Li Xiao-Quan, Du Jiu-Lin
Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
Yi Chuan. 2013 Apr;35(4):468-76. doi: 10.3724/sp.j.1005.2013.00468.
Studying neural circuits is a crucial step for understanding neural mechanisms underlying animal behaviors. Larval zebrafish is a low vertebrate animal model with incomparable advantages in neural circuit study. In this review, we describe the zebrafish visual system and its downstream targets, with special emphasis on their possible roles in prey capture behavior. Prey capture is executed mainly through the visual system and its downstream circuits, including reticulospinal commanding neurons, motor-controlling circuits within the spinal cord, and other un-identified functional units. With the development of approaches in monitoring and manipulating neuronal activity and behavioral assays, we will get deep insights about neural basis for prey capture in near future, which will shed light on elucidating neural circuit mechanisms of behavior.
研究神经回路是理解动物行为背后神经机制的关键步骤。斑马鱼幼体是一种低等脊椎动物模型，在神经回路研究中具有无可比拟的优势。在这篇综述中，我们描述了斑马鱼视觉系统及其下游靶点，特别强调它们在捕食行为中可能发挥的作用。捕食主要通过视觉系统及其下游回路来执行，包括网状脊髓指挥神经元、脊髓内的运动控制回路以及其他未明确的功能单元。随着监测和操纵神经元活动及行为分析方法的发展，在不久的将来我们将对捕食的神经基础有更深入的了解，这将有助于阐明行为的神经回路机制。
