Zebrafish work Elizabeth Carroll and colleagues published in Nature Chemical Biology

Elizabeth Carroll and colleagues from UC Berkeley have published an article in Nature Chemical Biology which links elemental copper in the brain to regulation of sleep.

Copper distributions in the brain of zebrafish were measured using laser-assisted mass spectrometry.  The researchers also used genetic, optical, and chemical techniques to show that loss-of-function in a copper-rich locus of neurons results in irregular rest-activity cycles. 

The authors conclude that copper contributes to regulating zebrafish rest–activity cycles through the locus coeruleus system by modulating the biosynthesis of norepinephrine; brain copper deficiency leads to lower levels of both synaptic norepinephrine and daytime activity.  The article can be found here.