PUBLICATION

The Calmodulin-interacting peptide Pcp4a regulates feeding state-dependent behavioral choice in zebrafish

Authors
Zaupa, M., Nagaraj, N., Sylenko, A., Baier, H., Sawamiphak, S., Filosa, A.
ID
ZDB-PUB-240201-4
Date
2024
Source
Neuron   112(7): 1150-1164.e6 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Baier, Herwig, Filosa, Alessandro, Sawamiphak, Suphansa, Zaupa, Margherita
Keywords
Pcp4a, behavior, decision-making, dopamine, escape, hunger, internal states, prey capture, tectum, zebrafish
MeSH Terms
  • Animals
  • Calmodulin*/metabolism
  • Feeding Behavior/physiology
  • Hunger/physiology
  • Neurons/physiology
  • Proteomics
  • Zebrafish*/physiology
PubMed
38295792 Full text @ Neuron
Abstract
Animals constantly need to judge the valence of an object in their environment: is it potential food or a threat? The brain makes fundamental decisions on the appropriate behavioral strategy by integrating external information from sensory organs and internal signals related to physiological needs. For example, a hungry animal may take more risks than a satiated one when deciding to approach or avoid an object. Using a proteomic profiling approach, we identified the Calmodulin-interacting peptide Pcp4a as a key regulator of foraging-related decisions. Food intake reduced abundance of protein and mRNA of pcp4a via dopamine D2-like receptor-mediated repression of adenylate cyclase. Accordingly, deleting the pcp4a gene made zebrafish larvae more risk averse in a binary decision assay. Strikingly, neurons in the tectum became less responsive to prey-like visual stimuli in pcp4a mutants, thus biasing the behavior toward avoidance. This study pinpoints a molecular mechanism modulating behavioral choice according to internal state.
Genes / Markers
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Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
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Mapping