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Single-Cell Electroporation for In Vivo Imaging of Neuronal Morphology and Growth Dynamics

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Neural Tracing Methods

Part of the book series: Neuromethods ((NM,volume 92))

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Abstract

Single-cell electroporation (SCE) is a technique for acutely transfecting or dye-labeling individual neurons within intact living tissues. In addition to fluorescently labeling neurons, SCE can be used to conduct cell-autonomous studies of protein function by co-delivering fluorophores with DNA, RNA, antisense constructs, peptides, proteins, or drugs. SCE involves inserting a thin glass pipette into neural tissue to restrict an electric field and exposure to a solution of delivery compounds to an individual neuron at the pipette tip. Application of a brief electric pulse induces transient pores in the target cell and iontophoretic transfer of delivery compounds only to that cell. SCE is not limited to specific cell types and leaves no residual delivery agents. SCE has proven to be useful for in vivo fluorescent imaging of neuronal morphology and connectivity and for conducting time-lapse imaging of structural changes due to growth and plasticity. Furthermore, “targeted SCE” allows selecting neurons based on connectivity, protein expression, activity patterns, or receptive field properties. Overall, SCE offers a relatively simple and highly versatile alternative to transgenic approaches for acutely labeling or transfecting post-differentiated neurons.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, 2211 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6T2B5

    Sharmin Hossain, Kaspar Podgorski & Kurt Haas

  2. Brain Research Centre, University of British Columbia, 2211 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6T2B5

    Sharmin Hossain, Kaspar Podgorski & Kurt Haas

Authors
  1. Sharmin Hossain
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  2. Kaspar Podgorski
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  3. Kurt Haas
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kurt Haas .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA

    Benjamin R. Arenkiel

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Hossain, S., Podgorski, K., Haas, K. (2015). Single-Cell Electroporation for In Vivo Imaging of Neuronal Morphology and Growth Dynamics. In: Arenkiel, B. (eds) Neural Tracing Methods. Neuromethods, vol 92. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-1963-5_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-1963-5_5

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-1962-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4939-1963-5

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