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Napoli AJ, Laderwager S, Zoodsma JD, Biju B, Mucollari O, Schubel SK, Aprea C, Sayed A, Morgan K, Napoli A, Flanagan S, Wollmuth LP, Sirotkin HI. Developmental loss of NMDA receptors results in supernumerary forebrain neurons through delayed maturation of transit-amplifying neuroblasts. Sci Rep 2024; 14:3395. [PMID: 38336823 PMCID: PMC10858180 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-53910-7] [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: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Developmental neurogenesis is a tightly regulated spatiotemporal process with its dysregulation implicated in neurodevelopmental disorders. NMDA receptors are glutamate-gated ion channels that are widely expressed in the early nervous system, yet their contribution to neurogenesis is poorly understood. Notably, a variety of mutations in genes encoding NMDA receptor subunits are associated with neurodevelopmental disorders. To rigorously define the role of NMDA receptors in developmental neurogenesis, we used a mutant zebrafish line (grin1-/-) that lacks all NMDA receptors yet survives to 10 days post-fertilization, offering the opportunity to study post-embryonic neurodevelopment in the absence of NMDA receptors. Focusing on the forebrain, we find that these fish have a progressive supernumerary neuron phenotype confined to the telencephalon at the end of embryonic neurogenesis, but which extends to all forebrain regions during postembryonic neurogenesis. This enhanced neuron population does not arise directly from increased numbers or mitotic activity of radial glia cells, the principal neural stem cells. Rather, it stems from a lack of timely maturation of transit-amplifying neuroblasts into post-mitotic neurons, as indicated by a decrease in expression of the ontogenetically-expressed chloride transporter, KCC2. Pharmacological blockade with MK-801 recapitulates the grin1-/- supernumerary neuron phenotype, indicating a requirement for ionotropic signaling. Thus, NMDA receptors are required for suppression of indirect, transit amplifying cell-driven neurogenesis by promoting maturational termination of mitosis. Loss of suppression results in neuronal overpopulation that can fundamentally change brain circuitry and may be a key factor in pathogenesis of neurodevelopmental disorders caused by NMDA receptor dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amalia J Napoli
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794-5230, USA
| | - Stephanie Laderwager
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794-5230, USA
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794-5230, USA
| | - Josiah D Zoodsma
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794-5230, USA
| | - Bismi Biju
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794-5230, USA
| | - Olgerta Mucollari
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794-5230, USA
| | - Sarah K Schubel
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794-5230, USA
| | - Christieann Aprea
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794-5230, USA
| | - Aaliya Sayed
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794-5230, USA
| | - Kiele Morgan
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794-5230, USA
| | - Annelysia Napoli
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794-5230, USA
| | - Stephanie Flanagan
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794-5230, USA
| | - Lonnie P Wollmuth
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794-5230, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794-5215, USA
- Center for Nervous System Disorders, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794-5230, USA
| | - Howard I Sirotkin
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794-5230, USA.
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2
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Napoli AJ, Laderwager S, Zoodsma JD, Biju B, Mucollari O, Schubel SK, Aprea C, Sayed A, Morgan K, Napoli A, Flanagan S, Wollmuth LP, Sirotkin HI. Loss of NMDA receptor function during development results in decreased KCC2 expression and increased neurons in the zebrafish forebrain. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.25.554812. [PMID: 37786708 PMCID: PMC10541604 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.25.554812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
Developmental neurogenesis is a tightly regulated spatiotemporal process with its dysregulation implicated in neurodevelopmental disorders. NMDA receptors are glutamate-gated ion channels that are widely expressed in the early nervous system, yet their contribution to neurogenesis is poorly understood. Notably, a variety of mutations in genes encoding NMDA receptor subunits are associated with neurodevelopmental disorders. To rigorously define the role of NMDA receptors in developmental neurogenesis, we used a mutant zebrafish line ( grin1 -/- ) that lacks all NMDA receptors yet survives to 10 days post-fertilization, offering the opportunity to study post-embryonic neurodevelopment in the absence of NMDA receptors. Focusing on the forebrain, we find that these fish have a progressive supernumerary neuron phenotype confined to the telencephalon at the end of embryonic neurogenesis, but which extends to all forebrain regions during postembryonic neurogenesis. This enhanced neuron population does not arise directly from increased numbers or mitotic activity of radial glia cells, the principal neural stem cells. Rather, it stems from a lack of timely maturation of transit-amplifying neuroblasts into post-mitotic neurons, as indicated by a decrease in expression of the ontogenetically-expressed chloride transporter, KCC2. Pharmacological blockade with MK-801 recapitulates the grin1 -/- supernumerary neuron phenotype, indicating a requirement for ionotropic signaling. Thus, NMDA receptors are required for suppression of indirect, transit amplifying cell-driven neurogenesis by promoting maturational termination of mitosis. Loss of suppression results in neuronal overpopulation that can fundamentally change brain circuitry and may be a key factor in pathogenesis of neurodevelopmental disorders caused by NMDA receptor dysfunction.
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3
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Beneficial Effect of Vitamin D on Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) Progression in the Zebrafish Model. Nutrients 2023; 15:nu15061362. [PMID: 36986092 PMCID: PMC10052639 DOI: 10.3390/nu15061362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023] Open
Abstract
A major cause of chronic liver disease, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) results from excessive liver fat accumulation. Vitamin D (VitD) plays multiple important roles in diverse physiologic processes. Here, we describe the role of VitD in the complex pathogenesis of NAFLD and explore the possible therapeutic role of VitD supplementation in NAFLD therapy. To compare the effect of VitD to other interventions such as low-calorie diet, we induced NAFLD in young adult zebrafish (Danio rerio, AB strain) and monitored the effects of VitD supplementation on the disease course. The zebrafish administered with high-dose VitD (1.25 μg) had significantly reduced liver fat compared to those that received low-dose VitD (0.049 μg) or caloric restriction. Gene expression analysis revealed that VitD downregulated several pathways that may play a role in NAFLD etiology, which affected fatty acid metabolism, vitamins and their cofactors, ethanol oxidation, and glycolysis. The pathway analysis revealed that the cholesterol biosynthesis pathway and the isoprenoid biosynthetic process pathway were significantly upregulated whereas the small molecule catabolic process pathway significantly downregulated following the exposure of NAFLD zebrafish model to high VitD dose. Therefore, our findings suggest the association of novel biochemical pathways with NAFLD and highlight the potential of VitD supplementation to reverse the severity of NAFLD, especially in younger people.
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4
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Howell KJ, Walsh MR. Transplant experiments demonstrate that larger brains are favoured in high-competition environments in Trinidadian killifish. Ecol Lett 2023; 26:53-62. [PMID: 36262097 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14133] [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: 05/25/2022] [Revised: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The extent to which the evolution of a larger brain is adaptive remains controversial. Trinidadian killifish (Anablepsoides hartii) are found in sites that differ in predation intensity; fish that experience decreased predation and increased intraspecific competition exhibit larger brains. We evaluated the connection between brain size and fitness (survival and growth) when killifish are found in their native habitats and when fish are transplanted from sites with predators to high-competition sites that lack predators. Selection for a larger brain was absent within locally adapted populations. Conversely, there was a strong positive relationship between brain size and growth in transplanted but not resident fish in high-competition environments. We also observed significantly larger brain sizes in the transplanted fish that were recaptured at the end of the experiment versus those that were not. Our results provide experimental support that larger brains increase fitness and are favoured in high-competition environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlyn J Howell
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas, USA
| | - Matthew R Walsh
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas, USA
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5
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Estimating the volume of biological structures from a single 2D image: considering apparent cross-sectional area as an alternative to the ellipsoid method. Evol Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10682-022-10211-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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6
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Rossi GS, Labbé D, Wright PA. Out of water in the dark: Plasticity in visual structures and function in an amphibious fish. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY. PART A, ECOLOGICAL AND INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 337:776-784. [PMID: 35727120 DOI: 10.1002/jez.2636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2022] [Revised: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Many fishes encounter periods of prolonged darkness within their lifetime, yet the consequences for the visual system are poorly understood. We used an amphibious fish (Kryptolebias marmoratus) that occupies dark terrestrial environments during seasonal droughts to test whether exposure to prolonged darkness diminishes visual performance owing to reduced optic tectum (OT) size and/or neurogenesis. We performed a 3-week acclimation with a 2 ×$\times $ 2 factorial design, in which fish were either acclimated to a 12 h:12 h or 0 h:24 h light:dark photoperiod in water or in air. We found that water-exposed fish had poorer visual acuity when acclimated to the dark, while air-acclimated fish had poorer visual acuity regardless of photoperiod. The ability of K. marmoratus to capture aerial prey from water followed a similar trend, suggesting that good vision is important for hunting effectively. Changes in visual acuity did not result from changes in OT size, but air-acclimated fish had 37% fewer proliferating cells in the OT than water-acclimated fish. As K. marmoratus are unable to eat on land, reducing cell proliferation in the OT may serve as a mechanism to reduce maintenance costs associated with the visual system. Overall, we suggest that prolonged darkness and air exposure can impair vision in K. marmoratus, and that changes in visual performance may be mediated, in part, by OT neurogenesis. More broadly, we show that plastic changes to the visual system of fishes can have potential consequences for organismal performance and fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia S Rossi
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Scarborough, Ontario, Canada
| | - Daniel Labbé
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
- School of Earth and Ocean Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Patricia A Wright
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
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7
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McNeil RM, Devigili A, Kolm N, Fitzpatrick JL. Does brain size affect mate choice? An experimental examination in pygmy halfbeaks. Behav Ecol 2021; 32:1103-1113. [PMID: 34949959 PMCID: PMC8691582 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arab046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Revised: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Choosing a mate is one of the most important decisions in an animal's lifetime. Female mate choice is often guided by the presence or intensity of male sexual ornaments, which must be integrated and compared among potential mates. Individuals with greater cognitive abilities may be better at evaluating and comparing sexual ornaments, even when the difference in ornaments is small. While brain size is often used as a proxy for cognitive ability, its effect on mate choice has rarely been investigated. Here, we investigate the effect of brain size on mate preferences in the pygmy halfbeak Dermogenys collettei, a small freshwater fish that forms mixed-sex shoals where mating takes place. Pygmy halfbeaks are ideal models as their semi-transparent heads allow for external brain measurements. After validating the use of external measurements as a proxy for internal brain size, we presented females with large or small brains (relative to body length) with two males that had either a large or small difference in sexual ornamentation (measured by the total area of red coloration). Unexpectedly, neither total relative brain size nor relative telencephalon size affected any measured aspect of mate preference. However, the difference in male sexual ornamentation did affect preference, with females preferring males with a smaller area of red coloration when the difference in ornaments was large. This study highlights the complexities of mate choice and the importance of considering a range of stimuli when examining mate preferences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca M McNeil
- Department of Zoology: Ethology, Stockholm University, Svante Arrhenius väg 18b, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Alessandro Devigili
- Department of Zoology: Ethology, Stockholm University, Svante Arrhenius väg 18b, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Niclas Kolm
- Department of Zoology: Ethology, Stockholm University, Svante Arrhenius väg 18b, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - John L Fitzpatrick
- Department of Zoology: Ethology, Stockholm University, Svante Arrhenius väg 18b, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
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Jenkins MR, Cummings JM, Cabe AR, Hulthén K, Peterson MN, Langerhans RB. Natural and anthropogenic sources of habitat variation influence exploration behaviour, stress response, and brain morphology in a coastal fish. J Anim Ecol 2021; 90:2446-2461. [PMID: 34143892 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Evolutionary ecology aims to better understand how ecologically important traits respond to environmental heterogeneity. Environments vary both naturally and as a result of human activities, and investigations that simultaneously consider how natural and human-induced environmental variation affect diverse trait types grow increasingly important as human activities drive species endangerment. Here, we examined how habitat fragmentation and structural habitat complexity affect disparate trait types in Bahamas mosquitofish Gambusia hubbsi inhabiting tidal creeks. We tested a priori predictions for how these factors might influence exploratory behaviour, stress reactivity and brain anatomy. We examined approximately 350 adult Bahamas mosquitofish from seven tidal-creek populations across Andros Island, The Bahamas that varied in both human-caused fragmentation (three fragmented and four unfragmented) and natural habitat complexity (e.g. fivefold variation in rock habitat). Populations that had experienced severe human-induced fragmentation, and thus restriction of tidal exchange from the ocean, exhibited greater exploration of a novel environment, stronger physiological stress responses to a mildly stressful event and smaller telencephala (relative to body size). These changes matched adaptive predictions based mostly on (a) reduced chronic predation risk and (b) decreased demands for navigating tidally dynamic habitats. Populations from sites with greater structural habitat complexity showed a higher propensity for exploration and a relatively larger optic tectum and cerebellum. These patterns matched adaptive predictions related to increased demands for navigating complex environments. Our findings demonstrate environmental variation, including recent anthropogenic impacts (<50 years), can significantly affect complex, ecologically important traits. Yet trait-specific patterns may not be easily predicted, as we found strong support for only six of 12 predictions. Our results further highlight the utility of simultaneously quantifying multiple environmental factors-for example had we failed to account for habitat complexity, we would not have detected the effects of fragmentation on exploratory behaviours. These responses, and their ecological consequences, may be complex: rapid and adaptive phenotypic responses to anthropogenic impacts can facilitate persistence in human-altered environments, but may come at a cost of population vulnerability if ecological restoration was to occur without consideration of the altered traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew R Jenkins
- Department of Biological Sciences and W. M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - John M Cummings
- Department of Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Alex R Cabe
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Kaj Hulthén
- Department of Biological Sciences and W. M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - M Nils Peterson
- Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology Program, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - R Brian Langerhans
- Department of Biological Sciences and W. M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
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9
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Goes CAG, Silva DMZDA, Utsunomia R, Yasui GS, Artoni RF, Foresti F, Porto-Foresti F. Establishment of rapid and non-invasive protocols to identify B-carrying individuals of Psalidodon paranae. Genet Mol Biol 2021; 44:e20200003. [PMID: 33769429 PMCID: PMC7995683 DOI: 10.1590/1678-4685-gmb-2020-0003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2020] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Supernumerary, or B, chromosomes are present in several eukaryotes, including characid fish of the genus Psalidodon. Notably, Psalidodon paranae carries the most studied B chromosome variant, a macro-B chromosome. The origin of this element was determined to be an isochromosome; however, data regarding its inheritance remain unavailable due to methodological barriers such as the lack of an efficient, non-invasive, and rapid protocol for identifying B-carrying individuals that would enable the design of efficient crossing experiments. Thus, in this study, we primarily aimed was to develop two non-invasive and fast (approximately 2 h) methods to identify the presence of B chromosomes in live specimens of P. paranae based on satellite DNA (satDNA) sequences known to be present in this element. The methods include fluorescence in situ hybridization in interphase nuclei and relative gene quantification of satDNAs using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Our results reveal the efficiency of quick-fluorescence in situ hybridization and quantitative polymerase chain reaction for identifying B-carrying individuals using the proposed satDNA sequences and open up new possibilities to study B chromosomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caio Augusto Gomes Goes
- Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho" (UNESP), Faculdade de Ciências, Bauru, SP, Brazil
| | | | - Ricardo Utsunomia
- Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, ICBS, Seropédica, RJ, Brazil
| | - George Shigueki Yasui
- Centro nacional de Pesquisa e Conservação da Biota Aquática Continental (CEPTA-ICMBIO), Pirassununga, SP, Brazil
| | - Roberto Ferreira Artoni
- Universidade Estadual de Ponta Grossa, Setor de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Ponta Grossa, PR, Brazil
| | - Fausto Foresti
- Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho" (UNESP), Instituto de Biociências, Botucatu, SP, Brazil
| | - Fábio Porto-Foresti
- Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho" (UNESP), Faculdade de Ciências, Bauru, SP, Brazil
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10
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Jiang W, Liu C, Deng M, Wang F, Ren X, Fan Y, Du J, Wang Y. H 2S promotes developmental brain angiogenesis via the NOS/NO pathway in zebrafish. Stroke Vasc Neurol 2020; 6:244-251. [PMID: 33246971 PMCID: PMC8258041 DOI: 10.1136/svn-2020-000584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2020] [Revised: 10/19/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Hydrogen sulphide (H2S) is considered as the third member of the gasotransmitter family, along with nitric oxide (NO) and carbon monoxide. H2S has been reported to induce angiogenesis by promoting the growth, migration and tube-like structure formation of endothelial cells. Those studies were conducted in conditions of cell culture, mouse Matrigel plug assay model, rat wound healing model or rat hindlimb ischaemia model. Recent in vivo studies showed the physiological importance of H2S in muscle angiogenesis. However, the importance of endogenous H2S for brain angiogenesis during development remains unknown. We therefore aimed at determining the role of H2S in brain vascular development. Methods and results Both knockdown and knockout of H2S-producing enzymes, cystathionine β-synthase (cbs) and cystathionine γ-lyase (cth), using morpholino oligonucleotides and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/Cas9-mediated mutation, impaired brain vascular development of larval zebrafish. Incubation with the slow-releasing H2S donor GYY4137 alleviated the defects of brain vascular development in cbs and cth morphants. Quantitative analysis of the midbrain vascular network showed that H2S enhances angiogenesis without affecting the topological structure of the brain vasculature. Mechanically, nitric oxide synthase 2a (nos2a) expression and NO production were decreased in both cbs and cth morphants. Overexpression of nos2a by coinjection of cbs or cth MO with full-length zebrafish nos2a mRNA alleviated the brain vascular developmental defects in cbs and cth morphants. Conclusion We conclude that H2S promotes brain developmental angiogenesis via the NOS/NO pathway in zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiqing Jiang
- Department of Neurology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Affiliated Renji Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Chen Liu
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Mingzhu Deng
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Fei Wang
- Department of Neurology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Affiliated Renji Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiao Ren
- Department of Neurology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Affiliated Renji Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Yilin Fan
- Department of Neurology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Affiliated Renji Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiulin Du
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Yonggang Wang
- Department of Neurology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Affiliated Renji Hospital, Shanghai, China
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11
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Colón-Rodríguez A, Uribe-Salazar JM, Weyenberg KB, Sriram A, Quezada A, Kaya G, Jao E, Radke B, Lein PJ, Dennis MY. Assessment of Autism Zebrafish Mutant Models Using a High-Throughput Larval Phenotyping Platform. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:586296. [PMID: 33330465 PMCID: PMC7719691 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.586296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Accepted: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, zebrafish have become commonly used as a model for studying human traits and disorders. Their small size, high fecundity, and rapid development allow for more high-throughput experiments compared to other vertebrate models. Given that zebrafish share >70% gene homologs with humans and their genomes can be readily edited using highly efficient CRISPR methods, we are now able to rapidly generate mutations impacting practically any gene of interest. Unfortunately, our ability to phenotype mutant larvae has not kept pace. To address this challenge, we have developed a protocol that obtains multiple phenotypic measurements from individual zebrafish larvae in an automated and parallel fashion, including morphological features (i.e., body length, eye area, and head size) and movement/behavior. By assaying wild-type zebrafish in a variety of conditions, we determined optimal parameters that avoid significant developmental defects or physical damage; these include morphological imaging of larvae at two time points [3 days post fertilization (dpf) and 5 dpf] coupled with motion tracking of behavior at 5 dpf. As a proof-of-principle, we tested our approach on two novel CRISPR-generated mutant zebrafish lines carrying predicted null-alleles of syngap1b and slc7a5, orthologs to two human genes implicated in autism-spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, and epilepsy. Using our optimized high-throughput phenotyping protocol, we recapitulated previously published results from mouse and zebrafish models of these candidate genes. In summary, we describe a rapid parallel pipeline to characterize morphological and behavioral features of individual larvae in a robust and consistent fashion, thereby improving our ability to better identify genes important in human traits and disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Colón-Rodríguez
- Genome Center, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - José M Uribe-Salazar
- Genome Center, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States.,Integrative Genetics and Genomics Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - KaeChandra B Weyenberg
- Genome Center, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Aditya Sriram
- Genome Center, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Alejandra Quezada
- Genome Center, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States.,Sacramento State RISE Program, California State University, Sacramento, Sacramento, CA, United States
| | - Gulhan Kaya
- Genome Center, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Emily Jao
- Genome Center, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Brittany Radke
- Genome Center, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Pamela J Lein
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States.,MIND Institute, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Megan Y Dennis
- Genome Center, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States.,Integrative Genetics and Genomics Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States.,MIND Institute, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
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12
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Wisniewski L, French V, Lockwood N, Valdivia LE, Frankel P. P130Cas/bcar1 mediates zebrafish caudal vein plexus angiogenesis. Sci Rep 2020; 10:15589. [PMID: 32973180 PMCID: PMC7518251 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-71753-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2020] [Accepted: 07/29/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
P130CAS/BCAR1 belongs to the CAS family of adaptor proteins, with important regulatory roles in cell migration, cell cycle control, and apoptosis. Previously, we and others showed that P130CAS mediates VEGF-A and PDGF signalling in vitro, but its cardiovascular function in vivo remains relatively unexplored. We characterise here a novel deletion model of P130CAS in zebrafish. Using in vivo microscopy and transgenic vascular reporters, we observed that while bcar1−/− zebrafish showed no arterial angiogenic or heart defects during development, they strikingly failed to form the caudal vein plexus (CVP). Endothelial cells (ECs) within the CVP of bcar1−/− embryos produced fewer filopodial structures and did not detach efficiently from neighbouring cells, resulting in a significant reduction in ventral extension and overall CVP area. Mechanistically, we show that P130Cas mediates Bmp2b-induced ectopic angiogenic sprouting of ECs in the developing embryo and provide pharmacological evidence for a role of Src family kinases in CVP development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Wisniewski
- Division of Medicine, University College London, 5 University Street, London, WC1E 6JF, UK. .,Queen Mary University of London, London, EC1M 6BQ, UK.
| | - Vanessa French
- Institute of Cardiovascular Science, University College London, 5 University Street, London, WC1E 6JF, UK
| | - Nicola Lockwood
- Division of Medicine, University College London, 5 University Street, London, WC1E 6JF, UK.,The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Leonardo E Valdivia
- Center for Integrative Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Universidad Mayor, Santiago, Chile
| | - Paul Frankel
- Institute of Cardiovascular Science, University College London, 5 University Street, London, WC1E 6JF, UK.
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13
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Guillet A, Stergiou A, Carle T. Effect of Light Exposure upon Food Consumption and Brain Size in Dark-Flies (Drosophila melanogaster). BRAIN, BEHAVIOR AND EVOLUTION 2019; 94:18-26. [PMID: 31770768 DOI: 10.1159/000504121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2019] [Accepted: 10/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
While reducing the investment in the visual system of nocturnal/cave-dwelling species appears to be an evolutionarily stable strategy in response to the difficulty of locating food in the dark, relying on visual information for diurnal species is crucial for their survival and reproduction. However, the manner in which species evolve and adapt to the energetic demands placed upon them by environmental changes is not perfectly understood. In particular, if life in the dark is associated with a reduction in energetic demand, would relocation to a well-lit environment increase energetic demand? This question has a bearing upon our understanding of factors that influence the ability of species to adapt to new habitats. After observing that a sub-population of "Dark-flies" (i.e., fruit flies bred in the dark for more than 60 years) has been selected with a larger visual system (optic lobes) and brain over the course of being maintained in normal lighting conditions for 3 years (DFLight), we used the CAFÉ assay method to investigate the differences in the two strains' energetic demands in the present study. We therefore measured brain size, body size, and food consumption in Dark-flies, DFLight, and Oregon flies (i.e., the fly species most genetically similar to Dark-flies). We found that the DFLight consumed more food solution than the Dark-flies, which correlates with that strain's larger brain size and improved visual capability compared to the Dark-flies. In addition, and although the -Oregon flies initially consumed less food solution than the DFLight, the amount consumed by these two strains by the end of the CAFÉ assay was approximately the same. This suggests that the Dark-flies have adapted their metabolism or feeding strategies in response to a dark environment. Our investigation therefore provides empirical evidence elucidating the manner in which energetic demands change in response to environmental changes and the cross-generational effect upon sensory-system investment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alban Guillet
- Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Antonia Stergiou
- Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas Carle
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan, .,Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom,
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14
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Haab Lutte A, Huppes Majolo J, Reali Nazario L, Da Silva RS. Early exposure to ethanol is able to affect the memory of adult zebrafish: Possible role of adenosine. Neurotoxicology 2018; 69:17-22. [PMID: 30157450 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2018.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2017] [Revised: 07/20/2018] [Accepted: 08/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Ethanol is one of the most widely consumed drugs in the world, and the effects of ethanol during early development include morphological and cognitive problems. The regulation of adenosine levels is essential for the proper function of major neurotransmitter systems in the brain, particularly glutamate and dopamine; thus, the investigation of the relation of adenosine and memory after early ethanol exposure becomes relevant. Embryos of zebrafish were exposed to 1% ethanol during two distinct developmental stages: gastrula/segmentation or pharyngula. The evaluation of memory, morphology, and locomotor parameters was performed when fish were 3 months old. The effect of ecto-5'-nucleotidase and adenosine deaminase inhibition on the consequences of ethanol exposure with regard to memory formation was observed. Morphological evaluation showed decreases in body length and the relative telencephalic and cerebellar areas in ethanol exposed animals. The locomotor parameters evaluated were not affected by ethanol. In the inhibitory avoidance paradigm, ethanol exposure during the gastrula/segmentation and pharyngula stages decreased zebrafish memory retention. When ethanol was given in the pharyngula stage, the inhibition of ecto-5'-nucleotidase in the acquisition phase of memory tests was able to revert the effects of ethanol on the memory of adults. These findings suggest that the increased adenosine levels caused by ethanol could alter the neuromodulation of important components of memory formation, such as neurotransmitters. The adjustment of adenosine levels through ecto-5'-nucleotidase inhibition appears to be effective at restoring normal adenosine levels and the acquisition of memory in animals exposed to ethanol during the pharyngula stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aline Haab Lutte
- Laboratório de Neuroquímica e Psicofarmacologia, Escola de Ciências, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Júlia Huppes Majolo
- Laboratório de Neuroquímica e Psicofarmacologia, Escola de Ciências, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Luiza Reali Nazario
- Laboratório de Neuroquímica e Psicofarmacologia, Escola de Ciências, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Rosane Souza Da Silva
- Laboratório de Neuroquímica e Psicofarmacologia, Escola de Ciências, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
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15
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Field TM, Shin M, Stucky CS, Loomis J, Johnson MA. Electrochemical Measurement of Dopamine Release and Uptake in Zebrafish Following Treatment with Carboplatin. Chemphyschem 2018; 19:1192-1196. [PMID: 29573086 PMCID: PMC6013284 DOI: 10.1002/cphc.201701357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Post-chemotherapy cognitive impairment, also known as 'chemobrain,' is a neurological condition in which cognitive function is impaired as a result of cancer chemotherapy treatment. In this work, we used fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV) to measure electrically evoked dopamine release and uptake in whole brain preparations from zebrafish that have been treated with carboplatin, an agent associated with chemobrain. We administered carboplatin by addition to the fish's tank water or their food. One week of treatment with 100 μM carboplatin in the water was needed to significantly impair dopamine release (∼40 % of control); however, only one day of treatment through the zebrafish's food was needed to cause a similar impairment. Atomic absorption spectroscopy measurements suggested that administration through food resulted in higher initial levels of carboplatin compared to water administration, but water administration resulted in an increase over time. Uptake, determined by modeling stimulated release plots, was unaffected. These results are consistent with our previous findings of diminished neurotransmitter release in rats and support a role for zebrafish in chemobrain-related studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas M Field
- Department of Chemistry and Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Kansas, 1251 Wescoe Hall Drive, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
| | - Mimi Shin
- Department of Chemistry and Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Kansas, 1251 Wescoe Hall Drive, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
| | - Chase S Stucky
- Department of Chemistry and Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Kansas, 1251 Wescoe Hall Drive, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
| | - Joseph Loomis
- Department of Chemistry, University of Kansas, 1251 Wescoe Hall Drive, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
| | - Michael A Johnson
- Department of Chemistry and Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Kansas, 1251 Wescoe Hall Drive, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
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16
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Samuk K, Xue J, Rennision DJ. Exposure to predators does not lead to the evolution of larger brains in experimental populations of threespine stickleback. Evolution 2018; 72:916-929. [PMID: 29392719 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2017] [Revised: 01/18/2018] [Accepted: 01/21/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Natural selection is often invoked to explain differences in brain size among vertebrates. However, the particular agents of selection that shape brain size variation remain obscure. Recent studies suggest that predators may select for larger brains because increased cognitive and sensory abilities allow prey to better elude predators. Yet, there is little direct evidence that exposure to predators causes the evolution of larger brains in prey species. We experimentally tested this prediction by exposing families of 1000-2000 F2 hybrid benthic-limnetic threespine stickleback to predators under naturalistic conditions, along with matched controls. After two generations of selection, we found that fish from the predator addition treatment had significantly smaller brains (specifically smaller telencephalons and optic lobes) than fish from the control treatment. After an additional generation of selection, we reared experimental fish in a common environment and found that this difference in brain size was maintained in the offspring of fish from the predator addition treatment. Our results provide direct experimental evidence that (a) predators can indeed drive the evolution of brain size--but not in the fashion commonly expected and (b) that the tools of experimental evolution can be used to the study the evolution of the vertebrate brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kieran Samuk
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708
| | - Jan Xue
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Diana J Rennision
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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17
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Näslund J, Claesson PS, Johnsson JI. Performance of wild brown trout in relation to energetic state and lab-scored activity during the early-life survival bottleneck. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-017-2395-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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18
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Chen YC, Harrison PW, Kotrschal A, Kolm N, Mank JE, Panula P. Expression change in Angiopoietin-1 underlies change in relative brain size in fish. Proc Biol Sci 2015; 282:20150872. [PMID: 26108626 PMCID: PMC4590489 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2015.0872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2015] [Accepted: 05/26/2015] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain size varies substantially across the animal kingdom and is often associated with cognitive ability; however, the genetic architecture underpinning natural variation in these key traits is virtually unknown. In order to identify the genetic architecture and loci underlying variation in brain size, we analysed both coding sequence and expression for all the loci expressed in the telencephalon in replicate populations of guppies (Poecilia reticulata) artificially selected for large and small relative brain size. A single gene, Angiopoietin-1 (Ang-1), a regulator of angiogenesis and suspected driver of neural development, was differentially expressed between large- and small-brain populations. Zebra fish (Danio rerio) morphants showed that mild knock down of Ang-1 produces a small-brained phenotype that could be rescued with Ang-1 mRNA. Translation inhibition of Ang-1 resulted in smaller brains in larvae and increased expression of Notch-1, which regulates differentiation of neural stem cells. In situ analysis of newborn large- and small-brained guppies revealed matching expression patterns of Ang-1 and Notch-1 to those observed in zebrafish larvae. Taken together, our results suggest that the genetic architecture affecting brain size in our population may be surprisingly simple, and Ang-1 may be a potentially important locus in the evolution of vertebrate brain size and cognitive ability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Chia Chen
- Neuroscience Center and Institute of Biomedicine, Anatomy, University of Helsinki, Haartmaninkatu 8, Helsinki 00290, Finland
| | - Peter W Harrison
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Alexander Kotrschal
- Department of Ecology and Genetics/Animal Ecology, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, Uppsala 75236, Sweden Department of Zoology/Ethology, Stockholm University, Svante Arrhenius väg 18B, Stockholm 10691, Sweden
| | - Niclas Kolm
- Department of Ecology and Genetics/Animal Ecology, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, Uppsala 75236, Sweden Department of Zoology/Ethology, Stockholm University, Svante Arrhenius väg 18B, Stockholm 10691, Sweden
| | - Judith E Mank
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Pertti Panula
- Neuroscience Center and Institute of Biomedicine, Anatomy, University of Helsinki, Haartmaninkatu 8, Helsinki 00290, Finland
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