Essential components of animal behaviour are modulated by dopaminergic (DA) and noradrenergic circuitry. In this study, we reveal at cellular resolution the complete set projections ('projectome') every single type DA noradrenergio neurons in central nervous system zebrafish larvae. The most extensive established posterior tubercular otp-dependent neurons, with individual somata integrating ascending system, descending diencephalospinal, as well endohypothalamic These findings suggest a...

Significance Sensory photoreceptors not only enable organisms to derive spatial and temporal cues from incident light but also provide the basis for optogenetics, which denotes manipulation by of living systems with supreme resolution. To expand scope we have engineered light-activated phosphodiesterase LAPD, degrades ubiquitous second messengers cAMP cGMP in a red-light–stimulated manner. Both are key regulation manifold physiological responses, LAPD now augurs red-light control over these...

Pitt-Hopkins syndrome (PHS) is a rare syndromic mental disorder, which mainly characterized by severe motor and retardation including absent language development, characteristic facial gestalt episodes of hyperventilation. We report on female patient with PHS showing speech, pronounced muscular hypotonia, ataxia, distinctive features, such as coarse face, broad nasal bridge wide mouth, hyperventilation attacks. In this patient, genomic profiling array-based comparative hybridization...

The paraventricular nucleus (PVN) in mammals is the main hypothalamic controlling hormone release pituitary and plays pivotal roles homeostasis. While location of a PVN-homologous region has been described adult fish as neurosecretory preoptic area (NPO), this not clearly defined larval zebrafish due to difficulty defining cytoarchitectonic nuclear boundaries brain. Here we identify precise NPO using conserved transcription factor neuropeptide gene expressions. Our results dorsal half...

Glucocorticoids serve important regulatory functions for many physiological processes and are critical mediators of the stress response. The response is a set bodily aimed at counteracting state threatened homeostasis. Proper survival an animal, however prolonged or abnormal can be detrimental implicated in number human diseases such as depression metabolic diseases. To dissect underlying mechanism this complex response, zebrafish, Danio rerio offer advantages ease genetic manipulations...

BackgroundA principal task of the visual system is to detect and classify moving objects in environment. Information about size an object critical for selecting appropriate behavioral responses. Object encoded retinal ganglion cell (RGC) activity. Little known, however, how inputs from multitude RGC subtypes are distributed higher centers information combined these feature-selective inputs.ResultsHere we show that zebrafish optic tectum, prey- or predator-like targets evoke activity distinct...

ABSTRACT Exposure to stress during early life may alter the developmental trajectory of an animal by a mechanism known as adaptive plasticity. For example, enhance reproductive success in adverse environment, it is that animals accelerate their growth development. However, these short-term fitness benefits are often associated with reduced longevity, phenomenon rate–lifespan trade-off. In humans, exposure compromises health later and increases disease susceptibility. Glucocorticoids (GCs)...

Abstract The catecholamines dopamine and noradrenaline provide some of the major neuromodulatory systems with far‐ranging projections in brain spinal cord vertebrates. However, development these complex is only partially understood. Zebrafish an excellent model for genetic analysis neuronal specification axonal Here, we analyze ontogeny catecholaminergic zebrafish embryos larvae up to fifth day establish basic scaffold connectivity. earliest dopaminergic diencephalospinal do not navigate...

The stress response is a suite of physiological and behavioral processes that help to maintain or reestablish homeostasis. hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis central the response, as it releases crucial hormones in stress. Glucocorticoids (GCs) are final effector HPA exert variety actions under both basal conditions. Despite their far-reaching importance for health, specific GC effects have been difficult pin-down due lack methods selectively manipulating endogenous levels. To study...

Zebrafish are highly social teleost fish and an excellent model to study behavior. The neuropeptide Oxytocin is associated different behaviors as well disorders resulting in impairment like autism spectrum disorder. However, how receptor signaling affects the development expression kinetics of behavior not known. In this we investigated role two oxytocin receptors, Oxtr Oxtrl, maintenance preference shoaling 2- 8-week-old zebrafish. Using CRISPR/Cas9 mediated oxtr oxtrl knock-out fish, found...

Abstract Exposure to excess glucocorticoid (GC) during early development is implicated in adult dysfunctions. Reduced hippocampal neurogenesis a well-known consequence of exposure life stress or elevated GC, however the effects on and other brain regions are not well understood. Using an optogenetic zebrafish model, here we analyse GC whole brain. We identify that hypothalamus highly GC-sensitive region where causes precocious development. This followed by failed maturation decline...

Abstract Early life stress (ELS) exposure alters susceptibility in later and affects vulnerability to stress‐related disorders, but how ELS changes the long‐lasting responsiveness of system is not well understood. Zebrafish provides an opportunity study conserved mechanisms underlying development function response that regulated largely by neuroendocrine hypothalamus–pituitary–adrenal/interrenal (HPA/I) axis, with glucocorticoids (GC) as final effector. In this study, we established a method...

In multicellular organisms, the control of genome duplication and cell division must be tightly coordinated. Essential roles minichromosome maintenance (MCM) proteins for have been well established. However, no genetic model has available to address function MCM in context vertebrate organogenesis. Here, we present positional cloning a zebrafish mcm5 mutation characterization its retina phenotype. retina, expression correlates closely with pattern proliferation. By third day development, is...

Abstract Background: Dopaminergic neurons form in diverse areas of the vertebrate di- and mesencephalon to constitute several major neuromodulatory systems. While much is known about mammalian mesencephalic dopaminergic neuron development, little specification diencephalic groups. The transcription factors Pitx3 Lmx1b play an important role specification, Nurr1/Nr4a2 has been shown contribute neurotransmitter phenotype. We use zebrafish analyze potentially evolutionarily conserved roles...

Vertebrate dopaminergic neurons develop in distinct neural territories to constitute one of the major neuromodulatory systems. We have identified a zebrafish mutation bHLH-PAS family member arnt2, based on strong reduction cell number specific neuron groups hypothalamus and posterior tuberculum. Knockdown sim1 causes phenotype similar arnt2 mutants, suggesting that Sim1 acts as binding partner Arnt2, their role hypothalamic neuroendocrine specification. sim1, otp are co-expressed neurons,...

The habenular neural circuit is attracting increasing attention from researchers in fields as diverse neuroscience, medicine, behavior, development, and evolution. Recent studies have revealed that this part of the limbic system dorsal diencephalon involved reward, addiction, other behaviors its impairment associated with various neurological conditions diseases. Since initial description diencephalic conduction (DDC) habenulae center at end nineteenth century, increasingly sophisticated...

Abstract Zebrafish larvae imprint on visual and olfactory cues of their kin day 5 6 postfertilization, respectively. Only imprinted (but not non-imprinted) show strongly activated crypt (and some microvillous) cells demonstrated by pERK levels after subsequent exposure to odor. Here, we investigate the bulb zebrafish for neurons located at sole glomerulus mdG2 which receives cell input. Imprinted a significantly increased activation compared non-imprinted Surprisingly, Orthopedia-positive...

The paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus in mammals coordinates neuroendocrine, autonomic and behavioral responses pivotal for homeostasis stress response. A large amount studies rodents has documented that PVN contains diverse neuronal cell types which can be identified by expression distinct secretory neuropeptides. Interestingly, often coexpress multiple neuropeptides whose relative coexpression levels are subject to environment-induced plasticity. Due their small size...