eLife (Feb 2020)

Organic electrochemical transistor arrays for real-time mapping of evoked neurotransmitter release in vivo

  • Kai Xie,
  • Naixiang Wang,
  • Xudong Lin,
  • Zixun Wang,
  • Xi Zhao,
  • Peilin Fang,
  • Haibing Yue,
  • Junhwi Kim,
  • Jing Luo,
  • Shaoyang Cui,
  • Feng Yan,
  • Peng Shi

DOI
https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.50345
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 9

Abstract

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Though neurotransmitters are essential elements in neuronal signal transduction, techniques for in vivo analysis are still limited. Here, we describe an organic electrochemical transistor array (OECT-array) technique for monitoring catecholamine neurotransmitters (CA-NTs) in rat brains. The OECT-array is an active sensor with intrinsic amplification capability, allowing real-time and direct readout of transient CA-NT release with a sensitivity of nanomolar range and a temporal resolution of several milliseconds. The device has a working voltage lower than half of that typically used in a prevalent cyclic voltammetry measurement, and operates continuously in vivo for hours without significant signal drift, which is inaccessible for existing methods. With the OECT-array, we demonstrate simultaneous mapping of evoked dopamine release at multiple striatal brain regions in different physiological scenarios, and reveal a complex cross-talk between the mesolimbic and the nigrostriatal pathways, which is heterogeneously affected by the reciprocal innervation between ventral tegmental area and substantia nigra pars compacta.

Keywords