Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41794669›Full record

ArticleCellular & molecular biology letters2026

Optimized genetic tracers for viral mediated neuronal projection mapping.

Jennifer N Dulin, Li Ye, Teresa Grider, Anael Rizzo, Ephron S Rosenzweig, Janet Weber, Charu Ramakrishnan, Brian Hsueh, Karl Deisseroth, Mark H Tuszynski and 2 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Cellular & molecular biology letters, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Top-down regulation of ingestive behavior fragmentation.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2026
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Jennifer N DulinDepartment of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Li YeDepartment of Neuroscience and Dorris Neuroscience Center, Scripps Research, San Diego, CA, USA.
Teresa GriderDepartment of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Anael RizzoDepartment of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Ephron S RosenzweigDepartment of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Janet WeberDepartment of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Charu RamakrishnanDepartment of Bioengineering and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
Brian HsuehDepartment of Bioengineering and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
Karl DeisserothDepartment of Bioengineering and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
Mark H TuszynskiDepartment of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Daniel GibbsDepartment of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Gunnar H D PoplawskiDepartment of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA. poplawg@ccf.org.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Mapping fine axonal projections with high sensitivity remains a major challenge in neuroanatomy. Here, we developed Codon Optimized Membrane Embedded Tracers (COMET), a family of genetically encoded, membrane-anchored fluorescent proteins optimized for adeno-associated virus (AAV) delivery. COMET tracers—based on codon-optimized SuperFolder GFP (gCOMET) and TdTomato (rCOMET) fused to an H-RAS CaaX prenylation motif—enable robust plasma membrane targeting and enhance fluorescent signal localization to fine-caliber axons. In vivo, COMET tracers significantly outperformed conventional soluble fluorophores and chemical tracers in detecting corticospinal tract (CST) projections, revealing previously underappreciated collateralization and fine arborizations. Following spinal cord injury, COMET provided superior sensitivity for detecting regenerating and sprouting axons compared with biotinylated dextran amine (BDA). Importantly, COMET tracers retained bright native fluorescence after tissue clearing by CLARITY, enabling volumetric imaging of long-range projections without antibody amplification. COMET expands the available toolkit for high-resolution connectomics and regeneration studies, offering a versatile platform for sensitive, scalable, and cell-type-specific neuronal tracing in intact and injured mammalian nervous systems.

Indexed as

DependovirusNeuronsAnimalsAxonsGreen Fluorescent ProteinsHumansLuminescent ProteinsMiceSpinal Cord InjuriesGreen Fluorescent ProteinsLuminescent ProteinsAdeno-associated virus (AAV)Axon regenerationCLARITYCOMET tracersCorticospinal tract (CST)Fluorescent proteinsMembrane targetingNeural progenitor graftsNeuroanatomical tracingTissue clearing

Identifiers

PMID41794669
PMCPMC13081648

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.