PUBLICATION
Embryonic ethanol exposure alters synaptic properties at zebrafish neuromuscular junctions
- Authors
- Sylvain, N.J., Brewster, D.L., and Ali, D.W.
- ID
- ZDB-PUB-101222-44
- Date
- 2011
- Source
- Neurotoxicology and teratology 33(2): 313-321 (Journal)
- Registered Authors
- Keywords
- ethanol, synapse, NMJ, fetal alcohol syndrome, AChR, mEPC
- MeSH Terms
-
- Animals
- Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
- Embryo, Nonmammalian/drug effects*
- Embryo, Nonmammalian/physiology
- Ethanol/toxicity*
- Immunohistochemistry
- Motor Neurons/drug effects
- Motor Neurons/pathology
- Muscle Fibers, Fast-Twitch/drug effects
- Muscle Fibers, Fast-Twitch/physiology
- Muscle Fibers, Slow-Twitch/drug effects
- Muscle Fibers, Slow-Twitch/pathology
- Muscle Fibers, Slow-Twitch/physiology
- Neuromuscular Junction/drug effects*
- Neuromuscular Junction/embryology
- Neuromuscular Junction/physiology
- Synaptic Transmission/drug effects*
- Zebrafish/embryology*
- PubMed
- 21167937 Full text @ Neurotoxicol. Teratol.
Citation
Sylvain, N.J., Brewster, D.L., and Ali, D.W. (2011) Embryonic ethanol exposure alters synaptic properties at zebrafish neuromuscular junctions. Neurotoxicology and teratology. 33(2):313-321.
Abstract
Pre-natal alcohol exposure induces delays in fine and gross motor skills, and deficiencies in reflex development via mechanisms that remain to be elucidated. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of embryonic ethanol exposure (16 hour exposure window with1.5%, 2% or 2.5% EtOH) on synaptic properties at the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) in 3 day post fertilization (dpf) zebrafish larvae. Immunohistochemical studies show that exposure of embryos to 2.5% ethanol for 16 hours results in motor neuron axons that display abnormal branching patterns. Co-labelling embryos with presynaptic markers such as SV-2 or 3A10, and the postsynaptic marker, α-bungarotoxin, which irreversibly binds to nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), indicates that pre- and post-synaptic sites are properly aligned even when motor neuron axons display abnormal morphology. Miniature endplate currents (mEPCs) recorded from muscle fibers revealed the presence of two types of mEPCs that we dubbed fast and slow. Ethanol treated fish experienced significant changes in the frequencies of fast and slow mEPCs, and an increase in the rise time of slow mEPCs recorded from red muscle fibers. Additionally, embryonic exposure to ethanol resulted in a significant increase in the decay time of fast mEPCs recorded from white fibers. Mean mEPC amplitude was unaffected by ethanol treatment. Together, these results indicate that zebrafish embryos exposed to ethanol may experience altered synaptic properties at the NMJ.
Genes / Markers
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping