Non-Invasive In Vivo Imaging of Calcium Signaling in Mice

Rapid and transient elevations of Ca(2+) within cellular microdomains play a critical role in the regulation of many signal transduction pathways. Described here is a genetic approach for non-invasive detection of localized Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)]) rises in live animals using bioluminescence imaging (BLI). Transgenic mice conditionally expressing the Ca(2+)-sensitive bioluminescent reporter GFP-aequorin targeted to the mitochondrial matrix were studied in several experimental paradigms. Rapid [Ca(2+)] rises inside the mitochondrial matrix could be readily detected during single-twitch muscle contractions. Whole body patterns of [Ca(2+)] were monitored in freely moving mice and during epileptic seizures. Furthermore, variations in mitochondrial [Ca(2+)] correlated to behavioral components of the sleep/wake cycle were observed during prolonged whole body recordings of newborn mice. This non-invasive imaging technique opens new avenues for the analysis of Ca(2+) signaling whenever whole body information in freely moving animals is desired, in particular during behavioral and developmental studies.