Optogenetic actuators are proteins that modify the activity of the cell in which they are expressed when that cell is exposed to light.
Background
These actuators can be used to induce single or multiple
action potential
An action potential (also known as a nerve impulse or "spike" when in a neuron) is a series of quick changes in voltage across a cell membrane. An action potential occurs when the membrane potential of a specific Cell (biology), cell rapidly ri ...
s, suppress neural activity, or modify biochemical signaling pathways, with millisecond control over the timing of events. The most powerful and widely used actuators are
opsin
Animal opsins are G-protein-coupled receptors and a group of proteins made light-sensitive via a chromophore, typically retinal. When bound to retinal, opsins become retinylidene proteins, but are usually still called opsins regardless. Most pro ...
s, which are naturally occurring light-sensitive transmembrane proteins found in a variety of organisms ranging from microbes to primates.
Optogenetic actuators can be used as found in nature or engineered to optimize functioning in neuroscientific experiments.
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References
Cellular neuroscience
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