Udoh UG et al. (2023), Protocol for measuring visual preferences of fr...

XB-ART-59910

STAR Protoc 2023 Sep 15;43:102422. doi: 10.1016/j.xpro.2023.102422.

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Protocol for measuring visual preferences of freely swimming Xenopus laevis tadpoles.

Udoh UG , Zheng K , Pratt KG .

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Xenopus tadpoles display innate visually guided behaviors which are thought to promote survival by guiding them toward sources of food and away from predators. Experimentally, studying these behaviors can provide insight into the formation and function of the neural circuits which underlie them. Here, we present a protocol for measuring visual preferences of freely swimming tadpoles. We describe steps to create the visual stimuli, carry out the experiments, and analyze the resulting data. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Hunt et al.1 and Bruno et al.2.

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Species referenced: Xenopus laevis

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	Graphical abstract
	Figure 1. Examples of color/luminance stimulus (A) Example of a stimulus created to test the preference for light when light (shown as white) is pitted against dark. (B) Example of stimulus created to test the preference for green when green is pitted against light.
	Figure 2. Experimental set-up and analysis of color/luminance preference test (A) Equipment set-up: The computer monitor is set to display the test stimulus. (B) The test dish is placed on the displayed stimulus such that one quarter of the dish represents the region of interest (ROI). (C) Graph represents the visual preference of tadpoles across a 30-min trial. The preference is determined by counting every minute, on the minute the number of tadpoles that reside in the ROI. The overall preference for the ROI during the trial is determined by averaging the preference across the 30 time-points. Dashed line represents the average number of tadpoles in the ROI that would be expected if there is no preference for, or avoidance of, the ROI.
	Figure 3. Determining tadpole speed and swimming patterns (A) (top) Example of stimulus for testing the preference for light (ROI) when light is pitted against dark. (bottom) Schematic showing the tracing of tadpole trajectory within a set time (10 s) in the ROI. The speed is calculated as swimming distance/time. (B) (top) Example of stimulus for testing the preference for light (ROI) when light is pitted against dark. (bottom) Schematic showing a single swimming bout displayed by a tadpole. ROI: Region of interest, T1 and T2: Time points 1 and 2, arrows indicate the points of entry and exit of tadpole from the ROI.

References [+] :

Bruno, A circadian-dependent preference for light displayed by Xenopus tadpoles is modulated by serotonin. 2022, Pubmed, Xenbase