Advances in photogenetics research in 2020 and their prospects

December 31, 2020 // --- In 2001, Gero Miesenbck, a professor of physiology at the University of Oxford, pioneered a technique called photogenetics in the world: genetically modified nerve cells that hold proteins that react to light, thus successfully triggering their electrical activity through photogenetic nerve cells, which means that they can be controlled by photoneedled nerve cells.
founder of photogenetics, he was also the first scientist in the world to genetically transform nerve cells.
, he performed similar genetic modifications on animals in the brain that contained light-responsive nerves, and for the first time demonstrated that their behavior could be controlled remotely.
Miesenbck also won the 2020 Yifu Life Sciences and Medicine Award.
optogenetics is a multidisciplinary and cross-cutting bioengineering technology that integrates optics, software control, gene operation techniques, electrophysiology, etc., which is developing rapidly in recent years.
Its main principle is to first use gene-operated techniques to transfer photos sensitive genes (e.g. ChR2, eBR, NaHR3.0, Arch or OptoXR, etc.) into specific types of cells in the nervous system for the expression of special ion channels or GPCR.
light-sensing ion channels in different wavelengths of light stimulation will be selective to the passage of cations or anions, resulting in changes in membrane potence on both sides of the cell membrane, to achieve selective excitement or inhibition of cells.
photogenetic technology has two characteristics of unique high space-time resolution and cell type specificity, overcomes many shortcomings of traditional means to control cell or organism activity, can carry out non-invasive precision positioning stimulation of neurons and completely changed the research situation in the field of neuroscience, providing a revolutionary research method for neuroscience.
could lead to the development of new treatments for a range of central nervous system diseases in the future. the applied research area of
photogenetics technology covers a number of classical experimental animal lines (fruit flies, nematodes, mice, rats, velvet monkeys, crab-eating monkeys, etc.) and covers many aspects of neuroscience research, including basic research on neural loops, learning and memory research, addictive research, movement disorders, sleep disorders, Parkinson's models, depression and anxiety animal models, and other applications.
the end of 2020, the editor-in-chief combed through the progress made in the field of photogenetics in 2020 to reach out to readers.
1. Using photogenetics to explore neurobiological behavior, Ee-Lynn Yap et al. exposed mice to new environments and observed the main cells of the hema.
found that when exposed to new things, relatively sparse groups of neurons expressed Fos.
, they prevented these neurons from expressing Fos, while other cells were unaffected.
study the difference between neurons that express Fos and neurons that do not express Fos.
they used photogenetics to turn input from different nearby neurons on or off, and they found that the activity of neurons expressing Fos was most affected by two types of intermediate neurons.
images from Public Domain.
different patterns of neural activity in the brain control the sleep-wake cycle.
, however, how much of this activity contributes to sleep stability remains largely unknown.
adenosine in the pre-brain of the substrate is an important physiological medium for sleep stability.
Peng et al. used a newly developed indicator to monitor adenosine concentrations in the pre-brains of mouse substrates.
its concentration was significantly associated with wakefulness and REM sleep.
-dependent release of adenosine can also be caused by photogenetic stimulation of glutamate-energy neurons in the pre-brain rather than choline-energy neurons.
findings provide new insights into how neuron activity during awakening promotes sleep stress by releasing sleep-inducing factors.
June 2020, Edmund Chong et al. performed photogenetic techniques on OMP-ChR2-YFP genetically modified hybrid mice (experimental group) and B6 (Cg)-Tyrc2J/J (albino B6) mice (control group) to control the neuron activity of mice sniffing mice in space and time.
the mice were trained to recognize a pattern of learning activity that might be perceived as a particular odor.
then, the authors systematically changed the pattern of activity by changing the time between activation of the activated olfactory ball or olfactory ball activation to assess their effects on odor recognition.
the olfactory ball activated in the early stages of synthetic odors contributed more to odor recognition than the subsequently activated olfactory balls.
this approach allows neuroscience to explain how features are combined in complex patterns to produce perception.
images from Science, 2020, doi:10.1126/science.aba2357.
December 2020, Sara Mederos et al. discovered that the genetic rejection of GABABRs subtypes in astrocytes may alter the specific oscillation γ activity and discharge characteristics of cortical neurons.
γ Oscillation/Rhythm is a form of synchronous activity in large groups of neurons that is primarily involved in body perception, working memory, and other cognitive functions, and as previously found by researchers, γ oscillations are involved in the dynamic participation of neuroprocessing processes in the critical behavior of adaptability.
Using photogenetics, a light-induced cell activation technique, to activate astrological glial cells in the pre-frontal leaves can induce increased cortical inhibitory synaptic transmission, local neuron activation, γ oscillations, and improve the body's cognitive performance;
May 2020, Yanlin He et al. found that glucose-stimulated neuron subpopons use KATP ion channels to cope with glucose levels, while glucose-suppressing neuron subpopons use another ion channel called Ano4.
they also identified the neural circuits involved in glucose-stimulating and glucose-suppressing neurons responding to low blood sugar levels.
They used photogenetics to activate specific neural circuits in mice, and found that when glucose-suppressing neurons responded to low glucose levels, they activated specific circuits, resulting in elevated blood sugar;
Huntington's disease is an inherited neurodegenerative disease characterized by changes in motor, cognitive impairment, and mental illness caused by the degeneration of neurons in the synth nuclei of the brain.
October 2020, Sara Fernández-García et al. discovered Huntington's disease using photogenetics, combined with electrophysiology and microdialysis