title: Using opioid receptors to expand the chemogenetic and optogenetic toolbox.
abstract: In this issue of Neuron, innovative new modifications to opioid receptors are used to expand the tools available to modulate neuronal activity. Vardy et al. (2015) describe a new "DREADD" chemogenetic tool based on the inhibitory κ opioid receptor (KORD) that can be used in conjunction with already-available DREADDs. Siuda et al. (2015) report the development of "opto-MOR," a light-activatable μ opioid receptor (MOR) chimera that can be used to better understand the complexities of MOR signaling.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Systems Therapeutics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1 Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029-6574, USA.
authors.forename: Diane M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Damez-Werno
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Systems Therapeutics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1 Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029-6574, USA. Electronic address: paul.kenny@mssm.edu.
authors.forename: Paul J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Kenny
mesh_terms: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D004224:Diterpenes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D059330:GABAergic Neurons / Q000187:drug effects*; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects*; D062308:Optogenetics; D017473:Receptors, Opioid, kappa / Q000378:metabolism*; D017450:Receptors, Opioid, mu / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D004224:Diterpenes; D017473:Receptors, Opioid, kappa; D017450:Receptors, Opioid, mu