title: Current microscopic methods for the neural ECM analysis.
abstract: The extracellular matrix (ECM) occupies the space between both neurons and glial cells and thus provides a microenvironment that regulates multiple aspects of neural activities. Because of the vital role of ECM as a natural environment of cells in vivo, there is a growing interest to develop methodology allowing for the detailed structural and functional analyses of ECM. In this chapter, we provide the detailed overview of current microscopic methods used for ECM analysis and also describe general labeling strategies for ECM visualization. Since ECM remodeling involves the proteolytic cleavage of ECM, we will also describe current experimental approaches to image the proteolytic reorganization and/or degradation of ECM. The special focus of this chapter is set to the application of Förster resonance energy transfer-based approaches to monitor intracellular and extracellular matrix functions with high spatiotemporal resolution.
authors.affiliation: Cellular Neurophysiology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Andre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zeug
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Cell Biophysics, Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Michal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stawarski
authors.affiliation: Cellular Neurophysiology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Katarzyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bieganska
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Brain Extracellular Matrix Research, University of Nizhny Novgorod, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia; Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy; Department of Nanophysics, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: Svetlana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Korotchenko
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Cell Biophysics, Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Jakub
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wlodarczyk
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Brain Extracellular Matrix Research, University of Nizhny Novgorod, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia; Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy; Department of Nanophysics, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy; Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE), Magdeburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dityatev
authors.affiliation: Cellular Neurophysiology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany. Electronic address: ponimaskin.evgeni@mh-hannover.de.
authors.forename: Evgeni
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ponimaskin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000378:metabolism*; D031541:Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*
keywords: Autofluorescence lifetime microscopy; Extracellular matrix; FRET; Fourier transform infrared microspectroscopy; Glycan; Multiphoton-excitation microscopy; Neoepitope; Scanning electron microscopy; Superresolution microscopy; Zymography