Lectures and seminars Frontiers in Neural Circuits seminar series: with Arpiar Saunders
Title: "Molecular mechanisms governing AAV transduction of neuronal axons". October 15 at 11:00 in room Nils Ringertz, Biomedicum.
Welcome all members of Karolinska Institutet, as well as researchers and trainees from KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm University, and other universities in the Stockholm region. We warmly encourage students, postdocs, and faculty to attend and engage with our distinguished guest.
Speaker:
Arpiar Saunders, Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU), Portland, USA.
Time: 15 October, 11:00–12:00
Location: Nils Ringertz lecture hall, Biomedicum (level 3)
Title: Molecular mechanisms governing AAV transduction of neuronal axons
Abstract
Our lab is broadly focused on understanding the cellular etiology of neurodevelopmental disorders. We pursue this goal by developing single-cell and single-virion genomics methods to systematically map the molecular and synaptic organization of neural circuits. In parallel, we seek to define the molecular mechanisms that govern host–virus interactions within the complex cellular environment of the brain. My seminar will focus on this latter effort. I will introduce a genetic screening approach for identifying receptors and other host factors that control adeno-associated virus (AAV) transduction in primary brain cells. I will then describe a series of experiments defining the molecular mechanism responsible for presynaptic axonal uptake of “retrograde” AAV. Our results reveal an unexpected and highly conserved receptor pathway that enables more predictive use and
clinical evaluation of this widely used vector for targeting neural projection systems.
Recent publications
Design and assembly of combinatorial DNA barcodes for probebased genomics applications
Goode Z*, Tiedemann E*, Ben Ameur L, Pavan K, Young K, Sek M, Nevue A, Zhu J, Houghton J, Fu Y, Boisvert H and Saunders A.
(2026). bioRxiv.
Human brain cell types shape host-rabies virus transcriptional interactions revealing a preexisting pro-viral astrocyte subpopulation.
Feige L, Young K, Cerapio JP, Kozaki T, Kergoat L, Libri V, Ginhoux F, Hasan M, Ben Ameur L, Chin G, Goode Z, Bourhy H, Saunders A
Cell Rep 2025 Sep;44(9):116159
Ascertaining cells' synaptic connections and RNA expression simultaneously with barcoded rabies virus libraries.
Saunders A, Huang KW, Vondrak C, Hughes C, Smolyar K, Sen H, Philson AC, Nemesh J, Wysoker A, Kashin S, Sabatini BL, McCarroll SA
Nat Commun 2022 Nov;13(1):6993
Molecular Diversity and Specializations among the Cells of the Adult Mouse Brain.
Saunders A, Macosko EZ, Wysoker A, Goldman M, Krienen FM, de Rivera H, Bien E, Baum M, Bortolin L, Wang S, Goeva A, Nemesh J, Kamitaki N, Brumbaugh S, Kulp D, McCarroll SA
Cell 2018 Aug;174(4):1015-1030.e16
Refreshments
Sandwiches and coffee will be provided.
Registration
No registration is needed.