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Shimizu S, Katayama T, Nishiumi N, Tanimoto M, Kimura Y, Higashijima SI. Spatially ordered recruitment of fast muscles in accordance with movement strengths in larval zebrafish. ZOOLOGICAL LETTERS 2025; 11:1. [PMID: 39754210 PMCID: PMC11697752 DOI: 10.1186/s40851-024-00247-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2024] [Accepted: 12/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/06/2025]
Abstract
In vertebrates, skeletal muscle comprises fast and slow fibers. Slow and fast muscle cells in fish are spatially segregated; slow muscle cells are located only in a superficial region, and comprise a small fraction of the total muscle cell mass. Slow muscles support low-speed, low-force movements, while fast muscles are responsible for high-speed, high-force movements. However, speed and strength of movement are not binary states, but rather fall on a continuum. This raises the question of whether any recruitment patterns exist within fast muscles, which constitute the majority of muscle cell mass. In the present study, we investigated activation patterns of trunk fast muscles during movements of varying speeds and strengths using larval zebrafish. We employed two complementary methods: calcium imaging and electrophysiology. The results obtained from both methods supported the conclusion that there are spatially-ordered recruitment patterns in fast muscle cells. During weaker/slower movements, only the lateral portion of fast muscle cells is recruited. As the speed or strength of the movements increases, more fast muscle cells are recruited in a spatially-ordered manner, progressively from lateral to medial. We also conducted anatomical studies to examine muscle fiber size. The results of those experiments indicated that muscle fiber size increases systematically from lateral to medial. Therefore, the spatially ordered recruitment of fast muscle fibers, progressing from lateral to medial, correlates with an increase in fiber size. These findings provide significant insights into the organization and function of fast muscles in larval zebrafish, illustrating how spatial recruitment and fiber size interact to optimize movement performance.
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2
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Zhu Y, Gelnaw H, Leary P, Raghuraman R, Kamath N, Kraja A, Liu J, Bai Q, Higashijima SI, Burton EA, Schoppik D. Tau load in select brainstem neurons predicts the severity and nature of balance deficits in the absence of cell death. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.10.14.618073. [PMID: 39464026 PMCID: PMC11507750 DOI: 10.1101/2024.10.14.618073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/29/2024]
Abstract
Patients with tauopathies present with profoundly different clinical symptoms 1 , even within the same disorder 2 . A central hypothesis in the field, well-supported by biomarker studies 3,4 and post-mortem pathology 5-7 , is that clinical heterogeneity reflects differential degeneration of vulnerable neuronal populations responsible for specific neurological functions. Recent work has revealed mechanisms underlying susceptibility of particular cell types 8-10 , but relating tau load to disrupted behavior - es- pecially before cell death - requires a targeted circuit-level approach. Here we studied two distinct balance behaviors in larval zebrafish 11 expressing a human 0N/4R-tau allele 12 in select populations of evolutionarily-conserved and well-characterized brainstem vestibular circuits 13,14 . We observed that human tau load predicted the severity of circuit-specific deficits in posture and navigation in the ab- sence of cell death. Targeting expression to either mid- or hindbrain balance neurons recapitulated these particular deficits in posture and navigation. By parametrically linking tau load in specific neu- rons to early behavioral deficits, our work moves beyond cell type to close the gap between pathological and neurological conceptions of tauopathy.
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3
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Hamling KR, Harmon K, Kimura Y, Higashijima SI, Schoppik D. The Vestibulospinal Nucleus Is a Locus of Balance Development. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e2315232024. [PMID: 38777599 PMCID: PMC11270517 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2315-23.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2023] [Revised: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Mature vertebrates maintain posture using vestibulospinal neurons that transform sensed instability into reflexive commands to spinal motor circuits. Postural stability improves across development. However, due to the complexity of terrestrial locomotion, vestibulospinal contributions to postural refinement in early life remain unexplored. Here we leveraged the relative simplicity of underwater locomotion to quantify the postural consequences of losing vestibulospinal neurons during development in larval zebrafish of undifferentiated sex. By comparing posture at two timepoints, we discovered that later lesions of vestibulospinal neurons led to greater instability. Analysis of thousands of individual swim bouts revealed that lesions disrupted movement timing and corrective reflexes without impacting swim kinematics, and that this effect was particularly strong in older larvae. Using a generative model of swimming, we showed how these disruptions could account for the increased postural variability at both timepoints. Finally, late lesions disrupted the fin/trunk coordination observed in older larvae, linking vestibulospinal neurons to postural control schemes used to navigate in depth. Since later lesions were considerably more disruptive to postural stability, we conclude that vestibulospinal contributions to balance increase as larvae mature. Vestibulospinal neurons are highly conserved across vertebrates; we therefore propose that they are a substrate for developmental improvements to postural control.
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Tanimoto Y, Kakinuma H, Aoki R, Shiraki T, Higashijima SI, Okamoto H. Transgenic tools targeting the basal ganglia reveal both evolutionary conservation and specialization of neural circuits in zebrafish. Cell Rep 2024; 43:113916. [PMID: 38484735 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.113916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 02/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024] Open
Abstract
The cortico-basal ganglia circuit mediates decision making. Here, we generated transgenic tools for adult zebrafish targeting specific subpopulations of the components of this circuit and utilized them to identify evolutionary homologs of the mammalian direct- and indirect-pathway striatal neurons, which respectively project to the homologs of the internal and external segment of the globus pallidus (dorsal entopeduncular nucleus [dEN] and lateral nucleus of the ventral telencephalic area [Vl]) as in mammals. Unlike in mammals, the Vl mainly projects to the dEN directly, not by way of the subthalamic nucleus. Further single-cell RNA sequencing analysis reveals two pallidal output pathways: a major shortcut pathway directly connecting the dEN with the pallium and the evolutionarily conserved closed loop by way of the thalamus. Our resources and circuit map provide the common basis for the functional study of the basal ganglia in a small and optically tractable zebrafish brain for the comprehensive mechanistic understanding of the cortico-basal ganglia circuit.
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Hamling KR, Harmon K, Kimura Y, Higashijima SI, Schoppik D. The vestibulospinal nucleus is a locus of balance development. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.12.06.570482. [PMID: 38105966 PMCID: PMC10723429 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.06.570482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Mature vertebrates maintain posture using vestibulospinal neurons that transform sensed instability into reflexive commands to spinal motor circuits. Postural stability improves across development. However, due to the complexity of terrestrial locomotion, vestibulospinal contributions to postural refinement in early life remain unexplored. Here we leveraged the relative simplicity of underwater locomotion to quantify the postural consequences of losing vestibulospinal neurons during development in larval zebrafish of undifferentiated sex. By comparing posture at two timepoints, we discovered that later lesions of vestibulospinal neurons led to greater instability. Analysis of thousands of individual swim bouts revealed that lesions disrupted movement timing and corrective reflexes without impacting swim kinematics, and that this effect was particularly strong in older larvae. Using a generative model of swimming, we showed how these disruptions could account for the increased postural variability at both timepoints. Finally, late lesions disrupted the fin/trunk coordination observed in older larvae, linking vestibulospinal neurons to postural control schemes used to navigate in depth. Since later lesions were considerably more disruptive to postural stability, we conclude that vestibulospinal contributions to balance increase as larvae mature. Vestibulospinal neurons are highly conserved across vertebrates; we therefore propose that they are a substrate for developmental improvements to postural control.
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6
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Pallucchi I, Bertuzzi M, Madrid D, Fontanel P, Higashijima SI, El Manira A. Molecular blueprints for spinal circuit modules controlling locomotor speed in zebrafish. Nat Neurosci 2024; 27:78-89. [PMID: 37919423 PMCID: PMC10774144 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-023-01479-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
The flexibility of motor actions is ingrained in the diversity of neurons and how they are organized into functional circuit modules, yet our knowledge of the molecular underpinning of motor circuit modularity remains limited. Here we use adult zebrafish to link the molecular diversity of motoneurons (MNs) and the rhythm-generating V2a interneurons (INs) with the modular circuit organization that is responsible for changes in locomotor speed. We show that the molecular diversity of MNs and V2a INs reflects their functional segregation into slow, intermediate or fast subtypes. Furthermore, we reveal shared molecular signatures between V2a INs and MNs of the three speed circuit modules. Overall, by characterizing how the molecular diversity of MNs and V2a INs relates to their function, connectivity and behavior, our study provides important insights not only into the molecular mechanisms for neuronal and circuit diversity for locomotor flexibility but also for charting circuits for motor actions in general.
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Ma M, Brunal AA, Clark KC, Studtmann C, Stebbins K, Higashijima SI, Pan YA. Deficiency in the cell-adhesion molecule dscaml1 impairs hypothalamic CRH neuron development and perturbs normal neuroendocrine stress axis function. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1113675. [PMID: 36875755 PMCID: PMC9978177 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1113675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH)-expressing neurons in the hypothalamus are critical regulators of the neuroendocrine stress response pathway, known as the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. As developmental vulnerabilities of CRH neurons contribute to stress-associated neurological and behavioral dysfunctions, it is critical to identify the mechanisms underlying normal and abnormal CRH neuron development. Using zebrafish, we identified Down syndrome cell adhesion molecule like-1 (dscaml1) as an integral mediator of CRH neuron development and necessary for establishing normal stress axis function. In dscaml1 mutant animals, hypothalamic CRH neurons had higher crhb (the CRH homolog in zebrafish) expression, increased cell number, and reduced cell death compared to wild-type controls. Physiologically, dscaml1 mutant animals had higher baseline stress hormone (cortisol) levels and attenuated responses to acute stressors. Together, these findings identify dscaml1 as an essential factor for stress axis development and suggest that HPA axis dysregulation may contribute to the etiology of human DSCAML1-linked neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Tanimoto M, Watakabe I, Higashijima SI. Tiltable objective microscope visualizes selectivity for head motion direction and dynamics in zebrafish vestibular system. Nat Commun 2022; 13:7622. [PMID: 36543769 PMCID: PMC9772181 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35190-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Spatio-temporal information about head orientation and movement is fundamental to the sense of balance and motion. Hair cells (HCs) in otolith organs of the vestibular system transduce linear acceleration, including head tilt and vibration. Here, we build a tiltable objective microscope in which an objective lens and specimen tilt together. With in vivo Ca2+ imaging of all utricular HCs and ganglion neurons during 360° static tilt and vibration in pitch and roll axes, we reveal the direction- and static/dynamic stimulus-selective topographic responses in larval zebrafish. We find that head vibration is preferentially received by striolar HCs, whereas static tilt is preferentially transduced by extrastriolar HCs. Spatially ordered direction preference in HCs is consistent with hair-bundle polarity and is preserved in ganglion neurons through topographic innervation. Together, these results demonstrate topographically organized selectivity for direction and dynamics of head orientation/movement in the vestibular periphery.
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Böhm UL, Kimura Y, Kawashima T, Ahrens MB, Higashijima SI, Engert F, Cohen AE. Voltage imaging identifies spinal circuits that modulate locomotor adaptation in zebrafish. Neuron 2022; 110:1211-1222.e4. [PMID: 35104451 PMCID: PMC8989672 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2021] [Revised: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Motor systems must continuously adapt their output to maintain a desired trajectory. While the spinal circuits underlying rhythmic locomotion are well described, little is known about how the network modulates its output strength. A major challenge has been the difficulty of recording from spinal neurons during behavior. Here, we use voltage imaging to map the membrane potential of large populations of glutamatergic neurons throughout the spinal cord of the larval zebrafish during fictive swimming in a virtual environment. We characterized a previously undescribed subpopulation of tonic-spiking ventral V3 neurons whose spike rate correlated with swimming strength and bout length. Optogenetic activation of V3 neurons led to stronger swimming and longer bouts but did not affect tail beat frequency. Genetic ablation of V3 neurons led to reduced locomotor adaptation. The power of voltage imaging allowed us to identify V3 neurons as a critical driver of locomotor adaptation in zebrafish.
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10
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Satou C, Sugioka T, Uemura Y, Shimazaki T, Zmarz P, Kimura Y, Higashijima SI. Functional Diversity of Glycinergic Commissural Inhibitory Neurons in Larval Zebrafish. Cell Rep 2021; 30:3036-3050.e4. [PMID: 32130905 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.02.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2019] [Revised: 12/17/2019] [Accepted: 02/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Commissural inhibitory neurons in the spinal cord of aquatic vertebrates coordinate left-right body alternation during swimming. Their developmental origin, however, has been elusive. We investigate this by comparing the anatomy and function of two commissural inhibitory neuron types, dI6dmrt3a and V0d, derived from the pd6 and p0 progenitor domains, respectively. We find that both of these commissural neuron types have monosynaptic, inhibitory connections to neuronal populations active during fictive swimming, supporting their role in providing inhibition to the contralateral side. V0d neurons tend to fire during faster and stronger movements, while dI6dmrt3a neurons tend to fire more consistently during normal fictive swimming. Ablation of dI6dmrt3a neurons leads to an impairment of left-right alternating activity through abnormal co-activation of ventral root neurons on both sides of the spinal cord. Our results suggest that dI6dmrt3a and V0d commissural inhibitory neurons synergistically provide inhibition to the opposite side across different swimming behaviors.
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11
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Liu Z, Kimura Y, Higashijima SI, Hildebrand DGC, Morgan JL, Bagnall MW. Central vestibular tuning arises from patterned convergence of otolith afferents. Neuron 2021; 109:905. [PMID: 33662271 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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12
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Liu Z, Kimura Y, Higashijima SI, Hildebrand DGC, Morgan JL, Bagnall MW. Central Vestibular Tuning Arises from Patterned Convergence of Otolith Afferents. Neuron 2020; 108:748-762.e4. [PMID: 32937099 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2020.08.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Revised: 07/09/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
As sensory information moves through the brain, higher-order areas exhibit more complex tuning than lower areas. Though models predict that complexity arises via convergent inputs from neurons with diverse response properties, in most vertebrate systems, convergence has only been inferred rather than tested directly. Here, we measure sensory computations in zebrafish vestibular neurons across multiple axes in vivo. We establish that whole-cell physiological recordings reveal tuning of individual vestibular afferent inputs and their postsynaptic targets. Strong, sparse synaptic inputs can be distinguished by their amplitudes, permitting analysis of afferent convergence in vivo. An independent approach, serial-section electron microscopy, supports the inferred connectivity. We find that afferents with similar or differing preferred directions converge on central vestibular neurons, conferring more simple or complex tuning, respectively. Together, these results provide a direct, quantifiable demonstration of feedforward input convergence in vivo.
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13
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Mizoguchi T, Fukada M, Iihama M, Song X, Fukagawa S, Kuwabara S, Omaru S, Higashijima SI, Itoh M. Transient activation of the Notch-her15.1 axis plays an important role in the maturation of V2b interneurons. Development 2020; 147:147/16/dev191312. [PMID: 32855202 DOI: 10.1242/dev.191312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
In the vertebrate ventral spinal cord, p2 progenitors give rise to two interneuron subtypes: excitatory V2a interneurons and inhibitory V2b interneurons. In the differentiation of V2a and V2b cells, Notch signaling promotes V2b fate at the expense of V2a fate. Later, V2b cells extend axons along the ipsilateral side of the spinal cord and express the inhibitory transmitter GABA. Notch signaling has been reported to inhibit the axonal outgrowth of mature neurons of the central nervous system; however, it remains unknown how Notch signaling modulates V2b neurite outgrowth and maturation into GABAergic neurons. Here, we have investigated neuron-specific Notch functions regarding V2b axon growth and maturation into zebrafish GABAergic neurons. We found that continuous neuron-specific Notch activation enhanced V2b fate determination but inhibited V2b axonal outgrowth and maturation into GABAergic neurons. These results suggest that Notch signaling activation is required for V2b fate determination, whereas its downregulation at a later stage is essential for V2b maturation. Accordingly, we found that a Notch signaling downstream gene, her15.1, showed biased expression in V2 linage cells and downregulated expression during the maturation of V2b cells, and continuous expression of her15.1 repressed V2b axogenesis. Our data suggest that spatiotemporal control of Notch signaling activity is required for V2b fate determination, maturation and axogenesis.
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Frank T, Mönig NR, Satou C, Higashijima SI, Friedrich RW. Associative conditioning remaps odor representations and modifies inhibition in a higher olfactory brain area. Nat Neurosci 2019; 22:1844-1856. [PMID: 31591559 PMCID: PMC6858881 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-019-0495-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2018] [Accepted: 08/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Intelligent behavior involves associations between high-dimensional sensory representations and behaviorally relevant qualities such as valence. Learning of associations involves plasticity of excitatory connectivity but it remains poorly understood how information flow is reorganized in networks and how inhibition contributes to this process. We trained adult zebrafish in an appetitive odor discrimination task and analyzed odor representations in a specific compartment of telencephalic area Dp, the homolog of olfactory cortex. Associative conditioning enhanced responses with a preference for the positively conditioned odor (CS+). Moreover, conditioning systematically remapped odor representations along an axis in coding space that represented attractiveness (valence). Inter-individual variations in this mapping predicted variations in behavioral odor preference. Photoinhibition of interneurons resulted in specific modifications of odor representations that mirrored effects of conditioning and reduced experience-dependent, inter-individual variations in odor-valence mapping. These results reveal an individualized odor-to-valence map that is shaped by inhibition and reorganized during learning.
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15
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Ratanayotha A, Kawai T, Higashijima SI, Okamura Y. Molecular and functional characterization of the voltage-gated proton channel in zebrafish neutrophils. Physiol Rep 2018; 5:5/15/e13345. [PMID: 28774948 PMCID: PMC5555884 DOI: 10.14814/phy2.13345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2017] [Revised: 06/05/2017] [Accepted: 06/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Voltage‐gated proton channels (Hv1/VSOP) are expressed in various cells types, including phagocytes, and are involved in diverse physiological processes. Although hvcn1, the gene encoding Hv1, has been identified across a wide range of species, most of the knowledge about its physiological function and expression profile is limited to mammals. In this study, we investigated the basic properties of DrHv1, the Hv1 ortholog in zebrafish (Danio rerio) which is an excellent animal model owing to the transparency, as well as its functional expression in native cells. Electrophysiological analysis using a heterologous expression system confirmed the properties of a voltage‐gated proton channel are conserved in DrHv1 with differences in threshold and activation kinetics as compared to mouse (Mus musculus) Hv1 (mHv1). RT‐PCR analysis revealed that hvcn1 is expressed in zebrafish neutrophils, as is the case in mammals. Subsequent electrophysiological analysis confirmed the functional expression of DrHv1 in zebrafish neutrophils, which suggests Hv1 function in phagocytes is conserved among vertebrates. We also found that DrHv1 is comparatively resistant to extracellular Zn2+, which is a potent inhibitor of mammalian Hv1, and this phenomenon appears to reflect variation in the Zn2+‐coordinating residue (histidine) within the extracellular linker region in mammalian Hv1. Notably, the serum Zn2+ concentration is much higher in zebrafish than in mouse, raising the possibility that Zn2+ sensitivity was acquired in accordance with a change in the serum Zn2+ concentration. This study highlights the biological variation and importance of Hv1 in different animal species.
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16
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Marquart GD, Tabor KM, Brown M, Strykowski JL, Varshney GK, LaFave MC, Mueller T, Burgess SM, Higashijima SI, Burgess HA. A 3D Searchable Database of Transgenic Zebrafish Gal4 and Cre Lines for Functional Neuroanatomy Studies. Front Neural Circuits 2015; 9:78. [PMID: 26635538 PMCID: PMC4656851 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2015.00078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2015] [Accepted: 11/06/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Transgenic methods enable the selective manipulation of neurons for functional mapping of neuronal circuits. Using confocal microscopy, we have imaged the cellular-level expression of 109 transgenic lines in live 6 day post fertilization larvae, including 80 Gal4 enhancer trap lines, 9 Cre enhancer trap lines and 20 transgenic lines that express fluorescent proteins in defined gene-specific patterns. Image stacks were acquired at single micron resolution, together with a broadly expressed neural marker, which we used to align enhancer trap reporter patterns into a common 3-dimensional reference space. To facilitate use of this resource, we have written software that enables searching for transgenic lines that label cells within a selectable 3-dimensional region of interest (ROI) or neuroanatomical area. This software also enables the intersectional expression of transgenes to be predicted, a feature which we validated by detecting cells with co-expression of Cre and Gal4. Many of the imaged enhancer trap lines show intrinsic brain-specific expression. However, to increase the utility of lines that also drive expression in non-neuronal tissue we have designed a novel UAS reporter, that suppresses expression in heart, muscle, and skin through the incorporation of microRNA binding sites in a synthetic 3′ untranslated region. Finally, we mapped the site of transgene integration, thus providing molecular identification of the expression pattern for most lines. Cumulatively, this library of enhancer trap lines provides genetic access to 70% of the larval brain and is therefore a powerful and broadly accessible tool for the dissection of neural circuits in larval zebrafish.
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17
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Okigawa S, Mizoguchi T, Okano M, Tanaka H, Isoda M, Jiang YJ, Suster M, Higashijima SI, Kawakami K, Itoh M. Different combinations of Notch ligands and receptors regulate V2 interneuron progenitor proliferation and V2a/V2b cell fate determination. Dev Biol 2014; 391:196-206. [PMID: 24768892 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2014.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2013] [Revised: 04/09/2014] [Accepted: 04/15/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The broad diversity of neurons is vital to neuronal functions. During vertebrate development, the spinal cord is a site of sensory and motor tasks coordinated by interneurons and the ongoing neurogenesis. In the spinal cord, V2-interneuron (V2-IN) progenitors (p2) develop into excitatory V2a-INs and inhibitory V2b-INs. The balance of these two types of interneurons requires precise control in the number and timing of their production. Here, using zebrafish embryos with altered Notch signaling, we show that different combinations of Notch ligands and receptors regulate two functions: the maintenance of p2 progenitor cells and the V2a/V2b cell fate decision in V2-IN development. Two ligands, DeltaA and DeltaD, and three receptors, Notch1a, Notch1b, and Notch3 redundantly contribute to p2 progenitor maintenance. On the other hand, DeltaA, DeltaC, and Notch1a mainly contribute to the V2a/V2b cell fate determination. A ubiquitin ligase Mib, which activates Notch ligands, acts in both functions through its activation of DeltaA, DeltaC, and DeltaD. Moreover, p2 progenitor maintenance and V2a/V2b fate determination are not distinct temporal processes, but occur within the same time frame during development. In conclusion, V2-IN cell progenitor proliferation and V2a/V2b cell fate determination involve signaling through different sets of Notch ligand-receptor combinations that occur concurrently during development in zebrafish.
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18
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Hirabayashi R, Hozumi S, Higashijima SI, Kikuchi Y. Ddx46 is required for multi-lineage differentiation of hematopoietic stem cells in zebrafish. Stem Cells Dev 2013; 22:2532-42. [PMID: 23635340 DOI: 10.1089/scd.2012.0623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Balanced and precisely controlled processes between self-renewal and differentiation of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) into all blood lineages are critical for vertebrate definitive hematopoiesis. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the maintenance and differentiation of HSCs have not been fully elucidated. Here, we show that zebrafish Ddx46, encoding a DEAD-box RNA helicase, is expressed in HSCs of the caudal hematopoietic tissue (CHT). The number of HSCs expressing the molecular markers cmyb or T-cell acute lymphocytic leukemia 1 (tal1) was markedly reduced in Ddx46 mutants. However, massive cell death of HSCs was not detected, and proliferation of HSCs was normal in the CHT of the mutants at 48 h postfertilization. We found that myelopoiesis occurred, but erythropoiesis and lymphopoiesis were suppressed, in Ddx46 mutants. Consistent with these results, the expression of spi1, encoding a regulator of myeloid development, was maintained, but the expression of gata1a, encoding a regulator of erythrocyte development, was downregulated in the mutants. Taken together, our results provide the first genetic evidence that zebrafish Ddx46 is required for the multilineage differentiation of HSCs during development, through the regulation of specific gene expressions.
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19
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Fetcho JR, Higashijima SI. Optical and genetic approaches toward understanding neuronal circuits in zebrafish. Integr Comp Biol 2012; 44:57-70. [PMID: 21680486 DOI: 10.1093/icb/44.1.57] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Optical and genetic tools are beginning to revolutionize the studies of neuronal circuits. Neurons can now be labeled with conventional or genetically encoded indicators that allow their activity to be monitored during behavior in intact animals. Laser ablations and genetic inactivation offer ways to perturb activity of specific cells to test their contributions to behavior. These approaches promise to speed progress in the understanding of vertebrate networks in genetic model systems such as mice and zebrafish. Here we review some of the progress in applying these tools, with an emphasis on our work to develop and apply these approaches in the zebrafish model.
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Higashijima SI, Okamoto H. Yoshiki Hotta and the dawn of zebrafish molecular neurogenetics in Japan. J Neurogenet 2012; 26:28-33. [PMID: 22413917 DOI: 10.3109/01677063.2012.663426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Abstract: After coming back to Japan to work in the Department of Physics at the University of Tokyo, Yoshiki Hotta spent a year or so on searching for behavioral mutants of goldfish. Although this endeavor did not succeed, he remained an adamant supporter of the development of zebrafish research in Japan. Here we review how his support helped zebrafish neurogenetics in Japan gain a unique position in the world research community.
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Wada H, Ghysen A, Satou C, Higashijima SI, Kawakami K, Hamaguchi S, Sakaizumi M. Dermal morphogenesis controls lateral line patterning during postembryonic development of teleost fish. Dev Biol 2010; 340:583-94. [PMID: 20171200 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2010.02.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2009] [Revised: 02/10/2010] [Accepted: 02/10/2010] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
The lateral line system displays highly divergent patterns in adult teleost fish. The mechanisms underlying this variability are poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that the lateral line mechanoreceptor, the neuromast, gives rise to a series of accessory neuromasts by a serial budding process during postembryonic development in zebrafish. We also show that accessory neuromast formation is highly correlated to the development of underlying dermal structures such as bones and scales. Abnormalities in opercular bone morphogenesis, in endothelin 1-knockdown embryos, are accompanied by stereotypic errors in neuromast budding and positioning, further demonstrating the tight correlation between the patterning of neuromasts and of the underlying dermal bones. In medaka, where scales form between peridermis and opercular bones, the lateral line displays a scale-specific pattern which is never observed in zebrafish. These results strongly suggest a control of postembryonic neuromast patterns by underlying dermal structures. This dermal control may explain some aspects of the evolution of lateral line patterns.
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Vitorino M, Jusuf PR, Maurus D, Kimura Y, Higashijima SI, Harris WA. Vsx2 in the zebrafish retina: restricted lineages through derepression. Neural Dev 2009; 4:14. [PMID: 19344499 PMCID: PMC2683830 DOI: 10.1186/1749-8104-4-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2008] [Accepted: 04/03/2009] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The neurons in the vertebrate retina arise from multipotent retinal progenitor cells (RPCs). It is not clear, however, which progenitors are multipotent or why they are multipotent. RESULTS In this study we show that the homeodomain transcription factor Vsx2 is initially expressed throughout the retinal epithelium, but later it is downregulated in all but a minor population of bipolar cells and all Müller glia. The Vsx2-negative daughters of Vsx2-positive RPCs divide and give rise to all other cell types in the retina. Vsx2 is a repressor whose targets include transcription factors such as Vsx1, which is expressed in the progenitors of distinct non-Vsx2 bipolars, and the basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor Ath5, which restricts the fate of progenitors to retinal ganglion cells, horizontal cells, amacrine cells and photoreceptors fates. Foxn4, expressed in the progenitors of amacrine and horizontal cells, is also negatively regulated by Vsx2. CONCLUSION Our data thus suggest Vsx2-positive RPCs are fully multipotent retinal progenitors and that when Vsx2 is downregulated, Vsx2-negative progenitors escape Vsx2 repression and so are able to express factors that restrict lineage potential.
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Kimura Y, Satou C, Higashijima SI. V2a and V2b neurons are generated by the final divisions of pair-producing progenitors in the zebrafish spinal cord. Development 2008; 135:3001-5. [PMID: 18684740 DOI: 10.1242/dev.024802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 131] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
The p2 progenitor domain in the ventral spinal cord gives rise to two interneuron subtypes: V2a and V2b. Delta-Notch-mediated cell-cell interactions between postmitotic immature neurons have been implicated in the segregation of neuron subtypes. However, lineage relationships between V2a and V2b neurons have not been reported. We address this issue using Tg[vsx1:GFP] zebrafish, a model system in which high GFP expression is initiated near the final stage of p2 progenitors. Cell fates were followed in progeny using time-lapse microscopy. Results indicate that the vast majority, if not all, of GFP-labeled p2 progenitors divide once to produce V2a/V2b neuron pairs, indicating that V2a and V2b neurons are generated by the asymmetric division of pair-producing progenitor cells. Together with evidence that Notch signaling is involved in the cell fate specification process, our results strongly suggest that Delta-Notch interactions between sister cells play a crucial role in the final outcome of these asymmetric divisions. This mechanism for determining cell fate is similar to asymmetric divisions that occur during Drosophila neurogenesis, where ganglion mother cells divide once to produce distinct neurons. However, unlike in Drosophila, the divisional axes of p2 progenitors in zebrafish were not fixed. We report that the terminal division of pair-producing progenitor cells in vertebrate neurogenesis can reproducibly produce two distinct neurons through a mechanism that may not depend on the orientation of the division axis.
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Uemura O, Okada Y, Ando H, Guedj M, Higashijima SI, Shimazaki T, Chino N, Okano H, Okamoto H. Comparative functional genomics revealed conservation and diversification of three enhancers of the isl1 gene for motor and sensory neuron-specific expression. Dev Biol 2005; 278:587-606. [PMID: 15680372 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2004.11.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 118] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2004] [Revised: 11/22/2004] [Accepted: 11/23/2004] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Islet-1 (Isl1) is a member of the Isl1 family of LIM-homeodomain transcription factors (LIM-HD) that is expressed in a defined subset of motor and sensory neurons during vertebrate embryogenesis. To investigate how this specific expression of isl1 is regulated, we searched for enhancers of the isl1 gene that are conserved in vertebrate evolution. Initially, two enhancer elements, CREST1 and CREST2, were identified downstream of the isl1 locus in the genomes of fugu, chick, mouse, and human by BLAST searching for highly similar elements to those originally identified as motor and sensory neuron-specific enhancers in the zebrafish genome. The combined action of these elements is sufficient for completely recapitulating the subtype-specific expression of the isl1 gene in motor neurons of the mouse spinal cord. Furthermore, by direct comparison of the upstream flanking regions of the zebrafish and human isl1 genes, we identified another highly conserved noncoding element, CREST3, and subsequently C3R, a similar element to CREST3 with two CDP CR1 recognition motifs, in the upstream regions of all other isl1 family members. In mouse and human, CRESTs are located as far as more than 300 kb away from the isl1 locus, while they are much closer to the isl1 locus in zebrafish. Although all of zebrafish CREST2, CREST3, and C3R activate gene expression in the sensory neurons of zebrafish, CREST2 of mouse and human does not have the sequence necessary for sensory neuron-specific expression. Our results revealed both a remarkable conservation of the regulatory elements regulating subtype-specific gene expression in motor and sensory neurons and the dynamic process of reorganization of these elements whereby each element increases the level of cell-type specificity by losing redundant functions with the other elements during vertebrate evolution.
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Higashijima SI, Mandel G, Fetcho JR. Distribution of prospective glutamatergic, glycinergic, and GABAergic neurons in embryonic and larval zebrafish. J Comp Neurol 2004; 480:1-18. [PMID: 15515020 DOI: 10.1002/cne.20278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 168] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Zebrafish are an excellent model for studies of the functional organization of neuronal circuits, but little is known regarding the transmitter phenotypes of the neurons in their nervous system. We examined the distribution in spinal cord and hindbrain of neurons expressing markers of transmitter phenotype, including the vesicular glutamate transporter (VGLUT) genes for glutamatergic neurons, the neuronal glycine transporter (GLYT2) for glycinergic neurons, and glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD65/67) for GABAergic neurons. All three markers were expressed in a large domain in the dorsal two-thirds of spinal cord, with additional, more ventral expression domains for VGLUT2 and GAD/GABA. In the large dorsal domain, dual in situ staining showed that GLYT2-positive cells were intermingled with VGLUT2 cells, with no dual-stained neurons. Many of the neurons in the dorsal expression domain that were positive for GABA markers at embryonic stages were also positive for GLYT2, suggesting that the cells might use both GABA and glycine, at least early in their development. The intermingling of neurons expressing inhibitory and excitatory markers in spinal cord contrasted markedly with the organization in hindbrain, where neurons expressing a particular marker were clustered together to form stripes that were visible running from rostral to caudal in horizontal sections and from dorsomedial to ventrolateral in cross sections. Dual labeling showed that the stripes of neurons labeled with one transmitter marker alternated with stripes of cells labeled for the other transmitter phenotypes. The differences in the distribution of excitatory and inhibitory neurons in spinal cord versus hindbrain may be tied to differences in their patterns of development and functional organization.
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