---
OA_place: publisher
OA_type: hybrid
_id: '22926'
abstract:
- lang: eng
text: 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.
acknowledgement: This work was supported by a Horizon Europe ERC Starting Grant Number
101041551 (L.B.S. and D.V.), FTI Strategy Lower Austria Dissertation Grant Number
FT121-D-046 (D.V.), NSF IOS Grant Number 2110086 (L.B.S. and D.V.), Special Research
Program (SFB) of the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) F7814-B (L.B.S.), and Austrian
Science Fund (FWF) 10.55776/COE16 (L.B.S. and D.V.).
alternative_title:
- Methods in Molecular Biology
article_processing_charge: Yes (in subscription journal)
author:
- first_name: David
full_name: Vijatovic, David
id: cf391e77-ec3c-11ea-a124-d69323410b58
last_name: Vijatovic
orcid: 0000-0002-5494-0941
- first_name: Lora Beatrice Jaeger
full_name: Sweeney, Lora Beatrice Jaeger
id: 56BE8254-C4F0-11E9-8E45-0B23E6697425
last_name: Sweeney
orcid: 0000-0001-9242-5601
citation:
ama: 'Vijatovic D, Sweeney LB. Adeno-Associated Virus (AAV) for tracking neural
development and connectivity in Xenopus. In: Beck CW, ed. Xenopus. Vol
3049. MIMB. Springer; 2026:219-229. doi:10.1007/978-1-0716-5360-9_9'
apa: Vijatovic, D., & Sweeney, L. B. (2026). Adeno-Associated Virus (AAV) for
tracking neural development and connectivity in Xenopus. In C. W. Beck (Ed.),
Xenopus (Vol. 3049, pp. 219–229). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-5360-9_9
chicago: Vijatovic, David, and Lora B. Sweeney. “Adeno-Associated Virus (AAV) for
Tracking Neural Development and Connectivity in Xenopus.” In Xenopus, edited
by Caroline W. Beck, 3049:219–29. MIMB. Springer, 2026. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-5360-9_9.
ieee: D. Vijatovic and L. B. Sweeney, “Adeno-Associated Virus (AAV) for tracking
neural development and connectivity in Xenopus,” in Xenopus, vol. 3049,
C. W. Beck, Ed. Springer, 2026, pp. 219–229.
ista: '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.'
mla: Vijatovic, David, and Lora B. Sweeney. “Adeno-Associated Virus (AAV) for Tracking
Neural Development and Connectivity in Xenopus.” Xenopus, edited by Caroline
W. Beck, vol. 3049, Springer, 2026, pp. 219–29, doi:10.1007/978-1-0716-5360-9_9.
short: D. Vijatovic, L.B. Sweeney, in:, C.W. Beck (Ed.), Xenopus, Springer, 2026,
pp. 219–229.
corr_author: '1'
das_tickbox: '0'
date_created: 2026-09-13T22:01:56Z
date_published: 2026-09-02T00:00:00Z
date_updated: 2026-09-17T08:03:32Z
day: '02'
ddc:
- '570'
department:
- _id: LoSw
doi: 10.1007/978-1-0716-5360-9_9
editor:
- first_name: Caroline W.
full_name: Beck, Caroline W.
last_name: Beck
external_id:
pmid:
- '42681226'
file:
- access_level: open_access
checksum: ea5af1374dd6820830773e0e96535ac0
content_type: application/pdf
creator: dernst
date_created: 2026-09-17T08:00:45Z
date_updated: 2026-09-17T08:00:45Z
file_id: '22939'
file_name: 2026_MIMB_Vijatovic2.pdf
file_size: 852042
relation: main_file
success: 1
file_date_updated: 2026-09-17T08:00:45Z
fulldoi: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-5360-9_9
has_accepted_license: '1'
intvolume: ' 3049'
language:
- iso: eng
main_file_link:
- open_access: '1'
url: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-5360-9_9
month: '09'
oa: 1
oa_version: Published Version
page: 219-229
pmid: 1
project:
- _id: ebb66355-77a9-11ec-83b8-b8ac210a4dae
grant_number: '101041551'
name: Development and Evolution of Tetrapod Motor Circuits
- _id: bd73af52-d553-11ed-ba76-912049f0ac7a
grant_number: FTI21-D-046
name: Development of V1 interneuron diversity during swim-to-walk transition of
Xenopus metamorphosis
- _id: 8da85f50-16d5-11f0-9cad-eab8b0ff6c9e
grant_number: F7814
name: 'Stem Cell Modulation in Neural Development and Regeneration/ P14-Swim-to-limb
transition: cell type to connection diversity'
- _id: cf428362-b037-11f1-b015-8277a8a2f63d
grant_number: COE16
name: Neuronal circuits in health and disease (Sweeney)
- _id: 34a02c70-11ca-11ed-8bc3-fbfd2c86c88f
grant_number: 3(GG016346-01)
name: Development of Viral Vectors for Amphibian Gene Delivery and Manipulation
publication: Xenopus
publication_identifier:
eissn:
- 1940-6029
publication_status: published
publisher: Springer
quality_controlled: '1'
researchdata_availability: no
scopus_import: '1'
series_title: MIMB
status: public
supplementarymaterial: no
title: Adeno-Associated Virus (AAV) for tracking neural development and connectivity
in Xenopus
tmp:
image: /images/cc_by_nc_nd.png
legal_code_url: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/legalcode
name: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
(CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)
short: CC BY-NC-ND (4.0)
type: book_chapter
user_id: 2DF688A6-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
volume: 3049
year: '2026'
...