In vivo imaging of immediate early gene expression dynamics segregates neuronal ensemble of memories of dual events

• DOI: 10.1186/s13041-021-00798-3
• Publication Date: 2021-06-29T13:02:46Z
• Authors: P. Meenakshi; S. Kumar; J. Balaji
• Keywords: Retrosplenial cortex; Immediate early gene; Biological neural network; Premovement neuronal activity; Neural substrate; Systems neuroscience

Identification of neurons undergoing plasticity in response to external stimuli is one the pertinent problems neuroscience. Immediate early genes (IEGs) are widely used as a marker for neuronal plasticity. Here, we model dynamics IEG expression consecutive, irreversible first-order reaction with limiting substrate. First, develop an analytical framework show that such model, together two-photon vivo imaging expression, can be identify distinct subsets representing multiple memories. Using above combination, kinetics, rather than intensity threshold, ensembles responding presentation two events vivo. The allowed us segregate based on their temporal specific behavioural event, thereby improving ability detect related neurons. We image retrosplenial cortex (RSc) cfos-GFP transgenic mice follow cellular changes resulting from contextual fear conditioning behaviour, enabling establish representation context RSc at scale following memory acquisition. Thus, obtain general method distinguishes took part temporally separated by measuring fluorescence individual live mice.