A genetic and genomic resource for vision research

描述（由申请人提供）：哺乳动物视觉系统的遗传操作目前受到用于将基因敲除或过表达靶向特定神经元细胞类型的可用工具的限制，并且进一步受到对这些细胞类型中正常基因表达的不完全理解的阻碍。这项拟议的研究将使用一种新型遗传策略（慢病毒增强子捕获）来产生在特定细胞类型中表达cre重组酶和泰特激活剂的新小鼠驱动株。最近开发的细胞类型特异性表达谱将用于绘制这些和其他神经元中的基因表达在中央视觉系统。遗传和基因组的工具和资源开发，然后将被用来研究的细胞和分子机制的基础上的经验依赖可塑性的第4层输入神经元和第6层输出神经元的初级视觉皮层。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Genetic manipulation of the mammalian visual system is currently limited by available tools for targeting gene knockout or overexpression to specific neuronal cell types, and is further hampered by an incomplete understanding of the normal gene expression in those cell types. This proposed studies will use a novel genetic strategy, lentiviral enhancer trapping, to generate new driver strains of mice expressing cre recombinase and tet activator in specific cell types. Recently developed cell type specific expression profiling will be used to map gene expression in these and other neurons within the central visual system. The genetic and genomic tools and resources developed will then be used to study the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying experience dependent plasticity in layer 4 input neurons and layer 6 output neurons of the primary visual cortex.