgene expression and therefore do not provide control over the timing or levels of transgene induction. We describe an inducible gene expression system that uses new tissue-specific zebrafish transgenic lines that express the Gal4 transcription factor fused to the estrogen-binding domain of the human estrogen receptor. We show these Gal4-ERT driver lines confer rapid, tissue-specific induction of UAS-controlled transgenes following tamoxifen exposure in both embryos and adult fish. We demonstrate how this technology can be used to define developmental windows of gene function by spatiotemporal-controlled expression of constitutively active Notch1 in embryos. Given the array of existing UAS lines, the modular nature of this system will enable many previously intractable zebrafish experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander A Akerberg
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, United States of America; Department of Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Scott Stewart
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Kryn Stankunas
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, United States of America; Department of Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, United States of America
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19
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Cheng RK, Jesuthasan SJ, Penney TB. Zebrafish forebrain and temporal conditioning. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2014; 369:20120462. [PMID: 24446496 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2012.0462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The rise of zebrafish as a neuroscience research model organism, in conjunction with recent progress in single-cell resolution whole-brain imaging of larval zebrafish, opens a new window of opportunity for research on interval timing. In this article, we review zebrafish neuroanatomy and neuromodulatory systems, with particular focus on identifying homologies between the zebrafish forebrain and the mammalian forebrain. The neuroanatomical and neurochemical basis of interval timing is summarized with emphasis on the potential of using zebrafish to reveal the neural circuits for interval timing. The behavioural repertoire of larval zebrafish is reviewed and we demonstrate that larval zebrafish are capable of expecting a stimulus at a precise time point with minimal training. In conclusion, we propose that interval timing research using zebrafish and whole-brain calcium imaging at single-cell resolution will contribute to our understanding of how timing and time perception originate in the vertebrate brain from the level of single cells to circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruey-Kuang Cheng
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, , A*STAR, 61 Biopolis Drive, #08-13 Proteos, Singapore 138673, Singapore
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20
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Roberts AC, Bill BR, Glanzman DL. Learning and memory in zebrafish larvae. Front Neural Circuits 2013; 7:126. [PMID: 23935566 PMCID: PMC3731533 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2013.00126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2013] [Accepted: 07/11/2013] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Larval zebrafish possess several experimental advantages for investigating the molecular and neural bases of learning and memory. Despite this, neuroscientists have only recently begun to use these animals to study memory. However, in a relatively short period of time a number of forms of learning have been described in zebrafish larvae, and significant progress has been made toward their understanding. Here we provide a comprehensive review of this progress; we also describe several promising new experimental technologies currently being used in larval zebrafish that are likely to contribute major insights into the processes that underlie learning and memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam C. Roberts
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California at Los AngelesLos Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Brent R. Bill
- Center for Autism Research and Program in Neurobehavioral Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California at Los AngelesLos Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los AngelesLos Angeles, CA, USA
| | - David L. Glanzman
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California at Los AngelesLos Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los AngelesLos Angeles, CA, USA
- Integrative Center for Learning and Memory, David Geffen School of Medicine, Brain Research Institute, University of California at Los AngelesLos Angeles, CA, USA
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21
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Sugano Y, Neuhauss SCF. Reverse genetics tools in zebrafish: a forward dive into endocrinology. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2013; 188:303-8. [PMID: 23454670 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2013.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2012] [Accepted: 02/05/2013] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
The zebrafish is a powerful genetic model organism. In recent years, zebrafish has been increasingly used to model human diseases. Due to a number of recent technological advancements, the genetic tool box is now also stocked with sophisticated transgenic and reverse genetic tools. Here, we focus on both commonly used and recently established reverse genetic and transgenic tools available in zebrafish. These new developments make the zebrafish an even more attractive animal model in comparative endocrinology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuya Sugano
- Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
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22
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23
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Yawo H, Asano T, Sakai S, Ishizuka T. Optogenetic manipulation of neural and non-neural functions. Dev Growth Differ 2013; 55:474-90. [PMID: 23550617 DOI: 10.1111/dgd.12053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2012] [Revised: 02/25/2013] [Accepted: 02/26/2013] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Optogenetic manipulation of the neuronal activity enables one to analyze the neuronal network both in vivo and in vitro with precise spatio-temporal resolution. Channelrhodopsins (ChRs) are light-sensitive cation channels that depolarize the cell membrane, whereas halorhodopsins and archaerhodopsins are light-sensitive Cl(-) and H(+) transporters, respectively, that hyperpolarize it when exogenously expressed. The cause-effect relationship between a neuron and its function in the brain is thus bi-directionally investigated with evidence of necessity and sufficiency. In this review we discuss the potential of optogenetics with a focus on three major requirements for its application: (i) selection of the light-sensitive proteins optimal for optogenetic investigation, (ii) targeted expression of these selected proteins in a specific group of neurons, and (iii) targeted irradiation with high spatiotemporal resolution. We also discuss recent progress in the application of optogenetics to studies of non-neural cells such as glial cells, cardiac and skeletal myocytes. In combination with stem cell technology, optogenetics may be key to successful research using embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) derived from human patients through optical regulation of differentiation-maturation, through optical manipulation of tissue transplants and, furthermore, through facilitating survival and integration of transplants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiromu Yawo
- Department of Developmental Biology and Neuroscience, Tohoku University Graduate School of Life Sciences, 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980-8577, Japan.
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24
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Heap LA, Goh CC, Kassahn KS, Scott EK. Cerebellar output in zebrafish: an analysis of spatial patterns and topography in eurydendroid cell projections. Front Neural Circuits 2013; 7:53. [PMID: 23554587 PMCID: PMC3612595 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2013.00053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2013] [Accepted: 03/09/2013] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The cerebellum is a brain region responsible for motor coordination and for refining motor programs. While a great deal is known about the structure and connectivity of the mammalian cerebellum, fundamental questions regarding its function in behavior remain unanswered. Recently, the zebrafish has emerged as a useful model organism for cerebellar studies, owing in part to the similarity in cerebellar circuits between zebrafish and mammals. While the cell types composing their cerebellar cortical circuits are generally conserved with mammals, zebrafish lack deep cerebellar nuclei, and instead a majority of cerebellar output comes from a single type of neuron: the eurydendroid cell. To describe spatial patterns of cerebellar output in zebrafish, we have used genetic techniques to label and trace eurydendroid cells individually and en masse. We have found that cerebellar output targets the thalamus and optic tectum, and have confirmed the presence of pre-synaptic terminals from eurydendroid cells in these structures using a synaptically targeted GFP. By observing individual eurydendroid cells, we have shown that different medial-lateral regions of the cerebellum have eurydendroid cells projecting to different targets. Finally, we found topographic organization in the connectivity between the cerebellum and the optic tectum, where more medial eurydendroid cells project to the rostral tectum while lateral cells project to the caudal tectum. These findings indicate that there is spatial logic underpinning cerebellar output in zebrafish with likely implications for cerebellar function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucy A Heap
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland Brisbane, QLD, Australia
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25
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Manning L, Heckscher ES, Purice MD, Roberts J, Bennett AL, Kroll JR, Pollard JL, Strader ME, Lupton JR, Dyukareva AV, Doan PN, Bauer DM, Wilbur AN, Tanner S, Kelly JJ, Lai SL, Tran KD, Kohwi M, Laverty TR, Pearson JC, Crews ST, Rubin GM, Doe CQ. A resource for manipulating gene expression and analyzing cis-regulatory modules in the Drosophila CNS. Cell Rep 2012; 2:1002-13. [PMID: 23063363 PMCID: PMC3523218 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2012.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2012] [Revised: 09/11/2012] [Accepted: 09/17/2012] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Here, we describe the embryonic central nervous system expression of 5,000 GAL4 lines made using molecularly defined cis-regulatory DNA inserted into a single attP genomic location. We document and annotate the patterns in early embryos when neurogenesis is at its peak, and in older embryos where there is maximal neuronal diversity and the first neural circuits are established. We note expression in other tissues, such as the lateral body wall (muscle, sensory neurons, and trachea) and viscera. Companion papers report on the adult brain and larval imaginal discs, and the integrated data sets are available online (http://www.janelia.org/gal4-gen1). This collection of embryonically expressed GAL4 lines will be valuable for determining neuronal morphology and function. The 1,862 lines expressed in small subsets of neurons (<20/segment) will be especially valuable for characterizing interneuronal diversity and function, because although interneurons comprise the majority of all central nervous system neurons, their gene expression profile and function remain virtually unexplored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurina Manning
- Institutes of Neuroscience and Molecular Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403
| | - Ellie S. Heckscher
- Institutes of Neuroscience and Molecular Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403
| | - Maria D. Purice
- Institutes of Neuroscience and Molecular Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403
| | - Jourdain Roberts
- Institutes of Neuroscience and Molecular Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403
| | - Alysha L. Bennett
- Institutes of Neuroscience and Molecular Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403
| | - Jason R. Kroll
- Institutes of Neuroscience and Molecular Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403
| | - Jill L. Pollard
- Institutes of Neuroscience and Molecular Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403
| | - Marie E. Strader
- Institutes of Neuroscience and Molecular Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403
| | - Josh R. Lupton
- Institutes of Neuroscience and Molecular Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403
| | - Anna V. Dyukareva
- Institutes of Neuroscience and Molecular Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403
| | - Phuong Nam Doan
- Institutes of Neuroscience and Molecular Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403
| | - David M. Bauer
- Institutes of Neuroscience and Molecular Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403
| | - Allison N. Wilbur
- Institutes of Neuroscience and Molecular Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403
| | - Stephanie Tanner
- Institutes of Neuroscience and Molecular Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403
| | - Jimmy J. Kelly
- Institutes of Neuroscience and Molecular Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403
| | - Sen-Lin Lai
- Institutes of Neuroscience and Molecular Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403
| | - Khoa D. Tran
- Institutes of Neuroscience and Molecular Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403
| | - Minoree Kohwi
- Institutes of Neuroscience and Molecular Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403
| | - Todd R. Laverty
- Janelia Farm Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn VA 20147
| | - Joseph C. Pearson
- Program in Molecular Biology and Biophysics, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
| | - Stephen T. Crews
- Program in Molecular Biology and Biophysics, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
| | - Gerald M. Rubin
- Janelia Farm Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn VA 20147
| | - Chris Q. Doe
- Institutes of Neuroscience and Molecular Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403
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26
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Becker TS, Rinkwitz S. Zebrafish as a genomics model for human neurological and polygenic disorders. Dev Neurobiol 2012; 72:415-28. [PMID: 21465670 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.20888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Whole exome sequencing and, to a lesser extent, genome-wide association studies, have provided unprecedented advances in identifying genes and candidate genomic regions involved in the development of human disease. Further progress will come from sequencing the entire genome of multiple patients and normal controls to evaluate overall mutational burden and disease risk. A major challenge will be the interpretation of the resulting data and distinguishing true pathogenic mutations from rare benign variants.While in model organisms such as the zebrafish,mutants are sought that disrupt the function of individual genes, human mutations that cause, or are associated with, the development of disease, are often not acting in a Mendelian fashion, are frequently of small effect size, are late onset, and may reside in noncoding parts of the genome. The zebrafish model is uniquely poised for understanding human coding- and noncoding variants because of its sequenced genome, a large body of knowledge on gene expression and function, rapid generation time, and easy access to embryos. A critical advantage is the ease of zebrafish transgenesis, both for the testing of human regulatory DNA driving expression of fluorescent reporter proteins, and the expression of mutated disease-associated human proteins in specific neurons to rapidly model aspects of neurological disorders. The zebrafish affords progress both through its model genome and it is rapidly developing transparent model vertebrate embryo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas S Becker
- Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia.
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27
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Wolman M, Granato M. Behavioral genetics in larval zebrafish: learning from the young. Dev Neurobiol 2012; 72:366-72. [PMID: 22328273 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.20872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Deciphering the genetic code that determines how the vertebrate nervous system assembles into neural circuits that ultimately control behavior is a fascinating and challenging question in modern neurobiology. Because of the complexity of this problem, successful strategies require a simple yet focused experimental approach without limiting the scope of the discovery. Unbiased, large-scale forward genetic screens in invertebrate organisms have yielded great insight into the genetic regulation of neural circuit assembly and function. For many reasons, this highly successful approach has been difficult to recapitulate in the behavioral neuroscience field's classic vertebrate model organisms-rodents. Here, we discuss how larval zebrafish provide a promising model system to which we can apply the design of invertebrate behavior-based screens to reveal the genetic mechanisms critical for neural circuit assembly and function in vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc Wolman
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6058, USA
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28
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Umeda K, Shoji W, Sakai S, Muto A, Kawakami K, Ishizuka T, Yawo H. Targeted expression of a chimeric channelrhodopsin in zebrafish under regulation of Gal4-UAS system. Neurosci Res 2012; 75:69-75. [PMID: 23044184 DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2012.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2012] [Revised: 08/09/2012] [Accepted: 08/20/2012] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Channelrhodopsin (ChR)-wide receiver (ChRWR), one of the chimeric molecule of ChR1 and ChR2, has several advantages over ChR2 such as improved expression in the plasma membrane and enhanced photocurrent with small desensitization. Here we generated transgenic zebrafish (Danio rerio) expressing ChRWR as a conjugate of EGFP under the regulation of UAS promoter (UAS:ChRWR-EGFP). When crossed with a Gal4 line, SAGFF36B, ChRWR-EGFP was selectively expressed in primary mechanosensory Rohon-Beard (RB) neurons. The direct photoactivation of RB neurons was sufficient to trigger the escape behavior. The UAS:ChRWR-EGFP line could facilitate a variety of investigations of neural networks and behaviors of zebrafish in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keiko Umeda
- Department of Developmental Biology & Neuroscience, Tohoku University Graduate School of Life Sciences, Sendai, Japan
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29
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De Rienzo G, Gutzman JH, Sive H. Efficient shRNA-mediated inhibition of gene expression in zebrafish. Zebrafish 2012; 9:97-107. [PMID: 22788660 PMCID: PMC3444767 DOI: 10.1089/zeb.2012.0770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite the broad repertoire of loss of function (LOF) tools available for use in the zebrafish, there remains a need for a simple and rapid method that can inhibit expression of genes at later stages. RNAi would fulfill that role, and a previous report (Dong et al. 2009) provided encouraging data. The goal of this study was to further address the ability of expressed shRNAs to inhibit gene expression. This included quantifying RNA knockdown, testing specificity of shRNA effects, and determining whether tissue-specific LOF could be achieved. Using an F0 transgenic approach, this report demonstrates that for two genes, wnt5b and zDisc1, each with described mutant and morphant phenotypes, shRNAs efficiently decrease endogenous RNA levels. Phenotypes elicited by shRNA resemble those of mutants and morphants, and are reversed by expression of cognate RNA, further demonstrating specificity. Tissue-specific expression of zDisc1 shRNAs in F0 transgenics demonstrates that conditional LOF can be readily obtained. These results suggest that shRNA expression presents a viable approach for rapid inhibition of zebrafish gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Hazel Sive
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge Massachusetts
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge Massachusetts
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30
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Tallafuss A, Gibson D, Morcos P, Li Y, Seredick S, Eisen J, Washbourne P. Turning gene function ON and OFF using sense and antisense photo-morpholinos in zebrafish. Development 2012; 139:1691-9. [PMID: 22492359 PMCID: PMC3317972 DOI: 10.1242/dev.072702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
To understand the molecular mechanisms of development it is essential to be able to turn genes on and off at will and in a spatially restricted fashion. Morpholino oligonucleotides (MOs) are very common tools used in several model organisms with which it is possible to block gene expression. Recently developed photo-activated MOs allow control over the onset of MO activity. However, deactivation of photo-cleavable MO activity has remained elusive. Here, we describe photo-cleavable MOs with which it is possible to activate or de-activate MO function by UV exposure in a temporal and spatial manner. We show, using several different genes as examples, that it is possible to turn gene expression on or off both in the entire zebrafish embryo and in single cells. We use these tools to demonstrate the sufficiency of no tail expression as late as tailbud stage to drive medial precursor cells towards the notochord cell fate. As a broader approach for the use of photo-cleavable MOs, we show temporal control over gal4 function, which has many potential applications in multiple transgenic lines. We demonstrate temporal manipulation of Gal4 transgene expression in only primary motoneurons and not secondary motoneurons, heretofore impossible with conventional transgenic approaches. In another example, we follow and analyze neural crest cells that regained sox10 function after deactivation of a photo-cleavable sox10-MO at different time points. Our results suggest that sox10 function might not be critical during neural crest formation.
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Del Bene F, Wyart C. Optogenetics: A new enlightenment age for zebrafish neurobiology. Dev Neurobiol 2012; 72:404-14. [DOI: 10.1002/dneu.20914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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Simmich J, Staykov E, Scott E. Zebrafish as an appealing model for optogenetic studies. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2012; 196:145-62. [PMID: 22341325 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-444-59426-6.00008-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Optogenetics, the use of light-based protein tools, has begun to revolutionize biological research. The approach has proven especially useful in the nervous system, where light has been used both to detect and to manipulate activity in targeted neurons. Optogenetic tools have been deployed in systems ranging from cultured cells to primates, with each offering a particular combination of advantages and drawbacks. In this chapter, we provide an overview of optogenetics in zebrafish. Two of the greatest attributes of the zebrafish model system are external fertilization and transparency in early life stages. Combined, these allow researchers to observe the internal structures of developing zebrafish embryos and larvae without dissections or other interference. This transparency, combined with the animals' small size, simple husbandry, and similarity to mammals in many structures and processes, has made zebrafish a particularly popular model system in developmental biology. The easy optical access also dovetails with optogenetic tools, allowing their use in intact, developing, and behaving animals. This means that optogenetic studies in embryonic and larval zebrafish can be carried out in a high-throughput fashion with relatively simple equipment. As a consequence, zebrafish have been an important proving ground for optogenetic tools and approaches and have already yielded important new knowledge about the neural circuits underlying behavior. Here, we provide a general introduction to zebrafish as a model system for optogenetics. Through descriptions and analyses of important optogenetic studies that have been done in zebrafish, we highlight the advantages and liabilities that the system brings to optogenetic experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua Simmich
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, Australia
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Gupta P, Zhao XF, Prat CR, Narawane S, Suh CS, Gharbi N, Ellingsen S, Fjose A. Zebrafish transgenic lines co-expressing a hybrid Gal4 activator and eGFP in tissue-restricted patterns. Gene Expr Patterns 2011; 11:517-24. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gep.2011.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2011] [Revised: 08/31/2011] [Accepted: 09/03/2011] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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34
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Abstract
Visually guided collision avoidance is critical for the survival of many animals. The execution of successful collision-avoidance behaviors requires accurate processing of approaching threats by the visual system and signaling of threat characteristics to motor circuits to execute appropriate motor programs in a timely manner. Consequently, visually guided collision avoidance offers an excellent model with which to study the neural mechanisms of sensory-motor integration in the context of a natural behavior. Neurons that selectively respond to approaching threats and brain areas processing them have been characterized across many species. In locusts in particular, the underlying sensory and motor processes have been analyzed in great detail: These animals possess an identified neuron, called the LGMD, that responds selectively to approaching threats and conveys that information through a second identified neuron, the DCMD, to motor centers, generating escape jumps. A combination of behavioral and in vivo electrophysiological experiments has unraveled many of the cellular and network mechanisms underlying this behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haleh Fotowat
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, H3A-1B1, Canada.
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Fujimoto E, Gaynes B, Brimley CJ, Chien CB, Bonkowsky JL. Gal80 intersectional regulation of cell-type specific expression in vertebrates. Dev Dyn 2011; 240:2324-34. [PMID: 21905164 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.22734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/19/2011] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Characterization and functional manipulation of specific groups of neurons in the vertebrate central nervous system (CNS) remains a major hurdle for understanding complex circuitry and functions. In zebrafish, the Gal4/UAS system has permitted expression of transgenes and enhancer trap screens, but is often limited by broad expression domains. We have developed a method for cell-type specific expression using Gal80 inhibition of Gal4-dependent expression. We show that native Gal4 is able to drive strong expression, that Gal80 can inhibit this expression, and that overlapping Gal4 and Gal80 expression can achieve "intersectional" expression in spatially and genetically defined subsets of neurons. We also optimize Gal80 for expression in vertebrates, track Gal80 expression with a co-expressed fluorescent marker, and use a temperature-sensitive allele of Gal80 to temporally regulate its function. These data demonstrate that Gal80 is a powerful addition to the genetic techniques available to map and manipulate neural circuits in zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esther Fujimoto
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah; Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
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36
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Wyart C, Del Bene F. Let there be light: zebrafish neurobiology and the optogenetic revolution. Rev Neurosci 2011; 22:121-30. [PMID: 21615266 DOI: 10.1515/rns.2011.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Optogenetics has revolutionized the toolbox arsenal that neuroscientists now possess to investigate neuronal circuit function in intact and living animals. With a combination of light emitting 'sensors' and light activated 'actuators', we can monitor and control neuronal activity with minimal perturbation and unprecedented spatiotemporal resolution. Zebrafish neuronal circuits represent an ideal system to apply an optogenetic based analysis owing to its transparency, relatively small size and amenability to genetic manipulation. In this review, we describe some of the most recent advances in the development and applications of optogenetic sensors (i.e., genetically encoded calcium indicators and voltage sensors) and actuators (i.e., light activated ion channels and ion pumps). We focus mostly on the tools that have already been successfully applied in zebrafish and on those that show the greatest potential for the future. We also describe crucial technical aspects to implement optogenetics in zebrafish including strategies to drive a high level of transgene expression in defined neuronal populations, and recent optical advances that allow the precise spatiotemporal control of sample illumination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Wyart
- Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle epiniere, Centre de Recherche, CHU Pitié-Salpétrière, Paris, France.
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37
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Renninger SL, Schonthaler HB, Neuhauss SCF, Dahm R. Investigating the genetics of visual processing, function and behaviour in zebrafish. Neurogenetics 2011; 12:97-116. [PMID: 21267617 DOI: 10.1007/s10048-011-0273-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2010] [Accepted: 01/04/2011] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Over the past three decades, the zebrafish has been proven to be an excellent model to investigate the genetic control of vertebrate embryonic development, and it is now also increasingly used to study behaviour and adult physiology. Moreover, mutagenesis approaches have resulted in large collections of mutants with phenotypes that resemble human pathologies, suggesting that these lines can be used to model diseases and screen drug candidates. With the recent development of new methods for gene targeting and manipulating or monitoring gene expression, the range of genetic modifications now possible in zebrafish is increasing rapidly. Combined with the classical strengths of the zebrafish as a model organism, these advances are set to substantially expand the type of biological questions that can be addressed in this species. In this review, we outline how the potential of the zebrafish can be harvested in the context of eye development and visual function. We review recent technological advances used to study the formation of the eyes and visual areas of the brain, visual processing on the cellular, subcellular and molecular level, and the genetics of visual behaviour in vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabine L Renninger
- Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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Nevin LM, Robles E, Baier H, Scott EK. Focusing on optic tectum circuitry through the lens of genetics. BMC Biol 2010; 8:126. [PMID: 20920150 PMCID: PMC2949621 DOI: 10.1186/1741-7007-8-126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2010] [Accepted: 09/24/2010] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The visual pathway is tasked with processing incoming signals from the retina and converting this information into adaptive behavior. Recent studies of the larval zebrafish tectum have begun to clarify how the 'micro-circuitry' of this highly organized midbrain structure filters visual input, which arrives in the superficial layers and directs motor output through efferent projections from its deep layers. The new emphasis has been on the specific function of neuronal cell types, which can now be reproducibly labeled, imaged and manipulated using genetic and optical techniques. Here, we discuss recent advances and emerging experimental approaches for studying tectal circuits as models for visual processing and sensorimotor transformation by the vertebrate brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda M Nevin
- Department of Physiology, University of California, San Francisco, 1550 4th Street, San Francisco, CA 94158-23241, USA.
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Gerlai R. Zebrafish antipredatory responses: a future for translational research? Behav Brain Res 2010; 207:223-31. [PMID: 19836422 PMCID: PMC3203216 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2009.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 141] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2009] [Revised: 10/05/2009] [Accepted: 10/07/2009] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Human neuropsychiatric conditions associated with abnormally exaggerated or misdirected fear (anxiety disorders and phobias) still represent a large unmet medical need because the biological mechanisms underlying these diseases are not well understood. Animal models have been proposed to facilitate this research. Here I review the literature with a focus on zebrafish, an upcoming laboratory organism in behavioral brain research. I argue that abnormal human fear responses are likely the result of the malfunction of neurobiological mechanisms (brain areas, circuits and/or molecular mechanisms) that originally evolved to support avoidance of predators or other harm in nature. I also argue that the understanding of the normal as well as pathological functioning of such mechanisms may be best achieved if one utilizes naturalistic experimental approaches. In case of laboratory model organisms, this may entail presenting stimuli associated with predators and measuring species-specific antipredatory responses. Although zebrafish is a relatively new subject of such inquiry, I review the recently rapidly increasing number of zebrafish studies in this area, and conclude that zebrafish is a promising research tool for the analysis of the neurobiology and genetics of vertebrate fear responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Gerlai
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, 3359 Mississauga Road North, Mississauga, Ontario L5L 1C6, Canada. robert
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40
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Abstract
The nervous system can generate rhythms of various frequencies; on the low-frequency side, we have the circuits regulating circadian rhythms with a 24-h period, while on the high-frequency side we have the motor circuits that underlie flight in a hummingbird. Given the ubiquitous nature of rhythms, it is surprising that we know very little of the cellular and molecular mechanisms that produce them in the embryos and of their potential role during the development of neuronal circuits. Recently, zebrafish has been developed as a vertebrate model to study the genetics of neural development. Zebrafish offer several advantages to the study of nervous system development including optical and electrophysiological analysis of neuronal activity even at the earliest embryonic stages. This unique combination of physiology and genetics in the same animal model has led to insights into the development of neuronal networks. This chapter reviews work on the development of zebrafish motor rhythms and speculates on birth and maturation of the circuits that produce them.
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Scott EK, Baier H. The cellular architecture of the larval zebrafish tectum, as revealed by gal4 enhancer trap lines. Front Neural Circuits 2009; 3:13. [PMID: 19862330 PMCID: PMC2763897 DOI: 10.3389/neuro.04.013.2009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 126] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2009] [Accepted: 09/11/2009] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
We have carried out a Gal4 enhancer trap screen in zebrafish, and have generated 184 stable transgenic lines with interesting expression patterns throughout the nervous system. Of these, three display clear expression in the tectum, each with a distinguishable and stereotyped distribution of Gal4 expressing cells. Detailed morphological analysis of single cells, using a genetic “Golgi-like” labelling method, revealed four common cell types (superficial, periventricular, shallow periventricular, and radial glial), along with a range of other less common neurons. The shallow periventricular (PV) and a subset of the PV neurons are tectal efferent neurons that target various parts of the reticular formation. We find that it is specifically PV neurons with dendrites in the deep tectal neuropil that target the reticular formation. This indicates that these neurons receive the tectum's highly processed visual information (which is fed from the superficial retinorecipient layers), and relay it to premotor regions. Our results show that the larval tectum, both broadly and at the single cell level, strongly resembles a miniature version of its adult counterpart, and that it has all of the necessary anatomical characteristics to inform motor responses based on sensory input. We also demonstrate that mosaic expression of GFP in Gal4 enhancer trap lines can be used to describe the types and abundance of cells in an expression pattern, including the architectures of individual neurons. Such detailed anatomical descriptions will be an important part of future efforts to describe the functions of discrete tectal circuits in the generation of behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ethan K Scott
- Department of Physiology, University of California San Francisco, CA, USA
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42
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Baier H, Scott EK. Genetic and optical targeting of neural circuits and behavior--zebrafish in the spotlight. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2009; 19:553-60. [PMID: 19781935 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2009.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2009] [Accepted: 08/11/2009] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Methods to label neurons and to monitor their activity with genetically encoded fluorescent reporters have been a staple of neuroscience research for several years. The recent introduction of photoswitchable ion channels and pumps, such as channelrhodopsin (ChR2), halorhodopsin (NpHR), and light-gated glutamate receptor (LiGluR), is enabling remote optical manipulation of neuronal activity. The translucent brains of zebrafish offer superior experimental conditions for optogenetic approaches in vivo. Enhancer and gene trapping approaches have generated hundreds of Gal4 driver lines in which the expression of UAS-linked effectors can be targeted to subpopulations of neurons. Local photoactivation of genetically targeted LiGluR, ChR2, or NpHR has uncovered novel functions for specific areas and cell types in zebrafish behavior. Because the manipulation is restricted to times and places where genetics (cell types) and optics (beams of light) intersect, this method affords excellent resolving power for the functional analysis of neural circuitry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Herwig Baier
- University of California, San Francisco, Department of Physiology, San Francisco, CA 94158-2324, USA.
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