Low-Density Primary Hippocampal Neuron Culture
Summary
This article describes the protocol for culturing low-density primary hippocampal neurons growing on glass coverslips inverted over a glial monolayer. The neuron and glial layers are separated by paraffin wax beads. The neurons grown by this method are suitable for high-resolution optical imaging and functional assays.
Abstract
The ability to probe the structure and physiology of individual nerve cells in culture is crucial to the study of neurobiology, and allows for flexibility in genetic and chemical manipulation of individual cells or defined networks. Such ease of manipulation is simpler in the reduced culture system when compared to the intact brain tissue. While many methods for the isolation and growth of these primary neurons exist, each has its own limitations. This protocol describes a method for culturing low-density and high-purity rodent embryonic hippocampal neurons on glass coverslips, which are then suspended over a monolayer of glial cells. This 'sandwich culture' allows for exclusive long-term growth of a population of neurons while allowing for trophic support from the underlying glial monolayer. When neurons are of sufficient age or maturity level, the neuron coverslips can be flipped-out of the glial dish and used in imaging or functional assays. Neurons grown by this method typically survive for several weeks and develop extensive arbors, synaptic connections, and network properties.
Introduction
The brain is organized into intricate networks of neurons. The contribution of individual neurons to network activity and brain function can be studied by selective alteration of their molecular composition and perturbance of their physiological properties. Genetic and chemical manipulation of individual neurons is arguably easier in cultured neurons than in intact brain tissue, unencumbered by the latter's cellular heterogeneity and complexity. Neurons in culture develop well-defined axonal and dendritic arbors and form extensive synaptic connections with each other.
While neuron culture from adult animals or from other regions of the nervous system is possible, embryonic hippocampal cultures are frequently preferred due to their defined pyramidal cell population and relatively low glial density 1,2. Hippocampal neurons grown at low density in culture are particularly amenable to the study of subcellular localization, protein trafficking, neuronal polarity and synapse development. Neurons in culture have also been extensively employed in studying molecular processes in synaptic plasticity 3,4,5,6. Neuron culture preparations from mice with global genetic deletions that do not survive postnatally have been especially useful in studying cellular and synaptic roles of certain genes 7.
As in the brain, cultured hippocampal neurons are dependent on trophic support from glial cells. This complicates their culture, and has led to the development of several different methods by which this support is supplied. One commonly used method involves plating neurons directly onto a monolayer of glial cells 8, or allowing contaminant glial cells from the acquired hippocampal tissue to proliferate and form a monolayer beneath the neurons 9. While this method has found some success, the impurity of the resulting neuronal culture is disadvantageous for imaging experiments. Another commonly used method of neuron culture is to leave-out the glial feeder layer altogether, and instead provide trophic support in the form of a defined growth medium 10.
Here, we describe the "sandwich" or "Banker" method of neuron culture 2,11. This method involves plating the hippocampal neurons on glass coverslips, which are then suspended over a monolayer of glial cells separated by paraffin wax beads. This facilitates long-term culture of a homogenous population of neurons without contaminating glia while allowing for trophic support from the underlying glial monolayer. When neurons are of sufficient age or maturity level, the neuron coverslips can be flipped-out of the glial dish and used in imaging or functional assays.
Protocol
Representative Results
Discussion
While the "sandwich" method of culturing neurons has been well-described elsewhere 2,11, there are several steps throughout the protocol that are quite difficult to describe in text alone, which can lead to frustration for investigators who wish to adopt it.
The method can be divided into three broad workflows: glial culture, coverslip preparation and neuron culture and maintenance. Each of the three preparations are critical f…
Offenlegungen
The authors have nothing to disclose.
Acknowledgements
This work was supported by CIHR MOP-142209 to TJS.
Materials
| Dissection Instruments | |||
| Micro Dissecting Scissors | Roboz | RS-5910 | |
| Micro Dissecting Spring Scissors | Roboz | RS-5650 | |
| Micro Dissecting Spring Scissors | Roboz | RS-5605 | |
| Dumont Forceps (#5) | Roboz | RS-5045 | |
| Dumont Forceps (#PP) | Roboz | RS-4950 | |
| Name | Company | Catalog Number | Comments |
| Tissue Preparation | |||
| Trypsin (2.5%) | Gibco | 15-090-046 | |
| Trypsin-EDTA (0.25%) | Gibco | 25-200-072 | |
| Swinnex Filter Holder, 25 mm | EMD Millipore | SX0002500 | Used as cell strainer. Assemble first with filter and autoclave |
| Isoflorane | Pharmaceutical Partners of Canada Inc. | CP0406V2 | |
| Hemocytometer | Hausser Scientific | 1492 | |
| Grade 105 Lens Cleaning Tissue | GE Healthcare | 2105-841 | Used as cell strainer. Assemble first in filter holder and autoclave |
| Glass Pasteur pipettes with cotton filter | VWR | 14672-412 | |
| HEPES (1 M) | Gibco | 15-630-080 | |
| Hank's Balanced Salt Solution without Calcium, Magnesium, Phenol Red (HBSS, 10x) | Gibco | 14-185-052 | |
| Glass Pasteur pipettes | VWR | 14672-380 | |
| Deoxyribonuclease I from bovine pancreas (Dnase) | Sigma-Aldrich | DN25-100mg | |
| Butane bunsen burner | Wall-Lenk Mfg. Co. | Model 65 | |
| Centrifuge | Eppendorf | 5810R | |
| Name | Company | Catalog Number | Comments |
| Tissue Culture | |||
| Penicillin-Streptomycin (10,000 U/mL) | Gibco | 15-140-122 | |
| Petri Dish (100 mm) | Fisher | FB0875712 | |
| Petri Dish (60 mm) | Fisher | FB0875713A | |
| Horse Serum | Gibco | 16050-122 | Can be used in place of BGS, but each lot must be tested due to inter-lot variation. Heat-inactivation of serum is recommended. |
| Sodium Hydroxide | Fisher Scientific | S318-1 | |
| Sodium Pyruvate | Sigma-Aldrich | P2256 | |
| Minimum Essential Medium (MEM) | Gibco | 11-095-080 | |
| Neurobasal Medium | Gibco | 21-103-049 | |
| L-Glutamine (200 mM) | Gibco | 25-030-081 | |
| GlutaMAX Supplement | Gibco | 35050061 | Can be used in place of L-Glutamine in the NBG medium |
| Culture Dish (60 mm) | Corning, Inc | 353002 | |
| Culture Flasks (75 cm^2) | Greiner Bio-One | 658170 | |
| Cytarabine (Ara-C) | Sigma-Aldrich | C3350000 | |
| D-(+)-Glucose | Sigma-Aldrich | G8270 | |
| Bovine Growth Serum (BGS) | HyClone | SH3054103 | Heat-inactivation is recommended before use. |
| B27 Supplement (50x) | Gibco | 17-504-044 | |
| Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO) | Sigma-Aldrich | D8418-100ml | |
| Cryogenic Vials | VWR | 89094-806 | |
| DL-2-Amino-5-phosphonopentanoic acid (APV) | Sigma-Aldrich | A5282 | |
| Name | Company | Catalog Number | Comments |
| Coverslip Preparation | |||
| Sodium tetraborate decahydrate (borax) | Sigma-Aldrich | B9876-1KG | |
| Poly-L-Lysine Hydrobromide | Sigma-Aldrich | P2636 | |
| Histoplast Paraffin Wax | Fisher | 22-900-700 | |
| Gravity Convection Oven | VWR | 89511-404 | Used for alternative coverslip cleaning method discussed in protocol |
| Ultrasonic Bath (Sonicator) | Fisher Scientific | 15337400 | |
| Nitric Acid | Anachemia | 62786-460 | |
| Ceramic Staining Racks | Thomas Scientific | 8542E40 | Used for alternative coverslip cleaning method discussed in protocol |
| Coverslips | Glaswarenfabrik Karl Hecht GmbH | 1001/18 | Manufacturer is very important, as neurons do not adhere well to lower quality glass |
| Boric Acid | Sigma-Aldrich | B0252 | |
| Name | Company | Catalog Number | Comments |
| Miscellaneous | |||
| Sterile Syringe Filters | VWR | 28145-477 | Used with BD syringe for filter-sterilization |
| Syringe | BD | 302832 | Used with VWR sterile syringe filters for fliter-sterilization |
| Water Bath | Fisher Scientific | 15-460-16Q | |
| Inverted Microscope | Olympus | CKX41 | |
| 15 mL Conical Sterile Centrifuge Tubes | ThermoScientific | 339650 | |
| 50 mL Conical Sterile Centrifuge Tubes | ThermoScientific | 339652 |
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