PUBLICATION

Development of the zebrafish hypothalamus

Authors
Machluf, Y., Gutnick, A., and Levkowitz, G.
ID
ZDB-PUB-110324-3
Date
2011
Source
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences   1220(1): 93-105 (Review)
Registered Authors
Gutnick, Amos, Levkowitz, Gil, Machluf, Yossy
Keywords
Danio rerio, Fezf2, Otp, Sim1, hypothalamic disorders, peptidergic neurons
MeSH Terms
  • Animals
  • Hypothalamus/growth & development*
  • Zebrafish/growth & development*
PubMed
21388407 Full text @ Ann N Y Acad Sci
Abstract
Hypothalamic neurons regulate fundamental body functions including sleep, blood pressure, temperature, hunger and metabolism, thirst and satiety, stress, and social behavior. This is achieved by means of the secretion of various hypothalamic neuropeptides and neurotransmitters that affect endocrine, metabolic, and behavioral activities. Developmental impairments of hypothalamic neuronal circuits are associated with neurological disorders that disrupt both physiological and psychological homeostasis. Hypothalamic cell specification and morphogenesis can be uniquely studied in zebrafish, a vertebrate organism readily amenable to genetic manipulations. As embryos are optically transparent and develop externally, they provide a powerful tool for in vivo analyses of neurons and their circuits. Here, we discuss the current knowledge regarding the neuroanatomy of the zebrafish hypothalamus and recent studies identifying critical determinants of hypothalamic differentiation. Taken together, these reports demonstrate that the molecular pathways underlying development of the hypothalamus are largely conserved between zebrafish and mammals. We conclude that the zebrafish has proved itself a valuable vertebrate model for understanding the patterning, specification, morphogenesis, and subsequent function of the hypothalamus.
Genes / Markers
Figures
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping