Developmental Exposure to Domoic Acid Disrupts Startle Response Behavior and Circuitry in Zebrafish.

ABSTRACT: Harmful algal blooms produce potent neurotoxins that accumulate in seafood and are hazardous to human health. Developmental exposure to the harmful algal bloom toxin, domoic acid (DomA), has behavioral consequences well into adulthood, but the cellular and molecular mechanisms of DomA developmental neurotoxicity are largely unknown. To assess these, we exposed zebrafish embryos to DomA during the previously identified window of susceptibility and used the well-known startle response circuit as a tool to identify specific neuronal components that are targeted by exposure to DomA. Exposure to DomA reduced startle responsiveness to both auditory/vibrational and electrical stimuli, and even at the highest stimulus intensities tested, led to a dramatic reduction of one type of startle (short-la

SUBMITTER: Panlilio JM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8331133 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature