QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s):
Home     Help     Feedback     Subscriptions     Archive     Search     Table of Contents

First published online October 21, 2004
Journal of Experimental Biology 207, 4085-4094 (2004)
Published by The Company of Biologists 2004
doi: 10.1242/jeb.01260

This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Holmberg, A. Articles by Holmgren, S. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Holmberg, A. Articles by Holmgren, S. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Ontogeny of the gut motility control system in zebrafish Danio rerio embryos and larvae

Anna Holmberg¹, Thorsten Schwerte², Bernd Pelster² and Susanne Holmgren^1,*

¹ Department of Zoophysiology, Göteborg University, Box 463, SE 405 30 Göteborg, Sweden
² Institute for Zoology and Limnology, and Center for Molecular Biosciences, University of Innsbruck, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria

^* Author for correspondence (e-mail: S.Holmgren{at}zool.gu.se)

Accepted 18 August 2004

Using digital motion analysis, the ontogeny of the cholinergic, tachykinin and pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) control systems was studied in zebrafish Danio rerio larvae, in vivo. For the first time we show that the regular propagating anterograde waves that occur in the zebrafish larval gut before and around the onset [at 5–6 days post fertilization (d.p.f.)] of feeding are modulated by acetylcholine or atropine, PACAP and NKA (neurokinin A). At 3 d.p.f., when no spontaneous motility has developed, application of acetylcholine did not affect the gut. However, at 4 d.p.f., acetylcholine increased and atropine reduced the frequency of propagating anterograde waves. At 5 d.p.f., NKA increased and PACAP reduced the wave frequency. This suggests that both excitatory and inhibitory pathways develop at an early stage in the gut, independent of exogenous feeding. Immunohistochemistry established the presence of gut neurons expressing PACAP and NKA in the proximal part of the developing gut from the first stage investigated (2 d.p.f.) and before regular motility was observed. 1 d.p.f. (PACAP) or 2 d.p.f. (NKA) stages later the whole gut was innervated. This supports physiological results that gut motility is under neuronal control during the period when regular motility patterns develop.

Key words: enteric nervous system, development, PACAP, tachykinin, acetylcholine, zebrafish, Danio rerio

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				A. Holmberg, C. Olsson, and G. W. Hennig TTX-sensitive and TTX-insensitive control of spontaneous gut motility in the developing zebrafish (Danio rerio) larvae J. Exp. Biol., March 15, 2007; 210(6): 1084 - 1091. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Sundqvist and S. Holmgren Ontogeny of excitatory and inhibitory control of gastrointestinal motility in the African clawed frog, Xenopus laevis Am J Physiol Regulatory Integrative Comp Physiol, October 1, 2006; 291(4): R1138 - R1144. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Holmberg, C. Olsson, and S. Holmgren The effects of endogenous and exogenous nitric oxide on gut motility in zebrafish Danio rerio embryos and larvae J. Exp. Biol., July 1, 2006; 209(13): 2472 - 2479. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]