Cai, A, Zheng, N, Thompson, GJ, Wu, Y, Nie, B, Lin, K, Su, P, Wu, J, Manyande, Anne ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8257-0722, Zhu, LQ, Wang, J and Xu, F (2021) Longitudinal neural connection detection using a ferritin-encoding adeno-associated virus vector and in vivo MRI method. Human Brain Mapping, 42 (15). pp. 5010-5022. ISSN 1065-9471

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Abstract

The investigation of neural circuits is important for interpreting both healthy brain function and psychiatric disorders. Currently, the architecture of neural circuits is always investigated with fluorescent protein encoding neurotropic virus and ex vivo fluorescent imaging technology. However, it is difficult to obtain a whole-brain neural circuit connection in living animals, due to the limited fluorescent imaging depth. Herein, the non-invasive, whole-brain imaging technique of MRI and the hypotoxicity virus vector AAV (adeno-associated virus) were combined to investigate the whole-brain neural circuits in vivo. AAV2-retro are an artificially-evolved virus vector that permits access to the terminal of neurons and retrograde transport to their cell bodies. By expressing the ferritin protein which could accumulate iron ions and influence the MRI contrast, the neurotropic virus can cause MRI signal changes in the infected regions. For mice injected with the ferritin-encoding virus vector (rAAV2-retro-CAG-Ferritin) in the caudate putamen (CPu), several regions showed significant changes in MRI contrasts, such as PFC (prefrontal cortex), HIP (hippocampus), Ins (insular cortex) and BLA (basolateral amygdala). The expression of ferritin in those regions were also verified with ex vivo fluorescence imaging. In addition, we demonstrated that changes in T2 relaxation time could be used to identify the spread area of the virus in the brain over time. Thus, the neural connections could be longitudinally detected with the in vivo MRI method. This novel technique could be utilized to observe the viral infection long-term and detect the neural circuits in a living animal.
Keywords: Neural circuit; Ferritin; In vivo MRI; rAAV2-retro; Immunohistochemistry.

Item Type:	Article
Identifier:	10.1002/hbm.25596
Additional Information:	Gold OA - Read and Publish
Keywords:	Neural circuit; Ferritin; In vivo MRI; rAAV2-retro; Immunohistochemistry
Subjects:	Medicine and health > Health promotion and public health > Infection prevention Medicine and health > Clinical medicine Medicine and health
Depositing User:	Anne Manyande
Date Deposited:	06 Jul 2021 12:28
Last Modified:	04 Nov 2024 11:24
URI:	https://repository.uwl.ac.uk/id/eprint/8050

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