A new anterograde trans-synaptic tracer based on Sindbis virus
Xiang-Wei Shi1, Fan Jia2, Pei Lyu3
1State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, Wuhan Center for Magnetic Resonance, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei Province; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute (BCBDI), Translational Research Center for the Nervous System (TRCNS), Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province; NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Viral Vector Technology in Cell and Gene Therapy Medicinal Products, Key Laboratory of Quality Control Technology for Virus-Based Therapeutics, Guangdong Provincial Medical Products Administration, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Viral Vectors for Biomedicine, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
Researchers developed a novel Sindbis virus (SINV) tracer for mapping neural circuits. This engineered virus shows low toxicity and enables long-term anterograde tracing in the mouse brain.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Molecular Biology
- Virology
Background:
- Mapping neural circuits is essential for understanding nervous system function.
- Engineered viruses are key tools for neural circuit tracing.
- Existing viral tracers have limitations, including toxicity and inflexibility.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel, low-toxicity viral tracer for long-term neural circuit mapping.
- To evaluate the utility of an engineered Sindbis virus (SINV) as an anterograde tracer.
Main Methods:
- Constructed an engineered Sindbis virus (SINV) expressing enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP).
- Assessed SINV-EGFP biological characteristics in BHK-21 cells and cultured neurons.
- Injected SINV-EGFP into the visual circuit of the mouse brain to evaluate tracing capabilities.
Main Results:
- SINV-EGFP exhibited similar biological characteristics to wild-type Sindbis virus in vitro.
- In vivo, SINV-EGFP infected local neurons and spread anterogradely within neural circuits.
- The tracer demonstrated exclusive anterograde spread, offering longer tracing windows than HSV or VSV.
Conclusions:
- Engineered SINV serves as a viable new anterograde tracer for mapping neural circuits.
- SINV offers potential for extended temporal windows in neural circuit tracing studies.
- This tool addresses the need for improved viral tracers with reduced toxicity and enhanced utility.
