Identification of a brain center whose activity discriminates a choice behavior in zebrafish

Abstract

The ability to make choices and carry out appropriate actions is critical for individual survival and well-being. Choice behaviors, from hard-wired to experience-dependent, have been observed across the animal kingdom. Although differential engagement of sensory neuronal pathways is a known mechanism, neurobiological substrates in the brain that underlie choice making downstream of sensory perception are not well understood. Here, we report a behavioral paradigm in zebrafish in which a half-light/ half-dark visual image evokes an innate choice behavior, light avoidance. Neuronal activity mapping using the immediate early gene c-fos reveals the engagement of distinct brain regions, including the medial zone of the dorsal telencephalic region (Dm) and the dorsal nucleus of the ventral telencephalic area (Vd), the teleost anatomical homologs of the mammalian amygdala and striatum, respectively. In animals that were subjected to the identical sensory stimulus but displayed little or no avoidance, strikingly, the Dm and Vd were not engaged, despite similar levels of activation in the brain nuclei involved in visual processing. Based on these findings and previous connectivity data, we propose a neural circuitry model in which the Dm serves as a brain center, the activity of which predicates this choice behavior in zebrafish.emotion | fear | anxiety | decision-making

The Pallium and Mind/Behavior Relationships in Teleost Fishes

“…Additionally, activation of the gene c-fos in the Dm region has been reported in zebrafish involved in light/dark avoidance behavior [Lau et al, 2011] and in mudskippers (Periophthalmus cantonensis) subjected to continuous agitation of the water in their tanks [Wai et al, 2006]. The findings are consistent with Dm involvement in stressful situations.…”

Toward molecular genetic dissection of neural circuits for emotional and motivational behaviors

“…However, in another study that employed an aquarium half of which was enclosed on three sides as well as the top, zebrafish avoided the enclosed darker side of the aquarium (Gerlai et al, 2000). While it is not entirely clear what accounts for these contradicting results, subsequent studies from other laboratories (Maximino et al, 2010;Sackerman et al, 2010) as well as our own (Guo, 2004;Lau et al, 2011) indicate that adult zebrafish display a strong innate tendency to avoid the brightly lit environment. Interestingly, an apparent choice reversal is observed in young larvae (1-2 weeks old), such that they exhibit a preference for rather than avoidance of the brightly lit environment (Bjerke, 2002;Lau et al, 2011).…”

Behavioral screening for neuroactive drugs in zebrafish

“…Recent experiments in both larval and adult zebrafish have tested the behavioral effects of psychotropic compounds, including drugs of abuse (Gerlai et al, 2000;Darland and Dowling, 2001;Bilotta et al, 2002;Dlugos and Rabin, 2003;Lockwood et al, 2004;Gerlai et al, 2006;Lau et al, 2006;Gerlai et al, 2008;Kily et al, 2008;Lopez-Patino et al, 2008a,b;Egan et al, 2009;Fernandes and Gerlai, 2009;Gerlai et al, 2009;MacPhail et al, 2009;Webb et al, 2009;Blaser et al, 2010;Cachat et al, 2010;Irons et al, 2010;Sackerman et al, 2010;Wong et al, 2010;Dlugos et al, 2011;Mathur and Guo, 2011;Maximino et al, 2011), anxiolytics and anxiogenics (Levin et al, 2007;Bencan and Levin, 2008;Bencan et al, 2009;Egan et al, 2009;Lau et al, 2011;Maximino et al, 2011), anti-psychotics (Giacomini et al, 2006;Boehmler et al, 2007), hallucinogens (Swain et al, 2004;Blank et al, 2009;Grossman et al, 2010;Seibt et al, 2010), and sedatives (Zhdanova et al, 2001;Ruuskanen et al, 2005;Renier et al, 2007). Conditioned placed preference testing in adults has been used to identify zeb...…”