Figure 3.

Neuronal tropism of recombinant adeno-associated virus (AAV) transduction in the myenteric plexus (MP): serotypes 1, 2, 5, 6, 8, and 9. Adult male rats received direct injections of AAV (6 × 5 µl injections at 1.3 × 10¹² vg/ml) into the wall of the descending colon and were sacrificed one month later, at which time the MP was dissected. MP tissue was stained for the neuronal marker HUc (red) and the enteric glia marker, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP; blue). Following the MP was viewed under a fluorescent microscope and the transduction of neurons in the MP was determined by examining the colocalization of green fluorescent protein (GFP; green) expression in HUc-positive cells (colocalization appears yellow). Neuronal transduction was observed for all serotypes examined. Representative images of neuronal transduction are shown for AAV1 (a–d), AAV2 (e–h), AAV5 (i–l), AAV6 (m–p), AAV8 (q–t), and AAV9 (u–x). Scale bar in (x) represents 100 µm and applies to panels (a–w).