Mapping sensory circuits by anterograde transsynaptic transfer of recombinant rabies virus.
Primary sensory neurons convey information from the external world to relay circuits within the CNS, but the identity and organization of the neurons that process incoming sensory information remains sketchy. Within the CNS, viral tracing techniques that rely on retrograde transsynaptic transfer provide a powerful tool for delineating circuit organization. Viral tracing of the circuits engaged by primary sensory neurons has, however, been hampered by the absence of a genetically tractable anterograde transfer system. In this study, we demonstrate that rabies virus can infect sensory neurons in the somatosensory system, is subject to anterograde transsynaptic transfer from primary sensory to spinal target neurons, and can delineate output connectivity with third-order neurons. Anterograde transsynaptic transfer is a feature shared by other classes of primary sensory neurons, permitting the identification and potentially the manipulation of neural circuits processing sensory feedback within the mammalian CNS.
Departments of Neuroscience and Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Kavli Institute for Brain Science, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032 USA.
Niccolò
N
Zampieri
Departments of Neuroscience and Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Kavli Institute for Brain Science, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032 USA. Electronic address: tmj1@columbia.edu.
Thomas M
TM
Jessell
Departments of Neuroscience and Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Kavli Institute for Brain Science, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032 USA.
Andrew J
AJ
Murray
D000818:Animals; D001370:Axonal Transport / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology*; D009475:Neurons, Afferent / Q000821:virology*; D011820:Rabies virus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D013569:Synapses / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology*