Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Sex- and experience-dependent regulation of synaptic protein turnover.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same author

An olfactory-prefrontal cortical circuit supports social recognition.

Research square·2026
Same author

Dynamic visualization of physiological CaMKII activity using sensitive FRET biosensors.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

The hippocampal CA3 area implements sequence learning of discontinuous episodes.

Communications biology·2026
Same author

Region- and cell type-specific changes in gene expression in the cerebellum after classical fear conditioning.

Communications biology·2026
Same author

<i>FRMPD4</i>, a causal gene for intellectual disability and epilepsy, is associated with X-linked non-syndromic hearing loss.

medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 17, 2025

Targeted Labeling of Neurons in a Specific Functional Micro-domain of the Neocortex by Combining Intrinsic Signal and Two-photon Imaging
11:24

Targeted Labeling of Neurons in a Specific Functional Micro-domain of the Neocortex by Combining Intrinsic Signal and Two-photon Imaging

Published on: December 12, 2012

13.7K

Tagging active neurons by soma-targeted Cal-Light.

Jung Ho Hyun1,2,3, Kenichiro Nagahama1, Ho Namkung4

  • 1Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.

Nature Communications
|December 12, 2022
PubMed
Summary

Researchers developed soma-targeted Cal-Light (ST-Cal-Light) to precisely tag active neurons by linking action potentials to gene expression. This advancement enables detailed study of neural circuits and their role in behavior and disease.

More Related Videos

In vivo Neuronal Calcium Imaging in C. elegans
11:06

In vivo Neuronal Calcium Imaging in C. elegans

Published on: April 10, 2013

25.0K
Real-Time Fluorescent Measurement of Synaptic Functions in Models of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
08:59

Real-Time Fluorescent Measurement of Synaptic Functions in Models of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Published on: July 16, 2021

2.7K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Aug 17, 2025

Targeted Labeling of Neurons in a Specific Functional Micro-domain of the Neocortex by Combining Intrinsic Signal and Two-photon Imaging
11:24

Targeted Labeling of Neurons in a Specific Functional Micro-domain of the Neocortex by Combining Intrinsic Signal and Two-photon Imaging

Published on: December 12, 2012

13.7K
In vivo Neuronal Calcium Imaging in C. elegans
11:06

In vivo Neuronal Calcium Imaging in C. elegans

Published on: April 10, 2013

25.0K
Real-Time Fluorescent Measurement of Synaptic Functions in Models of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
08:59

Real-Time Fluorescent Measurement of Synaptic Functions in Models of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Published on: July 16, 2021

2.7K

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Verifying causal links between neural circuits and behavior requires precise methods to identify active neurons.
  • Current techniques for activity-dependent neuronal labeling lack sufficient spatiotemporal precision.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop a novel system, soma-targeted Cal-Light (ST-Cal-Light), for high-precision, activity-dependent neuronal labeling.
  • To demonstrate the ST-Cal-Light system's efficacy in various behavioral paradigms and disease models.

Main Methods:

  • Engineered ST-Cal-Light to convert somatic calcium signals from action potentials into gene expression.
  • Utilized ST-Cal-Light in mouse models for fear conditioning, decision-making, and social interaction behaviors.
  • Applied ST-Cal-Light to target kainic acid-sensitive neurons in the hippocampus to study seizure suppression.
  • Generated a conditional ST-Cal-Light knock-in mouse for cell-type and region-specific neuronal tagging.

Main Results:

  • ST-Cal-Light achieved high signal-to-noise ratio and reduced light requirements for neuronal labeling.
  • Successfully tagged active neurons during complex behaviors like fear conditioning and social interactions.
  • Demonstrated suppression of seizure symptoms by targeting specific hippocampal neuronal populations.
  • Established a versatile tool for conditional, activity-dependent neuronal labeling in mice.

Conclusions:

  • ST-Cal-Light effectively links somatic action potentials to gene expression with high temporal precision.
  • This system facilitates functional circuit dissection at the single-cell level.
  • ST-Cal-Light shows promise for studying neural circuits in behavior and neurological disorders.