Gentamicin is ototoxic to all hair cells in the fish lateral line system

Larval fishes have a remarkable ability to sense and evade the feeding strike of a predator fish with a rapid escape manoeuvre. Although the neuromuscular control of this behaviour is well studied, it is not clear what stimulus allows a larva to sense a predator. Here we show that this escape response is triggered by the water flow created during a predator's strike. Using a novel device, the impulse chamber, zebrafish ( Danio rerio ) larvae were exposed to this accelerating flow with high repeatability. Larvae responded to this stimulus with an escape response having a latency (mode=13–15 ms) that was fast enough to respond to predators. This flow was detected by the lateral line system, which includes mechanosensory hair cells within the skin. Pharmacologically ablating these cells caused the escape response to diminish, but then recover as the hair cells regenerated. These findings demonstrate that the lateral line system plays a role in predator evasion at this vulnerable stage of growth in fishes.

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Insights into Electroreceptor Development and Evolution from Molecular Comparisons with Hair Cells

Integrative and Comparative Biology ◽

10.1093/icb/icy037 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 58 (2) ◽

pp. 329-340 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Clare V H Baker ◽

Melinda S Modrell

Keyword(s):

Gene Expression ◽

Hair Cell ◽

Electric Fields ◽

Lateral Line ◽

Hair Cells ◽

Water Movement ◽

Low Frequency ◽

Lateral Line System ◽

Line System ◽

Ribbon Synapses

Abstract The vertebrate lateral line system comprises a mechanosensory division, with neuromasts containing hair cells that detect local water movement (“distant touch”); and an electrosensory division, with electrosensory organs that detect the weak, low-frequency electric fields surrounding other animals in water (primarily used for hunting). The entire lateral line system was lost in the amniote lineage with the transition to fully terrestrial life; the electrosensory division was lost independently in several lineages, including the ancestors of frogs and of teleost fishes. (Electroreception with different characteristics subsequently evolved independently within two teleost lineages.) Recent gene expression studies in a non-teleost actinopterygian fish suggest that electroreceptor ribbon synapses employ the same transmission mechanisms as hair cell ribbon synapses, and show that developing electrosensory organs express transcription factors essential for hair cell development, including Atoh1 and Pou4f3. Previous hypotheses for electroreceptor evolution suggest either that electroreceptors and hair cells evolved independently in the vertebrate ancestor from a common ciliated secondary cell, or that electroreceptors evolved from hair cells. The close developmental and putative physiological similarities implied by the gene expression data support the latter hypothesis, i.e., that electroreceptors evolved in the vertebrate ancestor as a “sister cell-type” to lateral line hair cells.

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S100 protein is a useful and specific marker for hair cells of the lateral line system in postembryonic zebrafish

Neuroscience Letters ◽

10.1016/j.neulet.2004.04.094 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 365 (3) ◽

pp. 186-189 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

A Germana ◽

F Abbate ◽

T González-Martı́nez ◽

M.E del Valle ◽

F de Carlos ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Lateral Line ◽

Hair Cells ◽

S100 Protein ◽

Lateral Line System ◽

Specific Marker ◽

Line System

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Labeling Hair Cells and Afferent Neurons in the Posterior Lateral-Line System of Zebrafish

Cold Spring Harbor Protocols ◽

10.1101/pdb.prot079467 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 2013 (12) ◽

pp. pdb.prot079467-pdb.prot079467 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

K. Schuster ◽

A. Ghysen

Keyword(s):

Lateral Line ◽

Hair Cells ◽

Lateral Line System ◽

Afferent Neurons ◽

Line System ◽

Posterior Lateral Line

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Sox2 and Sox3 are essential for development and regeneration of the zebrafish lateral line

10.1101/856088 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Cristian A. Undurraga ◽

Yunzi Gou ◽

Pablo C. Sandoval ◽

Viviana A. Nuñez ◽

Miguel L. Allende ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Stem Cells ◽

Lateral Line ◽

Hair Cells ◽

Topological Analysis ◽

Time Lapse ◽

Cell Types ◽

Lateral Line System ◽

Loss Of Function ◽

Supporting Cells ◽

Line System

ABSTRACTThe recovery of injured or lost sensory neurons after trauma, disease or aging is a major scientific challenge. Upon hearing loss or balance disorder, regeneration of mechanosensory hair cells has been observed in fish, some amphibians and under special circumstances in birds, but is absent in adult mammals. In aquatic vertebrates, hair cells are not only present in the inner ear but also in neuromasts of the lateral line system. The zebrafish lateral line neuromast has an almost unlimited capacity to regenerate hair cells. This remarkable ability is possible due to the presence of neural stem/progenitor cells within neuromasts. In order to further characterize these stem cells, we use the expression of the neural progenitor markers Sox2 and Sox3, transgenic reporter lines, and morphological and topological analysis of the different cell types within the neuromast. We reveal new sub-populations of supporting cells, the sustentacular supporting cells and the neuromast stem cells. In addition, using loss-of-function and mutants of sox2 and sox3, we find that the combined activity of both genes is essential for lateral line development and regeneration. The capability of sox2/sox3 expressing stem cells to produce new hair cells, hair cell-precursors, and supporting cells after damage was analyzed in detail by time-lapse microscopy and immunofluorescence. We are able to provide evidence that sox2/3 expressing cells are the main contributors to the regenerated neuromast, and that their daughter cells are able to differentiate into most cell types of the neuromast.

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Using light-sheet microscopy to study spontaneous activity in the developing lateral-line system

10.1101/2021.11.23.469686 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Qiuxiang Zhang ◽

Katie Kindt

Keyword(s):

Spontaneous Activity ◽

Lateral Line ◽

Hair Cells ◽

Light Sheet ◽

Lateral Line System ◽

Supporting Cells ◽

Line System ◽

Calcium Activity ◽

Light Sheet Microscopy ◽

Calcium Indicators

Hair cells are the sensory receptors in the auditory and vestibular systems of all vertebrates, and in the lateral-line system of aquatic vertebrates. During development, spontaneous activity in hair cells shapes the formation of these sensory systems. In auditory hair cells of mice, coordinated waves of spontaneous activity can be triggered by concomitant activity in nearby supporting cells. But in mammals, developing auditory and vestibular hair cells can also autonomously generate spontaneous events independent of supporting cell activity. To date, significant progress has been made studying spontaneous activity in the auditory and vestibular systems of mammals, in isolated cultures. The purpose of this work is to explore the zebrafish lateral-line system as a model to study and understand spontaneous activity in vivo. Our work applies genetically encoded calcium indicators along with light-sheet fluorescence microscopy to visualize spontaneous calcium activity in the developing lateral-line system. Consistent with our previous work, we show that spontaneous calcium activity is present in developing lateral-line hair cells. We now show that supporting cells that surround hair cells, and cholinergic efferent terminals that directly contact hair cells are also spontaneously active. Using two-color functional imaging we demonstrate that spontaneous activity in hair cells does not correlate with activity in either supporting cells or cholinergic terminals. We find that during lateral-line development, hair cells autonomously generate spontaneous events. Using localized calcium indicators, we show that within hair cells, spontaneous calcium activity occurs in two distinct domains-the mechanosensory bundle and the presynapse. Further, spontaneous activity in the mechanosensory bundle ultimately drives spontaneous calcium influx at the presynapse. Comprehensively, our results indicate that in developing lateral-line hair cells, autonomously generated spontaneous activity originates with spontaneous mechanosensory events. Overall, with robust spontaneous activity three different cell types, the developing lateral line is a rich model to study these activities in an intact sensory organ. Future work studying this model may further our understanding of these activities and their role in sensory system formation, function and regeneration.

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Structure and development of the free neuromasts and lateral line system of the herring

Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom ◽

10.1017/s0025315400070648 ◽

1983 ◽

Vol 63 (2) ◽

pp. 247-260 ◽

Cited By ~ 60

Author(s):

J. H. S. Blaxter ◽

J. A. B. Gray ◽

A. C. G. Best

Keyword(s):

Lateral Line ◽

Hair Cells ◽

Phase Contrast ◽

Vital Staining ◽

Clupea Harengus ◽

Lateral Line System ◽

Line System ◽

Sprattus Sprattus ◽

Anterior Trunk ◽

Scanning Electron

Vital staining with Janus Green, phase contrast and scanning electron microscopy were used to map the distribution of free neuromast organs from first hatching, 10 mm long larvae to 100 mm long juveniles of herring (Clupea harengus L.), with some further observations on juvenile sprat (Sprattus sprattus (L.)). Neuromasts are sparsely distributed on the head and trunk at hatching but soon proliferate on the trunk where, by a length of 13–15 mm, they occur one to every segment. Near metamorphosis there are at least three rows of neuromasts on the anterior trunk region, 6–9 single neuromasts on the caudal fin and as many as 50 on the head. The scales develop at about 40–50 mm and the neuromasts are then found singly or in groups of 2 or 3 on the surface of the scales of the anterior trunk.The lateral line develops at 22–24 mm and appears to incorporate existing free neuromasts on the side of the head. Unlike the cupulae of the free neuromasts, which are cylindrical, the lateral-line cupulae are thin erect plates lying along the axis of the canals. They are probably continually growing and being shed, followed by renewed growth.All neuromasts contain hair cells of opposing polarities; most free neuromasts are arranged with these polarities arranged fore-and-aft, but a few are dorsoventral.

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The Pharmacology of Efferent Synapses in the Lateral-Line System of Xenopus Laevis

Journal of Experimental Biology ◽

10.1242/jeb.54.3.643 ◽

1971 ◽

Vol 54 (3) ◽

pp. 643-659 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

I. J. RUSSELL

Keyword(s):

Electrical Stimulation ◽

Neuromuscular Junction ◽

Lateral Line ◽

Hair Cells ◽

Lateral Line System ◽

Line System ◽

Reversible Inhibition ◽

Transmitter Substance ◽

Calcium And Magnesium ◽

Stimulation Of

1. The nature of the transmitter substance released at the lateral-line efferent synapses was investigated by histochemical techniques in Xenopus and Acerina and by pharmacological methods in Xenopus. 2. The bases of lateral-line hair-cells and fine fibres in the lateral-line nerves reacted positively for acetylcholinesterase in Acerina and to a lesser extent in Xenopus. 3. Acetylcholine (10-6M, and acetyl-β-methyl choline (5 x 10-6M), which has a muscarinic action, caused strong reversible inhibition of afferent impulses when pipetted on to the undersides of lateral-line stitches. Carbachol (5 x 10-4 to 5 x 10-5M) caused a smaller reversible inhibition of spontaneous afferent impulses, but other nicotinic substances (propionylcholine and buterylcholine) had no effect. 4. Physostigmine (5 x 10-5M) prolonged inhibition of afferent impulses by electrical stimulation of efferent fibres, but atropine (5 x 10-6M) blocked it. 5. Calcium and magnesium interact at the efferent synapses in a way similar to that found at the amphibian neuromuscular junction. 6. Arguments are put forward to support the hypothesis that acetylcholine is released at lateral-line efferent synapses.

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