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Updated: May 2, 2026

Optogenetic Activation of Afferent Pathways in Brain Slices and Modulation of Responses by Volatile Anesthetics
Published on: July 23, 2020
Mechanisms revealed through general anesthetic photolabeling
Brian P Weiser1, Kellie A Woll1, William P Dailey2
1Department of Anesthesiology & Critical Care, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, 3620 Hamilton Walk, Philadelphia, PA 19104 ; Department of Pharmacology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, 3620 Hamilton Walk, Philadelphia, PA 19104.
Abstract:
General anesthetic photolabels are used to reveal molecular targets and molecular binding sites of anesthetic ligands. After identification, the relevance of anesthetic substrates or binding sites can be tested in biological systems. Halothane and photoactive analogs of isoflurane, propofol, etomidate, neurosteroids, anthracene, and long chain alcohols have been used in anesthetic photolabeling experiments. Interrogated protein targets include the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, GABAA receptor, tubulin, leukocyte function-associated antigen-1, and protein kinase C. In this review, we summarize insights revealed by photolabeling these targets, as well as general features of anesthetics, such as their propensity to partition to mitochondria and bind voltage-dependent anion channels. The theory of anesthetic photolabel design and the experimental application of photoactive ligands are also discussed.
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