Visualizing Shifts on Neuron-Glia Circuit with the Calcium Imaging Technique

Summary

Cell calcium imaging is a versatile methodology to study dynamic signaling of individual cells, on mixed populations in culture or even on awakened animals, based on the expression of calcium-permeable channels/receptors that gives unique functional signatures.

Abstract

Here, we report on selective in vitro models of circuits based on glia (astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, and microglia) and/or neurons from peripheral (dorsal root ganglia) and central tissues (cortex, subventricular zone, organoid) that are dynamically studied in terms of calcium shifts. The model chosen to illustrate the results is the retina, a simple tissue with complex cellular interactions. Calcium is a universal messenger involved in most of the important cellular roles. We explain in a step-by-step protocol how retinal neuron-glial cells in culture can be prepared and evaluated, envisioning calcium shifts. In this model, we differentiate neurons from glia based on their selective response to KCl and ATP. Calcium permeable receptors and channels are selectively expressed in different compartments. To analyze calcium responses, we use ratiometric fluorescent dies such as Fura-2. This probe quantifies free Ca²⁺ concentration based on Ca²⁺-free and Ca²⁺-bound forms, presenting two different peaks, founded on the fluorescence intensity perceived on two wavelengths.

Introduction

Due to the universal properties of calcium as a second messenger, this ion is involved in a vast number of signaling activities: gene transcription, birth and death, proliferation, migration and differentiation, synaptic transmission, and plasticity. Hence, a method capable of tracking calcium activation dynamics with fidelity and agility would provide a way to observe unique spatial-temporal responses. Such a method is the cellular calcium imaging technique, which correlates calcium shifts functional data with specific cell phenotypes based on their distinct responses.

Ca²⁺ probes were first developed in the 1980's, with lat....

Protocol

All experiments involving animals were approved by and carried out following the guidelines of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, following the "Principles of Laboratory Animal Care" (NIH, Bethesda, USA); permit number IBCCF-035 for fertilized White Leghorn chicken eggs.

1. Preparation of solutions

1. Prepare Krebs solution: (132 mM NaCl, 4 mM KCl, 1.4 mM MgCl₂, 2.5 mM CaCl₂, 6 mM .......

Discussion

We have used the retina tissue to show that calcium responses mediated by KCl or ATP are clearly compartmentalized into neuronal and glial responses, respectively (Figure 1). Although some data in the literature imply that P2X7 receptors are expressed in neurons, which regulate neuronal activity and synaptic neurotransmitter release²⁰, other authors question the existence of neuronal P2X7 receptors. Indeed, current results sustain the idea that primary glial P2X7 rece.......

Materials

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
15 mm coverslip	Paul Marienfeld GmbH & Co. KG	111550	Cell suport
510 nm long-pass filter	Carl Zeiss
ATP	Sigma	A1852
B-27 Supplement	Gibco	17504044	Suplement
CaCl2	Sigma-Aldrich	C8106
CoolSNAP digital camera	Roper Scientific, Trenton, NJ
D-(+)-Glucose	Neon	1466
DMEM/ F-12	Gibco	12400-24	Cell culture medium
Excel Software	Microsoft
Fetal Calf Serum	Sigma-Aldrich	F9665	Suplement
Fluorescence Microscope	Axiovert 200; Carl Zeiss	B 40-080
Fura-2 AM	Molecular Probes	F1221	Ratiometric Ca2+ indicator
Gentamicin Sulfate	Calbiochem	1405-41-0	antibiotics
HEPES	Sigma	H4034
KCl	Sigma	P5405
KH2PO4	Sigma	P5655
Lambda DG-4 apparatus	Sutter Instrument, Novato, CA	DG-4PLUS/OF30
Laminin	Gibco	23017-015	Help cell adhesion
Metafluor software	Universal Imaging Corp. West Chester, PA
MgCl2	Sigma	M4880
Na2HPO4	Vetec	129
NaCl	Isofar	310
NaHCO3	Vetec	306
PH3 platform	Warner Intruments, Hamden, CT	64-0286
Pluronic F-127	Molecular Probes	P6866	nonionic, surfactant
Poly-L-lysine	Sigma-Aldrich	P8920	Help cell adhesion
Trypsin-EDTA 0.25%	Gibco	25200056	Dissociation enzyme