Imaging axonal calcium dynamics in ex vivo mouse brain slices

By Yanfeng Zhang, PhD and Stephanie Cragg, PhD
View Published Protocol

Output Details

Description
This protocol describes how to image calcium dynamics in striatal dopaminergic axons in ex vivo mouse brain slices. We imaged calcium transients in response to single and trains (4 pulses, 100 Hz) of electrical stimulus pulses using genetically encoded calcium indicator GCaMP6f expressed in DAT-Cre:Ai95D mice.
Identifier (DOI)
10.17504/protocols.io.81wgbx9eolpk/v1
Tags
  • Calcium
  • Ex Vivo
  • Microscopy - optical
  • Mouse
Team
Team Cragg
Program
Collaborative Research Network
Theme
Circuitry and Brain-Body Interactions

Meet the Authors

Related Research

An axonal brake on striatal dopamine output by cholinergic interneurons

Depolarization of axons is crucial for triggering neurotransmitter release. Cholinergic interneurons and nicotinic receptors in the striatum interrupt this process, causing a temporary suppression of dopamine release.

View Article

Datasets and Key Resources Table used in Zang, Y. et al. (2025) “An axonal brake on striatal dopamine output by cholinergic interneurons”

This repository contains a 1) Key Resources Table with details on key resources and the persistent identifiers for protocols and code used and generated in this study; 2) Source Data Folder, and 3) Supplementary Data Folder.

View Dataset

Feed-forward metabotropic signaling by Cav1 Ca2+ channels supports pacemaking in pedunculopontine cholinergic neurons

Cholinergic neurons (CNs) in the pedunculopontine nucleus (PPN) are lost in the course of Parkinson’s disease. PPN CNs have a distinctive physiological phenotype that shares only some of the features of other selectively vulnerable neurons in PD.

View Article
View More Outputs