book chapter published yes David Vijatovic author cf391e77-ec3c-11ea-a124-d69323410b580000-0002-5494-0941 Lora Beatrice Jaeger Sweeney author 56BE8254-C4F0-11E9-8E45-0B23E66974250000-0001-9242-5601 Caroline W.Beck editor LoSw department Development and Evolution of Tetrapod Motor Circuits project Development of V1 interneuron diversity during swim-to-walk transition of Xenopus metamorphosis project Stem Cell Modulation in Neural Development and Regeneration/ P14-Swim-to-limb transition: cell type to connection diversity project Neuronal circuits in health and disease (Sweeney) project Development of Viral Vectors for Amphibian Gene Delivery and Manipulation project Adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) provide a versatile tool for labeling neurons in the Xenopus central nervous system across developmental stages. AAV-mediated transgene expression is long-lasting and stable, enabling robust labeling of neuronal populations without genomic integration and without the need to generate transgenic lines. The choice of AAV capsid and promoter can restrict expression to a population of interest, and depending on the route and timing of delivery, AAVs can selectively target either progenitor-derived neuronal cohorts or mature neuronal populations. Here, we have outlined two labeling strategies. First, intraventricular injections in tadpoles transduce neural progenitor cells lining the ventricular system, resulting in cohort-based labeling of neurons as they differentiate during development. Second, direct intraparenchymal injections in post-metamorphic frogs enable spatially restricted labeling and anterograde or retrograde tracing of connectivity within defined brain regions. Together, these approaches provide selective access to developing and mature neural circuits in X. laevis, supporting applications ranging from anatomical tracing to functional imaging and manipulation of neural circuits. https://research-explorer.ista.ac.at/download/22926/22939/2026_MIMB_Vijatovic2.pdf application/pdfno https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ Springer2026 eng 1940-6029 4268122610.1007/978-1-0716-5360-9_9 3049219-229 D. Vijatovic and L. B. Sweeney, “Adeno-Associated Virus (AAV) for tracking neural development and connectivity in Xenopus,” in <i>Xenopus</i>, vol. 3049, C. W. Beck, Ed. Springer, 2026, pp. 219–229. Vijatovic, D., &#38; Sweeney, L. B. (2026). Adeno-Associated Virus (AAV) for tracking neural development and connectivity in Xenopus. In C. W. Beck (Ed.), <i>Xenopus</i> (Vol. 3049, pp. 219–229). Springer. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-5360-9_9">https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-5360-9_9</a> Vijatovic D, Sweeney LB. Adeno-Associated Virus (AAV) for tracking neural development and connectivity in Xenopus. In: Beck CW, ed. <i>Xenopus</i>. Vol 3049. MIMB. Springer; 2026:219-229. doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-5360-9_9">10.1007/978-1-0716-5360-9_9</a> Vijatovic D, Sweeney LB. 2026.Adeno-Associated Virus (AAV) for tracking neural development and connectivity in Xenopus. In: Xenopus. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol. 3049, 219–229. Vijatovic, David, and Lora B. Sweeney. “Adeno-Associated Virus (AAV) for Tracking Neural Development and Connectivity in Xenopus.” In <i>Xenopus</i>, edited by Caroline W. Beck, 3049:219–29. MIMB. Springer, 2026. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-5360-9_9">https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-5360-9_9</a>. D. Vijatovic, L.B. Sweeney, in:, C.W. Beck (Ed.), Xenopus, Springer, 2026, pp. 219–229. Vijatovic, David, and Lora B. Sweeney. “Adeno-Associated Virus (AAV) for Tracking Neural Development and Connectivity in Xenopus.” <i>Xenopus</i>, edited by Caroline W. Beck, vol. 3049, Springer, 2026, pp. 219–29, doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-5360-9_9">10.1007/978-1-0716-5360-9_9</a>. 229262026-09-13T22:01:56Z2026-09-17T08:03:32Z