title: Optogenetic control of contractile function in skeletal muscle.
abstract: Optogenetic stimulation allows activation of cells with high spatial and temporal precision. Here we show direct optogenetic stimulation of skeletal muscle from transgenic mice expressing the light-sensitive channel Channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2). Largest tetanic contractions are observed with 5-ms light pulses at 30 Hz, resulting in 84% of the maximal force induced by electrical stimulation. We demonstrate the utility of this approach by selectively stimulating with a light guide individual intralaryngeal muscles in explanted larynges from ChR2-transgenic mice, which enables selective opening and closing of the vocal cords. Furthermore, systemic injection of adeno-associated virus into wild-type mice provides sufficient ChR2 expression for optogenetic opening of the vocal cords. Thus, direct optogenetic stimulation of skeletal muscle generates large force and provides the distinct advantage of localized and cell-type-specific activation. This technology could be useful for therapeutic purposes, such as restoring the mobility of the vocal cords in patients suffering from laryngeal paralysis.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physiology I, University of Bonn, Life and Brain Center, Sigmund-Freud-Strasse 25, 53127 Bonn, Germany.|Research Training Group 1873, University of Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bruegmann
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital of Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Strasse 25, 53127 Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: van Bremen
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physiology I, University of Bonn, Life and Brain Center, Sigmund-Freud-Strasse 25, 53127 Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Christoph C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Vogt
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital of Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Strasse 25, 53127 Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Thorsten
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Send
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physiology I, University of Bonn, Life and Brain Center, Sigmund-Freud-Strasse 25, 53127 Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Bernd K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Fleischmann
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physiology I, University of Bonn, Life and Brain Center, Sigmund-Freud-Strasse 25, 53127 Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Philipp
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sasse
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000075402:Channelrhodopsins; D000229:Dependovirus / Q000235:genetics; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D007821:Laryngeal Muscles / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology*; D008027:Light; D008564:Membrane Potentials; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009119:Muscle Contraction; D018485:Muscle Fibers, Skeletal / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology*; D062308:Optogenetics / Q000379:methods*; D014827:Vocal Cords
chemical_list: D000075402:Channelrhodopsins