NBIO Presents: Arpiar Saunders, PhD (OHSU)

About this event

Molecular mechanisms governing AAV transduction of neuronal axons

Our lab is broadly focused on understanding the cellular etiology of neurodevelopmental disorders. We pursue this goal by developing single-cell and single-virion genomics methods to systematically map the molecular and synaptic organization of neural circuits. In parallel, we seek to define the molecular mechanisms that govern host–virus interactions within the complex cellular environment of the brain. My seminar will focus on this latter effort. I will introduce a genetic screening approach for identifying receptors and other host factors that control adeno-associated virus (AAV) transduction in primary brain cells. I will then describe a series of experiments defining the molecular mechanism responsible for presynaptic axonal uptake of “retrograde” AAV. Our results reveal an unexpected and highly conserved receptor pathway that enables more predictive use and clinical evaluation of this widely used vector for targeting neural projection systems.

From UW NBIO