This is a list of some recent publications from the lab.
A full list of publications can be found on Google Scholar.
Rajput N, Parikh K, Squires A, Fields KK, Wong M, Kanani D & Kenney JW. Whole-brain mapping in adult zebrafish and identification of the functional brain network underlying the novel tank test. eNeuro, 12(3).
When the lab was started in 2018, a key goal was to do whole-brain activity mapping in adult zebrafish. With this paper, we finally get all the tools in place to make this happen for the first time. We also provide a blueprint for other labs to do the same. We leveraged key technological developments over the past decade to do this, like tissue clearing, light-sheet microscopy, machine learning using artificial neural nets, and our recently developed adult zebrafish brain atlas (AZBA). We are now using this approach to map the neural basis for individual differences in behavior.
Beigloo F, Davidson CJ, Gjonaj J, Perrine SA & Kenney JW. Individual differences in the boldness of female zebrafish are associated with alterations in serotonin function. Journal of Experimental Biology, 227 (12).
Ever wonder if you can predict how someone responds to a psychiatric drug based on their personality? Our data suggests you can! In this study, we found that serotonergic function correlates with boldness in female fish, and that bold and shy female fish respond in opposite directions to a commonly prescribed antidepressant (escitalopram, trade name: Lexapro).
Hudock J & Kenney JW. Aging in zebrafish is associated with reduced locomotor activity and strain dependent changes in bottom dwelling and thigmotaxis. Plos One, 19 (5) e0300227
Here we find that only a modest difference in age (6 months vs 12 months) results in changes in how far fish swim and what parts of a novel tank they explore. Interestingly, the effects on what parts of a tank a fish will explore depend on the strain of the fish whereas overall swimming decreases irrespective of strain. This suggests that some aspects of aging are influenced by genetics more than others.
We describe the development of a new and improved way of administering drugs to adult zebrafish. Other methods are invasive, stressful, and/or imprecise. Our new feed-based method requires minimal manipulation of the animals and is individually tailored based on weight. These improvements are important for increasing both animal welfare and experimental reliability. Oh yea, and the fish really like it!
In this paper, we found that traditional descriptions of exploratory behavior (bold versus shy) do not fully capture individual differences in the behavior of adult zebrafish. Instead, we find that behavior falls into four categories: bold, shy, active explorers and wall-huggers.
This paper describes our adult zebrafish brain atlas (AZBA: azba.wayne.edu). This tool opens up new avenues in the use of adult zebrafish to understand vertebrate neuroanatomy.
Kenney, JW. "Associative and non-associative learning in adult zebrafish." Behavioral and Neural Genetics of Zebrafish. Academic Press, 2020. 187-204. (pdf)
An overview of different methods and approaches to studying learning and memory in adult zebrafish. Includes data on the increasing popularity of zebrafish as an animal model for studying learning and memory.