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Zhao J, Xue L, Mu Y, Ji P. From animal biology to simulated models and back: Comment on "control of movement of underwater swimmers: Animals, simulated animates and swimming robots" by Gordleeva et al. Phys Life Rev 2024; 49:17-18. [PMID: 38479308 DOI: 10.1016/j.plrev.2024.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Jiajia Zhao
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China; Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Ministry of Education, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Linuo Xue
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China; Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Ministry of Education, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Yu Mu
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yue-Yang Road, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Peng Ji
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China; Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Ministry of Education, Shanghai 200433, China; MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China.
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2
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Lukowicz-Bedford RM, Eisen JS, Miller AC. Gap-junction-mediated bioelectric signaling required for slow muscle development and function in zebrafish. Curr Biol 2024:S0960-9822(24)00759-0. [PMID: 38936363 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2024] [Revised: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024]
Abstract
Bioelectric signaling, intercellular communication facilitated by membrane potential and electrochemical coupling, is emerging as a key regulator of animal development. Gap junction (GJ) channels can mediate bioelectric signaling by creating a fast, direct pathway between cells for the movement of ions and other small molecules. In vertebrates, GJ channels are formed by a highly conserved transmembrane protein family called the connexins. The connexin gene family is large and complex, creating challenges in identifying specific connexins that create channels within developing and mature tissues. Using the embryonic zebrafish neuromuscular system as a model, we identify a connexin conserved across vertebrate lineages, gjd4, which encodes the Cx46.8 protein, that mediates bioelectric signaling required for slow muscle development and function. Through mutant analysis and in vivo imaging, we show that gjd4/Cx46.8 creates GJ channels specifically in developing slow muscle cells. Using genetics, pharmacology, and calcium imaging, we find that spinal-cord-generated neural activity is transmitted to developing slow muscle cells, and synchronized activity spreads via gjd4/Cx46.8 GJ channels. Finally, we show that bioelectrical signal propagation within the developing neuromuscular system is required for appropriate myofiber organization and that disruption leads to defects in behavior. Our work reveals a molecular basis for GJ communication among developing muscle cells and reveals how perturbations to bioelectric signaling in the neuromuscular system may contribute to developmental myopathies. Moreover, this work underscores a critical motif of signal propagation between organ systems and highlights the pivotal role of GJ communication in coordinating bioelectric signaling during development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Judith S Eisen
- University of Oregon, Institute of Neuroscience, Eugene, OR 97405, USA
| | - Adam C Miller
- University of Oregon, Institute of Neuroscience, Eugene, OR 97405, USA.
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3
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Zhu Q, Han F, Yu Y, Wang F, Wang Q, Shakeel A. A spinal circuit model with asymmetric cervical-lumbar layout controls backward locomotion and scratching in quadrupeds. Neural Netw 2024; 178:106422. [PMID: 38901095 DOI: 10.1016/j.neunet.2024.106422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 05/07/2024] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024]
Abstract
Locomotion and scratching are basic motor functions which are critically important for animal survival. Although the spinal circuits governing forward locomotion have been extensively investigated, the organization of spinal circuits and neural mechanisms regulating backward locomotion and scratching remain unclear. Here, we extend a model by Danner et al. to propose a spinal circuit model with asymmetrical cervical-lumbar layout to investigate these issues. In the model, the left-right alternation within the cervical and lumbar circuits is mediated by V 0D and V 0V commissural interneurons (CINs), respectively. With different control strategies, the model closely reproduces multiple experimental data of quadrupeds in different motor behaviors. Specifically, under the supraspinal drive, walk and trot are expressed in control condition, half-bound is expressed after deletion of V 0V CINs, and bound is expressed after deletion of V0 (V 0D and V 0V) CINs; in addition, unilateral hindlimb scratching occurs in control condition and synchronous bilateral hindlimb scratching appears after deletion of V 0V CINs. Under the combined drive of afferent feedback and perineal stimulation, different coordination patterns between hindlimbs during BBS (backward-biped-spinal) locomotion are generated. The results suggest that (1) the cervical and lumbar circuits in the spinal network are asymmetrically recruited during particular rhythmic limb movements. (2) Multiple motor behaviors share a single spinal network under the reconfiguration of the spinal network by supraspinal inputs or somatosensory feedback. Our model provides new insights into the organization of motor circuits and neural control of rhythmic limb movements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinghua Zhu
- College of Information Science and Technology, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, China
| | - Fang Han
- College of Information Science and Technology, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, China.
| | - Ying Yu
- Department of Dynamics and Control, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Fengjie Wang
- College of Information Science and Technology, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, China
| | - Qingyun Wang
- Department of Dynamics and Control, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191, China.
| | - Awais Shakeel
- College of Information Science and Technology, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, China
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4
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Di Mauro G, González VJ, Bambini F, Camarda S, Prado E, Holgado JP, Vázquez E, Ballerini L, Cellot G. MoS 2 2D materials induce spinal cord neuroinflammation and neurotoxicity affecting locomotor performance in zebrafish. NANOSCALE HORIZONS 2024; 9:785-798. [PMID: 38466179 DOI: 10.1039/d4nh00041b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
MoS2 nanosheets belong to an emerging family of nanomaterials named bidimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (2D TMDCs). The use of such promising materials, featuring outstanding chemical and physical properties, is expected to increase in several fields of science and technology, with an enhanced risk of environmental dispersion and associated wildlife and human exposures. In this framework, the assessment of MoS2 nanosheets toxicity is instrumental to safe industrial developments. Currently, the impact of the nanomaterial on the nervous tissue is unexplored. In this work, we use as in vivo experimental model the early-stage zebrafish, to investigate whether mechano-chemically exfoliated MoS2 nanosheets reach and affect, when added in the behavioral ambient, the nervous system. By high throughput screening of zebrafish larvae locomotor behavioral changes upon exposure to MoS2 nanosheets and whole organism live imaging of spinal neuronal and glial cell calcium activity, we report that sub-acute and prolonged ambient exposures to MoS2 nanosheets elicit locomotor abnormalities, dependent on dose and observation time. While 25 μg mL-1 concentration treatments exerted transient effects, 50 μg mL-1 ones induced long-lasting changes, correlated to neuroinflammation-driven alterations in the spinal cord, such as astrogliosis, glial intracellular calcium dysregulation, neuronal hyperactivity and motor axons retraction. By combining integrated technological approaches to zebrafish, we described that MoS2 2D nanomaterials can reach, upon water (i.e. ambient) exposure, the nervous system of larvae, resulting in a direct neurological damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Di Mauro
- Neuron Physiology and Technology Lab, Neuroscience area, International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA), Via Bonomea 265, 34136, Trieste, Italy.
| | - Viviana Jehová González
- Instituto Regional de Investigación Científica Aplicada (IRICA), UCLM, 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Francesco Bambini
- Neuron Physiology and Technology Lab, Neuroscience area, International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA), Via Bonomea 265, 34136, Trieste, Italy.
| | - Silvia Camarda
- Neuron Physiology and Technology Lab, Neuroscience area, International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA), Via Bonomea 265, 34136, Trieste, Italy.
| | - Eduardo Prado
- Department of Applied Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Castilla La Mancha, Avda. Camilo José Cela 10, 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Juan Pedro Holgado
- Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Sevilla, Centro Mixto Universidad de Sevilla-CSIC, Américo Vespucio, 49, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Ester Vázquez
- Instituto Regional de Investigación Científica Aplicada (IRICA), UCLM, 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain
- Facultad de Ciencias y Tecnologías Químicas, UCLM, Avda. Camilo José Cela S/N, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Laura Ballerini
- Neuron Physiology and Technology Lab, Neuroscience area, International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA), Via Bonomea 265, 34136, Trieste, Italy.
| | - Giada Cellot
- Neuron Physiology and Technology Lab, Neuroscience area, International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA), Via Bonomea 265, 34136, Trieste, Italy.
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5
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Kanwal JS, Sanghera B, Dabbi R, Glasgow E. Pose analysis in free-swimming adult zebrafish, Danio rerio : "fishy" origins of movement design. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.12.31.573780. [PMID: 38260397 PMCID: PMC10802288 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.31.573780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Movement requires maneuvers that generate thrust to either make turns or move the body forward in physical space. The computational space for perpetually controlling the relative position of every point on the body surface can be vast. We hypothesize the evolution of efficient design for movement that minimizes active (neural) control by leveraging the passive (reactive) forces between the body and the surrounding medium at play. To test our hypothesis, we investigate the presence of stereotypical postures during free-swimming in adult zebrafish, Danio rerio . We perform markerless tracking using DeepLabCut, a deep learning pose estimation toolkit, to track geometric relationships between body parts. To identify putative clusters of postural configurations obtained from twelve freely behaving zebrafish, we use unsupervised multivariate time-series analysis (B-SOiD machine learning software). When applied to single individuals, this method reveals a best-fit for 36 to 50 clusters in contrast 86 clusters for data pooled from all 12 animals. The centroids of each cluster obtained over 14,000 sequential frames recorded for a single fish represent an apriori classification into relatively stable "target body postures" and inter-pose "transitional postures" that lead to and away from a target pose. We use multidimensional scaling of mean parameter values for each cluster to map cluster-centroids within two dimensions of postural space. From a post-priori visual analysis, we condense neighboring postural variants into 15 superclusters or core body configurations. We develop a nomenclature specifying the anteroposterior level/s (upper, mid and lower) and degree of bending. Our results suggest that constraining bends to mainly three levels in adult zebrafish preempts the neck, fore- and hindlimb design for maneuverability in land vertebrates.
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Lukowicz-Bedford RM, Eisen JS, Miller AC. Gap junction mediated bioelectric coordination is required for slow muscle development, organization, and function. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.20.572619. [PMID: 38187655 PMCID: PMC10769300 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.20.572619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
Bioelectrical signaling, intercellular communication facilitated by membrane potential and electrochemical coupling, is emerging as a key regulator of animal development. Gap junction (GJ) channels can mediate bioelectric signaling by creating a fast, direct pathway between cells for the movement of ions and other small molecules. In vertebrates, GJ channels are formed by a highly conserved transmembrane protein family called the Connexins. The connexin gene family is large and complex, presenting a challenge in identifying the specific Connexins that create channels within developing and mature tissues. Using the embryonic zebrafish neuromuscular system as a model, we identify a connexin conserved across vertebrate lineages, gjd4, which encodes the Cx46.8 protein, that mediates bioelectric signaling required for appropriate slow muscle development and function. Through a combination of mutant analysis and in vivo imaging we show that gjd4/Cx46.8 creates GJ channels specifically in developing slow muscle cells. Using genetics, pharmacology, and calcium imaging we find that spinal cord generated neural activity is transmitted to developing slow muscle cells and synchronized activity spreads via gjd4/Cx46.8 GJ channels. Finally, we show that bioelectrical signal propagation within the developing neuromuscular system is required for appropriate myofiber organization, and that disruption leads to defects in behavior. Our work reveals the molecular basis for GJ communication among developing muscle cells and reveals how perturbations to bioelectric signaling in the neuromuscular system_may contribute to developmental myopathies. Moreover, this work underscores a critical motif of signal propagation between organ systems and highlights the pivotal role played by GJ communication in coordinating bioelectric signaling during development.
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7
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Li Y, Zhang C, Peng G. Ap4s1 truncation leads to axonal defects in a zebrafish model of spastic paraplegia 52. Int J Dev Neurosci 2023; 83:753-764. [PMID: 37767851 DOI: 10.1002/jdn.10303] [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] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Biallelic mutations in AP4S1, the σ4 subunit of the adaptor protein complex 4 (AP-4), lead to autosomal recessive spastic paraplegia 52 (SPG52). It is a subtype of AP-4-associated hereditary spastic paraplegia (AP-4-HSP), a complex childhood-onset neurogenetic disease characterized by progressive spastic paraplegia of the lower limbs. This disease has so far lacked effective treatment, in part due to a lack of suitable animal models. Here, we used CRISPR/Cas9 technology to generate a truncation mutation in the ap4s1 gene in zebrafish. The ap4s1 truncation led to motor impairment, delayed neurodevelopment, and distal axonal degeneration. This animal model is useful for further research into AP-4 and AP-4-HSP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiduo Li
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Ministry of Education Frontiers Center for Brain Science, and Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Cuizhen Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Ministry of Education Frontiers Center for Brain Science, and Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Gang Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Ministry of Education Frontiers Center for Brain Science, and Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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Wilson AC, Sweeney LB. Spinal cords: Symphonies of interneurons across species. Front Neural Circuits 2023; 17:1146449. [PMID: 37180760 PMCID: PMC10169611 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2023.1146449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Vertebrate movement is orchestrated by spinal inter- and motor neurons that, together with sensory and cognitive input, produce dynamic motor behaviors. These behaviors vary from the simple undulatory swimming of fish and larval aquatic species to the highly coordinated running, reaching and grasping of mice, humans and other mammals. This variation raises the fundamental question of how spinal circuits have changed in register with motor behavior. In simple, undulatory fish, exemplified by the lamprey, two broad classes of interneurons shape motor neuron output: ipsilateral-projecting excitatory neurons, and commissural-projecting inhibitory neurons. An additional class of ipsilateral inhibitory neurons is required to generate escape swim behavior in larval zebrafish and tadpoles. In limbed vertebrates, a more complex spinal neuron composition is observed. In this review, we provide evidence that movement elaboration correlates with an increase and specialization of these three basic interneuron types into molecularly, anatomically, and functionally distinct subpopulations. We summarize recent work linking neuron types to movement-pattern generation across fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lora B. Sweeney
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria (IST Austria), Klosterneuburg, Lower Austria, Austria
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Topcu E, Roussel Y, Bui TV. SiliFish: A desktop application to model swimming behavior in developing zebrafish (Danio rerio). STAR Protoc 2023; 4:101973. [PMID: 36598850 PMCID: PMC9826877 DOI: 10.1016/j.xpro.2022.101973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Revised: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
SiliFish is an open-source desktop application to model and study zebrafish swimming. Here, we explain how to define the general parameters of the model, define cell populations, place them within the spinal cord, and define their projections. We explain how to run a simulation and how to visualize the network output and single-cell activity. The choice of C# as the programming language allows higher speed performance, simulating models with larger spinal circuits in less time. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Roussel et al. (2021).1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emine Topcu
- Department of Biology, Center for Neural Dynamics, Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada.
| | - Yann Roussel
- École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Blue Brain Project, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Tuan V Bui
- Department of Biology, Center for Neural Dynamics, Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada.
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Picton LD, Björnfors ER, Fontanel P, Pallucchi I, Bertuzzi M, El Manira A. Developmental switch in the function of inhibitory commissural V0d interneurons in zebrafish. Curr Biol 2022; 32:3515-3528.e4. [PMID: 35853456 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.06.059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Revised: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
During development, all animals undergo major adaptations to accommodate behavioral flexibility and diversity. How these adaptations are reflected in the changes in the motor circuits controlling our behaviors remains poorly understood. Here, we show, using a combination of techniques applied at larval and adult zebrafish stages, that the pattern-generating V0d inhibitory interneurons within the locomotor circuit undergo a developmental switch in their role. In larvae, we show that V0d interneurons have a primary function in high-speed motor behavior yet are redundant for explorative swimming. By contrast, adult V0d interneurons have diversified into speed-dependent subclasses, with an overrepresentation of those active at the slowest speeds. The ablation of V0d interneurons in adults disrupts slow explorative swimming, which is associated with a loss of mid-cycle inhibition onto target motoneurons. Thus, we reveal a developmental switch in V0d interneuron function from a role in high-speed motor behavior to a function in timing and thus coordinating slow explorative locomotion. Our study suggests that early motor circuit composition is not predictive of the adult system but instead undergoes major functional transformations during development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurence D Picton
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Pierre Fontanel
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Irene Pallucchi
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Maria Bertuzzi
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
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Liu M, Zheng M, Zhang W, Yang F, Hong L, Yu X, Xu H. Cuprizone-induced dopaminergic hyperactivity and locomotor deficit in zebrafish larvae. Brain Res 2022; 1780:147802. [PMID: 35085574 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2022.147802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Revised: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
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From decision to action: Detailed modelling of frog tadpoles reveals neuronal mechanisms of decision-making and reproduces unpredictable swimming movements in response to sensory signals. PLoS Comput Biol 2021; 17:e1009654. [PMID: 34898604 PMCID: PMC8699619 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1009654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Revised: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
How does the brain process sensory stimuli, and decide whether to initiate locomotor behaviour? To investigate this question we develop two whole body computer models of a tadpole. The "Central Nervous System" (CNS) model uses evidence from whole-cell recording to define 2300 neurons in 12 classes to study how sensory signals from the skin initiate and stop swimming. In response to skin stimulation, it generates realistic sensory pathway spiking and shows how hindbrain sensory memory populations on each side can compete to initiate reticulospinal neuron firing and start swimming. The 3-D "Virtual Tadpole" (VT) biomechanical model with realistic muscle innervation, body flexion, body-water interaction, and movement is then used to evaluate if motor nerve outputs from the CNS model can produce swimming-like movements in a volume of "water". We find that the whole tadpole VT model generates reliable and realistic swimming. Combining these two models opens new perspectives for experiments.
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