In Vitro and In Vivo Analysis of Neuronal Polarity

Neuronal development is characterized by the unidirectional flow of signal from the axon to the dendrites via synapses. Neuronal polarization is a critical step during development that allows the specification of the different neuronal processes as a single axon and multiple dendrites both structurally and functionally, allowing the unidirectional flow of information. Along with extrinsic and intrinsic signaling, a whole network of molecular complexes involved in positive and negative feedback loops play a major role in this critical distinction of neuronal processes. As a result, neuronal morphology is drastically altered during establishment of polarity. In this chapter, we discuss how we can analyze the morphological alterations of neurons in vitro in culture to assess the development and polarity status of the neuron. We also discuss how these studies can be conducted in vivo, where polarity studies pose a greater challenge with promising results for addressing multiple pathological conditions. Our experimental model is limited to rodent hippocampal/cortical neurons in culture and cortical neurons in brain tissues, which are well-characterized model systems for understanding neuronal polarization.