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  3. A luciferase prosubstrate and a red bioluminescent calcium indicator for imaging neuronal activity in mice

A luciferase prosubstrate and a red bioluminescent calcium indicator for imaging neuronal activity in mice

  • Nat Commun. 2022 Jul 8;13(1):3967. doi: 10.1038/s41467-022-31673-x.
Xiaodong Tian 1 2,  Yiyu Zhang 1 2,  Xinyu Li 1 2 3,  Ying Xiong 1 2,  Tianchen Wu 1 2,  Hui-Wang Ai 4 5 6
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22908, USA.
  • 2 Center for Membrane and Cell Physiology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22908, USA.
  • 3 State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Regulation and Breeding of Grassland Livestock, School of Life Sciences, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China.
  • 4 Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22908, USA. huiwang.ai@virginia.edu.
  • 5 Center for Membrane and Cell Physiology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22908, USA. huiwang.ai@virginia.edu.
  • 6 The UVA Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22908, USA. huiwang.ai@virginia.edu.
PMID: 35803917 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31673-x
Abstract

Although fluorescent indicators have been broadly utilized for monitoring bioactivities, fluorescence imaging, when applied to mammals, is limited to superficial targets or requires invasive surgical procedures. Thus, there is emerging interest in developing bioluminescent indicators for noninvasive mammalian imaging. Bioluminescence imaging (BLI) of neuronal activity is highly desired but hindered by insufficient photons needed to digitalize fast brain activities. In this work, we develop a luciferase prosubstrate deliverable at an increased dose and activated in vivo by nonspecific esterase. We further engineer a bright, bioluminescent indicator with robust responsiveness to calcium ions (CA2+) and appreciable emission above 600 nm. Integration of these advantageous components enables the imaging of the activity of neuronal ensembles in awake mice minimally invasively with excellent signal-to-background and subsecond temporal resolution. This study thus establishes a paradigm for studying brain function in health and disease.

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