New genetic tool could help investigate brain function and psychiatric disorders.
Researchers from Duke-NUS Medical School have found that a new class of light-sensitive proteins are capable of turning off brain cells with light, offering scientists an unprecedentedly effective tool to investigate brain function. The study, recently published in, opens exciting new opportunities to apply optogenetics to investigate the brain activity underlying neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders such as Parkinson's disease and depression.
Dr Stanislav Ott, Senior Research Fellow with Duke-NUS' Neuroscience and Behavioural Disorders Programme and first author of the study, said:"These potassium channels act like tiny gates on cell membranes. When exposed to light, these gates open and let potassium ions flow through, helping to quiet the activity in the brain cells. This offers us new insights into how brain activities are regulated.
When triggered by light, the new kalium channelrhodopsins let potassium ions leave a neuron, changing the electrical gradient across the membrane. This change, known as hyperpolarisation, makes it difficult for the neuron to generate the electrical signal known as an action potential. Without action potentials, a neuron's communication with other cells is greatly suppressed or even silenced.
Duke-NUS is a leader in medical research and innovation, with a commitment to improving patient care through scientific discovery. This study is part of its ongoing efforts to advance understanding of neurological and psychiatric conditions.Stanislav Ott, Sangyu Xu, Nicole Lee, Ivan Hong, Jonathan Anns, Danesha Devini Suresh, Zhiyi Zhang, Xianyuan Zhang, Raihanah Harion, Weiying Ye, Vaishnavi Chandramouli, Suresh Jesuthasan, Yasunori Saheki, Adam Claridge-Chang.
Brain Tumor Stem Cells Psychology Research Neuroscience Brain Injury Brain-Computer Interfaces Disorders And Syndromes
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