Zebrafish neurons can help detect birth defects like spina bifida in humans, a new study suggests.
The zebrafish is a tropical freshwater fish native to the southeastern Himalayan region that has been used in the past to study human diseases, including brain disorders. Scientists use them to determine neuron development and maturation, and how they support basic functions like breathing, swallowing and jaw movement.
Anand Chandrasekhar, professor of biological sciences and a researcher in the Bond Life Sciences Center at the University of Michigan, says this type of research is important to find out where these neurons end up.
"It's especially critical in the nervous system because these neurons are generating circuits similar to what you might see in computers," she explained in a press release. "If those circuits don't form properly, and if different types of neurons don't end up in the right locations, the behavior and survival of the animal will be compromised."
The researchers studied the internal processes of transparent zebrafish embryos using a green fluorescent jellyfish protein to track the neurons' migration.
The motor neurons Chandrasekhar and her team observed are located in the hindbrain, which is the equivalent to the human brainstem. The genes controlling the development and organization of these neurons in zebrafish are functionally similar to genes in higher vertebrates, including mammals.
The results provide a better understanding of the inner workings of neurons and how their networks are wired during development.
Chandrasekhar said the results of the study provide more insight into birth defects like spina bifida, which affects 1 in every 2,000 births, according to the National Institutes of Health.
"One of the hallmarks of spina bifida is an open neural tube in the spinal cord," she said. "The cells closing the neural tube actually know left from right, and front from back, just like the neurons migrating to their appointed places in the zebrafish hindbrain. Additionally, mutations in many genes that result in defective neuronal migration can lead to defects in neural tube closure.
She added: "We anticipate that understanding the genes and mechanisms controlling neuronal migration in zebrafish will shed light on the mechanisms of human neural tube closure, and why this process goes awry in spina bifida."
