Final Report Summary - ZEBRATECTUM (Anatomical and Functional Dissection of Neural Circuits in the Zebrafish Optic Tectum)
A the complete understanding of neuronal circuits development and function in an intact behaving animal is a major goal of modern neuroscience. To unravel this important question our group examines neural circuit formation and activity in the visual system using zebrafish larva as model system. We focused our analysis on the cells that connect the retina to the brain, the retina ganglion cells, and on the main retinorecipient area in the zebrafish brain, the optic tectum.
Our work has uncovered a gradient of the secreted protein Reelin that acts in the optic tectum to provide positional information to the developing axons and dendrites to regulate synaptic lamination. Our study paves the way for the in vivo investigation of mechanisms of neural circuit establishment and maintenance potentially affected in human diseases such as autism, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, where Reelin misexpression has been reported.
In parallel our team has pioneered the use of CRISPR/Cas9 nucleases to manipulate the zebrafish and to induce exogenous DNA insertion at precise genomic locations and cell specific Knock-out genetic models.
Our work has uncovered a gradient of the secreted protein Reelin that acts in the optic tectum to provide positional information to the developing axons and dendrites to regulate synaptic lamination. Our study paves the way for the in vivo investigation of mechanisms of neural circuit establishment and maintenance potentially affected in human diseases such as autism, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, where Reelin misexpression has been reported.
In parallel our team has pioneered the use of CRISPR/Cas9 nucleases to manipulate the zebrafish and to induce exogenous DNA insertion at precise genomic locations and cell specific Knock-out genetic models.