C fragment of tetanus toxin hybrid proteins evaluated for muscle-specific transsynaptic mapping of spinal motor circuitry in the newborn mouse.
We investigated whether the non-toxic C fragment of tetanus toxin (TTC) fused to either beta-galactosidase or green fluorescent protein could be utilized to transsynaptically trace muscle-specific spinal circuitry in the neonatal mouse after i.m. injection into a single hindlimb muscle. We found that even with careful low volume injection (0.2-1.0 microl) into a single muscle (medial gastrocnemius), the TTC hybrid proteins spread rapidly to many other hindlimb muscles and to trunk musculature such that retrograde labeling of motoneurons could not be constrained to a single motoneuron pool. Retrogradely labeled motoneurons in the lower lumbar segments harboring the medial gastrocnemius motoneuron pool were first observed two hours after the medial gastrocnemius injection. Within the next 10 h, additional lumbar and lower thoracic motoneurons became labeled, and punctate labeling in the neuropil surrounding the motoneurons appeared. Many of the TTC hybrid protein-labeled puncta in the neuropil co-localized synaptotagmin, indicating that they represent presynaptic axon terminals onto motoneurons. Although this is consistent with retrograde transsynaptic passage, we found no evidence that the TTC hybrid proteins were transported further along premotor axons to label interneuron somata. The i.m. TTC injection procedure described here therefore provides an important tool for the study of presynaptic terminals onto motoneurons. However, additional technical modifications will be required to utilize TTC tracers for transsynaptic mapping of muscle-specific spinal motor circuitry in the neonatal mouse. We provide here a set of criteria for assessing the i.m. delivery of TTC tracers as a basis for future improvements in this technique.
Perreault
M-C
MC
Department of Physiology, University of Oslo, Domus Medica, Sognsvannsveien 9, POB 1103 Blindern, N-0317 Oslo, Norway. Electronic address: m.c.perreault@basalmed.uio.no.
Pastor-Bernier
A
A
Department of Physiology, University of Oslo, Domus Medica, Sognsvannsveien 9, POB 1103 Blindern, N-0317 Oslo, Norway.
Renaud
J-S
JS
Department of Physiology, University of Oslo, Domus Medica, Sognsvannsveien 9, POB 1103 Blindern, N-0317 Oslo, Norway.
Roux
S
S
Unité d'Embryologie Moléculaire, Institut Pasteur, Unités de Recherche Associées 2578, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, 25 rue du Dr roux, 75724 Paris, France.
Glover
J C
JC
Department of Physiology, University of Oslo, Domus Medica, Sognsvannsveien 9, POB 1103 Blindern, N-0317 Oslo, Norway.
D000122:Acetylthiocholine / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001370:Axonal Transport / Q000502:physiology; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000379:methods; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular / Q000379:methods; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000166:cytology*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009469:Neuromuscular Junction / Q000378:metabolism; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000378:metabolism*; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology; D050857:Synaptotagmins / Q000378:metabolism; D013744:Tetanus Toxin / Q000378:metabolism*; D013997:Time Factors; D001616:beta-Galactosidase / Q000378:metabolism
D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D013744:Tetanus Toxin; C040635:tetanus toxin fragment C; D050857:Synaptotagmins; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D000122:Acetylthiocholine; D001616:beta-Galactosidase