A fluorescent dye method suitable for visualization of one or more rat whiskers

TitleA fluorescent dye method suitable for visualization of one or more rat whiskers
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2018
AuthorsRigosa J, Lucantonio A, Noselli G, Fassihi A, Manzino F, Pulecchi F, Diamond ME
JournalBio-protocol
Volume8
Start Pagee2749
Keywordsbarrel cortex, Dye, Fluorescence, Tactile perception, Tracking, Whisker
Abstract

Visualization and tracking of the facial whiskers is critical to many studies of rodent behavior. High-speed videography is the most robust methodology for characterizing whisker kinematics, but whisker visualization is challenging due to the low contrast of the whisker against its background. Recently, we showed that fluorescent dye(s) can be applied to enhance visualization and tracking of whisker(s) (Rigosa et al., 2017), and this protocol provides additional details on the technique. 

DOI10.21769/BioProtoc.2749