To understand the circuitry of the brain, it is essential to clarify the functional connectivity among distinct neuronal populations. For this purpose, neuronal activity imaging using genetically-encoded calcium sensors such as GCaMP has been a powerful approach due to its cell-type specificity. However, calcium (Ca2+) is an indirect measure of neuronal activity. A more direct approach would be to use genetically encoded voltage indicators (GEVIs) to observe subthreshold, synaptic activities. The GEVI, ArcLight, which exhibits large fluorescence transients in response to voltage, was expressed in excitatory neurons of the mouse CA1 hippocampus. Fluorescent signals in response to the electrical stimulation of the Schaffer collateral axons were observed in brain slice preparations. ArcLight was able to map both excitatory and inhibitory inputs projected to excitatory neurons. In contrast, the Ca2+ signal detected by GCaMP6f, was only associated with excitatory inputs. ArcLight and similar voltage sensing probes are also becoming powerful paradigms for functional connectivity mapping of brain circuitry.
Keyphrases
- resting state
- functional connectivity
- cerebral ischemia
- high resolution
- subarachnoid hemorrhage
- spinal cord
- blood brain barrier
- brain injury
- high density
- small molecule
- single molecule
- spinal cord injury
- quantum dots
- magnetic resonance
- climate change
- computed tomography
- fluorescence imaging
- mass spectrometry
- energy transfer
- genetic diversity
- cognitive impairment
- contrast enhanced