African Turquoise Killifish (Nothobranchius Furzeri)

The African turquoise killifish Nothobranchius furzeri is a short-lived fish species that has been established as a novel vertebrate model to study aging and represents a promising system to examine various other processes. The killifish is relatively easy and inexpensive to maintain. In addition, it has a short life cycle and abundant progeny, facilitating its use. Investigation using this model organism is growing and has provided new insights into aging, age-related diseases, ecology, evolution, and embryonic diapause--a state of "suspended animation." This laboratory manual provides a comprehensive collection of protocols covering experimental techniques currently used to study the African turquoise killifish. Husbandry protocols describe how to set up and maintain a killifish colony and how to generate and preserve genetically engineered killifish lines. This collection also includes both general and specific methods to characterize different organs during aging, with a particular focus on the brain. Several genomics methods and analyses for unbiased characterization are also described. Finally, this manual encompasses protocols in other interesting areas of research, including injury repair, development, and embryonic diapause. This collection should enable studies in the African turquoise killifish and other species of killifish such as the South American killifish, and includes protocols that will be useful both to groups considering the use of these systems for the first time and to those with experience in the field. We also hope that this protocol book will foster a large killifish community and will promote new studies in many different research areas.