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The Dynamics of Successive Induction in Larval Zebrafish
Citation:
Staddon, J. E., R. C. MACPHAIL, AND S. J. PADILLA. The Dynamics of Successive Induction in Larval Zebrafish. JOURNAL OF THE EXPERIMENTAL ANALYSIS OF BEHAVIOR. Journal of the Experiemental Analysis of Behavior, Bloomington, IN, 94(2):261-266, (2010).
Impact/Purpose:
The growing use of zebra fish in chemical screening highlights the need for a firm understanding of their behavior. We previously showed orderly, highly reproducible patterns of locomotion in larvae when tested in the wells of a microtiter plate. The orderliness of the behavior, and its modification by environmental (lighting) manipulations, led to the development of a simple mathematical model. To a first approximation, the ability of the model to capture many aspects of the data is impressive. In future studies the model will be evaluated for its ability to describe the effects of chemical exposures on larval behavior.
Description:
Charles Sherrington identified the properties of the synapse by purely behavioral means the study of reflexes -more than 100 years ago. They were subsequently confirmed neurophysiologically. Studying reflex interaction, he also showed that activating one reflex often facilitates another, antagonistic one: successive induction, which has since been demonstrated in a wide range of species, from aphids to grasshoppers to dogs and humans. We show a particularly orderly example in zebrafish (Danio rerio) larvae; the behavior (locomotion) of larvae is low in dark and intermediate in light, but low in light and substantially higher in dark when dark followed light. A quantitative model of a simple dynamic process is described that readily captures the behavior pattern and the effects of a number of manipulations of lighting conditions.