Protocol to Study West Nile Virus Infection in Brain Slices In Vitro

Ex vivo slice cultures of the brain tissue can maintain the cytoarchitecture of the central nervous system (CNS), which allows a thorough understanding of the functions of multiple interconnected cells in a culture system that closely resembles the in vivo environment. Additionally, slice cultures of the brain tissue are advantageous in tracking complex connectivity between neurons and glia both under normal and pathologic conditions, which is not possible in in vitro cell lines. Here, we describe the method of preparing ex vivo slice culture from the mouse cerebellum and the protocol of studying the effects of West Nile virus infection on cerebellar cells.