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Rabies virus (RABV) is an enveloped, negative-sense, single-stranded RNA virus. It is approximately 75 nm in diameter and 180 nm in length. It is bullet-shaped, has a genome of ~12 kb, and is highly neurotropic. RABV and other rabies viruses enter the nervous system through the synapses of peripheral neurons. Following receptor-mediated endocytosis, virions reside in endosomal vesicles and hijack the retrograde axonal transport machinery to reach the neuronal body, where viral ribonucleoproteins (RNPs) are released into the cytoplasm for viral gene expression and replication. The newly formed virions are subsequently transported to the postsynaptic membrane and then spread across the synapse to connected neurons. Prolonged replication of pathogenic RABV in the brain eventually leads to the development of progressive rabies encephalitis and invariably fatal disease progression.
RABVs are ideal viruses for mapping neuronal connectivity due to their transsynaptic spreading properties, allowing even attenuated forms of RABV to enter axonal transport pathways. In fact, RABV has been successfully used as a transneuronal tracer in mice, rats, guinea pigs, and monkeys. It has been modified by deleting the envelope glycoprotein gene (RABV-ΔG) to make it safer for laboratory applications and then used after further modification as a tracer for retrograde infection of projection neurons via axon terminals, targeted infection of genetically specified neurons, or trans-monosynaptic tracing of direct input neurons. For example, recombinant RABV-ΔG can express exogenous genes in large quantities over a short period and can be used to depict the fine structure of neurons projecting to the injection site and monitor Ca2+ activity in specific input circuits.
Figure 1. Novel rabies virus variant for anterograde tracing of neuronal morphology. (Haberl M G, et al. 2015)
Neuronal connections at different synapses form the complex activities of the brain. Therefore, developing technologies to dissect brain circuits has become imperative for neuroscience to understand brain functions. Genetically engineered recombinant viral vectors have become powerful tools for visualizing neural connectivity due to their ability to efficiently enter cells and deliver various genes. Creative Biogene offers a variety of RABV-derived neuronal tracing tools. These vectors have higher efficiency, specificity, and the ability to visualize complex neural connections across multiple synaptic steps. Our advanced neuronal tracing tools are designed to provide unparalleled insights into brain circuits, overcome the limitations of traditional tracers, and harness the power of recombinant viral vectors for precise cell-specific neuronal mapping.
| Cat.NO. | Product Name | Application | Price |
| VNTR-1 | RABV-ENVA-ΔG-EGFP | Retrograde monosynaptic tracing when used with helper virus | Inquiry |
| VNTR-2 | RABV-ENVA-ΔG-DsRed | Retrograde monosynaptic tracing when used with helper virus | Inquiry |
| VNTR-3 | RABV-ENVA-ΔG-mCherry | Retrograde monosynaptic tracing when used with helper virus | Inquiry |
| VNTR-4 | RABV-ENVA-ΔG-GCaMP6s-DsRed | Retrograde monosynaptic tracing when used with helper virus | Inquiry |
| VNTR-5 | RABV-N2C(G)-ΔG-EGFP | Retrograde non-synaptic tracing | Inquiry |
| VNTR-6 | RABV-N2C(G)-ΔG-mCherry | Retrograde non-synaptic tracing | Inquiry |
| VNTR-7 | RABV-CVS-ENVA-ΔG-EGFP | Retrograde monosynaptic tracing when used with helper virus | Inquiry |
| VNTR-8 | RABV-CVS-ENVA-ΔG-Tdtomato | Retrograde monosynaptic tracing when used with helper virus | Inquiry |
| VNTR-9 | RABV-CVS-ENVA-ΔG-mCherry-2a-Cre | Retrograde monosynaptic tracing when used with helper virus | Inquiry |
| VNTR-10 | RABV-CVS-N2c-ΔG-EGFP | Retrograde non-synaptic tracing | Inquiry |
| VNTR-11 | RABV-CVS-N2c-ΔG-tdTomato | Retrograde non-synaptic tracing | Inquiry |
| VNTR-12 | RABV-CVS-N2c-ΔG-mCherry-2a-FlpO | Retrograde non-synaptic tracing | Inquiry |
| VNTR-13 | RABV-CVS-N2c-ΔG-mCherry-2a-Cre | Retrograde non-synaptic tracing | Inquiry |
| VNTR-14 | RABV-CVS-N2c-ΔG-hChR2-mCherry | Retrograde non-synaptic tracing | Inquiry |
Rabies virus (RABV) has become a valuable tool for neuronal tracing, with several key applications in neuroscience research:
(1) Retrograde tracing system: The retrograde tracing system of RABV has been effectively used as a tracer for retrograde infection of projection neurons. This is achieved through the axon terminals of neurons, allowing researchers to trace neuronal connections back to their source.
(2) Retrograde trans-monosynaptic system: This system has been widely used to map the input network of a specific type of neuron. By using the retrograde trans-monosynaptic tracing method, scientists can identify and analyze direct synaptic inputs to specific neurons, providing insights into the functional organization and connectivity of neural circuits.
(3) Monitoring neural activity: By employing N2cG-coated CVS-N2c-ΔG carrying opsins such as ChR2 (channelrhodopsin-2) or calcium indicators such as GCaMP, researchers can monitor neural activity of projection neurons.
RABV-derived vectors have great potential in basic research and gene therapy for neurological diseases. Creative Biogene can also provide customized RABV-derived vectors to customers all over the world. If you are interested in our services and products, please feel free to contact us for more details.
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