Open AccessTransneuronal Circuit Analysis with Pseudorabies Viruses
Author(s) -
Card J. Patrick,
Enquist Lynn W.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
current protocols in neuroscience
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.307
H-Index - 40
eISSN - 1934-8576
pISSN - 1934-8584
DOI - 10.1002/0471142301.ns0105s68
Subject(s) - pseudorabies , neuroscience , biology , function (biology) , virus , genome , virus classification , biological neural network , tracing , computational biology , virology , computer science , gene , genetics , operating system
Our ability to understand the function of the nervous system is dependent upon defining the connections of its constituent neurons. Development of methods to define connections within neural networks has always been a growth industry in the neurosciences. Transneuronal spread of neurotropic viruses currently represents the best means of defining synaptic connections within neural networks. The method exploits the ability of viruses to invade neurons, replicate, and spread through the intimate synaptic connections that enable communication among neurons. Since the method was first introduced in the 1970s, it has benefited from an increased understanding of the virus life cycle, the function of viral genome, and the ability to manipulate the viral genome in support of directional spread of virus and the expression of transgenes. In this unit, we review these advances in viral tracing technology and the way in which they may be applied for functional dissection of neural networks. Curr. Protoc. Neurosci . 68:1.5.1‐1.5.39. © 2014 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.