title: Bringing optogenetics to the synapse.
abstract: In this issue of Neuron, Lin et al. (2013) describe InSynC, an optogenetic approach that utilizes chromophore-assisted light inactivation (CALI) to inactivate presynaptic neurotransmitter release proteins VAMP2 and synaptophysin. InSynC selectively reduces synaptic transmission in illuminated regions in vitro and in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Cell Biology and Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, 271 Life Sciences Addition, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Reiner
authors.forename: Joshua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Levitz
authors.forename: Ehud
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Isacoff
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D061885:Chromophore-Assisted Light Inactivation / Q000379:methods*; D009433:Neural Inhibition / Q000502:physiology*; D062308:Optogenetics / Q000379:methods*; D013569:Synapses / Q000502:physiology*; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000502:physiology*