BMC Neuroscience (Nov 2009)

Dynamic visualization of membrane-inserted fraction of pHluorin-tagged channels using repetitive acidification technique

  • Keinänen Kari,
  • Jeromin Andreas,
  • Coleman Sarah K,
  • Pryazhnikov Evgeny,
  • Khiroug Serguei S,
  • Khiroug Leonard

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2202-10-141
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 10, no. 1
p. 141

Abstract

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Abstract Background Changes in neuronal excitability, synaptic efficacy and generally in cell signaling often result from insertion of key molecules into plasma membrane (PM). Many of the techniques used for monitoring PM insertion lack either spatial or temporal resolution. Results We improved the imaging method based on time-lapse total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy and pHluorin tagging by supplementing it with a repetitive extracellular acidification protocol. We illustrate the applicability of this method by showing that brief activation of NMDA receptors ("chemical LTP") in cultured hippocampal neurons induced a persistent PM insertion of glutamate receptors containing the pHluorin-tagged GluR-A(flip) subunits. Conclusion The repetitive acidification technique provides a more accurate way of monitoring the PM-inserted fraction of fluorescently tagged molecules and offers a good temporal and spatial resolution.