Work

Cre Activated and Inactivated Recombinant Adeno‐Associated Viral Vectors for Neuronal Anatomical Tracing or Activity Manipulation

Year: 2015

Type: article

Abstract: Recombinant adeno-associated viruses (rAAVs) transcriptionally activated by Cre recombinase (Cre-On) are powerful tools for determining the anatomy and function of genetically defined neuronal types in transgenic Cre driver mice. Here we describe how rAAVs transcriptionally inactivated by Cre (Cre-Off) can be used in conjunction with Cre-On rAAVs or genomic Cre-reporter alleles to study brain circuits. Intracranial injection of Cre-On/Cre-Off rAAVs into spatially intermingled Cre(+) and Cre(-) neurons allows these populations to be differentially labeled or manipulated within individual animals. This comparison helps define the unique properties of Cre(+) neurons, highlighting the specialized role they play in their constituent brain circuits. This protocol touches on the conceptual and experimental background of Cre-Off rAAV systems, including caveats and methods of validation.

Source: Current Protocols in Neuroscience

DOI: 10.1002/0471142301.ns0124s72

Authors: Arpiar Saunders, Bernardo L. Sabatini

Institutions: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University

Language: English

Topic: Virus-based gene therapy research

Subfield: Genetics

Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funder: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke