Ambrad Giovannetti, E. | bioRxiv Science

bioRxiv2024

Three-photon in vivo imaging of neurons and glia in the medial prefrontal cortex with sub-cellular resolution

The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is important for higher cognitive functions, including working memory, decision making, and emotional control. In vivo recordings of neuronal activity in the mPFC have been achieved via invasive electrical and optical approaches. Here we apply low invasive three-photon in vivo imaging in the mPFC of the mouse at unprecedented depth. Specifically, we measure neuronal and astrocytic Ca2+-transient parameters in awake head-fixed mice up to a depth of 1700 {micro}m. Furthermore, we longitudinally record dendritic spine density (0.41 {+/-}0.07 {micro}m-1) deeper than 1 mm for a week. Using 1650 nm wavelength to excite red fluorescent microglia, we quantify their processes motility (58.9 {+/-}2% turnover rate) at previously unreachable depths (1100 {micro}m). We establish three-photon imaging of the mPFC enabling neuronal and glial recordings with subcellular resolution that will pave the way for novel discoveries in this brain region.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2023

Aberrant hippocampal Ca2+ micro-waves following synapsin-dependent adenoviral expression of Ca2+ indicators

Genetically encoded calcium indicators (GECIs) such as GCaMP are invaluable tools in neuroscience to monitor neuronal activity using optical imaging. The viral transduction of GECIs is commonly used to target expression to specific brain regions, can be conveniently used with any mouse strain of interest without the need for prior crossing with a GECI mouse line and avoids potential hazards due to the chronic expression of GECIs during development. A key requirement for monitoring neuronal activity with an indicator is that the indicator itself minimally affects activity. Here, using common adeno-associated viral (AAV) transduction procedures, we describe spatially confined aberrant Ca2+ micro-waves slowly travelling through the hippocampus following expression of GCaMP6, GCaMP7 or R-CaMP1.07 driven by the synapsin promoter with AAV-dependent gene transfer, in a titre-dependent fashion. Ca2+ micro-waves developed in hippocampal CA1 and CA3, but not dentate gyrus (DG) nor neocortex, were typically first observed at 4 weeks after viral transduction, and persisted up to at least 8 weeks. The phenomenon was robust, observed across laboratories with various experimenters and setups. Our results indicate that aberrant hippocampal Ca2+ micro-waves depend on the promoter and viral titre of the GECI, density of expression as well as the targeted brain region. We used an alternative viral transduction method of GCaMP which avoids this artifact. The results show that commonly used Ca2+-indicator AAV transduction procedures can produce artefactual Ca2+ responses. Our aim is to raise awareness in the field of these artefactual transduction-induced Ca2+ micro-waves and we provide a potential solution. Impact statement: Common AAV transduction procedures induce artefactual spatially confined Ca2+ waves in the hippocampus.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2018

Restoring memory by optogenetic synchronization of hippocampal oscillations in an Alzheimer’s disease mouse model

Disrupted neural oscillations are a feature of Alzheimers disease (AD). We observed reduced frequency of theta oscillations in the hippocampal local field potential (LFP) in a mouse model of beta-amyloidosis. By restoring the temporal organization of theta oscillations using LFP-guided closed-loop optogenetic stimulation of parvalbumin-positive interneurons, we could rescue memory deficits of APP/PS1 mice in the novel object recognition test.

neuroscience↗