title: Imaging brain electric signals with genetically targeted voltage-sensitive fluorescent proteins.
abstract: Cortical information processing relies on synaptic interactions between diverse classes of neurons with distinct electrophysiological and connection properties. Uncovering the operational principles of these elaborate circuits requires the probing of electrical activity from selected populations of defined neurons. Here we show that genetically encoded voltage-sensitive fluorescent proteins (VSFPs) provide an optical voltage report from targeted neurons in culture, acute brain slices and living mice. By expressing VSFPs in pyramidal cells of mouse somatosensory cortex, we also demonstrate that these probes can report cortical electrical responses to single sensory stimuli in vivo. These protein-based voltage probes will facilitate the analysis of cortical circuits in genetically defined cell populations and are hence a valuable addition to the optogenetic toolbox.
authors.affiliation: RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako City, Saitama, Japan.
authors.forename: Walther
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Akemann
authors.forename: Hiroki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mutoh
authors.forename: Amélie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Perron
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rossier
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Knöpfel
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D055724:Electrophysiological Phenomena; D008164:Luminescent Proteins; D008564:Membrane Potentials; D008722:Methods; D051379:Mice; D017966:Pyramidal Cells; D013003:Somatosensory Cortex
chemical_list: D008164:Luminescent Proteins