Skip to main content
. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2013 Apr 1.
Published in final edited form as: J Neuroendocrinol. 2012 Apr;24(4):528–538. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2826.2011.02236.x

Figure 4.

Figure 4

Use of Adeno-Associated Virus (AAV) to study gene expression in MCNs in organotypic hypothalamic cultures.

Top: Genomic organization of AAV. The AAV genome produces four transcripts, Rep 40,52, 68 and 78 which are genes involved in replication, and three proteins, VP-1,-2 and-3 which are genes for forming the capsid. The ITRs (Inverted Terminal Repeat Sequences) are necessary for viral replication, rescue, packaging and integration.

Bottom: AAV transduction of hypothalamic slice explant cultures.

Slices were incubated in AAV-CMV-nLac-Z for 7 days and following this incubation, the tissues were fixed in 2 % paraformaldehyde and double immunostained for nuclear localized lac-z immunoreactivity (black) and oxytocin-neurophysin immunoreactivity (brown). A and B: Control slices (no AAV added). C and D: AAV transduced slices.(adapted from Kier et. al., (66)). The DAB (brown) stained OXT neurons shown in B and D are in the Accessory Nucleus in the hypothalamic slice.