University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University

1 ARTICLES PUBLISHED IN JoVE

Neuroscience

In vivo Imaging of Fully Active Brain Tissue in Awake Zebrafish Larvae and Juveniles by Skull and Skin Removal

Paul Schramm¹, Florian Hetsch², Jochen C. Meier³, Reinhard W. Köster¹

¹Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology, Zoological Institute, Technische Universität Braunschweig, ²Institute of Pathophysiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, ³Cell Physiology, Zoological institute, Technische Universität Braunschweig

Here we present a method to image the zebrafish embryonic brain in vivo upto larval and juvenile stages. This microinvasive procedure, adapted from electrophysiological approaches, provides access to cellular and subcellular details of mature neuron and can be combined with optogenetics and neuropharmacological studies for characterizing brain function and drug intervention.