Abstract
Optogenetics is a powerful and rapidly expanding set of techniques that use genetically encoded light sensitive proteins such as opsins. Through the selective expression of these exogenous light-sensitive proteins, researchers gain the ability to modulate neuronal activity, intracellular signaling pathways, or gene expression with spatial, directional, temporal, and cell-type specificity. Optogenetics provides a versatile toolbox and has significantly advanced a variety of neuroscience fields. In this review, using recent epilepsy research as a focal point, we highlight how the specificity, versatility, and continual development of new optogenetic related tools advances our understanding of neuronal circuits and neurological disorders. We additionally provide a brief overview of some currently available optogenetic tools including for the selective expression of opsins.
Introduction
Optogenetics rests on the use of genetically encoded light sensitive proteins including opsins (Figure 1, Box 1; Deisseroth, , ; Boyden, ). Through exogenous expression of these light sensitive proteins, researchers gain the ability to modulate neuronal activity, intracellular signaling pathways, or gene expression through the delivery of light (Figure 2). Spatially and temporally restricted delivery of light provides optogenetic approaches with both temporal and spatial specificity. The use of different light-sensitive proteins provides an additional element of experimental control, including the direction of modulation (e.g., excitation vs. inhibition of neuronal populations). Finally, the restricted expression of light-sensitive proteins allows cell-type specific modulation, that is, selectivity for which cell populations are directly affected when light is delivered (Figure 3, Box 2).
Figure 1
Box 1 A brief overview of key light-sensitive proteins, including opsins.
The non-selective cation channels (Figure 1A) are perhaps the best-known family of excitatory opsins. Non-selective cation channels allow passage of Na+, K+, H+ and Ca2+ along their concentration gradients, depolarizing the cell. In large part, the non-selective cation channel opsins stem from the naturally occurring channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) found in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. To optimize ChR2 for use in manipulating mammalian neurons, several variants were made using point mutations. For instance, ChR2(H134R; Nagel et al., ), which has an H to R mutation at site 134, is widely used for neuronal manipulation as it displays larger photocurrents than the naturally occurring ChR2 due to an increase in light sensitivity and slower channel closing (Nagel et al., ). While the slower channel kinetics increase photocurrent amplitude, they also make ChR2(H134R) less temporally precise than wild-type ChR2. ChR2(H134R) is the most commonly used variant and is referred to simply as ChR2 throughout this review. Several other variants have also been created including: ChIEF (has increased steady-state responses and is able to generate action potentials with high fidelity with high-frequency light stimulation (Lin et al., )); ChETA (has faster kinetics, but reduced photocurrent amplitudes (Gunaydin et al., )); ChR2(ET/TC; has fast activation and deactivation kinetics and is able to generate action potentials with high fidelity at high stimulation frequencies across a wide range of light intensities (Berndt et al., )); and the ChR2(C128X) mutations ChR2(C128A), ChR2(C128T) and ChR2(C128S; Berndt et al., ). These ChR2(C128X) mutations show delayed channel closure. Of these mutations, ChR2(C128S) showed photocurrents most similar to the wild-type ChR2 and had the most delayed channel closure. The ChR2(C128S) variant was further combined with a ChR2(D126A; Bamann et al., ) variant to produce an even more long-lasting bi-stable step-function opsin (more commonly known as the Stabilized Step Function Opsin (SSFO; Yizhar et al., 2011a). Neurons expressing SSFO display extended depolarization upon activation of the SSFO with a pulse of blue light. A second pulse of light, at a different wavelength (590 nm), is then used to deactivate the SSFO and return the expressing neurons to baseline levels of activity. Most non-selective cation channels related to the naturally occurring ChR2 are maximally activated by blue light at wavelengths of approximately 470 nm. One limitation of these blue-light activated opsins is that blue light has a relatively short wavelength and does not travel far through tissue. High power light delivery can heat tissue, having unintended consequences on physiology, including causing tissue damage at higher levels. In order to overcome this issue, several red-shifted channelrhodopsin variants have been developed/discovered including VChR1 (Zhang et al., 2008), C1V1 (Yizhar et al., 2011b), ReaChR (Lin et al., ) and Chrimson (Klapoetke et al., ). These red-shifted opsins can be activated with light delivered at lower powers with negligible heating effects from distances further from the target site. Indeed, both ReaChR and Chrimson have been shown to be capable of being activated transcranially in deep brain structures of rodents (Lin et al., ; Klapoetke et al., ). Recently, an additional transcranial optogenetic method was published, which was based on an alternate method of light delivery, rather than the development of a new opsin; near-infrared light was delivered transcranially and was then absorbed by previously injected upconversion nanoparticles in deep brain structures, that then locally converted the near-infrared photons into blue wavelengths, activating ChR2 (Chen et al., ). This tool (lanthanide-doped upconversion nanoparticles) has also been modified to emit green wavelengths (by codoping Er3+ and Yb3+ into the NaYF4 host lattice), capable of activating HR and Arch. These green-light emitting upconversion nanoparticles were used in vivo to inhibit acute, chemically induced, seizure activity (Table 2; Chen et al., ). Currently the nanoparticles need to be injected into the targeted brain region, preventing this technique from being used in a purely non-invasive manner. While the study examined up to a month past injection, the longer-term stability of the nanoparticles and effects of exposure to the upconversion nanoparticles remains to be studied (Chen et al., ). Additionally, if high levels of local blue light are achieved, a potential for tissue heating remains. Regardless of the light source, with the use of any non-selective cation channel opsin like ChR2, which also allow the passage of Ca2+, an additional aspect to consider is that the entry of Ca2+ into the cell may have unintended consequences on the cellās physiology.
The inward chloride pumps (Figure 1B) are perhaps the best-known family of inhibitory opsins. As the name indicates, this family of opsins actively pumps chloride ions into the cell, thus increasing the intracellular chloride concentration, hyperpolarizing the intracellular space, and lowering the probability of action potential generation. As they actively pump chloride into the cell, chloride pumps can (temporarily) alter the intracellular chloride concentration (Alfonsa et al., ), an experimental caveat to be considered when using these opsins. On the flip side, as they are pumps, chloride pumps are not dependent on the reversal potential of chloride and can hyperpolarize and inhibit (at least acutely) even in situations where the chloride reversal potential may be altered (as can happen, for example, in epileptic tissue). Several of the inward chloride pump opsins stem from the naturally occurring halorhodopsin (HR) found in Natronomonas pharaonis (NpHR). As with ChR2, several variants of this naturally occurring inhibitory opsin were made in order to optimize their use for manipulating mammalian neurons (Gradinaru et al., , ). Compared to the naturally occurring NpHR, eNpHR3.0 displays larger photocurrents due to better membrane trafficking, while preserving the resistance to inactivation seen in wild-type NpHR. As eNpHR3.0 is currently the primary inward chloride pump opsin used for research on mammalian neurons, we refer to it elsewhere in this review as simply HR. An additional inward chloride pump named Jaws, which was derived from Haloarcula salinarum, has a red-shifted activation spectrum that has also been shown to be effective in inhibiting neuronal activity through the production of large inhibitory photocurrents (Chuong et al., ).
The outward proton pumps (Figure 1C) are a distinct method for inhibiting neuronal activity. These opsins function through active pumping of protons out of the cell, thus decreasing the concentration of protons within the cell, hyperpolarizing (and alkalizing) the cell and decreasing the likelihood of action potential generation. These outward proton pump opsins stem from the naturally occurring archaerhodopsin-3 (Arch; Chow et al., ) found in Halorubrum sodomense. Several variants of this opsin have been developed to better allow sensitive manipulation of mammalian neurons, including ArchT (Han et al., ), eArch3.0 (Mattis et al., ) and eArchT3.0 (Mattis et al., ; enhanced versions have been modified to improve trafficking). Other outward proton pumps have also been discovered to work well in mammalian neurons when modified to improve trafficking including eMac3.0 (Chow et al., ; Mattis et al., ) and eBR (Gradinaru et al., ). Of these opsins, eArchT3.0 displays larger inhibitory photocurrents than either wild-type Arch, eNpHR3.0, or eMac3.0 (Mattis et al., ). Although eMac3.0 produces smaller inhibitory photocurrents relative to eArchT3.0 and eNpHR3.0, eMac3.0 is activated by green wavelengths of light (photoactivation spectrum not shown) and is sufficiently blue-shifted to allow for dual-optogenetic inhibition, as in Chow et al. (). An important experimental consideration in the use of proton pumps is the resulting alteration in pH. Note that extended light activation of proton pumps on presynaptic terminals can actually cause an increase in calcium influx (and thus downstream signaling) and neurotransmitter release via intracellular alkalization (Mahn et al., ).
The G-protein coupled receptor opsins (Figure 1D) offer methods for manipulating neural activity via intracellular signaling cascades. The family of G-protein coupled receptor opsins are referred to as OptoXRs (Airan et al., ), which includes opto-α1-AR (which triggers an α-adrenergic receptor-like response through activation of the Gq protein), and opto-β2-AR (which triggers a β-adrenergic receptor-like response through activation of the Gs protein). An important experimental consideration when using OptoXRs is the potential for expression of the exogenous proteins to alter native receptor expression, localization, or coupling to signaling pathways. Similarly, there is a lack of direct control over which signaling pathways (e.g., downstream of the G protein) the OptoXR expressed will preferentially couple.
The chloride channel opsins (Figure 1E), similar to inward chloride pumps and outward proton pumps, can be used for optogenetic inhibition of neural activity. The chloride channels allow for passive flow of chloride ions across the membrane, thus typically hyperpolarizing the cell, decreasing membrane resistance, and decreasing the likelihood of action potential generation. Unlike the inhibitory proton and chloride pumps, which only shuttle one ion per photon, chloride channel opsins allow for movement of hundreds of ions per photon, reducing the need for high intensity light delivery and reducing the likelihood of heating effects. Recently, two naturally occurring chloride channel opsins were discovered in the microbe Guillardia theta. These are Guillardia theta anion channelrhodopsin 1 and 2 (GtACR1 and GtACR2, respectively; Govorunova et al., ). GtACR2 has notably large inhibitory photocurrents and high light sensitivity and may therefore be especially useful in a variety of settings. Before the discovery of these naturally occurring inhibitory channel opsins, inhibitory chloride channels were engineered from the naturally occurring cation-selective channelrhodopsins. These include inhibitory C1C2 (iC1C2; Berndt et al., ), iC++ and a bi-stable variant SwiChR++ (Berndt et al., ), and a slow chloride-conducting channelrhodopsin (Slow ChloC; Wietek et al., 2014). While activation of chloride channel opsins can inhibit action potentials, when activated at synaptic terminals, rather than inhibiting neurotransmitter release, these opsins can actually trigger neurotransmitter release (Mahn et al., ). Regarding the importance of different chloride concentrations (even within the same neuron), and therefore the different impact that activation of chloride channel opsins in different locations on a neuron can have, the reader is further directed to a preprint, not yet peer-reviewed, reference that is particularly relevant: (Mahn et al., ). It should also be noted that these chloride channel opsins can both affect and be affected by the chloride ion concentration gradient. This is especially notable in the context of epilepsy research (Pathak et al., ; Moore et al., ; Wang et al., 2017).
There exist additional options for light-based control of chloride channels (and other receptors more broadly) through a system referred to as optogenetic pharmacology (Kramer et al., ; Lin et al., ; not illustrated). This method allows for receptor subtype-level control of neuronal activity. Experimental considerations when using an optogenetic pharmacology approach include the need to successfully conjugate the photoswitch prior to attempting neuromodulation; the potential for altering expression or localization of endogenous channels (directly or indirectly); the potential for other effects of the expressed channels, including prior to photoswitch conjugation (especially in contexts where the āphotoswitch-readyā version of the subunit is expressed in addition to, rather than in place of, the native subunit); having a mix of light-sensitive and light-insensitive channels; and potential off-target effects or conjugation of the photoswitch itself.
Other tools include (Figure 1F) several optogenetic methods of altering protein activity. FLIP (Zhou et al., 2012) and LOVTRAP (Wang et al., 2016) are two methods by which one can conditionally activate proteins when light is delivered and then return the protein to an inactive/bound/caged state when light is terminated. These reversibly photo-inducible proteins are not ideal for long-term activation, as extended light delivery may cause negative phototoxic and heating effects, but these systems are well-suited for experiments that require on-demand or short-lived protein activation. The newly developed photocleavable tool PhoCl (Zhang et al., 2017) has been shown useful for long-term light-induced protein activation, including conditional, quick onset activation of Cre-recombinase (Zhang et al., 2017). Opto-SOS (Toettcher et al., 2013) can activate intracellular signaling proteins upon photo-stimulation. Light-inducible transcriptional effectors (LITES; Konermann et al., ) and VP-EL222 (Motta-Mena et al., ) are photo-sensitive tools for regulating gene transcription.
Additional notable optogenetic related tools not illustrated include eNPAC (Gradinaru et al., ), which is a hybrid of both NpHR and ChR2 and allows for excitation and inhibition of the same cell; BLINK1 (Cosentino et al., ), which is a blue-light gated potassium channel; and luminopsins (e.g., inhibitory luminopsins, or iLMO; Tung et al., 2015), which are optogenetic probes that genetically encode their own bioluminescent light source which can be activated in response to a chemical substrate.
Table 1
| Disease | Optogenetic tools used | Findings in brief | Key reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alzheimerās disease (AD) | Viral delivery of Cre-dependent ChR2 into CA1 of the hippocampus of PV-Cre AD mice | Optogenetically stimulating hippocampal PV cells, thus driving gamma frequency oscillations, reduced levels of amyloid-beta in AD mice | Iaccarino et al. () |
| Alzheimerās disease | cFos-mediated expression of ChR2 in dentate gyrus engram cells; oChIEF expressed under the CaMKIIα promoter injected into the entorhinal cortex | Optogenetically activating dentate engram cells rescues context-dependent memories in amnesic early AD mice. Optogenetic potentiation of entorhinal cortex inputs to the dentate gyrus engram cells resulted in long-term rescue of context-dependent recall in amnesic early AD mice. | Roy et al. () |
| Alzheimerās disease | ChR2 expressed under the CaMKIIα promoter injected bilaterally into the hippocampus | Increasing neuronal activity (optogenetically or otherwise) increases tau propagation and pathologies in a mouse model of AD | Wu et al. (2016) |
| Alzheimerās disease | Stabilized step function opsin expressed under the CaMKIIα promoter in the lateral entorhinal cortex | Increasing neuronal activity (optogenetically or otherwise) increases amyloid-beta pathologies in a mouse model of AD; optogenetic stimulation also produced behavioral seizure phenotypes | Yamamoto et al. (2015) |
| Ischemia | Stimulation of ChR2(C128S) to increase acidity or ArchT to alkalize astrocytes and Bergmann glia in cerebellar slices and in vivo. | Activation of ChR2(C128S) in glia resulted in glial acidification and increased excitotoxicity in Purkinje cells after cerebellar ischemia. Activation of ArchT in glia resulted in glial alkalization and reduced brain damage after ischemia. | Beppu et al. () |
| Ischemia | ChR2 expressed under the Thy1 promoter; light delivered bilaterally to activate cortical neurons in a variety of regions | Brain connectivity following stroke undergoes widespread changes, with non-uniform changes in connectivity in the peri-infarct regions and decreases in connectivity even in areas distal from the infarct followed by recovery of some connections and sprouting of other compensatory connections | Lim et al. () |
| Migraine, ischemia | ChR2 expressed under the Thy1 promoter; light delivered transcranially to activate layer V cortical projection neurons | Developed a non-invasive model of cortical spreading depression using transcranial optogenetic stimulation | Houben et al. () |
| Multiple sclerosis | ChR2 expressed under the Thy1 promoter; light delivered unilaterally to the premotor area to primarily activate layer V cortical projection neurons | Optogenetic activation of premotor neurons at physiologic frequencies elicits oligodendrogenesis, increases myelination within the premotor cortex and subcortical white matter, and improves motor function in the corresponding limb | Gibson et al. () |
| Parkinsonās disease | HR or ChR2 expressed under the CaMKIIα promoter; ChR2 expressed under the GFAP promoter; ChR2 expressed under the Thy1 promoter. Light delivered to the subthalamic nucleus (STN). | Optogenetic manipulation of the STN reduced disordered movement in parkinsonian mice; this effect was primarily mediated by the cortical layer V projecting afferents to the STN. | Gradinaru et al. () |
| Parkinsonās disease | Viral delivery of ChR2 or HR under the CaMKIIα promoter into the striatum or directly onto slice cultures. | Stem cell-derived dopaminergic neurons functionally integrate in a Parkinsonās model and form bidirectional connections between grafted dopamine neurons and host cells. | TĆønnesen et al. (2011) |
| Parkinsonās disease | Viral delivery of Cre-dependent ChR2 into the midbrain of DAT-Cre mice; light targeted bilaterally to dopamine axons in the dorsal striatum | Dopaminergic inputs to the striatum perform rapid phasic signaling that is capable of triggering locomotion in mice. | Howe and Dombeck () |
| Parkinsonās disease | ChR2 expressed under the Chat promoter; light targeted at the striatum | Striatal cholinergic interneurons mediate exaggerated beta oscillations and induce parkinsonian-like motor deficits. | Kondabolu et al. () |
| Parkinsonās disease | Viral delivery of Cre-dependent ChR2 into the dorsomedial striatum or globus pallidus externa of D1-Cre, PV-Cre, or Lhx6-iCre mice. For non-specific optogenetic manipulation, ChR2 or ArchT were virally delivered under hSyn or CAG promoters, respectively. | Elevating activity of PV+ Globus Pallidus externa (GPe) neurons over that of Lim homeobox 6 (Lhx6) GPe neurons rescues movement in parkinsonian dopamine depleted mice and provides long-term attenuation of pathological basal ganglia activity | Mastro et al. () |
A few examples of optogenetics for research in models of neurological disease.
Table 2
| Type of epilepsy | Model(s) used | Optogenetic tools used | Findings in brief | Key reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Absence epilepsy | Genetic; spontaneous seizures | Optogenetic activation of cerebellar nucleus neurons virally expressing ChR2 under the hSyn promoter | Closed-loop on-demand optogenetic activation of cerebellar nuclei stopped generalized spike-and-wave discharges characteristic of thalamocortical, absence seizures. | Kros et al. () |
| Absence epilepsy | Genetic; spontaneous seizures | Unilaterally delivered virus carrying HR or SSFO under the CaMKIIα promoter to induce opsin expression in excitatory neurons of the somatosensory thalamus | Optogenetically inducing thalamocortical rebound phasic spiking unilaterally (using HR) induces bilateral spike-wave discharges in epileptic animals, while optogenetically inducing tonic spiking unilaterally (using SSFO) aborts bilateral spike-wave discharges. | Sorokin et al. () |
| Absence epilepsy and forebrain and brainstem seizures | Systemic pentylenetetrazole; focally applied bicuculline (piriform cortex); gamma butyrolactone; audiogenic seizures in genetically epilepsy prone rats | Unilaterally delivered virus carrying ChR2 under the hSyn promoter to the deep/intermediate layers of the superior colliculus | Optogenetic activation of the deep/intermediate layers of the superior colliculus suppressed behavioral and electrographic seizures originating in the forebrain, brainstem, and thalamocortical seizure networks. | Soper et al. () |
| Forebrain and brainstem seizures | Systemic pentylenetetrazole; audiogenic seizures in genetically epilepsy prone mice | ChR2 was expressed in serotonergic neurons under the tryptophan hydroxylase 2 promoter; light targeted to the midline dorsal raphe | Optogenetic activation of the dorsal raphe serotonergic neurons for periods immediately prior to seizure initiation reduced the rate of seizure-induced respiratory arrest | Zhang et al. (2018) |
| Cortical stroke-induced thalamocortical epilepsy | Photothrombosis in the somatosensory cortex; spontaneous seizures | Unilaterally delivered virus carrying HR under the CaMKIIα promoter into the somatosensory thalamus | Closed-loop on-demand optogenetic manipulation of excitatory thalamocortical neurons interrupts cortical seizure activity. | Paz et al. () |
| Cortical epilepsy | Tetanus toxin in motor cortex; spontaneous seizures | Unilaterally delivered virus carrying eNpHR2.0 under the CaMKIIα promoter into the motor cortex/seizure focus | Optogenetic inhibition of excitatory motor cortex neurons reduces epileptiform activity. | Wykes et al. (2012) |
| Cortical seizures | 4-aminopyridine applied in barrel cortex; acute seizures | Delivered Cre-dependent virus carrying ChETA to the S1 barrel cortex in PV-Cre mice | Optogenetic activation of PV+ cells during ictal activity terminated seizures; optogenetic activation of PV cells during interictal periods-initiated seizures. | Assaf and Schiller () |
| Cortical seizures | 4-aminopyridine applied in somatosensory cortex; acute seizures | ChR2 was expressed in GABAergic neurons under the VGAT promoter; light targeted unilaterally to the somatosensory cortex | Optogenetic activation of GABAergic cells in hyper-excitable somatosensory cortex during interictal periods initiated ictal-like events in a GABAA receptor dependent manner. | Chang et al. () |
| Cortical seizures | Optogenetically induced seizures in motor cortex | ChR2 was virally expressed in the motor cortex under the CaMKIIα promoter (for seizure induction). For inhibition of different groups of neurons, either a synapsin promoter or PV-Cre, SOM-Cre, VIP-Cre, Emx1-Cre, or Dlxl12b-Cre mice were injected with a Cre-dependent virus carrying eArch3.0 | After optogenetic induction of seizures, optogenetic inhibition of VIP+ neurons inhibited seizures, while inhibition of other populations produced mixed results. | Khoshkhoo et al. () |
| Temporal lobe seizures | Intrahippocampal bicuculline methiodide; acute epileptiform bursting | Unilaterally delivered virus carrying HR under the hSyn promoter into the ventro-posterior hippocampus; light targeted to CA1/CA2 of the hippocampus | Optogenetic inhibition of hippocampal cells attenuates epileptiform activity in presence of GABAA receptor antagonist. | Berglind et al. () |
| Temporal lobe seizures | Intraperitoneal kainate, anesthetized animals | Delivered Cre-dependent virus carrying eArch3.0 into the hippocampus of CaMKIIα-Cre mice followed by injection of green light-emitting upconversion nanoparticles into the hippocampus; near-infrared light was delivered transcranially. | Upconversion nanoparticle-mediated optogenetic inhibition of neural activity reduced c-Fos immunoreactivity in granule cells of the dentate gyrus following kainate administration. | Chen et al. () |
| Temporal lobe epilepsy | Intrahippocampal kainate; spontaneous seizures | Delivered Cre-dependent virus carrying ArchT contralateral to prior WGA-Cre injection to selectively express the opsin in unilateral dentate gyrus mossy cells. In other experiments, Crlc-Cre mice were injected with Cre-dependent virus carrying either ChR2 or eNpHR3.0 | Closed-loop on-demand optogenetic excitation of mossy cells ipsilateral or contralateral to the presumed seizure focus reduces behavioral seizure frequency. | Bui et al. () |
| Temporal lobe seizures | 4-aminopyridine applied unilaterally in CA3 of hippocampus; acute seizures | ChR2 was expressed under the Thy1 promoter in transgenic mice; light was delivered unilaterally to the seizure focus (CA3 of the hippocampus) | High frequency optogenetic activation of ChR2-expressing neurons (primarily inhibitory) can provide transient seizure control. | Chiang et al. () |
| Temporal lobe epilepsy | Intrahippocampal kainate; spontaneous seizures | HR was Cre-dependently expressed by crossing Ai39 mice with CaMKIIα-Cre mice; ChR2 was Cre-dependently expressed by crossing Ai32 mice with PV-Cre mice; light targeted to the hippocampus | Closed-loop on-demand optogenetic inhibition of hippocampal principal neurons ipsilateral or activation of PV+ inhibitory neurons ipsilateral or contralateral to the presumed seizure focus inhibits seizures | Krook-Magnuson et al. () |
| Temporal lobe epilepsy | Intrahippocampal kainate; spontaneous seizures | ChR2 was Cre-dependently expressed in PV+ neurons by crossing Ai32 mice with PV-Cre mice, or, to more specifically target Purkinje cells, PcP2-Cre mice; light targeted to midline or lateral cerebellum | Closed-loop on-demand optogenetic activation of PV+ neurons, including Purkinje cells, in the lateral cerebellum decreases hippocampal seizure duration, and activation in the midline cerebellum decreases seizure duration and reduces seizure frequency. | Krook-Magnuson et al. () |
| Temporal lobe epilepsy | Intrahippocampal kainate; spontaneous seizures | ChR2 or HR was Cre-dependently expressed in dentate gyrus granule cells by crossing Ai32 or Ai39 mice with POMC-Cre mice, respectively | Activation of dentate gyrus granule cells in epileptic (or naĆÆve) mice can induce or worsen seizures. Closed-loop on-demand inhibition of granule cells can efficiently stop seizures. | Krook-Magnuson et al. () |
| Temporal lobe seizures | 4-aminopyridine applied unilaterally in CA3 of hippocampus; acute seizures | Used transgenic mice expressing ChR2 under the Thy1 promoter; and to specifically target inhibitory neurons, used a transgenic mouse line expressing ChR2 under the VGAT promoter | Low frequency optogenetic stimulation of hippocampal neurons reduced seizure activity. | Ladas et al. () |
| Temporal lobe seizures | Intrahippocampal kainate; intra-amygdala kainate; acute seizures | ChR2 expression under the VGAT promoter in a transgenic mouse line; delivered Cre-dependent ChR2 or HR virally into the dentate gyrus of GAD-Cre mice | Optogenetic activation of inhibitory neurons in the dentate gyrus suppresses ictal activity in the dentate and in the entorhinal cortex. Optogenetic activation of inhibitory neurons in the entorhinal cortex inhibits ictal activity in the entorhinal cortex but not dentate. | Lu et al. () |
| Temporal lobe seizures | Optogenetically evoked hippocampal seizures | ChR2 expressed under a Thy1.2 promoter in transgenic rats; ChR2 expressed under a beta-actin promoter; light delivered to the hippocampus, thalamus, amygdala, and sensorimotor cortex | Repetitive pulse photostimulation to the opsin-expressing hippocampus induced seizure-like afterdischarges that were sustained and propagated along the longitudinal axis of the hippocampus. | Osawa et al. () |
| Temporal lobe seizures | Lithium-pilocarpine elicited seizures; acute seizures | Unilaterally delivered virus carrying HR under the CaMKIIα promoter into the hippocampus | Optogenetic inhibition of hippocampal pyramidal cells prior to seizure onset delayed initiation of status epilepticus and altered seizure development. | Sukhotinsky et al. () |
| Temporal lobe seizures | Optogenetically evoked hippocampal seizures | Unilaterally delivered virus carrying ChR2 under the CaMKIIα promoter into the dorsal or intermediate hippocampus | High-frequency optogenetic activation of principal cells in the intermediate hippocampus during fMRI showed recruitment of widespread cortical and subcortical networks. | Weitz et al. (2015) |
| Temporal lobe seizures | Electrical hippocampal kindling | Used a transgenic mouse line expressing ChR2 under the VGAT promoter to target inhibitory neurons; or viral delivery of Cre-dependent ChR2 in mice expressing Cre in PV+ or SOM+ cells; or viral delivery of Cre-dependent Arch or HR in mice expressing Cre under the CaMKIIα promoter to inhibit excitatory cells; light delivered to the subiculum or CA3. | Activation of GABAergic neurons, or direct inhibition of excitatory cells with HR or Arch, in the subiculum delayed acquisition of secondary generalized seizures during kindling. In fully kindled animals, activation of subicular PV+ cells had a pro-ictal effect while activation of SOM+ cells inhibited ictal activity. While activation of inhibitory neurons in the subiculum had a pro-ictal effect in kindled animals, activation of inhibitory neurons in CA3 inhibited ictal activity. In kindled animals, direct inhibition of excitatory subicular cells with Arch, but not HR, inhibited ictal activity. | Wang et al. (2017) |
| Temporal lobe, forebrain and brainstem seizures | Intrahippocampal bicuculline methiodide; systemic pentylenetetrazole; acute seizures | Bilaterally delivered virus carrying the inhibitory luminopsin (iLMO) under the CaMKIIα promoter into the dentate gyrus and/or the anterior nucleus of the thalamus (ANT) | Activation of iLMO in the principal cells of the dentate gyrus or glutamatergic neurons of the ANT prior to the seizure delayed seizure onset and reduced seizure duration. Activation of iLMO in both the dentate gyrus and, simultaneously, the ANT had an additive effect, reducing seizure duration and severity. | Tung et al. (2018) |
In vivo optogenetics for studying epilepsy.
Figure 2
Figure 3

Cre-dependent strategies for achieving cell-type specific opsin expression. (A) Schematics of Cre-dependent expression strategies of the excitatory opsin channelrhodopsin (ChR) tagged with yellow fluorescent protein (YFP). (i) Two loxP sites (open triangles) flank a STOP codon that prevents expression of the ChR-YFP construct. Cre can mediate either inversion or excision of DNA located between two loxP sites. If the loxP sites are oriented in the same direction, Cre excises the DNA between the two sites; if the loxP sites are oriented in opposing directions, Cre inverts the DNA between the two sites. In the case shown here, Cre mediates excision of the floxed STOP codon, allowing expression of the opsin. (ii) The FLEX/DIO system utilizes one set of mutant loxP sites (closed triangles) and one set of typical loxP sites (open triangles). Each loxP site will only pair with its match. In this example, Cre mediates inversion of the opsin DNA between the mutant loxP sites. Cre then mediates excision of the mutant between the non-mutant loxP sites, preventing the DNA from flipping back into the anti-sense direction. (iii) The INTRSECT system utilizes both Cre- and Flp-mediated recombination to achieve opsin expression in cell populations defined by two markers. The Cre- and Flp-dependent viral vector illustrated is also known as a Cre-on/Flp-on system, or more simply: Con/Fon. Other options for INTRSECT approaches that allow selective opsin expression are diagramed below, including Cre-on/Flp-off (Con/Foff) and Cre-off/Flp-on (Coff/Fon). Con/Fon vector schematic modified with permission from Fenno et al. (
Box 2 Achieving opsin expression.
Opsins are derived from naturally occurring light-sensitive proteins found in various archaea and algal species. There is an ever-expanding toolbox of opsins and other light-sensitive proteins with distinct properties and unique downstream effects on the cells that express them (Box 1, Figure 1). This versatility is one of the features that make optogenetic tools so useful for neuroscience research. However, an early challenge to utilizing opsinsā power and versatility broadly in a neuroscience research setting was successfully achieving opsin expression in mammalian neurons. In 2005 the excitatory opsin, channelrhodopsin-2, was successfully expressed in cultured hippocampal neurons using a lentiviral gene delivery strategy (Boyden et al.,
When discussing the advantages of optogenetics over various other approaches, one must emphasize its specificity; optogenetics allows for bi-directional neuronal manipulation with incredible temporal, spatial, and cell-type specificity. Opsins are activated by light, allowing for potentially great temporal and spatial specificity, as light can be quickly delivered to a highly restricted and well-defined spatial location with relative ease. Opsins with rapid activation and deactivation kinetics have been engineered to allow fine-grained control over neuronal output (Box 1). However, opsins are not inherently cell-type specific. This is actually a strength and a trait that helps make opsins so versatile: with the proper gene delivery system, opsins can be expressed in virtually any cell population. For instance, opsins can be directly expressed under a general promoter, a pan-neuronal, or glial promoter. Importantly, more selective expression can also be achieved. Indeed, not only have new opsins and other genetically-encoded light-sensitive tools been developed over the past several years (Box 1), but methods for achieving specific expression have also improved greatly. The advancements to methods for achieving selective opsin expression (especially in mice) have given neuroscientists the ability to study specific cell populationsā activity in vitro and in vivo with relative speed and ease. We discuss in this box some current methods used to achieve selective opsin expression.
Opsins may be expressed directly under a promoterāas mentioned above, this promoter can be a broad or general promoter. If, however, more restricted expression is desired, a cell-type specific promoter can be used. There are a number of transgenic lines that utilize this approach. A cell-type specific promoter can also be used with a viral vector approach. The CaMKIIα promoter is one often used in this context (including, for example, several publications listed in Tables 1, 2). Using a cell-type specific promoter based approach has some major limitations, however. First, especially with a viral vector approach, leaky expression in other cell populations is sometimes reported. Second, if the promoter under which the opsin is to be expressed is long, it may not fit into commonly used vectors. And third, if the promoter of interest is a weak promoter, opsin expression will also be weak. To circumvent these limitations without sacrificing the ability to target opsin expression to a select population of cells, a Cre/loxP mediated approach is often taken (Figure 3). With such an approach, the opsin can be placed under a strong general promoter, but expression is made to be Cre-dependent.
There are several ways to achieve Cre-dependent opsin expression. A segment of DNA located between two loxP sites (i.e., a segment that is floxed) will be either irreversibly excised or reversibly inverted by Cre recombinase, depending on the relative orientation of the loxP sites. One method to achieve Cre-dependent opsin expression utilizing DNA excision is to insert a floxed STOP cassette upstream which prevents the opsin from being expressed until Cre-mediated excision of the STOP cassette (Figure 3Ai). This approach works well in transgenic mouse lines to restrict expression (Madisen et al.,
Theoretically, a floxed STOP cassette could also be implemented in a viral vector, rather than solely in transgenic animals to achieve Cre-dependent opsin expression. This method was found to lead to leaky opsin expression, however. To overcome this limitation, another method for achieving Cre-dependent opsin expression in viral vectors is to place the opsin in the anti-sense direction between two loxP sites oriented such that Cre will invert the DNA between them, thus putting the opsin in the sense direction and allowing expression. Alone this method provides weak opsin expression, as the opsin can be re-inverted back to the anti-sense direction. However, when combined with a second set of mutated loxP sites, the inversion can be made irreversible (see Figure 3Aii). This method, referred to as a FLEX (flip-excision; Atasoy et al.,
For all Cre-based approaches, Cre-expression can be achieved through a (second) transgenic line or through viral-based methods (Figure 3B). In some circumstances, viral vector-based methods can result in un-even or over-expression of proteins, evoke an immune response, or show diminished effectiveness due to an immune response. However, viral vector approaches provide an important compliment to purely transgenic approaches.
When vectors that produce retrograde labeling1 are used, viral based methods for Cre or opsin expression can also be used to gain selective expression in cell populations not defined by a neurochemical marker but instead by a projection target (Figure 6). There are a number of potential strategies here too, including the use of modified rabies (Wall et al., 2010; Sun et al.,
So far, all of the methods described above allow for expression of an opsin in a cell population as defined by one feature: for example, expression of a neurochemical marker (such as parvalbumin) or, in the case of target-based labeling, projection to a specific region. Cells are often defined by multiple characteristics, however, and distinct cell populations can share a given neurochemical marker or other partially defining feature. Recently, an approach to achieve opsin expression based on two features (rather than one) was developed. This intersectional approach extends the principles of the FLEX/DIO system described above and uses both the Cre/loxP and Flp/Frt recombination systems to limit expression (Figure 3Aiii). These cleverly designed viral vectors, known as INTRSECT, allow Boolean-logic based approaches to limit expression to cells that express both Cre and Flp (Con/Fon), or to cells that express Cre and not Flp (Con/Foff), or to cells that express Flp and not Cre (Coff/Fon). Intersectional optogenetic approaches allow for improved cell-type specificity and greatly improve the versatility and power of optogenetics for use in unraveling complex neuronal circuits.
The tools available to achieve selective opsin expression are, and hopefully will continue to be, rapidly expanding. Through selective opsin expression, selective neuromodulation is possible, and thereby we can gain greater insight into neurological circuits in health and disease.
Figure 4

On-demand and closed-loop seizure intervention strategies. (A) Options for the timing of various seizure interventions illustrated relative to spontaneous seizure events (in red, bottom trace). Traditional seizure treatment options, including pharmacological and some neuromodulatory approaches, fall within the intermittent intervention strategy in which the therapy is delivered on a prescribed schedule irrespective of seizure timing (green). Other intervention strategies, such as surgical resection of the seizure focus, are clearly permanent and are also not sensitive to the timing or frequency of seizures (blue). In contrast, on-demand seizure interventions are applied only at the time of seizure prediction/detection and are therefore only used when necessary (orange). This on-demand method of seizure intervention may lead to fewer negative side effects and intervention-related complications. (B) An example of a closed-loop system for on-demand optogenetic seizure intervention in mice. EEG signals (blue) are amplified (Amp) and digitized (A/D) and dispatched into custom MATLAB software for real-time analysis of the signal power, frequency, and several spike characteristics (including spike number, width, amplitude, and rate). Threshold levels (green) for these characteristics are selected to achieve accurate seizure detection in each animal. A trigger signal is then sent to the digitizer and on to the LASER to begin a light protocol for a given percentage of detected seizures (in the illustrated system, 50% of detected seizures would be selected in a random fashion (RND) to trigger light delivery). COMP: digital comparator; USB: universal serial bus. (C) Representative spontaneous seizures recorded from the hippocampus of a mouse previously injected with kainate (KA) and which expresses HR in granule cells. Time of seizure detection by real-time analysis using custom MATLAB software (see also B) illustrated with vertical blue bar. The top trace shows a detected seizure that did not receive light intervention. In contrast, the bottom trace shows a seizure that triggered light delivery (orange horizontal bar). Note that the seizure in the bottom trace is quickly terminated after light delivery. (D) Summary data for one mouse showing a histogram of post-detection seizure durations with no light intervention (gray hashed bars) compared to those that did receive light intervention (orange solid bars). In these experiments (C,D), light (orange bar) was delivered ipsilateral to the site of previous KA injection (red in schematic of coronal section). Scale bar (D) = 0.2 mV, 5 s. (A) modified with permission after Figure 1A from Krook-Magnuson et al. (
Figure 5

Optogenetic manipulation and circuit dissection of inhibitory PV cells in a mouse model of chronic temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). (A) PV-Cre mice were crossed with mice expressing ChR2 in a Cre-dependent manner. Offspring of this cross expressed ChR2 selectively in PV cells. These mice received a unilateral intrahippocampal kainate (KA) injection to model chronic TLE. Blue light was targeted to the dorsal CA1 region of the hippocampus for optogenetic activation of hippocampal PV cells. Data from these mice are shown in (AāD). (B) An example seizure where no blue light was delivered (top trace), and where blue light was delivered (bottom trace). Green bars indicate time of seizure detection by the closed-loop algorithm (see Figure 4). Scale bars: 5 s, 100 μV. (C,D) Post-detection seizure duration of detected seizures where no blue light was delivered (gray hashed bars), and where blue light was delivered (filled bars). In (C,D), see inset schematics of light delivery (purple probe) relative to the hippocampus previously injected with KA (red). On-demand light delivery to activate PV cells increases the percentage of seizures stopping within 5 s of seizure detection, whether light was delivered ipsilateral (C) or contralateral (D) to the site previously injected with KA. (E) After an injection of the retrograde tracer Fluorogold (FG) into the left hippocampus (i.e., the hippocampus previously injected with KA or saline), the PV cells in the right hippocampus were analyzed for FG colocalization either 2 weeks, 1 month, 4 months, or 6 months following KA or saline. In the saline control mice (data collapsed across time points) approximately 0.5% of PV cells in the right hippocampus were colabeled with FG. Two weeks following KA, there was a slight, but non-significant decrease in the percentage of PV cells colabeled with FG followed by a progressive increase (asterisk indicates P value of less than 0.01; 6-month KA vs. saline controls). (F) Commissurally projecting PV cell axons were visualized and measured in a PV-Cre mouse line injected in the right hippocampus with a Cre-dependent GFP virus. Six months post-KA (red), there are significantly longer axons (more than 100x longer) in the dentate gyrus from commissurally projecting PV cells when compared to the 6-month post-saline controls. (AāD) modified with permission after Krook-Magnuson et al. (
Figure 6

Example of a retrograde viral vector-based approach to selectively target deep and superficial pyramidal cells of the hippocampus (HC). Retrograde viral vector-based approaches to opsin delivery (such as WGA-Cre, AAV2-retro, or CAV) may be used to independently target and manipulate cells with distinct projection targets. In the illustrated hypothetical example, this method is used to separately target and manipulate deep and superficial pyramidal cells of the hippocampus in the same mouse. Such an approach could be used, for example, to test the hypothesis that deep and superficial pyramidal cells may contribute uniquely to hippocampal seizures or their spread. Superficial CA1 pyramidal cells (that is, those on the stratum radiatum side of the pyramidal cell layer) project to the medial temporal cortex (mTC) while deep pyramidal cells project to the nucleus accumbens (NAc). Therefore, by injecting a retrogradely transported viral vector carrying a blue-light activated opsin (e.g., ChR2, shown in blue) into the mTC, one could selectively target and manipulate superficial (and not deep) pyramidal cells. Likewise, by injecting a retrogradely transported viral vector carrying a red-shifted opsin (e.g., Chrimson, shown in red) into the NAc, one could selectively target and manipulate deep pyramidal cells. As these opsins have sufficiently distinct activation spectra, the two populations of neurons could be independently manipulated in the same animal. Inset illustrates a portion of stratum pyramidale in CA1 of the hippocampus, with schematic expression of ChR2 (blue) in superficial and Chrimson (red) in deep pyramidal cells.
Optogenetics thereby gives researchers an unprecedented ability to manipulate neuronal populations with cell type, spatial, directional and temporal specificity. This specificity makes optogenetics a powerful tool. Adding to its success, optogenetic techniques can be relatively easy to implement, in large part due to active decisions by tool developers to make tools widely accessible. Importantly, optogenetics is also a flexible platform, which can be adapted to the experimenterās research needs. The continual creation and application of new optogenetic related tools further expands the usefulness of optogenetics in neuroscience research. Given these strengths (specificity, versatility, and continual development) of optogenetic approaches, it is not surprising that optogenetics is being rapidly embraced by a variety of neuroscience fields (Deisseroth,
Optogenetics has proven to be a highly powerful and useful tool for studying healthy and pathological brain activity from a cellular and systems/circuit level perspective (Boyden,
Epilepsy is the fourth most common neurological disorder, affecting roughly 65 million people worldwide (England et al.,
While optogenetics is a powerful tool in neuroscience research, there are a number of practical hurdles which must be overcome before optogenetics can be used in a clinical setting for epilepsy or other neurological disorders. As discussed in more depth elsewhere (Kullmann et al.,
Using epilepsy research as a focal point, we discuss in turn examples of how the specificity of optogenetics can be harnessed; the diverse ways in which optogenetics can be used in research; and finally, how newly developed and future tools can aid in addressing outstanding questions in the field.
Specificity
One of the major benefits of an optogenetic approach is the level of specificity of intervention one can achieve. Therapeutically, an intervention strategy which is highly restricted may be able to avoid unnecessary negative side effects and intervention-related complications. Therefore, one of the first epilepsy research questions tested using this tool was whether optogeneticsāa highly restricted intervention strategyācould also be an effective intervention strategy. Epilepsy is often referred to as a network or circuit disorder (Bernhardt et al.,
Optogenetic Neuromodulation Allows More Direct Testing of Hypotheses Through Selective Perturbation
The specificity of intervention possible through on-demand optogenetic techniques also provides an important research tool to test additional hypotheses related to epilepsy. For example, in the field of temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) research there is a long-standing hypothesis called āthe dentate gate hypothesisā (Heinemann et al.,
While there is abundant correlative data showing an increase in dentate excitability in TLE, until recently, strong evidence indicating causality (rather than merely correlation) to support the dentate gate hypothesis was lacking; prior to the advent of optogenetic techniques, it was difficult to directly test the dentate gate hypothesis. With on-demand optogenetic techniques however, researchers were able to test causality rather than just correlation by artificially causing a breakdown of the dentate gate (by optogenetically exciting granule cells) and by ārestoringā the dentate gate (by optogenetically inhibiting granule cells) at the time of spontaneous seizures in epileptic animals (Krook-Magnuson et al.,
Supporting the dentate gate hypothesis, the authors found that on-demand optogenetic excitation of granule cells (āflooding the gateā) worsened seizures in epileptic animals and even induced seizures in non-epileptic animals (Krook-Magnuson et al.,
Perhaps the greatest optogenetic support for the dentate gate hypothesis, however, comes from the experiments which have not induced seizures, but rather inhibited seizures in chronically epileptic mice. Experimenters used optogenetics to restore the dentate gate by selectively inhibiting granule cells at the time of seizures. When this optogenetic restoration of the dentate gate occurred ipsilateral to the presumed seizure focus (i.e., where the breakdown of the gate would be expected to occur), focal seizures were immediately inhibited (Figures 4C,D). Interestingly, and in-line with the hypothesis, inhibition of granule cells in the contralateral dentate gyrus (where the native gate should still be functioning) had no effect on the seizures.
Together, the findings provide strong support for the dentate gate hypothesis and illustrate the power of using the cell-type selective and temporally precise neuromodulation achievable with on-demand optogenetic methods. It also demonstrates the importance of direct control of the direction of modulation (excitation vs. inhibition), which can sometimes be difficult with electrical stimulation methods. Finally, the seizure inhibition achieved by selectively inhibiting granule cells was comparable to the level of seizure inhibition achieved previously by broadly inhibiting excitatory cells in the hippocampal formation (Krook-Magnuson et al.,
An additional example of using the specificity of in vivo on-demand optogenetics to test hypotheses in epilepsy research is provided by work conducted by Paz and colleagues (Table 2). Paz et al. (
More recently, Paz and colleagues have used optogenetic methods to further demonstrate that the firing pattern of thalamocortical cells is critically important for seizure control (Sorokin et al.,
In the same study, Paz and colleagues also examined the effect of inducing burst firing interictally (that is, when the animal was not actively seizing) in animals genetically prone to absence seizures (Sorokin et al.,
The Broader Seizure Network?
The examples discussed above demonstrate the utility of on-demand optogenetics in more directly testing the importance of circuit elements hypothesized to be critically engaged in seizure networks. That is, by directly manipulating the thalamus, Paz and colleagues were able to provide strong support for the causal role the thalamus can play in thalamocortical absence epilepsy (Paz et al.,
The cerebellum is not typically associated with epilepsy, but in large part due to recent work, including optogenetic work, that viewpoint is changing. Specifically, recent studies (Table 2) have shown that on-demand optogenetic manipulation of the cerebellum can inhibit seizures in rodent models of both thalamocortical absence epilepsy (Kros et al.,
Interestingly, when Kros et al. (
In these studies, the researchers not only used optogenetics to manipulate neuronal activity, they also used more traditional methods to record neuronal activity. Paralleling previous findings in a variety of seizure models (e.g., Fernandez-Guardiola et al.,
The cerebellum is certainly not the only brain region which has been examined as a potential site for inhibiting a variety of seizure types (Gale,
Optogenetic Cell-Type Selectivity for Local Circuit Dissection
The examples discussed above utilized the specificity achievable with on-demand optogenetic techniques to gain insight into the circuitry of epilepsy and seizures at a fairly macroscopic levelāthe importance of the dentate gyrus or thalamocortical interactions, and the relevance of other regions not classically associated with specific seizure networks. However, the cell-type specificity achievable with optogenetic techniques also allows probing of local circuit elements and the roles of different interneuron populations in healthy physiology and in neurological disorders such as epilepsy. In epilepsy research to date, these optogenetic tools have been most extensively used to investigate parvalbumin-expressing (PV) inhibitory neurons.
PV interneurons are a heterogeneous group of fast spiking inhibitory neurons, which together make up less than 5% of hippocampal neurons (Woodson et al., 1989; Freund and BuzsƔki,
Optogenetics is a powerful tool for providing new insight into the role of populations of cells in neurological disorders. However, in the case of determining the role of PV interneurons during seizures, and to some extent interneurons more broadly, optogenetics has so far produced more questions than answers (Chiang et al.,
Versatility
The optogenetic toolbox is filled with a wide variety of tools (Box 1; Figure 1) which can be used for different purposes to distinct experimental ends. Moreover, optogenetic techniques are typically relatively easy to implement in conjunction with more traditional methods, further increasing the versatility of use of optogenetic techniques. As discussed above, in the context of epilepsy research, optogenetic methods have been used to study networks in epilepsy through both seizure inhibition and seizure induction. To date, this has relied primarily on the widely used opsins HR and ChR2 (an overview of optogenetic methods currently used in in vivo epilepsy research is included in Table 2), and a full harnessing of the varied tools (Box 1) available is still to come, as discussed more in the āFurther Development and Applicationā section below. Importantly, optogenetics has also been used in epilepsy research to monitor changes in networks in epilepsy and with interventions. To illustrate the versatility of optogenetics, we discuss here some of the ways optogenetics has been paired with other techniques to gain these insights. While our discussion focuses on epilepsy research, it is important to note that these methods are more broadly applicable (Table 1); for example, optogenetics has not only been used to track changes in neuronal circuits in epileptic tissue, but also following stroke (Lim et al.,
Axonal sprouting is a key example of network reorganization that can occur in epilepsy. A classic example of this in TLE is axonal sprouting of dentate granule cells (i.e., mossy fiber sprouting; Laurberg and Zimmer,
As noted above, it was previously demonstrated that optogenetic activation of PV cells contralateral to the presumed seizure focus significantly inhibited temporal lobe seizures (Krook-Magnuson et al.,
Circuit reorganization can also occur following treatment approaches for epilepsy, including cell transplantation. Here, too, optogenetics can be useful. Specifically, it has been shown that transplantation of interneurons or of progenitors of GABAergic neurons into adult epileptic mice can reduce seizures (Hunt et al.,
The technique of ofMRI has also been used in epilepsy research to examine seizure dynamics across brain areas (Duffy et al.,
With appropriate consideration of activation spectra and other methodological considerations, optogenetics can also be combined with cellular level imaging techniques such as calcium imaging. Khoshkhoo et al. (
The examples discussed above demonstrate how optogenetics can be used in flexible ways and in combination with different technologies to illustrate its versatility. However, given the large diversity of optogenetic tools currently available (Box 1), and the continued development of new tools, the use of optogenetics in epilepsy research to date represents only a small fraction of what is possible. Continued development, alongside the use of the more varied tools, will allow epilepsy research to fully harness the versatility of optogenetic approaches. These issues are considered below.
Further Development and Application
There are several areas in which optogenetic techniques are being further developed. These include: (1) the light-sensitive proteins themselves and what they couple to; (2) methods for delivering light; and (3) methods for improving selectivity of expression (see also Box 2). Box 1 discusses classical opsins as well as more recently developed tools. Methods for delivering light, beyond traditional optical fibers, include μLEDs (Kim et al.,
Increased cell-type specific targeting is certain to have a major impact on epilepsy research. For example, relatively little work has been done examining SOM-expressing inhibitory neurons in epileptic tissue (the work by Peng et al.,
However, the increasing availability of Cre- and Flp-recombinase expressing mouse lines and systems (Taniguchi et al., 2011; Madisen et al.,
While the example above focuses on SOM cells in epileptic tissue, such intersectional approaches can also be used to examine other GABAergic populations that have been traditionally difficult to study, such as cholecystokinin-expressing (CCK) or neuronal nitric oxide synthase-expressing (nNOS) interneurons. While CCK and nNOS are both used as markers of certain populations of interneurons (Freund and BuzsƔki,
However, an additional hurdle for the field, alluded to earlier, is that neuronal markers such as SOM, PV, CCK or nNOS are fairly broad markers, with several distinct cell-types encompassed by each marker. For example, PV is expressed in hippocampal fast-spiking perisomatic targeting basket cells, in some dendritically targeting bistratified and oriens-lacunosum moleculare (O-LM) cells, and in axon-initial-segment targeting chandelier (axo-axonic) cells (Freund and BuzsƔki,
In addition to gene-expression profiles, cell populations can also be segregated by projection targets. While the discussion above has focused on the use of intersectional approaches to improve cell-type specificity through the use of Flp and Cre mouse lines, intersectional approaches can be used in combination with other methods, including to selectively express opsins in cell populations defined by their projection targets. This development increases optogeneticsā power for exploring circuit-level interactions between brain regions in health and disease. For example, Cre and/or Flp expression can be achieved through retrograde expression systems, such as CAV2 (Junyent and Kremer,
In addition to increased opsin delivery tools, increases in the availability of diverse light-sensitive proteins make it possible to combine two distinct optogenetic approaches within the same animal. For instance, the increasing availability of good red-shifted and blue-light activated opsins (Figure 2, Box 1) allow for simultaneous/dual-opto experiments in which two cell populations can be independently targeted and then independently manipulated. Building on the discussion of different targeting approaches, this dual-opto approach could be applied to epilepsy research in several ways. For instance, one could retrogradely target, and then manipulate, deep and superficial CA1 pyramidal cells independently, in the same animal. To do this, one could inject a CAV (or other retrograde) virus carrying a blue-light activated opsin (e.g., Chronos) into the NAc (to target deep pyramidal cells; McGeorge and Faull,
The examples provided here are merely examplesāthe opportunities for combinatorial approaches that current and developing optogenetic tools provide are nearly endless. Clearly, optogenetic approaches are experimentally powerful, and will continue to be so moving forward.
While we have focused on the possibility for expansion of cell-type specific targeting of optogenetic methods in epilepsy research, and while the majority of optogenetic-aided epilepsy research (Table 2), and to some extent optogenetic-aided study of neurological disorders more broadly (Table 1), has been focused at the circuit level, use of optogenetics for molecular-level research is becoming increasingly possible, and deserves a brief discussion here. Indeed, several optogenetic tools are already available that would be very useful for studying neurological disorders, including epilepsy, from a molecular vantage (Box 1). These tools include light-activated G-protein coupled receptors (Opto-XRs; Airan et al.,
One line of optogenetic tools which may be particularly useful for investigations at a more molecular level are systems in which light induces association or dissociation of proteins (Figure 1F, Box 1). There are a variety of these, including OptoSOS and the Phy-PIF system (Toettcher et al., 2013), LITEs and the CRY2-CIB1 system (Konermann et al.,
Additionally, the continued development and sharing of optogenetic tools, including optogenetic pharmacological tools, increases the potential for optogenetics as a strategy in cases where pharmacological tools may be lacking. In optogenetic pharmacology, a receptor (or subunit of a receptor) of interest is modified (e.g., through a single cysteine substitution) to allow a chemical photoswitch to (selectively and irreversibly) tether, thus combining genetic and chemical approaches. The photoswitches can be engineered to act as either an agonist or antagonist of the receptor in the absence or presence of a given wavelength of light. Previously, optogenetic pharmacology was available for various potassium channels (e.g., āSPARKā (Banghart et al.,
In addition to these optogenetic pharmacological tools, there have also been developments in other light-sensitive tools that may be useful where traditional pharmacological tools are currently lacking. Recently, Zhang et al. (2017) developed a photoactivatable version of the large-pore channel pannexin-1, which they termed Opto-Panx1. This tool could be directly relevant to research investigating pannexins or ATP release (as Opto-Panx1 activation induces ATP release) in health or disease states. Relevant to epilepsy research, ATP release is known to propagate glial calcium waves (Cotrina et al.,
In addition to tools specifically designed to manipulate cellular processes at a molecular level, the currently widely available tools typically used for circuit-level investigations have been cleverly used in some instances for the study of more molecular phenomena. For example, in a stroke study by Beppu et
The optogenetic tools available, both in terms of the opsins themselves and methods to achieve selective opsin expression, are rapidly expanding. As with any quickly growing field (or arguably any method), and discussed more in Box 1, optogenetics has limitations and considerations that must be acknowledged and controlled for in experimental design, including controlling for non-specific effects of light (including heat or sensory stimulation); expression of Cre, Flp, fluorescent proteins, or opsins themselves; potential effects of viral-based delivery; and āoff-targetā effects, including changes in ionic concentrations. Moreover, development of new tools is only one step in the process; the application of the tools to epilepsy research will depend in large part on the continued broad availability of the tools, and thus relies on tool developers making the conscious decision to make their tools widely available. With the specificity achievable with optogenetics, the versatility of optogenetic approaches, and the continued development (and sharing) of new tools, optogenetics will have a lasting impact on epilepsy research.
Conclusion
Optogenetics is a quickly growing field that provides researchers with the ability to manipulate neurons with unprecedented specificity. It is also a versatile tool, easily used in combination with other techniques to answer diverse experimental questions. Continued development and sharing of new methods, including for selective opsin expression, ensure the further expansion of optogeneticsā utility in epilepsy research.
Statements
Author contributions
ZCW and EK-M drafted the manuscript.
Funding
Work in the Krook-Magnuson lab has been supported by the National Institute of Health through grants R01-NS104071, R03-NS098015 and R00-NS087110, by the University of Minnesotaās MnDRIVE (Minnesotaās Discovery, Research and Innovation Economy) initiative, by the International Essential Tremor Foundation, the University of Minnesotaās Institute for Engineering in Medicine, the Winston and Maxine Wallin Neuroscience Discovery Fund and a McKnight Land-Grant Professorship (to EKM). ZCW was supported in part by National Institutes of Health grant T32-GM008471. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
Footnotes
1.^āVectors that produce retrograde labelingā should not be confused with the term āretrovirus,ā which instead refers to a family of single-stranded RNA viruses, including HIV and lentiviruses.
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Summary
Keywords
seizures, cell type specificity, neuronal circuitry, channelrhodopsin, halorhodopsin, archaerhodopsin, parvalbumin, intersectional genetics
Citation
Christenson Wick Z and Krook-Magnuson E (2018) Specificity, Versatility, and Continual Development: The Power of Optogenetics for Epilepsy Research. Front. Cell. Neurosci. 12:151. doi: 10.3389/fncel.2018.00151
Received
03 March 2018
Accepted
15 May 2018
Published
14 June 2018
Volume
12 - 2018
Edited by
Jan TĆønnesen, Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience, Spain
Reviewed by
Ming-Chi Tsai, University of California, Berkeley, United States; My Sofia Andersson, Lund University, Sweden
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Ā© 2018 Christenson Wick and Krook-Magnuson.
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*Correspondence: ZoƩ Christenson Wick chri3433@umn.edu
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