Adeno-associated viral tools to trace neural development and connectivity across amphibians
Amphibians, by virtue of their phylogenetic position, provide invaluable insights on nervous system evolution, development, and remodeling. The genetic toolkit for amphibians, however, remains limited. Recombinant adeno-associated viral vectors (AAVs) are a powerful alternative to transgenesis for labeling and manipulating neurons. Although successful in mammals, AAVs have never been shown to transduce amphibian cells efficiently. We screened AAVs in three amphibian species-the frogs Xenopus laevis and Pelophylax bedriagae and the salamander Pleurodeles waltl-and identified at least two AAV serotypes per species that transduce neurons. In developing amphibians, AAVs labeled groups of neurons generated at the same time during development. In the mature brain, AAVrg retrogradely traced long-range projections. Our study introduces AAVs as a tool for amphibian research, establishes a generalizable workflow for AAV screening in new species, and expands opportunities for cross-species comparisons of nervous system development, function, and evolution.
Authors
- Francesca Barbieri (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9788-9456)
- Timothy F. Shay (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6591-3271)
- Darcy B. Kelley (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4736-4939)
- Jamie Woych (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3922-6264)
- Arik Shvartsman (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4695-2472)
- Mark Shein‐Idelson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8132-2826)
- Hollis T. Cline (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4887-9603)
- F. Toma (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-3473-2968)
- Astrid Deryckere (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6227-7759)
- Lora B. Sweeney (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9242-5601)
- Eliza C.B. Jaeger (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3708-7923)
- Alonso Ortega Gurrola (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9223-7897)
- Rebecca C. Arnold (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8714-8347)
- Ayako Yamaguchi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5653-1041)
- Maria Antonietta Tosches (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6338-9357)
- David Vijatovic (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5494-0941)
- Georgiy Ivanian (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-3999-3735)
- Nikol Zorin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-8634-8211)
- Akemi L. Nguyen
Institutions
- California Institute of Technology (US)
- Scripps Research Institute (US)
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria (AT)
- Tel Aviv University (IL)
- University of Utah (US)
- Columbia University (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Developmental Cell
- Published
- 2024-11-26
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.devcel.2024.10.025
- Citations
- 11
- Primary Topic
- Virology and Viral Diseases
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 4.25
Funders
- National Science Foundation
- Rita Allen Foundation
- European Molecular Biology Organization
- United States - Israel Binational Science Foundation
- California Institute of Technology
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria
- Gesellschaft für Forschungsförderung Niederösterreich
- Austrian Science Fund
- Karolinska Institutet
- HORIZON EUROPE Framework Programme
- National Institute of General Medical Sciences
- HORIZON EUROPE European Research Council