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Published on: October 8, 2014
Two-photon uncaging of gamma-aminobutyric acid in intact brain tissue
Masanori Matsuzaki1, Tatsuya Hayama1, Haruo Kasai1
1Laboratory of Structural Physiology, Center for Disease Biology and Integrative Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Tokyo 003-1133, Japan, and Center for NanoBio Integration, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
Abstract:
We have synthesized a photosensitive (or caged) 4-carboxymethoxy-5,7-dinitroindolinyl (CDNI) derivative of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). Two-photon excitation of CDNI-GABA produced rapid activation of GABAergic currents in neurons in brain slices with an axial resolution of approximately 2 mum and enabled high-resolution functional mapping of GABA-A receptors. Two-photon uncaging of GABA, the main inhibitory neurotransmitter, should allow detailed studies of receptor function and synaptic integration with subcellular precision.
