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Biochemical Approaches for Glutamatergic Neurotransmission pp 29–50Cite as

Single Nanoparticle Tracking: A Method for Investigating the Surface Dynamics of Glutamate Receptors

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Part of the book series: Neuromethods ((NM,volume 130))

Abstract

The spatiotemporal organization of neurotransmitter receptors within synapses is a critical determinant of synaptic transmission and adaptation, and thus of information processing and storage in the brain. Long considered as immobile at the plasma membrane, glutamate ionotropic receptors—the principal mediators of fast excitatory neurotransmission—are instead highly dynamic. Indeed, the recent development of single molecule imaging techniques has revealed that their number, composition, and distribution at the neuronal surface are constantly regulated through a combination of exo-/endocytosis processes and lateral diffusion in and out of synaptic sites within the membrane plane, allowing a fine control of the intensity of synaptic transmissions. Among these techniques, quantum dot-based single nanoparticle tracking methods provide unique means to explore the surface behavior of individual receptors either in vitro or ex vivo. Here, we describe the experimental procedures to perform single nanoparticle tracking in primary dissociated neuronal cultures, organotypic hippocampal preparations, and acute brain slices. We also provide insights on how these methods can be used to investigate the dynamics of glutamate receptors at the plasma membrane, and to explore their interactions with surface partners.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, the Human Frontier Science Program, the Agence Nationale de la Recherche, the Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale and the Conseil Régional d’Aquitaine. We thank the cell culture facility of the institute, the animal facility of the University of Bordeaux, the Bordeaux Imaging Center for technical support and lab members for constructive discussions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Université de Bordeaux, CNRS, Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience, UMR 5297, Bordeaux, France

    Julien Dupuis, François Maingret & Laurent Groc

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  1. Julien Dupuis
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  2. François Maingret
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  3. Laurent Groc
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Correspondence to Laurent Groc .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, University Lyon 1, Lyon, France

    Sandrine Parrot

  2. Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, University Lyon 1, Lyon, France

    Luc Denoroy

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Dupuis, J., Maingret, F., Groc, L. (2018). Single Nanoparticle Tracking: A Method for Investigating the Surface Dynamics of Glutamate Receptors. In: Parrot, S., Denoroy, L. (eds) Biochemical Approaches for Glutamatergic Neurotransmission. Neuromethods, vol 130. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-7228-9_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-7228-9_2

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