Journal article
Visualization of functionally activated circuitry in the brain
Y Wilson, N Nag, P Davern, BJ Oldfield, MJ McKinley, U Greferath, M Murphy
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA | NATL ACAD SCIENCES | Published : 2002
Abstract
We have used a transgenic approach to visualize functionally activated neurons and their projections. The transgenic mice contain a tau-lacZ fusion gene regulated by the promoter for c-fos, an immediate early gene that is rapidly induced in neurons after functional stimulation. Constitutive expression of beta-galactosidase (beta-gal), the lacZ product, was low and in accord with previous reports of c-fos expression. However, expression of beta-gal in positive neurons was clearly in cell bodies, axons, and dendrites. Treatment of the mice with kainic acid, a strong inducer of c-fos expression, resulted in high induction of beta-gal. beta-gal was induced in the same defined populations of neur..
View full abstract