ArticleCurrent biology : CB2012
Deep brain photoreceptors control light-seeking behavior in zebrafish larvae.
Article in Current biology : CB, 2012. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 155 papers.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
155 citing papers in PubMed, 282 citations in OpenAlex.
- A genetic model for development, physiology and behavior of catecholamine-deficient zebrafish larvae.Communications biology · 2026Article
- Enteroendocrine cells wire the gut-brain vagal axis.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2026Article
- Behavioral algorithms of ontogenetic switching in larval and juvenile zebrafish phototaxis.iScience · 2026Article
- Evolution of a central dopamine circuit underlies adaptation of a light-evoked sensorimotor response in the blind cavefish.Science advances · 2026Article
- Single-Cell-Resolution Fate Mapping Reveals Embryonic Venous Origins of Fenestrated Hindbrain Choroid Plexus Vasculature.The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience · 2026Article
- Review
- Visuomotor decision-making through multifeature convergence in the larval zebrafish hindbrain.Nature communications · 2026Article
- Disruption ofiScience · 2026Article
- Effects of Light Spectrum and Intensity on Cellular Stress Responses in Baikal Whitefish and Its Hybrid Embryos: A Basis for Optimizing the Aquaculture Environment.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2026Article
- Cyfip2 mediates sensorimotor integration of visual input through Rac1-dependent actin remodeling.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2025Article
- Synaptic Gpr85 Influences Cerebellar-Granule-Cell Electrical Properties and Light-Induced Behavior in Zebrafish.The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience · 2025Article
- Lighting and circadian cues shape locomotor strategies for balance and navigation in larval zebrafish.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2025Article
- Tensor analysis of animal behavior by matricization and feature selection.Computers in biology and medicine · 2025Article
- Effectual Environmental Enrichments for Commercial Broiler Chickens.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2025Review
- The rx3 Gene Contributes to the Evolution of Eye Loss in the Cavefish Astyanax mexicanus.Evolution & development · 2025Article
- Larval zebrafish maintain elevation with multisensory control of posture and locomotion.The Journal of experimental biology · 2025Article
- Parallel and convergent pathways for multifeature visual processing in larval zebrafish sensorimotor decision-making.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2025Article
- Larval zebrafish maintain elevation with multisensory control of posture and locomotion.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2025Article
- Collective decision making by embodied neural agents.PNAS nexus · 2025Article
- Uncovering Novel Drugs that Restore Vision Using Orthogonal Pooling in Zebrafish.Advances in experimental medicine and biology · 2025Article
95 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
Most vertebrates process visual information using elaborately structured photosensory tissues, including the eyes and pineal. However, there is strong evidence that other tissues can detect and respond to photic stimuli. Many reports suggest that photosensitive elements exist within the brain itself and influence physiology and behavior; however, a long-standing puzzle has been the identity of the neurons and photoreceptor molecules involved. We tested whether light cues influence behavior in zebrafish larvae through deep brain photosensors. We found that larvae lacking eyes and pineal perform a simple light-seeking behavior triggered by loss of illumination ("dark photokinesis"). Neuroanatomical considerations prompted us to test orthopedia (otpa)-deficient fish, which show a profound reduction in dark photokinesis. Using targeted genetic ablations, we narrowed the photosensitive region to neurons in the preoptic area. Neurons in this region express several photoreceptive molecules, but expression of the melanopsin opn4a is selectively lost in otpa mutants, suggesting that opn4a mediates dark photokinesis. Our findings shed light on the identity and function of deep brain photoreceptors and suggest that otpa specifies an ancient population of sensory neurons that mediate behavioral responses to light.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.