Biology subjects

Chambule, S.

Publications and source records attributed to Chambule, S..

2 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2024

Multi-species community platform for comparative neuroscience in teleost fish

Studying neural mechanisms in complementary model organisms from different ecological niches in the same animal class can leverage the comparative brain analysis at the cellular level. To advance such a direction, we developed a unified brain atlas platform and specialized tools that allowed us to quantitatively compare neural structures in two teleost larvae, medaka (Oryzias latipes) and zebrafish (Danio rerio). Leveraging this quantitative approach we found that most brain regions are similar but some subpopulations are unique in each species. Specifically, we confirmed the existence of a clear dorsal pallial region in the telencephalon in medaka lacking in zebrafish. Further, our approach allows for extraction of differentially expressed genes in both species, and for quantitative comparison of neural activity at cellular resolution. The web-based and interactive nature of this atlas platform will facilitate the teleost communitys research and its easy extensibility will encourage contributions to its continuous expansion.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2021

Collective behavior emerges from genetically controlled simple behavioral motifs in zebrafish

Since Darwin, coordinated movement of animal groups has been believed to be essential to species survival, but it is not understood how changes in the genetic makeup of individuals might alter behavior of the collective. Here we find that even at the early larval stage, zebrafish regulate their proximity and alignment with each other. Two simple visual responses, one that measures relative visual field occupancy and the other global visual motion, suffice to account for the group behavior that emerges. We analyze how mutations in genes known to affect social behavior of humans perturb these simple reflexes in larval zebrafish and thereby affect their collective behaviors. We use model simulations to show that changes in reflexive responses of individual mutant animals predict well the distinctive collective patterns that emerge in a group. Hence group behaviors reflect in part genetically defined primitive sensorimotor "motifs", which are evident even in young larvae.

animal behavior and cognition↗