Publications

Genetically Targeted All-Optical Electrophysiology with a Transgenic Cre-Dependent Optopatch Mouse

Recent advances in optogenetics have enabled simultaneous optical perturbation and optical readout of membrane potential in diverse cell types. Here, we develop and characterize a Cre-dependent transgenic Optopatch2 mouse line that we call Floxopatch. The animals expressed a blue-shifted channelrhodopsin, CheRiff, and a near infrared Archaerhodopsin-derived voltage indicator, QuasAr2, via targeted knock-in at the rosa26 locus. In Optopatch-expressing animals, we tested for overall health, genetically targeted expression, and function of the optogenetic components. In offspring of Floxopatch mice crossed with a variety of Cre driver lines, we observed spontaneous and optically evoked activity in vitro in acute brain slices and in vivo in somatosensory ganglia. Cell-type-specific expression allowed classification and characterization of neuronal subtypes based on their firing patterns. The Floxopatch mouse line is a useful tool for fast and sensitive characterization of neural activity in genetically specified cell types in intact tissue.

Authors: Lou S, Adam Y, Weinstein EN, Williams E, Williams K, Parot V, Kavokine N, Liberles S, Madisen L, Zeng H, Cohen AE.
Year of publication: 2016
Journal: Journal of Neuroscience, 36 (43) 11059-11073

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Labs:

“Working memory”