Muzna Zahur, Johan Tolö, Mathias Bähr, Sebastian Kügler
Abstract
Gene editing tools like TALENs, ZFNs and Crispr/Cas now offer unprecedented opportunities for targeted genetic manipulations in virtually all species. Most of the recent research in this area has concentrated on manipulation of the genome in isolated cells, which then give rise to transgenic animals or modified stem cell lines. Much less is known about applicability of genetic scissors in terminally differentiated, non-dividing cells like neurons of the adult brain. We addressed this question by expression of a pair of ZFNs targeting the murine cathepsin D gene in CNS neurons by means of an optimized AAV viral vector. We show that ZFN expression resulted in substantial depletion of cathepsin D from neuronal lysosomes, demonstrating a robust gene deletion. Importantly, long-term ZFN expression in CNS neurons did not impair essential neuronal functionality and did not cause inflammation or neurodegeneration, suggesting that potent genetic scissors can be expressed safely in the mouse brain. This finding opens up new venues to create novel research models for neurodegenerative disorders.
This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 5. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 08 June 2017.
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#7,434,369
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Outputs from Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience
#1,044
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Outputs of similar age
#109,046
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Outputs of similar age from Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience
#41
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Altmetric has tracked 25,734,859 research outputs across all sources so far. This one has received more attention than most of these and is in the 70th percentile.
So far Altmetric has tracked 3,374 research outputs from this source. They typically receive a little more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 6.2. This one has gotten more attention than average, scoring higher than 68% of its peers.
Older research outputs will score higher simply because they've had more time to accumulate mentions. To account for age we can compare this Altmetric Attention Score to the 327,712 tracked outputs that were published within six weeks on either side of this one in any source. This one has gotten more attention than average, scoring higher than 66% of its contemporaries.
We're also able to compare this research output to 116 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one has gotten more attention than average, scoring higher than 64% of its contemporaries.
