Two-photon manipulation of neuronal activity and behavior in Hydra vulgaris

Wataru Yamamoto; Rafael Yuste

doi:10.1016/j.xpro.2023.102453

Two-photon manipulation of neuronal activity and behavior in Hydra vulgaris

STAR Protoc. 2023 Jul 28;4(3):102453. doi: 10.1016/j.xpro.2023.102453. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Wataru Yamamoto¹, Rafael Yuste²

Affiliations

¹ Neurotechnology Center, Department Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA. Electronic address: wy2303@columbia.edu.
² Neurotechnology Center, Department Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA.

Abstract

The introduction of calcium imaging has rendered cnidarians, such as Hydra vulgaris, valuable model organisms for investigating neuronal activity and behavior. Here, we present a comprehensive protocol to image and manipulate neuronal activity and behavior of Hydra. We describe steps for wide-field imaging and two-photon simulation and ablation of neurons. We then detail imaging behavior and post-ablation analysis. We address challenges that may arise during the preparation and execution of the experiments.

Keywords: Behavior; Evolutionary Biology; Neuroscience.