Spectral Reflectometric Microscopy on Myelinated Axons In Situ

Summary

Here, we present a step-by-step protocol for imaging myelinated axons in a fixed brain slice using a label-free nanoscale imaging technique based on spectral reflectometry.

Abstract

In a mammalian nervous system, myelin provides an electrical insulation by enwrapping the axon fibers in a multilayered spiral. Inspired by its highly-organized subcellular architecture, we recently developed a new imaging modality, named spectral reflectometry (SpeRe), which enables unprecedented label-free nanoscale imaging of the live myelinated axons in situ. The underlying principle is to obtain nanostructural information by analyzing the reflectance spectrum of the multilayered subcellular structure. In this article, we describe a detailed step-by-step protocol for performing a basic SpeRe imaging of the nervous tissues using a commercial confocal microscopic system, equipped with a white-light laser and a tunable filter. We cover the procedures of sample preparation, acquisition of spectral data, and image processing for obtaining nanostructural information.

Introduction

In the mammalian nervous system, myelin provides rapid nerve conduction and axonal integrity by enwrapping the axon fibers with multilayered membranous sheaths. Its multilayered structure is composed of alternating nanoscale thin-films composed of plasma membranes (~5 nm), cytosol (~3 nm), and extracellular spaces (~7 nm)^1,2. Optical microscopy, including the recent super-resolution microscopy, are not suitable for observing the nanoscale myelin dynamics due to their insufficient resolution due to optical diffraction^3,4,5

Protocol

All surgical procedures were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) of Sungkyunkwan University.

1. Sample Preparation

Note: Autoclave all surgical instruments before animal handling. Conduct all surgical performance in a room dedicated to surgical procedures. Sterile surgical gowns and gloves should be worn by all personnel in the surgical room at all times.

1. Tissue Fixation
   1. Prepare two 10 mL syringes each filled with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) and 4% paraformaldehyde (PFA) in PBS.
   2. Anesthetize a 7-12-week-old mouse, (C57BL/6J or ....

Results

According to the protocol, a fixed brain slice was prepared with exogenous staining, a myelin-targeting fluorophore (see Table of Materials). SpeRe imaging was performed on the brain slice using a commercial hyperspectral confocal microscope in conjunction with confocal fluorescence imaging (Figure 4a). For SpeRe, input optical intensity was set to 5 µW/µm² with a pixel dwell time of ~1 µs. This light dose is over an order-of-magni.......

Discussion

SpeRe is a new label-free imaging modality based on spectral interferometry, which for the first time, offers the nanoscale information in live myelinated axons. In the current acquisition protocol, the spatial resolution for the axon diameter is of the order of 10 nm. Moreover, SpeRe utilizes orders-of-magnitude lower light dose compared to other super-resolution microscopies; thus, it is free from phototoxicity and photobleaching. SpeRe would provide a new avenue for studying nanoscale dynamics of the myelinated axons........

Materials

List of materials used in this article

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
Glass cutter	-	-	Can be purchased in a local convenience store or online stores.
Nail polish	-	-	Can be purchased in a local convenience store or online stores.
Apochromat objective 40×, NA 1.1	Leica Microsystems	15506357	Water-immersion type
Fluoromyelin Green	Thermo Fisher	F34651	Alternatively, Fluoromyelin Red (F34652) can be used.
Leica SP8 TCS microscope	Leica Microsystems	SP8	Refer to the "Configuration of microscope" in Introduction Section for details.
Imaging software	Leica Microsystems	LAS-X	-
Matlab	MathWorks	-	-
Mirror	Thorlabs	PF10-03-P01	Coated with protected silver.
Phosphate-buffered saline (PBS)	Life technologies	14190-136	-
Paraformaldehyde	Biosolution	BP031a	4% v/v in PBS
Cover slip	Thermo Fisher	3306	Thickness: #1 (0.13 to 0.17 mm)
Slide glass	Muto Pure Chemicals	5116-20F	Thickness: ~1 mm
Super glue	Henkel	Loctite 406	Use a dispensing equipment to avoid skin or eye contact.
Syringe pump	Brainetree Scientific	BS-8000 DUAL	-
Vibratome	Leica Biosystems	VT1200S	-
White-light laser	NKT photonics	EXB-6	EXB-6 was discontinued and replaced by EXU-6.