Optogenetics in neuroscience:what we gain from studies in mammals  

作　　者：Quanhui Chen Ziling Zeng Zhian Hu 

机构地区：[1]Department of Physiology,Third Military Medical University,Chongqing 400038,China

出　　处：《Neuroscience Bulletin》2012年第4期423-434,共12页神经科学通报（英文版）

基　　金：supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (2011CB503700)

摘　　要：Optogenetics is a newly-introduced technology in the life sciences and is gaining increasing attention.It refers to the combination of optical technologies and genetic methods to control the activity of specific cell groups in living tissue,during which high-resolution spatial and temporal manipulation of cells is achieved.Optogenetics has been applied to numerous regions,including cerebral cortex,hippocampus,ventral tegmental area,nucleus accumbens,striatum,spinal cord,and retina,and has revealed new directions of research in neuroscience and the treatment of related diseases.Since optogenetic tools are controllable at high spatial and temporal resolution,we discuss its applications in these regions in detail and the recent understanding of higher brain functions,such as reward-seeking,learning and memory,and sleep.Further,the possibilities of improved utility of this newly-emerging technology are discussed.We intend to provide a paradigm of the latest advances in neuroscience using optogenetics.Optogenetics is a newly-introduced technology in the life sciences and is gaining increasing attention.It refers to the combination of optical technologies and genetic methods to control the activity of specific cell groups in living tissue,during which high-resolution spatial and temporal manipulation of cells is achieved.Optogenetics has been applied to numerous regions,including cerebral cortex,hippocampus,ventral tegmental area,nucleus accumbens,striatum,spinal cord,and retina,and has revealed new directions of research in neuroscience and the treatment of related diseases.Since optogenetic tools are controllable at high spatial and temporal resolution,we discuss its applications in these regions in detail and the recent understanding of higher brain functions,such as reward-seeking,learning and memory,and sleep.Further,the possibilities of improved utility of this newly-emerging technology are discussed.We intend to provide a paradigm of the latest advances in neuroscience using optogenetics.

关 键 词：OPTOGENETICS channnelrhodopsin HALORHODOPSIN MAMMALS 

分 类 号：Q42[生物学—神经生物学] Q3[生物学—生理学]