Monitoring correlates of SARS-CoV-2 infection in cell culture using a two-photon-active calcium-sensitive dye.

BACKGROUND: The organism-wide effects of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) viral infection are well studied, but little is known about the dynamics of how the infection spreads in time among or within cells due to the scarcity of suitable high-resolution experimental systems. It has been reported that SARS-CoV-2 infection pathways converge at calcium influx and subcellular calcium distribution changes. Imaging combined with a proper staining technique is an effective tool for studying subcellular calcium-related infection and replication mechanisms at such resolutions. METHODS: Using two-photon (2P) fluorescence imaging with our novel Ca-selective dye, automated image analysis and clustering analysis were applied to reveal titer and variant effects on SARS-CoV-2-infected Vero E6 cells. RESULTS: The application of a new calcium sensor molecule is shown, combined with a high-end 2P technique for imaging and identifying the patterns associated with cellular infection damage within cells. Vero E6 cells infected with SARS-CoV-2 variants, D614G or B.1.1.7, exhibit elevated cytosolic calcium levels, allowing infection monitoring by tracking the cellular changes in calcium level by the internalized calcium sensor. The imaging provides valuable information on how the level and intracellular distribution of calcium are perturbed during the infection. Moreover, two-photon calcium sensing allowed the distinction of infections by two studied viral variants via cluster analysis of the image parameters. This approach will facilitate the study of cellular correlates of infection and their quantification depending on viral variants and viral load. CONCLUSIONS: We propose a new two-photon microscopy-based method combined with a cell-internalized sensor to quantify the level of SARS-CoV-2 infection. We optimized the applied dye concentrations to not interfere with viral fusion and viral replication events. The presented method ensured the proper monitoring of viral infection, replication, and cell fate. It also enabled distinguishing intracellular details of cell damage, such as vacuole and apoptotic body formation. Using clustering analysis, 2P microscopy calcium fluorescence images were suitable to distinguish two different viral variants in cell cultures. Cellular harm levels read out by calcium imaging were quantitatively related to the initial viral multiplicity of infection numbers. Thus, 2P quantitative calcium imaging might be used as a correlate of infection or a correlate of activity in cellular antiviral studies.

Cortex-wide response mode of VIP-expressing inhibitory neurons by reward and punishment.

Neocortex is classically divided into distinct areas, each specializing in different function, but all could benefit from reinforcement feedback to inform and update local processing. Yet it remains elusive how global signals like reward and punishment are represented in local cortical computations. Previously, we identified a cortical neuron type, vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP)-expressing interneurons, in auditory cortex that is recruited by behavioral reinforcers and mediates disinhibitory control by inhibiting other inhibitory neurons. As the same disinhibitory cortical circuit is present virtually throughout cortex, we wondered whether VIP neurons are likewise recruited by reinforcers throughout cortex. We monitored VIP neural activity in dozens of cortical regions using three-dimensional random access two-photon microscopy and fiber photometry while mice learned an auditory discrimination task. We found that reward and punishment during initial learning produce rapid, cortex-wide activation of most VIP interneurons. This global recruitment mode showed variations in temporal dynamics in individual neurons and across areas. Neither the weak sensory tuning of VIP interneurons in visual cortex nor their arousal state modulation was fully predictive of reinforcer responses. We suggest that the global response mode of cortical VIP interneurons supports a cell-type-specific circuit mechanism by which organism-level information about reinforcers regulates local circuit processing and plasticity.

Sharp-wave ripple doublets induce complex dendritic spikes in parvalbumin interneurons in vivo.

Neuronal plasticity has been shown to be causally linked to coincidence detection through dendritic spikes (dSpikes). We demonstrate the existence of SPW-R-associated, branch-specific, local dSpikes and their computational role in basal dendrites of hippocampal PV+ interneurons in awake animals. To measure the entire dendritic arbor of long thin dendrites during SPW-Rs, we used fast 3D acousto-optical imaging through an eccentric deep-brain adapter and ipsilateral local field potential recording. The regenerative calcium spike started at variable, NMDA-AMPA-dependent, hot spots and propagated in both direction with a high amplitude beyond a critical distance threshold (~150 µm) involving voltage-gated calcium channels. A supralinear dendritic summation emerged during SPW-R doublets when two successive SPW-R events coincide within a short temporal window (~150 ms), e.g., during more complex association tasks, and generated large dSpikes with an about 2.5-3-fold amplitude increase which propagated down to the soma. Our results suggest that these doublet-associated dSpikes can work as a dendritic-level temporal and spatial coincidence detector during SPW-R-related network computation in awake mice.

Theoretical Design, Synthesis, and In Vitro Neurobiological Applications of a Highly Efficient Two-Photon Caged GABA Validated on an Epileptic Case.

In this paper, we present an additional, new cage-GABA compound, called 4-amino-1-(4'-dimethylaminoisopropoxy-5',7'-dinitro-2',3'-dihydro-indol-1-yl)-1-oxobutane-γ-aminobutyric acid (iDMPO-DNI-GABA), and currently, this compound is the only photoreagent, which can be applied for GABA uncaging without experimental compromises. By a systematic theoretical design and successful synthesis of several compounds, the best reagent exhibits a high two-photon efficiency within the 700-760 nm range with excellent pharmacological behavior, which proved to be suitable for a complex epileptic study. Quantum chemical design showed that the optimal length of the cationic side chain enhances the two-photon absorption by 1 order of magnitude due to the cooperating internal hydrogen bonding to the extra nitro group on the core. This feature increased solubility while suppressing membrane permeability. The efficiency was demonstrated in a systematic, wide range of in vitro single-cell neurophysiological experiments by electrophysiological as well as calcium imaging techniques. Scalable inhibitory ion currents were elicited by iDMPO-DNI-GABA with appropriate spatial-temporal precision, blocking both spontaneous and evoked cell activity with excellent efficiency. Additionally, to demonstrate its applicability in a real neurobiological study, we could smoothly and selectively modulate neuronal activities during artificial epileptic rhythms first time in a neural network of GCaMP6f transgenic mouse brain slices.

Two-photon GCaMP6f imaging of infrared neural stimulation evoked calcium signals in mouse cortical neurons in vivo.

Infrared neural stimulation is a promising tool for stimulating the brain because it can be used to excite with high spatial precision without the need of delivering or inserting any exogenous agent into the tissue. Very few studies have explored its use in the brain, as most investigations have focused on sensory or motor nerve stimulation. Using intravital calcium imaging with the genetically encoded calcium indicator GCaMP6f, here we show that the application of infrared neural stimulation induces intracellular calcium signals in Layer 2/3 neurons in mouse cortex in vivo. The number of neurons exhibiting infrared-induced calcium response as well as the amplitude of those signals are shown to be both increasing with the energy density applied. By studying as well the spatial extent of the stimulation, we show that reproducibility of the stimulation is achieved mainly in the central part of the infrared beam path. Stimulating in vivo at such a degree of precision and without any exogenous chromophores enables multiple applications, from mapping the brain's connectome to applications in systems neuroscience and the development of new therapeutic tools for investigating the pathological brain.

Microglia control the spread of neurotropic virus infection via P2Y12 signalling and recruit monocytes through P2Y12-independent mechanisms.

Neurotropic herpesviruses can establish lifelong infection in humans and contribute to severe diseases including encephalitis and neurodegeneration. However, the mechanisms through which the brain's immune system recognizes and controls viral infections propagating across synaptically linked neuronal circuits have remained unclear. Using a well-established model of alphaherpesvirus infection that reaches the brain exclusively via retrograde transsynaptic spread from the periphery, and in vivo two-photon imaging combined with high resolution microscopy, we show that microglia are recruited to and isolate infected neurons within hours. Selective elimination of microglia results in a marked increase in the spread of infection and egress of viral particles into the brain parenchyma, which are associated with diverse neurological symptoms. Microglia recruitment and clearance of infected cells require cell-autonomous P2Y12 signalling in microglia, triggered by nucleotides released from affected neurons. In turn, we identify microglia as key contributors to monocyte recruitment into the inflamed brain, which process is largely independent of P2Y12. P2Y12-positive microglia are also recruited to infected neurons in the human brain during viral encephalitis and both microglial responses and leukocyte numbers correlate with the severity of infection. Thus, our data identify a key role for microglial P2Y12 in defence against neurotropic viruses, whilst P2Y12-independent actions of microglia may contribute to neuroinflammation by facilitating monocyte recruitment to the sites of infection.

High efficiency two-photon uncaging coupled by the correction of spontaneous hydrolysis.

Two-photon (TP) uncaging of neurotransmitter molecules is the method of choice to mimic and study the subtleties of neuronal communication either in the intact brain or in slice preparations. However, the currently available caged materials are just at the limit of their usability and have several drawbacks. The local and focal nature of their use may for example be jeopardized by a high spontaneous hydrolysis rate of the commercially available compounds with increased photochemical release rate. Here, using quantum chemical modelling we show the mechanisms of hydrolysis and two-photon activation, and synthesized more effective caged compounds. Furthermore, we have developed a new enzymatic elimination method removing neurotransmitters inadvertently escaping from their compound during experiment. This method, usable both in one and two-photon experiments, allows for the use of materials with an increased rate of photochemical release. The efficiency of the new compound and the enzymatic method and of the new compound are demonstrated in neurophysiological experiments.

Extensive astrocyte synchronization advances neuronal coupling in slow wave activity in vivo.

Slow wave activity (SWA) is a characteristic brain oscillation in sleep and quiet wakefulness. Although the cell types contributing to SWA genesis are not yet identified, the principal role of neurons in the emergence of this essential cognitive mechanism has not been questioned. To address the possibility of astrocytic involvement in SWA, we used a transgenic rat line expressing a calcium sensitive fluorescent protein in both astrocytes and interneurons and simultaneously imaged astrocytic and neuronal activity in vivo. Here we demonstrate, for the first time, that the astrocyte network display synchronized recurrent activity in vivo coupled to UP states measured by field recording and neuronal calcium imaging. Furthermore, we present evidence that extensive synchronization of the astrocytic network precedes the spatial build-up of neuronal synchronization. The earlier extensive recruitment of astrocytes in the synchronized activity is reinforced by the observation that neurons surrounded by active astrocytes are more likely to join SWA, suggesting causality. Further supporting this notion, we demonstrate that blockade of astrocytic gap junctional communication or inhibition of astrocytic Ca2+ transients reduces the ratio of both astrocytes and neurons involved in SWA. These in vivo findings conclusively suggest a causal role of the astrocytic syncytium in SWA generation.

Fast 3D Imaging of Spine, Dendritic, and Neuronal Assemblies in Behaving Animals.

Understanding neural computation requires methods such as 3D acousto-optical (AO) scanning that can simultaneously read out neural activity on both the somatic and dendritic scales. AO point scanning can increase measurement speed and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) by several orders of magnitude, but high optical resolution requires long point-to-point switching time, which limits imaging capability. Here we present a novel technology, 3D DRIFT AO scanning, which can extend each scanning point to small 3D lines, surfaces, or volume elements for flexible and fast imaging of complex structures simultaneously in multiple locations. Our method was demonstrated by fast 3D recording of over 150 dendritic spines with 3D lines, over 100 somata with squares and cubes, or multiple spiny dendritic segments with surface and volume elements, including in behaving animals. Finally, a 4-fold improvement in total excitation efficiency resulted in about 500 × 500 × 650 µm scanning volume with genetically encoded calcium indicators (GECIs).

Accurate spike estimation from noisy calcium signals for ultrafast three-dimensional imaging of large neuronal populations in vivo.

Extracting neuronal spiking activity from large-scale two-photon recordings remains challenging, especially in mammals in vivo, where large noises often contaminate the signals. We propose a method, MLspike, which returns the most likely spike train underlying the measured calcium fluorescence. It relies on a physiological model including baseline fluctuations and distinct nonlinearities for synthetic and genetically encoded indicators. Model parameters can be either provided by the user or estimated from the data themselves. MLspike is computationally efficient thanks to its original discretization of probability representations; moreover, it can also return spike probabilities or samples. Benchmarked on extensive simulations and real data from seven different preparations, it outperformed state-of-the-art algorithms. Combined with the finding obtained from systematic data investigation (noise level, spiking rate and so on) that photonic noise is not necessarily the main limiting factor, our method allows spike extraction from large-scale recordings, as demonstrated on acousto-optical three-dimensional recordings of over 1,000 neurons in vivo.

Microglia protect against brain injury and their selective elimination dysregulates neuronal network activity after stroke.

Microglia are the main immune cells of the brain and contribute to common brain diseases. However, it is unclear how microglia influence neuronal activity and survival in the injured brain in vivo. Here we develop a precisely controlled model of brain injury induced by cerebral ischaemia combined with fast in vivo two-photon calcium imaging and selective microglial manipulation. We show that selective elimination of microglia leads to a striking, 60% increase in infarct size, which is reversed by microglial repopulation. Microglia-mediated protection includes reduction of excitotoxic injury, since an absence of microglia leads to dysregulated neuronal calcium responses, calcium overload and increased neuronal death. Furthermore, the incidence of spreading depolarization (SD) is markedly reduced in the absence of microglia. Thus, microglia are involved in changes in neuronal network activity and SD after brain injury in vivo that could have important implications for common brain diseases.

[Fast three-dimensional two-photon scanning methods for studying neuronal physiology on cellular and network level]. / Háromdimenziós, gyors, kétfoton-pásztázó eljárások sejt- és hálózatszintu idegsejtvizsgálatokhoz.

Erratum to the article published on December 27th 2015 in Issue 52 of Orvosi Hetilap [Orv. Hetil., 2015, 156(52), 2120-2126, DOI: 10.1556/650.2015.30329]. The name of Dávid Mezey was not correctly typed. The corresponding author asked for the following correction to be published.

[Fast three-dimensional two-photon scanning methods for studying neuronal physiology on cellular and network level]. / Háromdimenziós, gyors, kétfoton-pásztázó eljárások sejt- és hálózatszintu idegsejtvizsgálatokhoz.

INTRODUCTION: Two-photon microscopy is the ideal tool to study how signals are processed in the functional brain tissue. However, early raster scanning strategies were inadequate to record fast 3D events like action potentials. AIM: The aim of the authors was to record various neuronal activity patterns with high signal-to-noise ratio in an optical manner. METHOD: Authors developed new data acquisition methods and microscope hardware. RESULTS: Multiple Line Scanning enables the experimenter to select multiple regions of interests, doing this not just increases repetition speed, but also the signal-to-noise ratio of the fluorescence transients. On the same principle, an acousto-optical deflector based 3D scanning microscope has been developed with a sub-millisecond temporal resolution and a millimeter z-scanning range. Its usability is demonstrated by obtaining 3D optical recordings of action potential backpropagation in several hundred micrometers long neuronal processes of single neurons and by 3D random-access scanning of Ca(2+) transients in hundreds of neurons in the mouse visual cortex. CONCLUSIONS: Region of interest scanning enables high signal-to-noise ratio and repetition speed, while keeping good depth penetration of the two-photon microscopes.

PRESYNAPTIC NETWORKS. Single-cell-initiated monosynaptic tracing reveals layer-specific cortical network modules.

Individual cortical neurons can selectively respond to specific environmental features, such as visual motion or faces. How this relates to the selectivity of the presynaptic network across cortical layers remains unclear. We used single-cell-initiated, monosynaptically restricted retrograde transsynaptic tracing with rabies viruses expressing GCaMP6s to image, in vivo, the visual motion-evoked activity of individual layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons and their presynaptic networks across layers in mouse primary visual cortex. Neurons within each layer exhibited similar motion direction preferences, forming layer-specific functional modules. In one-third of the networks, the layer modules were locked to the direction preference of the postsynaptic neuron, whereas for other networks the direction preference varied by layer. Thus, there exist feature-locked and feature-variant cortical networks.

Dendritic spikes induce ripples in parvalbumin interneurons during hippocampal sharp waves.

Sharp-wave ripples are transient oscillatory events in the hippocampus that are associated with the reactivation of neuronal ensembles within specific circuits during memory formation. Fast-spiking, parvalbumin-expressing interneurons (FS-PV INs) are thought to provide fast integration in these oscillatory circuits by suppressing regenerative activity in their dendrites. Here, using fast 3D two-photon imaging and a caged glutamate, we challenge this classical view by demonstrating that FS-PV IN dendrites can generate propagating Ca(2+) spikes during sharp-wave ripples. The spikes originate from dendritic hot spots and are mediated dominantly by L-type Ca(2+) channels. Notably, Ca(2+) spikes were associated with intrinsically generated membrane potential oscillations. These oscillations required the activation of voltage-gated Na(+) channels, had the same frequency as the field potential oscillations associated with sharp-wave ripples, and controlled the phase of action potentials. Furthermore, our results demonstrate that the smallest functional unit that can generate ripple-frequency oscillations is a segment of a dendrite.

Combined two-photon imaging, electrophysiological, and anatomical investigation of the human neocortex in vitro.

Spontaneous synchronous population activity (SPA) can be detected by electrophysiological methods in cortical slices of epileptic patients, maintained in a physiological medium in vitro. In order to gain additional spatial information about the network mechanisms involved in the SPA generation, we combined electrophysiological studies with two-photon imaging. Neocortical slices prepared from postoperative tissue of epileptic and tumor patients were maintained in a dual perfusion chamber in a physiological incubation medium. SPA was recorded with a 24-channel extracellular linear microelectrode covering all neocortical layers. After identifying the electrophysiologically active regions of the slice, bolus loading of neuronal and glial markers was applied on the tissue. SPA-related [Formula: see text] transients were detected in a large population of neighboring neurons with two-photon microscopy, simultaneous with extracellular SPA and intracellular whole-cell patch-clamp recordings. The intracellularly recorded cells were filled for subsequent anatomy. The cells were reconstructed in three dimensions and examined with light- and transmission electron microscopy. Combining high spatial resolution two-photon [Formula: see text] imaging techniques and high temporal resolution extra- and intracellular electrophysiology with cellular anatomy may permit a deeper understanding of the structural and functional properties of the human neocortex.

Fast two-photon in vivo imaging with three-dimensional random-access scanning in large tissue volumes.

The understanding of brain computations requires methods that read out neural activity on different spatial and temporal scales. Following signal propagation and integration across a neuron and recording the concerted activity of hundreds of neurons pose distinct challenges, and the design of imaging systems has been mostly focused on tackling one of the two operations. We developed a high-resolution, acousto-optic two-photon microscope with continuous three-dimensional (3D) trajectory and random-access scanning modes that reaches near-cubic-millimeter scan range and can be adapted to imaging different spatial scales. We performed 3D calcium imaging of action potential backpropagation and dendritic spike forward propagation at sub-millisecond temporal resolution in mouse brain slices. We also performed volumetric random-access scanning calcium imaging of spontaneous and visual stimulation-evoked activity in hundreds of neurons of the mouse visual cortex in vivo. These experiments demonstrate the subcellular and network-scale imaging capabilities of our system.