In Vivo Viral Gene Delivery to Manipulate Functional Properties of AMPA Receptors in Oligodendrocyte Lineage Cells

Delivery or deletion of genes of interest in the nervous system of animals in vivo is a complex and difficult task. While genetic manipulations can be achieved through multiple techniques and utilizing various tools, producing transgenic animals is time-consuming, inflexible, and sometimes inefficient. Employing a viral gene delivery approach provides a good alternative strategy for targeting the gene of interest in vivo. Retroviruses infect only dividing cells because they enter the nucleus during mitotic breakdown of the nuclear envelope. Hence, a retroviral approach is particularly efficient for the delivery of genes in vivo to the cells, which display high proliferation rates, such as oligodendrocyte precursor cells. This chapter provides experimental details for viral gene delivery to oligodendrocyte precursor cells in vivo and discusses advantages and limitations of the technique.