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Photoreceptors and Visual Pathways01:22

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GPCRs are primarily responsible for our sense of smell, taste, and vision.  The binding of a sensory stimulus activates GPCR to stimulate effector proteins, many of which are ion channels in the sensory organs. GPCRs modulate the opening and closing of the target ion channels either directly by binding them, or by releasing second messengers that activate these channels. As ions move across the membrane, the membrane potential is altered, which induces an appropriate response.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 4, 2026

Bioluminescent Optogenetics 2.0: Harnessing Bioluminescence to Activate Photosensory Proteins In Vitro and In Vivo
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Broad-Band Activatable White-Opsin.

Subrata Batabyal1, Gregory Cervenka1, Ji Hee Ha2

  • 1Biophysics and Physiology Lab, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, United States of America.

Plos One
|September 12, 2015
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Summary

Researchers developed a novel 'white-opsin' for vision restoration. This broad-spectrum opsin enables retinal cells to respond to ambient white light, significantly lowering activation thresholds compared to traditional narrow-band optogenetic methods.

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Area of Science:

  • Optogenetics
  • Neuroscience
  • Biotechnology

Background:

  • Optogenetic vision restoration offers an alternative to retinal implants.
  • Current methods using narrow-spectral sensitivity opsins require high-intensity light stimulation.
  • Clinical translation is limited by the need for intense, specific light sources.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop an opsin with broad spectral excitability for ambient light activation.
  • To overcome the limitations of narrow-band opsins in optogenetic vision restoration.
  • To enable vision restoration using natural, low-intensity light.

Main Methods:

  • Development of a novel 'white-opsin' with broad visible spectrum excitability.
  • Sensitization of retinal cells with the developed white-opsin.
  • Comparison of cellular excitability and photocurrent with white-opsin versus narrow-band opsins (e.g., Channelrhodopsin-2).

Main Results:

  • Cells sensitized with white-opsin demonstrated an order of magnitude higher excitability with white light.
  • White-opsin produced a photocurrent five times higher than Channelrhodopsin-2 under similar conditions.
  • Demonstrated enhanced sensitivity to ambient white light in opsin-sensitized neurons.

Conclusions:

  • The developed fast white-opsin facilitates ambient light-based stimulation for vision restoration.
  • This approach significantly lowers the activation threshold compared to conventional optogenetic methods.
  • Broad spectral excitability of white-opsin is a promising advancement for treating retinal degeneration.