This protocol describes the construction of a hybrid microdrive array that allows implantation of nine independently adjustable tetrodes and one adjustable opto-silicon probe in two brain regions in freely moving mice. Also demonstrated is a method for safely recovering and reusing the opto-silicon probe for multiple purposes.
Multi-regional neural recordings can provide crucial information to understanding fine-timescale interactions between multiple brain regions. However, conventional microdrive designs often only allow use of one type of electrode to record from single or multiple regions, limiting the yield of single-unit or depth profile recordings. It also often limits the ability to combine electrode recordings with optogenetic tools to target pathway and/or cell type specific activity. Presented here is a hybrid microdrive array for freely moving mice to optimize yield and a description of its fabrication and reuse of the microdrive array. The current design employs nine tetrodes and one opto-silicon probe implanted in two different brain areas simultaneously in freely moving mice. The tetrodes and the opto-silicon probe are independently adjustable along the dorsoventral axis in the brain to maximize the yield of unit and oscillatory activities. This microdrive array also incorporates a set-up for light, mediating optogenetic manipulation to investigate the regional- or cell type-specific responses and functions of long-range neural circuits. In addition, the opto-silicon probe can be safely recovered and reused after each experiment. Because the microdrive array consists of 3D-printed parts, the design of microdrives can be easily modified to accommodate various settings. First described is the design of the microdrive array and how to attach the optical fiber to a silicon probe for optogenetics experiments, followed by fabrication of the tetrode bundle and implantation of the array into a mouse brain. The recording of local field potentials and unit spiking combined with optogenetic stimulation also demonstrate feasibility of the microdrive array system in freely moving mice.
It is crucial to understand how neuronal activity supports cognitive process, such as learning and memory, by investigating how different brain regions dynamically interact with each other. To elucidate dynamics of the neural activity underlying cognitive tasks, large-scale extracellular electrophysiology has been conducted in freely moving animals with the aid of microdrive arrays1,2,3,4. In the past two decades, several types of microdrive array have been developed to implant electrodes into multiple brain regions for rats5,6,7,8 and mice9,10,11,12. Nonetheless, current microdrive designs generally do not allow for the use of multiple probe types, forcing researchers to choose a single electrode type with specific benefits and limitations. For example, tetrode arrays work well for densely populated brain regions such as the dorsal hippocampus CA11,13, while silicon probes give a better geometrical profile for studying anatomical connections14,15.
Tetrodes and silicon probes are often used for in vivo chronic recording, and each has its own advantages and disadvantages. Tetrodes have been proven to have significant advantages in better single unit isolation than single electrodes16,17, in addition to cost effectiveness and mechanical rigidity. They also provide higher yields of single unit activities when combined with microdrives8,18,19,20. It is essential to increase the number of simultaneously recorded neurons for understanding the function of neural circuits21. For example, large numbers of cells are needed to investigate small populations of functionally heterogeneous cell types such as time-related22 or reward coding23 cells. Much higher cell numbers are required to improve the decoding quality of spike sequences13,24,25.
Tetrodes, however, have a disadvantage in recording spatially distributed cells, such as in the cortex or thalamus. In contrast to tetrodes, silicon probes can provide spatial distribution and interaction of local field potentials (LFPs) and spiking activities within a local structure14,26. Multi-shank silicon probes further increase the number of recording sites and allow recording across single or neighboring structures27. However, such arrays are less flexible in the positioning of electrode sites compared to tetrodes. In addition, complex spike sorting algorithms are required in high-density probes to extract information about action potentials of neighboring channels to mirror the data acquired by tetrodes28,29,30. Hence, the overall yield of single units is often less than tetrodes. Moreover, silicon probes are disadvantageous due to their fragility and high cost. Thus, the choice of tetrodes vs. silicon probes depends on the aim of the recording, which is a question of whether obtaining a high yield of single-units or spatial profiling at the recording sites is prioritized.
In addition to recording neural activity, optogenetic manipulation has become one of the more powerful tools in neuroscience to examine how specific cell types and/or pathways contribute to neural circuit functions13,31,32,33. However, optogenetic experiments require additional consideration in microdrive array design to attach the fiber connector to stimulation light sources34,35,36. Often, connecting fiber-optics requires a relatively large force, which may lead to a mechanical shift of the probe in the brain. Therefore, it is not a trivial task to combine an implantable optical fiber to conventional microdrive arrays.
For the above reasons, researchers are required to optimize the selection of the type of electrode or to implant an optical fiber depending on the aim of the recording. For example tetrodes are used to achieve higher unit yield in hippocampus1,13, while silicon probes are used to investigate the laminar depth profile of cortical areas, such as the medial entorhinal cortex (MEC)37. Currently, microdrives for simultaneous implantation of tetrodes and silicon probes had been reported for rats5,11. However, it is extremely challenging to implant multiple tetrodes and silicon probes in mice because of the weight of the microdrives, limited space on the mouse head, and spatial requirements for designing the microdrive to employ different probes. Although it is possible to implant silicon probes without a microdrive, this procedure does not allow for adjustment of the probe and lowers the success rate of silicon-probe recovery12,38. Furthermore, optogenetic experiments require additional considerations in microdrive array design. This protocol demonstrates how to construct and implant a microdrive array for chronic recording in freely moving mice, which allows implantation of nine independently adjustable tetrodes and one adjustable opto-silicon probe. This microdrive array also facilitates optogenetic experiments and recovery of the silicon probe.
All methods described here have been approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.
1. Preparations of microdrive array parts
2. Opto-silicon probe preparation
3. Tetrode preparation
NOTE: This procedure is similar to previously published articles8,19,20,39.
4. Attaching the shielding cone
5. Implant surgery
NOTE: This procedure is modified from previously published articles18,39,41 for dual-site implantation. Ensure that the weight of the animal is over 25 g for the microdrive implant for faster recovery after the surgery.
6. Recovering the silicon-probe (Figure 4D)
The microdrive array was constructed within 5 days. The timeline of microdrive preparation is described in Table 2. Using this microdrive, nine tetrodes and one silicon probe were implanted into the hippocampal CA1 and MEC of the mouse [21 week old/29 g body weight male pOxr1-Cre (C57BL/6 background)], respectively. This transgenic mouse expresses Cre in MEC layer III pyramidal neurons. The mouse was injected with 200 nL of AAV5-DIO-ChR2-YFP (titer: 7.7 x 1012 gc/mL) into the MEC 10 weeks before the electrode implant. LFPs were recorded using a low-pass filter (1-500 Hz), and spiking units were detected using a high-pass filter (0.8-5 kHz). Light stimulation (λ = 450 nm) was performed using a 1 ms pulse width at 10.6 mW intensity measured at the end of the fiber connector. The reference electrode for the tetrode recording was placed in the white matter using a dedicated tetrode wire. The reference for the silicon probe recording was set as the top channel of the probe.
After the tetrode adjustment, behavioral performance was tested on a linear track (Figure 5A) and in an open field (Figure 5B). In both experiments, the mouse explored freely for ~30 min (Figure 5Aa,b,c; Figure 5Ba,b,c). The electrophysiological signals were successfully recorded without severe motion-related noise throughout the recording session (Figure 5Ad,e; Figure 5Bd,e). Next, light stimulation was performed at the MEC to stimulate MEC layer III neurons that project to the CA143 (Figure 6A). Spontaneous spiking activities (Figure 6B,C) and LFPs (Figure 6D) were recorded from the tetrodes and silicon probe when the mouse was sleeping. LFPs recorded in the tetrodes showed large ripple activities, suggesting that all tetrodes were positioned in the vicinity of the CA1 pyramidal cell layer. Light-induced responsive activities were first observed in MEC, followed by in CA1 with 13-18 ms latency (Figure 6E).
Figure 1: Microdrive array overview. (A) A skeleton view of the microdrive array, from the tetrode side (a) and silicon-probe side (b). (B) A real image of the loaded microdrive array, viewed from the tetrode side (a) and from the silicon-probe side (b). The microdrive array is placed on the jig stage in panel (b). (C) Individual 3D-printed microdrive array parts. (a-d) The microdrive array body, viewed from four different angles (a: tetrode side view; b: silicon-probe side view; c: top view; d: bottom view). A magnified view of the dashed line in panel (c) is shown in Figure 2A. (e) The shuttle, which holds and allows adjusting of the silicon-probe. A silicon probe is attached at the dashed line in panel (e). (f) The probe-connecter holder, which holds a 32-channel silicon-probe connecter. (g) The fiber ferrule holder, which holds an optical fiber ferrule to prevent from the movement of the probe when plugging/unplugging the fiber connector with the light-source. This part consists of two components: [panel (g) and components A and B]. (h) The printed shielding cone, which provides physical and electrical shielding when painted with conductive material. The cone window allows the ability to see inside of the structure during microdrive array preparation, which is eventually covered by a piece of tape or 3D-printed material. Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.
Figure 2: Preparation of guide-posts and microdrive screws on the main body. (A) Guide post-preparation. (a) Magnified view of the microdrive array body shown in Figure 1Cc. (b) Guide post-insertion into the holes of the body. (B) The microdrive-screw designs. (a) The microdrive-screw for a silicon-probe, which consists of a 300 µm pitch custom screw, supporting tube, and L-shape tube. (b) The microdrive-screw for a tetrode, which consists of a 160 µm pitch custom screw and 30 G stainless guide tube. (C) Fabrication of the top piece of the microdrive-screws: (a) Preparation of 3D-printed patterns of the anti-mold for the microdrive-screw. The picture shows a pattern for the silicon-probe microdrive-screw. (b) The mold made using the anti-mold pattern (a) and silicon-rubber material. Assembled microdrive-screws are produced by inserting custom-screws and wires/tube, and pouring dental acrylic in each well. Inset: magnified view of the wells of the mold. Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.
Figure 3: Microdrive array assembly. (A) Preparation of an opto-silicon probe. (a) Attaching two plastic guide tubes to the shuttle. (b) Gluing the optical fiber to the silicon-probe. (c) Attaching the shuttle to the opto-silicon probe. In this picture, the bottom part of the shuttle (dashed line) is attached to the silicon-probe’s base [backside of (b)]. The shuttle and the silicon probe shank should be in parallel. (B) Loading the opto-silicon probe shuttle assembly into the guide-posts of the microdrive array body. (C) Relative position of the silicon-probe microdrive when the probe is completely retracted into the body (a) and when positioned at the lowest in the drive body (b). The L-shape wire is inserted into the groove on the shuttle. (D) An exploded view of the fiber ferrule holder and the probe connector mount. (E) Shielding cone attached. The conductive material is painted inside of the cone. (F) Alternative shielding cone using a paper and aluminum tape. (a) A pattern paper. (b) An attached alternative shielding cone, which reduces 1.1 g of weight compared to the 3D-printed version. Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.
Figure 4: Sealing the probes during surgery and recovery of the silicon probe. (A) The microdrive array and the mouse skull after craniotomy, before applying silicon-grease. The silicon-probe is inserted about 2mm into the brain at this time. (B) Applying silicon-grease around the silicon-probe and tetrode bundles to protect the probes from dental acrylic. (C) The chronically implanted mouse after the recovery period, when the mouse is walking (a), grooming (b), and when connected to the recording cable with the counter-balancing pulley system (c). (D) The recovered silicon probe, before (a) and after (b) immersion into the cleaning solution. The biological tissues in (a) are removed after the cleaning process (b). Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.
Figure 5: Examples of simultaneous tetrode/silicon-probe recording in the hippocampal CA1 and medial entorhinal cortex (MEC) from the behaving mouse. (A) Recording on the linear track. (a) The linear track used for the recoding. (b) Trajectories of the mouse exploration for ~30 min on the track. (c) Behavioral performance on the linear track. (d-e) Representative LFP recordings from the tetrode (d) and the silicon-probe (e). (B) Recording in the open field. (a) The open field chamber used for the recoding. (b) Trajectories of the mouse exploration for ~30 min in the chamber. (c) Behavioral performance in the open field. (d,e) Representative LFP recordings from the tetrode (d) and the silicon-probe (e). LED is attached to the head amplifier to record the positions of the mouse. The linear track and the open-field chamber are connected with the electrical ground to reduce electrostatic noise. Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.
Figure 6: Representative results of simultaneous recordings in the CA1 and MEC and optogenetic stimulation. (A) Expression of AAV5-DIO-ChR2-YFP after 4 weeks of injection. MEC layer III pyramidal neurons that project their axons from dorsal MEC to dorsal CA1. Dashed lines: ori, stratum oriens; pry, stratum pyramidale; rad, stratum radiatum; mol, stratum lacunosum moleculare. (B) Representative spike recording from one of the tetrodes. (a) 2D cluster projections of spikes recorded from the tetrode. (b) Examples of the average spike waveform of three clusters, which are indicated by dashed lines in (a). (C) Representative spike recording from one of the silicon-probe electrode sites. (a) 2D cluster projections of spike principal components. (b) Examples of the average spike waveform of three clusters. Spike clusters (pink and green) are separated from the noise clusters (blue). The clusters in (B,C) are calculated using KlustaKwik software. (D) Traces of spontaneous LFPs simultaneously recorded from the tetrodes in CA1 (a) and the silicon probe in MEC (b). Black arrows indicate the tetrode shown in (B) and silicon-probe electrode site shown in (C). (E) LFP responses to pulsed optical stimulation (10.6 mW, 1 ms; filled red arrowhead) from the tetrodes in CA1 (a) and silicon probe in MEC (b). Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.
grams/one | number | sum [gram] | ||
main body | 1.25 | 1 | 1.25 | |
shuttle | 0.04 | 1 | 0.04 | |
probe connecter mount | 0.19 | 1 | 0.19 | |
fiber ferrule holder | 0.1 | 1 | 0.1 | |
shielding cone | 1.82 | 1 | 1.82 | (0.72)* |
conductive paste | 0.2 | 1 | 0.2 | |
machine screw (#00, 2 mm), to hold EIB | 0.05 | 2 | 0.1 | |
machine screw (#0-80, 3.5 mm) | 0.06 | 4 | 0.24 | |
machine screw (#0-80, 6mm) | 0.09 | 2 | 0.18 | |
nut | 0.03 | 2 | 0.06 | |
microdrive (tetrode) | 0.05 | 9 | 0.45 | |
microdrive (silicon probe) | 0.29 | 1 | 0.29 | |
silicon probe | 0.28 | 1 | 0.28 | |
electric interface board | 0.6 | 1 | 0.6 | |
total | 5.8 | (4.7)* |
Table 1: Individual weight of each microdrive array part. The total weight of the microdrive array was 5.9 g after fixing the protective cone with epoxy (*in the case of using an alternative shielding cone using a paper and aluminum tape).
procedures | time |
microdrive preparation | |
3D parts printing | 1 day |
optrode preparation | |
Prepare the mold for the microdrive head | 1 day* |
Microdrive head preparation | 3 h |
Attaching an optical fiber | 3 h |
Attaching a shuttle | 3 h |
tetrode preparation | |
Prepare the mold for the microdrive head | 1 day* |
Microdrive heads preparation | 3 h |
Loading tetrode wires | 1 day |
Attaching the shielding cone | |
Painting shielding paint | overnight* |
Attaching to the microdrive body | 3 h |
* these procedure can be conducted in parallel |
Table 2: The timeline of the microdrive preparation. The 3D-parts printing, waiting for curing the silicone rubber/dental acrylic/epoxy, and loading the tetrode wires take the majority of the time of the microdrive array preparation, in total 4-5 days.
Supplementary Files: The supplementary files include 3D model data of five microdrive parts in both .sldprt and .stl format. The original 3D model files were created with the software Solidworks2003. Please click here to download this file.
The protocol demonstrates how to construct and implant a hybrid microdrive array that allows recording of neural activities from two brain areas using independent adjustable tetrodes and a silicon-probe in freely behaving mice. It also demonstrates optogenetic experiments and the recovery of the silicon probe after experiments. While adjustable silicon probe33 or opto-silicon probe36 implantation are previously demonstrated in mice, this protocol has clear advantages in the simultaneous tetrode array and opto-silicon probe implantation to provide flexible choice of implanted probe types. The type of implanted probe can be switched depending on the aim of the experiment, such as multi-shank probes27,44 or ultra-density Neuropixels21,45. The coordination and angle of implantation7 can be easily modified at the 3D object design stage as needed. For example, dual-site or even triple-site recording is possible during learning tasks across memory-related brain structures, such as the hippocampus46, entorhinal cortex47, prefrontal cortex48, amygdala49, and cingulate cortex50.
There are several critical procedures for successful implant and recording. Due to the fragility of silicon-based probes, any mechanical vibrations or impacts to the microdrive array should be minimized during assembly. For example, opening the clogged holes using a drill should be finished before loading the silicon probe into the microdrive array. Also, it should be emphasized to carefully check the ground connection in each step during microdrive array construction and implant surgery to ensure stability of the recorded data. Unstable or high-impedance connections to the ground cause heavy noise and motion related artifacts during the recording session. For stable recordings, it is recommended to wait 1-2 weeks after the surgery to avoid electrode drift because the brain tissue is negatively affected by the implant surgery. However, signal quality on the silicon probe recovers after 1-2 weeks from the surgical trauma based on previous experience. It is recommended to use single-housing to prevent damage to the implanted microdrive array by other mice. For the optogenetic experiment, it is important to note that most silicon-probes induce photo-artifacts in response to light-stimulations51, while others are designed to minimize photo-artifacts52 (there are photo-artifact reduced silicon-probes that are commercially available).
The weight of the microdrive array (5.9 g) is heavier than the typical microdrives described in previous articles12,53, mainly due to the microdrive array body (~21% of the total weight), shielding cone (~31%), and metal parts (screws and nuts: ~22%). It is recommended to use mice with weights of over 25 g (~2-3 months old for C57BL/6 mice54,55) for implant surgery, because mice with adequate body weights tend to recover earlier. For this reason, this microdrive array may be not the best solution for juvenile mice. While devices that are 5%-10% of the mouse’s bodyweight are often guided to be tolerated for implants12,56 (although there is no supporting published data for this57), this microdrive array weighs ~24% of the bodyweight of 25 g mice (~19% when using the alternative cone described below).
However, the implanted adult mice were able to freely move around and jump around in the home cages. Mice implanted with a similar microdrive array weight (~4.5 g) have previously been shown to perform the behavioral task (linear maze task) even under food restriction13,17. The disadvantage of weight is not a problem during recording, as a counterweight balancing system18,34,58 or headpost system59 will support the microdrive array. In addition, the total weight of the microdrive array can be reduced by lowering the height or reducing the thickness of the shielding cone and modifying the design to utilize smaller screws.
Using the current 3D printing material, the thickness of the shielding cone can be reduced up to ~0.3 mm (from the current thickness of ~0.6 mm). The cone height can be reduced ~5 mm as long as the tetrode wires can still be covered. Exposure of the tetrode wires will result in breakage of the wires and failure of the long-term recording. Alternatively, preparation of the shielding cone using paper and aluminum tape can reduce the cone weight to ~0.7 g (~15% of total weight; reduced 20% from the total weight of the original microdrive array); although, these are a tradeoff with the physical strength. In addition, the size of the microdrive (current shielding cone: 4.2 x 4.0 x 2.6 cm = major axis x minor axis x height) can be an obstacle to food and water access if they are provided from the top of the animal cage. As long as they are provided on the cage floor or from the sidewall, the microdrive does not disturb natural behaviors of mice, such as eating, drinking, grooming, rearing, or nesting60.
In conclusion, this microdrive protocol provides researchers with flexible choices for recording from multiple brain areas in freely moving mice for understanding the dynamics and functions of long-ranging neural circuits.
The authors have nothing to disclose.
This work was supported in part by Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Overseas Research Fellowships (HO), Endowed Scholar Program (TK), Human Frontier Science Program (TK), Brain Research Foundation (TK), Faculty Science and Technology Acquisition and Retention Program (TK), Brain & Behavior Research Foundation (TK), and by The Sumitomo Foundation Research Grant (JY), NARSAD Young Investigator Research Grant (JY). We thank W. Marks for valuable comments and suggestions during the preparation of the manuscript.
#00-90 screw | J.I. Morris | #00-90-1/8 | EIB screws |
#0-80 nut | Small Parts | B00DGB7CT2 | brass nut for holding fiber ferrule holder |
#0-80 screw | Small Parts | B000FMZ57G | brass machine screw for probe connector mount, fiber ferrule holder, and shielding cone |
22 Ga polyetheretherketone tubes | Small Parts | SLPT-22-24 | for attaching to the shuttle, 0.025 inches inner diameter |
23 Ga stainless tubing | Small Parts | HTX-23R | for tetrode |
23 Ga stainless wire | Small Parts | HTX-23R-24-10 | for L-shape/support wire |
26 Ga stainless wire | Small Parts | GWX-0200 | for guide-posts |
30 Ga stainless wire | Small Parts | HTX-30R | for tetrode |
3-D CAD software package | Dassault Systèmes | SolidWorks 2003 | |
3D printer | FormLab | Form2 | |
5.5mil polyimide insulating tubes | HPC Medical | 72113900001-012 | |
aluminum foil tape | Tyco | Tyco Adhesives 617022 Aluminum Foil Tape | for the alternative shielding cone |
conductive paste | YSHIELD | HSF54 | for shielding cone |
customized screws for silicon-probe microdrive | AMT | UNM1.25-HalfMoon | half-moon stainless screw, 1.5 mm diameter, 300 µm thread pitch |
customized screws for tetrode microdrive | AMT | Yamamoto_0000-160_9mm | slotted stainless screw, 0.5 mm diameter, 160 µm thread pitch, custom-made to order for our design |
dental acrylic | Stoelting | 51459 | |
dental model resin | FormLab | RS-F2-DMBE-02 | |
Dremel rotary tool | Dremel | model 800 | a grinder |
drill bit | Fine Science Tool | 19007-05 | |
electric interface board | Neuralynx | EIB-36-Narrow | |
epoxy | Devcon | GLU-735.90 | 5 minutes epoxy |
eye ointment | Dechra | Puralube Ophthalmic Ointment | to prevent mice eyes from drying during surgery |
fiber polishing sheet | Thorlabs | LFG5P | for polishing the optical fiber |
fine tweezers | Protech International | 15-368 | for loading/recovering the silicon probe |
gold pins | Neuralynx | EIB Pins Small | |
ground wire | A-M Systems | 781500 | 0.010 inch bare silver wire |
headstage preamp | Neuralynx | HS-36 | |
impedance meter | BAK electronics | Model IMP-2 | 1 kHz testing frequency |
mineral oil | ZONA | 36-105 | for lubricating screws and wires |
optical fiber | Doric | MFC_200/260-0.22_50mm_ZF1.25(G)_FLT | |
Recording system | Neuralynx | Digital Lynx 4SX | |
ruby fiber scribe | Thorlabs | S90R | for cleaving the optical fiber |
silicon grease | Fine Science Tool | 29051-45 | |
silicon probe | Neuronexus | A1x32-Edge-5mm-20-177 | Fig. 3, 4A, 4B, 5 |
silicon probe | Neuronexus | A1x32-6mm-50-177 | Fig. 4C |
silicon probe washing solution | Alcon | AL10078844 | contact lens cleaner |
silicone lubber | Smooth-On | Dragon Skin 10 FAST | for preparation of microdrive mold |
silver paint | GC electronic | 22-023 | silver print II coating, used for ground wires |
skull screw | Otto Frei | 2647-10AC | 0.8 mm diameter, 0.200 mm thread pitch |
standard surgical scissors | ROBOZ | RS-5880 | |
stereotaxic apparatus | Kopf | Model 942 | |
super glue | Loctite | LOC230992 | for applying to guide-posts |
surgical tweezers | ROBOZ | RS-5135 | |
Tetrode Twister | Jun Yamamoto | TT-01 | |
tetrode wires | Sandvik | PX000004 |