title: Optogenetically enhanced pituitary corticotroph cell activity post-stress onset causes rapid organizing effects on behaviour.
abstract: The anterior pituitary is the major link between nervous and hormonal systems, which allow the brain to generate adequate and flexible behaviour. Here, we address its role in mediating behavioural adjustments that aid in coping with acutely threatening environments. For this we combine optogenetic manipulation of pituitary corticotroph cells in larval zebrafish with newly developed assays for measuring goal-directed actions in very short timescales. Our results reveal modulatory actions of corticotroph cell activity on locomotion, avoidance behaviours and stimulus responsiveness directly after the onset of stress. Altogether, the findings uncover the significance of endocrine pituitary cells for rapidly optimizing behaviour in local antagonistic environments.
authors.affiliation: Developmental Genetics of the Nervous System, Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Jahnstr 29, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Rodrigo J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: De Marco
authors.affiliation: Developmental Genetics of the Nervous System, Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Jahnstr 29, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Theresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Thiemann
authors.affiliation: Developmental Genetics of the Nervous System, Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Jahnstr 29, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Antonia H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Groneberg
authors.affiliation: Developmental Genetics of the Nervous System, Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Jahnstr 29, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Herget
authors.affiliation: Developmental Genetics of the Nervous System, Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Jahnstr 29, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.|Focus Program Translational Neuroscience, Johannes Gutenberg University Medical Center, Langenbeckstr 1, 55131 Mainz, Germany.
authors.forename: Soojin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ryu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D052680:Corticotrophs / Q000378:metabolism*; D008124:Locomotion; D062308:Optogenetics; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000523:psychology; D015027:Zebrafish