Optogenetics Explained! | Neuroscience Methods 101

Using optogenetics neurons in the brain can be activated by shining light on to them. But how does it work?

With optogenetics we can target specific neurons in the brain and activate or inhibit them. We are able to do that by shining light on the neuron. However, most neurons typically do not react to light, so we first have to change these brain cells a little bit. Proteins called opsins are sensitive to light and they can activate a cell. In humans we can find opsins, named rhodopsins in the cells of the retina in the eyes. The enables us to see.

By placing such rhodopsin proteins in neurons of the brain, we can also make them sensitive to light. For that we specifically use channelrhodopsin (chr2), which is sensitive to blue light. But how do we get channelrhodopsin into a brain cell? For that we change the genetic code of the neuron using viruses (viral vectors). Using the virus we enter the genetic instructions into the cell that allow them to make channelrhodopsin. Once this is done, we can shine blue light on the cell and it will fire.

References:
El-Shamayleh, Y., & Horwitz, G. D. (2019). Primate optogenetics: Progress and prognosis. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 116(52), 26195–26203. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1902284116

Mei, Y., & Zhang, F. (2012). Molecular tools and approaches for optogenetics. Biological psychiatry, 71(12), 1033–1038. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.20...

Packer, A. M., Roska, B., & Häusser, M. (2013). Targeting neurons and photons for optogenetics. Nature neuroscience, 16(7), 805–815. https://doi.org/10.1038/nn.3427

Husson, S. J., Liewald, J. F., Schultheis, C., Stirman, J. N., Lu, H., & Gottschalk, A. (2012). Microbial light-activatable proton pumps as neuronal inhibitors to functionally dissect neuronal networks in C. elegans. PloS one, 7(7), e40937. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone....

Schultheis, C., Liewald, J. F., Bamberg, E., Nagel, G., & Gottschalk, A. (2011). Optogenetic long-term manipulation of behavior and animal development. PloS one, 6(4), e18766. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone....

Narrated by: Miles Wischnewski

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