Specific expression of channelrhodopsin-2 in single neurons of Caenorhabditis elegans

  • Optogenetic approaches using light-activated proteins like Channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) enable investigating the function of populations of neurons in live Caenorhabditis elegans (and other) animals, as ChR2 expression can be targeted to these cells using specific promoters. Sub-populations of these neurons, or even single cells, can be further addressed by restricting the illumination to the cell of interest. However, this is technically demanding, particularly in free moving animals. Thus, it would be helpful if expression of ChR2 could be restricted to single neurons or neuron pairs, as even wide-field illumination would photostimulate only this particular cell. To this end we adopted the use of Cre or FLP recombinases and conditional ChR2 expression at the intersection of two promoter expression domains, i.e. in the cell of interest only. Success of this method depends on precise knowledge of the individual promoters' expression patterns and on relative expression levels of recombinase and ChR2. A bicistronic expression cassette with GFP helps to identify the correct expression pattern. Here we show specific expression in the AVA reverse command neurons and the aversive polymodal sensory ASH neurons. This approach shall enable to generate strains for optogenetic manipulation of each of the 302 C. elegans neurons. This may eventually allow to model the C. elegans nervous system in its entirety, based on functional data for each neuron.

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Metadaten
Author:Cornelia Schmitt, Christian Schultheis, Steven J. Husson, Jana F. LiewaldORCiDGND, Alexander GottschalkORCiDGND
URN:urn:nbn:de:hebis:30:3-259249
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0043164
ISSN:1932-6203
Pubmed Id:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22952643
Parent Title (English):PLoS One
Publisher:PLoS
Place of publication:Lawrence, Kan.
Document Type:Article
Language:English
Date of Publication (online):2012/08/30
Date of first Publication:2012/08/30
Publishing Institution:Universitätsbibliothek Johann Christian Senckenberg
Release Date:2012/09/02
Volume:7
Issue:(8):e43164
Page Number:12
HeBIS-PPN:358058120
Institutes:Biochemie, Chemie und Pharmazie / Biochemie und Chemie
Dewey Decimal Classification:5 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik / 57 Biowissenschaften; Biologie / 570 Biowissenschaften; Biologie
Sammlungen:Universitätspublikationen
Sammlung Biologie / Sondersammelgebiets-Volltexte
Licence (German):License LogoCreative Commons - Namensnennung 3.0