Abstract

In developmental biology, zebrafish are widely used to study the impact of mutations. The fast pace of development allows for a definitive morphological evaluation of the phenotype usually 5 days post fertilization (dpf). At that age, a functional analysis is already feasible using electroretinographic (ERG) methods. Corneal Ganzfeld ERGs were recorded with a glass microelectrode in anaesthetized, dark-adapted larvae aged 5 dpf, using a platinum wire beneath a moist paper towel as reference. ERG protocols included flash, flicker, and ON/OFF stimuli, both under scotopic and photopic conditions. Repetitive, isoluminant stimuli were used to assess the dynamic effect of pharmacological agents on the ERG. Single flash, flicker, and ON/OFF responses had adequately matured at this point to be informative. Typical signs of the cone dominance were the small scotopic a-wave and the large OFF responses. The analysis of consecutive single traces was possible because of the lack of EKG, breathing, and blink artefacts. After application of APB, which selectively blocks the ON channel via the mGluR6 receptor, the successive loss of the b-wave could be observed, which was quite different from the deterioration of the ERG after a circulatory arrest. The above techniques allowed to reliably obtain Ganzfeld ERGs in larvae aged 5 dpf. This underlines the important role of the zebrafish as a model for the functional analysis of mutations disrupting the visual system.