Dataset Information

Systematic Quantification of Synapses in Primary Neuronal Culture.

ABSTRACT: Most neurological disorders display impaired synaptic connectivity. Hence, modulation of synapse formation may have therapeutic relevance. However, the high density and small size of synapses complicate their quantification. To improve synapse-oriented screens, we analyzed the labeling performance of synapse-targeting antibodies on neuronal cell cultures using segmentation-independent image analysis based on sliding window correlation. When assessing pairwise colocalization, a common readout for mature synapses, overlap was incomplete and confounded by spurious signals. To circumvent this, we implemented a proximity ligation-based approach that only leads to a signal when two markers are sufficiently close. We applied this approach to different marker combinations and demonstrate its utility for detecting synapse density changes in healthy and compromised cultures. Thus, segmentation-independent analysis and exploitation of resident protein proximity increases the sensitivity of synapse quantifications in neuronal cultures and represents a valuable extension to the analytical toolset for in vitro synapse screens.

SUBMITTER: Verstraelen P

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7516133 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Systematic Quantification of Synapses in Primary Neuronal Culture.

Verstraelen Peter P Garcia-Diaz Barriga Gerardo G Verschuuren Marlies M Asselbergh Bob B Nuydens Rony R Larsen Peter H PH Timmermans Jean-Pierre JP De Vos Winnok H WH

iScience 20200907 9

Most neurological disorders display impaired synaptic connectivity. Hence, modulation of synapse formation may have therapeutic relevance. However, the high density and small size of synapses complicate their quantification. To improve synapse-oriented screens, we analyzed the labeling performance of synapse-targeting antibodies on neuronal cell cultures using segmentation-independent image analysis based on sliding window correlation. When assessing pairwise colocalization, a common readout for ...[more]

PMID: 33083769

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Project description:Cortical rat neuronal culture, lysis and proteolytic digestion Primary rat cortical neurons were generated from E18 Sprague-Dawley rat embryos with minor modifications (Swanger, Mattheyses et al. 2015, Henderson, Greathouse et al. 2019). Neurons were cultured at a density of 4x105 cells per well in 12-well culture plates (Fisher Scientific, catalog no. 353043). Neurons were cultured in Neurobasal medium (Fisher Scientific, catalog no. 21103-049) supplemented with B27 (Fisher Scientific, catalog no.17504-044). Culture maintenance included a half media change every 2-3 days. At DIV 14, neurons were either treated with 150 ng/mL recombinant NRN1 protein (Abcam, ab69755) or vehicle treated with diH2O for 6 hours. NRN1 concentration was chosen based on published data that identified a plateau in exogenous NRN1 induced effects on transient potassium currents at 150 ng/mL (Yao et al., 2012). After 6 hours neurons were washed 2x with 1 mL 1X phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). To harvest cells, 1 mL 1X PBS + protease inhibitor (Fisher Scientific, catalog no. 78426) was added and cells were centrifuged for 2300rpm for 5 minutes at 4°C. Cell pellets were lysed in 200uL 8M urea buffer and HALT protease and phosphatase inhibitor cocktail (1x final concentration). Lysates were sonicated with a probe sonicator 3 times for 10 s with 10 s intervals at 30% amplitude and cleared of cellular debris by centrifugation in a tabletop centrifuge at 18,000 rcf for 3 minutes at 4° C. Protein concentration was determined by BCA assay and one-dimensional SDS-PAGE gels were run followed by Coomassie blue staining as quality control for protein integrity and equal loading before proceeding to protein digestion. Protein homogenates (50 µg) were diluted with 50 mM NH4HCO3 to a final concentration of less than 2 M urea and then treated with 1 mM dithiothreitol (DTT) at 25°C for 30 minutes, followed by 5 mM iodoacetimide (IAA) at 25°C for 30 minutes in the dark. Protein was digested with 1:100 (w/w) lysyl endopeptidase (Wako) at 25°C for 2 hours and further digested overnight with 1:50 (w/w) trypsin (Pierce) at 25°C. Resulting peptides were desalted with a Sep-Pak C18 column (Waters) and dried under vacuum.

Dataset Information

Systematic Quantification of Synapses in Primary Neuronal Culture.

Publications

Systematic Quantification of Synapses in Primary Neuronal Culture.

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