Trans-synaptic Neural Circuit-Tracing with Neurotropic Viruses
1 Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, The Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
2 University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
3 Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Homeostatic Regulation, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, National Institute of Natural Sciences, Myodaiji, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8585, Japan
4 Japan Science and Technology Agency, PRESTO, Myodaiji, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8585, Japan
Abstract
A central objective in deciphering the nervous system in health and disease is to define the connections of neurons. The propensity of neurotropic viruses to spread among synaptically-linked neurons makes them ideal for mapping neural circuits. So far, several classes of viral neuronal tracers have become available and provide a powerful toolbox for delineating neural networks. In this paper, we review the recent developments of neurotropic viral tracers and highlight their unique properties in revealing patterns of neuronal connections.
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