Τετάρτη 13 Σεπτεμβρίου 2017

Surface electrodes record and label brain neurons in insects

We used suction electrodes to reliably record the activity of identified ascending auditory interneurons from the anterior surface of the brain in crickets. Electrodes were gently attached to the sheath covering the projection area of the ascending interneurons and the ring-like auditory neuropil in the protocerebrum. The specificity and selectivity of the recordings were determined by the precise electrode location, which could easily be changed without causing damage to the tissue. Different non-auditory fibres were recorded at other spots of the brain surface; stable recordings lasted for several hours. The same electrodes were used to deliver fluorescent tracers into the nervous system by means of electrophoresis. This allowed us to retrograde label the recorded auditory neurons, and to reveal their cell body and dendritic structure in the first thoracic ganglion. By adjusting the amount of dye injected, we specifically stained the ring-like auditory neuropil in the brain, demonstrating the clusters of cell bodies contributing to it. Our data provide a proof that surface electrodes are a versatile tool to analyse neural processing in small brains of invertebrates.



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