Comparison of transduction efficiency of recombinant AAV serotypes 1, 2, 5, and 8 in the rat nigrostriatal system.
Enhanced delivery and expression of genes in specific neuronal systems is critical for the development of genetic models of neurodegenerative disease and potential gene therapy. Recent discovery of new recombinant adeno-associated viral (rAAV) capsid serotypes has resulted in improved transduction efficiency, but expression levels, spread of transgene, and potential toxicity can differ depending on brain region and among species. We compared the transduction efficiency of titer-matched rAAV 2/1, 2/5, and 2/8 to the commonly used rAAV2/2 in the rat nigrostriatal system via expression of the reporter transgene, enhanced green fluorescent protein. Newer rAAV serotypes 2/1, 2/5, and 2/8 demonstrated marked increase in transduction and spread of enhanced green fluorescent protein expression in dopaminergic nigrostriatal neurons and projections to the striatum and globus pallidus compared to rAAV2/2 at 2 weeks post-injection. The number of nigral cells transduced was greatest for rAAV2/1, but for serotypes 2/5 and 2/8 was still two- to threefold higher than that for 2/2. Enhanced transduction did not cause an increase in glial cell response or toxicity. New rAAV serotypes thus promise improved gene delivery to nigrostriatal system with the potential for better models and therapeutics for Parkinson disease and other neurodegenerative disorders.
McFarland
Nikolaus R
NR
MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease (MIND), Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129-4404, USA. nmcfarland@partners.org
Lee
Jeng-Shin
JS
Hyman
Bradley T
BT
McLean
Pamela J
PJ
D000256:Adenoviridae / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics*; D000818:Animals; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000502:physiology; D005822:Genetic Vectors / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D007249:Inflammation / Q000821:virology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D012703:Serotyping; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000821:virology; D014161:Transduction, Genetic / Q000379:methods*; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; C485184:enhanced green fluorescent protein; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase