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Confocal Imaging of Fast Flash Photolysis of Caged Compounds in Cultured Neurons

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Basic Neurobiology Techniques

Part of the book series: Neuromethods ((NM,volume 152))

Abstract

The enhanced ability to visualize small neuronal compartments in live tissue, such as individual dendritic spine, is accompanied in recent years by a need for a precise, high temporal and spatial resolution ability to activate or suppress electrophysiological as well as biochemical properties within such compartments. Parallel rapid progress in molecular, cellular, and physics methodologies enabled the recruitment of novel technologies to the analysis of a wide spectrum of issues, from long lasting imaging of subcellular compartments in vitro as well as in vivo, to simultaneous recording of activities of networks of hundreds of neurons in behaving animals. In the present review, we will focus on a fast UV flash (4 ns) photolysis of caged molecules in a small sphere (<1 μm) near or within dendritic spines of cultured neurons. This method is faster and cheaper than the commonly used 2-photon uncaging, which requires a large investment in complex equipment. Our method can best be used with two-dimensional networks of neurons, grown in culture.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurobiology, The Weizmann Institute, Rehovot, Israel

    Eduard Korkotian & Menahem Segal

Authors
  1. Eduard Korkotian
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  2. Menahem Segal
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Menahem Segal .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Levine College of Health Sciences, Wingate University, Wingate, NC, USA

    Nicholas J. D. Wright

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Korkotian, E., Segal, M. (2020). Confocal Imaging of Fast Flash Photolysis of Caged Compounds in Cultured Neurons. In: Wright, N. (eds) Basic Neurobiology Techniques . Neuromethods, vol 152. Humana, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-9944-6_11

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-9944-6_11

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  • Publisher Name: Humana, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-9943-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4939-9944-6

  • eBook Packages: Springer Protocols

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