Recording membrane potential in adult neural stem cells as readout for stem cell activation following neural circuit stimulation in mouse hippocampal slices

The transition from quiescence to activation in radial neural stem cells (rNSCs) is a key first step in the process of adult neurogenesis, which can be monitored in the context of circuit activation in live tissue by whole-cell patch-clamp recording of membrane potentials of rNSCs in acute brain slices. However, membrane recordings in small non-neuronal cells such as rNSCs can be challenging. Here, we describe the preparation of materials, recording and stimulation protocols, and analyses necessary to evaluate the efficacy of activity-dependent control of rNSC behavior.