Abstract
The zebrafish is increasingly recognized as a model organism for translational research into human neuropathology. The zebrafish brain exhibits fundamental resemblance with human neuroanatomical and neurochemical pathways, and hallmarks of human brain pathology such as protein aggregation, neuronal degeneration and activation of glial cells, for example, can be modeled and recapitulated in the fish central nervous system. Genetic manipulation, imaging, and drug screening are areas where zebrafish excel with the ease of introducing mutations and transgenes, the expression of fluorescent markers that can be detected in vivo in the transparent larval stages overtime, and simple treatment of large numbers of fish larvae at once followed by automated screening and imaging. In this review, we summarize how zebrafish have successfully been employed to model human neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and Huntington’s disease. We discuss advantages and disadvantages of choosing zebrafish as a model for these neurodegenerative conditions.
Introduction
The zebrafish (Danio rerio) is a tropical freshwater teleost fish that is part of the Cyprinidae family that was introduced into biological research by George Streisinger in the 1970s. He selected zebrafish for three reasons: the generation of large numbers of embryos accessible from the one-cell-stage, the optical clarity of the developing fish, and a diploid genome allowing for genetic studies. Several large scale forward genetic screens by Nobel Prize laureate Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard and others firmly established the zebrafish as an ideal model system for developmental biology (Mullins et al., 1994; Haffter et al., 1996; ; ). Today, the zebrafish is gaining traction for the study of human diseases. Here, we focus on the use and usefulness of the zebrafish model to study human neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease (PD), Alzheimer’s disease (AD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS), and Huntington’s disease (HD).
Zebrafish development is conveniently fast. Zebrafish are sexually mature by 12 weeks of age and can produce several hundred embryos each week (Lawrence et al., 2012) which develop ex utero, allowing for experimental manipulation as well as observation from the one-cell stage. All major organs and the central nervous system (CNS) are fully functional by 72 h post-fertilization (hpf) (Fulwiler and Gilbert, 1991; Kimmel et al., 1995; ; Schmidt et al., 2013). The zebrafish brain shows structural and functional similarities in its anatomy with the mammalian brain, as well as corresponding neural circuitry including most major neurochemical signal transduction pathways (Fulwiler and Gilbert, 1991; ; Postlethwait et al., 2000; Howe et al., 2013; Schmidt et al., 2013; Figures 1A,A′). The neurotransmitter system is conserved in the zebrafish from early in development, sharing clear similarities with the mammalian systems such as dopaminergic cell clusters in the olfactory bulb and hypothalamus, and producing neurotransmitters such as dopamine (DA), serotonin (5-HT), acetylcholine (ACh), histamine (HA), glutamate and GABA (Kaslin and Panula, 2001; Panula et al., 2006; Wasel and Freeman, 2020).
Genetically, the zebrafish shares a high level of conservation with humans. A comprehensive sequencing study demonstrated that zebrafish share at least one ortholog with over 70% of all human genes (Howe et al., 2013) including many of the risk genes identified in various human neurodegenerative diseases. Among these are genes implicated in the pathology of PD (SNCA, PINK1, LRRK2, and Parkin), familial AD (PSEN1 and PSEN2), ALS (SOD1, TARDBP, C9orf72, and FUS), and HD (Huntingtin).
One of the major advantages of the zebrafish is their optical transparency throughout development (Figure 1B). This allows researchers to perform high resolution live in vivo imaging of the entire CNS (Figure 1C) without the need for small invasive optical windows commonly used in traditional mammalian research models (Godinho, 2011; ). The uncomplicated expression of transgenes with the binary UAS/Gal4 system allows for labeling of cells and structures as well as expression of human genes in all, specific or single neurons, for example (Kawakami et al., 2016). Human genes carrying disease-causing mutations can be easily expressed using this method to assess their impact on neuronal health. Additionally, advances in the CRISPR/Cas9 technology have greatly fine-tuned the tools of gene editing to introduce mutations and transgenes into the fish genome (Sager et al., 2010; Kimura et al., 2014; Liu et al., 2017; Rissone et al., 2020). Importantly, acute injection of highly active synthetic RNA Oligo CRISPR guide RNAs drastically speeds up the process as phenotypes can be assessed in the F0 generation and later confirmed by stable mutants (Keatinge et al., 2021). Injection of mRNA or DNA plasmids into the one-cell stage provides an uncomplicated and quick method to transiently express any gene/protein of interest or introduce new DNA into the embryo’s genome. State of the art imaging allows researchers to observe the migration of neuronal precursors, the movements of microglia, or neuronal cell death for example, in the intact animal and in real time (). A single motor neuron can be labeled and followed during outgrowth, death, before and after injury, and in disease conditions (Kabashi et al., 2011; Zelenchuk and Brusés, 2011; ). The development of the fluorescent Ca2+ reporter GCaMP in the mid 1990s added another major tool for neurobiological studies by making neuronal activity imageable, and GCaMP was quickly adapted in zebrafish research (; ; Kettunen, 2012). Neuronal activity of a single or cluster of neurons or indeed whole brain activity can now be monitored at rest or in the freely swimming larval fish (; ; ). Compared to electrophysiological recordings, optical monitoring of neuronal function allows for unprecedented spatial resolution as the fish offers optical access to the entire CNS to investigate both abnormal single cell as well as population behavior. Recently, another tool for understanding brain-wide neuronal dynamics was added by tracing a map from over 2,000 labeled neurons of the underlying circuit architecture of the larval zebrafish brain, building an interactive atlas at cellular resolution (Kunst et al., 2019). With the arrival of optogenetics, the activity of specific neural cells can now not only be monitored but also induced or silenced to study their downstream influence (; Wyart and Bene, 2011). Optogenetics can also modulate the multimerization status of a protein in vivo through external light illumination and thus be used to examine the dynamics and consequences of aggregate formation, a hallmark of many neurodegenerative diseases. This technique has for example been used to investigate TDP-34 aggregation in zebrafish motor neurons (). The most recent development of a family of fluorescent biosensors called genetically encoded death indicators (GEDI) keep zebrafish at the forefront of neurodegenerative research. GEDIs detect a stage where a neuron is irreversibly committed to degeneration providing an earlier and more acute demarcation of the moment of death in a degenerating neuron than previously possible. Importantly, this is possible in vivo and in an un-anaesthetized animal (Linsley et al., 2021).
FIGURE 1
Despite all these advantages, embryonic fish and the larval stages are not always an ideal model for human neurodegenerative diseases with their adult onset, or even old age. As in mouse models, zebrafish may also not show the same pathological consequences upon gene deletion or mutation as in humans.
Here, we summarize how the zebrafish model has contributed to research into the pathogenesis of four human neurodegenerative diseases (PD, AD, ALS, and HD) and discuss on the background of recent advances in gene editing and manipulation of neuronal activity, how zebrafish can be a powerful model to investigate human neurodegenerative diseases.
Parkinson’s disease
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases with an annual estimated global incidence rate of between 5 and 35 per 100,000 individuals. PD is characterized by the combined loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra, and intracellular α-synuclein accumulation in neurons of various brain regions (Lewy pathology) (Poewe et al., 2017). While PD has traditionally been perceived as a movement disorder, several non-motor- symptoms including autonomic dysfunction, cognitive deficits, as well as mood disorders are now recognized (Poewe et al., 2017). In the pathogenesis of PD, age is the most important contributing factor. While onset is generally rare before the age of 50, incidence rates increase with each increasing decade. Furthermore, life expectancy has been shown to significantly decline as PD progresses, with a mortality rate twice as high as the average within 10 years of disease onset (Pinter et al., 2015). As with most neurodegenerative diseases, the majority of PD cases are sporadic, with familial PD only accounting for around 5–10% of all cases. Genetically, mutations in synuclein α, P-TEN induced kinase 1 (PINK1), Leucine Rich Repeat Kinase 2 (LRRK2) and the E3 Ubiquitin Protein Ligase Parkin. Environmental factors such as frequent exposures to harmful chemicals such as pesticides or previous brain contusions in individuals also play a substantial role in developing PD (
Zebrafish models of Parkinson’s disease
Of the plethora of different neurodegenerative diseases and movement disorders, PD is by far one of the most established in the zebrafish model and its promise as a PD animal model for the development of therapeutics has been highlighted in a recent review (Razali et al., 2021). High conservation of PD-related genes and sensitivity to PD risk-related drugs in zebrafish have allowed for the generation of various genetic and transgenic, as well as chemically induced, models of PD (Tables 1, 2). Despite the absence of dopaminergic neurons in the zebrafish midbrain, a functional homolog of the mammalian substantia nigra is the diencephalic dopaminergic cluster within the posterior tuberculum (Rink and Wullimann, 2001), and the serotonergic and histaminergic systems present in the zebrafish show high resemblance to the mammalian system (Kaslin and Panula, 2001; Wang et al., 2006). While unable to recapitulate the full spectrum of the disease, the zebrafish model may be particularly useful to study PD-related hypokinetic syndromes. As will be presented below, phenotypic hallmarks mimicking bradykinesia in PD patients can be achieved in the zebrafish following induced dopaminergic cell aberrations.
TABLE 1
| Study | Method(s) | DA neuron loss | Other pathologies | Motor deficits | Other phenotypes |
| PINK1 MO knockdown | Yes | ROS accumulation | Yes – Impaired TEER | Morphological deformities. Increased mortality. | |
| DJ-1 MO knockdown | No | Increased sensitivity to oxidative stress. Increased sensitivity to proteasome inhibition. Upregulation of apoptosis regulator genes | Not reported | ||
| Parkin MO knockdown | No | Increased susceptibility to proteotoxic stress | Not reported | ||
| Parkin MO knockdown | Yes | Reduced mitochondrial activity. Increased susceptibility to MPP+ | No | ||
| TILLING-mediated PINK1 knockout | Yes | Mitochondrial dysfunction. Increased microglial numbers and activation. | Not reported | ||
| Lulla et al., 2016 | γ1-synuclein overexpression | Not reported | Synuclein aggregation | Not reported | Morphological deformities. Increased mortality. |
| Milanese et al., 2012 | β-, and γ1-synuclein MO knockdown | Yes | Yes – Reduced spontaneous swim activity | ||
| Prabhudesai et al., 2012 | Human α-synuclein overexpression | gross neuronal apoptosis | Synuclein aggregation | Not reported | Developmental deformities. Embryonic lethality (100%). |
| Prabhudesai et al., 2016 | LRRK2 MO knockdown | Yes | Synuclein aggregation | Not reported | Morphological deformities. |
| Priyadarshini et al., 2013 | PINK1 MO knockdown, Microarray analysis | Not reported | Significant alteration of 177 genes. Increased ROS levels | Not reported | Reduced heart rate. Increased erythropoiesis. |
| Ren et al., 2011 | ΔWD40-LRRK2 MO knockdown | No | No | ||
| Sallinen et al., 2010 | PINK1 MO knockdown | Yes | Increased vulnerability to MPTP exposure | Yes (post-MPTP treatment) – Reduced swim activity | |
| Sheng et al., 2010 | LRRK2 MO knockdown | Yes | Not reported | Morphological deformities. Embryonic lethality (∼90%). | |
| Sheng et al., 2010 | ΔWD40-LRRK2 MO knockdown | Yes | Reduction and disorganization of axon tracts | Yes – Reduced swim activity | |
| Suzzi et al., 2021 | LRRK2 CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout | No – But general increase in apoptosis | Reduced mitosis in larval brains. Impaired neuronal regeneration in adult brains. | Yes – Reduced spontaneous swim activity | |
| Xi et al., 2010 | PINK1 MO knockdown | No – But disrupted patterning of the diencephalc DA neurons | Yes – Deficient TEER; reduced swim distance and speed; increased turning angle; preference to periphery of observation dish; difficulties in balancing | Increased mortality. | |
| Zhao et al., 2012 | FBXO7 MO knockdown | Yes | Yes – Reduced swim velocity | Morphological deformities. Increased mortality. |
Genetic zebrafish models of PD.
TABLE 2
| Study | Method(s) | DA neuron loss | Other pathologies | Motor deficits | Other phenotypes |
| MPTP | Not reported | Yes – Reduced swim movement and distance; reduced number of crosses; increased number of freezing bouts and duration | |||
| 6-OHDA | Not reported | Yes – Reduced swim distance, speed, and maximum acceleration; increased absolute turn angle; increased immobility time | Reduced head and total length. | ||
| Paraquat | Not reported | Yes – Reduced swim distance and velocity; impaired motor coordination; reduced line crossings | |||
| MPTP | Yes | Yes – Reduced swimming activity | In adults – Respiratory dysfunction and darkened pigmentation. | ||
| Paraquat | No | No | |||
| Rotenone | No | No | |||
| Rotenone | Not reported – But induced brain death phenotype | Reduced skeletal muscle mitochondrial membrane potential | Yes – Reduced responsiveness | Developmental deformities. | |
| 6-OHDA | Yes | Yes – Reduced locomotor activity | Morphological deformities. | ||
| 6-OHDA | Not reported | Yes – Reduced swim distance; increased time spent in the bottom zone of tank | |||
| Khotimah et al., 2015 | Rotenone | Yes | Synuclein aggregation. Increased apoptosis and caspase expression. Reduced BDNF expression. | Yes – Reduced swim motility | |
| Lam et al., 2005 | MPTP | Yes | Yes – Impaired TEER; reduced swim distance and velocity | ||
| Martel et al., 2015 | Rotenone | Yes | Increased susceptibility to oxidative stress | Yes – Reduced tank midline crossing | |
| McKinley et al., 2005 | MPTP | Yes | Not reported | ||
| Melo et al., 2015 | Rotenone | Not reported | Yes – Impaired TEER; impaired balance; mydriasis; tremors; paralysis; erratic swimming | Developmental deficits. Morphological deformities. | |
| Nellore and Nandita, 2015 | Paraquat | reduced dopamine levels; increased cell apoptosis | Yes – Reduced swim distance; impaired tail coiling | Developmental deformities. Increased mortality. | |
| Nunes et al., 2017 | Paraquat | Not reported | Reduced mitochondrial viability | Yes – Increased time spent in the top zone of the tank; | Increased aggressiveness. |
| Sallinen et al., 2009 | MPTP | Yes | Yes – Reduced swim distance and speed | ||
| Vijayanathan et al., 2017 | 6-OHDA | Yes | Yes – Reduced swim distance and speed | ||
| Wang et al., 2016 | Paraquat | Not reported – But increased cell apoptosis | Increased susceptibility to oxidative stress. Increased migration and activation of macrophages. | Not reported | Increased mortality. |
| Wang et al., 2017 | Rotenone | Yes | Yes – Reduced swim duration and distance at fast speed; increased time spent in the light vs. dark | Olfactory dysfunction. | |
| Wang et al., 2018 | Paraquat | Not reported | Reduced maximum respiration rate. Increased susceptibility to oxidative stress. | Yes – increased swim distance, duration, and velocity | Accelerated hatching. |
| Wen et al., 2008 | MPTP | Yes | Not reported | ||
| Zhang et al., 2015 | 6-OHDA | Yes | Yes – Reduced swim distance | ||
| Zhang et al., 2016 | 6-OHDA | Yes | Yes – Reduced swim distance |
Chemical zebrafish models of PD.
Synucleins
One of the most recognizable PD-associated genes in humans is the SNCA gene encoding α-synuclein. α-synuclein mutations are linked to early onset familial PD, and α-synuclein aggregation in Lewy bodies is associated with sporadic cases of PD (Meade et al., 2019). Although the physiological function of α-synuclein is still unclear, it is believed to be responsible for regulating the synaptic transmission process (Marques and Outeiro, 2012;
Synucleins are a family of neuronal proteins consisting of α-, β-, and γ-synuclein. While the zebrafish does not express an ortholog of the human α-synuclein gene, the β-, and γ-synucleins can be found in the zebrafish genome and are expressed in three isoforms. sncb, sncg1, and sncg2 that encode for β-, γ 1-, and γ2-synucleins, respectively, which seem to compensate for the absence of α-synuclein. Importantly, zebrafish and human synucleins share high sequence similarity, with the zebrafish γ1-synuclein functionally most similar to human α-synuclein (Sun and Gilter, 2008). Milanese et al. demonstrated that knockdown of both zebrafish β- and γ1-synucleins resulted in severe impairment of the differentiation of dopaminergic neurons and the development of the dopamine system (Milanese et al., 2012). This in turn led to hypokinetic motor behavior such as reduced spontaneous swim activity, indicating that zebrafish β- and γ1-synuclein proteins are required for movement regulation and dopamine homeostasis (Toni and Cioni, 2015; Vaz et al., 2018; Robea et al., 2020). Both motor and dopaminergic deficits could be rescued by exogenous expression of human α-synuclein (Milanese et al., 2012). In line with the ability of human α-synuclein to revert phenotypes caused by the loss of β- and γ1-synucleins in the zebrafish, Prabhudesai et al. (2012) generated a model to overexpress human α-synuclein in the zebrafish embryo. While evidence for LBs formation typical in human PD pathology remains to be determined, accumulation of α-synuclein induced significant neurotoxicity in the developing embryo leading to widespread neuronal cell death, morphological deformities, as well as rapid mortality. Further studies found that over-expression and aggregation of human α-synuclein protein in zebrafish larvae led to reduced mitochondrial activity and increased presence of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which led to neuronal apoptosis and cell death (O’Donnell et al., 2014; Robea et al., 2020).
P-TEN induced kinase 1
The PTEN-induced kinase 1 (PINK1) gene that encodes for PINK1 protein plays a critical role in regulating oxidative stress and protecting neurons against mitochondrial dysfunctions (Gonçalves and Morais, 2021). Mutations in the PINK1 gene leading to reduced PINK1 protein translation is a major cause to autosomal recessive early onset PD. In a pioneering study investigating loss-of-function of PINK1 in zebrafish, Anichtchik et al. observed significant morphological abnormalities and phenotypes including axonal tract deformations, impaired escape responses, and increased mortality following PINK1 knockdown by morpholino (MO) injection. Importantly, Acridine Orange assays and oxidative probes demonstrated increased neuronal cell death and accumulation of ROS, reflecting the increased susceptibility of neurons to oxidative insults and cell death following damage of cellular mitochondria (
Leucine rich repeat kinase 2
The most common cause of autosomal late onset PD, mutations in leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) that encodes the LRRK2 protein account for 5–13% of familial PD and 1–5% of sporadic PD (
Parkin
A leading cause of autosomal recessive early onset PD arises from mutations in the E3 ubiquitin protein ligase Parkin, which regulates the ubiquitination of proteins required for dopaminergic cell survival (Pickrell and Youle, 2015) as well as mitochondrial processes (Kamienieva et al., 2021). Mitochondrial and metabolic dysfunction following the loss-of-function of Parkin has been shown to play a critical role in increased stress and reduced cell survival (Müller-Rischart et al., 2013). Phenotypes caused by the knockdown of Parkin have been shown to mirror that of PINK1 deficiency in zebrafish, such as mitochondrial impairment and loss of dopaminergic neurons. Flinn et al. demonstrated for the first time that Parkin knockdown led to impaired mitochondrial complex I activity and reduced energy metabolism, as well as significantly reduced numbers of diencephalic dopaminergic neurons that were significantly more susceptible to the toxic effects of the mitochondrial neurotoxin MPTP. Cell loss was mostly restricted to the posterior tuberculum in zebrafish, an area anatomically homologous to the human substantia nigra (
Park 7 and Park 15
Other genetic zebrafish models of PD include MO injections against the genes Park 7 and Park 15, encoding DJ-1 and F-box only protein 7 (FBXO7). Patients with loss-of-function of the human PARK7 gene that encodes DJ-1 present with early onset autosomal recessive PD (
Other models of Parkinson’s disease
In addition to the various genetic models of PD, several methods have been adopted to chemically induce neurotoxicity and the pathological hallmarks of PD in zebrafish (Table 2). One of the most common models is the administration of the toxin MPTP. In humans, MPTP exposure was found to induce dopaminergic neuronal cell loss and motor symptoms reminiscent of PD (Smeyne and Jackson-Lewis, 2005). Larval zebrafish were also found to be susceptible to MPTP treatment, resulting in the specific reduction of diencephalic dopaminergic neurons and significantly reduced locomotor activity (
Furthermore, 6-OHDA administration in zebrafish resulted in selective loss of TH-positive dopaminergic neurons within days of application (Zhang et al., 2015, 2016;
Finally, to investigate the link between pesticides and PD, Lulla et al. (2016) used the pesticide ziram and demonstrated a γ1-synuclein-dependent mechanism leading to dopaminergic cell loss in zebrafish. While overexpression of γ1-synuclein resulted in intracytoplasmic neuronal aggregates and neurotoxicity, γ1-synuclein knockdown rescued the dopaminergic neuronal loss and motor impairments induced by ziram treatment (Lulla et al., 2016). Rotenone treatment of zebrafish embryos resulted in developmental retardation and deformities (Melo et al., 2015;
Alzheimer’s disease
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disorder and the most frequent cause of dementia. AD is typically characterized by the presence of extracellular β-amyloid (Aβ) deposits generated from cleaved amyloid precursor protein (APP), as well as intracellular neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) made up of aggregated hyperphosphorylated tau proteins. The disease leads to gradual hippocampal and parietal brain atrophy (Frisoni et al., 2010). GWAS (genome-wide association studies) have identified several high-risk loci genes that are involved in the regulation of immune responses (Lambert et al., 2013;
Zebrafish models of Alzheimer’s disease
Tau
The first zebrafish tau model transiently expressing human tau protein in neurons showed tau hyperphosphorylation and accumulation in neuronal cell bodies and produced a cytoskeletal disruption that closely resembled the NFTs seen in human disease (Tomasiewicz et al., 2002; Table 3). Subsequently, stable zebrafish tau transgenic lines for the expression of human tau (111) or human mutant tau (Paquet et al., 2009) within the CNS were generated, which achieved significantly higher levels of tau expression and resulted in NFT-like tau accumulations. The success of these early tau transgenic models was validated by in vivo imaging that demonstrated rapid hyperphosphorylation and aggregation of tau as well as neuronal cell death (Paquet et al., 2009).
TABLE 3
| Study | Method(s) | Target of tau phosphorylation | NFT formation | Other phenotype |
| MAP-Tau4R mutation | Enolase-2 promoter – Neurons | Yes | ||
| Tau P301L mutation | her4.1 promoter – NPCs (with radial glial identity) and neurons | No – Investigated in adult zebrafish | ||
| Lopez et al., 2017 | Tau A152T mutation | PanN:Gal4VP15 driver – Pan-neuronal | Yes | Increased neuronal cell death. Impaired proteasome function. |
| Paquet et al., 2009 | Tau P301L mutation | HuC promoter – Neurons | Yes | Increased neuronal cell death. Reduced length and branching of motor neurons. |
| Tomasiewicz et al., 2002 | FTDP-17 mutation | GATA-2 promoter – Neurons | Yes | Disruption of cytoskeletal filaments in cell axon |
Zebrafish models of tauopathy.
In a recent study, Lopez et al. (2017) generated a zebrafish line that expressed mutant A152T human tau pan-neuronally leading to increased cellular apoptosis, neurodegeneration, and impaired locomotor behavior in response to stimuli. Interestingly, despite effectively recapitulating the classical hallmarks of AD pathology, tau hyperphosphorylation and NFT formation were only observed in the spinal cord and not in the brain of the larval zebrafish (Tomasiewicz et al., 2002; Paquet et al., 2009;
β-amyloid
The ‘amyloid hypothesis’ of AD was first proposed in the 1980s and posits that the neurotoxic build-up and deposition of Aβ aggregates is a major factor in AD pathogenesis (Glenner and Wong, 1984; Hardy and Allsop, 1991; Selkoe, 1991). However, it has since been demonstrated that Aβ accumulation in the brain is independent of the age at onset and severity of AD (
TABLE 4
| Study | Method(s) | Aβ aggregation | Neuronal cell death | NSPC proliferation and neurogenesis | Other phenotype |
| Human Aβ 42 (ventricular injections) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Formation of intracellular Aβ-sheets. Impaired conditioning and reduced learned anxiety response | |
| Human TR-Aβ 42 (ventricular injections) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Increased microglia activation. Increased synaptic degeneration. | |
| Nery et al., 2014 | Aβ 1–42 (ventricular injections) | Not reported | Yes – But also observed in vehicle injected groups (compared to non-injected controls) | Not reported | Increased tau phosphorylation. Impaired avoidance of aversive stimulus. |
| Newman et al., 2010 | Human Aβ 42 (expression in melanophores under mitfa promoter) | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Abnormal pattern and loss of skin pigmentation |
Zebrafish models of Aβ toxicity.
However, zebrafish Aβ models also exhibited some phenotypes atypical of clinical AD progression. For example, Aβ overexpression increased neuronal progenitor plasticity and proliferation, and enhanced neurogenesis in the adult zebrafish brain via interleukin (IL)-4 secretion by neurons and activated microglia (
Presenilins
Another major focus in zebrafish AD research involves the Presenilin (PSEN) genes that have been implicated in the hereditary forms of AD (Strooper, 2007; Veugelen et al., 2016; Wong et al., 2020). PSEN is part of the γ-secretase complex involved in regulating cellular proliferation, and PSEN mutations have been suggested to play a role in the generation of plaque-building Aβ peptides (Haapasalo and Kovacs, 2011; Veugelen et al., 2016). During disease pathology, AD-related PSEN mutations have been shown to accelerate the catalytic proteolysis of APP by γ-secretase, resulting in the increased production of longer, amyloidogenic Aβ peptides (Kabir et al., 2020). Zebrafish carry two orthologs of the two different PSEN genes (PSEN1 and PSEN2) found in the human genome and these are ubiquitously expressed throughout development (Leimer et al., 1999; Groth et al., 2002). Early in vitro work found that human PSEN1 could be replaced by zebrafish Psen1, maintaining the efficacy of generating Aβ from APP (Leimer et al., 1999). While complete Psen1 KO (Psen1–/–) was found to be lethal in mice, psen1–/– zebrafish were viable and did not exhibit gross morphological defects when compared to wild type zebrafish (Sundvik et al., 2013). Intriguingly, MO-mediated knockdown of Psen2 led to significant apoptosis and neuronal loss in zebrafish (
Other models of Alzheimer’s disease
One of the most widely used methods to pharmacologically induce an AD-like phenotype is through okadaic acid (OKA) application. OKA is a polyether C38 fatty acid toxin and a potent and selective inhibitor of the protein phosphatases 1 (PP1) and 2A (PP2A) (Kamat et al., 2014; Kamat and Nath, 2015). OKA-induced inhibition of these protein phosphatases, in particular PP2A, has previously been shown to cause tau hyperphosphorylation and NFT formation, as well as other hallmarks of AD pathology both in vitro and in vivo (Hensley et al., 2010a; Zhang and Simpkins, 2010; Kamat et al., 2012a,b, 2013, 2014; Kamat and Nath, 2015). Exposure of zebrafish to OKA resulted in tau hyperphosphorylation, as well as deposition of Aβ and formation of senile plaques (Nada et al., 2016). Furthermore, exposure to OKA induced learning and memory deficits in zebrafish as revealed by the pre-treatment learning and post-treatment memory test developed by Williams et al. (2002), Administration of lanthionine ketimine-5-ethyl ester, shown to elicit neurotrophic and neuroprotective properties in murine models (Hensley et al., 2010a,b) led to reduced cell apoptosis, increased BDNF production and rescue of the learning deficits of OKA-treated fish (Koehler et al., 2018). The efficacies of glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) inhibitors have also been tested in zebrafish AD models. GSK3β is a serine/threonine protein kinase that has been involved in AD pathogenesis. Its overexpression in zebrafish is associated with increased Aβ production, tau hyperphosphorylation, neuronal cell death, reactive gliosis, and cognitive impairments (Hooper et al., 2008; Llorens-Marítin et al., 2014; Jaworski et al., 2019; Toral-Rios et al., 2020). Supporting an earlier in vivo study, a recent investigation of the selective GSK3β inhibitor, TDZD-8, in zebrafish revealed that the reduced GSK3β activity was associated with reduced tau phosphorylation and mortality rates. Importantly, treatment with TDZD-8 also rescued OKA-induced cognitive deficits (Paquet et al., 2009; Koehler et al., 2019).
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s disease)
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis also known as motor neuron disease (MND) or Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease of the human motor system (Kiernan et al., 2011;
Zebrafish models of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
The transparent bodies of zebrafish larvae allow for non-invasive visualization of motor neurons, from somas to their neuromuscular synapses, as well as their circuitry. This and the availability of genome editing, optogenetics and ease of drug screening facilitate functional analyses of ALS-associated proteins and consequential motor neuron degeneration with subcellular resolution (
The genes most commonly associated with ALS show high conservation in zebrafish with sequence identity of over 70% for SOD1 (
TABLE 5
| Study | Method(s) | Axonopathy | MN loss | NMJ abnormalities | Motor deficits | Other phenotypes |
| SOD1 G93R mutation | Yes – Reduced primary and unbranched axonal length, and increased aberrant branching | Yes | No | Yes – Reduced swim distance and duration | Reduced innervation and muscle atrophy. Increased inflammation and reactive astrogliosis. | |
| TILLING-mediated SOD1 T70I missense mutation | Not reported | Yes | Yes – Reduced colocalization of SV2 and α-bungarotoxin in the interseptal region | Yes – Reduced swim duration and velocity | ||
| Lemmens et al., 2007 | SOD1 G93A, G37R, and A4V mutations | G93A: Yes – 64.6% of injected. G37R: Yes – 68.8% of injected. A4V: Yes – 73.1% of injected. | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | |
| Ramesh et al., 2010 | BAC-mediated SOD1 G93R mutation | No | Yes | Yes – Reduced colocalization of SV2 and α-bungarotoxin, as well as NMJ volume (in adults) | Yes – Reduced swim endurance (in adults) | Muscle atrophy. Progressive and intermittent paralysis. Increased mortality. |
| Sakowski et al., 2012 | SOD1 G93A mutation | Yes – Reduced axon length and increased branching | Yes | Yes – Loss of intact NMJ (from 20 weeks) | Yes – Reduced swim velocity and progressive reduced swim duration |
Zebrafish models of SOD1 pathology.
TABLE 6
| Study | Method | Axonopathy | MN loss | NMJ abnormalities | Motor deficits | Other phenotypes |
| CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout | Not reported | Not reported | Yes – Abnormal structure and deficits in pre- and postsynaptic NMJ transmission | Yes – Reduced swim duration, distance, and maximum velocity | Morphological deformities. Increased mortality. | |
| Hewamadduma et al., 2013 | TILLING-mediated TARDBP fh301 (Y220) missense mutation | No (not in tardbpfh301/fh301 mutants) – But severe axonal defects in double (tardbp + tardbpl) knockouts | Not reported | Not reported | Yes – In double (tardbp + tardbpl) knockout | Morphological abnormalities and increased mortality in double (tardbp + tardbpl) knockouts |
| Kabashi et al., 2010 | AMO knockdown | Yes – Reduced axon length and aberrant branching | No | Not reported | Yes – Impaired tail coiling ability and loss of TEER | |
| Kabashi et al., 2010 | TARDBP A315T, G348C, and A382T mutations | A315T: Yes – Reduced axon length and increased branching. G348C: Yes – Reduced axon length and increased branching. A382T: Yes – Reduced axon length | A315T: Yes – 48%. G348C: Yes – 44%. A382T: Yes – 31%. | Not reported | Yes – Impaired tail coiling ability and delayed response to TEER | |
| Laird et al., 2010 | TARDBP A315T mutation | Yes – Reduced axon length and increased aberrant branching | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | |
| Lissouba et al., 2018 | TARDBP G348C mutation | Yes – Increased aberrant branching of primary axon and absence of secondary branching | Not reported | Not reported | Yes – Deficient TEER; reduced swim distance, duration, and maximum velocity | |
| Schmid et al., 2013 | TARDBP double (tardbp–/–; tardbpl–/–) mutation | Yes – Reduced axon length | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Impaired blood circulation. Muscle atrophy. Increased mortality. |
Zebrafish models of TARDBP (TDP-43) pathology.
TABLE 7
| Study | Method | Axonopathy | MN loss | NMJ abnormalities | Motor deficits |
| Antisense MO knockdown (60% expression reduction) | Not reported | Not reported – But increased MN excitability | Yes – Abnormal structure and deficits in pre- and postsynaptic NMJ transmission | Yes – Reduced swim duration and increased fatigue | |
| FUS R521H mutation | Not reported | Not reported – But increased MN excitability | Yes – Abnormal structure and deficits in pre- and postsynaptic NMJ transmission | Yes – Reduced swim duration and increased fatigue | |
| Armstrong et al., 2016 | CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported |
| Kabashi et al., 2011 | AMO knockdown | Yes – Reduced primary and unbranched axonal length | Not reported | Not reported | Yes – Deficient TEER (57% of injected) |
| Kabashi et al., 2011 | FUS R521C, R521H, and S57Δ mutations | R521H: Yes – Reduced axonal length. R521C: No S57Δ: No | Not reported | Not reported | R521H: Yes – Deficient TEER (57% of injected). R521C: No S57Δ: No |
| Lebedeva et al., 2016 | CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout | No | Not reported | Not reported | No |
Zebrafish models of FUS pathology.
TABLE 8
| Study | Method | Axonopathy | MN loss | Motor deficits | Other phenotypes |
| AMO knockdown | Yes – Reduced motor neuron axon length and aberrant branching | Not reported | Yes – Deficient touch-evoked escape response (TEER); reduced swim distance, average velocity and maximum velocity | ||
| Lee et al., 2013 | 8×, 38×, and 72× GGGGCC repeats | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Increased apoptotic cell death in 38× and 72× embryos |
| Ohki et al., 2017 | 2× or 80× GGGGCC repeats (with or with ATG codon) | No | Not reported | Not reported | Display of toxicity and pericardial edema in 80× embryos |
| Shaw et al., 2018 | 89× GGGGCC repeats | Not reported | Yes | Yes – Impaired ability to transition into fast movement. Displayed center avoidance behavior. | Muscle atrophy. Reduced weight gain. Increased mortality. |
| Swinnen et al., 2018 | 3×, 4×, 10×, ∼35×, ∼70×, and ∼90× GGGGCC repeats | Yes – Only from ∼35× repeats | Not reported | Not reported |
Zebrafish models of C9orf72 pathology.
Superoxide dismutase 1
Mutations in SOD1 are a major cause of familial ALS, and one of the most extensively studied. Interestingly, SOD1 expression is ubiquitous and despite efforts to ascertain its role, it is still unclear how mutant SOD1 leads to selective death of motor neurons. Evidence presented thus far suggests that pathology arises from gain-of-function mutations of SOD1 in ALS. As summarized in Table 5, overexpression of human mutant SOD1 in zebrafish resulted in significantly impaired axonal outgrowth and limited branching, as well as impaired swimming capabilities. In one of the first studies, transient overexpression of human G93A-SOD1 caused axon pathology, degeneration of the neuromuscular junctions, and motor neuron loss (Sakowski et al., 2012). Similarly, zebrafish larvae injected with mutant human SOD1 mRNA showed significant axonopathy and displayed impaired movements during behavioral tests when compared to controls injected with wild type SOD1 mRNA (Robinson et al., 2019). These phenotypes were confirmed in various stable transgenic zebrafish models of mutant SOD1 (Ramesh et al., 2010; Sakowski et al., 2012;
TARDBP
TARDBP encodes the RNA/DNA-binding protein TDP-43 which functions in RNA processing and metabolism. TARDBP mutations result in accumulation of mutant TDP-43 in inclusion bodies in over 90% of all ALS cases. Also present in frontotemporal lobe dementia (FTLD), ubiquitinated and hyperphosphorylated TDP-43 C-terminal fragments accumulate in neurons and glia in brains of FLTD patients, but interestingly not in the spinal cord (
Zebrafish transgenic for human mutant TARDBP exhibit hallmarks of ALS pathogenesis such as abnormalities in motor axon formation and branching, and motor functioning (Table 6). Testing the effects of three separate TARDBP mutations (A315T, A382T, and G348C) found in ALS patients, Kabashi et al. (2010) showed for the first time that mutant TDP-43 expression in the zebrafish led to abnormal motor axon development, motor neuron defects and toxicity, as well as severe deficits of motor function. In a follow-up study, Laird et al. (2010) demonstrated that overexpression of proganulin, null mutations of which cause TDP-43 accumulation in FTLD, rescued motor neuron degeneration in the TDP43-A315T zebrafish line. Zebrafish express both independent orthologs of TARDBP (tardbp and tardbpl) throughout development, and single deletion of one ortholog is compensated for by increased expression of a splice variant of the other (Schmid et al., 2013). Therefore, homozygous double mutants (tardbp–/–; tardbpl–/–) were generated to establish the impact of TDP-43 loss-of-function (Schmid et al., 2013;
Fused in sarcoma
Mutations in the FUS gene cause an aggressive, sometimes juvenile-onset motor neuron disease (Lattante et al., 2013). FUS is an RNA-binding protein with structural and functional similarity to TDP-43, and mis-localization of FUS from the nucleus into the cytoplasm leads to FUS aggregation in inclusion bodies similar to TDP-43 inclusions in motor neurons. As with the other ALS-associated genes, FUS has been suggested to contribute to disease pathogenesis through either a loss-of-function in the nucleus or gain-of-function after its mis-localization to the cytoplasm. As summarized in Table 7, several zebrafish models with genetic manipulation of FUS have been developed. The earlier studies employed antisense MOs to knockdown FUS, resulting in morphant larvae with shortened motor axons, aberrant branching and marked abnormality in motor behavior (Kabashi et al., 2011;
C9orf72
Expansions of the G4C2 (GGGGCC) hexanucleotide repeats in the C9orf72 gene have been identified as one of the most common genetic causes of ALS (Stepto et al., 2014;
Various mutant, deletion and transgenic C9orf72 zebrafish models have since been generated to investigate the functional role of C9orf72 in ALS pathogenesis (Table 8). Multi-fold G4C2 repeats were engineered to achieve neurotoxicity and induce disease. In one of the early studies, increased apoptotic cell death was observed in embryos expressing 72× G4C2 repeats compared to age-matched embryos with 38× G4C2 repeats (Lee et al., 2013). In line with data suggesting correlating increase in neurotoxicity with numbers of G4C2 repeats, it was found that injection of 89× G4C2 repeats at the 1-cell -stage led to severe toxicity and mortality by 7 dpf (Shaw et al., 2018). Expression of 10 or fewer G4C2 repeats did not have any negative impact on axon physiology (Swinnen et al., 2018). The zebrafish models with multiple G4C2 expansions displayed hallmarks of ALS such as muscle atrophy, motor axon abnormalities, motor neuron loss, as well as behavioral and locomotor deficits.
The first in vivo C9orf72 loss-of-function model was developed via a MO-induced knockdown leading to signs of motor neuron degeneration with axonopathy phenotypes and abnormal motor behavior (
Furthermore, mislocalization of TDP-43 from the nucleus to the cytoplasm was observed in the C9-miR zebrafish, recapitulating another classical neuropathological hallmark of ALS (
Other models of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Besides genetic causes, extrinsic factors such as the exposure to environmental neurotoxins have been associated with ALS etiology (Zarei et al., 2015). Bisphenol A (BPA) is widely used in the production of polycarbonate plastics and adversely affects hormonal and metabolic pathways (Vandenberg et al., 2007; Seachrist et al., 2016). Morrice et al. (2018) tested the effects of synthetic estrogen BPA on zebrafish and found that BPA led to reduced motor axon length and branching as well as loss of neuromuscular junction integrity. They further noted increased numbers of apoptotic motor neurons and the presence of activated microglia.
Huntington’s disease
Huntington’s disease (HD) is an autosomal-dominant inheritable neurodegenerative disorder that results from a CAG repeat extension in exon 1 of the huntingtin gene (HTT), which translates into a long polyQ repeat in the huntingtin protein. The length of these polyQ repeats correlate with the age of onset, penetrance and severity of the disease (Langbehn et al., 2010). HD has a prevalence of around 10 per 100,000 individuals globally, with the age of onset, penetrance, and severity of the disease largely dependent on the number of CAG/polyQ repeats present in the huntingtin gene. Mutant HTT (mHTT) fragments are very unstable as a consequence of the long polyQ repeat and forms aggregates that are localized in intranuclear inclusions, a hallmark of HD pathology (Squitieri et al., 1994; Lee et al., 2012; Semaka et al., 2013). Impaired proteostasis of mHTT result in toxic effects leading to neuronal death of GABAergic medium spiny neurons in the striatum and in neuronal loss in the cortex and other brain regions (
Zebrafish models of Huntington’s disease
Htt loss-of-function
To identify the physiological function of Htt, various groups have addressed the impact of htt depletion on early development in the zebrafish (Table 9). The zebrafish homolog of human HTT encodes a protein of 3,121 amino acids with 70% identity to mammalian HTT, but only 4 glutamines compared to 7 in mice and up to 35 in humans (Karlovich et al., 1998). As in humans, HTT is ubiquitously expressed in the zebrafish brain and is crucial for the formation of telencephalic progenitor cells as well as pre-placodal cells (Lumsden et al., 2007; Henshall et al., 2009). The zebrafish telencephalon has been proposed to be the anatomical equivalence of the mammalian striatum (Rink and Wullimann, 2002). Moreover, the loss of placode-derived tissue including olfactory and lateral line sensory neurons in the zebrafish is consistent with clinical observations of progressive olfactory abnormalities in individuals with HD (Mitchell et al., 2005; Laroche et al., 2020).
TABLE 9
| Study | Method | Neuronal loss | Impaired metabolism | Motor deficits | Other phenotype |
| AMO knockdown | Yes | Reduced BDNF levels. | Not reported | Morphological deformities. Increased mortality. | |
| Henshall et al., 2009 | AMO knockdown | Too early | Not reported | Not reported | Impaired brain development. Morphological deformities. |
| Lo Sardo et al., 2012 | AMO knockdown | Not reported | Increased ADAM10 activity. Increased Ncadherin cleavage. | Not reported | Impaired brain development. |
| Lumsden et al., 2007 | AMO knockdown | Not reported | Impaired iron metabolism. Reduced hemoglobin production. | Not reported | Developmental retardation and morphological deformities. |
| Miller et al., 2005 | 19Q, 35Q, 56Q, and 80Q polyQ expansion | Yes – Only from 56Q expansion | Not reported – But demonstrated role of CHIP in role of QC | Not reported | Morphological deformities and increased mortality (From 56Q expansion). |
| Schiffer et al., 2007 | 4Q, 25Q, and 102Q polyQ expansion | Yes – Only in 102Q | Not reported | Not reported | Morphological deformities and increased mortality (102Q). |
| Sidik et al., 2020 | CRISPR/Cas9 deletion | No | No | Not reported | Reduced fitness and survival in adulthood. |
| Veldman et al., 2015 | Cre-loxP inducible 97Q expansion – in relation to N17 domain | Not reported – But increased mHTT aggregation | Not reported | Yes | Brain atrophy and reduced brain weight (mHTT without N17 domain). |
Zebrafish models of huntingtin pathology.
Focusing on regions of HTT expression throughout the CNS, Henshall et al. investigated how loss of HTT affected different brain regions in the zebrafish (Henshall et al., 2009). Inhibition of HTT mRNA translation impaired the formation of the anterior-most region of the neural plate, evidenced by reduced expression of genes characteristically expressed within that region (six1, dlx3b, and emx3). The anterior neural plate is important for the induction of forebrain structures such as the pre-placodal cells and telencephalic precursors (Whitlock and Westerfield, 2000;
Knockdown of HTT also led to decreased hemoglobin in the blood, increased erythroid and ubiquitous transferrin receptor transcript levels, as well as exhausted maternal iron stores in the yolk (Lumsden et al., 2007). In line with iron deficiency and dysregulation of iron metabolism observed in human HD pathology (Morrison and Nevin, 1994), the results suggested that HTT acts downstream of transferrin receptor -mediated endocytosis of iron, thus implicating its role in the release of iron from endocytic compartments into the cytosol.
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a major contributor in neural development including formation, differentiation, and survival of neurons (
Htt gain-of-function
The accumulation of mHTT in neurons indicates that protein quality control is compromised. The C-terminus of Hsc70-interacting protein (CHIP) plays a crucial role in ensuring the proper folding and conformation of proteins, linking molecular chaperones with the ubiquitin-protease system by acting as both co-chaperone and ubiquitin ligase (McDonough and Patterson, 2003). The co-expression of CHIP with either a generic polyQ-fragment or pathogenic fragment of human HTT led to increased solubility and hence reduced aggregation of the mHTT protein in zebrafish (Miller et al., 2005). Furthermore, CHIP expression rescued the formation of inclusions in neurons and toxicity in mouse primary neuron cultures as well as zebrafish embryos (Miller et al., 2005). However, the apoptotic neuronal cells observed in mHTT expressing embryos were not the cells showing insoluble inclusion bodies of aggregated mHTT (Schiffer et al., 2007;
Exploiting the advantage of the zebrafish model for chemical screens, Schiffer et al. tested several compounds to inhibit polyQ aggregation of mutant HTT. Two anti-prion compounds of the N′-benzylidene-benzohydrazide class were identified that successfully inhibited polyQ aggregation in zebrafish embryos expressing mHTT with a 102Q (Schiffer et al., 2007). Williams et al. used the rhodopsin promoter to express an EGFP tagged mHTT containing a 71Q expansion in the zebrafish eye. This resulted in the accumulation of mHTT aggregates in the embryonic zebrafish retina, leading to loss of rhodopsin expression and consequential rod photoreceptor degeneration (Williams et al., 2008). In addition, the group performed an in vitro chemical screen to identify novel enhancers of autophagy-inducing pathways independent of mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin). Autophagy is a major clearance mechanism for intracellular protein aggregates which can be upregulated via the administration of the mTOR inhibitor rapamycin (Ravikumar et al., 2004). Treatment of embryos expressing mHTT (71Q) with various drug candidates that all targeted different components of an mTOR-independent autophagy pathway (verapamil, calpastatin, clonidine, and 2′5′ddA), reduced the extend of mHTT aggregation in the retina significantly and substantially enhanced rhodopsin expression compared to untreated fish (Williams et al., 2008).
As previously reported in HD BAC transgenic mice, an N-terminal 17 (N17) amino acid fragment of HTT adjacent to the polyQ expansion domain regulates protein stability, toxicity, and sub-cellular localization (Gu et al., 2015). Investigating the role of N17 in zebrafish, Veldman et al. (2015) generated a novel, inducible line that expressed either a deleted N17 domain coupled with 97Q expansion (mHTT-ΔN17-exon1) or intact N17 and 97Q expansion alone (mHTT-exon1). The mHTT-ΔN17-exon1 embryos showed robust and rapidly progressive movement disorders, reminiscent of that seen in other animal models and human patients while the mHTT-exon1 embryos displayed a delayed onset and slower progression of movement deficits. Importantly, accumulation of mutant HTT was observed in neurons expressing the combined N17 deletion and 97Q expansion, but not in neurons expressing the 97Q expansion construct alone (Veldman et al., 2015). Recently, a CRISPR/Cas9-induced Htt deletion was performed in zebrafish (Sidik et al., 2020), and in contrast to previous MO studies, and rodent models whereby homozygous HTT knockout is embryonic lethal at pre-gastrulation stage (Nasir et al., 1995; Zeitlin et al., 1995), these zebrafish were viable into adulthood but showed slow growth, smaller body size and poor fitness. Thus, further investigation is needed to establish the function of wild type Htt during development and the pathogenic role of the poly-Q expansion in zebrafish.
Discussion
The zebrafish model is widely used to study various aspects of the CNS, from development and physiological function to degeneration and disease. We have highlighted many advantages, but we also want to address areas where zebrafish models show limitations.
Many of the studies summarized here, especially those dating 10 or more years back, have used MO to knock down mRNA or block protein expression. In general, the advantage of gene knockdown by MO injection has been the quick generation of larval fish depleted of proteins of interest but some of the produced phenotypes were caused by unspecific side effects. In recent years, many studies have dealt with the discrepancies between phenotypes of morphants and mutations leading to gene deletion or premature stop codons (Kok et al., 2015; Morcos et al., 2015; Stainier et al., 2015; Zimmer et al., 2019). MOs have been shown to induce off-target effects that were mostly morphological deformities, while engineered gene mutations generating nonsense-mRNAs were found to activate nonsense-mediated decay machinery and induce genetic compensation, masking the null mutant phenotype (Kok et al., 2015;
Motor dysfunction is a hallmark of many neurodegenerative disorders and is often used as a readout for disease progression. To observe and analyze motor function in zebrafish, imaging and tracking software have been developed to determine locomotor dysfunction. However, most studies have evaluated motor deficits through either total locomotor activity (swim duration, swim velocity, swim distance) or response time toward a tactile-evoked escape response. These tests may not be a true reflection of the more subtle muscular and movement disorders resulting from neurodegeneration. For example, it is difficult to establish balance or movement coordination in the zebrafish model, whereas it is straightforward in quadruped rodent models. Similarly, while anxiety and fatigue tests, as well as gait analyses have been routinely carried out in rodents, those assays have been more difficult to establish in the zebrafish model. Therefore, a need remains for the design of behavioral assays in zebrafish that more accurately mirror the repertoire of progressive motor disorders in neurodegenerative disorders.
The ability to maintain large stock numbers of zebrafish at relatively low cost provides laboratories a cost-effective alternative to the breeding of rodents and other mammalian models (
FIGURE 2

Drug screening and automated imaging as well as analysis of zebrafish larvae. The VAST system is a fully validated, highly accurate integrity screening system that provides a method of screening large population numbers rapidly. Automated imaging and analysis pipelines ensure unbiased and fast data generation. VAST Bioimager photo provided by Dr. Jason Early (Jason.Early@ed.ac.uk).
Research into PD pathology has already integrated the zebrafish model well (Figure 3). Transgenic expression of human α-synuclein and knockdown of genes carrying mutations in PD patients (PINK1, LRRK2, Parkin, DJ-1, and FBXO7) have recapitulated the classic symptoms of the disease such as loss of dopaminergic neurons, neuroinflammation, locomotor and behavioral dysfunctions. Similarly, neurotoxin and pesticide exposure (MPTP, 6-OHDA, ziram, rotenone, and paraquat) resulted in loss of dopaminergic neurons as well as locomotor impairments. The zebrafish model thus presents a platform to investigate mechanisms of aggregate formation and consequences of gene mutation or pesticide exposure in the CNS. Several studies also included behavioral tests to measure depression, anxiety, social interaction aversion and aggression, features that are present in many PD patients. However, the results were quite variable and there is a need to establish better behavioral screens for the psychiatric symptoms of PD in the zebrafish model.
FIGURE 3

Schematic overview of zebrafish model compared to human disease condition. Human disease condition on the left compared to zebrafish phenotypes on the right.
Many recent studies have employed zebrafish to model AD, and despite successful recapitulation of Aβ-sheet aggregation, increased neuronal toxicity and death, modeling AD in the zebrafish has thus far been limited (Figure 3). Deletions of the PSEN genes were viable and did not exhibit morphological or neurological defects. Tau phosphorylation and NFTs formation were successfully induced, but only appeared in the spinal cord and not in the brain of the larval zebrafish. Aβ aggregation could only be observed when human Aβ was injected into the fish brain, but not from endogenous protein. Additionally, Aβ overexpression induced phenotypes atypical of clinical AD, such as increased neuronal progenitor plasticity and proliferation, and enhanced neurogenesis. However, treatment of fish larvae with the known protein phosphatase inhibitor OKA successfully induced tau hyperphosphorylation, as well as deposition of Aβ, formation of senile plaques, and induced learning and memory deficits in zebrafish, mimicking the classical hallmarks of AD. With the number of AD cases expected to continually rise over the coming years, the need for drug discoveries is imperative. Thus, recent efforts have focused on the advantages of the zebrafish as a cost-effective and rapid in vivo pharmacological model for AD drug discovery. In this context, the use of CRISPR/Cas gene editing may help to establish better zebrafish models of AD.
While ALS research has been typically carried out in rodent models, data obtained in the zebrafish thus far is showing great promise for modeling ALS (Figure 3). Zebrafish mutants of FUS, TDP-34, C9orf72, and SOD1 all displayed hallmarks of ALS such as muscle atrophy, motor axon abnormalities, motor neuron loss, as well as behavioral and motor deficits. Importantly, zebrafish studies have greatly advanced our understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in ALS pathogenesis. For example, analysis of tardbp null fish revealed that the actin cross-linking protein Filamin C was upregulated as part of TDP-43 mediated pathogenesis, a fact later confirmed in the analysis of human samples. Investigation into FUS function in zebrafish revealed that FUS is essential for the interaction between U1 snRNP and RNA Polymerase II (RNAP II) during splicing, thus physically and functionally coupling transcription to splicing (250). BPA treatment of zebrafish not only induced motor axonopathy and loss of neuromuscular junction integrity, but was also associated with increased numbers of apoptotic motor neurons and the presence of activated microglia. Importantly, the zebrafish may prove to be particularly useful when disease phenotypes fail to manifest in classical mammalian models. For example, while knockdown of C9orf72 in zebrafish led to typical symptoms of ALS, previous studies in rodent models failed to show adverse effects of C9orf72 deficiency on neural health (Lagier-Tourenne et al., 2013;
In comparison to other disease models, not many studies have been carried out to explore HD pathology in the zebrafish. The overexpression of human mHTT, and different Htt knockdown analyses showed increased apoptosis and neuronal cell death in brain regions ortholog to those affected in HD patients (like the striatum), and disturbed neural tube formation. Importantly, zebrafish are viable in the absence of Huntingtin in contrast to mice, which has helped to better understand the neurodevelopmental aspects of HD. Studies in zebrafish revealed that impaired HTT function in early development could have limiting effects on precursor cell numbers of neurons affected by the loss of normal HTT in later development. Other studies identified REST as a molecular target of HTT in regulating BDNF expression and strikingly, found that the soluble mutant forms of HTT mRNA and protein were the toxic components causing cell death. Two anti-prion compounds were identified that successfully inhibited poly-Q aggregation. Finally, zebrafish transgenic for a truncated form of mHTT (mHTT-ΔN17) displayed a rapidly progressive movement disorder, reminiscent of that seen in other animal models and human patients (Figure 3).
To find new therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases, the blood brain barrier constitutes a major hinderance for drugs to reach their targets in the brain. Nanotechnology is becoming a promising field of research for brain drug delivery using nanosized particles. Here the zebrafish is also proving an advantageous model for assessing blood brain barrier permeability with respect to novel neuro-specific technologies. Zebrafish provide an excellent model to test nanoparticle biocompatibility and toxicity (
In summary, current data encourage the use of zebrafish as a model for neurodegenerative diseases. While we have described some of the limitations, the zebrafish presents a rapid, cost effective, and highly practical platform compared to classical mammalian models. Recent analyses employing cutting edge technology such as optogenetics have provided new insights into processes such as aggregate formation and the downstream consequences on a molecular level. Moreover, new tools such as very early cell death reporters make zebrafish an asset in neurodegeneration research. The plethora of cellular fluorescent reporters and cutting-edge imaging techniques, combined with the accessibility for drug testing, underscores the potential of zebrafish for the development of therapies for human neurodegenerative diseases.
Statements
Author contributions
KC, AK, DS, and JP contributed to the conceptualization and writing – review and editing. DS and JP contributed to the resources, supervision, and project administration. KC and AK contributed to the writing – original draft and visualization. JP contributed to the funding acquisition. All authors contributed to the article and approved the submitted version.
Funding
This work was supported in part by funding from the MRC/UK DRI (Momentum and Programme Awards to JP).
Acknowledgments
We thank Dr. Rafael Almeida and Dr. Jenea Bin for providing confocal images of single cells in zebrafish larvae (Figure 1).
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
Publisher’s note
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
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Summary
Keywords
zebrafish, Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Huntington’s disease (HD)
Citation
Chia K, Klingseisen A, Sieger D and Priller J (2022) Zebrafish as a model organism for neurodegenerative disease. Front. Mol. Neurosci. 15:940484. doi: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.940484
Received
10 May 2022
Accepted
01 July 2022
Published
13 October 2022
Volume
15 - 2022
Edited by
Wietske van der Ent, University of Oslo, Norway
Reviewed by
Suraiya Saleem, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, India; Jenny Russ, German Center for Neurodegeneratives (HZ), Germany
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© 2022 Chia, Klingseisen, Sieger and Priller.
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: Dirk Sieger, dirk.sieger@ed.ac.ukJosef Priller, josef.priller@ed.ac.uk
This article was submitted to Methods and Model Organisms, a section of the journal Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience
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