Recombinase-independent AAV for anterograde transsynaptic tracing

MG (Medial geniculate complex) MBA:475 projects to BLA (Basolateral amygdalar nucleus) MBA:295 · Mouse

A retro-AAV2 expressing mRuby placed in the medial geniculate nucleus produced dense axonal, but no somatic, mRuby labeling in the basolateral amygdala, showing thalamic axons reaching the BLA.

Additional file 1: Fig. S1C

Made by an AI model reading the paper (claude-opus-5, extract@0.3.0); a second AI model (claude-opus-5) is unsure. “The main text only reports absence of somatic labeling in BLA; the figure caption's wording about dense axonal labeling is ambiguous, so axonal projection evidence cannot be settled.”

CL:0000740 synapses onto SCs (Superior colliculus, sensory related) MBA:302 · Mouse

Injection of the self-complementary AAV1 carrying GFP under the short-CAG promoter into the eye produced anterograde transneuronal GFP labeling of cell bodies in the superior colliculus, abundant in the contralateral SC and only very sparse ipsilaterally; the hSyn-driven version gave significantly fewer labelled SC neurons.

Fig. 1C–G

Made by an AI model reading the paper (claude-opus-5, extract@0.3.0); a second AI model (claude-opus-5) agrees.

MG (Medial geniculate complex) MBA:475 synapses onto BLA (Basolateral amygdalar nucleus) MBA:295 · Mouse

Injecting the scAAV1.short.CAG.GFP vector into the medial geniculate nucleus transneuronally labelled neurons with clear morphology in the ipsilateral basolateral amygdala (no labeling contralaterally); labelled cells were GFAP-negative, indicating neurons.

Fig. 1I–L

Made by an AI model reading the paper (claude-opus-5, extract@0.3.0); a second AI model (claude-opus-5) agrees.

CL:0000740 synapses onto LGd (Dorsal part of the lateral geniculate complex) MBA:170 · Mouse

After retinal delivery of the scAAV1 GFP vector, no GFP-labelled somata were detected in the lateral geniculate nucleus, in contrast to the clear transneuronal labeling seen in the superior colliculus.

Fig. 1H; Results

Made by an AI model reading the paper (claude-opus-5, extract@0.3.0); a second AI model (claude-opus-5) agrees.

BLA (Basolateral amygdalar nucleus) MBA:295 projects to MG (Medial geniculate complex) MBA:475 · Mouse

A retrogradely transported AAV2 expressing mRuby injected into the medial geniculate nucleus did not label any neuronal cell bodies in the basolateral amygdala, indicating the BLA does not send a projection back to the MGn in this preparation.

Additional file 1: Fig. S1A–C; Results

Made by an AI model reading the paper (claude-opus-5, extract@0.3.0); a second AI model (claude-opus-5) agrees.

AUD (Auditory areas) MBA:247 projects to MG (Medial geniculate complex) MBA:475 · Mouse

The retrograde AAV2-mRuby injected into the medial geniculate nucleus labelled numerous neuronal somata in the auditory cortex, demonstrating a corticothalamic projection to the MGn.

Additional file 1: Fig. S1A, B, D

Made by an AI model reading the paper (claude-opus-5, extract@0.3.0); a second AI model (claude-opus-5) agrees.