A double-sided microscope to realize whole-ganglion imaging of membrane potential in the medicinal leech

  1. Yusuke Tomina  Is a corresponding author
  2. Daniel A Wagenaar
  1. California Institute of Technology, United States

Abstract

Studies of neuronal network emergence during sensory processing and motor control are greatly promoted by technologies that allow us to simultaneously record the membrane potential dynamics of a large population of neurons in single cell resolution. To achieve whole-brain recording with the ability to detect both small synaptic potentials and action potentials, we developed a voltage-sensitive dye (VSD) imaging technique based on a double-sided microscope that can image two sides of a nervous system simultaneously. We applied this system to the segmental ganglia of the medicinal leech. Double-sided VSD imaging enabled simultaneous recording of membrane potential events from almost all of the identifiable neurons. Using data obtained from double-sided VSD imaging we analyzed neuronal dynamics in both sensory processing and generation of behavior and constructed functional maps for identification of neurons contributing to these processes.

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Author details

  1. Yusuke Tomina

    Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, United States
    For correspondence
    tominaye@caltech.edu
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.
    ORCID icon "This ORCID iD identifies the author of this article:" 0000-0001-9406-1493
  2. Daniel A Wagenaar

    Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, United States
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.

Funding

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (R01NS094403)

  • Daniel A Wagenaar

Burroughs Wellcome Fund (Career Award at the Scientific Interface)

  • Daniel A Wagenaar

The funders had no role in study design, data collection and interpretation, or the decision to submit the work for publication.

Copyright

© 2017, Tomina & Wagenaar

This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License permitting unrestricted use and redistribution provided that the original author and source are credited.

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  1. Yusuke Tomina
  2. Daniel A Wagenaar
(2017)
A double-sided microscope to realize whole-ganglion imaging of membrane potential in the medicinal leech
eLife 6:e29839.
https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.29839

Share this article

https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.29839

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