Dataset Information

Evaluation of Age-Dependent Changes in the Coloration of Male Killifish Nothobranchius Guentheri Using New Photoprocessing Methods.

ABSTRACT: Fish as model objects have found wide applications in biology and fundamental medicine and allow studies of behavioral and physiological responses to various environmental factors. Representatives of the genus Nothobranchius are one of the most convenient objects for such studies. Male fish belonging to the family Nothobranchiidae are characterized by extremely diverse coloration, which constantly changes, depending on the age of the fish, environmental factors, and social hierarchical status. These fish species are characterized by a short life cycle, which allows changes in coloration, an indicator of the ontogenesis stage, to be estimated. Existing methods of fish color assessments do not allow the intensity of coloration of particular body zones to be clearly differentiated. In the present study, we suggest a method of two-factor assessment of specific fish body zones using modified methods of photofixation and image processing software. We describe the protocol of the method and the results of its application to different-aged groups of male Nothobranchius guentheri. The coloration of selected areas (i.e., red spot on the gill cover (RSGC), black border on the caudal fin (BBCF), and white border on the dorsal fin (WBDF)) differed significantly according to the size and age of the fish (p < 0.05). The data obtained suggest that N. guentheri can be a model for studying aging by the intensity of body coloration in males.

SUBMITTER: Nikiforov-Nikishin DL

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8869725 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Evaluation of Age-Dependent Changes in the Coloration of Male Killifish Nothobranchius Guentheri Using New Photoprocessing Methods.

Nikiforov-Nikishin Dmitry L DL Kochetkov Nikita I NI Mikodina Ekaterina V EV Nikiforov-Nikishin Alexei L AL Simakov Yuri G YG Golovacheva Natalya A NA Gorbunov Alexander V AV Chebotarev Sergei N SN Kirichenko Evgeniya Yu EY Zabiyaka Igor Yu IY Pastukhov Ivan S IS Bren Anzhelika B AB

Biology 20220127 2

Fish as model objects have found wide applications in biology and fundamental medicine and allow studies of behavioral and physiological responses to various environmental factors. Representatives of the genus <i>Nothobranchius</i> are one of the most convenient objects for such studies. Male fish belonging to the family <i>Nothobranchiidae</i> are characterized by extremely diverse coloration, which constantly changes, depending on the age of the fish, environmental factors, and social hierarch ...[more]

PMID: 35205071

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Project description:The African turquoise killifish (Nothobranchius furzeri) has emerged as a popular model organism for neuroscience research in the last decade. One of the reasons for its popularity is its short lifespan for a vertebrate organism. However, little research has been carried out using killifish in behavioral tests, especially looking at changes in their behavior upon aging. Therefore, we used the open field and the novel tank diving test to unravel killifish locomotion, exploration-related behavior, and behavioral changes over their adult lifespan. The characterization of this behavioral baseline is important for future experiments involving pharmacology to improve the aging phenotype. In this study, two cohorts of fish were used, one cohort was tested in the open field test and one cohort was tested in the novel tank diving test. Each cohort was tested from the age of 6 weeks to the age of 24 weeks and measurements were performed every three weeks. In the open field test, we found an increase in the time spent in the center zone from 18 weeks onward, which could indicate altered exploration behavior. However, upon aging, the fish also showed an increased immobility frequency and duration. In addition, after the age of 15 weeks, their locomotion decreased. In the novel tank diving test, we did not observe this aging effect on locomotion or exploration. Killifish spent around 80% of their time in the bottom half of the tank, and we could not observe habituation effects, indicating slow habituation to novel environments. Moreover, we observed that killifish showed homebase behavior in both tests. These homebases are mostly located near the edges of the open field test and at the bottom of the novel tank diving test. Altogether, in the open field test, the largest impact of aging on locomotion and exploration was observed beyond the age of 15 weeks. In the novel tank diving test, no effect of age was found. Therefore, to test the effects of pharmacology on innate behavior, the novel tank diving test is ideally suited because there is no confounding effect of aging.

Dataset Information

Evaluation of Age-Dependent Changes in the Coloration of Male Killifish Nothobranchius Guentheri Using New Photoprocessing Methods.

Publications

Evaluation of Age-Dependent Changes in the Coloration of Male Killifish Nothobranchius Guentheri Using New Photoprocessing Methods.

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