Neurotropic Viruses as a Tool for Neural Circuit-Tracing

Abstract

The brain is the most important organ of mammals. The infinitely complex network of special synaptic connections constitutes the main body of the brain. The neural loop is the basis of brain function. Therefore, revealing the anatomical structure of the cerebral nerve circuit contributes to an in-depth understanding of the mechanism of brain information processing. Visual labeling is a basic approach for analyzing neurons and neural loops. Undoubtedly, The development of modern molecular genetic technologies promotes virus tracer technologies, which triggers the great advance of neural circuit-tracing technology. In this paper, we reviewed the latest development of commonly used neural circuit tracers, and the basic biological characteristics of neurotropic viruses, the genetic modification of virus tracer tools and neural circuit tracking strategies. We aim to introduce novel strategies for brain science research.