title: WGA-Alexa Conjugates for Axonal Tracing.
abstract: Anatomical labeling approaches are essential for understanding brain organization. Among these approaches are various methods of performing tract tracing. However, a major hurdle to overcome when marking neurons in vivo is visibility. Poor visibility makes it challenging to image a desired neuronal pathway so that it can be easily differentiated from a closely neighboring pathway. As a result, it becomes impossible to analyze individual projections or their connections. The tracer that is chosen for a given purpose has a major influence on the quality of the tracing. Here, we describe the wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) tracer conjugated to Alexa fluorophores for reliable high-resolution tracing of central nervous system projections. Using the mouse cerebellum as a model system, we implement WGA-Alexa tracing for marking and mapping neural circuits that control motor function. We also show its utility for marking localized regions of the cerebellum after performing single-unit extracellular recordings in vivo. © 2017 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.|Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Sabrina L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Levy
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.|Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas.|Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Joshua J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: White
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.|Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas.|Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Elizabeth P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Lackey
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.|Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Lindsey
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Schwartz
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.|Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas.|Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.|Program in Developmental Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Roy V
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: Sillitoe
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000378:metabolism*; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000473:pathology; D056347:Neuroanatomical Tract-Tracing Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D014909:Wheat Germ Agglutinins / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014909:Wheat Germ Agglutinins
keywords: WGA-Alexa; cerebellum; circuit tracing; connectivity; topography