Long-term, long-distance recording of a living migrating neuron by scanning ion conductance microscopy.
Bias-free, three-dimensional imaging of entire living cellular specimen is required for investigating shape and volume changes that occur during cellular growth or migration. Here we present fifty consecutive recordings of a living cultured neuron from a mouse dorsal root ganglion obtained by Scanning ion conductance microscopy (SICM). We observed a saltatory migration of the neuron with a mean velocity of approximately 20 μm/h. These results demonstrate the non-invasiveness of SICM, which makes it unique among the scanning probe microscopes. In contrast to SICM, most scanning probe techniques require a usually denaturating preparation of the cells, or they exert a non-negligible force on the cellular membrane, impeding passive observation. Moreover, the present series of recordings demonstrates the potential use of SICM for the detailed investigation of cellular migration and membrane surface dynamics even of such delicate samples as living neurons.
Department of Biochemisty II, Electrobiochemistry of Neural Cells, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.|Central Unit for Ionbeams and Radionuclides (RUBION), Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
Astrid
A
Gesper
Department of Biochemisty II, Electrobiochemistry of Neural Cells, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.|International Graduate School of Neuroscience (IGSN), Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
Denis
D
Thatenhorst
Department of Cell Morphology and Molecular Neurobiology, Molecular Cell Biology, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
Stefan
S
Wiese
Department of Cell Morphology and Molecular Neurobiology, Molecular Cell Biology, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
Teresa
T
Tsai
Department of Biochemisty II, Electrobiochemistry of Neural Cells, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
Irmgard D
ID
Dietzel
Central Unit for Ionbeams and Radionuclides (RUBION), Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
Patrick
P
Happel
D000818:Animals; D002465:Cell Movement; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D051379:Mice; D008853:Microscopy / Q000379:methods*; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D059010:Single-Cell Analysis / Q000379:methods*
cell migration; living cells; neuron; scanning ion conductance microscopy; time lapse recording