Cited by 1,876Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology ResearchAdvanced Fluorescence Microscopy TechniquesNeurogenesis and neuroplasticity mechanisms

Transgenic strategies for combinatorial expression of fluorescent proteins in the nervous system

Livet, Jean, Weissman, Tamily A., Kang, Hyuno, Draft, Ryan W., Lu, Ju, Bennis, Robyn A., Sanes, Joshua R., Lichtman, Jeff W.·2007·Nature

Abstract

Detailed analysis of neuronal network architecture requires the development of new methods. Here we present strategies to visualize synaptic circuits by genetically labelling neurons with multiple, distinct colours. In Brainbow transgenes, Cre/lox recombination is used to create a stochastic choice of expression between three or more fluorescent proteins (XFPs). Integration of tandem Brainbow copies in transgenic mice yielded combinatorial XFP expression, and thus many colours, thereby providing a way to distinguish adjacent neurons and visualize other cellular interactions. As a demonstration, we reconstructed hundreds of neighbouring axons and multiple synaptic contacts in one small volume of a cerebellar lobe exhibiting approximately 90 colours. The expression in some lines also allowed us to map glial territories and follow glial cells and neurons over time in vivo. The ability of the Brainbow system to label uniquely many individual cells within a population may facilitate the analysis of neuronal circuitry on a large scale.

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Crossref · 10.1038/nature06293

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  • Lineage tracing the progeny of Wnt1+ progenitors confirmed a common progenitor pool that can give rise to both epithelial and neuronal cells.

    “We confirmed our hypothesis of a common progenitor pool by lineage tracing the progeny of Wnt1+ progenitors (by crossing Wnt1-CRE2 (Lewis et al., 2013) with R26R-Confetti mice (Livet et al., 2007; Snippert et al., 2010), Figure 2H,I.”

    From A cellular and spatial map of the choroid plexus across brain ventricles and ages (2021) · cites this paper as Livet et al., 2007

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Authors
Livet, J., Weissman, T. A., Kang, H., Draft, R. W., Lu, J., Bennis, R. A., Sanes, J. R., & Lichtman, J. W.
Affiliations
Harvard University (US)
Corresponding author
Lichtman, Jeff W.
Venue
Nature
Published
2007-11
Volume
450
Issue
7166
Pages
56-62
ISSN
  • 0028-0836 (ISSN-L)
  • 1476-4687
OpenAlex
W2110232607
Cited by
1,876
References
42
Citations by year
2026: 52 · 2025: 76 · 2024: 68 · 2023: 90 · 2022: 88 · 2021: 88 · 2020: 115 · 2019: 104 · 2018: 124 · 2017: 101 · 2016: 117 · 2015: 101 · 2014: 124 · 2013: 161 · 2012: 110
FWCI
30.01
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Nature (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Biophysics › Advanced Fluorescence Microscopy Techniques
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Developmental Neuroscience › Neurogenesis and neuroplasticity mechanisms
Keywords
Brainbow, transgenic mice, fluorescent proteins, Cre-loxP recombination, stochastic gene expression, neuronal circuit mapping, axon reconstruction, synaptic circuits, cerebellum, hippocampus
MeSH terms
Animals, Attachment Sites, Microbiological, Axons, Cell Communication, Cell Line, Cerebellum, Color, Genetic Engineering, Humans, Luminescent Proteins, Mice, Transgenic, Nervous System, Neural Pathways, Neuroglia, Recombination, Genetic, Stochastic Processes, Synapses, Time Factors, Gene Expression, Transgenes, Integrases, Mice

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