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Updated: Feb 7, 2026

Inducing Plasticity of Astrocytic Receptors by Manipulation of Neuronal Firing Rates
Published on: March 20, 2014
Optical control of neuronal firing via photoinduced electron transfer in donor-acceptor conjugates
Yuta Takano1, Tomohiro Numata2,3, Kazuto Fujishima1
1Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences (WPI-iCeMS) , Kyoto University , Sakyo-ku , Kyoto 606-8501 , Japan .
Abstract:
A series of porphyrin-fullerene linked molecules has been synthesized to evaluate the effects of substituents and molecular structures on their charge-separation yield and the lifetime of a final charge-separated state in various hydrophilic environments. The selected high-performance molecule effectively achieved depolarization in a plasma cell membrane by visible light as well as two-photon excitation using a near-infrared light laser. Moreover, it was revealed that the depolarization can trigger neuronal firing in rat hippocampal neurons, demonstrating the potential and versatility for controlling cell functions using light.
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