Joo William, Vivian Michael D, Graham Brett J, Soucy Edward R, Thyme Summer B
Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States.
Front Behav Neurosci. 2021 Jan 18;14:606900. doi: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.606900. eCollection 2020.
High-throughput behavioral phenotyping is critical to genetic or chemical screening approaches. Zebrafish larvae are amenable to high-throughput behavioral screening because of their rapid development, small size, and conserved vertebrate brain architecture. Existing commercial behavioral phenotyping systems are expensive and not easily modified for new assays. Here, we describe a modular, highly adaptable, and low-cost system. Along with detailed assembly and operation instructions, we provide data acquisition software and a robust, parallel analysis pipeline. We validate our approach by analyzing stimulus response profiles in larval zebrafish, confirming prepulse inhibition phenotypes of two previously isolated mutants, and highlighting best practices for growing larvae prior to behavioral testing. Our new design thus allows rapid construction and streamlined operation of many large-scale behavioral setups with minimal resources and fabrication expertise, with broad applications to other aquatic organisms.
高通量行为表型分析对于遗传或化学筛选方法至关重要。斑马鱼幼体因其发育迅速、体型小以及保守的脊椎动物脑结构，适合进行高通量行为筛选。现有的商业行为表型分析系统价格昂贵，且不易针对新的检测方法进行修改。在此，我们描述了一种模块化、高度 adaptable 且低成本的系统。除了详细的组装和操作说明外，我们还提供了数据采集软件和一个强大的并行分析流程。我们通过分析斑马鱼幼体的刺激反应谱、确认两个先前分离的突变体的前脉冲抑制表型，并强调行为测试前饲养幼体的最佳做法，来验证我们的方法。因此，我们的新设计允许以最少的资源和制造专业知识快速构建和简化操作许多大规模行为装置，并广泛应用于其他水生生物。
