Fast gene transfer into the adult zebrafish brain by herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) and electroporation: methods and optogenetic applications.

TitleFast gene transfer into the adult zebrafish brain by herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) and electroporation: methods and optogenetic applications.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2014
AuthorsZou M, De Koninck P, Neve RL, Friedrich RW
JournalFront Neural Circuits
Volume8
Pagination41
Date Published2014
ISSN1662-5110
KeywordsAnimals, Brain, Electroporation, Female, Gene Transfer Techniques, Genetic Vectors, Herpesvirus 1, Human, Male, Neurons, Optogenetics, Zebrafish
Abstract

The zebrafish has various advantages as a model organism to analyze the structure and function of neural circuits but efficient viruses or other tools for fast gene transfer are lacking. We show that transgenes can be introduced directly into the adult zebrafish brain by herpes simplex type I viruses (HSV-1) or electroporation. We developed a new procedure to target electroporation to defined brain areas and identified promoters that produced strong long-term expression. The fast workflow of electroporation was exploited to express multiple channelrhodopsin-2 variants and genetically encoded calcium indicators in telencephalic neurons for measurements of neuronal activity and synaptic connectivity. The results demonstrate that HSV-1 and targeted electroporation are efficient tools for gene delivery into the zebrafish brain, similar to adeno-associated viruses and lentiviruses in other species. These methods fill an important gap in the spectrum of molecular tools for zebrafish and are likely to have a wide range of applications.

DOI10.3389/fncir.2014.00041
Alternate JournalFront Neural Circuits
PubMed ID24834028
PubMed Central IDPMC4018551
Grant List / / Canadian Institutes of Health Research / Canada

Funding

Our research endeavors are made possible by the following agencies:

Canadian Institutes of Health Research - Instituts de recherche en santé du Canada Fonds de recherche du Québec – Nature et technologies (FRQNT)Fonds de la recherche en santé du Québec   Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) - Conseil de recherche en sciences naturelles et en génie du Canada (CRSNG)innovation.caHuman Frontier Science ProgramCanada First Research Excellence FundSentinelle Nord