TABLE 1.
Properties of commonly used conventional (white) and viral neural tracers (blue).
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| Name | Genome type | Onset (transport) | Duration | Transsynaptic labeling | Toxicity | |
| Anterograde | HSV-129 | dsDNA | Hours | Mice die 3–5 days after injection | Yes (Monosynaptic: H129-ΔTK-tdT) | H129-ΔTK-tdT causes toxicity in 3–5 days |
| AAV1, AAV9 | ssDNA | 2–3 weeks | Months | Yes (AAV1 is transsynaptic in GABAergic/ glutamatergic neurons) |
Minimal | |
| CTB | By 24 h | 1–2 months | No | Minimal | ||
| PHA-L | 1–3 weeks | Several weeks | No | Minimal | ||
| DAs (10 kda) | 6–14 days | Several weeks | No | Minimal | ||
| WGA/WGA-HRP | 3–4 days | – | Yes | Minimal | ||
| Retrograde | HSV | dsDNA | Hours | Usually 5–7 days | Yes | Dependent on strain and replication competence |
| Pseudorabies virus | dsDNA | 2–3 weeks | Months | Yes | Dependent on strain and replication competence | |
| CAV-2 | dsDNA | 3–7 days | Months | No | Limited | |
| Rabies virus | ssRNA | About 2 days | Months | Yes (Monosynaptic: RABV) | Dependent on strain and replication competence | |
| AAV2-retro | ssDNA | 1–2 weeks | Months | No | Minimal | |
| CTB | By 24 h | 1–2 months | No | Minimal | ||
| FluoroGold | 7–10 days | Months | No | Minimal | ||
| DAs (3 kDa) | 10–15 days | Several weeks | No | Minimal | ||
| WGA/WGA-HRP | 3–4 days (WGA-HRP is more sensitive) | – | Yes | Minimal | ||
| HRP | 5–7 days (Slightly longer than WGA-HRP) | – | No | Minimal | ||