Live imaging of neural structure and function by fibred fluorescence microscopy.
Only a few methods permit researchers to study selected regions of the central and peripheral nervous systems with a spatial and time resolution sufficient to image the function of neural structures. Usually, these methods cannot analyse deep-brain regions and a high-resolution method, which could repeatedly probe dynamic processes in any region of the central and peripheral nervous systems, is much needed. Here, we show that fibred fluorescence microscopy-which uses a small-diameter fibre-optic probe to provide real-time images-has the spatial resolution to image various neural structures in the living animal, the consistency needed for a sequential, quantitative evaluation of axonal degeneration/regeneration of a peripheral nerve, and the sensitivity to detect calcium transients on a sub-second timescale. These unique features should prove useful in many physiological studies requiring the in situ functional imaging of tissues in a living animal.
Vincent
Pierre
P
Université Pierre et Marie Curie-Paris, ERT 1059, Boîte Courrier number 16, 9 Quai St Bernard, 75005 Paris, France. pierre.vincent@snv.jussieu.fr
Maskos
Uwe
U
Charvet
Igor
I
Bourgeais
Laurence
L
Stoppini
Luc
L
Leresche
Nathalie
N
Changeux
Jean-Pierre
JP
Lambert
Régis
R
Meda
Paolo
P
Paupardin-Tritsch
Danièle
D
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000378:metabolism*; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D004848:Epithelium / Q000502:physiology; D005336:Fiber Optic Technology / Q000379:methods*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence / Q000379:methods*; D009417:Nerve Tissue / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D012038:Regeneration