HALE, M. E.; Univ. of Chicago, IL: Cells, circuits and swimming: examining the neuromuscular control of locomotion with the zebrafish (Danio rerio).

Understanding the organization and function of neural circuits in the brain and spinal cord has been a major goal of neuroscientists. The high complexity and inaccessibility of the central nervous system has made such work challenging. One of the most productive areas for neural circuit investigation is the locomotor system, which has been studied in a wide range of vertebrates and invertebrates. Recently, the zebrafish has emerged as a valuable model for such work. The transparency of the zebrafish larva makes it possible to visualize, record from, or disrupt neurons and muscle cells in the live animal. Behavior can be correlated with cell activity or circuit perturbation to test hypotheses of function. Genetic techniques provide valuable tools for manipulating morphology and function. I will present our work that focuses on examining the functions of hindbrain and spinal cord cell populations. By imaging activity in groups of hindbrain neurons while recording movement patterns we have been able to examine subtle aspects of neuromuscular control of movement. By ablating neuron populations and assessing the effects on behavior, we have been able to determine roles of specific neuron cell types in locomotion. Supported by NIH NS043977 and NSF IBN0238464.