Histochemical tracer

A histochemical tracer is a substance used to reveal the location of cells and track neuronal projections. A neuronal tracer may be retrograde, anterograde, or work in both directions. A retrograde tracer is taken up in the terminal of the neuron and transported to the cell body, whereas an anterograde tracer moves away from the cell body of the neuron.

List

Small molecules:

DiI (DiC18(3)) - evenly bidirectional
Diamidino yellow - evenly bidirectional
Fast blue - evenly bidirectional
Hydroxystilbamidine - retrograde
Texas Red
Fluorescein isothiocyanate

Biopolymers:

Biotinylated dextran amine (BDA) - evenly bidirectional
Horseradish peroxidase - retrograde
Cholera toxin B (CtB) - retrograde and anterograde

Viral/other genetic constructs:

Pseudorabies virus - retrograde
HSV-1 - anterograde

The noted directionalities are also not always pure, especially in the case of CtB which is conventionally used retrograde, and BDA is conventionally used anterograde. Most non-genetic tracers can also be taken up by fibers of passage, causing mislabeling (this also applies to canine adenovirus). The spread of the non-genetic tracer around the injection site results in a diffuse and intense labeling.

References

1 2 3 Saleeba C, Dempsey B, Le S, Goodchild A, McMullan S (27 Aug 2019). "A Student's Guide to Neural Circuit Tracing". Frontiers in Neuroscience. 13 897. doi:10.3389/fnins.2019.00897. ISSN 1662-4548. PMC 6718611. PMID 31507369.
1 2 3 Saleeba C, Dempsey B, Le S, Goodchild A, McMullan S (2020). "Corrigendum: A Student's Guide to Neural Circuit Tracing". Frontiers in Neuroscience. 14 177. doi:10.3389/fnins.2020.00177. PMC 7076267. PMID 32210751.
1 2 Kreier F, Kap YS, Mettenleiter TC, van Heijningen C, van der Vliet J, Kalsbeek A, et al. (March 2006). "Tracing from fat tissue, liver, and pancreas: a neuroanatomical framework for the role of the brain in type 2 diabetes". Endocrinology. 147 (3): 1140–1147. doi:10.1210/en.2005-0667. PMID 16339209.
↑ Angelucci A, Clascá F, Sur M (March 1996). "Anterograde axonal tracing with the subunit B of cholera toxin: a highly sensitive immunohistochemical protocol for revealing fine axonal morphology in adult and neonatal brains". Journal of Neuroscience Methods. 65 (1): 101–112. doi:10.1016/0165-0270(95)00155-7. PMID 8815303.
↑ Coleman JE, Law K, Bear MF (June 2009). "Anatomical origins of ocular dominance in mouse primary visual cortex". Neuroscience. 161 (2): 561–571. doi:10.1016/j.neuroscience.2009.03.045. PMC 2735235. PMID 19327388.

[Saleeba19-1] 1 2 3 Saleeba C, Dempsey B, Le S, Goodchild A, McMullan S (27 Aug 2019). "A Student's Guide to Neural Circuit Tracing". Frontiers in Neuroscience. 13 897. doi:10.3389/fnins.2019.00897. ISSN 1662-4548. PMC 6718611. PMID 31507369.

[Saleeba19C-2] 1 2 3 Saleeba C, Dempsey B, Le S, Goodchild A, McMullan S (2020). "Corrigendum: A Student's Guide to Neural Circuit Tracing". Frontiers in Neuroscience. 14 177. doi:10.3389/fnins.2020.00177. PMC 7076267. PMID 32210751.

[Kreier_2006-3] 1 2 Kreier F, Kap YS, Mettenleiter TC, van Heijningen C, van der Vliet J, Kalsbeek A, et al. (March 2006). "Tracing from fat tissue, liver, and pancreas: a neuroanatomical framework for the role of the brain in type 2 diabetes". Endocrinology. 147 (3): 1140–1147. doi:10.1210/en.2005-0667. PMID 16339209.

[4] Angelucci A, Clascá F, Sur M (March 1996). "Anterograde axonal tracing with the subunit B of cholera toxin: a highly sensitive immunohistochemical protocol for revealing fine axonal morphology in adult and neonatal brains". Journal of Neuroscience Methods. 65 (1): 101–112. doi:10.1016/0165-0270(95)00155-7. PMID 8815303.

[5] Coleman JE, Law K, Bear MF (June 2009). "Anatomical origins of ocular dominance in mouse primary visual cortex". Neuroscience. 161 (2): 561–571. doi:10.1016/j.neuroscience.2009.03.045. PMC 2735235. PMID 19327388.