Functional organization and physiology of the afferent neuronal network in the lateral line system of the larval zebrafish (Danio rerio)

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Sensory systems are critical for animals to appropriately respond to their environment. Fish possess a lateral line system, composed of hair cells, to detect changes in water flow. Hair cell systems such as the lateral line or the auditory system are highly conserved across vertebrate species. Therefore, findings from the relatively simple lateral line can inform our understanding of hair cell systems in humans.A mechanical stimulus such as a water jet in the case of the lateral line or a sound wave in the case of the auditory system deflects hair cells. The hair cells then generate a signal that is translated to first order afferent neurons which convey this information to the brain for further processing. The goal of this project is to explore the role of afferent neurons in signal processing of the lateral line. We will leverage the convergence of electrophysiological, optical and genetic tools in the in larval zebrafish to understand how stimuli are coded for processing in the brain. The zebrafish larva is ideally suited for this question, since it is transparent and the nervous system is directly visible and accessible for experimental manipulation in the intact animal. This will allow us to extrapolate our findings to other hair cell systems and improve our understanding of hearing disorders which affect millions of people each year.