Confocal Microendoscopy of Neuromuscular Synapses in Living Mice
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- Abstract
- Table of Contents
- Materials
- Figures
- Literature Cited
Abstract
Here we describe a step?by?step method for vital imaging of neuromuscular junctions (NMJ) and axons using fiber?optic confocal microendoscopy (CME). A commercially available system, the Cellvizio Lab, can be applied to transgenic mouse lines expressing yellow fluorescent protein in all or pseudorandom sub?subsets of motor neurons. Microscopic imaging in vivo is achieved by means of a flexible optical fiber probe that excites and collects the emitted light from fluorescently labeled structures. The hand?held probe is introduced through small skin incisions to visualize nerves and neuromuscular junctions from superficial muscles. Interpolation software then reconstructs the images in real time. The images are of sufficient quality to permit screening of axonal and neuromuscular synaptic integrity and other aspects of their phenotype in live animals. Curr. Protoc. Mouse Biol. 2:1?8 © 2012 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Keywords: neuromuscular junction; imaging; microscopy
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Basic Protocol 1: Surgical Procedure: Sciatic Nerve Lesion
- Basic Protocol 2: Confocal Microendoscopy (CME) of Axons and Presynaptic Terminals
- Commentary
- Literature Cited
- Figures
Materials
Basic Protocol 1: Surgical Procedure: Sciatic Nerve Lesion
Materials
Basic Protocol 2: Confocal Microendoscopy (CME) of Axons and Presynaptic Terminals
Materials
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Figures
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Figure 1. (A ) Medial aspect of a mouse hind limb (cadaver), in which the tibial nerve (arrow) has been exposed through a small wound. The stainless‐steel tip of a Proflex S‐1500 probe is positioned in the wound over the exposed nerve. (B ) CME image of intact axons in the tibial nerve of an anesthetized thy1.2‐YFPH transgenic mouse. Only about 5% of the axons express YFP in this line and seven of them are visible in this image. (C ) CME image of intact axons in the tibial nerve of an anesthetized thy1.2‐YFP16 transgenic mouse. All the motor axons are labeled by YFP expression in this line. (D‐F ) CME images of a group of NMJs in axotomized flexor digitorum longus muscle of a WldS mutant mouse, obtained in imaging sessions conducted on successive days 3 (D), 4 (E), and 5 (F) after sciatic nerve section, following Basic Protocols 1 and 2. There is a delayed, progressive degeneration of motor axon terminals in this mutant strain following such nerve injury (arrows). Reprinted from Wong et al. () with permission View Image
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Literature Cited
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