Open AccessNoninvasive and Quantitative Monitoring of Adult Neuronal Stem Cell Migration in Mouse Brain Using Bioluminescence Imaging
Author(s) -
Reumers Veerle,
Deroose Christophe M.,
Krylyshkina Olga,
Nuyts Johan,
Geraerts Martine,
Mortelmans Luc,
Gijsbers Rik,
Van den Haute Chris,
Debyser Zeger,
Baekelandt Veerle
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
stem cells
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.159
H-Index - 229
eISSN - 1549-4918
pISSN - 1066-5099
DOI - 10.1634/stemcells.2007-1062
Subject(s) - biology , bioluminescence , bioluminescence imaging , stem cell , brain cell , live cell imaging , neuroscience , microbiology and biotechnology , cell , luciferase , ecology , biochemistry , cell culture , genetics , transfection
It is now generally accepted that continuous neurogenesis occurs in the adult mammalian brain, including that of humans. Modulation of adult neurogenesis can provide therapeutic benefits for various brain disorders, including stroke and Parkinson's disease. The subventricular zone‐olfactory bulb pathway is one of the preferred model systems by which to study neural stem cell proliferation, migration, and differentiation in adult rodent brain. Research on adult neurogenesis would greatly benefit from reliable methods for long‐term noninvasive in vivo monitoring. We have used lentiviral vectors encoding firefly luciferase to stably mark endogenous neural stem cells in the mouse subventricular zone. We show that bioluminescence imaging (BLI) allows quantitative follow‐up of the migration of adult neural stem cells into the olfactory bulb in time. Moreover, we propose a model to fit the kinetic data that allows estimation of migration and survival times of the neural stem cells using in vivo BLI. Long‐term expression of brain‐derived neurotrophic factor in the subventricular zone attenuated neurogenesis, as detected by histology and BLI. In vivo monitoring of the impact of drugs or genes on adult neurogenesis is now within reach. Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest is found at the end of this article.