Abstract
The discovery of adult neurogenesis has dramatically changed the view of the adult brain as a relatively static organ; instead, distinct regions of the mature mammalian brain continuously generate neurons. The characterization of this phenomenon has been advanced by the application of retroviral marking to specifically express a fluorescent protein in newborn neurons to track their morphological and electrophysiological changes over the course of their maturation and integration into the adult neuronal circuitry. By combining retroviral labeling with confocal imaging, complete neuronal structures in the live animal can be imaged at multiple time points with sufficient resolution for measuring spine dynamics, neurite motility, migration, and importantly, the functionality of this new population of neurons in vivo . Emerging technologies in awake behaving animal imaging open the door for future experiments to probe fundamental questions in adult neurogenesis. This chapter covers topics on how to use a retroviral labeling technique to mark newborn neurons in the adult brain, how to effectively image these cells in vivo , and the potential application of future technologies.
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