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Liu Y, Tan X, Wang R, Fan L, Yan Q, Chen C, Wang W, Ren Z, Ning X, Ku T, Sang N. Retinal Degeneration Response to Graphene Quantum Dots: Disruption of the Blood-Retina Barrier Modulated by Surface Modification-Dependent DNA Methylation. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:14629-14640. [PMID: 39102579 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.4c02179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/07/2024]
Abstract
Graphene quantum dots (GQDs) are used in diverse fields from chemistry-related materials to biomedicines, thus causing their substantial release into the environment. Appropriate visual function is crucial for facilitating the decision-making process within the nervous system. Given the direct interaction of eyes with the environment and even nanoparticles, herein, GQDs, sulfonic acid-doped GQDs (S-GQDs), and amino-functionalized GQDs (A-GQDs) were employed to understand the potential optic neurotoxicity disruption mechanism by GQDs. The negatively charged GQDs and S-GQDs disturbed the response to light stimulation and impaired the structure of the retinal nuclear layer of zebrafish larvae, causing vision disorder and retinal degeneration. Albeit with sublethal concentrations, a considerably reduced expression of the retinal vascular sprouting factor sirt1 through increased DNA methylation damaged the blood-retina barrier. Importantly, the regulatory effect on vision function was influenced by negatively charged GQDs and S-GQDs but not positively charged A-GQDs. Moreover, cluster analysis and computational simulation studies indicated that binding affinities between GQDs and the DNMT1-ligand binding might be the dominant determinant of the vision function response. The previously unknown pathway of blood-retinal barrier interference offers opportunities to investigate the biological consequences of GQD-based nanomaterials, guiding innovation in the industry toward environmental sustainability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yutong Liu
- College of Environment and Resource, Research Center of Environment and Health, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030006, China
| | - Xin Tan
- College of Environment and Resource, Research Center of Environment and Health, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030006, China
| | - Rui Wang
- College of Environment and Resource, Research Center of Environment and Health, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030006, China
| | - Lifan Fan
- College of Environment and Resource, Research Center of Environment and Health, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030006, China
| | - Qiqi Yan
- College of Environment and Resource, Research Center of Environment and Health, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030006, China
| | - Chen Chen
- College of Environment and Resource, Research Center of Environment and Health, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030006, China
| | - Wenhao Wang
- College of Environment and Resource, Research Center of Environment and Health, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030006, China
| | - Zhihua Ren
- College of Environment and Resource, Research Center of Environment and Health, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030006, China
| | - Xia Ning
- College of Environment and Resource, Research Center of Environment and Health, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030006, China
| | - Tingting Ku
- College of Environment and Resource, Research Center of Environment and Health, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030006, China
| | - Nan Sang
- College of Environment and Resource, Research Center of Environment and Health, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030006, China
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2
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He S, He J, Ma S, Wei K, Wu F, Xu J, Jin X, Zhao Y, Martyniuk CJ. Liquid crystal monomers disrupt photoreceptor patterning of zebrafish larvae via thyroid hormone signaling. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2024; 188:108747. [PMID: 38761427 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2024.108747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2024] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/20/2024]
Abstract
Liquid crystal monomers (LCMs) are the raw material for liquid crystal displays, and their use is steadily increasing in electronic products. Recently, LCMs have been reported to be novel endocrine disrupting chemicals, however, the mechanisms underlying their potential for thyroid hormone disruption and visual toxicity are not well understood. In this study, six widely used fluorinated LCMs (FLCMs) were selected to determine putative mechanisms underlying FLCM-induced toxicity to the zebrafish thyroid and visual systems. Exposure to FLCMs caused damage to retinal structures and reduced cell density of ganglion cell layer, inner nuclear layer, and photoreceptor layer approximately 12.6-46.1%. Exposure to FLCMs also disrupted thyroid hormone levels and perturbed the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis by affecting key enzymes and protein in zebrafish larvae. A thyroid hormone-dependent GH3 cell viability assay supported the hypothesis that FLCMs act as thyroid hormone disrupting chemicals. It was also determined that FLCMs containing aliphatic ring structures may have a higher potential for T3 antagonism compared to FLCMs without an aliphatic ring. Molecular docking in silico suggested that FLCMs may affect biological functions of thyroxine binding globulin, membrane receptor integrin, and thyroid receptor beta. Lastly, the visual motor response of zebrafish in red- and green-light was significantly inhibited following exposure to FLCMs. Taken together, we demonstrate that FLCMs can act as thyroid hormone disruptors to induce visual dysfunction in zebrafish via several molecular mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shan He
- College of Geo-exploration Science and Technology, Jilin University, Changchun 130026, China; State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
| | - Jia He
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Urban Hydrological Cycle and Sponge City Technology, College of Water Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.
| | - Siying Ma
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Urban Hydrological Cycle and Sponge City Technology, College of Water Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Kunyu Wei
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Urban Hydrological Cycle and Sponge City Technology, College of Water Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Fengchang Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China.
| | - Jian Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
| | - Xiaowei Jin
- China National Environmental Monitoring Centre, Beijing 100012, China
| | - Yuanhui Zhao
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Vegetation Restoration, School of Environment, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin 130117, China
| | - Christopher J Martyniuk
- Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology, Department of Physiological Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, UF Genetics Institute, Interdisciplinary Program in Biomedical Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
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3
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Ramirez L. Trade-off between coding efficiency and color space in outer retinal circuits with colored oil droplets. Vision Res 2023; 208:108224. [PMID: 37011508 DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2023.108224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2022] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023]
Abstract
To enhance color vision, animals adapt diverse strategies according to their environmental conditions. For instance, zebrafish use clever retinal circuits to encode spectral information in aquatic environments. Other species, such as birds, develop colored oil droplets to expand their plethora of distinguishable colors. Studies on these species provide insights into each strategy. Nevertheless, there is no data on retinas using both strategies simultaneously. In this work, we combine our knowledge of colored oil droplets and circuits for efficient spectral coding in different species to explore the outcome of retinas exhibiting both strategies simultaneously. Our findings suggest the existence of a trade-off between coding efficiency and color-space area in zebrafish-like retinal circuits. More specifically, we find that spectral encoding becomes compromised with the presence of colored oil droplets while the accessible color space expands significantly.
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4
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Abu Bakar N, Wan Ibrahim WN, Zulkiflli AR, Saleh Hodin NA, Kim TY, Ling YS, Md Ajat MM, Shaari K, Shohaimi S, Nasruddin NS, Mohd Faudzi SM, Kim CH. Embryonic mercury exposure in zebrafish: Alteration of metabolites and gene expression, related to visual and behavioral impairments. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2023; 256:114862. [PMID: 37004432 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.114862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Revised: 03/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
The widespread presence of mercury, a heavy metal found in the environment and used in numerous industries and domestic, raises concerns about its potential impact on human health. Nevertheless, the adverse effects of this environmental toxicant at low concentrations are often underestimated. There are emerging studies showing that accumulation of mercury in the eye may contribute to visual impairment and a comorbidity between autism spectrum disorders (ASD) trait and visual impairment. However, the underlying mechanism of visual impairment in humans and rodents is challenging. In response to this issue, zebrafish larvae with a cone-dominated retinal visual system were exposed to 100 nM mercury chloride (HgCl2), according to our previous study, followed by light-dark stimulation, a social assay, and color preference to examine the functionality of the visual system in relation to ASD-like behavior. Exposure of embryos to HgCl2 from gastrulation to hatching increased locomotor activity in the dark, reduced shoaling and exploratory behavior, and impaired color preference. Defects in microridges as the first barrier may serve as primary tools for HgCl2 toxicity affecting vision. Depletion of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), linoleic acid, arachidonic acid (ARA), alpha-linoleic acid, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), stearic acid, L-phenylalanine, isoleucine, L-lysine, and N-acetylputrescine, along with the increase of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), sphingosine-1-phosphate, and citrulline assayed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) suggest that these metabolites serve as biomarkers of retinal impairments that affect vision and behavior. Although suppression of adsl, shank3a, tsc1b, and nrxn1a gene expression was observed, among these tsc1b showed more positive correlation with ASD. Collectively, these results contribute new insights into the possible mechanism of mercury toxicity give rise to visual, cognitive, and social deficits in zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noraini Abu Bakar
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Wan Norhamidah Wan Ibrahim
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia; Natural Medicines and Product Research Laboratory, Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Abdul Rahman Zulkiflli
- Natural Medicines and Product Research Laboratory, Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Nur Atikah Saleh Hodin
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Tae-Yoon Kim
- Department of Biology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Republic of Korea
| | - Yee Soon Ling
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Jalan UMS, 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - Mohd Mokrish Md Ajat
- Natural Medicines and Product Research Laboratory, Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia; Department of Veterinary Preclinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, Malaysia
| | - Khozirah Shaari
- Natural Medicines and Product Research Laboratory, Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Shamarina Shohaimi
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Nurrul Shaqinah Nasruddin
- Centre for Craniofacial Diagnostics, Faculty of Dentistry, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), 50300 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Siti Munirah Mohd Faudzi
- Natural Medicines and Product Research Laboratory, Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia; Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
| | - Cheol-Hee Kim
- Department of Biology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Republic of Korea.
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5
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Barrett LM, Meighan PC, Mitchell DM, Varnum MD, Stenkamp DL. Assessing Rewiring of the Retinal Circuitry by Electroretinogram (ERG) After Inner Retinal Lesion in Adult Zebrafish. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2636:421-435. [PMID: 36881314 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3012-9_23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/08/2023]
Abstract
Adult zebrafish respond to retinal injury with a regenerative response that replaces damaged neurons with Müller glia-derived regenerated neurons. The regenerated neurons are functional, appear to make appropriate synaptic connections, and support visually mediated reflexes and more complex behaviors. Curiously, the electrophysiology of damaged, regenerating, and regenerated zebrafish retina has only recently been examined. In our previous work, we demonstrated that electroretinogram (ERG) recordings of damaged zebrafish retina correlate with the extent of the inflicted damage and that the regenerated retina at 80 days post-injury exhibited ERG waveforms consistent with functional visual processing. In this paper we describe the procedure for obtaining and analyzing ERG recordings from adult zebrafish previously subjected to widespread lesions that destroy inner retinal neurons and engage a regenerative response that restores retinal function, in particular the synaptic connections between photoreceptor axon terminals and the dendritic trees of retinal bipolar neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsey M Barrett
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA
| | - Peter C Meighan
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Diana M Mitchell
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA
| | - Michael D Varnum
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Deborah L Stenkamp
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA.
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6
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Abu Bakar N, Wan Ibrahim WN, Che Abdullah CA, Ramlan NF, Shaari K, Shohaimi S, Mediani A, Nasruddin NS, Kim CH, Mohd Faudzi SM. Embryonic Arsenic Exposure Triggers Long-Term Behavioral Impairment with Metabolite Alterations in Zebrafish. TOXICS 2022; 10:493. [PMID: 36136458 PMCID: PMC9502072 DOI: 10.3390/toxics10090493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Revised: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/21/2022] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Arsenic trioxide (As2O3) is a ubiquitous heavy metal in the environment. Exposure to this toxin at low concentrations is unremarkable in developing organisms. Nevertheless, understanding the underlying mechanism of its long-term adverse effects remains a challenge. In this study, embryos were initially exposed to As2O3 from gastrulation to hatching under semi-static conditions. Results showed dose-dependent increased mortality, with exposure to 30-40 µM As2O3 significantly reducing tail-coiling and heart rate at early larval stages. Surviving larvae after 30 µM As2O3 exposure showed deficits in motor behavior without impairment of anxiety-like responses at 6 dpf and a slight impairment in color preference behavior at 11 dpf, which was later evident in adulthood. As2O3 also altered locomotor function, with a loss of directional and color preference in adult zebrafish, which correlated with changes in transcriptional regulation of adsl, shank3a, and tsc1b genes. During these processes, As2O3 mainly induced metabolic changes in lipids, particularly arachidonic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, prostaglandin, and sphinganine-1-phosphate in the post-hatching period of zebrafish. Overall, this study provides new insight into the potential mechanism of arsenic toxicity leading to long-term learning impairment in zebrafish and may benefit future risk assessments of other environmental toxins of concern.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noraini Abu Bakar
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Malaysia
| | - Wan Norhamidah Wan Ibrahim
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Malaysia
- Natural Medicines and Products Research Laboratory, Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Malaysia
| | - Che Azurahanim Che Abdullah
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Malaysia
- The Institute of Advanced Technology (ITMA), Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Malaysia
| | - Nurul Farhana Ramlan
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Malaysia
| | - Khozirah Shaari
- Natural Medicines and Products Research Laboratory, Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Malaysia
| | - Shamarina Shohaimi
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Malaysia
| | - Ahmed Mediani
- Institute of Systems Biology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Bangi 43600, Malaysia
| | - Nurrul Shaqinah Nasruddin
- Centre for Craniofacial Diagnostics, Faculty of Dentistry, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Kuala Lumpur 50300, Malaysia
| | - Cheol-Hee Kim
- Department of Biology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Korea
| | - Siti Munirah Mohd Faudzi
- Natural Medicines and Products Research Laboratory, Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Malaysia
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Malaysia
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7
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Hernández-Núñez I, Vivero-Lopez M, Quelle-Regaldie A, DeGrip WJ, Sánchez L, Concheiro A, Alvarez-Lorenzo C, Candal E, Barreiro-Iglesias A. Embryonic nutritional hyperglycemia decreases cell proliferation in the zebrafish retina. Histochem Cell Biol 2022; 158:401-409. [PMID: 35779079 DOI: 10.1007/s00418-022-02127-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one of the leading causes of blindness in the world. While there is a major focus on the study of juvenile/adult DR, the effects of hyperglycemia during early retinal development are less well studied. Recent studies in embryonic zebrafish models of nutritional hyperglycemia (high-glucose exposure) have revealed that hyperglycemia leads to decreased cell numbers of mature retinal cell types, which has been related to a modest increase in apoptotic cell death and altered cell differentiation. However, how embryonic hyperglycemia impacts cell proliferation in developing retinas still remains unknown. Here, we exposed zebrafish embryos to 50 mM glucose from 10 h postfertilization (hpf) to 5 days postfertilization (dpf). First, we confirmed that hyperglycemia increases apoptotic death and decreases the rod and Müller glia population in the retina of 5-dpf zebrafish. Interestingly, the increase in cell death was mainly observed in the ciliary marginal zone (CMZ), where most of the proliferating cells are located. To analyze the impact of hyperglycemia in cell proliferation, mitotic activity was first quantified using pH3 immunolabeling, which revealed a significant decrease in mitotic cells in the retina (mainly in the CMZ) at 5 dpf. A significant decrease in cell proliferation in the outer nuclear and ganglion cell layers of the central retina in hyperglycemic animals was also detected using the proliferation marker PCNA. Overall, our results show that nutritional hyperglycemia decreases cellular proliferation in the developing retina, which could significantly contribute to the decline in the number of mature retinal cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ismael Hernández-Núñez
- Department of Functional Biology, CIBUS, Faculty of Biology, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782, Santiago, Spain
| | - Maria Vivero-Lopez
- Departamento de Farmacología, Farmacia y Tecnología Farmacéutica, I+D Farma (GI-1645), Facultad de Farmacia, iMATUS and Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782, Santiago, Spain
| | - Ana Quelle-Regaldie
- Department of Zoology, Genetics and Physical Anthropology, Veterinary Faculty, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 27002, Lugo, Spain
| | - Willem J DeGrip
- Department of Biophysical Organic Chemistry, Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, 2333 CC, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Laura Sánchez
- Department of Zoology, Genetics and Physical Anthropology, Veterinary Faculty, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 27002, Lugo, Spain.,Preclinical Animal Models Group, Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), 15706, Santiago, Spain
| | - Angel Concheiro
- Departamento de Farmacología, Farmacia y Tecnología Farmacéutica, I+D Farma (GI-1645), Facultad de Farmacia, iMATUS and Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782, Santiago, Spain
| | - Carmen Alvarez-Lorenzo
- Departamento de Farmacología, Farmacia y Tecnología Farmacéutica, I+D Farma (GI-1645), Facultad de Farmacia, iMATUS and Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782, Santiago, Spain
| | - Eva Candal
- Department of Functional Biology, CIBUS, Faculty of Biology, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782, Santiago, Spain
| | - Antón Barreiro-Iglesias
- Department of Functional Biology, CIBUS, Faculty of Biology, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782, Santiago, Spain.
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8
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Wei S, Chen F, Xu T, Cao M, Yang X, Zhang B, Guo X, Yin D. BDE-99 Disrupts the Photoreceptor Patterning of Zebrafish Larvae via Transcription Factor six7. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:5673-5683. [PMID: 35413178 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c08914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Proper visual function is essential for collecting environmental information and supporting the decision-making in the central nervous system and is therefore tightly associated with wildlife survival and human health. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were reported to impair zebrafish vision development, and thyroid hormone (TH) signaling was suspected as the main contributor. In this study, a pentabrominated PBDE, BDE-99, was chosen to further explore the action mechanism of PBDEs on the disruption of zebrafish color vision. The results showed that BDE-99 could impair multiple photoreceptors in the retina and disturb the behavior guided by the color vision of zebrafish larvae at 120 h post-fertilization. Although the resulting alteration in photoreceptor patterning highly resembled the effects of 3,3',5-triiodo-l-thyroine, introducing the antagonist for TH receptors was unable to fully recover the alteration, which suggested the involvement of other potential regulatory factors. By modulating the expression of six7, a key inducer of middle-wavelength opsins, we demonstrated that six7, not THs, dominated the photoreceptor patterning in the disruption of BDE-99. Our work promoted the understanding of the regulatory role of six7 in the process of photoreceptor patterning and proposed a novel mechanism for the visual toxicity of PBDEs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheng Wei
- Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, Ministry of Education, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Fu Chen
- Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, Ministry of Education, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
- Department of Environmental Engineering, School of Environmental and Geographical Science, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai 200234, China
| | - Ting Xu
- Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, Ministry of Education, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
- Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Miao Cao
- Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, Ministry of Education, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Xinyue Yang
- Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, Ministry of Education, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Bin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Geology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Xueping Guo
- Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, Ministry of Education, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
- Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Daqiang Yin
- Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, Ministry of Education, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
- Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai 200092, China
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9
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Cohen A, Popowitz J, Delbridge-Perry M, Rowe CJ, Connaughton VP. The Role of Estrogen and Thyroid Hormones in Zebrafish Visual System Function. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:837687. [PMID: 35295340 PMCID: PMC8918846 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.837687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Visual system development is a highly complex process involving coordination of environmental cues, cell pathways, and integration of functional circuits. Consequently, a change to any step, due to a mutation or chemical exposure, can lead to deleterious consequences. One class of chemicals known to have both overt and subtle effects on the visual system is endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs). EDCs are environmental contaminants which alter hormonal signaling by either preventing compound synthesis or binding to postsynaptic receptors. Interestingly, recent work has identified neuronal and sensory systems, particularly vision, as targets for EDCs. In particular, estrogenic and thyroidogenic signaling have been identified as critical modulators of proper visual system development and function. Here, we summarize and review this work, from our lab and others, focusing on behavioral, physiological, and molecular data collected in zebrafish. We also discuss different exposure regimes used, including long-lasting effects of developmental exposure. Overall, zebrafish are a model of choice to examine the impact of EDCs and other compounds targeting estrogen and thyroid signaling and the consequences of exposure in visual system development and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annastelle Cohen
- Department of Biology, American University, Washington, DC, WA, United States
| | - Jeremy Popowitz
- Department of Biology, American University, Washington, DC, WA, United States
| | | | - Cassie J. Rowe
- Department of Biology, American University, Washington, DC, WA, United States,Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, American University, Washington, DC, WA, United States
| | - Victoria P. Connaughton
- Department of Biology, American University, Washington, DC, WA, United States,Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, American University, Washington, DC, WA, United States,*Correspondence: Victoria P. Connaughton,
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10
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Hammer J, Röppenack P, Yousuf S, Schnabel C, Weber A, Zöller D, Koch E, Hans S, Brand M. Visual Function is Gradually Restored During Retina Regeneration in Adult Zebrafish. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 9:831322. [PMID: 35178408 PMCID: PMC8844564 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.831322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In comparison to mammals, zebrafish are able to regenerate many organs and tissues, including the central nervous system (CNS). Within the CNS-derived neural retina, light lesions result in a loss of photoreceptors and the subsequent activation of Müller glia, the retinal stem cells. Müller glia-derived progenitors differentiate and eventually restore the anatomical tissue architecture within 4 weeks. However, little is known about how light lesions impair vision functionally, as well as how and to what extent visual function is restored during the course of regeneration, in particular in adult animals. Here, we applied quantitative behavioral assays to assess restoration of visual function during homeostasis and regeneration in adult zebrafish. We developed a novel vision-dependent social preference test, and show that vision is massively impaired early after lesion, but is restored to pre-lesion levels within 7 days after lesion. Furthermore, we employed a quantitative optokinetic response assay with different degrees of difficulty, similar to vision tests in humans. We found that vision for easy conditions with high contrast and low level of detail, as well as color vision, was restored around 7–10 days post lesion. Vision under more demanding conditions, with low contrast and high level of detail, was regained only later from 14 days post lesion onwards. Taken together, we conclude that vision based on contrast sensitivity, spatial resolution and the perception of colors is restored after light lesion in adult zebrafish in a gradual manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliane Hammer
- CRTD-Center for Regenerative Therapies at TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Paul Röppenack
- CRTD-Center for Regenerative Therapies at TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Sarah Yousuf
- CRTD-Center for Regenerative Therapies at TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Christian Schnabel
- Clinical Sensoring and Monitoring, Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Carl Gustav Carus Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Anke Weber
- CRTD-Center for Regenerative Therapies at TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Daniela Zöller
- CRTD-Center for Regenerative Therapies at TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Edmund Koch
- Clinical Sensoring and Monitoring, Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Carl Gustav Carus Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Stefan Hans
- CRTD-Center for Regenerative Therapies at TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Michael Brand
- CRTD-Center for Regenerative Therapies at TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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11
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Bartel P, Yoshimatsu T, Janiak FK, Baden T. Spectral inference reveals principal cone-integration rules of the zebrafish inner retina. Curr Biol 2021; 31:5214-5226.e4. [PMID: 34653362 PMCID: PMC8669161 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.09.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2021] [Revised: 09/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Retinal bipolar cells integrate cone signals at dendritic and axonal sites. The axonal route, involving amacrine cells, remains largely uncharted. However, because cone types differ in their spectral sensitivities, insights into bipolar cells' cone integration might be gained based on their spectral tunings. We therefore recorded in vivo responses of bipolar cell presynaptic terminals in larval zebrafish to widefield but spectrally resolved flashes of light and mapped the results onto spectral responses of the four cones. This "spectral circuit mapping" allowed explaining ∼95% of the spectral and temporal variance of bipolar cell responses in a simple linear model, thereby revealing several notable integration rules of the inner retina. Bipolar cells were dominated by red-cone inputs, often alongside equal sign inputs from blue and green cones. In contrast, UV-cone inputs were uncorrelated with those of the remaining cones. This led to a new axis of spectral opponency where red-, green-, and blue-cone "Off" circuits connect to "natively-On" UV-cone circuits in the outermost fraction of the inner plexiform layer-much as how key color opponent circuits are established in mammals. Beyond this, and despite substantial temporal diversity that was not present in the cones, bipolar cell spectral tunings were surprisingly simple. They either approximately resembled both opponent and non-opponent spectral motifs already present in the cones or exhibited a stereotyped non-opponent broadband response. In this way, bipolar cells not only preserved the efficient spectral representations in the cones but also diversified them to set up a total of six dominant spectral motifs, which included three axes of spectral opponency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Bartel
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Biology Road, BN1 9QG Brighton, UK
| | - Takeshi Yoshimatsu
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Biology Road, BN1 9QG Brighton, UK
| | - Filip K Janiak
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Biology Road, BN1 9QG Brighton, UK
| | - Tom Baden
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Biology Road, BN1 9QG Brighton, UK; Institute of Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Strasse 7, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
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12
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Yoshimatsu T, Bartel P, Schröder C, Janiak FK, St-Pierre F, Berens P, Baden T. Ancestral circuits for vertebrate color vision emerge at the first retinal synapse. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:eabj6815. [PMID: 34644120 PMCID: PMC8514090 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abj6815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
For color vision, retinal circuits separate information about intensity and wavelength. In vertebrates that use the full complement of four “ancestral” cone types, the nature and implementation of this computation remain poorly understood. Here, we establish the complete circuit architecture of outer retinal circuits underlying color processing in larval zebrafish. We find that the synaptic outputs of red and green cones efficiently rotate the encoding of natural daylight in a principal components analysis–like manner to yield primary achromatic and spectrally opponent axes, respectively. Blue cones are tuned to capture most remaining variance when opposed to green cones, while UV cone present a UV achromatic axis for prey capture. We note that fruitflies use essentially the same strategy. Therefore, rotating color space into primary achromatic and chromatic axes at the eye’s first synapse may thus be a fundamental principle of color vision when using more than two spectrally well-separated photoreceptor types.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Philipp Bartel
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
| | - Cornelius Schröder
- Institute of Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | | | - François St-Pierre
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
- Systems, Synthetic, and Physical Biology Program, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Philipp Berens
- Institute of Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Institute for Bioinformatics and Medical Informatics, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Tom Baden
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
- Institute of Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Corresponding author.
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13
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Sabrautzki S, Miller M, Kague E, Brielmeier M. Welfare Assessment of Adult Laboratory Zebrafish: A Practical Guide. Zebrafish 2021; 18:282-292. [PMID: 34227898 DOI: 10.1089/zeb.2021.0021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Teleost fish such as Danio rerio (zebrafish) have been successfully used in biomedical research since decades. Genetically altered fish lines obtained by state-of-the-art genetic technologies are serving as well-known model organisms. In Europe, following Directive 2010/63/EU, generation, breeding, and husbandry of new genetically altered lines of laboratory animals require governmental state approval in case pain, suffering, distress, or long-lasting harm to the offspring derived by breeding of these lines cannot be excluded. The identification and assessment of pain, distress, or harm, according to a severity classification of mild, moderate, severe, or humane endpoint, became a new challenging task for all scientists, animal technicians, and veterinarians for daily work with laboratory zebrafish. In this study, we describe the performance of the assessment of welfare parameters of selected pathologic phenotypes and abnormalities frequently found in laboratory fish facilities based on veterinary, biological, and physiological aspects by using a dedicated score sheet. In a colony of zebrafish, we evaluated the frequency of genotype-independent abnormalities observed within 3 years. We give examples for severity classification and measures once an abnormality has been identified according to the 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction and Refinement).
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Affiliation(s)
- Sibylle Sabrautzki
- Research Unit Comparative Medicine, Helmholtz Zentrum Muenchen - German Research Center for Environmental Health GmbH, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Manuel Miller
- Research Unit Comparative Medicine, Helmholtz Zentrum Muenchen - German Research Center for Environmental Health GmbH, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Erika Kague
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Biomedical Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Markus Brielmeier
- Research Unit Comparative Medicine, Helmholtz Zentrum Muenchen - German Research Center for Environmental Health GmbH, Neuherberg, Germany
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14
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Abstract
The use of spectral information in natural light to inform behaviour is one of the oldest and most fundamental abilities of visual systems. It long-predates animals' venture onto the land, and even the appearance of image-forming eyes. Accordingly, circuits for colour vision evolved under the surface of ancient oceans for hundreds of millions of years. These aquatic beginnings fundamentally underpin, and likely constrain, the organisation of modern visual systems. In contrast to our detailed circuit level understanding from diverse terrestrial vertebrates, however, comparatively little is known about their aquatic counterparts. Here, I summarise some of what is known about neural circuits for colour vision in fish, the most species-diverse group of vertebrates. With a focus on zebrafish, I will explore how their computational strategies are linked to the statistics of natural light in the underwater world, and how their study might help us understand vision in general, including in our own eyes.
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15
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Jaroszynska N, Harding P, Moosajee M. Metabolism in the Zebrafish Retina. J Dev Biol 2021; 9:10. [PMID: 33804189 PMCID: PMC8006245 DOI: 10.3390/jdb9010010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Revised: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Retinal photoreceptors are amongst the most metabolically active cells in the body, consuming more glucose as a metabolic substrate than even the brain. This ensures that there is sufficient energy to establish and maintain photoreceptor functions during and after their differentiation. Such high dependence on glucose metabolism is conserved across vertebrates, including zebrafish from early larval through to adult retinal stages. As the zebrafish retina develops rapidly, reaching an adult-like structure by 72 hours post fertilisation, zebrafish larvae can be used to study metabolism not only during retinogenesis, but also in functionally mature retinae. The interplay between rod and cone photoreceptors and the neighbouring retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells establishes a metabolic ecosystem that provides essential control of their individual functions, overall maintaining healthy vision. The RPE facilitates efficient supply of glucose from the choroidal vasculature to the photoreceptors, which produce metabolic products that in turn fuel RPE metabolism. Many inherited retinal diseases (IRDs) result in photoreceptor degeneration, either directly arising from photoreceptor-specific mutations or secondary to RPE loss, leading to sight loss. Evidence from a number of vertebrate studies suggests that the imbalance of the metabolic ecosystem in the outer retina contributes to metabolic failure and disease pathogenesis. The use of larval zebrafish mutants with disease-specific mutations that mirror those seen in human patients allows us to uncover mechanisms of such dysregulation and disease pathology with progression from embryonic to adult stages, as well as providing a means of testing novel therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Philippa Harding
- Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London EC1V 9EL, UK;
| | - Mariya Moosajee
- Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London EC1V 9EL, UK;
- Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London EC1V 2PD, UK
- Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London WC1N 3JH, UK
- The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, UK
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16
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Guo R, Li F, Lu M, Ge K, Gan L, Sheng D. LIM Homeobox 9 knockdown by morpholino does not affect zebrafish retinal development. Biol Open 2021; 10:bio.056382. [PMID: 33579692 PMCID: PMC7969587 DOI: 10.1242/bio.056382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
LIM homeobox 9 (Lhx9) is a member of the LIM homeodomain transcription factor family, which expresses and functions in various vertebrate tissues, such as the gonads and pineal gland. Previous studies on lhx9 in zebrafish have mainly focused on the brain. However, little is known about the expression pattern of lhx9 during embryogenesis. Here, we detected lhx9 expression in zebrafish embryos using whole-mount in situ hybridization and found lhx9 expressed in heart, pectoral fin, and retina during their development in zebrafish. We then detailed the expression of lhx9 in retinal development. To further investigate the function of Lhx9 in retinogenesis, we performed morpholino (MO) knockdown experiments and found that upon lhx9 knockdown by MO, larvae presented normal eye development, retinal neural development, differentiation, proliferation, apoptosis, and responses to light stimulus. We not only elaborated the expression pattern of lhx9 in zebrafish embryogenesis, but we also demonstrated that lhx9 knockdown by morpholino does not affect the zebrafish retinal development, and our study provides data for further understanding of the role of Lhx9 in zebrafish retinal development. Summary:lhx9 is expressed in the development of the zebrafish heart, pectoral fin, and retina, but lhx9 knockdown by morpholino does not affect zebrafish retinal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Guo
- Key Laboratory of Organ Development and Regeneration of Zhejiang Province, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311100 Zhejiang, China.,College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310013 Zhejiang, China
| | - Fei Li
- Key Laboratory of Organ Development and Regeneration of Zhejiang Province, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311100 Zhejiang, China
| | - Minxia Lu
- Key Laboratory of Organ Development and Regeneration of Zhejiang Province, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311100 Zhejiang, China
| | - Kangkang Ge
- Hangzhou jingbai biotechnology Co, LTD., Hangzhou 310004 Zhejiang, China
| | - Lin Gan
- Key Laboratory of Organ Development and Regeneration of Zhejiang Province, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311100 Zhejiang, China .,College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310013 Zhejiang, China
| | - Donglai Sheng
- Key Laboratory of Organ Development and Regeneration of Zhejiang Province, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311100 Zhejiang, China
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17
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Zang J, Neuhauss SCF. Biochemistry and physiology of zebrafish photoreceptors. Pflugers Arch 2021; 473:1569-1585. [PMID: 33598728 PMCID: PMC8370914 DOI: 10.1007/s00424-021-02528-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2020] [Revised: 01/25/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
All vertebrates share a canonical retina with light-sensitive photoreceptors in the outer retina. These photoreceptors are of two kinds: rods and cones, adapted to low and bright light conditions, respectively. They both show a peculiar morphology, with long outer segments, comprised of ordered stacks of disc-shaped membranes. These discs host numerous proteins, many of which contribute to the visual transduction cascade. This pathway converts the light stimulus into a biological signal, ultimately modulating synaptic transmission. Recently, the zebrafish (Danio rerio) has gained popularity for studying the function of vertebrate photoreceptors. In this review, we introduce this model system and its contribution to our understanding of photoreception with a focus on the cone visual transduction cascade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingjing Zang
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrase 190, CH - 8057, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Stephan C F Neuhauss
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrase 190, CH - 8057, Zürich, Switzerland.
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18
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Colored visual stimuli evoke spectrally tuned neuronal responses across the central nervous system of zebrafish larvae. BMC Biol 2020; 18:172. [PMID: 33243249 PMCID: PMC7694941 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-020-00903-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Visually guided behaviors such as optomotor and optokinetic responses, phototaxis, and prey capture are crucial for survival in zebrafish and become apparent after just a few days of development. Color vision, which in zebrafish is based on a spatially anisotropic tetrachromatic retina, provides an additional important component of world representation driving fundamental larval behaviors. However, little is known about the central nervous system (CNS) circuitry underlying color vision processing downstream of the retina, and its activity correlates with behavior. Here, we used the transparent larva of zebrafish to image CNS neurons and their activity in response to colored visual stimuli. RESULTS To investigate the processing of chromatic information in the zebrafish larva brain, we mapped with cellular resolution, spectrally responsive neurons in the larva encephalon and spinal cord. We employed the genetically encoded calcium indicator GCaMP6s and two-photon microscopy to image the neuronal activity while performing visual stimulation with spectrally distinct stimuli at wavelengths matching the absorption peaks of the four zebrafish cone types. We observed the presence of a high number of wavelength-selective neurons not only in the optic tectum, but also in all other regions of the CNS, demonstrating that the circuitry involved in processing spectral information and producing color-selective responses extends to the whole CNS. CONCLUSIONS Our measurements provide a map of neurons involved in color-driven responses, revealing that spectral information spreads in all regions of the CNS. This suggests the underlying complexity of the circuits involved and opens the way to their detailed future investigation.
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19
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Lieggi C, Kalueff AV, Lawrence C, Collymore C. The Influence of Behavioral, Social, and Environmental Factors on Reproducibility and Replicability in Aquatic Animal Models. ILAR J 2020; 60:270-288. [PMID: 32400880 PMCID: PMC7743897 DOI: 10.1093/ilar/ilz019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2018] [Revised: 08/08/2019] [Accepted: 09/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The publication of reproducible, replicable, and translatable data in studies utilizing animal models is a scientific, practical, and ethical necessity. This requires careful planning and execution of experiments and accurate reporting of results. Recognition that numerous developmental, environmental, and test-related factors can affect experimental outcomes is essential for a quality study design. Factors commonly considered when designing studies utilizing aquatic animal species include strain, sex, or age of the animal; water quality; temperature; and acoustic and light conditions. However, in the aquatic environment, it is equally important to consider normal species behavior, group dynamics, stocking density, and environmental complexity, including tank design and structural enrichment. Here, we will outline normal species and social behavior of 2 commonly used aquatic species: zebrafish (Danio rerio) and Xenopus (X. laevis and X. tropicalis). We also provide examples as to how these behaviors and the complexity of the tank environment can influence research results and provide general recommendations to assist with improvement of reproducibility and replicability, particularly as it pertains to behavior and environmental complexity, when utilizing these popular aquatic models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Lieggi
- Center of Comparative Medicine and Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, and Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, New York
| | - Allan V Kalueff
- School of Pharmacy, Southwest University, Chongqing, China, and Ural Federal University, Ekaterinburg, Russia
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20
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Zhou M, Bear J, Roberts PA, Janiak FK, Semmelhack J, Yoshimatsu T, Baden T. Zebrafish Retinal Ganglion Cells Asymmetrically Encode Spectral and Temporal Information across Visual Space. Curr Biol 2020; 30:2927-2942.e7. [PMID: 32531283 PMCID: PMC7416113 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.05.055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2020] [Revised: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 05/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
In vertebrate vision, the tetrachromatic larval zebrafish permits non-invasive monitoring and manipulating of neural activity across the nervous system in vivo during ongoing behavior. However, despite a perhaps unparalleled understanding of links between zebrafish brain circuits and visual behaviors, comparatively little is known about what their eyes send to the brain via retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). Major gaps in knowledge include any information on spectral coding and information on potentially critical variations in RGC properties across the retinal surface corresponding with asymmetries in the statistics of natural visual space and behavioral demands. Here, we use in vivo two-photon imaging during hyperspectral visual stimulation as well as photolabeling of RGCs to provide a functional and anatomical census of RGCs in larval zebrafish. We find that RGCs' functional and structural properties differ across the eye and include a notable population of UV-responsive On-sustained RGCs that are only found in the acute zone, likely to support visual prey capture of UV-bright zooplankton. Next, approximately half of RGCs display diverse forms of color opponency, including many that are driven by a pervasive and slow blue-Off system-far in excess of what would be required to satisfy traditional models of color vision. In addition, most information on spectral contrast was intermixed with temporal information. Taken together, our results suggest that zebrafish RGCs send a diverse and highly regionalized time-color code to the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingyi Zhou
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton BN19QG, UK
| | - John Bear
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton BN19QG, UK; Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong
| | - Paul A Roberts
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton BN19QG, UK
| | - Filip K Janiak
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton BN19QG, UK
| | | | | | - Tom Baden
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton BN19QG, UK; Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany.
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21
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de Abreu MS, Giacomini ACVV, Genario R, Dos Santos BE, Marcon L, Demin KA, Kalueff AV. The impact of housing environment color on zebrafish anxiety-like behavioral and physiological (cortisol) responses. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2020; 294:113499. [PMID: 32360541 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2020.113499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2020] [Revised: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Color of the environment is an important factor modulating human and animal behavior and physiology. Animal models are a valuable tool to understand how colors affect social, cognitive and affective responses. The zebrafish (Danio rerio) is rapidly emerging as an important organism in neuroscience and physiology. Here, we examine whether the color of housing environment influences zebrafish anxiety-like behavior and whole-body cortisol levels. Overall, housing for 15 days in transparent and white holding tanks increases, and in black or blue tanks decreases, baseline anxiety-like behavior in adult zebrafish. Housing in blue tanks (vs. white) also reduced their whole-body cortisol levels. Taken together, our data suggest that color of the housing environment affects neurobehavioral and endocrine responses in zebrafish, with multiple implications for behavioral phenomics and animal welfare. Our study also reinforces zebrafish as a promising model organism to study neurobiology of compex brain-environment interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Murilo S de Abreu
- Bioscience Institute, University of Passo Fundo (UPF), Passo Fundo, RS, Brazil; The International Zebrafish Neuroscience Research Consortium (ZNRC), Slidell, LA, USA.
| | - Ana C V V Giacomini
- Bioscience Institute, University of Passo Fundo (UPF), Passo Fundo, RS, Brazil; Postgraduate Program in Environmental Sciences, University of Passo Fundo (UPF), Passo Fundo, Brazil
| | - Rafael Genario
- Bioscience Institute, University of Passo Fundo (UPF), Passo Fundo, RS, Brazil
| | - Bruna E Dos Santos
- Bioscience Institute, University of Passo Fundo (UPF), Passo Fundo, RS, Brazil
| | - Leticia Marcon
- Bioscience Institute, University of Passo Fundo (UPF), Passo Fundo, RS, Brazil
| | - Konstantin A Demin
- Almazov Medical Research Center, Ministry of Healthcare of Russian Federation, St. Petersburg, Russia; Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Allan V Kalueff
- School of Pharmacy, Southwest University, Chongqing, China; Ural Federal University, Ekaterinburg, Russia.
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22
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Abstract
The jawless fish that were ancestral to all living vertebrates had four spectral cone types that were probably served by chromatic-opponent retinal circuits. Subsequent evolution of photoreceptor spectral sensitivities is documented for many vertebrate lineages, giving insight into the ecological adaptation of color vision. Beyond the photoreceptors, retinal color processing is best understood in mammals, especially the blueON system, which opposes short- against long-wavelength receptor responses. For other vertebrates that often have three or four types of cone pigment, new findings from zebrafish are extending older work on teleost fish and reptiles to reveal rich color circuitry. Here, horizontal cells establish diverse and complex spectral responses even in photoreceptor outputs. Cone-selective connections to bipolar cells then set up color-opponent synaptic layers in the inner retina, which lead to a large variety of color-opponent channels for transmission to the brain via retinal ganglion cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Baden
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, BN1 9QG Brighton, United Kingdom; ,
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - D Osorio
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, BN1 9QG Brighton, United Kingdom; ,
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23
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Sancer G, Kind E, Plazaola-Sasieta H, Balke J, Pham T, Hasan A, Münch LO, Courgeon M, Mathejczyk TF, Wernet MF. Modality-Specific Circuits for Skylight Orientation in the Fly Visual System. Curr Biol 2019; 29:2812-2825.e4. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.07.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2019] [Revised: 07/02/2019] [Accepted: 07/09/2019] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
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