Behaviour genetic analysis of zebra fish

关系学习和记忆巩固是两个最复杂的大脑功能。其机制尚不清楚。这些功能被认为是依赖于哺乳动物海马结构。目前还不知道这些功能是否是海马的特殊电路和/或其突触和分子特征的属性。金鱼（一种鲤科鱼类）已经被证明可以获得关系学习（例如空间学习）。鲤科动物，包括斑马鱼，没有海马体或类似海马体的电路。问题来了：鲤科鱼类如何解决和记忆复杂的关系学习问题？在这里，Gerlai的理论认为，也许这不是海马体的电路，而是其他一些更基本的方面，例如突触或分子水平的特征，这是负责的。换句话说，Gerlai认为，斑马鱼将使他能够分析关系学习的机制，而无需哺乳动物大脑结构的复杂性。他认为，在更简单的斑马鱼脊椎动物系统中，他将发现关系学习和记忆巩固的基本遗传机制。斑马鱼的基因被发现与哺乳动物的基因同源，包括我们自己的基因。 金鱼和斑马鱼已被证明具有许多与哺乳动物相似的神经递质系统和分子机制。 当与哺乳动物和其他系统进行比较并外推到哺乳动物和其他系统时，斑马鱼的结果将使Gerlai能够概括并更好地理解学习和记忆的近端（机械）和最终（进化，系统发育）问题。拟议的工作是集中在这种新型模式生物的行为表征和测试范式的发展，将扩大高通量诱变筛选。 然后，筛选将检测新的突变体，这反过来将使Gerlai在未来识别新的基因。

Relational learning and consolidation of memory are two of the most complex brain functions. Their mechanisms are not understood. These functions are thought to be dependent upon the mammalian hippocampal formation. It is not known whether these functions are the attribute of the special circuitry of the hippocampus and/or of its synaptic and molecular characteristics. Gold fish (a cyprinid) have been shown to acquire relational learning (e.g. spatial learning). Cyprinids, including zebrafish, do not have a hippocampus or a circuitry resembling that of the hippocampus. The question arises: how can Cyprinids solve and remember complex relational learning problems? Here, Gerlai theorizes that perhaps it is not the circuitry of the hippocampus but some other, more fundamental aspects, e.g. synaptic or molecular level characteristics, which are responsible. In other words, Gerlai argues that zebrafish will allow him to analyze the mechanisms of relational learning without the complexities of mammalian brain structure. In the simpler zebrafish vertebrate system, he argues, he will discover the fundamental genetic mechanisms of relational learning and consolidation of memory. Zebrafish genes have been found homologous to mammalian genes including our own.  Gold fish and zebrafish have been shown to posses numerous neurotransmitter systems and molecular mechanisms similar to those of mammals.  When compared with, and extrapolated to, the mammalian and other systems, zebrafish results will allow Gerlai to generalize and better understand both proximal (mechanistic) and ultimate (evolutionary, phylogenetic) questions of learning & memory. The proposed work is focussed on behavioural characterization of this novel model organism and the development of test paradigms that will be scaled up for high throughput mutagenesis screening.  Screening will then detect novel mutants, which in turn will allow Gerlai to identify novel genes in the future.