Biology subjects

Sauter, K.

Publications and source records attributed to Sauter, K..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2021

Optogenetic silencing of neurotransmitter release with a naturally occurring invertebrate rhodopsin

Information is carried between brain regions through neurotransmitter release from axonal presynaptic terminals. Understanding the functional roles of defined neuronal projection pathways in cognitive and behavioral processes requires temporally precise manipulation of their activity in vivo. However, existing optogenetic tools have low efficacy and off-target effects when applied to presynaptic terminals, while chemogenetic tools are difficult to control in space and time. Here, we show that a targeting-enhanced mosquito homologue of the vertebrate encephalopsin (eOPN3) can effectively suppress synaptic transmission through the Gi/o signaling pathway. Brief illumination of presynaptic terminals expressing eOPN3 triggers a lasting suppression of synaptic output that recovers spontaneously within minutes in vitro as well as in vivo. In freely moving mice, eOPN3-mediated suppression of dopaminergic nigrostriatal afferents leads to an ipsiversive rotational bias. We conclude that eOPN3 can be used to selectively suppress neurotransmitter release at synaptic terminals with high spatiotemporal precision, opening new avenues for functional interrogation of long-range neuronal circuits in vivo.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2020

Discrete escape responses are generated by neuropeptide-mediated circuit logic

Animals display a plethora of escape behaviors when faced with environmental threats. Selection of the appropriate response by the underlying neuronal network is key to maximize chances of survival. We uncovered a somatosensory network in Drosophila larvae that encodes two escape behaviors through input-specific neuropeptide action. Sensory neurons required for avoidance of noxious light and escape in response to harsh touch, each converge on discrete domains of the same neuromodulatory hub neurons. These gate harsh touch responses via short Neuropeptide F, but noxious light avoidance via compartmentalized, acute Insulin-like peptide 7 action and cognate Relaxin-family receptor signaling in connected downstream neurons. Peptidergic hub neurons can thus act as central circuit elements for first order processing of converging sensory inputs to gate specific escape responses. One Sentence SummaryCompartment-specific neuropeptide action regulates sensory information processing to elicit discrete escape behavior in Drosophila larvae.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2020

BiPOLES: a tool for bidirectional dual-color optogenetic control of neurons

Optogenetic manipulation of neuronal activity has become an indispensable experimental strategy in neuroscience research. A large repertoire of excitatory and inhibitory tools allows precise activation or inhibition of genetically targetable neuronal populations. However, an optogenetic tool for reliable bidirectional control of neuronal activity allowing both up- and downregulation of the same neurons in a single experiment is still missing. Here we report BiPOLES, an optogenetic tool for potent excitation and inhibition of the same population of neurons with light of two different colors. BiPOLES consists of an inhibitory, blue-light-sensitive anion-conducting channelrhodopsin fused to an excitatory, red-light-sensitive cation-conducting channelrhodopsin in a single, trafficking-optimized tandem protein. BiPOLES enables multiple new applications including potent dual-color spiking and silencing of the same neurons in vivo and dual-color optogenetic control of two independent neuronal populations.

neuroscience↗