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A Microfluidic Culture Platform for Neurotrophin Signaling Studies

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Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF)

Part of the book series: Neuromethods ((NM,volume 143))

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Abstract

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has a crucial role in neuronal development, maintenance, and function. Some of the effects induced by the neurotrophins occur at neuronal sub-domains, which are located at significant distances from the cell body. The study of the mechanisms involved in the axonal responses to BDNF, as well as to other pro- and mature neurotrophins, requires a reliable system, to physically isolate these sub-domains from the soma in order to better evaluate its contribution to the neuronal response. Here we describe how to culture and maintain dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons in microfluidic chambers and demonstrate the physical and fluidic isolation of pure axonal populations (distal axons) in this platform. In addition, we describe how to independently manipulate distal axons or the somal compartment and how to retrogradely label the targeted neurons. In this chapter we describe how this powerful tool can be used to study the effect of neurotrophins in spatially isolated axons.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. CNC—Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal

    Rui O. Costa, Tânia Perestrelo, Diogo Tomé & Ramiro D. Almeida

  2. Institute for Interdisciplinary Research, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal

    Rui O. Costa & Ramiro D. Almeida

  3. Department of Medical Sciences and Institute of Biomedicine—iBiMED, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal

    Ramiro D. Almeida

Authors
  1. Rui O. Costa
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  2. Tânia Perestrelo
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  3. Diogo Tomé
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  4. Ramiro D. Almeida
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology and Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal

    Carlos B. Duarte

  2. BRAIN Center for Neuroscience, Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy

    Enrico Tongiorgi

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Costa, R.O., Perestrelo, T., Tomé, D., Almeida, R.D. (2018). A Microfluidic Culture Platform for Neurotrophin Signaling Studies. In: Duarte, C., Tongiorgi, E. (eds) Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF). Neuromethods, vol 143. Humana, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/7657_2018_9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/7657_2018_9

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Humana, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-8969-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4939-8970-6

  • eBook Packages: Springer Protocols

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