Name: immunohistochemical and calcium imaging methods in wholemount rat retina
Uploaded: 2014-10-13T13:00:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Immunohistochemical and Calcium Imaging Methods in Wholemount Rat Retina at JoVE.com

We thank Dr. S. Stella and Helen Vuong for contributions to the calcium imaging protocol. We thank Dr. K. Sheets for filming the interview scenes. We thank Dr. Arlene Hirano for her comments on the manuscript. This research and development project was conducted by the authors at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and is made possible by a contract agreement that was awarded and administered by the U.S. Army Medical Research &#38; Materiel Command (USAMRMC) and the Telemedicine &#38; Advanced Technology Research Center (TATRC), at Fort Detrick, MD under Contract Number: W81XWH-10-2-0077. Support for these studies also came from NIH EY04067 and a VA Merit Review (NB). NCB is a VA Career Research Scientist.

All experiments were carried out in accordance with the guidelines for the welfare of experimental animals issued by the U.S. Public Health Service Policy on Human Care and Use of Laboratory Animals and the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA) Animal Research Committee. Male and female adult Sprague-Dawley rats (Charles River Lab, Wilmington, MA) between the age of 3-5 weeks were used.
1. Animal and Tissue Preparation for Wholemount Retina and Immunohistochemistry Protocol
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In this article, we have described two different techniques: 1) Immunohistochemistry to show Fluo-4 localization to the ganglion cells in retinal wholemounts, and 2) Calcium imaging to analyze calcium dynamics in retinal ganglion cells and their axons.
Immunohistochemistry using wholemounts has been used to reveal the localization of proteins in the rodent retina20-23. However, there are a few limitations. The quality of the staining relies heavily on the ability of the antibody to ...

Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) express L-, N-, P/Q- and T-type VGCC as determined through pharmacological blockade of these components of the whole cell Ca channel current1,2. VGCC are transmembrane multimeric proteins that are involved in transmitter release, gene transcription, cell regulation and synaptic plasticity3,4,5. Functional VGCCs are made up of at least three distinct classes of subunits: large, transmembrane &#945;&#173;1 pore forming subunits that establish the channel&#8217;s biophysical and pharmacological properties, primarily extracellular auxiliary &#945;&#173;2&#948; subunits and intracellular &#946; subunits. The latter two form heteromeric complexes with different &#945;&#173;1 subunits and alter the gating kinetics and trafficking of the channels to the plasma membrane6.
Over recent decades, many techniques have been employed to study protein expression, such as immunohistochemistry, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, western analysis and flow cytometry. These techniques require the use of specific antibodies for the detection of a given protein of interest and provide powerful tools for the localization and distribution of specific proteins in different tissues. Techniques used to detect and quantify mRNA expression levels of a particular protein such as northern blot analysis, RT-PCR, real-time quantitative RT-PCR, in situ hybridization, cDNA microarrays and ribonuclease protection assay provide an alternative approach when antibodies are not readily available or if expression levels of a particular protein are low7. However, one limitation to the use of such molecular techniques is the required identification of the gene sequence.
To localize proteins in the retina, immunohistochemistry can be performed on wholemount retinas. Due to the accessibility of the RGCs, the wholemount preparation provides an excellent platform to study the localization of specific proteins to the RGC somata and their axons.
In addition to their localization, some functional properties of the VGCCs in RGCs can be demonstrated through the use of calcium imaging techniques. We describe a calcium imaging protocol to selectively label RGCs with a calcium indicator dye to measure intracellular calcium dynamics. The contribution of different VGCCs to the calcium signal in different cellular compartments can be isolated with the use of subtype-specific Ca channel blockers.
Perhaps one of the most beneficial aspects of the calcium imaging technique described here is the ability to simultaneously and independently record from multiple RGCs and their axons. Although many physiological techniques, such as whole cell patch clamp recording, provide high temporal resolution recordings of membrane currents, the somatic or axonal source of these currents recorded cannot be discriminated and recordings can only be made from a single neuron at a time. Multielectrode arrays (MEAs) are capable of simultaneously recording spikes from many cells, but can neither detect nor discriminate the activation of, for example, different subtypes of calcium channels.&#160; MEAs preferentially record from cells that are located in close proximity to a given electrode8 and record from cells that generate large spikes9. Optical imaging methods provide an alternative strategy to enable the simultaneous and independent recordings of whole populations of cells that can be integrated with the information obtained from single cell microelectrode and patch clamp recording and MEA recording.&#160; Although the calcium imaging techniques described here were employed to study the calcium dynamics of RGCs, patch clamp and MEAs can also be used in parallel to further elucidate the ionic currents and spiking properties of RGCs.
Since displaced amacrine cells make up approximately 60% of the neuronal population in the ganglion cell layer in the mouse retina10, our goal was to use a loading technique that selectively labels RGCs with a synthetic calcium indicator dye in a wholemount preparation. Although synthetic calcium indicator dyes provide an excellent platform for the study of intracellular calcium dynamics, its widespread use has been hindered by the inability to effectively load specific populations of neurons within a given network.&#160; Many techniques such as bulk loading11 and electroporation8,12 have been performed to load entire populations of cells, however, such techniques do not discriminate between specific cell types. Genetically encoded calcium indicators provide the ability to selectively label specific populations of cells, however, such methods require the generation of transgenic animals13. Our technique describes a method to selectively label RGCs in the wholemount preparation via optic nerve stump injection of a calcium indicator dye.
Taken together, the structural and physiological techniques outlined in this article provide a platform to study the localization and contribution of the VGCCs to the calcium signal in RGCs and their axons.&#160;

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="676">
	<tbody>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Straight scissors</td>
			<td style="width:112px;">WPI</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">14124-G</td>
			<td style="width:229px;">dissecting tools</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Straight Forceps</td>
			<td style="width:112px;">WPI</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">501985</td>
			<td>dissecting tools</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">curved iris scissors</td>
			<td style="width:112px;">WPI</td>
			<td>504487</td>
			<td>dissecting tools</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Cellulose filter paper</td>
			<td style="width:112px;">Millipore</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">HABP04700</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Hibernate A</td>
			<td>Invitrogen</td>
			<td><a href="http://products.invitrogen.com/ivgn/en/US/adirect/invitrogen?cmd=catProductDetail&amp;productID=A1247501">A12475-01</a></td>
			<td>Media</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Vectashield</td>
			<td>Vector</td>
			<td>H-1000&#160;</td>
			<td><a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;source=web&amp;cd=1&amp;cad=rja&amp;sqi=2&amp;ved=0CC0QFjAA&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.vectorlabs.com%2Fcatalog.aspx%3FcatID%3D279&amp;ei=VAHbUb_fBceeiQLK2IHIDw&amp;usg=AFQjCNHijFTTB8p19FMPQ5hg_qTawXU9mA&amp;sig2=FJCfB9fzKR_TmjxoGvhLcg&amp;bvm=bv.48705608,d.cGE">Mounting Media for Fluorescence</a></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Fluo-4 pentapotassium</td>
			<td>Invitrogen</td>
			<td>F-14200</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Isoflurane</td>
			<td>Abbott Laboratories</td>
			<td>05260-05</td>
			<td>anesthesia</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Microscope slide</td>
			<td style="width:112px;">Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">22-178-277</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Zeiss LSM 5 Pascal microscope</td>
			<td style="width:112px;">Zeiss</td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:216px;">Axioplan 40x (NA 0.8) objective lens</td>
			<td style="width:112px;">Zeiss</td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:216px;">Alexa Fluor 488 Goat Anti-Rabbit IgG (H+L) Antibody</td>
			<td style="width:112px;">Molecular Probes</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">A-11034</td>
			<td>Secondary antibody</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:216px;">RBPMS</td>
			<td style="width:112px;">ProSci, Poway, CA</td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td>A rabbit polyclonal antibody&#160;was generated against the N-terminus of the RBPMS&#160;polypeptide (RBPMS4-24), GGKAEKENTPSEANLQEEEVR, by a commercial vendor (ProSci, Poway, CA).</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
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immunohistochemical and calcium imaging methods in wholemount rat retina

In this paper we describe the tools, reagents, and the practical steps that are needed for: 1) successful preparation of wholemount retinas for immunohistochemistry and, 2) calcium imaging for the study of voltage gated calcium channel (VGCC) mediated calcium signaling in retinal ganglion cells. The calcium imaging method we describe circumvents issues concerning non-specific loading of displaced amacrine cells in the ganglion cell layer.

Immunolabeling with specific antibodies provides a platform to study the localization of particular proteins of interest in the retina and the calcium imaging technique permits the study of the contribution of the VGCCs to the calcium dynamics in the retinal ganglion cells and their axons.
By using an antibody against the ganglion cell protein RBPMS (RNA binding protein with multiple splicing) that selectively labels RGCs19, we were able to show that the Fluo-4 labeling is limited t...

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Immunohistochemical and Calcium Imaging Methods in Wholemount Rat Retina

Immunohistochemistry protocols are used to study the localization of a specific protein in the retina. Calcium imaging techniques are employed to study calcium dynamics in retinal ganglion cells and their axons.

In this paper we describe the tools, reagents, and the practical steps that are needed for: 1) successful preparation of wholemount retinas for ...

Research

JoVE Journal

Neuroscience

Functional Calcium Imaging in Developing Cortical Networks

A hallmark pattern of activity in developing nervous systems is spontaneous, synchronized network activity. Synchronized activity has been observed in ...

Wholemount Immunohistochemistry for Revealing Complex Brain Topography

The repeated and well-understood cellular architecture of the cerebellum make it an ideal model system for exploring brain topography. Underlying its ...

In vivo Neuronal Calcium Imaging in C. elegans

In vivo Neuronal Calcium Imaging in C. elegans

The nematode worm C. elegans is an ideal model organism  for relatively simple, low cost neuronal imaging in vivo. Its small transparent body and simple, ...

Immunohistochemical Analysis in the Rat Central Nervous System and Peripheral Lymph Node Tissue Sections

Immunohistochemistry (IHC) provides highly specific, reliable and attractive protein visualization. Correct performance and interpretation of an IHC-based ...

Transpupillary Two-Photon In Vivo Imaging of the Mouse Retina

The retina transforms light signals from the environment into electrical signals that are propagated to the brain. Diseases of the retina are prevalent ...

In vivo Calcium Imaging in Mouse Inferior Olive

In vivo Calcium Imaging in Mouse Inferior Olive

Inferior olive (IO), a nucleus in the ventral medulla, is the only source of climbing fibers that form one of the two input pathways entering the ...

Brain Pericyte Calcium and Hemodynamic Imaging in Transgenic Mice In Vivo

Brain Pericyte Calcium and Hemodynamic Imaging in Transgenic Mice In Vivo

Recent advances in protein biology and mouse genetics have made it possible to measure intracellular calcium fluctuations of brain cells in vivo and to ...

Subcellular Imaging of Neuronal Calcium Handling In Vivo

Subcellular Imaging of Neuronal Calcium Handling In Vivo

Calcium (Ca2+) imaging has been largely used to examine neuronal activity, but it is becoming increasingly clear that subcellular Ca2+ handling is a ...

Two-Photon and Wide-Field Calcium Imaging in the Superior Colliculus

Calcium Imaging in Mouse Superior Colliculus

Author Spotlight: Unveiling Neural Coding and Mechanisms of Visual Processing in the Superior Colliculus 

The superior colliculus (SC), an evolutionarily conserved midbrain structure in all vertebrates, is the most sophisticated visual center before the ...

Evaluating Calcium Activity in Retinal Ganglion Cells Layer

Calcium Imaging In Electrically Stimulated Flat-Mounted Retinas

Author Spotlight: An Innovative Approach to Neural Electrical Stimulation Using Calcium Imaging 

Retinal dystrophies are a leading cause of blindness worldwide. Extensive efforts are underway to develop advanced retinal prostheses that can bypass the ...