title: Avian sarcoma leukosis virus receptor-envelope system for simultaneous dissection of multiple neural circuits in mammalian brain.
abstract: Pathway-specific gene delivery is requisite for understanding complex neuronal systems in which neurons that project to different target regions are locally intermingled. However, conventional genetic tools cannot achieve simultaneous, independent gene delivery into multiple target cells with high efficiency and low cross-reactivity. In this study, we systematically screened all receptor-envelope pairs resulting from the combination of four avian sarcoma leukosis virus (ASLV) envelopes (EnvA, EnvB, EnvC, and EnvE) and five engineered avian-derived receptors (TVA950, TVB(S3), TVC, TVB(T), and DR-46TVB) in vitro. Four of the 20 pairs exhibited both high infection rates (TVA-EnvA, 99.6%; TVB(S3)-EnvB, 97.7%; TVC-EnvC, 98.2%; and DR-46TVB-EnvE, 98.8%) and low cross-reactivity (<2.5%). Next, we tested these four receptor-envelope pairs in vivo in a pathway-specific gene-transfer method. Neurons projecting into a limited somatosensory area were labeled with each receptor by retrograde gene transfer. Three of the four pairs exhibited selective transduction into thalamocortical neurons expressing the paired receptor (>98%), with no observed cross-reaction. Finally, by expressing three receptor types in a single animal, we achieved pathway-specific, differential fluorescent labeling of three thalamic neuronal populations, each projecting into different somatosensory areas. Thus, we identified three orthogonal pairs from the list of ASLV subgroups and established a new vector system that provides a simultaneous, independent, and highly specific genetic tool for transferring genes into multiple target cells in vivo. Our approach is broadly applicable to pathway-specific labeling and functional analysis of diverse neuronal systems.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, University of Tokyo School of Medicine, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan;
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matsuyama
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, University of Tokyo School of Medicine, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan;
authors.forename: Yohei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ohashi
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, University of Tokyo School of Medicine, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan;
authors.forename: Tadashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tsubota
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, University of Tokyo School of Medicine, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan;
authors.forename: Masae
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yaguchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan;
authors.forename: Shigeki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan;
authors.forename: Kazuto
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, University of Tokyo School of Medicine, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan; Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012, Japan yasushi_miyashita@m.u-tokyo.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Yasushi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Miyashita
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001358:Avian Sarcoma Viruses / Q000235:genetics*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D005818:Genetic Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D057809:HEK293 Cells; D006801:Humans; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000166:cytology*; D051381:Rats; D011991:Receptors, Virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D011991:Receptors, Virus; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins
keywords: avian sarcoma leukosis virus; pathway-specific gene transfer; pseudotyped lentiviral vector