PUBLICATION

The dorsal diencephalic conduction system of zebrafish as a model of vertebrate brain lateralisation

Authors
Concha, M.L.
ID
ZDB-PUB-040813-1
Date
2004
Source
Neuroreport   15(12): 1843-1846 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Concha, Miguel
Keywords
none
MeSH Terms
  • Animals
  • Behavior, Animal
  • Brain/physiology*
  • Diencephalon/physiology*
  • Functional Laterality/physiology*
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
  • Models, Animal
  • Models, Biological*
  • Systems Theory
  • Vertebrates
  • Zebrafish
PubMed
15305121 Full text @ Neuroreport
Abstract
Lateralisation is an attractive and intriguing feature of the vertebrate CNS studied for decades in the different disciplines of the neurosciences. Due to the complexity of the phenomena and intrinsic limitations of the approaches used to date, it has been difficult to establish useful links between the different, and usually distant, levels of lateralisation e.g. between genetics, morphology, physiology and behaviour. Recently, the dorsal diencephalon of the teleost zebrafish has emerged as a valuable model to begin addressing this issue and as a result unravel the role of vertebrate CNS lateralisation. Zebrafish is a well-established genetic system that allows a 'bottom up' ('gene to behaviour') approach to the study of lateralisation. In fact, it is the single vertebrate system to date in which asymmetric gene expression in the brain has been directly linked to asymmetric morphology. Zebrafish offers several experimental advantages that allow the study of brain lateralisation using a wide range of experimental tools, from study of gene function through in vivo analysis of morphology and physiology to behavioural assessments. Altogether, these features will allow the establishment of operational links between lower (genetics and morphology) and upper (physiology and behaviour) levels of brain lateralisation.
Genes / Markers
Figures
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping