Simultaneous imaging of structural plasticity and calcium dynamics in developing dendrites and axons

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cell Biology
• Developmental Biology

Background:

• Synapse formation during nervous system development is a highly specific process.
• Structural and functional plasticity are crucial for synapse selection, establishment, and maturation.
• Simultaneous observation of structural changes and functional signaling is needed to understand synaptogenesis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and present an imaging approach for simultaneously tracking structural plasticity and calcium signaling in neurons.
• To enable the study of the interplay between structural and functional mechanisms during synapse formation.
• To provide a method applicable to diverse neuronal network systems.

Main Methods:

• Utilized differential cell labeling with distinct dyes for simultaneous imaging.
• Employed bulk loading of calcium-sensitive indicators and electroporation of individual cells with calcium and non-calcium-sensitive dyes.
• Applied confocal microscopy for high-resolution simultaneous recordings of labeled structures.

Main Results:

• Successfully demonstrated a method to simultaneously follow structural changes and calcium signaling dynamics.
• Enabled the correlation of structural plasticity with neural activity in individual neurons and networks.
• Established a high-resolution imaging approach for studying structure-function relationships.

Conclusions:

• The developed imaging approach allows for simultaneous observation of structural plasticity and calcium dynamics.
• This technique facilitates the investigation of structure-function relationships in neuronal development.
• The method is versatile and applicable to various neuronal network systems for studying synaptogenesis.