Optical control of neuronal growth

Daniel Koch; Timo Betz; Allen Ehrlicher; Michael Gogler; Bjorn Stuhrmann; Josef Kas

doi:10.1117/12.559672

18 October 2004 Optical control of neuronal growth

Daniel Koch, Timo Betz, Allen Ehrlicher, Michael Gogler, Bjorn Stuhrmann, Josef Kas

Proceedings Volume 5514, Optical Trapping and Optical Micromanipulation; (2004) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.559672
Event: Optical Science and Technology, the SPIE 49th Annual Meeting, 2004, Denver, Colorado, United States

Abstract

Understanding and controlling neuronal growth are basic objectives in neuroscience, biology, biophysics, and biomedicine, and are vital for the formation of neural circuits in vitro, as well as for nerve regeneration in vivo. All molecular stimuli for neuronal growth eventually address the polymeric cytoskeleton, which advances a neurite's leading edge also known as the growth cone. We have shown that optical forces of a highly focused infrared laser beam influence the motility of a growth cone by biasing the polymerization-driven intracellular machinery. In actively extending growth cones, a laser spot placed at specific areas of the neurite's leading edge affects the growth speed, the direction taken by a growth cone, and the splitting of a growth cone. This novel optical tool manipulates a natural biological process, the cytoskeleton driven morphological changes in growth cones, with potential applications in the formation of neuronal networks and in understanding growth cone motility. The current apparatus combines optical tweezers, phase contrast and fluorescence imaging, and real-time shape detection. Automated and dynamically readjusted irradiation of the growth cone is used to examine and to influence structural and morphological changes of neuronal growth.

Citation Download Citation

Daniel Koch, Timo Betz, Allen Ehrlicher, Michael Gogler, Bjorn Stuhrmann, and Josef Kas "Optical control of neuronal growth", Proc. SPIE 5514, Optical Trapping and Optical Micromanipulation, (18 October 2004); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.559672

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