Morphology of the Mechanosensory Lateral Line System in Elasmobranch Fishes: Ecological and Behavioral Considerations

The relationship between morphology of the mechanosensory lateral line system and behavior is essentially unknown in elasmobranch fishes. Gross anatomy and spatial distribution of different peripheral lateral line components were examined in several batoids (Raja eglanteria, Narcine brasiliensis, Gymnura micrura, and Dasyatis sabina) and a bonnethead shark, Sphyrna tiburo, and are interpreted to infer possible behavioral functions for superficial neuromasts, canals, and vesicles of Savi in these species. Narcine brasiliensis has canals on the dorsal surface with 1 pore per tubule branch, lacks a ventral canal system, and has 8–10 vesicles of Savi in bilateral rows on the dorsal rostrum and numerous vesicles ( = 65 ± 6 SD per side) on the ventral rostrum. Raja eglanteria has superficial neuromasts in bilateral rows along the dorsal body midline and tail, a pair anterior to each endolymphatic pore, and a row of 5–6 between the infraorbital canal and eye. Raja eglanteria also has dorsal canals with 1 pore per tubule branch, pored and non-pored canals on the ventral surface, and lacks a ventral subpleural loop. Gymnura micrura has a pored dorsal canal system with extensive branch patterns, a pored ventral hyomandibular canal, and non-pored canal sections around the mouth. Dasyatis sabina has more canal pores on the dorsal body surface, but more canal neuromasts and greater diameter canals on the ventral surface. Sphyrna tiburo has primarily pored canals on both the dorsal and ventral surfaces of the head, as well as the posterior lateral line canal along the lateral body surface. Based upon these morphological data, pored canals on the dorsal body and tail of elasmobranchs are best positioned to detect water movements across the body surface generated by currents, predators, conspecifics, or distortions in the animal's flow field while swimming. In addition, pored canals on the ventral surface likely also detect water movements generated by prey. Superficial neuromasts are protected from stimulation caused by forward swimming motion by their position at the base of papillar grooves, and may detect water flow produced by currents, prey, predators, or conspecifics. Ventral non-pored canals and vesicles of Savi, which are found in benthic batoids, likely function as tactile or vibration receptors that encode displacements of the skin surface caused by prey, the substrate, or conspecifics. This mechanotactile mechanism is supported by the presence of compliant canal walls, neuromasts that are enclosed in wide diameter canals, and the presence of hair cells in neuromasts that are polarized both parallel to and nearly perpendicular to the canal axis in D. sabina. The mechanotactile, schooling, and mechanosensory parallel processing hypotheses are proposed as future directions to address the relationships between morphology and physiology of the mechanosensory lateral line system and behavior in elasmobranch fishes.     

The role of Wnt/β‐catenin signaling in proliferation and regeneration of the developing basilar papilla and lateral line

Canonical Wnt/β‐catenin signaling has been implicated in multiple developmental events including the regulation of proliferation, cell fate, and differentiation. In the inner ear, Wnt/β‐catenin signaling is required from the earliest stages of otic placode specification through the formation of the mature cochlea. Within the avian inner ear, the basilar papilla (BP), many Wnt pathway components are expressed throughout development. Here, using reporter constructs for Wnt/β‐catenin signaling, we show that this pathway is active throughout the BP (E6‐E14) in both hair cells (HCs) and supporting cells. To characterize the role of Wnt/β‐catenin activity in developing HCs, we performed gain‐ and loss‐of‐function experiments in vitro and in vivo in the chick BP and zebrafish lateral line systems, respectively. Pharmacological inhibition of Wnt signaling in the BP and lateral line neuromasts during the periods of proliferation and HC differentiation resulted in reduced proliferation and decreased HC formation. Conversely, pharmacological activation of this pathway significantly increased the number of HCs in the lateral line and BP. Results demonstrated that this increase was the result of up‐regulated cell proliferation within the Sox2‐positive cells of the prosensory domains. Furthermore, Wnt/β‐catenin activation resulted in enhanced HC regeneration in the zebrafish lateral line following aminoglycoside‐induced HC loss. Combined, our data suggest that Wnt/β‐catenin signaling specifies the number of cells within the prosensory domain and subsequently the number of HCs. This ability to induce proliferation suggests that the modulation of Wnt/β‐catenin signaling could play an important role in therapeutic HC regeneration. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 74: 438–456, 2014     

VISION AND SENSORY PHYSIOLOGY The lateral line systems of three deep-sea fish

The distribution and ultrastructure of the lateral line systems in three taxonomically dispersed deep-sea fish are described: Poromitra capito, Melanonus zugmayeri and Phrynichthys wedli. They are meso- to bathpelagic and are thought to feed on small crustaceans and fish. All possess highly developed lateral line systems, a feature associated with life in the deep sea. Poromitra capito and M. zugmayeri exhibit widened head canals which are connected to the outside by large pores and which contain around 60 large neuromasts. Each neuromast consists of a cupula, shield-shaped mantle and a sensory plate containing hundreds to thousands of hair cells. Direction of sensitivity is in the long axis of the canal (perpendicular to the long axis of the mantle). Depending on their position on the sensory plate, the hair cells have different morphologies. They fall into three basic classes which, from comparison with past work, may be tuned to different frequencies. Alternatively, the various hair cell morphologies could be interpreted as being members of a developmental or growth sequence. Phrynichthys wedli has no canal organs, these being replaced secondarily by many superficial neuromasts placed on prominent papillae in rows which cover much of the 'head' and body. Direction of sensitivity is along the axis of the neuromast row. An extreme proliferation of superficial neuromasts are also found on the heads of P. capito and M. zugmayeri and these are of a type not described before. They consist of stitches, raised on papillae in M. zugmayeri and several mm long in P. capito , in which continuous lines of hair cells, two to three cells wide, are embedded. Direction of sensitivity is perpendicular to the long axis of the stitch. Based on the structure and direction of sensitivity, possible functional implications of all the neuromast types described are compared and discussed.     

Gene miles-apart is required for formation of otic vesicle and hair cells in zebrafish

Hearing loss is a serious burden to physical and mental health worldwide. Aberrant development and damage of hearing organs are recognized as the causes of hearing loss, the molecular mechanisms underlining these pathological processes remain elusive. Investigation of new molecular mechanisms involved in proliferation, differentiation, migration and maintenance of neuromast primordium and hair cells will contribute to better understanding of hearing loss pathology. This knowledge will enable the development of protective agents and mechanism study of drug ototoxicity. In this study, we demonstrate that the zebrafish gene miles-apart, a homolog of sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 2 (s1pr2) in mammals, has an important role in the development of otic vesicle, neuromasts and survival of hair cells. Whole-mount in situ hybridization of embryos showed that miles-apart expression occurred mainly in the encephalic region and the somites at 24 h.p.f. (hour post fertilization), in the midbrain/hindbrain boundary, the brainstem and the pre-neuromast of lateral line at 48 h.p.f. in a strict spatiotemporal regulation. Both up- and downregulation of miles-apart led to abnormal otoliths and semicircular canals, excess or few hair cells and neuromasts, and their disarranged depositions in the lateral lines. Miles-apart (Mil) dysregulation also caused abnormal expression of hearing-associated genes, including hmx2, fgf3, fgf8a, foxi1, otop1, pax2.1 and tmieb during zebrafish organogenesis. Moreover, in larvae miles-apart gene knockdown significantly upregulated proapoptotic gene zBax2 and downregulated prosurvival gene zMcl1b; in contrast, the level of zBax2 was decreased and of zMcl1b enhanced by miles-apart overexpression. Collectively, Mil activity is linked to organization and number decision of hair cells within a neuromast, also to deposition of neuromasts and formation of otic vesicle during zebrafish organogenesis. At the larva stage, Mil as an upstream regulator of bcl-2 gene family has a role in protection of hair cells against apoptosis by promoting expression of prosurvival gene zMcl1b and suppressing proapoptotic gene zBax2.     

Larval zebrafish rapidly sense the water flow of a predator's strike

Larval fishes have a remarkable ability to sense and evade the feeding strike of a predator fish with a rapid escape manoeuvre. Although the neuromuscular control of this behaviour is well studied, it is not clear what stimulus allows a larva to sense a predator. Here we show that this escape response is triggered by the water flow created during a predator''s strike. Using a novel device, the impulse chamber, zebrafish (Danio rerio) larvae were exposed to this accelerating flow with high repeatability. Larvae responded to this stimulus with an escape response having a latency (mode=13–15 ms) that was fast enough to respond to predators. This flow was detected by the lateral line system, which includes mechanosensory hair cells within the skin. Pharmacologically ablating these cells caused the escape response to diminish, but then recover as the hair cells regenerated. These findings demonstrate that the lateral line system plays a role in predator evasion at this vulnerable stage of growth in fishes.     

暗纹东方鲀侧线系统早期形态和生长发育

通过光镜和扫描电镜对暗纹东方鲀(Takifugu obscurus)的侧线系统进行形态学及组织学的研究。研究结果首次揭示了暗纹东方鲀侧线系统除了主侧线外还包括辅助侧线和辅助神经丘。主侧线分布主要包括眶上线、眶下线、耳后侧线、下颌线、前鳃盖线、上颞线、背侧线、腹侧线。辅助侧线和辅助神经丘分布主要包括口部辅助侧线、眶下辅助侧线、下颌前辅助侧线、下颌后辅助侧线、眶上后辅助侧线、上颞腹辅助神经丘、上颞背辅助神经丘、前鳃盖后辅助神经丘、背部辅助神经丘、尾部辅助神经丘。暗纹东方鲀侧线器官为接受机械刺激的神经丘,数目上千,神经丘分布在体表的凹槽里,且位于高低不同突起顶端。神经丘由套细胞、支持细胞和感觉毛细胞组成。感觉毛细胞呈圆形排列,并且每个细胞的游离面均有一根动纤毛和几十根静纤毛。据本研究对暗纹东方鲀侧线分布特征和神经丘的生长特征等的观察结果,认为尽管暗纹东方鲀侧线系统没有如其他真骨鱼类的管道系统,但是依然具有两套不同生理机能的机械感受系统,符合\"七管模式\"的主侧线神经丘与管道神经丘同源,而辅助侧线和辅助神经丘才是真正的表面神经丘。     

西伯利亚鲟侧线神经丘发育过程的观察

研究对西伯利亚鲟(Acipenser baerii)的胚后幼鱼进行石蜡切片HE染色,同时利用荧光染料DiA[4-(4-Diethylaminostyryl)-1-methylpyridinium iodide]对侧线管中侧线神经丘毛细胞特异性标记的特点,示踪了西伯利亚鲟胚后仔鱼各个时期侧线神经丘分化发育的过程。结果显示,西伯利亚鲟侧线管内侧线神经丘毛细胞如纤毛状,呈竖立紧密排列。出膜3d仔鱼眼眶后神经基板发育分化活动剧烈,出膜10d的仔鱼眼眶后方的神经基板分化出眼眶上下侧线神经丘的两个分支,同时眼眶后神经基板进一步向后分化发育在眼眶后部形成躯干侧线神经丘,但整个侧线神经丘还未完全发育完成,待出膜15d时,眼眶上下和躯干侧线神经丘已基本发育完全,出膜22d的仔鱼侧线神经丘发育基本完成。研究为今后深入研究西伯利亚鲟侧线发育过程中的神经分化发育、细胞迁移奠定了初步形态学基础。     

食管癌患者手术前后免疫功能改变对外周血细胞凋亡的影响

为探讨食管癌手术前后患者外周血细胞的凋亡情况。利用流式细胞仪对70例食管癌手术前及其手术后10天~14天患者外周血细胞的DNA和CD4,CD8和CD16/56含量进行了分析。结果显示:手术前后患者外周血细胞的凋亡有差异(P<0.05),但血细胞的DNA合成期细胞比率(S-phage fraction,SPE)、细胞增长指数无明显的差异(P>0.05)。两组的CD4/CD8比值或CD16/56比例有明显差异(P<0.001)。实验数据表明:手术前患者的细胞凋亡增加可能有利于平衡肿瘤细胞的恶性增殖;而外周血细胞的CD8、NK(自然杀伤细胞,natural killer cells)增高,可能有助于这种平衡作用。但手术后患者肿瘤负荷减轻,免疫功能恢复常态,细胞凋亡率相应降低。