The authors thank researchers at the University of Iowa, Drs. Luis Tecedor, Ines Martins and Beverly Davidson for instructions and helpful comments regarding striatal cultures, and Drs. Kara Gordon, Nicole Bode and Pedro Gonzalez-Alegre for genotyping assistance and discussions. We also thank Dr. Eric Weyand (Animal Identification and Marking Systems) for helpful comments regarding tattooing, and Dr. Shutaro Katsurabayashi (Fukuoka University) for helpful comments regarding the mouse culture. This work was supported by grants from the American Heart Association, the Department of Defense (Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program award W81XWH-14-1-0301), the Dystonia Medical Research Foundation, the Edward Mallinckrodt, Jr. Foundation, the National Science Foundation, and the Whitehall Foundation (N.C.H.).

The author (Zhengmin Huang) is the president of EZ BioResearch LLC that produces reagents described in this article.

El protocolo que aquí se presenta incluye procedimientos para tatuar etiquetar / identificar los ratones, para el genotipado de los ratones de cola consejos, y para el cultivo de neuronas del cerebro del ratón en baja densidad. En una ronda de experimentos utilizando 6-8 crías, estos procedimientos requieren típicamente ~ 0,5 h, ~ 4 horas y ~ 2 h, respectivamente, en un total de 07.06 h. Esto hace que sea práctico para un solo experimentador para completar todos los trámites necesarios desde el momento del nacimie...

Modelos de roedores de enfermedades genéticas han demostrado ser útiles en el establecimiento de las funciones fisiológicas de las proteínas normales y ácidos nucleicos, así como las consecuencias fisiopatológicas de defectos en estos. Los ejemplos incluyen ratones deficientes para proteínas implicadas en funciones celulares clave, así como modelos de ratón de trastornos tales como la enfermedad de Alzheimer. Sin embargo, ciertas manipulaciones genéticas pueden conducir a la letalidad neonatal poco o unos pocos días después del nacimiento. En estos casos, los cultivos celulares primarios son una herramienta importante porque las células vivas se pueden obtener de las crías de embriones o neonatales antes de la muerte, que pueden mantenerse durante al menos un par de semanas in vitro, y durante este tiempo el desarrollo neuronal temprana pueden ser seguidos por experimentos bioquímicos, morfológicos y funcionales. Para los cultivos primarios, puede ser beneficioso para la placa de las neuronas a baja densidad; esto hace que sea posible visualizar la somata individual, dendritas, árboles axonal y termi nervionales en alta resolución espacial. Sin embargo, la supervivencia y la diferenciación de las neuronas a baja densidad típicamente requiere que se colocan en una capa alimentadora glial, co-cultivadas con células gliales en la ausencia de contacto físico con ellos, o se cultivaron en medio acondicionado por células gliales 1. El establecimiento de cultivos neuronales de baja densidad en capas alimentadoras gliales puede depender de rápido y fiable de genotipado de antemano - dentro de unas pocas horas en contraste con unos pocos días. La velocidad es especialmente importante cuando el genotipo neuronal necesita ser adaptada a la de una capa alimentadora glial preparado de antemano. Como un ejemplo más práctico, puede ser necesario decidir que las crías de que el genotipo para usar en cultivos de generación, para optimizar la eficiencia de un experimento. Aquí demostramos el protocolo de trabajo que se ha utilizado para una rápida y simplificada y fiable de genotipado de ratón en publicaciones anteriores 2-6. Colas de ratón yse utilizó un kit disponible comercialmente. Este protocolo incluye la extracción de una sola etapa de los ácidos nucleicos a partir del tejido, y no requiere ni una etapa de purificación de ácido nucleico ni el uso de un tampón de terminación (&quot;solución de parada &#39;). La fiabilidad de este método de genotipificación se ilustra mediante la presentación de los resultados de una serie de pruebas cuando se introducen las diferencias con respecto a la cantidad de partida de los especímenes, la edad de los animales y la longitud de los amplicones de PCR. Este kit ofrece las ventajas de la extracción y la fiabilidad automatizado. Por el bien de ser integral, también se demuestra el uso de los tatuajes para la identificación a largo plazo de los ratones con genotipo. El tatuaje se logra mediante la aplicación de la tinta de tatuaje en la dermis de la piel (debajo de la epidermis) 7. Se describe un procedimiento para el tatuaje las almohadillas de las patas de ratones recién nacidos o 1 día de edad, aunque los tatuajes se pueden aplicar a otras partes del cuerpo, tales como colas y dedos de los pies, y para animals, de todas las edades. Además, los procedimientos se demostrarán para el recubrimiento y el cultivo de neuronas de ratón a una densidad baja, basado en la preparación optimizada de diferentes tipos de capas de alimentación gliales 2,8. Usamos un modelo genético de ratón de la enfermedad neurológica DYT1 distonía heredado - un trastorno de movimiento autosómica dominante causada por una mutación en el gen TOR1A (c.904_906delGAG / c.907_909delGAG; p.Glu302del / p.Glu303del) 9. La proteína codificada, torsinA, pertenece a los &quot;ATPasas asociados a diversas actividades celulares&quot; (AAA +) familia de proteínas, cuyos miembros en general, desempeñará las funciones de tipo chaperón, la asistencia en: proteína que se desarrollan, desmontaje-proteína compleja, el tráfico de membrana, y la fusión de vesículas 10-13. La mutación en un marco de supresión de un codón para el ácido glutámico, y pueden llevar a la manifestación de &quot;inicio temprano generalizado aislado distonía &#39;14,15. Sin embargo, el caminomecanismos ophysiological responsables de este trastorno siguen siendo poco conocidos. En un modelo de ratón knock-in, el alelo mutante es TOR1A tm2Wtd, mencionado en lo sucesivo como TOR1A AE. Heterocigota? E-torsinA knock-en ratones son pacientes humanos viables genéticamente y mímicas con distonía DYT1, mientras homocigotos ronda en ratones mueren después del nacimiento 16,17, con la latencia a la muerte postnatal afectados por los antecedentes genéticos 18. La temprana muerte de homocigotos ratones knock-in requiere que tanto la determinación del genotipo de los animales y el establecimiento de cultivos neuronales se completan rápidamente. Como otro ejemplo de genotipado, TFAP2A (factor de transcripción AP-2α, la activación de la proteína de unión a 2α potenciador) se utilizará. La proteína codificada por este gen es importante en la regulación de múltiples procesos celulares, tales como la proliferación, la diferenciación, la supervivencia y apoptosis 19.

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>REAGENTS - tattooing</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Machine Cleanser</td>
			<td>Animal Identification and Marking Systems, Inc.</td>
			<td>NMCR3</td>
			<td>This is used to clean the needles and the holder after tattooing.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Machine Drying Agent</td>
			<td>Animal Identification and Marking Systems, Inc.</td>
			<td>NDAR4</td>
			<td>This is used to dry the needles and holder after cleaning.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Neonate Tattoo Black Pigment</td>
			<td>Animal Identification and Marking Systems, Inc.</td>
			<td>NBP01</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Skin Prep Applicator</td>
			<td>Animal Identification and Marking Systems, Inc.</td>
			<td>NSPA1</td>
			<td>Q-tip.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Skin Prep solution</td>
			<td>Animal Identification and Marking Systems, Inc.</td>
			<td>NSP01</td>
			<td>This reagent delivers a thin layer of oil that enhances the efficiency of tattooing and prevents tattoo fading, by (information from vendor): 1) preventing non-tattooed skin from being stained temporarily, thereby allowing the quality of a paw pad tattoo to be easily evaluated before the pup is returned to its home cage &#8211; the stained skin surface can be confused with the tattooed skin, 2) reducing skin damage during tattooing &#8211; softening the skin and lubricating the needle will help the needle penetrate the skin without causing skin damage, and 3) preventing molecular oxygen from entering the skin, thereby reducing inflammatory responses to reactive oxygen species that can be generated.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>REAGENTS - genotyping</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>EZ Fast Tissue/Tail PCR Genotyping Kit (Strip Tube Format)</td>
			<td>EZ BioResearch LLC</td>
			<td>G2001-100</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>2X PCR Ready Mix II</td>
			<td>EZ BioResearch LLC</td>
			<td>G2001-100</td>
			<td>A red, loading dye for electrophoresis is included in the 2X PCR Ready Mix solution.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Tissue Lysis Solution A</td>
			<td>EZ BioResearch LLC</td>
			<td>G2001-100</td>
			<td>Prepare DNA Extraction Solution by mixing 20 &#181;l of Tissue Lysis Solution A and 180 &#181;l of Tissue Lysis Solution B per specimen.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Tissue Lysis Solution B</td>
			<td>EZ BioResearch LLC</td>
			<td>G2001-100</td>
			<td>Prepare DNA Extraction Solution by mixing 20 &#181;l of Tissue Lysis Solution A and 180 &#181;l of Tissue Lysis Solution B per specimen.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Acetic acid, glacial</td>
			<td>VWR</td>
			<td>BDH 3092</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Agarose optimized grade, molecular biology grade</td>
			<td>rpi</td>
			<td>A20090-500&#160;</td>
			<td>We use 2% agarose gels in TAE buffer containing the SYBR Safe DNA gel stain (diluted 10,000-fold) or ethidium bromide (0.5 &#181;g/ml gel volume).</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Ethidium bromide</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>E7637-1G</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid, disodium salt dihydrate (EDTA)</td>
			<td>Fisher</td>
			<td>BP120-500</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Filtered Pipet Tips, Aerosol-Free, 0.1-10 &#181;l</td>
			<td>Dot Scientific Inc</td>
			<td>UG104-96RS&#160;</td>
			<td>Use pipette tips that are sterile and free of DNA, RNase and DNase. For all steps involving DNA, use filtered pipette tips to avoid cross-contamination.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Filtered Pipet Tips, Premium Fit Filter Tips, 0.5-20 &#181;l</td>
			<td>Dot Scientific Inc</td>
			<td>UG2020-RS</td>
			<td>Use pipette tips that are sterile and free of DNA, RNase and DNase. For all steps involving DNA, use filtered pipette tips to avoid cross-contamination.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Filtered Pipet Tips, Premium Fit Filter Tips, 1-200 &#181;l</td>
			<td>Dot Scientific Inc</td>
			<td>UG2812-RS</td>
			<td>Use pipette tips that are sterile and free of DNA, RNase and DNase. For all steps involving DNA, use filtered pipette tips to avoid cross-contamination.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Molecular weight marker, EZ DNA Even Ladders 100 bp</td>
			<td>EZ BioResearch LLC</td>
			<td>L1001</td>
			<td>We use either of these three molecular weight markers.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Molecular weight marker, EZ DNA Even Ladders 1000 bp</td>
			<td>EZ BioResearch LLC</td>
			<td>L1010</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Molecular weight marker, TrackIt, 100 bp DNA Ladder</td>
			<td>GIBCO-Invitrogen</td>
			<td>10488-058</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>PCR tubes, 8-tube strips with individually attached dome top caps, natural, 0.2 ml&#160;</td>
			<td>USA Scientific</td>
			<td>1402-2900</td>
			<td>Use tubes that are sterile and free of DNA, RNase and DNase. An 8-tube strip is easy to handle and to group the specimens than individual tubes.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>PCR tubes, Ultraflux Individual&#160;</td>
			<td>rpi</td>
			<td>145660</td>
			<td>Use tubes that are sterile and free of DNA, RNase and DNase.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Seal-Rite 0.5 ml microcentrifuge tube, natural</td>
			<td>USA Scientific</td>
			<td>1605-0000</td>
			<td>Use tubes that are sterile and free of DNA, RNase and DNase.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>SYBR Safe DNA gel stain * 10,000x concentration in DMSO</td>
			<td>GIBCO-Invitrogen</td>
			<td>S33102</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Tris base</td>
			<td>rpi</td>
			<td>T60040-1000</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Primers for amplifying Tor1a gene in &#916;E-torsinA knock-in mice</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>5&#39;-AGT CTG TGG CTG GCT CTC CC-3&#39; (forward) and 5&#39;-CCT CAG GCT GCT CAC AAC CAC-3&#39; (reverse) (reference 18). These primers were used at a final concentration of 1.0 ng/&#181;l (~0.16 &#181;M) (reference 2).</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Primers for amplifying Tfap2a gene in wild-type mice</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>5&#39;-GAA AGG TGT AGG CAG AAG TTT GTC AGG GC-3&#39; (forward), 5&#39;-CGT GTG GCT GTT GGG GTT GTT GCT GAG GTA-3&#39; (reverse) for the 498-bp amplicon, 5&#39;-CAC CCT ATC AGG GGA GGA CAA CTT TCG-3&#39; (forward), 5&#39;-AGA CAC TCG GGC TTT GGA GAT CAT TC-3&#39; (reverse) for the 983-bp amplicon, and 5&#39;-CAC CCT ATC AGG GGA GGA CAA CTT TCG-3&#39; (forward), 5&#39;-ACA GTG TAG TAA GGC AAA GCA AGG AG-3&#39; (reverse) for the 1990-bp amplicon. These primers are used at 0.5 &#181;M.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>REAGENTS - cell culture</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>5-Fluoro-2&#8242;-deoxyuridine</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>F0503-100MG</td>
			<td>See comments section of uridine for more information.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>B-27 supplement</td>
			<td>GIBCO-Invitrogen</td>
			<td>17504-044</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Cell Culture Dishes 35 x 10 mm Dishes, Tissue Culture-treated</td>
			<td>BD falcon</td>
			<td>353001</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Cell Culture Flasks, T25, Tissue Culture-treated, Canted-neck, plug-seal cap, 25 cm2 Growth Area, 70 ml</td>
			<td>BD falcon</td>
			<td>353082</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Cell Culture Flasks, T75, Tissue Culture-treated, Canted-neck, vented cap, 75 cm2 Growth Area, 250 ml</td>
			<td>BD falcon</td>
			<td>353136</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Conical Tube, polypropylene, 15 ml</td>
			<td>BD falcon</td>
			<td>352095</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Countess (cell number counter) chamber slides</td>
			<td>GIBCO-Invitrogen</td>
			<td>C10312</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Cytosine &#946;-D-Arabinofuranoside hydrochloride (Ara-C hydrochloride)</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>C6645-100mg</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>D-(+)-Glucose (Dextrose) anhydrous, SigmaUltra, 99.5% (GC)</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>G7528-250G</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Dish, Petri glass 100 x 15 mm</td>
			<td>Pyrex</td>
			<td>3160-101</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Distilled water</td>
			<td>GIBCO-Invitrogen</td>
			<td>15230-147</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>DNase Type II</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>D4527-200KU</td>
			<td>Stock solution is prepared at 1500 units/20 &#956;l = 75000 units/ml in distilled water.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Dulbecco&#39;s Modified Eagle Medium (DMEM), high glucose, GlutaMAX, pyruvate</td>
			<td>GIBCO-Invitrogen</td>
			<td>10569-010, 500 ml</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Fast PES Filter Unit, 250 ml, 50 mm diameter membrane, 0.2 &#181;m Pore Size</td>
			<td>Nalgene</td>
			<td>568-0020</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Fast PES Filter Unit, 500 ml, 90 mm diameter membrane, 0.2 &#181;m Pore Size</td>
			<td>Nalgene</td>
			<td>569-0020</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Fetal bovine serum (FBS)</td>
			<td>GIBCO-Invitrogen</td>
			<td>26140-079</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Glass coverslip, 12 mm Round, thickness 0.09&#8211;0.12 mm, No. 0</td>
			<td>Carolina</td>
			<td>633017</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>GlutaMAX-I</td>
			<td>GIBCO-Invitrogen</td>
			<td>35050-061</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Hanks&#39; Balanced Salts</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>H2387-10X</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>HEPES, &#8805;99.5% (titration)</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>H3375-250G</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Hydrochloric acid, 37%, A.C.S reagent</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>258148-100 ML</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Insulin</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>I5500-250 mg</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Magnesium sulfate heptahydrate, MgSO4&#8226;(7H2O), BioUltra, &#8805;99.5% (Fluka)</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>63138-250G</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Matrigel Basement Membrane Matrix solution, Phenol Red-Free</td>
			<td>BD Biosciences</td>
			<td>356237</td>
			<td>This is the coating material for coverslips and flasks. 1) To prepare it, thaw the Matrigel Basement Membrane Matrix solution on ice, which usually takes ~1 day. Using a pre-cooled pipette, aliquot the thawed solution into pre-cooled T25 flasks on ice, and store the flasks at -20&#176;C. To prepare the working Matrigel solution, thaw the aliquotted Matrigel in a flask on ice, dilute 50-fold by adding pre-cooled MEM solution and keep the diluted solution at 4&#176;C. It is important to pre-cool all cultureware and media that come into contact with Matrigel, except during and after the coating of coverslips, to prevent it from prematurely forming a gel. 2) To coat the glass coverslips or culture flasks with Matrigel, apply the Matrigel solution to the surface. Before plating cells, it is important to completely dry up the surface. For this purpose, it might be helpful to aspirate Matrigel during the cellular centrifugation immediately before plating the cells and to allow enough time for drying.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Minimum Essential Medium (MEM)</td>
			<td>GIBCO-Invitrogen</td>
			<td>51200-038</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>MITO+ Serum Extender, 5 ml</td>
			<td>BD Biosciences</td>
			<td>355006</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Multiwell Plates, Tissue Culture-treated 24-well plate</td>
			<td>BD falcon</td>
			<td>353047</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Multiwell Plates, Tissue Culture-treated 6-well plate</td>
			<td>BD falcon</td>
			<td>353046</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Neurobasal-A Medium (1X), liquid</td>
			<td>GIBCO-Invitrogen</td>
			<td>10888-022</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Nitric Acid</td>
			<td>VWR</td>
			<td>bdh 3044</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>NS (Neuronal Supplement) 21&#160;</td>
			<td>prepared in the lab</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Source: reference 69</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Pasteur pipets, 5 &#190;&#8221;&#160;</td>
			<td>Fisher</td>
			<td>13-678-6A</td>
			<td>Use this cotton-plugged 5 &#190;&#8221; Pasteur pipette for cellular trituration. Fire-polish the tip beforehand to smooth the cut surface and to reduce the internal diameter to 50-80% of the original. Too small a tip will disrupt the cells and reduce cell viability, but too large a tip will decrease the efficiency of trituration.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Pasteur pipets, 9&#8221;&#160;</td>
			<td>Fisher</td>
			<td>13-678-6B</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Potassium chloride (KCl), SigmaUltra, &#8805;99.0%</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>P9333-500G</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Serological pipet, 2 ml</td>
			<td>BD falcon</td>
			<td>357507</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Serological pipet, 5 ml&#160;</td>
			<td>BD falcon</td>
			<td>357543</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Serological pipet, 10 ml</td>
			<td>BD falcon</td>
			<td>357551</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Serological pipet, 25 ml</td>
			<td>BD falcon</td>
			<td>357525</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Serological pipet, 50 ml&#160;</td>
			<td>BD falcon</td>
			<td>357550</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3, Sodium hydrogen carbonate), SigmaUltra, &#8805;99.5%</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>S6297-250G</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Sodium chloride (NaCl), SigmaUltra, &#8805;99.5%</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>S7653-250G</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Sodium hydroxide (NaOH), pellets, 99.998% trace metals basis</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>480878-250G</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Sodium phosphate dibasic heptahydrate (Na2HPO4&#8226;(7H2O)), &#8805;99.99%, Aldrich</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>431478-250G</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Sucrose, SigmaUltra, &#8805;99.5% (GC)</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>S7903-250G</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Syringe filter, sterile, 0.2 &#181;m</td>
			<td>Corning</td>
			<td>431219</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Syringe, 3 ml</td>
			<td>BD falcon</td>
			<td>309585</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Transferrin, Holo, bovine plasma</td>
			<td>Calbiochem</td>
			<td>616420</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Trypan Blue stain, 0.4%</td>
			<td>GIBCO-Invitrogen</td>
			<td>T10282</td>
			<td>This is used for counting live/dead cells. Renew an old trypan blue solution if it is re-used many times (e.g. several times a week for several weeks), because it will form precipitates and result in erroneous readouts of cellular density.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Trypsin, type XI</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>T1005-5G</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Trypsin-EDTA solution, 0.25%&#160;</td>
			<td>GIBCO-Invitrogen</td>
			<td>25200-056</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Uridine</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>U3003-5G</td>
			<td>Stock solution is prepared at 50-mg 5-fluoro-2&#39;-deoxyuridine and 125-mg uridine in 25 ml DMEM (8.12 and 20.48 mM, respectively).</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>REAGENTS - immunocytochemistry</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Antibody, rabbit polyclonal anti-MAP2</td>
			<td>Merck Millipore</td>
			<td>AB5622</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Antibody, mouse monoclonal anti-GFAP cocktail</td>
			<td>Merck Millipore</td>
			<td>NE1015</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

rapid genotyping of animals followed by establishing primary cultures of brain neurons

Análisis de alta resolución de la morfología y función de las neuronas de mamíferos a menudo requiere la determinación del genotipo de los animales individuales, seguido por el análisis de cultivos primarios de neuronas. Se describe un conjunto de procedimientos para: etiquetado de los ratones recién nacidos que se genotipo, genotipificación rápida, y el establecimiento de cultivos de baja densidad de las neuronas del cerebro de estos ratones. Ratones individuales están etiquetados por los tatuajes, que permite la identificación a largo plazo que dura hasta la edad adulta. Genotipado por el protocolo descrito es rápido y eficiente, y permite la extracción automatizada de ácido nucleico con una buena fiabilidad. Esto es útil en circunstancias donde el tiempo suficiente para el genotipado convencional no está disponible, por ejemplo, en los ratones que sufren de letalidad neonatal. Cultivos primarios de neuronas se generan a baja densidad, que permite a los experimentos de imagen a alta resolución espacial. Este método de cultivo requiere la preparación de capas de alimentación gliales antes de chapado neuronal. El protocol se aplica en su totalidad a un modelo de ratón de la distonía trastorno del movimiento DYT1 (AE-torsinA ratones knock-in), y cultivos neuronales se prepara a partir del hipocampo, la corteza cerebral y el estriado de estos ratones. Este protocolo se puede aplicar a los ratones con otras mutaciones genéticas, así como a animales de otras especies. Además, los componentes individuales del protocolo se pueden utilizar para los sub-proyectos aislados. Por lo tanto este protocolo tendrá amplias aplicaciones, no sólo en la neurociencia, sino también en otros campos de las ciencias biológicas y médicas.

Como ejemplo de la aplicación de este protocolo, los resultados representativos se muestran para el etiquetado de los ratones por los tatuajes, genotipificación fiable en diversas condiciones experimentales, y el establecimiento de cultivos primarios de neuronas en capas de alimentación gliales. El tatuaje Los cachorros recién nacidos fueron marcadas en las almohadillas de las patas utilizando un sistema de tatuajes (&#39;recién nacido&#39; ...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Rapid Genotyping of Animals Followed by Establishing Primary Cultures of Brain Neurons at JoVE.com

Rapid Genotyping of Animals Followed by Establishing Primary Cultures of Brain Neurons

Se describe procedimientos para el etiquetado y la genotipificación ratones recién nacidos y la generación de cultivos primarios de neuronas de ellos. La genotipificación es rápida, eficiente y fiable, y permite la extracción automatizada de ácido nucleico. Esto es especialmente útil para los ratones neonatally letales y sus culturas que requieren previa cumplimentación del genotipado.

Rápido Genotipado de animales seguidas del establecimiento de cultivos primarios de neuronas cerebrales

High-resolution analysis of the morphology and function of mammalian neurons often requires the genotyping of individual animals followed by the analysis ...

rapid-genotyping-animals-followed-establishing-primary-cultures-brain

Research

JoVE Journal

Neuroscience

16.2K vistas.  University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine.  Se describe procedimientos para el etiquetado y la genotipificación ratones recién nacidos y la generación de cultivos primarios de neuronas de ellos. La genotipificación es rápida, eficiente y fiable, y permite la extracción automatizada de ácido nucleico. Esto es especialmente útil para los ratones neonatally letales y sus culturas que requieren previa cumplimentación del genotipado. 

Video: Rapid Genotyping of Animals Followed by Establishing Primary Cultures of Brain Neurons

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

In vitro study of primary neuronal cultures allows for quantitative analyses of neurite outgrowth. In order to study how genetic alterations affect neuronal process outgrowth, shRNA or cDNA constructs can be introduced into primary neurons via chemical transfection or viral transduction. However, with primary cortical cells, a heterogeneous pool of cell types (glutamatergic neurons from different layers, inhibitory neurons, glial cells) are transfected using these methods. The use of in utero electroporation to introduce DNA constructs in the embryonic rodent cortex allows for certain subsets of cells to be targeted: while electroporation of early embryonic cortex targets deep layers of the cortex, electroporation at late embryonic timepoints targets more superficial layers. Further, differential placement of electrodes across the heads of individual embryos results in the targeting of dorsal-medial versus ventral-lateral regions of the cortex. Following electroporation, transfected cells can be dissected out, dissociated, and plated in vitro for quantitative analysis of neurite outgrowth. Here, we provide a step-by-step method to quantitatively measure neuronal process outgrowth in subsets of cortical cells.
The basic protocol for in utero electroporation has been described in detail in two other JoVE articles from the Kriegstein lab 1, 2. We will provide an overview of our protocol for in utero electroporation, focusing on the most important details, followed by a description of our protocol that applies in utero electroporation to the study of gene function in neuronal process outgrowth.

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 alteration.

En el útero de electroporación seguido por cultivos neuronales primarias para estudiar la función génica en el subconjunto de neuronas corticales

In vitro study of primary neuronal cultures allows for quantitative analyses of neurite outgrowth. In order to study how genetic alterations affect ...

Investigación

Neurociencias

Multi-electrode Array Recordings of Neuronal Avalanches in Organotypic Cultures

The cortex is spontaneously active, even in the absence of any particular input or motor output. During development, this activity is important for the migration and differentiation of cortex cell types and the formation of neuronal connections1. In the mature animal, ongoing activity reflects the past and the present state of an animal into which sensory stimuli are seamlessly integrated to compute future actions. Thus, a clear understanding of the organization of ongoing i.e. spontaneous activity is a prerequisite to understand cortex function. 
Numerous recording techniques revealed that ongoing activity in cortex is comprised of many neurons whose individual activities transiently sum to larger events that can be detected in the local field potential (LFP) with extracellular microelectrodes, or in the electroencephalogram (EEG), the magnetoencephalogram (MEG), and the BOLD signal from functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The LFP is currently the method of choice when studying neuronal population activity with high temporal and spatial resolution at the mesoscopic scale (several thousands of neurons). At the extracellular microelectrode, locally synchronized activities of spatially neighbored neurons result in rapid deflections in the LFP up to several hundreds of microvolts. When using an array of microelectrodes, the organizations of such deflections can be conveniently monitored in space and time. 
Neuronal avalanches describe the scale-invariant spatiotemporal organization of ongoing neuronal activity in the brain2,3. They are specific to the superficial layers of cortex as established in vitro4,5, in vivo in the anesthetized rat 6, and in the awake monkey7. Importantly, both theoretical and empirical studies2,8-10 suggest that neuronal avalanches indicate an exquisitely balanced critical state dynamics of cortex that optimizes information transfer and information processing.
In order to study the mechanisms of neuronal avalanche development, maintenance, and regulation, in vitro preparations are highly beneficial, as they allow for stable recordings of avalanche activity under precisely controlled conditions. The current protocol describes how to study neuronal avalanches in vitro by taking advantage of superficial layer development in organotypic cortex cultures, i.e. slice cultures, grown on planar, integrated microelectrode arrays (MEA; see also 11-14).

A robust way to study neuronal avalanches, i.e. scale-invariant spatio-temporal activity bursts, indicative of critical state dynamics in cortex. Avalanches emerge spontaneously in developing superficial layers of cultured cortex which allows for long-term measurements of the activity with planar integrated multi-electrode arrays (MEA) under precisely controlled conditions.

Electrodos múltiples grabaciones matriz de avalanchas neuronal en cultivos organotípicos

The cortex is spontaneously active, even in the absence of any particular input or motor output.  During development, this activity is important for the ...

Design and Assembly of an Ultra-light Motorized Microdrive for Chronic Neural Recordings in Small Animals

The ability to chronically record from populations of neurons in freely behaving animals has proven an invaluable tool for dissecting the function of neural circuits underlying a variety of natural behaviors, including navigation1 , decision making 2,3, and the generation of complex motor sequences4,5,6. Advances in precision machining has allowed for the fabrication of light-weight devices suitable for chronic recordings in small animals, such as mice and songbirds. The ability to adjust the electrode position with small remotely controlled motors has further increased the recording yield in various behavioral contexts by reducing animal handling.6,7
 Here we describe a protocol to build an ultra-light motorized microdrive for long-term chronic recordings in small animals. Our design evolved from an earlier published version7, and has been adapted for ease-of use and cost-effectiveness to be more practical and accessible to a wide array of researchers. This proven design 8,9,10,11 allows for fine, remote positioning of electrodes over a range of ~ 5 mm and weighs less than 750 mg when fully assembled. We present the complete protocol for how to build and assemble these drives, including 3D CAD drawings for all custom microdrive components.

The design, fabrication and assembly of an ultra-light motorized microdrive is described. The device provides a cost-effective and easy-to-use solution for chronic recordings of single units in small behaving animals.

Diseño y montaje de un Microdrive ultraligero motorizado para crónicos Grabaciones neuronales en Pequeños Animales

The ability to chronically record from populations of neurons in freely behaving animals has proven an invaluable tool for dissecting the function of ...

Detection of Protein Palmitoylation in Cultured Hippocampal Neurons by Immunoprecipitation and Acyl-Biotin Exchange (ABE)

Palmitoylation is a post-translational lipid modification involving the attachment of a 16-carbon saturated fatty acid, palmitate, to cysteine residues of substrate proteins through a labile thioester bond [reviewed in1]. Palmitoylation of a substrate protein increases its hydrophobicity, and typically facilitates its trafficking toward cellular membranes. Recent studies have shown palmitoylation to be one of the most common lipid modifications in neurons1, 2, suggesting that palmitate turnover is an important mechanism by which these cells regulate the targeting and trafficking of proteins. The identification and detection of palmitoylated substrates can therefore better our understanding of protein trafficking in neurons.
Detection of protein palmitoylation in the past has been technically hindered due to the lack of a consensus sequence among substrate proteins, and the reliance on metabolic labeling of palmitoyl-proteins with 3H-palmitate, a time-consuming biochemical assay with low sensitivity. Development of the Acyl-Biotin Exchange (ABE) assay enables more rapid and high sensitivity detection of palmitoylated proteins2-4, and is optimal for measuring the dynamic turnover of palmitate on neuronal proteins. The ABE assay is comprised of three biochemical steps (Figure 1): 1) irreversible blockade of unmodified cysteine thiol groups using N-ethylmaliemide (NEM), 2) specific cleavage and unmasking of the palmitoylated cysteine's thiol group by hydroxylamine (HAM), and 3) selective labeling of the palmitoylated cysteine using a thiol-reactive biotinylation reagent, biotin-BMCC. Purification of the thiol-biotinylated proteins following the ABE steps has differed, depending on the overall goal of the experiment.
Here, we describe a method to purify a palmitoylated protein of interest in primary hippocampal neurons by an initial immunoprecipitation (IP) step using an antibody directed against the protein, followed by the ABE assay and western blotting to directly measure palmitoylation levels of that protein, which is termed the IP-ABE assay. Low-density cultures of embryonic rat hippocampal neurons have been widely used to study the localization, function, and trafficking of neuronal proteins, making them ideally suited for studying neuronal protein palmitoylation using the IP-ABE assay. The IP-ABE assay mainly requires standard IP and western blotting reagents, and is only limited by the availability of antibodies against the target substrate. This assay can easily be adapted for the purification and detection of transfected palmitoylated proteins in heterologous cell cultures, primary neuronal cultures derived from various brain tissues of both mouse and rat, and even primary brain tissue itself.

Detection of Protein Palmitoylation in Cultured Hippocampal Neurons by Immunoprecipitation and Acyl-Biotin Exchange ABE

The reversible addition of palmitate to proteins is an important regulator of intracellular protein trafficking. This is of particular interest in neurons where many synaptic proteins are palmitoylated. We utilize a simple biochemical method to detect palmitoylated proteins in cultured neurons, which can be adapted for multiple cell types and tissues.

La detección de palmitoilación proteínas en neuronas del hipocampo cultivadas por inmunoprecipitación e Intercambio Acyl-Biotina (ABE)

Palmitoylation is a post-translational lipid  modification involving the attachment of a 16-carbon saturated fatty acid,  palmitate, to cysteine residues ...

Calcium Phosphate Transfection of Primary Hippocampal Neurons

Calcium phosphate precipitation is a convenient and economical method for transfection of cultured cells. With optimization, it is possible to use this method on hard-to-transfect cells like primary neurons. Here we describe our detailed protocol for calcium phosphate transfection of hippocampal neurons cocultured with astroglial cells.

Fosfato de Calcio La transfección de Primaria neuronas del hipocampo

Calcium phosphate precipitation is a convenient and economical method for transfection of cultured cells. With optimization, it is possible to use this ...

Primary Culture of Mouse Dopaminergic Neurons

Dopaminergic neurons represent less than 1% of the total number of neurons in the brain. This low amount of neurons regulates important brain functions such as motor control, motivation, and working memory. Nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons selectively degenerate in Parkinson&#39;s disease (PD). This progressive neuronal loss is unequivocally associated with the motors symptoms of the pathology (bradykinesia, resting tremor, and muscular rigidity). The main agent responsible of dopaminergic neuron degeneration is still unknown. However, these neurons appear to be extremely vulnerable in diverse conditions. Primary cultures constitute one of the most relevant models to investigate properties and characteristics of dopaminergic neurons. These cultures can be submitted to various stress agents that mimic PD pathology and to neuroprotective compounds in order to stop or slow down neuronal degeneration. The numerous transgenic mouse models of PD that have been generated during the last decade further increased the interest of researchers for dopaminergic neuron cultures. Here, the video protocol focuses on the delicate dissection of embryonic mouse brains. Precise excision of ventral mesencephalon is crucial to obtain neuronal cultures sufficiently rich in dopaminergic cells to allow subsequent studies. This protocol can be realized with embryonic transgenic mice and is suitable for immunofluorescence staining, quantitative PCR, second messenger quantification, or neuronal death/survival assessment.

Dopaminergic neurons play a vital regulatory role in the brain. Their loss is associated with Parkinson's disease. In this video, we show how to generate primary cultures of central dopaminergic neurons from embryonic mouse mesencephalon. Such cultures are useful to study the extreme vulnerability of these neurons to various stresses.

Cultivo primario de ratón neuronas dopaminérgicas

Dopaminergic neurons represent less than 1% of the total number of neurons in the brain. This low amount of neurons regulates important brain functions ...

Isolation, Culture and Long-Term Maintenance of Primary Mesencephalic Dopaminergic Neurons From Embryonic Rodent Brains

Degeneration of mesencephalic dopaminergic (mesDA) neurons is the pathological hallmark of Parkinson&#8217;s diseae. Study of the biological processes involved in physiological functions and vulnerability and death of these neurons is imparative to understanding the underlying causes and unraveling the cure for this common neurodegenerative disorder. Primary cultures of mesDA neurons provide a tool for investigation of the molecular, biochemical and electrophysiological properties, in order to understand the development, long-term survival and degeneration of these neurons during the course of disease. Here we present a detailed method for the isolation, culturing and maintenance of midbrain dopaminergic neurons from E12.5 mouse (or E14.5 rat) embryos. Optimized cell culture conditions in this protocol result in presence of axonal and dendritic projections, synaptic connections and other neuronal morphological properties, which make the cultures suitable for study of the physiological, cell biological and molecular characteristics of this neuronal population.

The causes of degeneration of midbrain dopaminergic neurons during Parkinson&#8217;s disease are not fully understood. Cellular culture systems provide an essential tool for study of the neurophysiological properties of these neurons. Here we present an optimized protocol, which can be utilized for in vitro modeling of neurodegeneration.

Aislamiento, cultivo y mantenimiento a largo plazo de Primaria mesencefálico neuronas dopaminérgicas a partir de cerebros de embriones de roedores

Degeneration of mesencephalic dopaminergic (mesDA) neurons is the pathological hallmark of Parkinson&#8217;s diseae. Study of the biological processes ...

Live Imaging Followed by Single Cell Tracking to Monitor Cell Biology and the Lineage Progression of Multiple Neural Populations

Understanding the mechanisms that control critical biological events of neural cell populations, such as proliferation, differentiation, or cell fate decisions, will be crucial to design therapeutic strategies for many diseases affecting the nervous system. Current methods to track cell populations rely on their final outcomes in still images and they generally fail to provide sufficient temporal resolution to identify behavioral features in single cells. Moreover, variations in cell death, behavioral heterogeneity within a cell population, dilution, spreading, or the low efficiency of the markers used to analyze cells are all important handicaps that will lead to incomplete or incorrect read-outs of the results. Conversely, performing live imaging and single cell tracking under appropriate conditions represents a powerful tool to monitor each of these events. Here, a time-lapse video-microscopy protocol, followed by post-processing, is described to track neural populations with single cell resolution, employing specific software. The methods described enable researchers to address essential questions regarding the cell biology and lineage progression of distinct neural populations.

A robust protocol to monitor neural populations by time-lapse video-microscopy followed by software-based post-processing is described. This method represents a powerful tool to identify biological events in a selected population during live imaging experiments.

La proyección de imagen seguida de la célula de seguimiento para la biología de la célula de Monitor y la progresión de linaje de poblaciones neuronales múltiples en vivo

Understanding the mechanisms that control critical biological events of neural cell populations, such as proliferation, differentiation, or cell fate ...

Rapid and Specific Immunomagnetic Isolation of Mouse Primary Oligodendrocytes

The efficient and robust isolation and culture of primary oligodendrocytes (OLs) is a valuable tool for the in vitro study of the development of oligodendroglia as well as the biology of demyelinating diseases such as multiple sclerosis and Pelizaeus-Merzbacher-like disease (PMLD). Here, we present a simple and efficient selection method for the immunomagnetic isolation of stage three O4+ preoligodendrocytes cells from neonatal mice pups. Since immature OL constitute more than 80% of the rodent-brain white matter at postnatal day 7 (P7) this isolation method not only ensures high cellular yield, but also the specific isolation of OLs already committed to the oligodendroglial lineage, decreasing the possibility of isolating contaminating cells such as astrocytes and other cells from the mouse brain. This method is a modification of the techniques reported previously, and provides oligodendrocyte preparation purity above 80% in about 4 h.

We describe the immunomagnetic isolation of primary mouse oligodendrocytes, which allows the rapid and specific isolation of the cells for in vitro culture.

Aislamiento Inmunomagnética rápida y específica de los oligodendrocitos primarios de ratón

The efficient and robust isolation and culture of primary oligodendrocytes (OLs) is a valuable tool for the in vitro study of the development of ...

Multi-Fiber Photometry to Record Neural Activity in Freely-Moving Animals

Recording the activity of a group of neurons in a freely-moving animal is a challenging undertaking. Moreover, as the brain is dissected into smaller and smaller functional subgroups, it becomes paramount to record from projections and/or genetically-defined subpopulations of neurons. Fiber photometry is an accessible and powerful approach that can overcome these challenges. By combining optical and genetic methodologies, neural activity can be measured in deep brain structures by expressing genetically-encoded calcium indicators, which translate neural activity into an optical signal that can be easily measured. The current protocol details the components of a multi-fiber photometry system, how to access deep brain structures to deliver and collect light, a method to account for motion artifacts, and how to process and analyze fluorescent signals. The protocol details experimental considerations when performing single and dual color imaging, from either single or multiple implanted optic fibers.

This protocol details how to implement and perform multi-fiber photometry recordings, how to correct for calcium-independent artifacts, and important considerations for dual-color photometry imaging.

Fotometría multifibra para registrar la actividad neuronal en animales en movimiento libre

Recording the activity of a group of neurons in a freely-moving animal is a challenging undertaking. Moreover, as the brain is dissected into smaller and ...