System for optical stimulation of target cells
AssigneeThe Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University
InventorsKarl Deisseroth, Feng Zhang, Edward Boyden
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Abstract
Various systems and methods are implemented for controlling stimulus of a cell. One such method is implemented for optical stimulation of a cell expressing an NpHR ion pump. The method includes the step of providing a sequence of stimuli to the cell. Each stimulus increases the probability of depolarization events occurring in the cell. Light is provided to the cell to activate the expressed NpHR ion pump, thereby decreasing the probability of depolarization events occurring in the cell.
Claims7
A method for screening a candidate agent that modulates ion channel function in a mammalian cell, the method comprising:
- (i) expressing in a mammalian cell a light-driven chloride ion pump from Natronobacterium pharaonis (NpHR);
- (ii) expressing in the mammalian cell an ion channel;
- (iii) labeling the mammalian cell with a voltage sensitive dye;
- (iv) exposing the mammalian cell to a first light;
- (v) recording a first fluorescence signal of the voltage sensitive dye;
- (vi) exposing the mammalian cell expressing NpHR to the candidate agent;
- (vii) exposing the mammalian cell expressing NpHR to a second light;
- and
- (viii) recording the second fluorescence signal of the voltage sensitive dye, and
- wherein if the second fluorescence signal of the voltage sensitive dye is greater than the first fluorescence signal of the voltage sensitive dye, then the candidate agent facilitates ion channel function.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.