AUTHOR=Huang Junjie , Liang Susu , Li Longhui , Li Xingyi , Liao Xiang , Hu Qianshuo , Zhang Chunqing , Jia Hongbo , Chen Xiaowei , Wang Meng , Li Ruijie TITLE=Daily two-photon neuronal population imaging with targeted single-cell electrophysiology and subcellular imaging in auditory cortex of behaving mice JOURNAL=Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience VOLUME=17 YEAR=2023 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cellular-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fncel.2023.1142267 DOI=10.3389/fncel.2023.1142267 ISSN=1662-5102 ABSTRACT=

Quantitative and mechanistic understanding of learning and long-term memory at the level of single neurons in living brains require highly demanding techniques. A specific need is to precisely label one cell whose firing output property is pinpointed amidst a functionally characterized large population of neurons through the learning process and then investigate the distribution and properties of dendritic inputs. Here, we disseminate an integrated method of daily two-photon neuronal population Ca2+ imaging through an auditory associative learning course, followed by targeted single-cell loose-patch recording and electroporation of plasmid for enhanced chronic Ca2+ imaging of dendritic spines in the targeted cell. Our method provides a unique solution to the demand, opening a solid path toward the hard-cores of how learning and long-term memory are physiologically carried out at the level of single neurons and synapses.