In Vivo Imaging of Synaptogenesis in Zebrafish
- Authors
- Jontes, J.D., and Emond, M.R.
- ID
- ZDB-PUB-120503-25
- Date
- 2012
- Source
- Cold Spring Harbor protocols 2012(5): pdb.top069237 (Review)
- Registered Authors
- Emond, Michelle, Jontes, James
- Keywords
- none
- MeSH Terms
-
- Animals
- Green Fluorescent Proteins/analysis
- Green Fluorescent Proteins/genetics
- Nervous System/embryology*
- Recombinant Fusion Proteins/analysis
- Recombinant Fusion Proteins/genetics
- Staining and Labeling/methods
- Synapses/chemistry
- Synapses/physiology*
- Time-Lapse Imaging/methods*
- Zebrafish/embryology*
- PubMed
- 22550294 Full text @ Cold Spring Harb. Protoc.
The embryonic zebrafish is a nearly ideal model system in which to use time-lapse imaging to study the development of the vertebrate nervous system in vivo. The embryos are small and transparent, they develop externally and rapidly, and the embryonic central nervous system is relatively simple and highly stereotyped. With the refinement of green fluorescent protein (GFP) as a genetically encoded fluorescent tag of neuronal proteins, along with advances in imaging technology, it is possible to follow the cellular and molecular events underlying development as they occur in the living embryo. This article describes strategies for imaging synapse formation in the embryonic zebrafish.