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Neural Tracing Methods pp 51–66Cite as

Wheat Germ Agglutinin (WGA) Tracing: A Classic Approach for Unraveling Neural Circuitry

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Part of the book series: Neuromethods ((NM,volume 92))

Abstract

Neuroanatomical tracing is a fundamental technique that has long been considered the primary method for visualizing brain networks in all areas of neuroscience. Although there are many new approaches for tracing neuronal connections, the lectin-based wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) tracing approach is still widely used, and it is firmly regarded as a classic method in the field. WGA has been used extensively to unravel both simple and complex neural networks in the central and peripheral nervous systems. It is reliable and versatile, as projections are labeled in the anterograde and retrograde directions. It is robust enough for tracking fine pathways in small animals, and it is stable enough for long-term tracing of neurons in large species. In some systems, WGA can even travel transynaptically to label the connected neurons. In this chapter, we outline the technical and conceptual details that have made WGA a powerful tool, and we discuss practical considerations for effectively using WGA. We also discuss the recent use of an Alexa conjugated WGA approach for multicolor labeling of different tracts in the same animal.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by funds from Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital (Houston, TX). R.V.S. was supported by the Caroline Wiess Law Fund for Research in Molecular Medicine, a BCM IDDRC Project Development Award, and by BCM IDDRC Grant Number 5P30HD024064 from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, by Grant Number C06RR029965 from the National Center for Research Resources and by 1R01NS089664-01. Tissue work was performed in the BCM IDDRC Neuropathology Core. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Center for Research Resources or the National Institutes of Health.

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  1. Department of Pathology & Immunology, and Department of Neuroscience,, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA

    Sabrina L. Levy, Joshua J. White & Roy V. Sillitoe

  2. Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX, USA

    Sabrina L. Levy, Joshua J. White & Roy V. Sillitoe

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  1. Sabrina L. Levy
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Correspondence to Roy V. Sillitoe .

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  1. Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA

    Benjamin R. Arenkiel

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Levy, S.L., White, J.J., Sillitoe, R.V. (2015). Wheat Germ Agglutinin (WGA) Tracing: A Classic Approach for Unraveling Neural Circuitry. In: Arenkiel, B. (eds) Neural Tracing Methods. Neuromethods, vol 92. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-1963-5_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-1963-5_2

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