PUBLICATION

Monitoring neural activity with bioluminescence during natural behavior

Authors
Naumann, E.A., Kampff, A.R., Prober, D.A., Schier, A.F., and Engert, F.
ID
ZDB-PUB-100330-4
Date
2010
Source
Nature Neuroscience   13(4): 513-520 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Engert, Florian, Prober, David, Schier, Alexander
Keywords
none
MeSH Terms
  • Aequorin/metabolism*
  • Aequorin/physiology
  • Animals
  • Animals, Genetically Modified/genetics*
  • Behavior, Animal/physiology
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins/analysis
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins/physiology
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins/metabolism
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins/physiology
  • Luminescent Proteins/analysis
  • Luminescent Proteins/physiology
  • Motor Activity/genetics
  • Motor Activity/physiology*
  • Nerve Net/chemistry*
  • Nerve Net/metabolism*
  • Neuropeptides/metabolism
  • Neuropeptides/physiology
  • Orexins
  • Zebrafish*/genetics
PubMed
20305645 Full text @ Nat. Neurosci.
Abstract
Existing techniques for monitoring neural activity in awake, freely behaving vertebrates are invasive and difficult to target to genetically identified neurons. We used bioluminescence to non-invasively monitor the activity of genetically specified neurons in freely behaving zebrafish. Transgenic fish with the Ca(2+)-sensitive photoprotein green fluorescent protein (GFP)-Aequorin in most neurons generated large and fast bioluminescent signals that were related to neural activity, neuroluminescence, which could be recorded continuously for many days. To test the limits of this technique, we specifically targeted GFP-Aequorin to the hypocretin-positive neurons of the hypothalamus. We found that neuroluminescence generated by this group of approximately 20 neurons was associated with periods of increased locomotor activity and identified two classes of neural activity corresponding to distinct swim latencies. Our neuroluminescence assay can report, with high temporal resolution and sensitivity, the activity of small subsets of neurons during unrestrained behavior.
Genes / Markers
Figures
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping