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Mapping Neural Circuits with Activity-Dependent Nuclear Import of a Transcription Factor

Nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) is a calcium-responsive transcription factor. We describe here an NFAT-based neural tracing method—CaLexA (calcium-dependent nuclear import of Lex A)—for labeling active neurons in behaving animals. In this system, sustained neural activity induces nuclear...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Masuyama, Kaoru, Zhang, Yi, Rao, Yi, Wang, Jing W
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: Informa Healthcare 2012
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3357894/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22236090
http://dx.doi.org/10.3109/01677063.2011.642910
Descripción
Sumario:Nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) is a calcium-responsive transcription factor. We describe here an NFAT-based neural tracing method—CaLexA (calcium-dependent nuclear import of Lex A)—for labeling active neurons in behaving animals. In this system, sustained neural activity induces nuclear import of the chimeric transcription factor LexA-VP16-NFAT, which in turn drives green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter expression only in active neurons. We tested this system in Drosophila and found that volatile sex pheromones excite specific neurons in the olfactory circuit. Furthermore, complex courtship behavior associated with multi-modal sensory inputs activated neurons in the ventral nerve cord. This method harnessing the mechanism of activity-dependent nuclear import of a transcription factor can be used to identify active neurons in specific neuronal population in behaving animals.