[The genetic screening of a dominant zebrafish mutant in long-term memory].

OBJECTIVE: To screen the learning and memory mutant from N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU) mutagenic zebrafish F1, and to get the new model animal to study the mechanism of learning and memory. METHODS: Zebrafish mutant was screened by inhibitory avoidance behavioral test and identified by the expression of gene c-fos with qRT-PCR. RESULTS: We isolated a zebrafish mutant related to learning and memory, fgt. In this fgt zebrafish mutant long-term memory was much lower than that in wild-type when tested at 24 h after training. The 24 h long-term memory in about half of fgt mutant F2 (13/30) were significantly lower than those in wild-type, and the others relatively normal. Compared with the expression in wild-type fishes, the expression of immediate-early genes (IEGs) c-fos in half of fgt mutant F2 (13/30) after exploring in a novel environment increased distinctly from the basal control levels statistically, and the others relatively normal, which were in accordance with the behavioral results. CONCLUSION: The zebrafish mutant fgt is a dominant mutant with defect in long-term memory.