Evaluation of a Sindbis virus vector displaying an immunoglobulin-binding domain: Antibody-dependent infection of neurons in living mice

Viral vectors that genetically incorporate an immunoglobulin-binding domain on their surfaces provide many advantages because of the availability of a spectrum of antibodies that allow the selection of a wide range of target cells. However, the specificity and the effectiveness of this system have not been evaluated in the field of neuroscience. We investigated the effectiveness and specificity of a recombinant Sindbis virus displaying an antibody-binding domain of bacterial protein A (ZZ Sindbis). We found that the ZZ Sindbis virus vector specifically infected hippocampal neurons in an antibody-specific manner in living mice, although the efficiency of the gene transduction was not high. However, the ZZ Sindbis virus vector that did not display any specific antibodies continued to exhibit intrinsic tropism toward Bergmann glial cells in the cerebellum. These data indicate that the antibody-displaying viral vectors are potentially useful for delivering a gene of interest to a specific subset of neurons in the central nervous system with the help of neuron type-specific antibodies.

► ZZ Sindbis is a viral vector that has an immunoglobulin-binding domain on envelope.
► We investigated the effectiveness and specificity of ZZ Sindbis in the mouse brain.
► ZZ Sindbis specifically infected hippocampal neurons in an antibody-dependent manner.
► This method could reveal the connectivity and role of a specific subset of neurons.