Name: automated measurements of sleep and locomotor activity in mexican cavefish
Uploaded: 2019-03-21T14:00:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Automated Measurements of Sleep and Locomotor Activity in Mexican Cavefish at JoVE.com

This work was supported by NIGMS award GM127872 ACK, NINDS award 105072 to ERD and ACK, and NSF award 1656574 to ACK.

NOTE: Set up systems for behavioral tracking in larvae and adults.
1. Constructing a Sleep System for Larvae
NOTE: The monitoring system for tracking larval through juvenile fish aged 4 days post fertilization (dpf) through 30 dpf A. mexicanus requires multiple pieces of equipment including infrared (IR) lighting, acrylic IR light diffusers, automated light controls (timers), computers, cameras, and secondary materials such as wiring and powe...

<ol>
	<li>Keene, A. C., Duboue, E. R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+origins+and+evolution+of+sleep.">The origins and evolution of sleep.</a> The Journal of Experimental Biology. , (2018).</li><li>Joiner, W. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Unraveling+the+Evolutionary+Determinants+of+Sleep.">Unraveling the Evolutionary Determinants of Sleep.</a> Current Biology. 26 (20), R1073-R1087 (2016).</li><li>Allada, R., Siegel, J. 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M., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Lethargus+is+a+Caenorhabditis+elegans+sleep-like+state.">Lethargus is a Caenorhabditis elegans sleep-like state.</a> Nature. 451, 569-572 (2008).</li><li>Geissmann, Q., Rodriguez, L. G., Beckwith, E. J., French, A. S., Jamasb, A. R., Gilestro, G. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Ethoscopes:+An+Open+Platform+For+High-Throughput+Ethomics.">Ethoscopes: An Open Platform For High-Throughput Ethomics.</a> bioRxiv. , 113647 (2017).</li><li>Garbe, D. S., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Context-specific+comparison+of+sleep+acquisition+systems+in+Drosophila.">Context-specific comparison of sleep acquisition systems in Drosophila.</a> Biology Open. 4 (11), (2015).</li><li>Branson, K., Robie, A. A., Bender, J., Perona, P., Dickinson, M. H. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=High-throughput+ethomics+in+large+groups+of+Drosophila.">High-throughput ethomics in large groups of Drosophila.</a> Nature Methods. 6 (6), 451-457 (2009).</li><li>Gilestro, G. F., Cirelli, C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=PySolo:+A+complete+suite+for+sleep+analysis+in+Drosophila.">PySolo: A complete suite for sleep analysis in Drosophila.</a> Bioinformatics. 25, 1466-1467 (2009).</li><li>Swierczek, N. A., Giles, A. C., Rankin, C. H., Kerr, R. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=High-throughput+behavioral+analysis+in+C.+elegans.">High-throughput behavioral analysis in C. elegans.</a> Nature Methods. 8 (7), 592-598 (2011).</li><li>Branson, K., Robie, A. A., Bender, J., Perona, P., Dickinson, M. 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N., Prober, D. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Regulation+of+zebrafish+sleep+and+arousal+states:+current+and+prospective+approaches.">Regulation of zebrafish sleep and arousal states: current and prospective approaches.</a> Frontiers in Neural Circuits. 7 (April), 58 (2013).</li><li>Elbaz, I., Foulkes, N. S., Gothilf, Y., Appelbaum, L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Circadian+clocks,+rhythmic+synaptic+plasticity+and+the+sleep-wake+cycle+in+zebrafish.">Circadian clocks, rhythmic synaptic plasticity and the sleep-wake cycle in zebrafish.</a> Frontiers in Neural Circuits. 7, (2013).</li><li>Dubou&#233;, E. R., Keene, A. C., Borowsky, R. L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Evolutionary+convergence+on+sleep+loss+in+cavefish+populations.">Evolutionary convergence on sleep loss in cavefish populations.</a> Current Biology. 21, 671-676 (2011).</li><li>Beale, A., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Circadian+rhythms+in+Mexican+blind+cavefish+Astyanax+mexicanus+in+the+lab+and+in+the+field.">Circadian rhythms in Mexican blind cavefish Astyanax mexicanus in the lab and in the field.</a> Nature Communications. 4, 2769 (2013).</li><li>Keene, A. C., Yoshizawa, M., McGaugh, S. E. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=.">.</a> Biology and Evolution of the Mexican Cavefish. , (2015).</li><li>Jeffery, W. R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Regressive+evolution+in+Astyanax+cavefish.">Regressive evolution in Astyanax cavefish.</a> Annual Review of Genetics. 43, 25-47 (2009).</li><li>Gross, J. B. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+complex+origin+of+Astyanax+cavefish.">The complex origin of Astyanax cavefish.</a> BMC Evolutionary Biology. 12, 105 (2012).</li><li>Aspiras, A., Rohner, N., Marineau, B., Borowsky, R., Tabin, J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Melanocortin+4+receptor+mutations+contribute+to+the+adaptation+of+cavefish+to+nutrient-poor+conditions.">Melanocortin 4 receptor mutations contribute to the adaptation of cavefish to nutrient-poor conditions.</a> Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 112 (31), 9688 (2015).</li><li>Jaggard, J., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+lateral+line+confers+evolutionarily+derived+sleep+loss+in+the+Mexican+cavefish.">The lateral line confers evolutionarily derived sleep loss in the Mexican cavefish.</a> Journal of Experimental Biology. 220 (2), (2017).</li><li>Jaggard, J. B., Stahl, B. A., Lloyd, E., Prober, D. A., Duboue, E. R., Keene, A. C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Hypocretin+underlies+the+evolution+of+sleep+loss+in+the+Mexican+cavefish.">Hypocretin underlies the evolution of sleep loss in the Mexican cavefish.</a> eLife. , e32637 (2018).</li><li>Hinaux, H., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+Developmental+Staging+Table+for+Astyanax+mexicanus+Surface+Fish+and+Pacho+&#180;n+Cavefish.">A Developmental Staging Table for Astyanax mexicanus Surface Fish and Pacho &#180;n Cavefish.</a> Zebrafish. 8 (4), 155-165 (2011).</li><li>Bill, B. R., Petzold, A. M., Clark, K. J., La Schimmenti, ., Ekker, S. C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+primer+for+morpholino+use+in+zebrafish.">A primer for morpholino use in zebrafish.</a> Zebrafish. 6 (1), 69-77 (2009).</li><li>Bilandzija, H., Ma, L., Parkhurst, A., Jeffery, W. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+potential+benefit+of+albinism+in+Astyanax+cavefish:+downregulation+of+the+oca2+gene+increases+tyrosine+and+catecholamine+levels+as+an+alternative+to+melanin+synthesis.">A potential benefit of albinism in Astyanax cavefish: downregulation of the oca2 gene increases tyrosine and catecholamine levels as an alternative to melanin synthesis.</a> Plos One. 8 (11), e80823 (2013).</li><li>Yokogawa, T., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Characterization+of+sleep+in+zebrafish+and+insomnia+in+hypocretin+receptor+mutants.">Characterization of sleep in zebrafish and insomnia in hypocretin receptor mutants.</a> PLoS Biology. 5, 2379-2397 (2007).</li><li>Appelbaum, L., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Sleep-wake+regulation+and+hypocretin-melatonin+interaction+in+zebrafish.">Sleep-wake regulation and hypocretin-melatonin interaction in zebrafish.</a> Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 106, 21942-21947 (2009).</li><li>Singh, C., Oikonomou, G., Prober, D. 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This protocol describes a custom system for quantifying sleep and locomotor activity in larval and adult cavefish. Cavefish have emerged as a leading model for studying the evolution of sleep that can be used to investigate the genetic and neural basis of sleep regulation1. The critical steps in this protocol include optimization of lighting and video quality in order to assure accurate tracking that is necessary to quantify sleep. The system for acquisition and analysis described here are fully f...

Sleep is highly conserved throughout the animal kingdom at the physiological, functional, and behavioral levels1,2,3. While sleep in mammalian laboratory animals is typically assessed using electroencephalograms, electrophysiological recordings are less practical in small genetically amenable model systems and thus sleep is typically measured based on behavior3,4. Behavioral characteristics associated with sleep are highly conserved throughout the animal kingdom and include increased arousal threshold, reversibility with stimulation, and prolonged behavioral quiescence5. These measures can be used to characterize sleep in animals ranging from the nematode worm, C. elegans, through humans6.
The use of behavioral quiescence to characterize sleep requires automated tracking software. With tracking software, periods of activity and immobility are determined over a number of days, and long periods of inactivity are classified as sleep7,8. In recent years, multiple tracking systems have been developed for acquiring activity data among a diversity of small genetically-amenable model systems; including worms, fruit flies and fish9,10,11. These programs are accompanied by software that allows for automated tracking of animal behavior, including both open source freeware and commercially available software7,12,13,14. These systems differ in their flexibility and allow for efficient screening and characterization of sleep phenotypes in numerous genetically amendable models.
Genetic investigation of sleep in the zebrafish, Danio rerio, has led to the identification of numerous genes and neural circuits that regulate sleep15,16. While this has provided a powerful system for investigating the neural basis of sleep in a vertebrate laboratory animal, much less is known about how sleep evolves and how natural variation contributes to sleep regulation. The Mexican cavefish, Astyanax mexicanus (A. mexicanus), have evolved dramatic differences in sleep, locomotor activity and circadian rhythms17,18. These fish exist as eyed surface fish that inhabit the rivers of Mexico and Southern Texas and at least 29 cave populations around the Sierra Del Abra region of Northeast Mexico19,20,21. Remarkably, many behavioral differences, including sleep loss, appear to have emerged independently in multiple cavefish populations14,22. Therefore, cavefish provide a model for investigating the convergent evolution of sleep, circadian, and social behaviors.
This protocol describes a system for measuring sleep and locomotor behavior in A. mexicanus larvae and adults. A custom-built infrared-based recording system allows for video recording of animals under light and dark conditions. Commercially available software can be used to measure activity and custom macros are used to quantify several aspects of inactivity and determine periods of sleep. This protocol also describes experimental modifications for tracking the activity of multiple animals within a tank, providing the ability to examine interactions between sleep and social behaviors. These systems can be applied to measure sleep, circadian behavior, and locomotor activity in additional fish species including zebrafish and sticklebacks.

<table>
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>12V power adaptor</td>
			<td>Environmental Lights</td>
			<td>24 Watt 12 VDC Power Supply</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Acrylic dividers (adults)</td>
			<td>TAP Plastic</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Order sheets in sizes as needed</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Adult infrared light power source</td>
			<td>Environmnental Lights 24 Watt 12 VDC Power Supply</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Battery pack</td>
			<td>CyberPower</td>
			<td>CP850PFCLCD</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Camera lens (adult)</td>
			<td>Navitar Zoom 7000</td>
			<td>Zoom 7000</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Camera lens (larval)</td>
			<td>Fujian 35mm f/1.7</td>
			<td>B01CHX7668</td>
			<td>Purchase on Amazon</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Camera lens adapter</td>
			<td>d</td>
			<td>1524219</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Camera mount</td>
			<td>CowboyStudio Super Clamp</td>
			<td>B002LV7X1K</td>
			<td>Purchase on Amazon</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Fish tank</td>
			<td>Deep Blue Professional</td>
			<td>ADB11006</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Heat sink (adult)</td>
			<td>M-D Building products</td>
			<td>SKU: 61085</td>
			<td>Cut to fit</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Heat sink (larval)</td>
			<td>M-D Building products</td>
			<td>SKU: 57000</td>
			<td>Cut to fit</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Infrared lights (adults)</td>
			<td>Environmental Lights Infrared 850 nm 5050 LED strip</td>
			<td>irrf850-5050-60-reel</td>
			<td>Cut to fit</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Infrared lights (larval)</td>
			<td>LED World</td>
			<td>B00MO9H7H4</td>
			<td>Purchase on Amazon</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>IR-diffusing acrylic</td>
			<td>TAP Plastic</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Order sheets in sizes as needed</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Laptop/computer</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
			<td>Any laptop will work.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>LED light</td>
			<td>Chanzon 10 High Power Led Chip 3W White (6000K-6500K/600mA-700mA/DC 3V-3.4V/3 Watt)</td>
			<td>B06XKTRSP7</td>
			<td>Use with Chanzon 25pcs 1W 3W 5W LED Heat Sink (2 pin Black) Aluminum Base Plate Panel</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>light timer</td>
			<td>Century 24 Hour Plug-in Mechanical Timer Grounded</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Plastic wall mount for IR</td>
			<td>Everbilt Plastic pegboard</td>
			<td>Model # 17961</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Power cable</td>
			<td>BNTECHGO 22 Gauge Silicone Wire</td>
			<td>B01K4RPE0Y</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Power source</td>
			<td>Rapid LED</td>
			<td>MOONLIGHT DRIVER (350MA)</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Tissue culture plates</td>
			<td>Fisherbrand</td>
			<td colspan="2">12-well (FB012928) 24-well (FB012929)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Tripod Ball head</td>
			<td>Demon DB-44</td>
			<td>B00TQ54CZO</td>
			<td>Purchase on Amazon</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>USB Hardrive</td>
			<td>Seagate 3TB backup</td>
			<td>STDT3000100</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>USB Webcam</td>
			<td>Microsoft LifeCam</td>
			<td>Q2F-00014</td>
			<td>Purchase on Amazon</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Wall mount for camera</td>
			<td>LDR Industries 1/2&#34; Steel pipe</td>
			<td>307 12X36</td>
			<td>Mounted on wall with Flange and 90 degree pipe elbow. Could also use a tripod to hold camera.</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

automated measurements of sleep and locomotor activity in mexican cavefish

Across phyla, sleep is characterized by highly conserved behavioral characteristics that include elevated arousal threshold, rebound following sleep deprivation, and consolidated periods of behavioral immobility. The Mexican cavefish, Astyanax mexicanus (A. mexicanus), is a model for studying trait evolution in response to environmental perturbation. A. mexicanus exist as in eyed surface-dwelling forms and multiple blind cave-dwelling populations that have robust morphological and behavioral differences. Sleep loss has occurred in multiple, independently-evolved cavefish populations. This protocol describes a methodology for quantifying sleep and locomotor activity in A. mexicanus cave and surface fish. A cost-effective video monitoring system allows for behavioral imaging of individually-housed larval or adult fish for periods of a week or longer. The system can be applied to fish aged 4 days post fertilization through adulthood. The approach can also be adapted for measuring the effects of social interactions on sleep by recording multiple fish in a single arena. Following behavioral recordings, data is analyzed using automated tracking software and sleep analysis is processed using customized scripts that quantify multiple sleep variables including duration, bout length, and bout number. This system can be applied to measure sleep, circadian behavior, and locomotor activity in almost any fish species including zebrafish and sticklebacks.

Larvae ages 4-30 dpf can be reliably recorded in the custom-build closed system described in Figure 1. The system includes both IR and visible lighting to allow for recordings under light and dark conditions, under various visible light conditions (Figure 1A). The videos are then analyzed using tracking software (Figure 1B,C) and post-processed using a custom sleep macro (See <strong...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Automated Measurements of Sleep and Locomotor Activity in Mexican Cavefish at JoVE.com

Automated Measurements of Sleep and Locomotor Activity in Mexican Cavefish

This protocol details the methodology for quantifying locomotor behavior and sleep in the Mexican cavefish. Previous analyses are extended to measure these behaviors in socially-housed fish. This system can be widely applied to study sleep and activity in other fish species.

Across phyla, sleep is characterized by highly conserved behavioral characteristics that include elevated arousal threshold, rebound following sleep ...

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Noninvasive, High-throughput Determination of Sleep Duration in Rodents

Traditionally, sleep is monitored by an electroencephalogram (EEG). EEG studies in rodents require surgical implantation of the electrodes followed by a ...

A High-performance Liquid Chromatography Measurement of Kynurenine and Kynurenic Acid: Relating Biochemistry to Cognition and Sleep in Rats

The kynurenine pathway (KP) of tryptophan degradation has been implicated in psychiatric disorders. Specifically, the astrocyte-derived metabolite ...

Chronic Sleep Deprivation in Mouse Pups by Means of Gentle Handling

Sleep is critical for proper development and neural plasticity. Moreover, abnormal sleep patterns are characteristic of many neurodevelopmental disorders. ...