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Colloid-guided assembly of oriented 3D neuronal networks

Nature Methods volume 5, pages 735–740 (2008)Cite this article

Abstract

A central challenge in neuroscience is to understand the formation and function of three-dimensional (3D) neuronal networks. In vitro studies have been mainly limited to measurements of small numbers of neurons connected in two dimensions. Here we demonstrate the use of colloids as moveable supports for neuronal growth, maturation, transfection and manipulation, where the colloids serve as guides for the assembly of controlled 3D, millimeter-sized neuronal networks. Process growth can be guided into layered connectivity with a density similar to what is found in vivo. The colloidal superstructures are optically transparent, enabling remote stimulation and recording of neuronal activity using layer-specific expression of light-activated channels and indicator dyes. The modular approach toward in vitro circuit construction provides a stepping stone for applications ranging from basic neuroscience to neuron-based screening of targeted drugs.

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Figure 1: Growth and manipulation of neurons growing on silica beads.
Figure 2: Three-dimensional self-assembly of a neuronal network.
Figure 3: Guidance of interlayer connections.
Figure 4: Functional synaptic connectivity between neuronal layers.

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Acknowledgements

We thank E. Callaway (Salk Institute) for the lentiviral DNA constructs (HIV-CS-CG-SynapsinPr-GFP), R. Tsien (University of California, San Diego) for the pRSETB_tdTomato plasmid, K. Kolstad and J. Flannery (University of California, Berkeley) for providing us with the AAV-SynapsinPr-LiGluR virus and for assisting in the preparation of the lentivirus, the Molecular Imaging Center and H. Aaron for help with the confocal microscopy, and M.M. Poo, M. Shelly, M.B. Forstner and S. Kohout for helpful discussions and comments. This work was supported by the US National Institutes of Health Nanomedicine Development Center in Optical Control of Biological Function (PN2 EY1018241). C.W. was supported by a Marie Curie Outgoing International Fellowship funded through Laboratoire de Neurosciences et Systèmes Sensoriels, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Uniteé Mixte de Recherche 5020.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, and Physical Bioscience Division, Life Science Addition 271, Mail Code 3200, University of California, Berkeley, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, 94720, California, USA

    Sophie Pautot, Claire Wyart & Ehud Y Isacoff

  2. Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Tatzberg 47/49, Dresden, 01307, Germany

    Sophie Pautot

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  1. Sophie Pautot
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  2. Claire Wyart
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  3. Ehud Y Isacoff
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Contributions

S.P. designed and executed experiments; C.W. contributed to the light-gated ion channel experiments; and E.Y.I. supervised the project.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ehud Y Isacoff.

Supplementary information

Supplementary Text and Figures

Supplementary Figures 1–2 (PDF 795 kb)

Supplementary Video 1

Animation of 3D reconstruction of macroscopic 3D neuronal network. Animation showing confocal z-series imaging presented in Figure 2. (MOV 749 kb)

Supplementary Video 2

Animation of 3D reconstruction of neuronal processes on the guiding layer. Reconstruction of axons and dendrites on the 45 μm cAMP beads after 7 days using the filament tracer of the Imaris software (Bitplane Inc.). (MOV 2438 kb)

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Pautot, S., Wyart, C. & Isacoff, E. Colloid-guided assembly of oriented 3D neuronal networks. Nat Methods 5, 735–740 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/nmeth.1236

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