Activation of α2A-containing nicotinic acetylcholine receptors mediates nicotine-induced motor output in embryonic zebrafish.

TitleActivation of α2A-containing nicotinic acetylcholine receptors mediates nicotine-induced motor output in embryonic zebrafish.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2014
AuthorsMenelaou, E, Udvadia, AJ, Tanguay, RL, Svoboda, KR
JournalEur J Neurosci
Volume40
Issue1
Pagination2225-40
Date Published2014 Jul
ISSN1460-9568
KeywordsAnimals, Animals, Genetically Modified, Gene Knockdown Techniques, Immunohistochemistry, In Situ Hybridization, Morpholinos, Motor Activity, Motor Neurons, Neurons, Nicotine, Nicotinic Agonists, Olfactory Receptor Neurons, Oligonucleotides, Antisense, Receptors, Nicotinic, Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction, RNA, Messenger, Spinal Cord, Zebrafish
Abstract

It is well established that cholinergic signaling has critical roles during central nervous system development. In physiological and behavioral studies, activation of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) has been implicated in mediating cholinergic signaling. In developing spinal cord, cholinergic transmission is associated with neural circuits responsible for producing locomotor behaviors. In this study, we investigated the expression pattern of the α2A nAChR subunit as previous evidence suggested it could be expressed by spinal neurons. In situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry revealed that the α2A nAChR subunits are expressed in spinal Rohon-Beard (RB) neurons and olfactory sensory neurons in young embryos. To examine the functional role of the α2A nAChR subunit during embryogenesis, we blocked its expression using antisense modified oligonucleotides. Blocking the expression of α2A nAChR subunits had no effect on spontaneous motor activity. However, it did alter the embryonic nicotine-induced motor output. This reduction in motor activity was not accompanied by defects in neuronal and muscle elements associated with the motor output. Moreover, the anatomy and functionality of RB neurons was normal even in the absence of the α2A nAChR subunit. Thus, we propose that α2A-containing nAChRs are dispensable for normal RB development. However, in the context of nicotine-induced motor output, α2A-containing nAChRs on RB neurons provide the substrate that nicotine acts upon to induce the motor output. These findings also indicate that functional neuronal nAChRs are present within spinal cord at the time when locomotor output in zebrafish first begins to manifest itself.

DOI10.1111/ejn.12591
Alternate JournalEur. J. Neurosci.
PubMed ID24738729
PubMed Central IDPMC4166649
Grant ListES016513 / ES / NIEHS NIH HHS / United States
R01 ES016513 / ES / NIEHS NIH HHS / United States
P30 ES004184 / ES / NIEHS NIH HHS / United States
2P30ES004184 / ES / NIEHS NIH HHS / United States
ES000210 / ES / NIEHS NIH HHS / United States
P30 ES000210 / ES / NIEHS NIH HHS / United States