title: Optogenetic activation of axon guidance receptors controls direction of neurite outgrowth.
abstract: Growth cones of extending axons navigate to correct targets by sensing a guidance cue gradient via membrane protein receptors. Although most signaling mechanisms have been clarified using an in vitro approach, it is still difficult to investigate the growth cone behavior in complicated extracellular environment of living animals due to the lack of tools. We develop a system for the light-dependent activation of a guidance receptor, Deleted in Colorectal Cancer (DCC), using Arabidopsis thaliana Cryptochrome 2, which oligomerizes upon blue-light absorption. Blue-light illumination transiently activates DCC via its oligomerization, which initiates downstream signaling in the illuminated subcellular region. The extending axons are attracted by illumination in cultured chick dorsal root ganglion neurons. Moreover, light-mediated navigation of the growth cones is achieved in living Caenorhabditis elegans. The photo-manipulation system is applicable to investigate the relationship between the growth cone behavior and its surrounding environment in living tissue.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Endo
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hattori
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Toriyabe
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ohno
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Neuronal Growth Mechanisms, Brain Science Institute, The Institute of Physical and Chemical Research (RIKEN), 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kamiguchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Iino
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ozawa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D000071437:Axon Guidance / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D001369:Axons / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000528:radiation effects; D002642:Chick Embryo; D002645:Chickens; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism; D057809:HEK293 Cells; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D008027:Light; D051379:Mice; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D000071446:Neuronal Outgrowth / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects; D062308:Optogenetics / Q000379:methods*; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins