[HTML][HTML] Monosynaptic restriction of transsynaptic tracing from single, genetically targeted neurons

IR Wickersham, DC Lyon, RJO Barnard, T Mori, S Finke… - Neuron, 2007 - cell.com
IR Wickersham, DC Lyon, RJO Barnard, T Mori, S Finke, KK Conzelmann, JAT Young…
Neuron, 2007cell.com
There has never been a wholesale way of identifying neurons that are monosynaptically
connected either to some other cell group or, especially, to a single cell. The best available
tools, transsynaptic tracers, are unable to distinguish weak direct connections from strong
indirect ones. Furthermore, no tracer has proven potent enough to label any connected
neurons whatsoever when starting from a single cell. Here we present a transsynaptic tracer
that crosses only one synaptic step, unambiguously identifying cells directly presynaptic to …
Summary
There has never been a wholesale way of identifying neurons that are monosynaptically connected either to some other cell group or, especially, to a single cell. The best available tools, transsynaptic tracers, are unable to distinguish weak direct connections from strong indirect ones. Furthermore, no tracer has proven potent enough to label any connected neurons whatsoever when starting from a single cell. Here we present a transsynaptic tracer that crosses only one synaptic step, unambiguously identifying cells directly presynaptic to the starting population. Based on rabies virus, it is genetically targetable, allows high-level expression of any gene of interest in the synaptically coupled neurons, and robustly labels connections made to single cells. This technology should enable a far more detailed understanding of neural connectivity than has previously been possible.
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