Neural Control of Swimming in Zebrafish

斑马鱼游泳的神经控制

• 批准号: RGPIN-2015-06403
• 负责人: Bui, Tuan
• 金额: $ 2.04万
• 依托单位: University of Ottawa
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2020-01-01 至 2021-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=708184
• 关键词: Neural; Control; Swimming; Zebrafish

The nervous system ensures that we move properly. In order to do so, the nervous system must set the pace at which we move, coordinate all of our muscles so that they act in an organized manner, and ensure that the right and the left side of our body work in tandem. These tasks are accomplished by neurons, most notably those residing in the spinal cord. At present, we do not have a good grasp as to how spinal neurons operate to control movement. As a new investigator in the Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, I am establishing an integrative and multidisciplinary research program whose long-term goal is to determine the roles played by neurons in generating movement and how their neuronal activity meshes seamlessly to properly control movement. The zebrafish is an emerging animal model that has been used to gain a better understanding of swimming in aquatic species and over-ground locomotion in terrestrial animals. Fundamental principles by which the nervous system operates in zebrafish have been shown to be evolutionarily conserved in other vertebrates such as mammals due to the presence of neurons that have analogs in amphibians and mammals. Zebrafish have unique features such as the transparency of their larvae and the availability of many genetic tools that make it ideal for studying the neural control of movement. My objective for this proposal is to understand how swimming is generated by neurons in the spinal cord and I will exploit features of zebrafish to accomplish this. My research group will determine the frequency of activity of spinal neurons through neural recordings. This frequency of activity will be correlated to that of body oscillations that propel zebrafish. We will also use a novel technique where we can selective manipulate neuronal activity of spinal neurons while fish are swimming. By shining light through the skin of transparent zebrafish larvae, we can manipulate the neuronal activity of neurons genetically modified to respond to light. This allows us to determine how manipulating the activity of neurons during swimming will modify the swimming patterns of the whole fish. As a consequence of these research approaches, we will be uniquely positioned to determine which neurons are responsible for fundamental features of swimming such as setting the frequency of body oscillations, for propagating these oscillations from head to tail, and for coordinating the left and right side of the body. Given the similarities between zebrafish and humans nervous systems, our studies will improve our understanding of how the nervous system functions to coordinate movement in humans. This proposal will establish a program of neurobiological research that will train young researchers to employ cutting-edge techniques in an emerging animal model. In addition, our findings can be applied to the study of fundamental neural rhythms involved in breathing, sleep-wake cycles and cognition, amongst others.

神经系统确保我们正确地移动。为了做到这一点，神经系统必须设定我们移动的速度，协调我们所有的肌肉，使它们以有组织的方式行动，并确保我们身体的右侧和左侧协同工作。这些任务是由神经元完成的，特别是那些位于脊髓中的神经元。目前，我们还没有很好地掌握脊髓神经元如何控制运动。作为渥太华大学生物系的新研究员，我正在建立一个综合性和多学科的研究计划，其长期目标是确定神经元在产生运动中所扮演的角色，以及它们的神经元活动如何无缝地啮合以正确控制运动。 斑马鱼是一种新兴的动物模型，已被用于更好地了解水生物种的游泳和陆生动物的地上运动。神经系统在斑马鱼中运作的基本原理已被证明在其他脊椎动物如哺乳动物中是进化上保守的，这是由于在两栖动物和哺乳动物中存在类似物的神经元。斑马鱼具有独特的特征，例如其幼虫的透明度和许多遗传工具的可用性，使其成为研究运动神经控制的理想工具。我的这个建议的目的是了解游泳是如何产生的神经元在脊髓，我将利用斑马鱼的功能来实现这一点。我的研究小组将通过神经记录来确定脊髓神经元的活动频率。这种活动的频率将与推动斑马鱼的身体振荡相关。我们还将使用一种新的技术，当鱼游泳时，我们可以选择性地操纵脊髓神经元的神经元活动。通过将光线照射到透明的斑马鱼幼虫的皮肤上，我们可以操纵经过基因改造的神经元的神经元活动，从而对光线做出反应。这使我们能够确定在游泳过程中操纵神经元的活动将如何改变整条鱼的游泳模式。由于这些研究方法，我们将处于独特的位置，以确定哪些神经元负责游泳的基本特征，如设置身体振荡的频率，将这些振荡从头传播到尾，以及协调身体的左右侧。 鉴于斑马鱼和人类神经系统之间的相似性，我们的研究将提高我们对神经系统如何协调人类运动的理解。该提案将建立一个神经生物学研究计划，培训年轻研究人员在新兴动物模型中使用尖端技术。此外，我们的研究结果可以应用于呼吸，睡眠-觉醒周期和认知等基本神经节律的研究。