Epilepsy affects millions of people worldwide, but many patients do not respond well to treatment or develop drug-resistant seizures. Many animal models of seizure exist, but additional, more economical systems are required for high-throughput drug testing and basic research. Lee et al. report a new model involving exposure of zebrafish larvae to ginkgotoxin, which induces seizure-like swimming behaviour that is reversed by commonly used anti-epileptic drugs. In addition, the phenotype is reversed by the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA or PLP, an upstream enzyme in the GABA synthesis pathway. This model provides a system for addressing a proposed mechanism of seizure involving GABA, and introduces a relatively simple new platform for high-throughput drug screening. Page 785

Written by editorial staff. © 2012. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.
2012
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