Adeno-associated Virus-mediated Transgene Expression in Genetically Defined Neurons of the Spinal Cord

Summary

Intraspinal injection of recombinase dependent recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) can be used to manipulate any genetically labelled cell type in the spinal cord. Here we describe how to transduce neurons in the dorsal horn of the lumbar spinal cord. This technique enables functional interrogation of the manipulated neuron subtype.

Abstract

Selective manipulation of spinal neuronal subpopulations has mainly been achieved by two different methods: 1) Intersectional genetics, whereby double or triple transgenic mice are generated in order to achieve selective expression of a reporter or effector gene (e.g., from the Rosa26 locus) in the desired spinal population. 2) Intraspinal injection of Cre-dependent recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV); here Cre-dependent AAV vectors coding for the reporter or effector gene of choice are injected into the spinal cord of mice expressing Cre recombinase in the desired neuronal subpopulation. This protocol describes how to generate Cre-dependent rAAV vectors and how to transduce neurons in the dorsal horn of the lumbar spinal cord segments L3-L5 with rAAVs. As the lumbar spinal segments L3-L5 are innervated by those peripheral sensory neurons that transmit sensory information from the hindlimbs, spontaneous behavior and responses to sensory tests applied to the hindlimb ipsilateral to the injection side can be analyzed in order to interrogate the function of the manipulated neurons in sensory processing. We provide examples of how this technique can be used to analyze genetically defined subsets of spinal neurons. The main advantages of virus-mediated transgene expression in Cre transgenic mice compared to classical reporter mouse-induced transgene expression are the following: 1) Different Cre-dependent rAAVs encoding various reporter or effector proteins can be injected into a single Cre transgenic line, thus overcoming the need to create several multiple transgenic mouse lines. 2) Intraspinal injection limits manipulation of Cre-expressing cells to the injection site and to the time after injection. The main disadvantages are: 1) Reporter gene expression from rAAVs is more variable. 2) Surgery is required to transduce the spinal neurons of interest. Which of the two methods is more appropriate depends on the neuron population and research question to be addressed.

Introduction

The dorsal spinal cord is essential for information exchange between the periphery of the body and the brain. Sensory stimuli such as heat, cold, touch, or noxious stimuli are detected by specialized peripheral neurons, which convey this information to neurons of the spinal cord dorsal horn. Here, a complex network of inhibitory and excitatory interneurons modulates and eventually relays sensory information via spinal projection neurons to supraspinal sites^1,2. The computations carried out by spinal inter- and projection neurons gate sensory information, thus determining which information is suppressed or rela....

Protocol

All animal experiments were approved by the Swiss cantonal veterinary office (Zurich) and are in accordance and compliance with all relevant regulatory and institutional guidelines.

NOTE: All materials along with respective manufacturers and/or vendors are listed in the Table of Materials.

1. Generation of Cre-dependent AAV Vectors

NOTE: A variety of Cre-dependent vectors with different promoters can be purchased (see Table of Materials) or, if the desired expression construct is not available, it can be generated by modifying existing AAV constructs. No....

Results

In order to illustrate the expression levels that can be obtained by the intraspinal injection of rAAV encoding a marker protein, we first injected AAV1.CAG.eGFP into the lumbar spinal cord of wild-type mice. Three injections spaced approximately 1 mm apart produced a nearly continuous infection of lumbar spinal segments L3 to L5 (Figure 1A-C). Virus injection at a depth of 300 µm from the spinal surface leads to predominant infection of.......

Discussion

Intraspinal injection of AAVs may become a powerful technique in a research laboratory, enabling the analysis of spinal cells with a high temporal and spatial solution. This protocol enables the transduction of the three main spinal segments innervated by sensory neurons extending their peripheral axons to the hindlimb. Transducing three segments produces robust and reproducible behavioral data. It also enables testing of a larger sensory area than possible after a single intraspinal injection. For example, the same inje.......

Materials

List of materials used in this article

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
Equipment
micropipette puller: DMZ-Universal-Electrode-Puller	Zeitz	NA
anesthesia unit: Oxymat3 oxygen concentrator	Weinmann	NA
anesthesia unit: VIP 3000 Veterinary Vaporizer	Midmark	NA
Heat mat: Mio Star Thermocare 100	Migros	717614700000
Electric shaver	Philips	BT9290
surgical microscope (OPMI pico)	Zeiss	NA
Small animal stereotaxic apparatus	Kopf	NA
Neurostar StereoDrive (optional)	Neurostar	NA
Model 51690 Cunningham mouse spinal adaptor	Harvard Apparatus	72-4811
PHD Ultra syringe pump with nanomite	Harvard Apparatus	70-3601
Hamilton 701 RN 10 μl glass microliter syringe	Hamilton	7635-01
Hamilton Removable needle (RN) compression fitting 1 mm	Hamilton	55750-01
fine dentistry drilling apparatus: Osada success 40	Osada	OS-40
spherical cutter, 0.5mm	Busch	12001005B
electronic von Frey anesthesiometer	IITC	23905
flexible von Frey hairs	IITC	#7
LSM710 Pascal confocal microscope	Zeiss	NA
0.8 NA × 20 Plan-apochromat objective	Zeiss	NA
1.3 NA × 40 EC Plan-Neofluar oil-immersion objective	Zeiss	NA
Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
Surgical Tools
Scalpel Handle #4, 13cm	Fine Science Tools	10004-13
Extra Fine Bonn Scissors	Fine Science Tools	14084-08
Adson forceps, 1 x 2 teeth, 12 cm	Fine Science Tools	11027-12
Friedman-Pearson rongeurs, curved, 0.7 mm cup	Fine Science Tools	16121-14
Dumont #2 laminectomy forceps	Fine Science Tools	11223-20
Olsen-Hegar needle holders, serrated, 8.5 mm clamp length	Fine Science Tools	12002-12
Fine forceps #5	Fine Science Tools	11254-20
Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
Consumables and Chemicals
Thin-wall glass capillary, 1mm outside diameter	World Precision Instruments	TW 100-3
Syringes (1, 5 and 20 ml)	B. Braun	(9166917V, 4606051V, 4606205V)
26G beveled needle	B. Braun	4665457
Sterile scalpel blades	B. Braun	BB523
Surgical sutures Safil Quick+ 4/0, absorbable	B. Braun	C1046220
Surgical sutures Premilene 5/0, non-absorbable	B. Braun	C0932191
Sterile PBS or saline (0.9%)		NA
Ethanol, 70% (disinfectant)		NA
Iodine solution (e.g. Braunol)	B. Braun	18380
Anaesthetics (e.g. Attane isoflurane)	Provet	2222
Aldasorber	Provet	333526
analgesics (e.g. buprenorphine: temgesic)	Indivior	GTIN: 7680419310018
Ophthalmic ointment (e.g. vita-pos)	Pharma medica	GTIN: 4031626710635
Cotton swabs (e.g. from)	IVF Hartmann	1628100
Facial tissues (e.g. from)	Uehlinger AG	2015.10018
Superfrost plus microscope slides	ThermoScientific	J1800AMNZ
Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
Mice
C57BL/6J mice (wildtype)	The Jackson Laboratory	RRID:IMSR_JAX:000664
Rorbtm1.1(cre)Hze/J mice (RORβCre)	The Jackson Laboratory	RRID:IMSR_JAX:023526
Gt(ROSA)26Sortm14(CAG-tdTomato)Hze/J mice (R26Tom)	The Jackson Laboratory	RRID: IMSR_JAX:007914
Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
Viral vectors
AAV1.CB7.CI.eGFP.WPRE.rBG (AAV1.CAG.eGFP)	Penn Vector Core	AV-1-PV1963
AAV1.CAG.flex.eGFP.WPRE.bGH (AAV1.CAG.flex.eGFP)	Penn Vector Core	AV-1-ALL854
AAV1.CAG.flex.tdTomato.WPRE .bGH (AAV1.CAG.flex.tdTomato)	Penn Vector Core	AV-1-ALL864
AAV1.EF1a.flex.DTA.hGH (AAV1.EF1a.flex.DTA)	Penn Vector Core	Custom production
AAV1.hSyn.DIO.hM3D(Gq)-mCherry.hGH (AAV.flex.hM3D(Gi))	Penn Vector Core	Custom production
Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
Plasmids
pAAV.hSyn.flex.hM3D(Gq)-mCherry	Addgene	44361
pAAV.EF1α.flex.hChR2(H134R)-eYFP	Addgene	20298
Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
Bacteria
MDS42	ScarabGenomics
Stbl3	ThermoScientific	C737303
Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
Reagents
EndoFree Plasmid Maxi Kit	Quiagen	12362
NucleoBond PC 500	Machery & Nagel	740574
clozapine-N-oxide (CNO)	Enzo Life Sciences	BBL-NS105-0025
chloroquine diphosphate salt	Sigma	C6628
histamine	Sigma	H7125
Dapi	Invitrogen	D3571
Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
Antibodies (dilution)
Rabbit anti-GFP (1:1000)	Molecular Probes	RRID:AB_221570
Rabbit anti-NeuN (1:3000)	Abcam	RRID:AB_10711153
Goat anti-Pax2 (1 : 200)	R & D Systems	RRID:AB_10889828
Guinea pig anti-Lmx1b (1 : 10 000)	Dr Carmen Birchmeier	Muller et al. 2002
Rabbit anti-GFAP (1 : 1000)	DakoCytomation	RRID:AB_10013382
Secondary antibodies raised in donkey (1:800)	Jackson ImmunoResearch Laboratories	NA