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Live Imaging of Neural Cell Functions

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Protocols for Neural Cell Culture

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Abstract

To determine the cell autonomous and environmental factors that control the differentiation of neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes, we have used neurospheres made of primary neural progenitor cells. These organoids are amenable to the live cell imaging of several parameters which are central to the proper control of neuron and glial cell differentiation, as well as to the function of the resulting fully differentiated neural cells. Here we report on the methods to study in living cells the connexin-dependent cell-to-cell coupling, the oscillations in intracellular Ca2+, and specifically the intercellular synchronization of such events, and the ATP release by either exocytosis of vesicles or through specialized membrane channels. The methods rely on the combination of a variety of state-of-the art microscopy and biophysical methods.

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Acknowledgments

Work of PM is supported by grants from the Swiss National Science Foundation (310000-122430), the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation International (1-2007-158), and the European Union (Betaimage FP7-222980; IMIDIA, IMI C-2008.T7). ES is funded by the NIH (NS052245).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cell Physiology and Metabolism, University of Geneva Medical School, Genève, Switzerland

    Sabine Bavamian & Paolo Meda

  2. The Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA

    Eliana Scemes

Authors
  1. Sabine Bavamian
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  2. Eliana Scemes
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  3. Paolo Meda
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. Pathology & Molecular Medicine, McMaster University, Main Street West 1200, Hamilton, L8N 3Z5, Canada

    Laurie C. Doering

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© 2009 Humana Press, a part of Springer Science+Business Media, LLC

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Bavamian, S., Scemes, E., Meda, P. (2009). Live Imaging of Neural Cell Functions. In: Doering, L. (eds) Protocols for Neural Cell Culture. Springer Protocols Handbooks. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-60761-292-6_22

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-60761-292-6_22

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-60761-291-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-60761-292-6

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