Journal: Nature Communications

Article Title: A molecularly defined brain circuit module for regulating panic-like defensive state

doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-60529-3

Figure Lengend Snippet: a Example coronal section showing optical fiber track above GCaMP7-expressing neurons in PHN of Cbln2-IRES-Cre mice. b Example micrographs from PHN showing specific expression of GCaMP7 in Cbln2 + PHN neurons. c Schematic diagram showing fiber photometry recordings of Cbln2 + PHN neurons in mice subjected to panic induction. d Normalized GCaMP fluorescence changes (green, ΔF/F) in Cbln2 + PHN neurons in parallel with jumping escape (red) in example mouse. Vertical red bars indicate jumping escape of mouse. e Individual traces (gray) and averaged trace (red) of normalized GCaMP fluorescence changes (ΔF/F) aligned with initiation of jumping in an example mouse. f Average GCaMP response curve ( left ) and quantitative analyses of peak GCaMP fluorescence changes ( right ) of all tested mice. n = 9, P = 7.11452E-7. g Schematic diagram ( left ) and example micrographs ( right ) showing GRIN lens implantation and imaging of Cbln2 + PHN neurons with the endoscope system. h Example traces of normalized GCaMP fluorescence changes in individual cells during panic induction in an example mouse. Red shaded areas indicate occurrence of jumping escape. Heat-map ( i ) and average traces ( j ) of GCaMP responses of all 180 Cbln2 + PHN neurons in seven mice aligned with initiation of jumping escape. k Scatter plot showing GCaMP responses (ΔF/F) of an example Cbln2 + PHN neuron linearly correlated with jumping escape height. l Distribution of correlation coefficients of all 180 cells. m Schematic diagram showing endoscope imaging of individual Cbln2 + PHN neurons in response to application of von Frey filaments to the back of mice. Heat-map ( n ) and average ( o ) peri-stimulus time histogram (PSTH) of Z-score GCaMP fluorescence changes in individual Cbln2 + PHN neurons to mechanical stimuli applied with von Frey filaments (1, 10, and 100 g). Data in ( f , j , o ) are means ± SEM. Statistical analyses ( f ) were performed using two-paired Student t-test (*** P < 0.001). For P -values, see Supplementary Table . Source data are provided as a file.

Article Snippet: A GRIN lens (0.5 mm in diameter, 6.1 mm in length, Inscopix) was held by a GRIN lens holder (Inscopix) and was slowly (100 μm/min) inserted to the target brain area.

Techniques: Expressing, Fluorescence, Imaging

Journal: Science Advances

Article Title: MiniXL: An open-source, large field-of-view epifluorescence miniscope enabling single-cell resolution and multi-region imaging in mice

doi: 10.1126/sciadv.ads4995

Figure Lengend Snippet: ( A ) Surgical implantation of GRIN lenses and baseplate. Two GRIN lens were stacked with the bottom one implanted upon dCA1 region. ( B ) Animals were trained to run on a 2-m linear track for water reward on two ends. ( C ) Example brain slice showing GCaMp6f expression and GRIN lens implantation track. ( D and E ) Example raw image of FOV and all cells identified across 3 days ( N = 1640). Each FOV is cropped to ~1.393 mm by 1.393 mm. ( F to H ) Identified place cells (green) in one example mouse on day 1 ( N 1 = 453), day 2 ( N 2 = 548), and day 3 ( N 3 = 561). There are 91 cells were identified as place cells and were matched across all sessions (red). ( I ) Ratio of place cells and the other cells on each day. ( J ) Overlap of place cells between every 2 days and among 3 days. ( K to M ) Normalized neural activity rates of place cells on day 1 (K) that were also active on day 2 (L) and day 3 (M). cells were sorted by the peak firing rate from day 1. ( N ) Mean stability of place cells and other cells on each day of one example mouse. Place cells showed higher stability than other cells.

Article Snippet: Five to 7 days after virus injection, mice were implanted with a 1.8-mm-diameter, 4.7-mm-long GRIN lens (Edmund Optics) over dCA1(coordinates of lens center: AP, −2.1 mm; ML, 1.8 mm; DV, −1.25 mm) or 1-mm-diameter, 4-mm-long relay lens (Inscopix) over mPFC in each hemisphere (coordinates of lens center: mPFC: AP, +1.8 mm; ML, 0.5 mm; DV, −1.8 mm); 0.5-mm-diameter, 6.1-mm-long relay lens in mPFC and 0.5-mm-diameter, 8.4-mm-long relay lens in NAc (coordinates of lens center: mPFC: AP, +1.9 mm; ML, +0.5 mm; DV, −2.5 mm; NAc: AP, +1.3 mm; ML, 0.75 mm; DV, −4.3 mm); and 1-mm-diameter, 4-mm-long relay lens in mPFC and 0.5-mm-diameter, 6.1-mm-long relay lens in NAc (coordinates of lens center: PFC: AP, +1.9 mm; ML, +0.5 mm; DV, −2.5 mm; NAc: AP, +1.3 mm; ML, +1 mm; DV, −4.7 mm).

Techniques: Slice Preparation, Expressing, Activity Assay