In vivo optogenetics for light-induced oxidative stress in transgenic zebrafish expressing the KillerRed...

Optogenetic methods are gaining broad recognition. The zebrafish is particularly useful for these applications as a model vertebrate due to a unique combination of translucent embryos/larvae and efficient transgenesis. Here, we describe a zebrafish model of light-induced cardiac deficiency. Upon illumination with intense green light, the membrane-tethered photosensitizer protein KillerRed acts as a photoinducer of reactive oxygen species which in turn cause changes in heart rate and contractility in hearts that express this transgene.