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Circadian clocks, rhythmic synaptic plasticity and the sleep-wake cycle in zebrafish

Elbaz, I.; Foulkes, N. S. 1; Gothilf, Y.; Appelbaum, L.
1 Institut für Toxikologie und Genetik (ITG), Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT)

Abstract:

The circadian clock and homeostatic processes are fundamental mechanisms that regulate sleep. Surprisingly, despite decades of research, we still do not know why we sleep. Intriguing hypotheses suggest that sleep regulates synaptic plasticity and consequently has a beneficial role in learning and memory. However, direct evidence is still limited and the molecular regulatory mechanisms remain unclear. The zebrafish provides a powerful vertebrate model system that enables simple genetic manipulation, imaging of neuronal circuits and synapses in living animals, and the monitoring of behavioral performance during day and night. Thus, the zebrafish has become an attractive model to study circadian and homeostatic processes that regulate sleep. Zebrafish clock- and sleep-related genes have been cloned, neuronal circuits that exhibit circadian rhythms of activity and synaptic plasticity have been studied, and rhythmic behavioral outputs have been characterized. Integration of this data could lead to a better understanding of sleep regulation. Here, we review the progress of circadian clock and sleep studies in zebrafish with special emphasis on the genetic and neuroendocrine mechanisms that regulate rhythms of melatonin secretion, structural synaptic plasticity, locomotor activity and sleep.


Verlagsausgabe §
DOI: 10.5445/IR/110092610
Originalveröffentlichung
DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2013.00009
Scopus
Zitationen: 66
Web of Science
Zitationen: 62
Dimensions
Zitationen: 68
Cover der Publikation
Zugehörige Institution(en) am KIT Institut für Toxikologie und Genetik (ITG)
Publikationstyp Zeitschriftenaufsatz
Publikationsjahr 2013
Sprache Englisch
Identifikator ISSN: 1662-5110
urn:nbn:de:swb:90-AAA1100926105
KITopen-ID: 110092610
HGF-Programm 47.01.01 (POF II, LK 01) Biologische Schlüselmoleküle ITG
Erschienen in Frontiers in neural circuits
Verlag Frontiers Media SA
Band 7
Seiten 9
Schlagwörter zebrafish, circadian rhythms, synaptic plasticity, circadian clock, sleep, hypocretin, orexin, melatonin
Nachgewiesen in Web of Science
Dimensions
Scopus
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