AAV11 enables efficient retrograde targeting of projection neurons and enhances astrocyte-directed transduction.

Viral tracers that enable efficient retrograde labeling of projection neurons are powerful vehicles for structural and functional dissections of the neural circuit and for the treatment of brain diseases. Currently, some recombinant adeno-associated viruses (rAAVs) based on capsid engineering are widely used for retrograde tracing, but display undesirable brain area selectivity due to inefficient retrograde transduction in certain neural connections. Here we developed an easily editable toolkit to produce high titer AAV11 and demonstrated that it exhibits potent and stringent retrograde labeling of projection neurons in adult male wild-type or Cre transgenic mice.

AAV13 Enables Precise Targeting of Local Neural Populations.

As powerful tools for local gene delivery, adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) are widely used for neural circuit studies and therapeutical purposes. However, most of them have the characteristics of large diffusion range and retrograde labeling, which may result in off-target transduction during in vivo application. Here, in order to achieve precise gene delivery, we screened AAV serotypes that have not been commonly used as gene vectors and found that AAV13 can precisely transduce local neurons in the brain, with a smaller diffusion range than AAV2 and rigorous anterograde labeling.

MKRN2 inhibits the proliferation of gastric cancer by downregulating PKM2.

Cumulative evidence suggests that dysfunction of ubiquitinating enzymes is responsible for multiple types of diseases including cancer. However, what role the ubiquitinating enzyme plays in gastric cancer remains unknown. In this study, using bioinformatics analysis and a series of experimental analyses, we found that an E3 ubiquitin-protein, MKRN2 was down-regulated in gastric cancer tissues.