Behavioral Assay of Hearing in Zebrafish

描述（由申请人提供）：本申请是一项可行性研究， 高影响力的研究项目，以开发行为分析研究听力 以及斑马鱼（Danio rerio）更复杂的行为。这是一项可行性 因为研究斑马鱼行为反应的方法从来没有 虽然初步证据表明，这些鱼可以训练， 对于相对复杂的任务是诱人的，没有成功的保证。 这是高影响，因为斑马鱼是一个越来越有用和重要的， 用于脊椎动物遗传学研究的脊椎动物模型系统。最重要的是， 随着新基因的发现，对生长行为有潜在的影响， 成年动物，有必要有办法测试和分析影响， 感觉、运动和中枢神经系统过程的基因。然而 没有高度可量化且可靠的方法来评估总体情况 这些动物的感觉和运动反应。这个应用程序的目的是 制定严格的行为程序， 动物允许进入更高级的过程，如记忆，注意力， 和学习这种过程只能用心理物理学的方法来测量 这是我们在这里开发的测试在这项研究中，我们 将开发一种方法，导致自动塑造动物， 通过接近食物来源对选定的刺激（声音）作出反应。的 行为反应的性质将表明鱼是否有或没有 检测信号，因此我们可以评估听力的许多方面， 听觉系统一旦开发出来，该程序将应用于测试鱼类 耳朵和听觉系统的各种突变，以评估它们对 在成长和成年动物中的听力。此外，一旦开发了基本的 程序将有广泛的用途，用于评估其他感官，运动， 高阶函数

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This application is a feasibility study for high impact research project to develop behavioral assays for studying hearing and more complex behaviors in the Zebrafish (Danio rerio). This is a feasibility study because an approach to study behavioral responses in zebrafish has never been attempted and, while preliminary evidence that these fish can be trained for relatively complex tasks is tantalizing, there is no guarantee of success. It is high impact because the zebrafish is an increasingly useful and important vertebrate model system for studies of vertebrate genetics. Most significantly, as new genes are discovered that has potential impact on behavior of growing and adult animals, it will be necessary to have ways to test and analyze the impact of the genes on sensory, motor, and central nervous system processes. However there are no highly quantifiable and reliable methods to assess the overall sensory and motor responses of these animals. The purpose of this application is to develop rigorous behavioral procedures for unrestrained, freely moving animals to permit access to such higher order processes as memory, attention, and learning. These kinds of processes can only be measured using psychophysical testing of the kind we propose to develop here. Over the course of this study we will develop an approach that leads to auto-shaping of animals so that they respond to a selected stimulus (a sound) by approaching a food source. The nature of the behavioral response will indicate whether the fish has or has not detected the signal, and we can thus assess many aspects of hearing and the auditory system. Once developed, the procedure will be applied to testing fishes with various mutations of the ear and auditory system to assess their effects on hearing in growing and adult animals. Moreover, once developed the basic procedure will have broad usefulness for assessment of other sensory, motor, and higher order functions.