Large-scale Analysis of Sleep in Zebrafish

Over the past decade, zebrafish have emerged as a powerful model for the study of vertebrate sleep and wake behaviors. Experimental evidence has demonstrated behavioral, anatomical, genetic, and pharmacological conservation of sleep between zebrafish and mammals, suggesting that discoveries in zebrafish can inform our understanding of mammalian sleep. Here, we describe a protocol for performing sleep behavioral experiments in larval zebrafish, using a high-throughput video tracking system. We explain how to set up a sleep behavioral experiment and provide guidelines on how to analyze the data. Using this protocol, a typical experiment can be completed in less than five days, and this method provides a scalable platform to perform genetic and pharmacological screens in a simple and cost-effective vertebrate model. By combining high-throughput behavioral assays with several advantageous features of zebrafish, this model system provides new opportunities to make discoveries that clarify the genetic and neurological mechanisms that regulate sleep.

Automated summary

Zebrafish is a valuable model for studying vertebrate sleep behavior, as it shows behavioral, genetic, and pharmacological similarities with mammals. Researchers have developed a protocol for conducting sleep behavioral experiments in zebrafish larvae, providing guidelines for experiment setup and data analysis. This method is simple, cost-effective, and can be used for genetic and pharmacological screens to gain insights into the genetic and neurological mechanisms underlying sleep regulation.