Protocol to study projection-specific circuits in the basal ganglia of adult mice using viral vector tracing,
Ya-Wei Ji1, Xiang-Ying Xu1, Cui Yin1
1School of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, School of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China.
Abstract:
Analysis of synaptic strength and plasticity provides functional insights of complicated neural circuits. Here, we describe steps for cell- and projection-specific optogenetic manipulation of divergent basal ganglia circuits using anterograde and retrograde viral vectors. We quantitatively analyze synaptic function of these circuits utilizing a patch-clamp technique. This protocol is applicable to probe potential circuit targets for treatment of brain diseases. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Ji et al.1.
