Name: intracerebroventricular viral injection of the neonatal mouse brain for persistent and widespread neuronal transduction
Uploaded: 2014-09-15T14:00:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Intracerebroventricular Viral Injection of the Neonatal Mouse Brain for Persistent and Widespread Neuronal Transduction at JoVE.com

This research was supported by the Robert A. and Rene E. Belfer Family Foundation, NIA R21 AG038856 (JLJ), BrightFocus Foundation Alzheimer&#8217;s Disease research grant A2010097 (JLJ), and NIA Biology of Aging Training grant T32 AG000183 (support for SDG).

Perform all procedures and protocols involving animals in accordance with the National Institutes of Health Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. The procedures described here were reviewed and approved by the Baylor College of Medicine Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee.
Replication-incompetent adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors for transgene delivery in the rodent brain are approved for Biosafety Level 1 use. Refer to the CDC website for the US Government publication &...

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We have described a versatile procedure for manipulating neuronal gene expression using AAV as a vehicle for widespread delivery into the neonatal mouse brain. Compared with other methods of neuronal transgenesis such as in utero electroporation1 or stereotaxic intracranial injection2,3, neonatal viral injection is relatively easy and simple. The basic procedure can be performed in minutes with only an ice bucket and a microliter syringe. Optimal survival and transgene expression can be attained by ...

Traditional methods for modifying neural gene expression require time-consuming and expensive germline manipulations. Alternative de novo approaches such as in utero electroporation or stereotaxic lentiviral injection yield faster results and are less costly but have the disadvantage of requiring complex surgical intervention1-3. Furthermore, transgene expression has a limited spatial range with these methods. Herein, we describe a fast, easy, and economical method for widespread neuronal manipulation via intraventricular injection of adeno-associated virus (AAV) into the neonatal mouse brain. The method was first described by John Wolfe and Marco Passini in 2001, where they suggested small particle size of AAV allowed it to diffuse within the cerebral spinal fluid as it passes from the lateral ventricles through the immature ependymal barrier and into the brain parenchyma4,5. Intraventricular injection of AAV within the first 24 hr after birth yields widespread viral transduction of neural subsets spanning every region of the brain, from the olfactory bulbs to the brain stem6,7. Virally-delivered transgenes are expressed and active within days of injection and persist for up to a year after transduction. Thus, this versatile manipulation enables studies ranging from early postnatal brain development to aging and degeneration in the adult.
In adapting the technique to our specific experimental needs, we have focused primarily on AAV8 serotype because it is the most efficient at transducing neurons6. We show that viral titer can be diluted to control the density of transduced neurons for experiments testing cell-intrinsic consequences of genetic manipulation. In addition, we demonstrate that two viruses could be co-injected to produce expression patterns that are biased towards distinct or overlapping sets of neurons, depending on the serotypes chosen for viral packaging. Our work expands the versatility of this technique for use in a broad range of experimental neuroscience settings.

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			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:189px;">Name of Material/ Equipment</td>
			<td style="width:89px;">Company</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">Catalog Number</td>
			<td style="width:167px;">Comments/Description</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:189px;">ICR outbred mice</td>
			<td style="width:89px;">Harlan</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">Hsd:ICR (CD-1)</td>
			<td style="width:167px;">This strain is also known as CD-1</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:189px;">FVB inbred mice</td>
			<td style="width:89px;">The Jackson Laboratory</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">1800</td>
			<td style="width:167px;">5-6 weeks of age</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:189px;">Nestlets</td>
			<td style="width:89px;">Lab Supply</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">NESTLETS</td>
			<td style="width:167px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:189px;">Shepherd shacks</td>
			<td style="width:89px;">Lab Supply</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">SS-mouse</td>
			<td style="width:167px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:189px;">High fat rodent chow</td>
			<td style="width:89px;">Purina Mills</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">PicoLab Mouse diet 20, #5058</td>
			<td style="width:167px;">This is our standard breeder chow</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="84">
			<td height="84" style="height:84px;width:189px;">High fat rodent chow (alternative)</td>
			<td style="width:89px;">Harlan Laboratories</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">Teklad Global 19% protein rodent diet #2019S</td>
			<td style="width:167px;">If low phytoestrogen, autoclavable diet is needed</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:189px;">Injection syringe</td>
			<td style="width:89px;">Hamilton</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">7653-01</td>
			<td style="width:167px;">10 ml syringe</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:189px;">Injection needles</td>
			<td style="width:89px;">Hamilton</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">7803-04, RN 6PK PT4</td>
			<td style="width:167px;">32 gauge, for standard P0 injections</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="126">
			<td height="126" style="height:126px;width:189px;">Metal plate for cryoanesthesia</td>
			<td style="width:89px;">McMaster Carr</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">8975K439</td>
			<td style="width:167px;">Raw aluminum plate, 6&#8221; x 12&#8221;, 0.25&#8221; thick, will need to be cut into 3 equal pieces and edges sanded by local machine shop</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:189px;">Small animal stereotaxic device with digital readout</td>
			<td style="width:89px;">David Kopf Instruments</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">Model 940</td>
			<td style="width:167px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:189px;">Universal syringe holder with needle support foot</td>
			<td style="width:89px;">David Kopf Instruments</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">Model 1772-F1</td>
			<td style="width:167px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:189px;">Neonatal frame</td>
			<td style="width:89px;">Stoelting</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">51625</td>
			<td style="width:167px;">Officially called a mouse and neonatal rat adaptor</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="126">
			<td height="126" style="height:126px;width:189px;">Biohazard disposal bags with sterile indicator</td>
			<td style="width:89px;">VWR</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">14220-030</td>
			<td style="width:167px;">Important! &#8211; Check with local veterinary and environmental safety staff to learn your institute&#8217;s protocol for biohazard waste disposal</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

intracerebroventricular viral injection of the neonatal mouse brain for persistent and widespread neuronal transduction

With the pace of scientific advancement accelerating rapidly, new methods are needed for experimental neuroscience to quickly and easily manipulate gene expression in the mouse brain. Here we describe a technique first introduced by Passini and Wolfe for direct intracranial delivery of virally-encoded transgenes into the neonatal mouse brain. In its most basic form, the procedure requires only an ice bucket and a microliter syringe. However, the protocol can also be adapted for use with stereotaxic frames to improve consistency for researchers new to the technique. The method relies on the ability of adeno-associated virus (AAV) to move freely from the cerebral ventricles into the brain parenchyma while the ependymal lining is still immature during the first 12-24 hr after birth. Intraventricular injection of AAV at this age results in widespread transduction of neurons throughout the brain. Expression begins within days of injection and persists for the lifetime of the animal. Viral titer can be adjusted to control the density of transduced neurons, while co-expression of a fluorescent protein provides a vital label of transduced cells. With the rising availability of viral core facilities to provide both off-the-shelf, pre-packaged reagents and custom viral preparation, this approach offers a timely method for manipulating gene expression in the mouse brain that is fast, easy, and far less expensive than traditional germline engineering.

Successful intraventricular viral injection yields widespread and robust neuronal expression. Here we evaluated viral transduction using YFP or tdTomato fluorescent genes under the control of chicken beta actin promoter (CBA promoter). These constructs were packaged into AAV8 and injected into the lateral ventricles of neonatal (P0) ICR mice. High viral titers (1010 particles per hemisphere) resulted in dense labeling of the olfactory bulb, striatum, cerebral cortex, hippocampus and cerebellum (Figure ...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Intracerebroventricular Viral Injection of the Neonatal Mouse Brain for Persistent and Widespread Neuronal Transduction at JoVE.com

Intracerebroventricular Viral Injection of the Neonatal Mouse Brain for Persistent and Widespread Neuronal Transduction

Here we demonstrate a technique for widespread neuronal transduction by intraventricular injection of adeno-associated virus into the neonatal mouse brain. This method provides a rapid and easy way to attain lifelong expression of virally-delivered transgenes.

With the pace of scientific advancement accelerating rapidly, new methods are needed for experimental neuroscience to quickly and easily manipulate gene ...

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