Establishment of new technique to target and manipulate distinct engram cell assemblies by induction of preferred genes expression

It had been probed that memory is encoded by subgroup of neuronal cells (=cell assemblies) that responds to various sensory inputs and activates at memory acquisition. The c-fos-tTA x TRE-TVAG double Tg mice conceptually express a receptor of avian sarcoma virus (=TVA) in a neuronal activation-dependent manner. EnvA-pseudotyped LV can only infect to TVA expressing cells. For our purpose, we planned to target distinct cell assemblies with preferred genes, and we had established a combination system of the transgenic approach to reveal neural activated cells and LV-mediated preferred genes transferring. By using the new system, we could label two distinct cell assemblies with GFP and RFP. The new technique will allow us to target and manipulate distinct remote cell assemblies by preferred genes expression.