Neuronal Sparse Labeling Service

Creative Biolabs is an innovative biotechnology company focused on the advancement of neuroscience and has been committed to providing a one-stop solution for neuroscience research. With an advanced platform and rich experience, we provide a full range of neuronal sparse labeling services, from program design to result analysis.

Overview of Neuronal Sparse Labeling

In neuroscience, access to individual neurons is crucial to study neural circuits. Sparse labeling can accurately analyze the morphological structure of a single neuron in a neural circuit by reconstructing the projection pattern of the whole-cell morphology of a single neuron. In general, sparse labels have a labeling density of about 1%, and the labeled neurons do not overlap. As a result, sparse labeling is gradually becoming an attractive strategy for visualizing the synaptic structure and for tracking axons or dendrites over long distances.

Fig.1 Axons projecting to the contralateral AUD can be reliably labelled and reconstructed. (Lai, 2022)

Available Approaches for Sparse Labeling at Creative Biolabs

• Golgi-Cox staining

Golgi-Cox staining is an extension of Golgi staining and is a crucial method for exploring neuronal morphology in vivo. The advent of this technique allows reliable high-quality staining within an acceptable time frame with well-preserved tissue quality.

• Dye microinjections

Microinjection into single cells in brain tissue provides a powerful new platform for studying and manipulating neural stem cells. Currently, microinjection has been adapted to target single neural stem cells from organ sections of developing brain tissue due to its excellent single-cell resolution. Furthermore, microinjection of fluorescent dyes has contributed to correlating the single-cell behavior observed in live imaging with tissue morphogenesis.

• MORF/Cre mouse lines

Whole-brain genetic sparse cell labeling with Cre-dependent mononucleotide repeat frameshift (MORF) mice provides a simple and scalable solution for elucidating the morphology of genetically defined neurons and glia in the mammalian brain. At Creative Biolabs, optimized MORF mice have membrane-bound specific reporter genes conferring Cre-dependent sparse labeling of distinct neural cells.

• Virus tools

Viral tools have played an increasingly important role in neural tracing research. Commonly used virus tools at Creative Biolabs include adeno-associated virus (AAV), semliki Forest virus (SFV) and vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV). After the viruses were injected into specific brain regions, reporter genes were expressed, followed by optical imaging analysis to determine whether targeted neurons were successfully sparsely labeled.

Fig.2 Entry site of SFV VLP infection of neurons. (Jia, 2019)

Why Choose Us?

• High specificity - Specific types of neurons can be labeled.
• Excellent stability - A stable number of neurons can be effectively labeled.
• Multi-technology alliance - This technique can be used in combination with various techniques such as fluorescence micro-optical sectioning tomography (fMOST) and tissue transparency.
• Multiple choice - The most suitable sparse labeling scheme can be selected for different project requirements

With our proven competencies and advanced platform, Creative Biolabs is confident in offering the best neuronal sparse labeling services for neuroscience research. We provide many flexible options, from which you can always find a better match for your particular project. If you are interested in our services, please contact us for more details.

References

1. Lai W.; et al. Optic nerve head: A gatekeeper for vitreous infectious insults? Frontiers in Immunology. 2022: 13.
2. Jia F.; et al. Rapid and sparse labeling of neurons based on the mutant virus-like particle of semliki forest virus. Neuroscience Bulletin. 2019, 35(3): 378-88.