Breeding transgenic zebrafish for studies of retina

在脊椎动物中，视网膜神经回路处理图像，从视觉环境中提取有关颜色，形状大小和运动的信息。虽然实验室动物，如猫，大鼠，小鼠和兔子提供了哺乳动物夜间视觉的杰出模型，但斑马鱼，像人类和旧世界灵长类动物一样，在白天的色觉方面非常出色。斑马鱼是一种四色视动物，具有4种视锥细胞类型，对红色、绿色、蓝色和紫外线波长选择性敏感。对处理这种丰富的颜色信息的神经回路的研究可以通过对斑马鱼的额外特殊目的基因的研究来帮助。在这些转基因鱼中，视网膜中选定的神经类型可以在荧光显微镜下可视化，从而可以容易地识别这些细胞。这些特殊的转基因系将用于视网膜的实验研究，在那里它们有助于确定视网膜神经元之间图像处理的电路连接的能力。 根据该方案产生和维持的斑马鱼品系是在其他实验室创建的，在那里将额外的基因添加到DNA中。在某些情况下，新的菌株将通过这些品系的杂交产生。将根据另一项研究计划（NS 002631 -26）中描述的目标和目的对本研究计划中生产的成鱼进行研究。这篇文章描述了微电极的使用，既可以记录来自视网膜神经元的电信号，也可以用荧光染料标记它们。由遗传标记和微电极标记组成的组合标记将有助于识别视网膜神经元之间的电路连接，并提供有关处理图像的神经通路的更多信息。

In vertebrate animals, retinal neural circuits process images, extracting information about color, shape size and movement from visual surroundings. While laboratory animals such as cat, rat, mouse and rabbit provide outstanding models of nocturnal vision in mammals, zebrafish, like humans and old-world primates, are remarkable for diurnal color vision. Zebrafish is a tetrachromat with 4 cone photoreceptor types selectively sensitive to red, green, blue and ultraviolet wavelengths. Studies of the neural circuitry through which this rich color information is processed can be aided through studies of zebrafish with additional special-purpose genes. In these transgenic fish selected neural types in retina can be visualized in the fluorescent microscope, so that these cells can be easily recognized. These special transgenic lines will be used in experimental studies of the retina, where they aid in the ability to determine circuitry connections for image processing among retinal neurons. The zebrafish lines generated and maintained under this protocol were created in other laboratories, where extra genes were added to the DNA. In some cases new strains will be created by cross breeding these lines. Adult fish produced in this research program will be studied according to goals and objectives described in another research program (NS002631-26). This describes the use of microelectrodes both to record electrical signals from retinal neurons, and to label them with fluorescent dyes. The combined markers consisting of genetic and microelectrode labels will aid in discerning circuitry connections among retinal neurons, and provide more information about the neural pathways through which images are processed.