An imaging analysis protocol to trace, quantify, and model multi-signal neuron morphology

We describe how to reconstruct and quantify multi-signal neuronal morphology, using the dendritic distributions of microtubules and F-actin in sensory neurons from fly larvae as examples. We then provide a detailed procedure to analyze channel- specific morphometrics from these enhanced reconstructions. To illustrate applications, we demonstrate how to run a cytoskeleton-constrained simulation of dendritic tree generation and explain its validation against experimental data. This protocol is applicable to any species, developmental stage, brain region, cell class, branching process, and signal type. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Nanda et al. (2020).

Automated summary

This study explains the reconstruction and quantification of multi-signal neuronal morphology using microtubules and F-actin dendritic distributions in sensory neurons from fly larvae as examples. It includes a detailed procedure for analyzing channel-specific morphometrics and demonstrates how to run a cytoskeleton-constrained simulation of dendritic tree generation and validate it against experimental data. The protocol is applicable to various species, developmental stages, brain regions, cell classes, branching processes, and signal types.