Environmental Enrichment Improved Learning and Memory, Increased Telencephalic Cell Proliferation, and Induced Differential Gene Expression in Colossoma macropomum.

ABSTRACT: Fish use spatial cognition based on allocentric cues to navigate, but little is known about how environmental enrichment (EE) affects learning and memory in correlation with hematological changes or gene expression in the fish brain. Here we investigated these questions in Colossoma macropomum (Teleostei). Fish were housed for 192 days in either EE or in an impoverished environment (IE) aquarium. EE contained toys, natural plants, and a 12-h/day water stream for voluntary exercise, whereas IE had no toys, plants, or water stream. A third plus maze aquarium was used for spatial and object recognition tests. Compared with IE, the EE fish showed greater learning rates, body length, and body weight. After behavioral tests, whole brain tissue was taken, stored in RNA-later, and then homo

SUBMITTER: Pereira PDC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7303308 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature