Adult neurogenesis and brain regeneration in zebrafish

Abstract

Adult neurogenesis is a widespread trait of vertebrates; however, the degree of this ability and the underlying activity of the adult neural stem cells differ vastly among species. In contrast to mammals that have limited neurogenesis in their adult brains,zebrafish can constitutively produce new neurons along the whole rostrocaudal brain axis throughout its life.This feature of adult zebrafish brain relies on the presence of stem/progenitor cells that continuously proliferate,and the permissive environment of zebrafish brain for neurogenesis. Zebrafish has also an extensive regenerative capacity, which manifests itself in responding to central nervous system injuries by producing new neurons to replenish the lost ones. This ability makes zebrafish a useful model organism for understanding the stem cell activity in the brain, and the molecular programs required for central nervous system regeneration.In this review, we will discuss the current knowledge on the stem cell niches, the characteristics of the stem/progenitor cells, how they are regulated and their involvement in the regeneration response of the adult zebrafish brain. We will also emphasize the open questions that may help guide the future research.

Distinct roles of neuroepithelial-like and radial glia-like progenitor cells in cerebellar regeneration

“…In the zebrafish brain, radial glia-like stem and progenitor cells are thought to be the predominant stem cell type in homeostasis and after injury (Kroehne et al, 2011;Kizil et al, 2012;Barbosa et al, 2015;Becker and Becker, 2015;Than-Trong and Bally-Cuif, 2015). Here, we report that radial glia-like cells play only a minor part in adult cerebellar neurogenesis and in recovery after injury.…”

“…However, the limited availability or depletion of specific stem and progenitor cells could impair the regeneration of specific brain cell lineages (Liu et al, 2009;Encinas et al, 2011;Barbosa et al, 2015). Teleost fish have a much greater ability to regenerate CNS injuries than mammals (Becker et al, 1997;Kaslin et al, 2008;Reimer et al, 2008;Kroehne et al, 2011;Baumgart et al, 2012;Kishimoto et al, 2012;Kizil et al, 2012). Neural regeneration in the zebrafish telencephalon is driven by distinct tissue-resident stem and progenitor cells (Reimer et al, 2008;Kroehne et al, 2011;Barbosa et al, 2015), but cellular regeneration has not been studied in detail in other brain parts.…”

Zebrabow: multispectral cell labeling for cell tracing and lineage analysis in zebrafish

“…We used ubi:Zebrabow-M transgenic fish and generated embryonic clones by pulsed tamoxifen-induced Cre recombination or Cre protein injection. We first examined the nervous system, specifically in regions of the dorsal telencephalon and optic tectum that undergo robust post-embryonic neurogenesis (Grandel and Brand, 2012;Ito et al, 2010;Kizil et al, 2012;Mueller and Wullimann, 2003;Wullimann, 2009;Zupanc et al, 2005). In the dorsal telencephalon, single-color clusters of various shapes can be seen near the ventricular (dorsal) surface starting at 14 dpf (Fig.…”

Micromanipulation of Gene Expression in the Adult Zebrafish Brain Using Cerebroventricular Microinjection of Morpholino Oligonucleotides

“…Adult neurogenesis is a common trait to vertebrates, however its degree of prevalence and efficiency varies with the phylogeny 1,2,3,4,5,6 . For instance, adult mammalian brains contain stem cell regions largely restricted to the forebrain 7,8 , while the teleost zebrafish contains sixteen different stem cell domains and associated neurogenic zones in its entire brain 4,5,9,10 .…”

“…For instance, adult mammalian brains contain stem cell regions largely restricted to the forebrain 7,8 , while the teleost zebrafish contains sixteen different stem cell domains and associated neurogenic zones in its entire brain 4,5,9,10 . This variation between mammals and zebrafish might reflect a disparity in the mechanisms of stem cell maintenance and the neurogenic capacity of the progenitor cells.…”