TY - JOUR
T1 - Imaging Calcium in Neurons
AU - Grienberger, Christine
AU - Konnerth, Arthur
N1 - Funding Information:
We thank Jia Lou for excellent technical assistance. This work was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (IRTG 1373), the ERA-Net Program, the CIPSM cluster, and the Schiedel Foundation. A.K. is a Carl-von-Linde Senior Fellow of the Institute for Advanced Study of the TUM.
PY - 2012/3/8
Y1 - 2012/3/8
N2 - Calcium ions generate versatile intracellular signals that control key functions in all types of neurons. Imaging calcium in neurons is particularly important because calcium signals exert their highly specific functions in well-defined cellular subcompartments. In this Primer, we briefly review the general mechanisms of neuronal calcium signaling. We then introduce the calcium imaging devices, including confocal and two-photon microscopy as well as miniaturized devices that are used in freely moving animals. We provide an overview of the classical chemical fluorescent calcium indicators and of the protein-based genetically encoded calcium indicators. Using application examples, we introduce new developments in the field, such as calcium imaging in awake, behaving animals and the use of calcium imaging for mapping single spine sensory inputs in cortical neurons in vivo. We conclude by providing an outlook on the prospects of calcium imaging for the analysis of neuronal signaling and plasticity in various animal models. Grienberger and Konnerth explore the benefits and uses of calcium imaging tools and resources and their use in vivo, including discussion of confocal and two-photon microscopy, miniaturized devices used in freely moving animals, and chemical and genetically encoded calcium indicators.
AB - Calcium ions generate versatile intracellular signals that control key functions in all types of neurons. Imaging calcium in neurons is particularly important because calcium signals exert their highly specific functions in well-defined cellular subcompartments. In this Primer, we briefly review the general mechanisms of neuronal calcium signaling. We then introduce the calcium imaging devices, including confocal and two-photon microscopy as well as miniaturized devices that are used in freely moving animals. We provide an overview of the classical chemical fluorescent calcium indicators and of the protein-based genetically encoded calcium indicators. Using application examples, we introduce new developments in the field, such as calcium imaging in awake, behaving animals and the use of calcium imaging for mapping single spine sensory inputs in cortical neurons in vivo. We conclude by providing an outlook on the prospects of calcium imaging for the analysis of neuronal signaling and plasticity in various animal models. Grienberger and Konnerth explore the benefits and uses of calcium imaging tools and resources and their use in vivo, including discussion of confocal and two-photon microscopy, miniaturized devices used in freely moving animals, and chemical and genetically encoded calcium indicators.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84858054760&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.neuron.2012.02.011
DO - 10.1016/j.neuron.2012.02.011
M3 - Review article
C2 - 22405199
AN - SCOPUS:84858054760
SN - 0896-6273
VL - 73
SP - 862
EP - 885
JO - Neuron
JF - Neuron
IS - 5
ER -