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Laser Scanning Microscopy and Quantitative Image Analysis of Neuronal Tissue pp 219–237Cite as

Quantitative Geometric Three-Dimensional Reconstruction of Neuronal Architecture and Mapping of Labeled Proteins from Confocal Image Stacks

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Part of the book series: Neuromethods ((NM,volume 87))

Abstract

Neuronal dendrites are amazingly complex structures which provide the scaffold for neuronal connectivity and information flow through circuits. On the one hand the projection area, surface, number, and density of branches determine which and how many other neurons can form synaptic connections with a neuron. On the other hand dendritic structure has profound effects on the computation of synaptic input. This chapter describes a tool kit to create three-dimensional geometric reconstructions of neuronal dendrites from confocal laser scanning image stacks. These tools allow for a comprehensive three-dimensional visualization of dendritic structure and provide quantitative measures of dendritic structure and branching topology which are readily available for statistical analysis. In addition, second and third channel image data can be mapped onto dendritic surface reconstructions to derive distribution estimates of putative synapses or other proteins in entire dendritic trees. These geometric dendrite reconstructions and protein localizations can be exported as multi-compartment models to the NEURON modeling environment such that structure-function relationships can be explored computationally and hypothesis formed for further experimental validation.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center of Organismal Studies, Ruprecht-Karls University Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany

    Jan Felix Evers

  2. Institute of Zoology, Neurobiology, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany

    Carsten Duch

Authors
  1. Jan Felix Evers
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  2. Carsten Duch
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurobiology, University of Osnabrück, Osnabrück, Germany

    Lidia Bakota

  2. Department of Neurobiology, University of Osnabrück, Osnabrück, Germany

    Roland Brandt

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Evers, J.F., Duch, C. (2014). Quantitative Geometric Three-Dimensional Reconstruction of Neuronal Architecture and Mapping of Labeled Proteins from Confocal Image Stacks. In: Bakota, L., Brandt, R. (eds) Laser Scanning Microscopy and Quantitative Image Analysis of Neuronal Tissue. Neuromethods, vol 87. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-0381-8_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-0381-8_10

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-0380-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4939-0381-8

  • eBook Packages: Springer Protocols

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