The authors would like to thank Paula Monsma for instruction and assistance with confocal microscopy and tibial nerve dissection and Dr. Atsuko Uchida, Chloe Duger and Sana Chahande for assistance with mouse husbandry. This work was supported in part by collaborative National Science Foundation Grants IOS1656784 to A.B. and IOS1656765 to P.J., and National Institutes of Health Grants R01 NS038526, P30 NS104177 and S10 OD010383 to A.B. N.P.B. was supported by a fellowship from the Ohio State University President&#8217;s Postdoctoral Scholars Program.

<ol>
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D., Jung, P., Brown, A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Local+regulation+of+neurofilament+transport+by+myelinating+cells.">Local regulation of neurofilament transport by myelinating cells.</a> Journal of Neuroscience. 34 (8), 2979-2988 (2014).</li><li>Walker, C. L., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Local+Acceleration+of+Neurofilament+Transport+at+Nodes+of+Ranvier.">Local Acceleration of Neurofilament Transport at Nodes of Ranvier.</a> Journal of Neuroscience. 39 (4), 663-677 (2019).</li><li>Li, Y., Brown, A., Jung, P. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Deciphering+the+axonal+transport+kinetics+of+neurofilaments+using+the+fluorescence+photoactivation+pulse-escape+method.">Deciphering the axonal transport kinetics of neurofilaments using the fluorescence photoactivation pulse-escape method.</a> Physical Biology. 11 (2), 026001 (2014).</li><li>Schindelin, J., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Fiji:+an+open-source+platform+for+biological-image+analysis.">Fiji: an open-source platform for biological-image analysis.</a> Nature Methods. 9, 676-682 (2012).</li><li>Breuer, A. C., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Fast+axonal+transport+in+amyotrophic+lateral+sclerosis:+an+intra-axonal+organelle+traffic+analysis.">Fast axonal transport in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: an intra-axonal organelle traffic analysis.</a> Neurology. 37 (5), 738-748 (1987).</li><li>Bancaud, A., Huet, S., Rabut, G., Ellenberg, J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Fluorescence+perturbation+techniques+to+study+mobility+and+molecular+dynamics+of+proteins+in+live+cells:+FRAP,+photoactivation,+photoconversion,+and+FLIP.">Fluorescence perturbation techniques to study mobility and molecular dynamics of proteins in live cells: FRAP, photoactivation, photoconversion, and FLIP.</a> Cold Spring Harbor Protocols. 2010 (12), (2010).</li><li>Model, M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Intensity+calibration+and+flat-field+correction+for+fluorescence+microscopes.">Intensity calibration and flat-field correction for fluorescence microscopes.</a> Current Protocols in Cytometry. 68, (2014).</li><li>Schmidt, M. M., Dringen, R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Differential+effects+of+iodoacetamide+and+iodoacetate+on+glycolysis+and+glutathione+metabolism+of+cultured+astrocytes.">Differential effects of iodoacetamide and iodoacetate on glycolysis and glutathione metabolism of cultured astrocytes.</a> Frontiers in Neuroenergetics. 1, 1-10 (2009).</li><li>Surre, J., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Strong+increase+in+the+autofluorescence+of+cells+signals+struggle+for+survival.">Strong increase in the autofluorescence of cells signals struggle for survival.</a> Scientific Reports. 8 (1), 12088 (2018).</li><li>Cox, M., Lucey, S., Sridharan, S., Cohn, J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Least+Squares+Congealing+for+Unsupervised+Alignment+of+Images.">Least Squares Congealing for Unsupervised Alignment of Images.</a> Proceedings of the IEEE Computer Society Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition. , (2008).</li><li>Huang, S., Heikal, A. A., Webb, W. W. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Two-photon+fluorescence+spectroscopy+and+microscopy+of+NAD(P)H+and+flavoprotein.">Two-photon fluorescence spectroscopy and microscopy of NAD(P)H and flavoprotein.</a> Biophysical Journal. 82 (5), 2811-2825 (2002).</li><li>Fenn, J. D., Johnson, C. M., Peng, J., Jung, P., Brown, A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Kymograph+analysis+with+high+temporal+resolution+reveals+new+features+of+neurofilament+transport+kinetics.">Kymograph analysis with high temporal resolution reveals new features of neurofilament transport kinetics.</a> Cytoskeleton. 75 (1), 22-41 (2018).</li><li>Alami, N. H., Jung, P., Brown, A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Myosin+Va+increases+the+efficiency+of+neurofilament+transport+by+decreasing+the+duration+of+long-term+pauses.">Myosin Va increases the efficiency of neurofilament transport by decreasing the duration of long-term pauses.</a> Journal of Neuroscience. 29 (20), 6625-6634 (2009).</li><li>Xu, Z., Tung, V. W. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Temporal+and+Spatial+Variations+in+Slow+Axonal+Transport+Velocity+Along+Peripheral+Motoneuron+Axons.">Temporal and Spatial Variations in Slow Axonal Transport Velocity Along Peripheral Motoneuron Axons.</a> Neuroscience. 102 (1), 193-200 (2001).</li><li>Jung, P., Brown, A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Modeling+the+Slowing+of+Neurofilament+Transport+Along+the+Mouse+Sciatic+Nerve.">Modeling the Slowing of Neurofilament Transport Along the Mouse Sciatic Nerve.</a> Physical Biology. 6 (4), 046002 (2009).</li><li>Cohen, J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+effect+size+index:+d.">The effect size index: d.</a> Statistical Power Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences 2nd ed. , 20-26 (1988).</li><li>Misgeld, T., Kerschensteiner, M., Bareyre, F. M., Burgess, R. W., Lichtman, J. W. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Imaging+axonal+transport+of+mitochondria+in+vivo.">Imaging axonal transport of mitochondria in vivo.</a> Nature Methods. 4 (7), 559-561 (2007).</li><li>Gilley, J., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Age-dependent+axonal+transport+and+locomotor+changes+and+tau+hypophosphorylation+in+a+"P301L"+tau+knockin+mouse.">Age-dependent axonal transport and locomotor changes and tau hypophosphorylation in a "P301L" tau knockin mouse.</a> Neurobiology of Aging. 33 (3), 1-15 (2012).</li><li>Marinkovic, P., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Axonal+transport+deficits+and+degeneration+can+evolve+independently+in+mouse+models+of+amyotrophic+lateral+sclerosis.">Axonal transport deficits and degeneration can evolve independently in mouse models of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.</a> Proceedings of the National Academy of Science of the United States of America. 109 (11), 4296-4301 (2012).</li><li>Milde, S., Adalbert, R., Elaman, M. H., Coleman, M. P. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Axonal+transport+declines+with+age+in+two+distinct+phases+separated+by+a+period+of+relative+stability.">Axonal transport declines with age in two distinct phases separated by a period of relative stability.</a> Neurobiology of Aging. 36 (2), 971-981 (2015).</li><li>Gibbs, K. L., Kalmar, B., Sleigh, J. N., Greensmith, L., Schiavo, G. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=In+vivo+imaging+of+axonal+transport+in+murine+motor+and+sensory+neurons.">In vivo imaging of axonal transport in murine motor and sensory neurons.</a> Journal of Neuroscience Methods. 257, 26-33 (2016).</li></ol>

The authors have nothing to disclose.

Care must be taken in the analysis of pulse-escape and pulse-spread experiments because there is significant potential for the introduction of error during the post-processing, principally during the flat-field correction, image alignment and bleach correction. Flat-field correction is necessary to correct for non-uniformity in the illumination, which results in a fall-off in intensity across the field of view from center to periphery. The extent of non-uniformity is wavelength-dependent and thus, should always be perfor...

The axonal transport of neurofilaments was first demonstrated in the 1970s by radioisotopic pulse-labeling1. This approach has yielded a wealth of information about neurofilament transport in vivo, but it has relatively low spatial and temporal resolution, typically on the order of millimeters and days at best2. Moreover, radioisotopic pulse-labeling is an indirect approach that requires the injection and sacrifice of multiple animals to generate a single time course. With the discovery of fluorescent proteins and advances in fluorescence microscopy in the 1990s, it subsequently became possible to image neurofilament transport directly in cultured neurons on a time scale of seconds or minutes and with sub-micrometer spatial resolution, affording much greater insight into the mechanism of movement3. These studies have revealed that neurofilament polymers in axons move rapidly and intermittently in both anterograde and retrograde directions along microtubule tracks, propelled by microtubule motor proteins. However, neurofilaments are diffraction-limited structures just 10 nm in diameter that are typically spaced apart from their neighbors by only tens of nanometers; therefore, the polymers can only be tracked in cultured neurons that contain sparsely distributed neurofilaments so that the moving polymers can be resolved from their neighbors4. Thus, it is not presently possible to track single neurofilaments in axons that contain abundant neurofilament polymers, such as myelinated axons.
To analyze the axonal transport of neurofilaments in neurofilament-rich axons using fluorescence microscopy, we use a fluorescence photoactivation pulse-escape method that we developed to study the long-term pausing behavior of neurofilaments in cultured nerve cells4,5. Neurofilaments tagged with a photoactivatable fluorescent neurofilament fusion protein are activated in a short segment of axon, and then the rate of departure of those filaments from the activated region is quantified by measuring the fluorescence decay over time. The advantage of this approach is that it is a population-level analysis of neurofilament transport that can be applied on a time-scale of minutes or hours without the need to track the movement of individual neurofilament polymers. For example, we have used this method to analyze the kinetics of neurofilament transport in myelinating cultures6.
Recently, we described the development of an hThy1-paGFP-NFM transgenic mouse that expresses low levels of a paGFP-tagged neurofilament protein M (paGFP-NFM) in neurons under the control of the human neuron-specific Thy1 promoter7. This mouse permits the analysis of neurofilament transport in situ using fluorescence microscopy. In this article, we describe the experimental approaches for analyzing neurofilament transport in myelinated axons of tibial nerves from these mice using two approaches. The first of these approaches is the pulse-escape method described above. This method can generate information about the pausing behavior of the neurofilaments, but is blind to the direction in which the filaments depart the activated region, and therefore does not permit measurement of the net directionality and transport velocity8. The second of these approaches is a new pulse-spread method in which we analyze not just the loss of fluorescence from the activated region, but also the transient increase in fluorescence in two flanking windows through which the fluorescent filaments move as they depart the activated region in both anterograde and retrograde directions. In both approaches, parameters of neurofilament transport such as the average velocity, net directionality and pausing behavior can be obtained by using mathematical analysis and modeling of the changes in fluorescence in the measurement windows. Figure 3&#160;illustrates these two approaches.
This protocol demonstrates&#160;dissection and preparation of the nerve, activation and imaging of the paGFP fluorescence, and quantification of neurofilament transport from the acquired images using the FIJI distribution package of ImageJ9. We use the tibial nerve because it is long (several cm) and does not branch; however, in principle any nerve expressing paGFP-NFM is appropriate for use with this technique if it can be dissected and de-sheathed without damaging the axons.

<table><tbody><tr><td>14 x 22 Rectangle Gasket 0.1mm</td><td>Bioptechs</td><td>1907-1422-100</td><td>inner gasket</td></tr><tr><td>2-deoxy-D-glucose</td><td>Sigma</td><td>D6134</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>30mm Round Gasket w/ Holes</td><td>Bioptechs</td><td>1907-08-750</td><td>outer gasket</td></tr><tr><td>35 x 10mm dish</td><td>Thermo Fisher</td><td>153066</td><td>dissection dishes</td></tr><tr><td>40mm round coverslips</td><td>Bioptechs</td><td>40-1313-0319</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>60mL syringe - Luer-lock tip</td><td>BD</td><td>309653</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Andor Revolution WD spinning-disk confocal system</td><td>Andor</td><td></td><td>outfitted with Perfect Focus and FRAPPA systems</td></tr><tr><td>Calcium chloride</td><td>Fisher</td><td>C79</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Coverslips</td><td>Fisher</td><td>12-541-B</td><td>for fluorescein slide</td></tr><tr><td>D-(+)-glucose solution</td><td>Sigma</td><td>G8769</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Dissecting pins</td><td>Fine Science Tools</td><td>26001-70</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Dissection forceps</td><td>Fine Science Tools</td><td>11251-30</td><td>fine tipped forceps</td></tr><tr><td>Dissection microscope</td><td>Zeiss</td><td>47 50 03</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Dissection pan with wax</td><td>Ginsberg Scientific</td><td>568859</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Dissection scissors</td><td>Fine Science Tools</td><td>14061-09</td><td>initial dissection scissors</td></tr><tr><td>FCS2 perfusion chamber</td><td>Bioptechs</td><td>060319-2-03</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Fluorescein sodium</td><td>Fluka</td><td>46960</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Inline solution heater</td><td>Warner Instruments</td><td>SH27-B</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Laminectomy forceps</td><td>Fine Science Tools</td><td>11223-20</td><td>initial dissection forceps</td></tr><tr><td>Magnesium sulfate</td><td>Sigma-Aldrich</td><td>M7506</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Microaqueduct slide</td><td>Bioptechs</td><td>130119-5</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Microscope slides</td><td>Fisher</td><td>12-544-3</td><td>for fluorescein slide</td></tr><tr><td>Microscope stage insert</td><td>Applied Scientific Instrumentation</td><td>I-3017</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Objective heater system</td><td>Okolab</td><td></td><td>Oko Touch with objective collar</td></tr><tr><td>Objective oil - type A</td><td>Nikon</td><td>discontinued</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Plan Apo VC 100x 1.40 NA objective</td><td>Nikon</td><td>MRD01901</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Potassium chloride</td><td>Fisher</td><td>P217</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Potassium phosphate</td><td>Sigma-Aldrich</td><td>P0662</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Sodium bicarbonate</td><td>Sigma-Aldrich</td><td>S6297</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Sodium chloride</td><td>Sigma-Aldrich</td><td>S7653</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Sodium iodoacetate</td><td>Sigma-Aldrich</td><td>I2512</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Syringe pump</td><td>Sage Instruments</td><td>Model 355</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Tubing adapter - female</td><td>Small Parts Inc.</td><td>1005109</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Tubing adapter - male</td><td>Small Parts Inc.</td><td>1005012</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Tygon tubing</td><td>Bioptechs</td><td></td><td>1/16&quot; ID, 1/32&quot; wall thickness</td></tr><tr><td>Vannas spring scissors</td><td>Fine Science Tools</td><td>15018-10</td><td>fine scissors</td></tr></tbody></table>

imaging and analysis of neurofilament transport in excised mouse tibial nerve

Neurofilament protein polymers move along axons in the slow component of axonal transport at average speeds of ~0.35-3.5 mm/day. Until recently the study of this movement in situ was only possible using radioisotopic pulse-labeling, which permits analysis of axonal transport in whole nerves with a temporal resolution of days and a spatial resolution of millimeters. To study neurofilament transport in situ with higher temporal and spatial resolution, we developed a hThy1-paGFP-NFM transgenic mouse that expresses neurofilament protein M tagged with photoactivatable GFP in neurons. Here we describe fluorescence photoactivation pulse-escape and pulse-spread methods to analyze neurofilament transport in single myelinated axons of tibial nerves from these mice ex vivo. Isolated nerve segments are maintained on the microscope stage by perfusion with oxygenated saline and imaged by spinning disk confocal fluorescence microscopy. Violet light is used to activate the fluorescence in a short axonal window. The fluorescence in the activated and flanking regions is analyzed over time, permitting the study of neurofilament transport with temporal and spatial resolution on the order of minutes&#160;and microns, respectively. Mathematical modeling can be used to extract kinetic parameters of neurofilament transport including the velocity, directional bias and pausing behavior from the resulting data. The pulse-escape and pulse-spread methods can also be adapted to visualize neurofilament transport in other nerves. With the development of additional transgenic mice, these methods could also be used to image and analyze the axonal transport of other cytoskeletal and cytosolic proteins in axons.

Figure 3 shows representative images from pulse-escape and pulse-spread experiments. We have published several studies that describe data obtained using the pulse-escape method and our methods for the analysis of those data5,6,7,8,17. Below, we show how the pulse-spread data can yield information on the directionality and velocity...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Imaging and Analysis of Neurofilament Transport in Excised Mouse Tibial Nerve at JoVE.com

Imaging and Analysis of Neurofilament Transport in Excised Mouse Tibial Nerve

We describe fluorescence photoactivation methods to analyze the axonal transport of neurofilaments in single myelinated axons of peripheral nerves from transgenic mice that express a photoactivatable neurofilament protein.

Neurofilament protein polymers move along axons in the slow component of axonal transport at average speeds of ~0.35-3.5 mm/day. Until recently the study ...

imaging-analysis-neurofilament-transport-excised-mouse-tibial

Universidad de Cartagena UDEC

Research

JoVE Journal

Neuroscience

6.0K Views.  The Ohio State University. We describe fluorescence photoactivation methods to analyze the axonal transport of neurofilaments in single myelinated axons of peripheral nerves from transgenic mice that express a photoactivatable neurofilament protein.

Video: Imaging and Analysis of Neurofilament Transport in Excised Mouse Tibial Nerve

Tissue Preparation and Immunostaining of Mouse Sensory Nerve Fibers Innervating Skin and Limb Bones

Detection and primary processing of physical, chemical and thermal sensory stimuli by peripheral sensory nerve fibers is key to sensory perception in animals and humans. These peripheral sensory nerve fibers express a plethora of receptors and ion channel proteins which detect and initiate specific sensory stimuli. Methods are available to characterize the electrical properties of peripheral sensory nerve fibers innervating the skin, which can also be utilized to identify the functional expression of specific ion channel proteins in these fibers. However, similar electrophysiological methods are not available (and are also difficult to develop) for the detection of the functional expression of receptors and ion channel proteins in peripheral sensory nerve fibers innervating other visceral organs, including the most challenging tissues such as bone. Moreover, such electrophysiological methods cannot be utilized to determine the expression of non-excitable proteins in peripheral sensory nerve fibers. Therefore, immunostaining of peripheral/visceral tissue samples for sensory nerve fivers provides the best possible way to determine the expression of specific proteins of interest in these nerve fibers. So far, most of the protein expression studies in sensory neurons have utilized immunostaining procedures in sensory ganglia, where the information is limited to the expression of specific proteins in the cell body of specific types or subsets of sensory neurons. Here we report detailed methods/protocols for the preparation of peripheral/visceral tissue samples for immunostaining of peripheral sensory nerve fibers. We specifically detail methods for the preparation of skin or plantar punch biopsy and bone (femur) sections from mice for immunostaining of peripheral sensory nerve fibers. These methods are not only key to the qualitative determination of protein expression in peripheral sensory neurons, but also provide a quantitative assay method for determining changes in protein expression levels in specific types or subsets of sensory fibers, as well as for determining the morphological and/or anatomical changes in the number and density of sensory fibers during various pathological states. Further, these methods are not confined to the staining of only sensory nerve fibers, but can also be used for staining any types of nerve fibers in the skin, bones and other visceral tissue.

Immunocytochemical identification of peripheral sensory nerve fiber subtypes (and detection of protein expression therein) are key to the understanding of molecular mechanisms underlying peripheral sensation. Here we describe methods for preparation of peripheral/visceral tissue samples, such as skin and limb bones, for specific immunostaining of peripheral sensory nerve fibers.

Detection and primary processing of physical, chemical and thermal sensory stimuli by peripheral sensory nerve fibers is key to sensory perception in ...

Reproducible Mouse Sciatic Nerve Crush and Subsequent Assessment of Regeneration by Whole Mount Muscle Analysis

Regeneration in the peripheral nervous system (PNS) is widely studied both for its relevance to human disease and to understand the robust regenerative response mounted by PNS neurons thereby possibly illuminating the failures of CNS regeneration1. Sciatic nerve crush (axonotmesis) is one of the most common models of peripheral nerve injury in rodents2. Crushing interrupts all axons but Schwann cell basal laminae are preserved so that regeneration is optimal3,4. This allows the investigator to study precisely the ability of a growing axon to interact with both the Schwann cell and basal laminae4. Rats have generally been the preferred animal models for experimental nerve crush. They are widely available and their lesioned sciatic nerve provides a reasonable approximation of human nerve lesions5,4. Though smaller in size than rat nerve, the mouse nerve has many similar qualities. Most importantly though, mouse models are increasingly valuable because of the wide availability of transgenic lines now allows for a detailed dissection of the individual molecules critical for nerve regeneration6, 7. Prior investigators have used multiple methods to produce a nerve crush or injury including simple angled forceps, chilled forceps, hemostatic forceps, vascular clamps, and investigator-designed clamps8,9,10,11,12. Investigators have also used various methods of marking the injury site including suture, carbon particles and fluorescent beads13,14,1. We describe our method to obtain a reproducibly complete sciatic nerve crush with accurate and persistent marking of the crush-site using a fine hemostatic forceps and subsequent carbon crush-site marking. As part of our description of the sciatic nerve crush procedure we have also included a relatively simple method of muscle whole mount we use to subsequently quantify regeneration.

In this report we describe a method to crush mouse sciatic nerve. This method uses readily available hemostatic forceps and easily and reproducibly produces complete sciatic nerve crush. In addition, we describe a method to prepare muscle whole mounts suitable for analysis of nerve regeneration after sciatic nerve crush.

Regeneration in the peripheral nervous system (PNS) is widely studied both for its relevance to human disease and to understand the robust regenerative ...

Nucleofection of Rodent Neuroblasts to Study Neuroblast Migration In vitro

The subventricular zone (SVZ) located in the lateral wall of the lateral ventricles plays a fundamental role in adult neurogenesis. In this restricted area of the brain, neural stem cells proliferate and constantly generate neuroblasts that migrate tangentially in chains along the rostral migratory stream (RMS) to reach the olfactory bulb (OB). Once in the OB, neuroblasts switch to radial migration and then differentiate into mature neurons able to incorporate into the preexisting neuronal network. Proper neuroblast migration is a fundamental step in neurogenesis, ensuring the correct functional maturation of newborn neurons. Given the ability of SVZ-derived neuroblasts to target injured areas in the brain, investigating the intracellular mechanisms underlying their motility will not only enhance the understanding of neurogenesis but may also promote the development of neuroregenerative strategies.
This manuscript describes a detailed protocol for the transfection of primary rodent RMS postnatal neuroblasts and the analysis of their motility using a 3D in vitro migration assay recapitulating their mode of migration observed in vivo. Both rat and mouse neuroblasts can be quickly and efficiently transfected via nucleofection with either plasmid DNA, small hairpin (sh)RNA or short interfering (si)RNA oligos targeting genes of interest. To analyze migration, nucleofected cells are reaggregated in &#39;hanging drops&#39; and subsequently embedded in a three-dimensional matrix. Nucleofection per se does not significantly impair the migration of neuroblasts. Pharmacological treatment of nucleofected and reaggregated neuroblasts can also be performed to study the role of signaling pathways involved in neuroblast migration.

Nucleofection of Rodent Neuroblasts to Study Neuroblast Migration In vitro

Neuroblast migration is a crucial step in postnatal neurogenesis. The protocol described here can be used to investigate the role of candidate regulators of neuroblast migration by employing DNA/small hairpin RNA (shRNA) nucleofection and a 3D migration assay with neuroblasts isolated from the rodent postnatal rostral migratory stream.

The subventricular zone (SVZ) located in the lateral wall of the lateral ventricles plays a fundamental role in adult neurogenesis. In this restricted ...

In Vivo Two-Photon Microscopy of Single Nerve Endings in Skin

Nerve endings in skin are involved in physiological processes such as sensing1 as well as in pathological processes such as neuropathic pain2. Their close-to-surface positioning facilitates microscopic imaging of skin nerve endings in living intact animal. Using multiphoton microscopy, it is possible to obtain fine images overcoming the problem of strong light scattering of the skin tissue. Reporter transgenic mice that express EYFP under the control of Thy-1 promoter in neurons (including periphery sensory neurons) are well suited for the longitudinal studies of individual nerve endings over extended periods of time up to several months or even life-long. Furthermore, using the same femtosecond laser as for the imaging, it is possible to produce highly selective lesions of nerve fibers for the studies of the nerve fiber restructuring. Here, we present a simple and reliable protocol for longitudinal multiphoton in vivo imaging and laser-based microsurgery on mouse skin nerve endings.

In Vivo Two-Photon Microscopy of Single Nerve Endings in Skin

The protocol for dynamic longitudinal imaging and selective laser lesion of nerve endings in reporter transgenic mice is presented.&#160;

Nerve endings in skin are involved in physiological processes such as sensing1 as well as in pathological processes such as neuropathic pain2. Their ...

The Neuromuscular Junction: Measuring Synapse Size, Fragmentation and Changes in Synaptic Protein Density Using Confocal Fluorescence Microscopy

The neuromuscular junction (NMJ) is the large, cholinergic relay synapse through which mammalian motor neurons control voluntary muscle contraction. Structural changes at the NMJ can result in neurotransmission failure, resulting in weakness, atrophy and even death of the muscle fiber. Many studies have investigated how genetic modifications or disease can alter the structure of the mouse NMJ. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to directly compare findings from these studies because they often employed different parameters and analytical methods. Three protocols are described here. The first uses maximum intensity projection confocal images to measure the area of acetylcholine receptor (AChR)-rich postsynaptic membrane domains at the endplate and the area of synaptic vesicle staining in the overlying presynaptic nerve terminal. The second protocol compares the relative intensities of immunostaining for synaptic proteins in the postsynaptic membrane. The third protocol uses Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) to detect changes in the packing of postsynaptic AChRs at the endplate. The protocols have been developed and refined over a series of studies. Factors that influence the quality and consistency of results are discussed and normative data are provided for NMJs in healthy young adult mice.

The neuromuscular junction (NMJ) is altered in a variety of conditions that can sometimes culminate in synaptic failure. This report describes fluorescence microscope-based methods to quantify such structural changes.

The neuromuscular junction (NMJ) is the large, cholinergic relay synapse through which mammalian motor neurons control voluntary muscle contraction. ...

The Fibular Nerve Injury Method: A Reliable Assay to Identify and Test Factors That Repair Neuromuscular Junctions

The neuromuscular junction (NMJ) undergoes deleterious structural and functional changes as a result of aging, injury and disease. Thus, it is imperative to understand the cellular and molecular changes involved in maintaining and repairing NMJs. For this purpose, we have developed a method to reliably and consistently examine regenerating NMJs in mice. This nerve injury method involves crushing the common fibular nerve as it passes over the lateral head of the gastrocnemius muscle tendon near the knee. Using 70 day old female mice, we demonstrate that motor axons begin to reinnervate previous postsynaptic targets within 7 days post-crush. They completely reoccupy their previous synaptic areas by 12 days. To determine the reliability of this injury method, we compared reinnervation rates between individual 70 day old female mice. We found that the number of reinnervated postsynaptic sites was similar between mice at 7, 9, and 12 days post-crush. To determine if this injury assay can also be used to compare molecular changes in muscles, we examined levels of the gamma-subunit of the muscle nicotinic receptor (gamma-AChR) and the muscle-specific kinase (MuSK). The gamma-AChR subunit and MuSK to are highly upregulated following denervation and return to normal levels following reinnervation of NMJs. We found a close relationship between transcript levels for these genes and innervation status of muscles. We believe that this method will accelerate our understanding of the cellular and molecular changes involved in repairing the NMJ and other synapses.

We have developed a nerve injury method to reliably examine muscle reinnervation, and thus regeneration of neuromuscular junctions in mice. This technique involves injuring the common fibular nerve via a simple and highly reproducible surgery. Muscle reinnervation in then assessed by whole-mounting the extensor digitorum longus muscle.

The neuromuscular junction (NMJ) undergoes deleterious structural and functional changes as a result of aging, injury and disease. Thus, it is imperative ...

Visualization of Motor Axon Navigation and Quantification of Axon Arborization In Mouse Embryos Using Light Sheet Fluorescence Microscopy

Spinal motor neurons (MNs) extend their axons to communicate with their innervating targets, thereby controlling movement and complex tasks in vertebrates. Thus, it is critical to uncover the molecular mechanisms of how motor axons navigate to, arborize, and innervate their peripheral muscle targets during development and degeneration. Although transgenic Hb9::GFP mouse lines have long served to visualize motor axon trajectories during embryonic development, detailed descriptions of the full spectrum of axon terminal arborization remain incomplete due to the pattern complexity and limitations of current optical microscopy. Here, we describe an improved protocol that combines light sheet fluorescence microscopy (LSFM) and robust image analysis to qualitatively and quantitatively visualize developing motor axons. This system can be easily adopted to cross genetic mutants or MN disease models with Hb9::GFP lines, revealing novel molecular mechanisms that lead to defects in motor axon navigation and arborization.

Here, we describe a protocol for visualizing motor neuron projection and axon arborization in transgenic Hb9::GFP mouse embryos. After immunostaining for motor neurons, we used light sheet fluorescence microscopy to image embryos for subsequent quantitative analysis. This protocol is applicable to other neuron navigation processes in the central nervous system.

Spinal motor neurons (MNs) extend their axons to communicate with their innervating targets, thereby controlling movement and complex tasks in ...

Investigating Mammalian Axon Regeneration: In Vivo Electroporation of Adult Mouse Dorsal Root Ganglion

Electroporation is an essential non-viral gene transfection approach to introduce DNA plasmids or small RNA molecules into cells. A sensory neuron in the dorsal root ganglion (DRGs) extends a single axon with two branches. One branch goes to the peripheral nerve (peripheral branch), and the other branch enters the spinal cord through the dorsal root (central branch). After the neural injury, the peripheral branch regenerates robustly whereas the central branch does not regenerate. Due to the high regenerative capacity, sensory axon regeneration has been widely used as a model system to study mammalian axon regeneration in both the peripheral nervous system (PNS) and the central nervous system (CNS). Here, we describe a previously established approach protocol to manipulate gene expression in mature sensory neurons in vivo via electroporation. Based on transfection with plasmids or small RNA oligos (siRNAs or microRNAs), the approach allows for both loss- and gain-of-function experiments to study the roles of genes-of-interests or microRNAs in regulation of axon regeneration in vivo. In addition, the manipulation of gene expression in vivo can be controlled both spatially and temporally within a relatively short time course. This model system provides a unique tool to investigate the molecular mechanisms by which mammalian axon regeneration is regulated in vivo.

Investigating Mammalian Axon Regeneration: In Vivo Electroporation of Adult Mouse Dorsal Root Ganglion

Electroporation is an effective approach to deliver genes of interests into cells. By applying this approach in vivo on the neurons of adult mouse dorsal root ganglion (DRG), we describe a model to study axon regeneration in vivo.

Electroporation is an essential non-viral gene transfection approach to introduce DNA plasmids or small RNA molecules into cells. A sensory neuron in the ...

Dissection of Single Skeletal Muscle Fibers for Immunofluorescent and Morphometric Analyses of Whole-Mount Neuromuscular Junctions

The neuromuscular junction (NMJ) is a specialized point of contact between the motor nerve and the skeletal muscle. This peripheral synapse exhibits high morphological and functional plasticity. In numerous nervous system disorders, NMJ is an early pathological target resulting in neurotransmission failure, weakness, atrophy, and even in muscle fiber death. Due to its relevance, the possibility to quantitatively assess certain aspects of the relationship between NMJ components can help to understand the processes associated with its assembly/disassembly. The first obstacle when working with muscles is to gain the technical expertise to quickly identify and dissect without damaging their fibers. The second challenge is to utilize high-quality detection methods to obtain NMJ images that can be used to perform quantitative analysis. This article presents a step-by-step protocol for dissecting extensor digitorum longus and soleus muscles from rats. It also explains the use of immunofluorescence to visualize pre and postsynaptic elements of whole-mount NMJs. Results obtained demonstrate that this technique can be used to establish the microscopic anatomy of the synapsis and identify subtle changes in the status of some of its components under physiological or pathological conditions.

The ability to accurately detect neuromuscular junction components is crucial in evaluating modifications in its architecture because of pathological or developmental processes. Here we present a complete description of a straightforward method to obtain high-quality images of whole-mount neuromuscular junctions that can be used to perform quantitative measurements.

The neuromuscular junction (NMJ) is a specialized point of contact between the motor nerve and the skeletal muscle. This peripheral synapse exhibits high ...

Expanding the Toolkit for In Vivo Imaging of Axonal Transport

Axonal transport maintains neuronal homeostasis by enabling the bidirectional trafficking of diverse organelles and cargoes. Disruptions in axonal transport have devastating consequences for individual neurons and their networks, and contribute to a plethora of neurological disorders. As many of these conditions involve both cell autonomous and non-autonomous mechanisms, and often display a spectrum of pathology across neuronal subtypes, methods to accurately identify and analyze neuronal subsets are imperative.
This paper details protocols to assess in vivo axonal transport of signaling endosomes and mitochondria in sciatic nerves of anesthetized mice. Stepwise instructions are provided to 1) distinguish motor from sensory neurons in vivo, in situ, and ex vivo by using mice that selectively express fluorescent proteins within cholinergic motor neurons; and 2) separately or concurrently assess in vivo axonal transport of signaling endosomes and mitochondria. These complementary intravital approaches facilitate the simultaneous imaging of different cargoes in distinct peripheral nerve axons to quantitatively monitor axonal transport in health and disease.

Expanding the Toolkit for In Vivo Imaging of Axonal Transport

Using transgenic fluorescent mice, detailed protocols are described to assess in vivo axonal transport of signaling endosomes and mitochondria within motor and sensory axons of the intact sciatic nerve in live animals.

Imaging and Analysis of Neurofilament Transport in Excised Mouse Tibial Nerve

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Tissue Preparation and Immunostaining of Mouse Sensory Nerve Fibers Innervating Skin and Limb Bones

Reproducible Mouse Sciatic Nerve Crush and Subsequent Assessment of Regeneration by Whole Mount Muscle Analysis

Nucleofection of Rodent Neuroblasts to Study Neuroblast Migration In vitro

In Vivo Two-Photon Microscopy of Single Nerve Endings in Skin

The Neuromuscular Junction: Measuring Synapse Size, Fragmentation and Changes in Synaptic Protein Density Using Confocal Fluorescence Microscopy

The Fibular Nerve Injury Method: A Reliable Assay to Identify and Test Factors That Repair Neuromuscular Junctions

Visualization of Motor Axon Navigation and Quantification of Axon Arborization In Mouse Embryos Using Light Sheet Fluorescence Microscopy

Investigating Mammalian Axon Regeneration: In Vivo Electroporation of Adult Mouse Dorsal Root Ganglion

Dissection of Single Skeletal Muscle Fibers for Immunofluorescent and Morphometric Analyses of Whole-Mount Neuromuscular Junctions

Expanding the Toolkit for In Vivo Imaging of Axonal Transport