Apr 4 2012
One of the challenges facing neuroscience researchers is understanding how nerve cells contact each other to transmit information and which proteins and mechanisms control the formation and function of these synaptic contacts.
Most excitatory synapses in the brain are built on actin-rich dendritic protrusions called spines and, as numerous psychiatric and neurological diseases are accompanied by alterations of spine numbers or size, the elucidation of mechanisms that regulate formation and plasticity of spinous synapses is vital.
Now, Bitplane’s advanced Imaris software has enabled a group led by Professor Markus Missler to show that the loss of the protein ‘neurobeachin’ (Nbea) not only disrupts signalling within the neuron but also leads to reduced numbers of spines and the mislocalisation of another common spine protein, synaptopodin.
Dr Katharina Niesmann of Westfälische Wilhelms University of Münster used cultured primary nerve cells from the hippocampus of mouse brains for the study. Multicolour labelling followed by observation under epifluorescence and confocal light microscopy enabled the team to study the differentiation of synapses between these cells and observe the effect of Nbea.
“These findings were both unexpected and striking”, according to Professor Missler. “Therefore, we looked for a way of visualising this data in a comprehensive way. We found the ‘ImarisFilamentTracer’ module of the Imaris suite, which was specifically developed for the purpose of analysing and illustrating dendrites as well as spines, invaluable.”
“Fast, precise and easy-to-use, Imaris is a uniquely powerful and versatile solution for the visualisation, analysis and interpretation of 3-D and 4-D images,” says Marcin Barszczewski of Bitplane. “ImarisFilamentTracer is one of a range of several specialist modules, including ImarisTrack, ImaricVantage and ImarisMeasurementPro, that deliver additional flexibility.”
To learn more about scientific image data analysis and characterisation using Imaris software, and access our comprehensive applications area, please visit the Bitplane website.