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Using Affordable LED Arrays for Photo-Stimulation of Neurons
Published on: November 15, 2011
Optimized photo-stimulation of halorhodopsin for long-term neuronal inhibition
Chuanqiang Zhang1,2, Shang Yang3, Tom Flossmann1,4
1Hans-Berger Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, Am Klinikum 1, 07747, Jena, Germany.
Background:
Optogenetic silencing techniques have expanded the causal understanding of the functions of diverse neuronal cell types in both the healthy and diseased brain. A widely used inhibitory optogenetic actuator is eNpHR3.0, an improved version of the light-driven chloride pump halorhodopsin derived from Natronomonas pharaonis. A major drawback of eNpHR3.0 is related to its pronounced inactivation on a time-scale of seconds, which renders it unsuited for applications that require long-lasting silencing.
Results:
Using transgenic mice and Xenopus laevis oocytes expressing an eNpHR3.0-EYFP fusion protein, we here report optimized photo-stimulation techniques that profoundly increase the stability of eNpHR3.0-mediated currents during long-term photo-stimulation. We demonstrate that optimized photo-stimulation enables prolonged hyperpolarization and suppression of action potential discharge on a time-scale of minutes.
Conclusions:
Collectively, our findings extend the utility of eNpHR3.0 to the long-lasting inhibition of excitable cells, thus facilitating the optogenetic dissection of neural circuits.
