brain dissociation and seeding of cortical neurons in cell culture 

 Primary Microglia and Neuron Co-Culture Protocol for CNS Interaction Studies

Microglia are tissue-resident macrophages that facilitate immunosurveillance and homeostasis in the central nervous system (CNS)1,2,3. They originate from yolk sac erythromyeloid progenitor cells that colonize the brain during embryonic development4,5,6&#160;and are maintained throughout the organism&#39;s life span through self-renewal, which involves proliferation and apoptosis7. At steady-state, resting microglia have ramified morphology and engage in tissue surveillance8,9,10.
Microglia express numerous cell-surface receptors, which enables them to rapidly respond to changes in the CNS11,12 and to promote inflammatory responses in the event of infections or tissue injury12,13,14, as well as during neurodegenerative diseases9,15, such as&#160;multiple sclerosis (MS)16,17. Microglia also express receptors to various neurotransmitters and neuropeptides18,19,20, which suggests they may also respond to and regulate neuronal activity21,22. Indeed, microglia and neurons interact in various forms of bidirectional communication8,23 such as direct interactions mediated by membrane proteins or indirect interactions through soluble factors or intermediate cells23,24.
For instance, various neurotransmitters secreted by neurons can modulate the neuroprotective or inflammatory activity of microglia25,26,27. Additionally, direct interactions between neurons and microglia help to maintain microglia in a homeostatic state28. Conversely, direct interactions of microglia with neurons can shape neuronal circuitry29 and influence neuronal signaling30,31,32. As disruptions of these interactions induce hyperexcitability of neurons30 and&#160;microglia reactivity33,34, dysregulated microglia-neuronal interactions&#160;are implicated&#160;as a contributing factor to&#160;neurological diseases33,35. Indeed, psychotic23,26 and neurodegenerative diseases have been described to exhibit dysfunctional microglia-neuronal interactions33. While these observations highlight the importance of microglia-neuronal communication in the CNS, specific mechanisms of how these interactions regulate microglial and neuronal functions in health and disease are relatively unknown.
Within a complex milieu such as the CNS, multiple environmental factors can influence microglia-neuronal interactions, which limits the ability to study transient cellular interactions in vivo. Here, we present an in vitro microglia-neuronal co-culture system that can be used to study direct cellular interactions between microglia and neurons. This protocol describes the generation of primary microglia and neurons from the cortices of neonatal mice between post-natal days 0-2 and embryonic mice days 16-18, respectively. Neurons and microglia are then co-cultured in 96-well plates for downstream high-throughput experiments. We previously used this approach to demonstrate that microglia phagocytosis protects neurons from oxidized phosphatidylcholine mediated cell death37, suggesting that this method can help to understand the roles of microglia in the context of neurodegeneration and MS. Similarly, microglia-neuronal co-cultures may also be useful for investigating the impact of microglia-neuronal crosstalk in other contexts such as viral infections38 or neuronal injury and repair39. Overall, in vitro microglia-neuronal co-culture systems&#160;enable researchers to study microglia-neuronal interactions in a manipulatable and controlled environment, which complements in vivo models.

Author Spotlight: In Vitro Co-Culture Model for Studying Microglia-Neuronal Interactions in Disease Conditions

Generating and Co-culturing Murine Primary Microglia and Cortical Neurons

Our research aims to investigate the interactions between neurons and microglia during disease conditions such as multiple sclerosis. We aim to recapitulate microglia neuronal interactions in vitro to better understand their functional importance in the CNS. We previously demonstrated that microglia phagocytosis protects neurons from oxidized phosphatidylcholine-mediated cell death with this co-culture.While other co-culture systems are also employed, this mixed culture system enables direct and close contact between microglia and neurons. In addition, it can remain healthy from 12 days to potentially three weeks, allowing for long-term studies of neuronal microglia interactions. Our protocol offers a simple and accessible method to co-culture microglia neurons that are easily manipulatable and can be further used in downstream assays to determine cellular functional changes.

Brain Dissociation and Seeding of Cortical Neurons in Cell Culture 

To begin, mince the isolated brains into pieces in the 50-milliliter conical tube with a sterile disposable scalpel blade. Add trypsin to the tube at a final concentration of 0.25%Immerse the tube in a 35 to 38 degrees Celsius hot water bath for 15 minutes. Gently pipette the tissue suspension up and down to dissociate cells.Then add 0.5 milliliters of fetal bovine serum to the homogenized suspension to neutralize trypsin activity. Filter the cell suspension through the 70-micrometer nylon mesh cell strainer. Using a one-milliliter syringe plunger, gently grind the tissue into the cell strainer.Then centrifuge the conical tube at 300 g for five minutes at four degrees Celsius. Discard the Poly-L-Ornithine in the T25 flasks and rinse the flasks three times with five milliliters of PBS. Carefully decant the tube to remove the supernatant and resuspend the cell pellet by gently pipetting with two to three milliliters of complete neurobasal media.Plate the cells in the Poly-L-Ornithine-coated T25 flasks with approximately 20 million cells per flask in five milliliters of complete neurobasal media. Incubate the cell culture at 37 degrees Celsius in a 5%carbon dioxide incubator. Neurons in T25 flasks and 96-well plates adhered and formed neurite processes by day three.Suboptimal neuron cultures contained cell clumps and debris.

brain-dissociation-and-seeding-of-cortical-neurons-in-cell-culture

Research

JoVE Journal

Neuroscience

43 vistas. Para empezar, pica los cerebros aislados en pedazos en el tubo cónico de 50 mililitros con una hoja de bisturí desechable estéril. Agregue tripsina al tubo a una concentración final de 0.25%Sumerja el tubo en un baño de agua caliente de 35 a 38 grados Celsius durante 15 minutos. Pipetear suavemente la suspensión de tejido hacia arriba y hacia abajo para disociar las células.A continuación, añada 0,5 mililitros de suero fetal bovino a la suspen...

Video: Disociación cerebral y siembra de neuronas corticales en cultivo celular 

generating and co-culturing murine primary microglia and cortical neurons

This protocol describes a microglia-neuronal co-culture established from primary neuronal cells isolated from mouse embryos at embryonic days 15-16 and primary microglia generated from the brains of neonatal mice at post-natal days...

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ballistic labeling of pyramidal neurons in brain slices and in primary cell culture

Ballistic Labeling of Pyramidal Neurons in Brain Slices and in Primary Cell Culture

We present a protocol to label and analyze pyramidal neurons, which is critical for evaluating potential morphological alterations in neurons and dendritic spines that may underlie neurochemical and behavioral...

bilaminar co-culture of primary rat cortical neurons and glia

Bilaminar Co-culture of Primary Rat Cortical Neurons and Glia

Here we provide a protocol for culturing rat cortical neurons in the presence of a glial feeder layer. The cultured neurons establish polarity and create synapses, and can be separated from the glia for use in various applications, such as electrophysiology, calcium imaging, cell survival assays, immunocytochemistry, and RNA/DNA/protein...

nucleofection and primary culture of embryonic mouse hippocampal and cortical neurons

Nucleofection and Primary Culture of Embryonic Mouse Hippocampal and Cortical Neurons

This protocol outlines the steps required to dissect, transfect via electroporation and culture mouse hippocampal and cortical neurons.  Short-term cultures may be used for studies of axon outgrowth and guidance, while long-term cultures can be used for studies of synaptogenesis and dendritic spine...

nuclear transport assays in permeabilized mouse cortical neurons

Nuclear Transport Assays in Permeabilized Mouse Cortical Neurons

We have developed a reliable method of selective plasma membrane permeabilization of primary mouse cortical neurons for high content automated analysis of neuronal nucleocytoplasmic...

in utero electroporation followed by primary neuronal culture for studying gene function in subset of cortical neurons

In utero Electroporation followed by Primary Neuronal Culture for Studying Gene Function in Subset of Cortical Neurons

In utero electroporation is a valuable method for transfecting neuronal progenitor cells in vivo. Depending upon the placement of the electrodes and the developmental timepoint of electroporation, certain subsets of cortical cells can be targeted. Targeted cells can then be analyzed in vivo or in vitro for effects of genetic...

In utero Electroporation followed by Primary Neuronal Culture for Studying Gene Function in Subset of Cortical Neurons

isolation and culture of mouse cortical astrocytes

Isolation and Culture of Mouse Cortical Astrocytes

Astrocytes have been recognized to be versatile cells participating in fundamental biological processes that are essential for normal brain development and function, and central nervous system repair. Here we present a rapid procedure to obtain pure mouse astrocyte cultures to study the biology of this major class of central nervous system...

automated production of human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cortical and dopaminergic neurons with integrated live-cell monitoring

Automated Production of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cortical and Dopaminergic Neurons with Integrated Live-Cell Monitoring

We show the automation of human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) cultures and neuronal differentiations compatible with automated imaging and...

combined mechanical and enzymatic dissociation of mouse brain hippocampal tissue

Combined Mechanical and Enzymatic Dissociation of Mouse Brain Hippocampal Tissue

This neural cell dissociation protocol is intended for samples with a low amount of starting material and yields a highly viable single-cell suspension for downstream analysis, with optional fixation and staining...

juxtacellular monitoring and localization of single neurons within sub-cortical brain structures of alert, head-restrained rats

Juxtacellular Monitoring and Localization of Single Neurons within Sub-cortical Brain Structures of Alert, Head-restrained Rats

This protocol describes the design and surgical implantation of a head-restraining mechanism to monitor neuronal activity in sub-cortical brain structures in alert rats.  It delineates procedures to isolate single neurons in the juxtacellular configuration and to efficiently identify their anatomical...

in vivo two-photon imaging of cortical neurons in neonatal mice

In Vivo Two-photon Imaging of Cortical Neurons in Neonatal Mice

We present an in vivo two-photon imaging protocol for imaging the cerebral cortex of neonatal mice. This method is suitable for analyzing the developmental dynamics of cortical neurons, the molecular mechanisms that control the neuronal dynamics, and the changes in neuronal dynamics in disease...

In Vivo Two-photon Imaging of Cortical Neurons in Neonatal Mice

cell seeding in the membrane-based cell culture platform and reconfiguring it to microfluidic mode

Cell Seeding in the Membrane-Based Cell Culture Platform and Reconfiguring it to Microfluidic Mode

co-culturing microglia and cortical neurons differentiated from human induced pluripotent stem cells

Co-Culturing Microglia and Cortical Neurons Differentiated from Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

This protocol describes a methodology to differentiate microglia from human iPSCs and maintain them in co-culture with iPSC-derived cortical neurons in order to study mechanistic underpinnings of neuroimmune interactions using human neurons and...

quantification of filamentous actin (f-actin) puncta in rat cortical neurons

Quantification of Filamentous Actin F-actin Puncta in Rat Cortical Neurons

Filamentous actin (F-actin) plays an important role in spinogenesis, synaptic plasticity, and synaptic stability. Quantification of F-actin puncta is therefore a useful tool to study the integrity of synaptic structures. This protocol describes the procedures of quantifying F-actin puncta labeled with Phalloidin in low-density primary cortical neuronal...

Quantification of Filamentous Actin (F-actin) Puncta in Rat Cortical Neurons

determination of mitochondrial membrane potential and reactive oxygen species in live rat cortical neurons

Determination of Mitochondrial Membrane Potential and Reactive Oxygen Species in Live Rat Cortical Neurons

We demonstrate application of the fluorescence indicator, TMRM, in cortical neurons to determine the relative changes in TMRM fluorescence intensity before and after application of a specific stimulus.  We also show application of the fluorescence probe H2DCF-DA to assess the relative level of reactive oxygen species in cortical...

time-lapse confocal imaging of migrating neurons in organotypic slice culture of embryonic mouse brain using in utero electroporation

Time-lapse Confocal Imaging of Migrating Neurons in Organotypic Slice Culture of Embryonic Mouse Brain Using In Utero Electroporation

This protocol provides instructions for direct observation of radially migrating cortical neurons. In utero electroporation, organotypic slice culture, and time-lapse confocal imaging are combined to directly and dynamically study the effects of overexpression or downregulation of genes of interest in migrating neurons and to analyze their differentiation during...

Time-lapse Confocal Imaging of Migrating Neurons in Organotypic Slice Culture of Embryonic Mouse Brain Using In Utero Electroporation

measuring axonal cargo transport in mouse primary cortical cultured neurons

Measuring Axonal Cargo Transport in Mouse Primary Cortical Cultured Neurons

The present protocol describes the whole procedure of analysis for axonal transport. In particular, the calculation of transport velocity, not including the pausing, and the visualization method using open-access software "KYMOMAKER" are shown...

isolation and culture of hippocampal neurons from prenatal mice

Isolation and Culture of Hippocampal Neurons from Prenatal Mice

We provide a protocol for the culture of highly purified hippocampal neurons from prenatal mouse brains without the use of a feeder glial cell...

Microglia are tissue-resident macrophages of the central nervous system (CNS), performing numerous functions that support neuronal health and CNS homeostasis. They are a major population of immune cells associated with CNS disease activity, adopting&#160;reactive phenotypes that potentially contribute to neuronal injury during chronic neurodegenerative diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS). The distinct mechanisms by which microglia regulate neuronal function and survival during health and disease remain limited due to challenges in resolving the complex in vivo interactions between microglia, neurons, and other CNS environmental factors. Thus, the in vitro approach of co-culturing microglia and neurons remains a valuable tool for studying microglia-neuronal interactions. Here, we present a protocol to generate and co-culture primary microglia and neurons from mice. Specifically, microglia were isolated after 9-10 days in vitro from a mixed glia culture established from brain homogenates derived from neonatal mice between post-natal days 0-2. Neuronal cells were isolated from brain cortices of mouse embryos between embryonic days 16-18. After 4-5 days in vitro, neuronal cells were seeded in 96-well plates, followed by the addition of microglia to form the co-culture. Careful timing is critical for this protocol as both cell types need to reach experimental maturity to establish the co-culture. Overall, this co-culture can be useful for studying microglia-neuron interactions and can provide multiple readouts, including immunofluorescence microscopy, live imaging, as well as RNA and protein assays.

This protocol describes a microglia-neuronal co-culture established from primary neuronal cells isolated from mouse embryos at embryonic days 15-16 and primary microglia generated from the brains of neonatal mice at post-natal days 1-2.

Microglia are tissue-resident macrophages of the central nervous system (CNS), performing numerous functions that support neuronal health and CNS ...

Brain Isolation from Neonatal Mice for Primary Microglia Culture

To begin, add 5 milliliters of 10 micrograms per milliliter Poly-L-ornithine hydrobromide to each T75 flask. Incubate at 37 degrees Celsius in a 5%carbon dioxide incubator for at least one hour. After decapitating the mouse, gently hold the head and create a midline incision in the cranium, starting from the neck to the nose.Peel the skull back with tissue forceps to reveal the brain. To scoop the brain out, insert the tissue forceps under the brain, and lift the brain out from the head. After placing the brain into a Petri dish containing 20 milliliters of Leibovitz's L-15 media under a dissection microscope, using a pair of micro-forceps, carefully remove the brainstem and the meninges.Collect the brains in a 50-milliliter conical tube containing 5 milliliters of Leibovitz's L15 media.

Preparing and Maintaining Mixed Glia Culture Derived from Neonatal Mice Brains

To begin, mince the isolated brains into approximately one-square-millimeter pieces with a sterile disposable scalpel blade. Carefully transfer the minced brains into a new sterile 50 milliliter tube. Add a final concentration of 0.25%trypsin to the minced brains.Incubate the tissue in a 37-degrees-Celsius water bath for 20 minutes. Add five milliliters of complete glia culture media to neutralize the trypsin and gently mix the tissue suspension using a 10 milliliter pipette. Carefully decant the cell suspension through the cell strainer.Then remove the plunger from a sterile one-milliliter syringe and grind the tissue into the mesh using the plunger. Add equal volumes of cell suspension containing one to two brains with glia culture media to each flask resulting in a final volume of 15 milliliters. Sparse cells and excessive cellular debris were observed on day one.By day four, adherent astrocytes were generated. Confluent cells with typical astrocyte morphology were observed by day eight of culture.

Isolating Brains from E16-E18 Mouse Embryos for Primary Neuron Culture

Begin by coating T25 flasks with five milliliters of 10 micrograms per milliliter poly-L-ornithine, and incubate them. To isolate the brain from mouse embryos, lift the skin of the euthanized pregnant mouse's lower abdomen with tissue forceps. Using dissection scissors, perform a V-shaped incision from this point to the lower rib cage.Grab the uterine horns containing the embryos with tissue forceps, and gently remove the embryos from the abdominal cavity. Using spring scissors, create a midline incision at the top of the skull, starting from the back of the neck to the nose. Lift the skull away from the incision site to reveal the brain.Gently scoop out the brain with tissue forceps and transfer the brain to a 10 centimeter Petri dish containing 15 milliliters of Hanks'balanced salt solution. Under a dissection microscope, carefully remove the brainstem and the meninges on both sides of the brain cortices with a pair of micro forceps.

Co-Culture of Primary Neurons and Microglia for Studying Microglia-Neuron Interactions

To begin, take neurons grown in T25 flasks for co-culture. Replace the media with five milliliters of versene solution containing trypsin and Dnase I.Add 0.5 milliliters of fetal bovine serum to neutralize the trypsin and Dnase I.Transfer cells to a 15 milliliter conical tube. Wash the flask with five milliliters of complete neurobasal media once to maximize the collected neurons.Then, centrifuge the cell suspension at 300 G for five minutes at four degrees celsius. After discarding the supernatant, gently resuspend the cell pellet in two to three milliliters of complete neurobasal media. Seed 100 microliters of the cell suspension to each well to obtain 75, 000 neurons per well, between eight to 10 days of mixed glia cultivation.Using a 10 milliliter pipette, gently wash the T75 flasks with glia culture media to collect microglia and transfer the cells and media into a sterile 50 milliliter conical tube. Centrifuge the cell collection at 300 G for five minutes at four degrees celsius. Once the supernatant is removed, gently resuspend the pellet in two milliliters of complete neurobasal media.From the 96-well neuronal culture plate, remove 100 microliters of neurobasal media and add 100 microliters of 250, 000 cells per milliliter cell suspension. In co-culture round and large microglia were observed on top or between neurons and neurite processes.