An Israeli researcher says a 2-inch fish may yield insights into human circadian rhythm and treatments for mental illness, diseases or sleep disorders. Tel Aviv University researcher Yoav Gothilf says humans and zebrafish share mechanisms that regulate our circadian system, the natural cycle that dictates our biological processes during a 24-hour day.
Disruptions in the cycle are associated with depression, problems with weight control, jet lag and more, a TAU release said Thursday.
The zebrafish discovery provides an excellent model for research that may help to develop new treatments for human ailments, Gothilf says. Zebrafish may be small, but their circadian system is similar to those of human beings and as test subjects, he says, they have several distinct advantages.
Their embryos are transparent, allowing researchers to watch as they develop; their genetics can be easily manipulated; and their development is quick -- eggs hatch in two days and the fish become sexually mature at 3 months old.
Previous research on zebrafish showed a gene called Period2, also present in humans, is associated with the fish's circadian system and is activated by light.
"When we knocked down the gene in our zebrafish models," Gothilf said, "the circadian system was lost."
Gothilf and colleagues isolated and tested the human gene and inserted it into zebrafish cells, and it behaved in exactly the same way, activating when exposed to light -- and revealing a connection between humans and the 2-inch-long fish.
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