title: Optical induction of synaptic plasticity using a light-sensitive channel.
abstract: We have combined millisecond activation of channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2), a light-gated ion channel, with two-photon calcium imaging to investigate active synaptic contacts in rat hippocampal slice cultures. Calcium influx was larger during light-induced action potentials than during action potentials induced by somatic current injection, leading to highly reproducible synaptic transmission. Pairing of light stimulation with postsynaptic depolarization induced long-term potentiation, making this technique ideal for genetic and pharmacological dissection of synaptic plasticity.
authors.affiliation: Friedrich Miescher Institute, Novartis Research Foundation, Maulbeerstr. 66, WRO-1066.4.04, CH-4058 Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Yan-Ping
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Thomas G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Oertner
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials; D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D003712:Dendrites / Q000502:physiology; D003943:Diagnostic Techniques, Neurological; D004594:Electrophysiology / Q000379:methods; D019706:Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000502:physiology; D008027:Light; D017774:Long-Term Potentiation; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity; D017966:Pyramidal Cells; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D025603:Sensory Rhodopsins / Q000235:genetics; D013569:Synapses / Q000502:physiology*; D009435:Synaptic Transmission; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D025603:Sensory Rhodopsins; D002118:Calcium