Simultaneous Two-photon In Vivo Imaging of Synaptic Inputs and Postsynaptic Targets in the Mouse Retrosplenial Cortex

Summary

This video shows the craniotomy procedure that allows chronic imaging of neurons in mouse retrosplenial cortex using in vivo two photon microscopy in Thy1-GFP transgenic line. This approach is combined with injection of mCherry-expressing adeno-associated virus into dorsal hippocampus. These techniques allow long-term monitoring of experience-dependent structural plasticity in RSC.

Abstract

This video shows the craniotomy procedure that allows chronic imaging of neurons in the mouse retrosplenial cortex (RSC) using in vivo two-photon microscopy in Thy1-GFP transgenic mouse line. This approach creates a possibility to investigate the correlation of behavioural manipulations with changes in neuronal morphology in vivo.

The cranial window implantation procedure was considered to be limited only to the easily accessible cortex regions such as the barrel field. Our approach allows visualization of neurons in the highly vascularized RSC. RSC is an important element of the brain circuit responsible for spatial memory, previously deemed to be problematic for in vivo two-photon imaging.

The cranial window implantation over the RSC is combined with an injection of mCherry-expressing recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV^mCherry) into the dorsal hippocampus. The expressed mCherry spreads out to axonal projections from the hippocampus to RSC, enabling the visualization of changes in both presynaptic axonal boutons and postsynaptic dendritic spines in the cortex.

This technique allows long-term monitoring of experience-dependent structural plasticity in RSC.

Introduction

Two-photon microscopy revolutionized the observation of brain activity in living and behaving animals. Since its introduction in 1990 it quickly gained popularity and is now implemented as one of the most interesting and innovative approaches towards examination of numerous aspects of brain activity in vivo ^1,2. These applications include blood flow measurements, neuronal activation (e.g., using calcium level indicators or immediate early genes expression) and the morphology of neuronal cells. An increasing number of laboratories use two-photon microscopes, implementing the technique throughout the scientific world as a new standard for

Protocol

All experimental procedures described below were approved by Local Ethical Committee at the Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences.

Note: Some of the scenes in the associated video are accelerated. Speed factor is indicated in these scenes.

1. Surgery Preparation

1. Sterilize all tools, glass containers for liquids and cotton swabs in the autoclave. Use dispensable gloves. Clean the surgical table, the stereotaxic frame and all the surrounding area with 70% ethanol. Use a sterile surgical pad to create a sterile space for all the sterilized equipment. Cut gelfoam into small ....

Results

The expression of GFP in a subset of neurons in the Thy1-GFP reporter mouse allows in vivo imaging of the cortical dendrites and local axonal projections in RSC. Figure 1A shows maximum projection of a stack of images with multiple GFP-positive dendrites visible. The cell body is obscured by an artery. Figure 1B shows a single plane zoomed image (digital zoom 3x) of the dendritic branch indicated in 1A. Details of dendritic morphology (spines, fi.......

Discussion

In the current paper we present a protocol for simultaneous two-photon in vivo imaging of the synaptic inputs and postsynaptic targets in RSC through a cranial window. The implantation procedure consist of several key steps. First, the animal is deeply anesthetized and fixed in the stereotactic frame, then the skull over RSC is thinned with a drill along the marked circular lines and the circular bone is removed. After the bleeding is stopped, the rAAV2/1^mCherry is injected into the hippocampus, and t.......

Materials

List of materials used in this article

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
Drug
Isoflurane	Baxter	AErrane 8DG9623	5-2% pre-operative
Isoflurane	Baxter	AErrane 8DG9623	1.5-2% during surgery
Dexametasone	Scan Vet	Dexasone 2mg/ml	0.2 mg/kg intramuscular
Baytril	Bayer	2.50%	5 mg/kg subcutaneously
Tolfedine	Vetoquinol	4%	4 mg/kg subcutaneously
Butomidor	Richter Pharma	10 mg/ml	2 mg/kg subcutaneously
Carprofen	KRKA-Polska	Rycarfa 50mg/ml	10 mg/kg subcutaneously
Lidocaine	Jelfa	Lignocainum	topically
Lidocaine	Jelfa	20 mg/g	topically
Surgery
Gelfoam	Ethicon	Spongostan dental; REF MS0005
Eye ointment	Dedra	Lubrithal	topically
CA glue	Pelikan Daniel	20G Huste
Dental acrylic	SpofaDental	Duracryl Plus
Stereotaxic frame	Stoelting	51500D
Tool
Coverglass	Harvard Apparatus	HSE-64-0720	3 mm diameter
Dental drill	Sigmed	Keystone KVet
Fixation bar	Custom made	N/A	M2 or M3 screw nuts could be used
Forceps	Renex	PN-7B-SA
Micro scissors	Falcon	BM.183.180
Dissection microscope	KOZO	XTL6445T
Imaging
Holder frame	Custom made	N/A
Two-photon microscope	Zeiss	Upright Axio Examiner Z1	Laser unit: Coherent Chameleon 690-1040nm with Optical Parametric Oscillator 1050-1300nm. Objectives: EC-PLAN-NEUFLUAR 10x/0.1 and LD Plan-APOCHROMAT 20x/1.0. Detection: Zeiss bandpass filters BP 500-550 (GFP) and BP 570-610 (mCherry) separated by beam splitter at 560nm and coupled to two GaAsP photodetectors.
Reagent
Virus	gift from K. Deisseroth		Recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) expressing fluorescent protein mCherry under the control of CaMK promoter