Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, United States of America.
PLoS One. 2011;6(9):e24666. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0024666. Epub 2011 Sep 28.
Non-invasive recording in untethered animals is arguably the ultimate step in the analysis of neuronal function, but such recordings remain elusive. To address this problem, we devised a system that tracks neuron-sized fluorescent targets in real time. The system can be used to create virtual environments by optogenetic activation of sensory neurons, or to image activity in identified neurons at high magnification. By recording activity in neurons of freely moving C. elegans, we tested the long-standing hypothesis that forward and reverse locomotion are generated by distinct neuronal circuits. Surprisingly, we found motor neurons that are active during both types of locomotion, suggesting a new model of locomotion control in C. elegans. These results emphasize the importance of recording neuronal activity in freely moving animals and significantly expand the potential of imaging techniques by providing a mean to stabilize fluorescent targets.
在无束缚动物中进行非侵入式记录，可以说是分析神经元功能的终极步骤，但这种记录仍然难以实现。为了解决这个问题，我们设计了一个实时跟踪神经元大小荧光靶标的系统。该系统可通过光遗传学激活感觉神经元来创建虚拟环境，或在高倍放大下对已识别神经元的活动进行成像。通过记录自由移动的秀丽隐杆线虫神经元的活动，我们检验了向前和向后运动是由不同神经元回路产生的这一长期假设。令人惊讶的是，我们发现了在两种运动类型中都活跃的运动神经元，这为秀丽隐杆线虫的运动控制提出了一个新的模型。这些结果强调了在自由移动的动物中记录神经元活动的重要性，并通过提供稳定荧光靶标的方法，极大地扩展了成像技术的潜力。
