Standardizing Zebrafish Behavioral Paradigms Across Life Stages: An Effort Towards Translational Pharmacology

Barbara Dutra Petersen; Kanandra Taisa Bertoncello; Carla Denise Bonan

doi:10.3389/fphar.2022.833227

Standardizing Zebrafish Behavioral Paradigms Across Life Stages: An Effort Towards Translational Pharmacology

Front Pharmacol. 2022 Jan 20:13:833227. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2022.833227. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Barbara Dutra Petersen^{1

2}, Kanandra Taisa Bertoncello^{2

3}, Carla Denise Bonan^{1

2

3}

Affiliations

¹ Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina e Ciências da Saúde, Escola de Medicina, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
² Laboratório de Neuroquímica e Psicofarmacologia, Escola de Ciências da Saúde e da Vida, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
³ Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Celular e Molecular, Escola de Ciências da Saúde e da Vida, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.

Abstract

Zebrafish is a prominent vertebrate model, with many of its advantages related to its development, life cycle, and translational ability. While a great number of behavioral phenotypes and tasks to evaluate them are available, longitudinal studies across zebrafish life stages are scarce and made challenging because of the differences between protocols and endpoints assessed at each life stage. In this mini review, we highlight the relevance that longitudinal studies could have for neurobehavioral pharmacology using this model. We also present possible strategies to standardize behavior endpoints in domains related to human diseases throughout the life cycle, especially between larvae and adult fish. Furthermore, we discuss the remaining difficulties of these analyses and explore future advances needed to bridge this knowledge gap.

Keywords: anxiety; behavioral tests; cognition (Min. 5–Max. 8); exploratory behavior; ontology; sociability; zebrafish.

Publication types

Review