Fig. 6

mSod1 embryos and larvae show increased locomotor activity.

(A) In comparison with controls (Ctrl), mSod1 embryos showed a significant increase in the frequency of spontaneous tail coiling behavior at 20 hpf. The mSod1 embryos showed a significantly higher percentage of both double and multiple coiling in comparison with the Ctrl and wtSod1 embryos. The Ctrl and wtSod1 embryos showed the same percentage of contralateral (C) and ipsilateral (I) bends of the entire body, whereas the mSod1 embryos showed a significant higher percentage of I coilings (numerical data given in Table 2). (B) The maximum angle of tail flexion (scale bar: 500 μm) and the duration of touch-evoked responses at 48 hpf. Touch-evoked tail coiling responses lasted significantly longer in the mSod1 embryos, and the maximum angle of tail flexion was significantly less (numerical data given in Table 3). (C) Schematic representation of the experimental set-up used to test touch-evoked swimming responses in larvae at 96 hpf, showing a representative response in red. The mSod1 larvae showed significantly longer-lasting evoked swimming responses and travelled significantly further; as these responses consisted of repeated consecutive burst swimming events, the average speed was significantly lower (numerical data given in Table 3).