Clarity and Immunofluorescence on Mouse Brain Tissue

Tingting Yu; Dan Zhu

doi:10.1002/cpns.46

Clarity and Immunofluorescence on Mouse Brain Tissue

Curr Protoc Neurosci. 2018 Apr;83(1):e46. doi: 10.1002/cpns.46.

Authors

Tingting Yu^{1

2}, Dan Zhu^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
² MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering Sciences, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.

PMID: 30040215
DOI: 10.1002/cpns.46

Abstract

Tissue optical clearing techniques have provided essential tools for visualization of neural networks in unsectioned brain tissue. Here, we describe a passive optical clearing method based on hydrogel embedding, PACT (passive clarity technique), which is relatively simple. Advantages of PACT include tissue transparency, fluorescence preservation, and immunostaining compatibility for obtaining three-dimensional structures of mouse brain tissue. Additionally, it can enhance the penetration of antibodies in immunostaining and allows efficient immunolabeling of large volumes. After clearing with PACT, one can achieve high-resolution imaging in deep tissue at the millimeter-scale level with optical imaging microscopy. © 2018 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Keywords: immunofluorescence; mouse brain; optical clearing.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Brain / metabolism*
Fluorescence*
Fluorescent Antibody Technique* / methods
Imaging, Three-Dimensional* / methods
Mice
Microscopy / methods
Optical Imaging / methods