Publication Details

Category Text Publication
Reference Category Journals
DOI 10.1186/s42523-020-00069-x
Licence creative commons licence
Title (Primary) Monoassociation with bacterial isolates reveals the role of colonization, community complexity and abundance on locomotor behavior in larval zebrafish
Author Weitekamp, C.A.; Kvasnicka, A.; Keely, S.P.; Brinkmann, N.E.; Howey, X.M.; Gaballah, S.; Phelps, D.; Catron, T.; Zurlinden, T.; Wheaton, E.; Tal, T.
Source Titel Animal Microbiome
Year 2021
Department BIOTOX
Volume 3
Page From art. 12
Language englisch
Topic T9 Healthy Planet
Supplements https://static-content.springer.com/esm/art%3A10.1186%2Fs42523-020-00069-x/MediaObjects/42523_2020_69_MOESM1_ESM.docx
https://static-content.springer.com/esm/art%3A10.1186%2Fs42523-020-00069-x/MediaObjects/42523_2020_69_MOESM2_ESM.zip
Keywords Microbiome, Hyperactivity, Monoassociation, Gnotobiotic, Germ-free, Axenic, Zebrafish, Monocolonization
Abstract Background
Across taxa, animals with depleted intestinal microbiomes show disrupted behavioral phenotypes. Axenic (i.e., microbe-free) mice, zebrafish, and fruit flies exhibit increased locomotor behavior, or hyperactivity. The mechanism through which bacteria interact with host cells to trigger normal neurobehavioral development in larval zebrafish is not well understood. Here, we monoassociated zebrafish with either one of six different zebrafish-associated bacteria, mixtures of these host-associates, or with an environmental bacterial isolate.

Results
As predicted, the axenic cohort was hyperactive. Monoassociation with three different host-associated bacterial species, as well as with the mixtures, resulted in control-like locomotor behavior. Monoassociation with one host-associate and the environmental isolate resulted in the hyperactive phenotype characteristic of axenic larvae, while monoassociation with two other host-associated bacteria partially blocked this phenotype. Furthermore, we found an inverse relationship between the total concentration of bacteria per larvae and locomotor behavior. Lastly, in the axenic and associated cohorts, but not in the larvae with complex communities, we detected unexpected bacteria, some of which may be present as facultative predators.

Conclusions
These data support a growing body of evidence that individual species of bacteria can have different effects on host behavior, potentially related to their success at intestinal colonization. Specific to the zebrafish model, our results suggest that differences in the composition of microbes in fish facilities could affect the results of behavioral assays within pharmacological and toxicological studies.
Persistent UFZ Identifier https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=24019
Weitekamp, C.A., Kvasnicka, A., Keely, S.P., Brinkmann, N.E., Howey, X.M., Gaballah, S., Phelps, D., Catron, T., Zurlinden, T., Wheaton, E., Tal, T. (2021):
Monoassociation with bacterial isolates reveals the role of colonization, community complexity and abundance on locomotor behavior in larval zebrafish
Animal Microbiome 3 , art. 12 10.1186/s42523-020-00069-x