Ingenious discovery: made Axolotl neurons glow!

Ingenious discovery: made Axolotl neurons glow!

Scientists of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW) have achieved a significant breakthrough in researching the Axolotl brain. The team led by Katharina Lust and Elly Tanaka from the Institute for Molecular Biotechnology (IMBA) has developed a method to target genes in Axolotl neurons, which was not previously possible. The use of adeno-associated viral vectors enables researchers to dynamically visualize neuronal circuits and to gain deeper insights into the regeneration of this remarkable animal, which is known for its extraordinary abilities to grow or repair lost limbs and complex organs such as the brain.

The scientists tested different variants of AAV that aim at different cell types and identified the optimal serotype for gene transmission. This innovative technology made it possible to put a fluorescent marker into the nerve cells of a living axolotl, which facilitates the examination and mapping of neuronal connections between different brain areas. In your study, which was published in the journal PNAS, you describe visual information that was sent to the brain by retina neurons, as well as the bidirectional projections that lead from the brain to the retina. These findings suggest that the brain plays a crucial role in the fine-tuning of the retinal functions, as OTS