title: Rest mutant zebrafish swim erratically and display atypical spatial preferences.
abstract: The Rest/Nrsf transcriptional repressor modulates expression of a large set of neural specific genes. Many of these target genes have well characterized roles in nervous system processes including development, plasticity and synaptogenesis. However, the impact of Rest-mediated transcriptional regulation on behavior has been understudied due in part to the embryonic lethality of the mouse knockout. To investigate the requirement for Rest in behavior, we employed the zebrafish rest mutant to explore a range of behaviors in adults and larva. Adult rest mutants of both sexes showed abnormal behaviors in a novel environment including increased vertical swimming, erratic swimming patterns and a proclivity for the tank walls. Adult males also had diminished reproductive success. At 6 days post fertilization (dpf), rest mutant larva were hypoactive, but displayed normal evoked responses to light and sound stimuli. Overall, these results provide evidence that rest dysfunction produces atypical swimming patterns and preferences in adults, and reduced locomotor activity in larvae. This study provides the first behavioral analysis of rest mutants and reveals specific behaviors that are modulated by Rest.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA; Genetics Gradate Program Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA.
authors.forename: Cara E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Moravec
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA.
authors.forename: Edward
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: xyZfish, 2200 Smithtown Ave, Ronkonkoma, NY 11779, USA.
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Maaswinkel
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA.
authors.forename: Mary F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Kritzer
authors.affiliation: xyZfish, 2200 Smithtown Ave, Ronkonkoma, NY 11779, USA.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Weng
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA; Genetics Gradate Program Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA. Electronic address: howard.sirotkin@stonybrook.edu.
authors.forename: Howard I
authors.initials: HI
authors.lastname: Sirotkin
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D056084:Genetic Fitness / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology; D009154:Mutation; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D013037:Spatial Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D013550:Swimming / Q000502:physiology*; D015027:Zebrafish; D000099229:RE1-Silencing Transcription Factor
chemical_list: D012097:Repressor Proteins; D000099229:RE1-Silencing Transcription Factor
keywords: Erratic swimming; Locomotion; Novel environment; Rest/Nrsf; Zebrafish