NMLF response to spinal cord injury in Zebrafish

The study was designed to identify genes regulated after spinal transection that might contribute to regenerative growth of neurons projecting from the NMLF in Zebrafish. Zebrafish were injured by surgical transection of the spinal cord at 1 mm caudal to the brainstem-spinal cord junction (Injured). Animals receiving sham surgery (identical surgical procedures without transection) served as control (Control). The nucleus of the medial longitudinal fascicle (NMLF) was laser capture microdissected from approximately 30 frozen sections. RNA was prepared, amplified, and run on Affymetrix Zebrafish arrays. Zebrafish were used because they recover swimming function after spinal transection in about 6 weeks. The NMLF has been identified as a prominent group of neurons that descend through the site of injury in the spinal cord and that regenerate after injury. Times were selected to distinguish early events from those in the timeframe of regenerative growth.