Imaging of Calcium Signals

Ca²⁺ is a ubiquitous intracellular messenger and participates in many important cellular functions. Creative Bioarray is committed to developing efficient neuronal calcium imaging technologies to help our clients study the distribution and concentration changes of Ca²⁺ signals in cells and tissues, providing useful information for pharmacological testing and the development of new therapies.

Background

In living organisms, Ca²⁺ generates a variety of intracellular signals that are present in almost every type of cell and are important for many functions, such as secretion, contraction, cell excitability, and gene expression. In the mammalian nervous system, Ca²⁺ is an important class of neuronal intracellular signaling molecules that are closely linked to neuronal activity and synaptic plasticity. Neurons use the same messenger ion Ca²⁺ to perform multitasking by segregating Ca²⁺ signals in different cellular compartments.

Understanding Ca²⁺ signaling and elucidating its temporal and spatial characteristics in cells and tissues is essential for exploring the physiological regulation of organ systems and developing pharmacological approaches. Scientists typically use special fluorescent dyes or protein fluorescent probes (calcium ion indicators) to monitor changes in calcium ion concentrations in neurons and thus detect neuronal activity. Over the last two decades, novel designs of Ca²⁺ indicators, developments in modern microscopy, and powerful imaging techniques have enabled imaging of cellular Ca²⁺ signals with high temporal and spatial resolution, making it possible to image activity in awake, behaving animals, thus providing a platform for pharmacological testing and drug development.

Fig. 1 Neuronal calcium signaling. (Grienberger, 2012)

Our Services

Cellular Ca²⁺ signaling has a complex Spatio-temporal form. Therefore it is necessary to image live animals to understand physiological signaling within tissues. Our researchers have developed several methods to study the cellular physiology of Ca²⁺ signaling in different cellular and tissue systems in different animal models. Our services include but are not limited to:

• Imaging of Ca²⁺ in mammalian neurons.
  Our calcium imaging techniques are applicable to a variety of species including zebrafish, Aplysia, developing Xenopus, Drosophila, frog, bee, and many more.
• Ca²⁺ imaging at the synapse in vitro, including the postsynaptic site and the presynaptic site.
• Imaging dendritic and spine Ca²⁺ signals in vivo.
• In vivo circuit analysis of different animal models.
• Accurate Ca²⁺ imaging of dense neural populations.
• Imaging of localized neuronal calcium influx.
  We use Ca²⁺ imaging to help our clients characterize Ca²⁺ entry pathways in sensory neurons, nerve terminals, and dendrites.
• Ca²⁺ imaging in disease states.
  We offer our clients Ca²⁺ imaging services in animal models of various neurological diseases.

Our Techniques

To achieve high temporal and spatial resolution Ca²⁺ imaging, our researchers have developed a variety of Ca²⁺ indicators, microscopy techniques, and modern imaging technologies.

• We offer a wide range of calcium indicators for cellular Ca²⁺ signaling studies, including bioluminescent protein, chemical calcium indicator, FRET-based genetically encoded calcium indicator (GECI), and single-fluorophore GECI. In addition, we provide the specific dye-loading approach according to the type of calcium indicator.
• We offer a wide range of imaging techniques to measure neuronal calcium signals in dissociated or cultured cells, brain slices, whole-brain preparations, and even intact animals, such as multiphoton laser scanning microscopy and two-photon confocal microscopy.

Applications

• Ca²⁺ imaging in behaving animals
• Study on neuronal activity patterns
• Monitoring signal changes in disease states
• Pharmacological testing and drug development

Creative Bioarray has established a variety of advanced techniques to provide our clients with imaging services for calcium signaling in a variety of animal models. Our dedicated research team will develop the best experimental strategy for your scientific project and execute the protocol under a strict quality control system. If you are interested in our scientific services and technical support, please contact us for more details.

Reference

1. Grienberger, C.; Konnerth, A. Imaging calcium in neurons. Neuron, 2012, 73(5): 862-885.