Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Group, Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, and Department of Neurological Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202, USA.
J Neurotrauma. 2011 Apr;28(4):635-47. doi: 10.1089/neu.2010.1566. Epub 2011 Mar 24.
The rodent rubrospinal tract (RST) has been studied extensively to investigate regeneration and remodeling of central nervous system (CNS) axons. Currently no retrograde tracers can specifically label rubrospinal axons and neurons (RSNs). The RST can be anterogradely labeled by injecting tracers into the red nucleus (RN), but accurately locating the RN is a technical challenge. Here we developed a recombinant adenovirus carrying a green fluorescent protein reporter gene (Adv-GFP) which can preferentially, intensely, and bi-directionally label the RST. When Adv-GFP was injected into the second lumbar spinal cord, the GFP was specifically transported throughout the entire RST, with peak labeling seen at 2 weeks post-injection. When Adv-GFP was injected directly into the RN, GFP was anterogradely transported throughout the RST. Following spinal cord injury (SCI), injection of Adv-GFP resulted in visualization of GFP in transected, spared, or sprouted RST axons bi-directionally. Thus Adv-GFP could be used as a novel tool for monitoring and evaluating strategies designed to maximize RST axonal regeneration and remodeling following SCI.
啮齿动物红核脊髓束（RST）已被广泛研究，以研究中枢神经系统（CNS）轴突的再生和重塑。目前没有逆行示踪剂可以特异性标记红核脊髓束轴突和神经元（RSNs）。可以通过将示踪剂注射到红核（RN）中来顺行标记 RST，但准确定位 RN 是一个技术挑战。在这里，我们开发了一种携带绿色荧光蛋白报告基因（Adv-GFP）的重组腺病毒，该病毒可以优先、强烈和双向标记 RST。当 Adv-GFP 注射到第二腰椎脊髓时，GFP 特异性地运输到整个 RST，在注射后 2 周时达到峰值标记。当 Adv-GFP 直接注射到 RN 时，GFP 被顺行运输到整个 RST。在脊髓损伤（SCI）后，Adv-GFP 的注射导致 GFP 在横断、保留或发芽的 RST 轴突中双向可视化。因此，Adv-GFP 可作为一种新工具，用于监测和评估旨在最大限度地促进 SCI 后 RST 轴突再生和重塑的策略。
