PUBLICATION

Fear, anxiety, and control in the zebrafish

Authors
Jesuthasan, S.
ID
ZDB-PUB-120215-20
Date
2012
Source
Developmental Neurobiology   72(3): 395-403 (Review)
Registered Authors
Jesuthasan, Suresh
Keywords
anxiety, fear, habenula, interpreduncular nucleus
MeSH Terms
  • Animals
  • Anxiety/psychology*
  • Conditioning, Classical/physiology
  • Fear/physiology*
  • Fear/psychology*
  • Habenula/physiology
  • Humans
  • Nerve Net/physiology
  • Zebrafish/physiology*
PubMed
22328274 Full text @ Dev. Neurobiol.
Abstract
Emotional responses are triggered by environmental signals and involve profound changes at multiple levels, from molecular to behavior. Much has been learnt about two emotions, fear and anxiety, by studying mammalian models. In particular, neural circuits and the corresponding molecular mechanisms essential for the learning and retention of fear, as well as the activation of anxiety, are well known. In contrast, little is known about how these emotions are terminated. The zebrafish is a newcomer to the world of emotion research. A number of assays for fear and anxiety now exist, but the underlying neural circuitry is largely undefined. Recent experiments, however, appear to provide a hint as to how anxiety is downregulated. In particular, they point to an essential role for a circuit involving the posterior septum, medial habenula, and interpeduncular nucleus. This evolutionarily conserved circuit may fulfill a similar function in mammals.
Genes / Markers
Figures
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping