Publications (11)34.32 Total impact
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Article: Generation time of zebrafish (Danio rerio) and medakas (Oryzias latipes) housed in the same aquaculture facility.
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ABSTRACT: The zebrafish and the medaka are both important model organisms in biomedical research. Both species are frequently characterized as having a generation time of approximately 2-4 months, but the precise onset of sexual maturity and the variability of reproductive success with age have not been previously examined. The authors studied reproduction in replicate groups of wild-type zebrafish (strain AB) and medakas (strain Cab) that were maintained together in the same aquaculture system. Length, weight and survival of the fish were measured and recorded once per week. Reproductive success and viability of offspring were also evaluated. Both zebrafish and medakas began producing viable embryos within 60 d post-fertilization. These findings show that it is possible to successfully maintain populations of both species within the same research infrastructure without compromising reproductive success or embryo viability.Lab Animal 06/2012; 41(6):158-65. · 0.38 Impact Factor -
Article: The effect of stocking densities on reproductive performance in laboratory zebrafish (Danio rerio).
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ABSTRACT: Despite the growing popularity of the zebrafish model system, the optimal husbandry conditions for this animal are not well defined. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of stocking density on reproductive performance in zebrafish. In this study, undertaken by eight different zebrafish facilities, clutches of at least 200 wild-type zebrafish embryos from a single pairwise mating were produced at each participating institution and subsequently reared according to "in-house protocols" until they were 14 weeks old. Fish were then randomly assigned into treatment groups with balanced sex ratios and densities of 3, 6, or 12 fish/L. After a 1-month acclimation period, fish were spawned in pair crosses every 2 weeks for 3 months, for a total of six spawning dates. The number of viable and nonviable embryos produced in each clutch were counted at 1 day postfertilization. Although there was a great deal of variability in clutch size and percent spawning success among laboratories, there were no significant differences in average clutch size, spawning success, or percent viable among the treatment densities. These data suggest that using stocking densities as high as 12 fish/L does not have a negative impact on performance, when measured by reproductive performance.Zebrafish 08/2011; 8(3):141-6. · 3.08 Impact Factor -
Article: The challenges of implementing pathogen control strategies for fishes used in biomedical research.
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ABSTRACT: Over the past several decades, a number of fish species, including the zebrafish, medaka, and platyfish/swordtail, have become important models for human health and disease. Despite the increasing prevalence of these and other fish species in research, methods for health maintenance and the management of diseases in laboratory populations of these animals are underdeveloped. There is a growing realization that this trend must change, especially as the use of these species expands beyond developmental biology and more towards experimental applications where the presence of underlying disease may affect the physiology animals used in experiments and potentially compromise research results. Therefore, there is a critical need to develop, improve, and implement strategies for managing health and disease in aquatic research facilities. The purpose of this review is to report the proceedings of a workshop entitled "Animal Health and Disease Management in Research Animals" that was recently held at the 5th Aquatic Animal Models for Human Disease in September 2010 at Corvallis, Oregon to discuss the challenges involved with moving the field forward on this front.Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C Toxicology & Pharmacology 06/2011; 155(1):160-6. · 2.62 Impact Factor -
Article: Advances in zebrafish husbandry and management.
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ABSTRACT: The zebrafish has emerged over the past several decades to become a mainstream animal model. While the growth of the use of the fish in basic biomedical research has been characterized by innovation, the methods and tools for fish husbandry, management, and care have been slow to evolve beyond those conceived during the initial establishment of the model system. While these approaches and technologies have certainly served the purposes of the field, they must now be improved to better match the widening scope and scale of research being done in fish. Such advances are made possible by applying new scientific information to the development of more sophisticated approaches for fish husbandry and management, and by considering the lessons learned during the establishment of the rodent model system. This review highlights the recent progress made in various areas of fish husbandry and management and points out new directions for further improvements.Methods in cell biology 01/2011; 104:429-51. · 2.05 Impact Factor -
Article: A new system for the rapid collection of large numbers of developmentally staged zebrafish embryos.
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ABSTRACT: The zebrafish is an excellent genetic and developmental model system used to study biology and disease. While the zebrafish model is associated with high fecundity, its reproductive potential has not been completely realized by scientists. One major issue is that embryo collection is inefficient. Here, we have developed an innovative breeding vessel designed to stimulate the natural reproductive behavior of the fish. This novel apparatus allows us to collect large numbers of developmentally synchronized embryos in brief and defined windows of time, and with minimal investments in labor and space. To demonstrate the efficacy of this approach, we placed three separate groups (n = 180) of fish in the vessel and allowed them to spawn for 10-minute intervals. During these trials, which were repeated three times, the fish produced 8600±917, 8400±794, and 6800±1997 embryos, respectively. This level of embryo production is nearly twice what we were able to achieve when using conventional crossing equipment with some of the same fish, and it required significantly less room and time to set up and break down. This system overcomes major space and labor restrictions inherent in spawning equipment currently used in the field, and will greatly accelerate efforts to improve the scale and throughput of experiments.PLoS ONE 01/2011; 6(6):e21715. · 4.09 Impact Factor -
Article: A novel method for rearing first-feeding larval zebrafish: polyculture with Type L saltwater rotifers (Brachionus plicatilis).
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ABSTRACT: Promoting high rates of growth and survival can be a major challenge in zebrafish culture, especially during the first-feeding stage. Here we describe a new rearing technique in which zebrafish larvae are polycultured in static tanks with Type "L" saltwater rotifers (Brachionus plicatilis) for the first 5 days of feeding (days 5-9 postfertilization). To demonstrate the effectiveness of this technique, we conducted rearing trials using fish from two different strains: AB and nacre. Growth, survival, water quality, and rotifer density were assayed daily through the polyculture phase (days 5-9), and during the transition to standard rearing conditions (days 10-12). After that point, once the fish were fully integrated onto recirculating systems, parameters were measured once per week out to day 30. In all trials, the fish displayed high rates of growth and survival throughout the three phases (polyculture, transition, and recirculating flow), indicating that this method may be employed during the critical first-feeding stage to help improve rearing performance in zebrafish facilities. Additionally, water quality parameters observed during the polyculture phase of the trials reveal that early zebrafish larvae are much more tolerant of elevated levels of ammonia and salinity than previously believed.Zebrafish 09/2010; 7(3):289-95. · 3.08 Impact Factor -
Article: Pleistophora hyphessobryconis (Microsporidia) infecting zebrafish Danio rerio in research facilities.
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ABSTRACT: Zebrafish Danio rerio are important models for biomedical research, and thus, there is an increased concern about diseases afflicting them. Here we describe infections by Pleistophora hyphessobryconis (Microsporidia) in zebrafish from 3 laboratories. As reported in other aquarium fishes, affected zebrafish exhibited massive infections in the skeletal muscle, with no involvement of smooth or cardiac muscle. In addition, numerous spores within macrophages were observed in the visceral organs, including the ovaries. Transmission studies and ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene sequence comparisons confirmed that the parasite from zebrafish was P. hyphessobryconis as described from neon tetra Paracheirodon innesi. Ten 15 d old zebrafish were exposed to P. hyphessobryconis collected from 1 infected neon tetra, and 7 of 10 fish became infected. Comparison of P. hyphessobryconis small subunit rRNA gene sequence from neon tetra with that obtained from zebrafish was nearly identical, with < 1% difference. Given the severity of infections, P. hyphessobryconis should be added to the list of pathogens that should be avoided in zebrafish research facilities, and it would be prudent to avoid mixing zebrafish used in research with other aquarium fishes.Diseases of Aquatic Organisms 07/2010; 91(1):47-56. · 2.20 Impact Factor -
Article: Regulatory compliance and the zebrafish.
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ABSTRACT: The growth of the zebrafish as a model organism has so far greatly outpaced regulatory oversight governing its care and use in research. However, the same levels of regulation that characterize the use of traditional mammalian model animals will likely be extended to zebrafish, especially as use of the animal continues to increase. The challenge for both the zebrafish research community and regulatory agents is to ensure that emerging guidelines are sensible and serve to promote quality science and the highest standards of animal care. This brief review summarizes a panel discussion that was convened on this subject at the World Aquaculture Society's Aquaculture America 2009 Conference in Seattle, Washington. The current regulatory environment in the United States is discussed, and a set of generalized recommendations for developing new guidelines is presented.Zebrafish 11/2009; 6(4):453-6. · 3.08 Impact Factor -
Article: Regulatory Compliance and the Zebrafish
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ABSTRACT: The growth of the zebrafish as a model organism has so far greatly outpaced regulatory oversight governing its care and use in research. However, the same levels of regulation that characterize the use of traditional mammalian model animals will likely be extended to zebrafish, especially as use of the animal continues to increase. The challenge for both the zebrafish research community and regulatory agents is to ensure that emerging guidelines are sensible and serve to promote quality science and the highest standards of animal care. This brief review summarizes a panel discussion that was convened on this subject at the World Aquaculture Society’s Aquaculture America 2009 Conference in Seattle, Washington. The current regulatory environment in the United States is discussed, and a set of generalized recommendations for developing new guidelines is presented.Zebrafish Magazine. 01/2009; 6. -
Article: The behaviour and ecology of the zebrafish, Danio rerio.
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ABSTRACT: The zebrafish Danio rerio, is an important model organism in developmental genetics, neurophysiology and biomedicine, but little is known about its natural ecology and behaviour. It is a small, shoaling cyprinid, native to the flood-plains of the Indian subcontinent, where it is found in shallow, slow-flowing waters. Zebrafish are group spawners and egg scatterers, although females are choosy with respect to sites for oviposition and males defend territories around such sites. Laboratory studies of zebrafish behaviour have encompassed shoaling, foraging, reproduction, sensory perception and learning. These studies are reviewed in relation to the suitability of the zebrafish as a model for studies on cognition and learning, development, behavioural and evolutionary ecology, and behavioural genetics.Biological Reviews 03/2008; 83(1):13-34. · 9.07 Impact Factor -
Article: Modeling human muscle disease in zebrafish.
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ABSTRACT: Zebrafish reproduce in large quantities, grow rapidly, and are transparent early in development. For these reasons, zebrafish have been used extensively to model vertebrate development and disease. Like mammals, zebrafish express dystrophin and many of its associated proteins early in development and these proteins have been shown to be vital for zebrafish muscle stability. In dystrophin-null zebrafish, muscle degeneration becomes apparent as early as 3 days post-fertilization (dpf) making the zebrafish an excellent organism for large-scale screens to identify other genes involved in the disease process or drugs capable of correcting the disease phenotype. Being transparent, developing zebrafish are also an ideal experimental model for monitoring the fate of labeled transplanted cells. Although zebrafish dystrophy models are not meant to replace existing mammalian models of disease, experiments requiring large numbers of animals may be best performed in zebrafish. Results garnered from using this model could lead to a better understanding of the pathogenesis of the muscular dystrophies and the development of future therapies.Biochimica et Biophysica Acta 03/2007; 1772(2):205-15. · 4.66 Impact Factor
Top co-authors
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Institutions
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2009–2012
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Boston Children's Hospital
Boston, MA, USA
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