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Kimura K, Nagai Y, Hatanaka G, Fang Y, Tanabe S, Zheng A, Fujiwara M, Nakano M, Hori Y, Takeuchi RF, Inagaki M, Minamimoto T, Fujita I, Inoue KI, Takada M. A mosaic adeno-associated virus vector as a versatile tool that exhibits high levels of transgene expression and neuron specificity in primate brain. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4762. [PMID: 37553329 PMCID: PMC10409865 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40436-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent emphasis has been placed on gene transduction mediated through recombinant adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector to manipulate activity of neurons and their circuitry in the primate brain. In the present study, we created a novel vector of which capsid was composed of capsid proteins derived from both of the AAV serotypes 1 and 2 (AAV1 and AAV2). Following the injection into the frontal cortex of macaque monkeys, this mosaic vector, termed AAV2.1 vector, was found to exhibit the excellence in transgene expression (for AAV1 vector) and neuron specificity (for AAV2 vector) simultaneously. To explore its applicability to chemogenetic manipulation and in vivo calcium imaging, the AAV2.1 vector expressing excitatory DREADDs or GCaMP was injected into the striatum or the visual cortex of macaque monkeys, respectively. Our results have defined that such vectors secure intense and stable expression of the target proteins and yield conspicuous modulation and imaging of neuronal activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kei Kimura
- Systems Neuroscience Section, Department of Neuroscience, Primate Research Institute, and Center for the Evolutionary Origins of Human Behavior, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Aichi, 484-8506, Japan
| | - Yuji Nagai
- Department of Functional Brain Imaging, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, Chiba, 263-8555, Japan
| | - Gaku Hatanaka
- Laboratory for Cognitive Neuroscience, Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, 1-4 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
- Center for Information and Neural Networks, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology and Osaka University, 1-4 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Yang Fang
- Laboratory for Cognitive Neuroscience, Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, 1-4 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
- Center for Information and Neural Networks, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology and Osaka University, 1-4 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Soshi Tanabe
- Systems Neuroscience Section, Department of Neuroscience, Primate Research Institute, and Center for the Evolutionary Origins of Human Behavior, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Aichi, 484-8506, Japan
| | - Andi Zheng
- Systems Neuroscience Section, Department of Neuroscience, Primate Research Institute, and Center for the Evolutionary Origins of Human Behavior, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Aichi, 484-8506, Japan
| | - Maki Fujiwara
- Systems Neuroscience Section, Department of Neuroscience, Primate Research Institute, and Center for the Evolutionary Origins of Human Behavior, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Aichi, 484-8506, Japan
| | - Mayuko Nakano
- Systems Neuroscience Section, Department of Neuroscience, Primate Research Institute, and Center for the Evolutionary Origins of Human Behavior, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Aichi, 484-8506, Japan
| | - Yukiko Hori
- Department of Functional Brain Imaging, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, Chiba, 263-8555, Japan
| | - Ryosuke F Takeuchi
- Laboratory for Cognitive Neuroscience, Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, 1-4 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
- Center for Information and Neural Networks, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology and Osaka University, 1-4 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Mikio Inagaki
- Laboratory for Cognitive Neuroscience, Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, 1-4 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
- Center for Information and Neural Networks, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology and Osaka University, 1-4 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Takafumi Minamimoto
- Department of Functional Brain Imaging, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, Chiba, 263-8555, Japan
| | - Ichiro Fujita
- Laboratory for Cognitive Neuroscience, Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, 1-4 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
- Center for Information and Neural Networks, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology and Osaka University, 1-4 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Ken-Ichi Inoue
- Systems Neuroscience Section, Department of Neuroscience, Primate Research Institute, and Center for the Evolutionary Origins of Human Behavior, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Aichi, 484-8506, Japan.
- PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Kawaguchi, Saitama, 332-0012, Japan.
| | - Masahiko Takada
- Systems Neuroscience Section, Department of Neuroscience, Primate Research Institute, and Center for the Evolutionary Origins of Human Behavior, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Aichi, 484-8506, Japan.
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Miyakawa N, Nagai Y, Hori Y, Mimura K, Orihara A, Oyama K, Matsuo T, Inoue KI, Suzuki T, Hirabayashi T, Suhara T, Takada M, Higuchi M, Kawasaki K, Minamimoto T. Chemogenetic attenuation of cortical seizures in nonhuman primates. Nat Commun 2023; 14:971. [PMID: 36854724 PMCID: PMC9975184 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36642-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Epilepsy is a disorder in which abnormal neuronal hyperexcitation causes several types of seizures. Because pharmacological and surgical treatments occasionally interfere with normal brain function, a more focused and on-demand approach is desirable. Here we examined the efficacy of a chemogenetic tool-designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADDs)-for treating focal seizure in a nonhuman primate model. Acute infusion of the GABAA receptor antagonist bicuculline into the forelimb region of unilateral primary motor cortex caused paroxysmal discharges with twitching and stiffening of the contralateral arm, followed by recurrent cortical discharges with hemi- and whole-body clonic seizures in two male macaque monkeys. Expression of an inhibitory DREADD (hM4Di) throughout the seizure focus, and subsequent on-demand administration of a DREADD-selective agonist, rapidly suppressed the wide-spread seizures. These results demonstrate the efficacy of DREADDs for attenuating cortical seizure in a nonhuman primate model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naohisa Miyakawa
- Department of Functional Brain Imaging, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, Chiba, Japan.
| | - Yuji Nagai
- Department of Functional Brain Imaging, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, Chiba, Japan
| | - Yukiko Hori
- Department of Functional Brain Imaging, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, Chiba, Japan
| | - Koki Mimura
- Department of Functional Brain Imaging, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, Chiba, Japan
| | - Asumi Orihara
- Department of Functional Brain Imaging, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, Chiba, Japan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kei Oyama
- Department of Functional Brain Imaging, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, Chiba, Japan
| | | | - Ken-Ichi Inoue
- Systems Neuroscience Section, Center for the Evolutionary Origins of Human Behavior, Kyoto University, Aichi, Japan
| | - Takafumi Suzuki
- Center for Information and Neural Networks, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Suita, Japan
| | - Toshiyuki Hirabayashi
- Department of Functional Brain Imaging, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, Chiba, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Suhara
- Institute for Quantum Life Science, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, Chiba, Japan
| | - Masahiko Takada
- Systems Neuroscience Section, Center for the Evolutionary Origins of Human Behavior, Kyoto University, Aichi, Japan
| | - Makoto Higuchi
- Department of Functional Brain Imaging, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, Chiba, Japan
| | - Keisuke Kawasaki
- Department of Physiology, Niigata University School of Medicine, Niigata, Japan
| | - Takafumi Minamimoto
- Department of Functional Brain Imaging, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, Chiba, Japan.
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3
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Oguchi M, Sakagami M. Dissecting the Prefrontal Network With Pathway-Selective Manipulation in the Macaque Brain-A Review. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:917407. [PMID: 35677354 PMCID: PMC9168219 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.917407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Macaque monkeys are prime animal models for studying the neural mechanisms of decision-making because of their close kinship with humans. Manipulation of neural activity during decision-making tasks is essential for approaching the causal relationship between the brain and its functions. Conventional manipulation methods used in macaque studies are coarse-grained, and have worked indiscriminately on mutually intertwined neural pathways. To systematically dissect neural circuits responsible for a variety of functions, it is essential to analyze changes in behavior and neural activity through interventions in specific neural pathways. In recent years, an increasing number of studies have applied optogenetics and chemogenetics to achieve fine-grained pathway-selective manipulation in the macaque brain. Here, we review the developments in macaque studies involving pathway-selective operations, with a particular focus on applications to the prefrontal network. Pathway selectivity can be achieved using single viral vector transduction combined with local light stimulation or ligand administration directly into the brain or double-viral vector transduction combined with systemic drug administration. We discuss the advantages and disadvantages of these methods. We also highlight recent technological developments in viral vectors that can effectively infect the macaque brain, as well as the development of methods to deliver photostimulation or ligand drugs to a wide area to effectively manipulate behavior. The development and dissemination of such pathway-selective manipulations of macaque prefrontal networks will enable us to efficiently dissect the neural mechanisms of decision-making and innovate novel treatments for decision-related psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mineki Oguchi
- Brain Science Institute, Tamagawa University, Tokyo, Japan
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Retrograde Transgene Expression via Neuron-Specific Lentiviral Vector Depends on Both Species and Input Projections. Viruses 2021; 13:v13071387. [PMID: 34372593 PMCID: PMC8310113 DOI: 10.3390/v13071387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2021] [Revised: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
For achieving retrograde gene transfer, we have so far developed two types of lentiviral vectors pseudotyped with fusion envelope glycoprotein, termed HiRet vector and NeuRet vector, consisting of distinct combinations of rabies virus and vesicular stomatitis virus glycoproteins. In the present study, we compared the patterns of retrograde transgene expression for the HiRet vs. NeuRet vectors by testing the cortical input system. These vectors were injected into the motor cortex in rats, marmosets, and macaques, and the distributions of retrograde labels were investigated in the cortex and thalamus. Our histological analysis revealed that the NeuRet vector generally exhibits a higher efficiency of retrograde gene transfer than the HiRet vector, though its capacity of retrograde transgene expression in the macaque brain is unexpectedly low, especially in terms of the intracortical connections, as compared to the rat and marmoset brains. It was also demonstrated that the NeuRet but not the HiRet vector displays sufficiently high neuron specificity and causes no marked inflammatory/immune responses at the vector injection sites in the primate (marmoset and macaque) brains. The present results indicate that the retrograde transgene efficiency of the NeuRet vector varies depending not only on the species but also on the input projections.
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Brown BL, Zalla RM, Shepard CT, Howard RM, Kopechek JA, Magnuson DSK, Whittemore SR. Dual-Viral Transduction Utilizing Highly Efficient Retrograde Lentivirus Improves Labeling of Long Propriospinal Neurons. Front Neuroanat 2021; 15:635921. [PMID: 33828464 PMCID: PMC8019739 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2021.635921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The nervous system coordinates pathways and circuits to process sensory information and govern motor behaviors. Mapping these pathways is important to further understand the connectivity throughout the nervous system and is vital for developing treatments for neuronal diseases and disorders. We targeted long ascending propriospinal neurons (LAPNs) in the rat spinal cord utilizing Fluoro-Ruby (FR) [10kD rhodamine dextran amine (RDA)], and two dual-viral systems. Dual-viral tracing utilizing a retrograde adeno-associated virus (retroAAV), which confers robust labeling in the brain, resulted in a small number of LAPNs being labeled, but dual-viral tracing using a highly efficient retrograde (HiRet) lentivirus provided robust labeling similar to FR. Additionally, dual-viral tracing with HiRet lentivirus and tracing with FR may preferentially label different subpopulations of LAPNs. These data demonstrate that dual-viral tracing in the spinal cord employing a HiRet lentivirus provides robust and specific labeling of LAPNs and emphasizes the need to empirically optimize viral systems to target specific neuronal population(s).
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon L Brown
- Interdisciplinary Program in Translational Neuroscience, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, United States.,Kentucky Spinal Cord Injury Research Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, United States.,Department of Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, United States
| | - Rachel M Zalla
- Kentucky Spinal Cord Injury Research Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, United States.,Department of Bioengineering, J.B. Speed School of Engineering, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, United States
| | - Courtney T Shepard
- Interdisciplinary Program in Translational Neuroscience, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, United States.,Kentucky Spinal Cord Injury Research Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, United States.,Department of Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, United States
| | - Russell M Howard
- Kentucky Spinal Cord Injury Research Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, United States.,Department of Neurological Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, United States
| | - Jonathan A Kopechek
- Department of Bioengineering, J.B. Speed School of Engineering, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, United States
| | - David S K Magnuson
- Interdisciplinary Program in Translational Neuroscience, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, United States.,Kentucky Spinal Cord Injury Research Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, United States.,Department of Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, United States.,Department of Bioengineering, J.B. Speed School of Engineering, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, United States.,Department of Neurological Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, United States
| | - Scott R Whittemore
- Interdisciplinary Program in Translational Neuroscience, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, United States.,Kentucky Spinal Cord Injury Research Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, United States.,Department of Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, United States.,Department of Neurological Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, United States
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6
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Nonhuman Primate Optogenetics: Current Status and Future Prospects. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2021; 1293:345-358. [PMID: 33398825 DOI: 10.1007/978-981-15-8763-4_22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Nonhuman primates (NHPs) have widely and crucially been utilized as model animals for understanding various higher brain functions and neurological disorders since their behavioral actions mimic both normal and disease states in humans. To know about how such behaviors emerge from the functions and dysfunctions of complex neural networks, it is essential to define the role of a particular pathway or neuron-type constituting these networks. Optogenetics is a potential technique that enables analyses of network functions. However, because of the large size of the NHP brain and the difficulty in creating genetically modified animal models, this technique is currently still hard to apply effectively and efficiently to NHP neuroscience. In this article, we focus on the issues that should be overcome for the development of NHP optogenetics, with special reference to the gene introduction strategy. We review the recent breakthroughs that have been made in NHP optogenetics to address these issues and discuss future prospects regarding more effective and efficient approaches to successful optogenetic manipulation in NHPs.
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Kato S, Kobayashi K. Pseudotyped lentiviral vectors for tract-targeting and application for the functional control of selective neural circuits. J Neurosci Methods 2020; 344:108854. [PMID: 32663549 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2020.108854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2020] [Revised: 07/03/2020] [Accepted: 07/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
A lentiviral vector strategy for efficient gene transfer through retrograde axonal transport provides a powerful approach for studying the neural circuit mechanisms that mediate higher level functions of the central nervous system. Pseudotyping of human immunodeficiency virus type-1 with different types of fusion glycoproteins (FuGs), which are composed of segments of rabies virus glycoprotein (RV-G) and vesicular stomatitis virus glycoprotein (VSV-G), enhances the efficiency of retrograde gene transfer in both rodent and non-human primate brains. These pseudotyped lentiviral vectors are classified into two groups, highly efficient retrograde gene transfer (HiRet) and neuron-specific retrograde gene transfer (NeuRet) vectors, based on their properties of gene transduction. Combinatorial use of the pseudotyped vectors with various molecular tools for manipulating neural circuit functions (such as the cell targeting, synaptic silencing, and optogenetic or chemogenetic approaches) enables us to control the function of specific neural circuits, thus leading to a deeper understanding of the mechanism underlying various nervous system functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shigeki Kato
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan
| | - Kazuto Kobayashi
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan.
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Cushnie AK, El-Nahal HG, Bohlen MO, May PJ, Basso MA, Grimaldi P, Wang MZ, de Velasco Ezequiel MF, Sommer MA, Heilbronner SR. Using rAAV2-retro in rhesus macaques: Promise and caveats for circuit manipulation. J Neurosci Methods 2020; 345:108859. [PMID: 32668316 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2020.108859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2020] [Revised: 07/01/2020] [Accepted: 07/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent genetic technologies such as opto- and chemogenetics allow for the manipulation of brain circuits with unprecedented precision. Most studies employing these techniques have been undertaken in rodents, but a more human-homologous model for studying the brain is the nonhuman primate (NHP). Optimizing viral delivery of transgenes encoding actuator proteins could revolutionize the way we study neuronal circuits in NHPs. NEW METHOD: rAAV2-retro, a popular new capsid variant, produces robust retrograde labeling in rodents. Whether rAAV2-retro's highly efficient retrograde transport would translate to NHPs was unknown. Here, we characterized the anatomical distribution of labeling following injections of rAAV2-retro encoding opsins or DREADDs in the cortico-basal ganglia and oculomotor circuits of rhesus macaques. RESULTS rAAV2-retro injections in striatum, frontal eye field, and superior colliculus produced local labeling at injection sites and robust retrograde labeling in many afferent regions. In every case, however, a few brain regions with well-established projections to the injected structure lacked retrogradely labeled cells. We also observed robust terminal field labeling in downstream structures. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHOD(S) Patterns of labeling were similar to those obtained with traditional tract-tracers, except for some afferent labeling that was noticeably absent. CONCLUSIONS rAAV2-retro promises to be useful for circuit manipulation via retrograde transduction in NHPs, but caveats were revealed by our findings. Some afferently connected regions lacked retrogradely labeled cells, showed robust axon terminal labeling, or both. This highlights the importance of anatomically characterizing rAAV2-retro's expression in target circuits in NHPs before moving to manipulation studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriana K Cushnie
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, United States
| | - Hala G El-Nahal
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, United States
| | - Martin O Bohlen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, United States
| | - Paul J May
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomical Sciences, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, 39216, United States
| | - Michele A Basso
- Fuster Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences and Neurobiology, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, Univ. of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States
| | - Piercesare Grimaldi
- Fuster Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences and Neurobiology, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, Univ. of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States
| | - Maya Zhe Wang
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, United States
| | | | - Marc A Sommer
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, United States; Department of Neurobiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27708, United States; Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, United States
| | - Sarah R Heilbronner
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, United States.
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Maximizing lentiviral vector gene transfer in the CNS. Gene Ther 2020; 28:75-88. [PMID: 32632267 PMCID: PMC7902268 DOI: 10.1038/s41434-020-0172-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2020] [Revised: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 06/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Gene transfer is a widely developed technique for studying and treating genetic diseases. However, the development of therapeutic strategies is challenging, due to the cellular and functional complexity of the central nervous system (CNS), its large size and restricted access. We explored two parameters for improving gene transfer efficacy and capacity for the selective targeting of subpopulations of cells with lentiviral vectors (LVs). We first developed a second-generation LV specifically targeting astrocytes for the efficient expression or silencing of genes of interest, and to better study the importance of cell subpopulations in neurological disorders. We then made use of the retrograde transport properties of a chimeric envelope to target brain circuits affected in CNS diseases and achieve a broad distribution. The combination of retrograde transport and specific tropism displayed by this LV provides opportunities for delivering therapeutic genes to specific cell populations and ensuring high levels of transduction in interconnected brain areas following local administration. This new LV and delivery strategy should be of greater therapeutic benefit and opens up new possibilities for the preclinical development of gene therapy for neurodegenerative diseases.
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A mutant vesicular stomatitis virus with reduced cytotoxicity and enhanced anterograde trans-synaptic efficiency. Mol Brain 2020; 13:45. [PMID: 32197632 PMCID: PMC7085170 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-020-00588-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2020] [Accepted: 03/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the connecting structure of brain network is the basis to reveal the principle of the brain function and elucidate the mechanism of brain diseases. Trans-synaptic tracing with neurotropic viruses has become one of the most effective technologies to dissect the neural circuits. Although the retrograde trans-synaptic tracing for analyzing the input neural networks with recombinant rabies and pseudorabies virus has been broadly applied in neuroscience, viral tools for analyzing the output neural networks are still lacking. The recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) has been used for the mapping of synaptic outputs. However, several drawbacks, including high neurotoxicity and rapid lethality in experimental animals, hinder its application in long-term studies of the structure and function of neural networks. To overcome these limitations, we generated a recombinant VSV with replication-related N gene mutation, VSV-NR7A, and examined its cytotoxicity and efficiency of trans-synaptic spreading. We found that by comparison with the wild-type tracer of VSV, the NR7A mutation endowed the virus lower rate of propagation and cytotoxicity in vitro, as well as significantly reduced neural inflammatory responses in vivo and much longer animal survival when it was injected into the nucleus of the mice brain. Besides, the spreading of the attenuated VSV was delayed when injected into the VTA. Importantly, with the reduced toxicity and extended animal survival, the number of brain regions that was trans-synaptically labeled by the mutant VSV was more than that of the wild-type VSV. These results indicated that the VSV-NR7A, could be a promising anterograde tracer that enables researchers to explore more downstream connections of a given brain region, and observe the anatomical structure and the function of the downstream circuits over a longer time window. Our work could provide an improved tool for structural and functional studies of neurocircuit.
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