Probabilistic Models of Larval Zebrafish Behavior Reveal Structure on Many Scales.

Nervous systems have evolved to combine environmental information with internal state to select and generate adaptive behavioral sequences. To better understand these computations and their implementation in neural circuits, natural behavior must be carefully measured and quantified. Here, we collect high spatial resolution video of single zebrafish larvae swimming in a naturalistic environment and develop models of their action selection across exploration and hunting. Zebrafish larvae swim in punctuated bouts separated by longer periods of rest called interbout intervals. We take advantage of this structure by categorizing bouts into discrete types and representing their behavior as labeled sequences of bout types emitted over time. We then construct probabilistic models-specifically, marked renewal processes-to evaluate how bout types and interbout intervals are selected by the fish as a function of its internal hunger state, behavioral history, and the locations and properties of nearby prey. Finally, we evaluate the models by their predictive likelihood and their ability to generate realistic trajectories of virtual fish swimming through simulated environments. Our simulations capture multiple timescales of structure in larval zebrafish behavior and expose many ways in which hunger state influences their action selection to promote food seeking during hunger and safety during satiety.

A bidirectional network for appetite control in larval zebrafish.

Medial and lateral hypothalamic loci are known to suppress and enhance appetite, respectively, but the dynamics and functional significance of their interaction have yet to be explored. Here we report that, in larval zebrafish, primarily serotonergic neurons of the ventromedial caudal hypothalamus (cH) become increasingly active during food deprivation, whereas activity in the lateral hypothalamus (LH) is reduced. Exposure to food sensory and consummatory cues reverses the activity patterns of these two nuclei, consistent with their representation of opposing internal hunger states. Baseline activity is restored as food-deprived animals return to satiety via voracious feeding. The antagonistic relationship and functional importance of cH and LH activity patterns were confirmed by targeted stimulation and ablation of cH neurons. Collectively, the data allow us to propose a model in which these hypothalamic nuclei regulate different phases of hunger and satiety and coordinate energy balance via antagonistic control of distinct behavioral outputs.

How soon after a meal do you start feeling hungry again? The answer depends on a complex set of processes within the brain that regulate appetite. A key player in these processes is the hypothalamus, a small structure at the base of the brain. The hypothalamus consists of many different subregions, some of which are responsible for increasing or decreasing hunger. Wee, Song et al. now show how two of these subregions interact to regulate appetite and feeding, by studying them in hungry zebrafish larvae. The brains of zebrafish have many features in common with the brains of mammals, but they are smaller and transparent, which makes them easier to study. Wee, Song et al. show that as larvae become hungry, an area called the caudal hypothalamus increases its activity. But when the larvae find food and start feeding, activity in this area falls sharply. It then remains low while the hungry larvae eat as much as possible. Eventually the larvae become full and start eating more slowly. As they do so, the activity of the caudal hypothalamus goes back to normal levels. While this is happening, activity in a different area called the lateral hypothalamus shows the opposite pattern. It has low activity in hungry larvae, which increases when food becomes available and feeding begins. When the larvae finally reduce their rate of feeding, the activity in the lateral hypothalamus drops back down. The authors posit that by inhibiting each other's activity, the caudal and lateral hypothalamus work together to ensure that animals search for food when necessary, but switch to feeding behavior when food becomes available. Serotonin ­ which is produced by the caudal hypothalamus ­ and drugs that act like it have been proposed to suppress appetite, but they have varied and complex effects on food intake and weight gain. By showing that activity in the caudal hypothalamus changes depending on whether food is present, the current findings may provide insights into this complexity. More generally, they show that mapping the circuits that regulate appetite and feeding in simple organisms could help us understand the same processes in humans.