In vivo optical imaging of motor neuron autophagy in a mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Autophagy. 2011 Sep;7(9):985-92. doi: 10.4161/auto.7.9.16012. Epub 2011 Sep 1.

Abstract

Autophagy is involved in the pathological process of motor neuron death in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). We have generated a novel double transgenic (DTg) mouse line by mating a green fluorescent protein (GFP)-fused microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3) transgenic (LC3-Tg) mouse and a G93A mutant human Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (mSOD1) transgenic (mSOD1-Tg) mouse. In vivo imaging of autophagy with these novel DTg mice was conducted at 10 (presymptomatic), 17 (early symptomatic) and 19 (late symptomatic) weeks of age. Fluorescence imaging analysis revealed a strong fluorescent signal in vivo over the T₃-S₁ level at 17 and 19 weeks of age only in the DTg mice. Ex vivo autophagy imaging of spinal cord sections (20 μm) also showed a progressive increase of the fluorescence signal from 17 to 19 weeks in DTg mice in the anterior horn at the L₄-₅ level, and the fluorescence signals were clearly observed in the gray matter of the spinal cord with a progressive increase of the signal and decreases in large motor neurons. Protein gel blot analysis revealed maximum LC3-I and LC3-II expressions at 19 weeks, consistent with the results from the in vivo autophagy imaging experiment. This method could also be applied as a unique tool for clarifying the role of autophagy, and to monitor the pathologic processes involving autophagy not only in ALS, but also other neurological diseases.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / diagnosis*
  • Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / pathology*
  • Animals
  • Astrocytes / metabolism
  • Astrocytes / pathology
  • Autophagy*
  • Cell Count
  • Diagnostic Imaging / methods*
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Fluorescent Antibody Technique
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Microtubule-Associated Proteins / metabolism
  • Motor Neurons / pathology*
  • Optical Phenomena*
  • Phagosomes / metabolism
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / metabolism

Substances

  • Map1lc3b protein, mouse
  • Microtubule-Associated Proteins
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins