Methods for studying the zebrafish brain: past, present and future

Eur J Neurosci. 2015 Jul;42(2):1746-63. doi: 10.1111/ejn.12932. Epub 2015 May 22.

Abstract

The zebrafish (Danio rerio) is one of the most promising new model organisms. The increasing popularity of this amazing small vertebrate is evident from the exponentially growing numbers of research articles, funded projects and new discoveries associated with the use of zebrafish for studying development, brain function, human diseases and screening for new drugs. Thanks to the development of novel technologies, the range of zebrafish research is constantly expanding with new tools synergistically enhancing traditional techniques. In this review we will highlight the past and present techniques which have made, and continue to make, zebrafish an attractive model organism for various fields of biology, with a specific focus on neuroscience.

Keywords: chemical screens; genetic screens; genome editing; mutagenesis; neural circuits; regeneration.

Publication types

  • Historical Article
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Brain / physiology*
  • DNA / genetics
  • DNA / metabolism
  • Gene Expression Regulation / genetics
  • History, 20th Century
  • History, 21st Century
  • Molecular Biology* / history
  • Molecular Biology* / methods
  • Molecular Biology* / trends
  • Morpholinos / pharmacology
  • Mutagenesis
  • Neurosciences* / history
  • Neurosciences* / methods
  • Neurosciences* / trends
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics
  • RNA, Messenger / metabolism
  • Zebrafish / anatomy & histology*

Substances

  • Morpholinos
  • RNA, Messenger
  • DNA