title: Non-invasive in vivo imaging of calcium signaling in mice.
abstract: Rapid and transient elevations of Ca(2+) within cellular microdomains play a critical role in the regulation of many signal transduction pathways. Described here is a genetic approach for non-invasive detection of localized Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)]) rises in live animals using bioluminescence imaging (BLI). Transgenic mice conditionally expressing the Ca(2+)-sensitive bioluminescent reporter GFP-aequorin targeted to the mitochondrial matrix were studied in several experimental paradigms. Rapid [Ca(2+)] rises inside the mitochondrial matrix could be readily detected during single-twitch muscle contractions. Whole body patterns of [Ca(2+)] were monitored in freely moving mice and during epileptic seizures. Furthermore, variations in mitochondrial [Ca(2+)] correlated to behavioral components of the sleep/wake cycle were observed during prolonged whole body recordings of newborn mice. This non-invasive imaging technique opens new avenues for the analysis of Ca(2+) signaling whenever whole body information in freely moving animals is desired, in particular during behavioral and developmental studies.
authors.affiliation: Unité d'Embryologie Moléculaire, CNRS URA 2578, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Kelly L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Rogers
authors.forename: Sandrine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Picaud
authors.forename: Emilie
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Roncali
authors.forename: Raphaël
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Boisgard
authors.forename: Cesare
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Colasante
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stinnakre
authors.forename: Bertrand
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tavitian
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Brûlet
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D020013:Calcium Signaling; D003600:Cytosol / Q000378:metabolism; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D008954:Models, Biological; D009119:Muscle Contraction; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D009991:Oscillometry; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D002118:Calcium