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Adegoke MA, Teter O, Meaney DF. Flexibility of in vitro cortical circuits influences resilience from microtrauma. Front Cell Neurosci 2022; 16:991740. [PMID: 36589287 PMCID: PMC9803265 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2022.991740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Small clusters comprising hundreds to thousands of neurons are an important level of brain architecture that correlates single neuronal properties to fulfill brain function, but the specific mechanisms through which this scaling occurs are not well understood. In this study, we developed an in vitro experimental platform of small neuronal circuits (islands) to probe the importance of structural properties for their development, physiology, and response to microtrauma. Methods Primary cortical neurons were plated on a substrate patterned to promote attachment in clusters of hundreds of cells (islands), transduced with GCaMP6f, allowed to mature until 10-13 days in vitro (DIV), and monitored with Ca2+ as a non-invasive proxy for electrical activity. We adjusted two structural factors-island size and cellular density-to evaluate their role in guiding spontaneous activity and network formation in neuronal islands. Results We found cellular density, but not island size, regulates of circuit activity and network function in this system. Low cellular density islands can achieve many states of activity, while high cellular density biases islands towards a limited regime characterized by low rates of activity and high synchronization, a property we summarized as "flexibility." The injury severity required for an island to lose activity in 50% of its population was significantly higher in low-density, high flexibility islands. Conclusion Together, these studies demonstrate flexible living cortical circuits are more resilient to microtrauma, providing the first evidence that initial circuit state may be a key factor to consider when evaluating the consequences of trauma to the cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Modupe A. Adegoke
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Olivia Teter
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - David F. Meaney
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States,Department of Neurosurgery, Penn Center for Brain Injury and Repair, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States,*Correspondence: David F. Meaney,
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2
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Venkataramani V, Schneider M, Giordano FA, Kuner T, Wick W, Herrlinger U, Winkler F. Disconnecting multicellular networks in brain tumours. Nat Rev Cancer 2022; 22:481-491. [PMID: 35488036 DOI: 10.1038/s41568-022-00475-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Cancer cells can organize and communicate in functional networks. Similarly to other networks in biology and sociology, these can be highly relevant for growth and resilience. In this Perspective, we demonstrate by the example of glioblastomas and other incurable brain tumours how versatile multicellular tumour networks are formed by two classes of long intercellular membrane protrusions: tumour microtubes and tunnelling nanotubes. The resulting networks drive tumour growth and resistance to standard therapies. This raises the question of how to disconnect brain tumour networks to halt tumour growth and whether this can make established therapies more effective. Emerging principles of tumour networks, their potential relevance for tumour types outside the brain and translational implications, including clinical trials that are already based on these discoveries, are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Varun Venkataramani
- Neurology Clinic, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
- National Center for Tumour Diseases, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
- Clinical Cooperation Unit Neurooncology, German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.
- Department of Functional Neuroanatomy, Institute for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.
| | | | - Frank Anton Giordano
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital Bonn, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Thomas Kuner
- Department of Functional Neuroanatomy, Institute for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Wick
- Neurology Clinic, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
- National Center for Tumour Diseases, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
- Clinical Cooperation Unit Neurooncology, German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ulrich Herrlinger
- Division of Clinical Neurooncology, Department of Neurology, University Hospital Bonn, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
| | - Frank Winkler
- Neurology Clinic, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
- National Center for Tumour Diseases, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
- Clinical Cooperation Unit Neurooncology, German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.
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3
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Identification and quantification of neuronal ensembles in optical imaging experiments. J Neurosci Methods 2020; 351:109046. [PMID: 33359231 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2020.109046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2020] [Revised: 12/12/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Recent technical advances in molecular biology and optical imaging have made it possible to record from up to thousands of densely packed neurons in superficial and deep brain regions in vivo, with cellular subtype specificity and high spatiotemporal fidelity. Such optical neurotechnologies are enabling increasingly fine-scaled studies of neuronal circuits and reliably co-active groups of neurons, so-called ensembles. Neuronal ensembles are thought to constitute the basic functional building blocks of brain systems, potentially exhibiting collective computational properties. While the technical framework of in vivo optical imaging and quantification of neuronal activity follows certain widely held standards, analytical methods for study of neuronal co-activity and ensembles lack consensus and are highly varied across the field. Here we provide a comprehensive step-by-step overview of theoretical, experimental, and analytical considerations for the identification and quantification of neuronal ensemble dynamics in high-resolution in vivo optical imaging studies.
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4
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Betzel RF, Wood KC, Angeloni C, Neimark Geffen M, Bassett DS. Stability of spontaneous, correlated activity in mouse auditory cortex. PLoS Comput Biol 2019; 15:e1007360. [PMID: 31815941 PMCID: PMC6968873 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1007360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2018] [Revised: 01/17/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Neural systems can be modeled as complex networks in which neural elements are represented as nodes linked to one another through structural or functional connections. The resulting network can be analyzed using mathematical tools from network science and graph theory to quantify the system’s topological organization and to better understand its function. Here, we used two-photon calcium imaging to record spontaneous activity from the same set of cells in mouse auditory cortex over the course of several weeks. We reconstruct functional networks in which cells are linked to one another by edges weighted according to the correlation of their fluorescence traces. We show that the networks exhibit modular structure across multiple topological scales and that these multi-scale modules unfold as part of a hierarchy. We also show that, on average, network architecture becomes increasingly dissimilar over time, with similarity decaying monotonically with the distance (in time) between sessions. Finally, we show that a small fraction of cells maintain strongly-correlated activity over multiple days, forming a stable temporal core surrounded by a fluctuating and variable periphery. Our work indicates a framework for studying spontaneous activity measured by two-photon calcium imaging using computational methods and graphical models from network science. The methods are flexible and easily extended to additional datasets, opening the possibility of studying cellular level network organization of neural systems and how that organization is modulated by stimuli or altered in models of disease. Neurons coordinate their activity with one another, forming networks that help support adaptive, flexible behavior. Still, little is known about the organization of these networks at the cellular scale and their stability over time. Here, we reconstruct networks from calcium imaging data recorded in mouse primary auditory cortex. We show that these networks exhibit spatially constrained, hierarchical modular structure, which may facilitate specialized information processing. However, we show that connection weights and modular structure are also variable over time, changing on a timescale of days and adopting novel network configurations. Despite this, a small subset of neurons maintain their connections to one another and preserve their modular organization across time, forming a stable temporal core surrounded by a flexible periphery. These findings represent a conceptual bridge linking network analyses of macroscale and cellular-level neuroimaging data. They also represent a complementary approach to existing circuits- and systems-based interrogation of nervous system function, opening the door for deeper and more targeted analysis in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard F Betzel
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America.,Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, United States of America.,Cognitive Science Program, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, United States of America.,Program in Neuroscience, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, United States of America.,Network Science Institute, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Katherine C Wood
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology: HNS, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Christopher Angeloni
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology: HNS, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Maria Neimark Geffen
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology: HNS, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Danielle S Bassett
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America.,Department of Electrical and Systems Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America.,Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America.,Department of Physics & Astronomy, College of Arts & Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America.,Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America.,Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fa, New Mexico, United States of America
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5
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Jung E, Alfonso J, Osswald M, Monyer H, Wick W, Winkler F. Emerging intersections between neuroscience and glioma biology. Nat Neurosci 2019; 22:1951-1960. [PMID: 31719671 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-019-0540-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2019] [Accepted: 10/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The establishment of neuronal and glial networks in the brain depends on the activities of neural progenitors, which are influenced by cell-intrinsic mechanisms, interactions with the local microenvironment and long-range signaling. Progress in neuroscience has helped identify key factors in CNS development. In parallel, studies in recent years have increased our understanding of molecular and cellular factors in the development and growth of primary brain tumors. To thrive, glioma cells exploit pathways that are active in normal CNS progenitor cells, as well as in normal neurotransmitter signaling. Furthermore, tumor cells of incurable gliomas integrate into communicating multicellular networks, where they are interconnected through neurite-like cellular protrusions. In this Review, we discuss evidence that CNS development, organization and function share a number of common features with glioma progression and malignancy. These include mechanisms used by cells to proliferate and migrate, interact with their microenvironment and integrate into multicellular networks. The emerging intersections between the fields of neuroscience and neuro-oncology considered in this review point to new research directions and novel therapeutic opportunities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik Jung
- Neurology Clinic and National Center for Tumor Diseases, University Hospital Heidelberg, INF 400, Heidelberg, Germany.,Clinical Cooperation Unit Neurooncology, German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Julieta Alfonso
- Department of Clinical Neurobiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Matthias Osswald
- Neurology Clinic and National Center for Tumor Diseases, University Hospital Heidelberg, INF 400, Heidelberg, Germany.,Clinical Cooperation Unit Neurooncology, German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Hannah Monyer
- Department of Clinical Neurobiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.,Department of Clinical Neurobiology, Medical Faculty, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Wick
- Neurology Clinic and National Center for Tumor Diseases, University Hospital Heidelberg, INF 400, Heidelberg, Germany.,Clinical Cooperation Unit Neurooncology, German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Frank Winkler
- Neurology Clinic and National Center for Tumor Diseases, University Hospital Heidelberg, INF 400, Heidelberg, Germany. .,Clinical Cooperation Unit Neurooncology, German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.
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6
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Osswald M, Jung E, Wick W, Winkler F. Tunneling nanotube‐like structures in brain tumors. Cancer Rep (Hoboken) 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/cnr2.1181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Osswald
- Neurology Clinic and National Center for Tumor DiseasesUniversity Hospital Heidelberg Heidelberg Germany
- Clinical Cooperation Unit Neurooncology, German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) Heidelberg Germany
| | - Erik Jung
- Neurology Clinic and National Center for Tumor DiseasesUniversity Hospital Heidelberg Heidelberg Germany
- Clinical Cooperation Unit Neurooncology, German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) Heidelberg Germany
| | - Wolfgang Wick
- Neurology Clinic and National Center for Tumor DiseasesUniversity Hospital Heidelberg Heidelberg Germany
- Clinical Cooperation Unit Neurooncology, German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) Heidelberg Germany
| | - Frank Winkler
- Neurology Clinic and National Center for Tumor DiseasesUniversity Hospital Heidelberg Heidelberg Germany
- Clinical Cooperation Unit Neurooncology, German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) Heidelberg Germany
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7
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Metabolic regulation and glucose sensitivity of cortical radial glial cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:10142-10147. [PMID: 30224493 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1808066115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The primary stem cells of the cerebral cortex are the radial glial cells (RGCs), and disturbances in their operation lead to myriad brain disorders in all mammals from mice to humans. Here, we found in mice that maternal gestational obesity and hyperglycemia can impair the maturation of RGC fibers and delay cortical neurogenesis. To investigate potential mechanisms, we used optogenetic live-imaging approaches in embryonic cortical slices. We found that Ca2+ signaling regulates mitochondrial transport and is crucial for metabolic support in RGC fibers. Cyclic intracellular Ca2+ discharge from localized RGC fiber segments detains passing mitochondria and ensures their proper distribution and enrichment at specific sites such as endfeet. Impairment of mitochondrial function caused an acute loss of Ca2+ signaling, while hyperglycemia decreased Ca2+ activity and impaired mitochondrial transport, leading to degradation of the RGC scaffold. Our findings uncover a physiological mechanism indicating pathways by which gestational metabolic disturbances can interfere with brain development.
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8
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Abstract
Purpose of Review Considerable progress has been made in the field of stem cell research; nonetheless, the use of stem cells for regenerative medicine therapies, for either endogenous tissue repair or cellular grafts post injury, remains a challenge. To better understand how to maintain stem cell potential in vivo and promote differentiation ex vivo, it is fundamentally important to elucidate the interactions between stem cells and their surrounding partners within their distinct niches. Recent Findings Among the vast array of proteins depicted as mediators for cell-to-cell interactions, connexin-comprised gap junctions play pivotal roles in the regulation of stem cell fate both in vivo and in vitro. Summary This review summarizes and illustrates the current knowledge regarding the multifaceted roles of Cx43, specifically, in various stem cell niches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nafiisha Genet
- Department of Medicine, Genetics and Biomedical Engineering, Yale Cardiovascular Research Center, Vascular Biology Therapeutics Program, New Haven, USA.,2Yale Stem Cell Center Yale University School of Medicine, 300 George St, New Haven, CT 06511 USA
| | - Neha Bhatt
- Department of Medicine, Genetics and Biomedical Engineering, Yale Cardiovascular Research Center, Vascular Biology Therapeutics Program, New Haven, USA.,2Yale Stem Cell Center Yale University School of Medicine, 300 George St, New Haven, CT 06511 USA
| | - Antonin Bourdieu
- Department of Medicine, Genetics and Biomedical Engineering, Yale Cardiovascular Research Center, Vascular Biology Therapeutics Program, New Haven, USA.,2Yale Stem Cell Center Yale University School of Medicine, 300 George St, New Haven, CT 06511 USA
| | - Karen K Hirschi
- Department of Medicine, Genetics and Biomedical Engineering, Yale Cardiovascular Research Center, Vascular Biology Therapeutics Program, New Haven, USA.,2Yale Stem Cell Center Yale University School of Medicine, 300 George St, New Haven, CT 06511 USA
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9
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McCarron JG, Lee MD, Wilson C. The Endothelium Solves Problems That Endothelial Cells Do Not Know Exist. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2017; 38:322-338. [PMID: 28214012 PMCID: PMC5381697 DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2017.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2016] [Revised: 01/19/2017] [Accepted: 01/23/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The endothelium is the single layer of cells that lines the entire cardiovascular system and regulates vascular tone and blood-tissue exchange, recruits blood cells, modulates blood clotting, and determines the formation of new blood vessels. To control each function, the endothelium uses a remarkable sensory capability to continuously monitor vanishingly small changes in the concentrations of many simultaneously arriving extracellular activators that each provides cues to the physiological state. Here we suggest that the extraordinary sensory capabilities of the endothelium do not come from single cells but from the combined activity of a large number of endothelial cells. Each cell has a limited, but distinctive, sensory capacity and shares information with neighbours so that sensing is distributed among cells. Communication of information among connected cells provides system-level sensing substantially greater than the capabilities of any single cell and, as a collective, the endothelium solves sensory problems too complex for any single cell.
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Affiliation(s)
- John G McCarron
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, SIPBS Building, 161 Cathedral Street, Glasgow G4 0RE, UK.
| | - Matthew D Lee
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, SIPBS Building, 161 Cathedral Street, Glasgow G4 0RE, UK
| | - Calum Wilson
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, SIPBS Building, 161 Cathedral Street, Glasgow G4 0RE, UK
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10
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Abstract
Establishment of cellular networks and calcium homeostasis are essential for embryonic stem cell proliferation and differentiation. We also hypothesized that adult neural progenitor cells form functional cellular networks relevant for their development. We isolated neuronal progenitor cells from the subventricular zone of 5-week-old mice to investigate the role of gap junctions, calcium homeostasis, and cellular networks in cell differentiation and survival. Western blotting and reverse transcription-PCR showed that the cells expressed the gap junction components connexin 26, 36, 43, and 45, and that expression of connexin 43 increased in early (8 days) differentiated cells. Transmission electron microscopy and immunocytochemistry also indicated that gap junctions were present. Scrape-loading experiments showed dye transfer between cells that could be prevented by gapjunction blockers; thus, functional intercellular gap junctions had been established. However, dye transfer was four times stronger in differentiated cultures, correlating with the increased connexin 43 expression. During time-lapse calcium imaging, both differentiated and undifferentiated cultures showed spontaneous calcium activity that was reduced by gap junction blockers. Cross-correlation analysis of the calcium recordings showed that the cells were interconnected through gap junctions and that the early-differentiated cells were organized in small-world networks. Gap junction blockers did not affect proliferation and differentiation, but resulted in twice as many apoptotic cells. mRNAi knockdown of connexin 43 also doubled the number of apoptotic cells. We conclude that adult neural progenitor cells form networks in vitro that are strengthened during early differentiation by increased expression of connexin 43. The networks are functional and improve cell survival.
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11
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Rash BG, Ackman JB, Rakic P. Bidirectional radial Ca(2+) activity regulates neurogenesis and migration during early cortical column formation. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2016; 2:e1501733. [PMID: 26933693 PMCID: PMC4771444 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.1501733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2015] [Accepted: 12/17/2015] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Cortical columns are basic cellular and functional units of the cerebral cortex that are malformed in many brain disorders, but how they initially develop is not well understood. Using an optogenetic sensor in the mouse embryonic forebrain, we demonstrate that Ca(2+) fluxes propagate bidirectionally within the elongated fibers of radial glial cells (RGCs), providing a novel communication mechanism linking the proliferative and postmitotic zones before the onset of synaptogenesis. Our results indicate that Ca(2+) activity along RGC fibers provides feedback information along the radial migratory pathway, influencing neurogenesis and migration during early column development. Furthermore, we find that this columnar Ca(2+) propagation is induced by Notch and fibroblast growth factor activities classically implicated in cortical expansion and patterning. Thus, cortical morphogens and growth factors may influence cortical column assembly in part by regulating long-distance Ca(2+) communication along the radial axis of cortical development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian G. Rash
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - James B. Ackman
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Pasko Rakic
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
- Kavli Institute for Neuroscience, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
- Corresponding author. E-mail:
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12
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Smedler E, Malmersjö S, Uhlén P. Network analysis of time-lapse microscopy recordings. Front Neural Circuits 2014; 8:111. [PMID: 25278844 PMCID: PMC4166320 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2014.00111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2014] [Accepted: 08/27/2014] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Multicellular organisms rely on intercellular communication to regulate important cellular processes critical to life. To further our understanding of those processes there is a need to scrutinize dynamical signaling events and their functions in both cells and organisms. Here, we report a method and provide MATLAB code that analyzes time-lapse microscopy recordings to identify and characterize network structures within large cell populations, such as interconnected neurons. The approach is demonstrated using intracellular calcium (Ca2+) recordings in neural progenitors and cardiac myocytes, but could be applied to a wide variety of biosensors employed in diverse cell types and organisms. In this method, network structures are analyzed by applying cross-correlation signal processing and graph theory to single-cell recordings. The goal of the analysis is to determine if the single cell activity constitutes a network of interconnected cells and to decipher the properties of this network. The method can be applied in many fields of biology in which biosensors are used to monitor signaling events in living cells. Analyzing intercellular communication in cell ensembles can reveal essential network structures that provide important biological insights.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik Smedler
- Unit of Molecular Neurobiology, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Seth Malmersjö
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, School of Medicine, Stanford University Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Per Uhlén
- Unit of Molecular Neurobiology, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet Stockholm, Sweden
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