Month/Year of Graduation

5-2026

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science (B.S.)

Department

Biology

First Advisor

Dr. Ryan Wong, PhD

Abstract

Stress and anxiety disorders affect millions worldwide and represent a significant public health burden. Individual differences in stress coping style and antioxidant regulation contribute to variability in stress responsiveness and anxiety-related behaviors. Oxidative imbalance has been implicated in the neurobiology of anxiety, but its interaction with inherent stress coping phenotypes remains unclear. This study examined whether long-term dietary vitamin E deficiency alters anxiety-like behaviors in zebrafish selectively bred for proactive and reactive stress coping styles. Adult zebrafish were maintained on either a vitamin E–sufficient or vitamin E–deficient diet for five months, followed by behavioral assessment using the novel tank diving test. Behavioral endpoints included total distance moved, swimming duration, latency to enter the top zone, and time spent in the upper tank zone. Behavioral analysis revealed significant main effects of coping phenotype, with proactive individuals exhibiting greater locomotor activity and exploratory behavior compared to reactive individuals (p < 0.05). Vitamin E deficiency significantly altered locomotor activity and reduced time spent in the upper tank zone (p < 0.05) but did not significantly affect latency to enter the top zone (p > 0.05). A significant interaction between dietary treatment and coping phenotype was observed for total distance moved, indicating that proactive and reactive individuals responded differently to dietary manipulation in terms of locomotor activity. However, this interaction was not observed across other behavioral measures. These findings indicate that vitamin E deficiency selectively influences specific components of anxiety-like behavior without overriding inherent coping style differences. Stress coping phenotype remains the primary determinant of behavioral variation, while antioxidant status exerts a more limited, behavior-specific modulatory role.

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