Transparent Danionella translucida as a genetically tractable vertebrate brain model
Open accessAbstract
Understanding how distributed neuronal circuits integrate sensory information and generate behavior is a central goal of neuroscience. However, it has been difficult to study neuronal networks at single-cell resolution across the entire adult brain in vertebrates because of their size and opacity. We address this challenge here by introducing the fish Danionella translucida to neuroscience as a potential model organism. This teleost remains small and transparent even in adulthood, when neural circuits and behavior have matured. Despite having the smallest known adult vertebrate brain, D. translucida displays a rich set of complex behaviors, including courtship, shoaling, schooling, and acoustic communication. In order to carry out optical measurements and perturbations of neural activity with genetically encoded tools, we established CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing and Tol2 transgenesis techniques. These features make D. translucida a promising model organism for the study of adult vertebrate brain function at single-cell resolution.
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The miniature adult size and larval appearance of Danionella, combined with a diverse behavioral repertoire linked to sound production by males, have established Danionella as an important model for neurophysiological studies.
“The miniature adult size and larval appearance of Danionella, combined with a diverse behavioral repertoire linked to sound production by males, have established Danionella as an important model for neurophysiological studies.”
From The emerging vertebrate model species for neurophysiological studies is Danionella cerebrum, new species (Teleostei: Cyprinidae) (2021) · cites this paper as [11]
The Abstract (page unavailable in our copy) describes small, transparent adults with complex behaviors, including acoustic communication, and presents D. translucida as a promising model for studying adult brain function. It does not specify larval appearance or sound production by males, and it calls the fish a potential model rather than an established important one. (LLM, conf=0.87)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe larval condition of the adult skeleton of Danionella, in which the skull roof is missing and the brain is covered only by skin, has led various researchers to turn to Danionella as the adult vertebrate model organism to study neurophysiological questions by deep imaging their brain activity in vivo.
“It is this larval condition of their adult skeleton, in which the skull roof is missing and the brain is covered only by skin, that has led various researchers to turn to Danionella as the adult vertebrate model organism to study neurophysiological questions by deep imaging their brain activity in vivo11–14.”
From The emerging vertebrate model species for neurophysiological studies is Danionella cerebrum, new species (Teleostei: Cyprinidae) (2021) · cites this paper as [11]
Split into 2 atoms — 0 confirmed, 2 partially supported, 0 disputed, 0 misattributed, 0 unverifiable. Expand the claim to see per-atom verdicts.
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredSound in Danionella has been recorded and characterized to date only for a single species, D. cerebrum (as D. translucida).
“Unfortunately, sound in Danionella has been recorded and characterized to date only for a single species, D. cerebrum (as D. translucida11).”
From The emerging vertebrate model species for neurophysiological studies is Danionella cerebrum, new species (Teleostei: Cyprinidae) (2021) · cites this paper as [11]
The indexed Abstract describes acoustic communication in fish it calls D. translucida, supporting the cited species-level example. The available passages do not establish that the paper recorded and characterized the sounds, that no other Danionella species had been characterized, or that its D. translucida is D. cerebrum. (LLM, conf=0.76)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThis highly complex vocalization apparatus has been identified as a promising organ system to study neurophysiologically.
“This highly complex vocalization apparatus has been identified as a promising organ system to study neurophysiologically11.”
From The emerging vertebrate model species for neurophysiological studies is Danionella cerebrum, new species (Teleostei: Cyprinidae) (2021) · cites this paper as [11]
The Abstract (page not provided) identifies acoustic communication among Danionella translucida’s complex behaviors and presents the fish as a promising model for studying adult brain function at single-cell resolution. It does not specifically identify the vocalization apparatus as highly complex or as a promising organ system for neurophysiological study. (LLM, conf=0.82)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe model organism used in Schulze et al.11 is not Danionella translucida, but a separate species, D. cerebrum.
“Our initial result based on morphological information that the model organism used in Schulze et al.11 is not Danionella translucida, but a separate species, D. cerebrum, is supported by our molecular analysis.”
From The emerging vertebrate model species for neurophysiological studies is Danionella cerebrum, new species (Teleostei: Cyprinidae) (2021) · cites this paper as Schulze et al. [11]
Danionella dracula has recently emerged as a model organism for neurophysiological research.
“Danionella dracula has recently emerged as a model organism for neurophysiological research ( Tatarsky et al., 2022), along with D. cerebrum ( Schulze et al., 2018), previously misidentified as D. translucida ( Britz et al., 2021).”
From The genome sequence of the Dracula fish, Danionella dracula (Britz, Conway & Rüber, 2009) (2024) · cites this paper as Schulze et al., 2018
Danionella translucida was recently developed as a model organism for optical investigation of neuronal circuit activity in vertebrates.
“Danionella translucida (DT), a transparent cyprinid fish1,2 with the smallest known vertebrate brain, was recently developed as a novel model organism for the optical investigation of neuronal circuit activity in vertebrates3,4.”
From Hybrid genome assembly and annotation of Danionella translucida (2019) · cites this paper as [3]
The indexed passages show a repository abstract and metadata, but no passage from the paper’s full text. Searches for optical investigation of neuronal circuits and for the reported genome-editing and transgenesis methods did not retrieve full-text evidence; the abstract alone cannot establish the verdict under this rubric. (LLM, conf=0.70)
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Cites
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- Authors
- Schulze, L., Henninger, J., Kadobianskyi, M., Chaigne, T., Faustino, A. I., Hakiy, N., Albadri, S., Schuelke, M., Maler, L., Del Bene, F., & Judkewitz, B.
- Affiliations
- Einstein Center for Neurosciences Berlin (DE)
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
- University of Ottawa (CA)
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (DE)
- Corresponding author
- Judkewitz, Benjamin
- ORCID
- Venue
- Nature Methods
- Published
- 2018-10-15
- Volume
- 15
- Issue
- 11
- Pages
- 977-983
- ISSN
- 1548-7091 (ISSN-L)
- 1548-7105
- OpenAlex
- W2897004600
- Cited by
- 98
- References
- 6
- Citations by year
- 2026: 19 · 2025: 14 · 2024: 16 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 11 · 2019: 9
- FWCI
- 3.83
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Update notices
- correction (2018-11-05)
- Open access
- green
- hal.science
- Licence
- other-oa
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- Nature Methods (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- HAL (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Refubium (Universitätsbibliothek der Freien Universität Berlin) (submittedVersion)
- Universitätsbibliothek der FU Berlin Hochschulschriftenstelle u. Dokumentenserver
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cell Biology › Zebrafish Biomedical Research Applications
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Nature and Landscape Conservation › Fish biology, ecology, and behavior
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
- Keywords
- neural circuits, single-cell resolution, CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing, functional neuroimaging, courtship behavior, schooling behavior, acoustic communication, model organisms
- MeSH terms
- Gene Editing, Animals, Behavior, Animal, Brain, Cyprinidae, Image Processing, Computer-Assisted, Nerve Net, Nervous System Physiological Phenomena, Neurons, Gene Transfer Techniques, Models, Animal
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