Biology subjects

Shu, W.

Publications and source records attributed to Shu, W..

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

Genomic insights into adaptation strategies and microevolutionary forces of novel non-AOA Nitrososphaeria in acid mine drainage ecosystems

The class Nitrososphaeria is best known for ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA), yet deeply branching non-AOA lineages remain poorly characterized, leaving a critical gap in our understanding of the groups early evolution and ecological diversification. Herein, we recovered 44 non-AOA Nitrososphaeria metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) from acid mine drainage (AMD) sediments in diverse metal mines, representing two novel genera within the family UBA164, Acidarchaeum and Thermosulfuris. A meta-analysis of 251 AMD-associated metagenomes showed that these potentially thermophilic lineages are globally distributed but typically rare, with local peaks ([~]6.6%) at sites such as Fankou. Metabolic reconstruction suggested a facultatively anaerobic, mixotrophic lifestyle capable of CO oxidation and sulfur reduction, and extensive acid- and heavy-metal resistance mediated primarily by ether-linked archaeal lipids, ion efflux systems, and enzymatic reduction. Genus-specific traits include dissimilatory sulfate reduction in Thermosulfuris and urea utilization in Acidarchaeum, illuminating distinct ecological niches for them. Population-genomic analyses reveal low homologous recombination and pervasive purifying selection in these non-AOA populations, together with local relaxation of selection and elevated diversity, the former being correlated with geochemical stressors (notably copper), pointing to long-term, geochemically driven adaptation. Overall, these findings provide insights into the biodiversity, ecophysiology, and evolutionary dynamics of non-AOA Nitrososphaeria. IMPORTANCEMembers of the class Nitrososphaeria that oxidize ammonia are central to the global nitrogen cycle, yet deep-branching lineages that lack this metabolism remain poorly explored, obscuring their early evolutionary trajectory. Here, we identify two new genera of non-ammonia-oxidizing Nitrososphaeria from acid mine drainage ecosystems and show that they recur globally in these acidic, metal-rich, oligotrophic habitats. Genomic analyses reveal adaptations for survival in harsh environments and genus-specific metabolic traits, suggesting distinct ecological strategies. Evolutionary analyses further indicate that these lineages are highly specialized, with population-genomic patterns consistent with long-term adaptation to geochemical conditions. This work sheds light on the biodiversity and evolutionary constraints of early-diverging lineages of Nitrososphaeria.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2025

pH-driven evolutionary divergence and ongoing speciation in the cosmopolitan cyanobacterium Microcoleus vaginatus

Speciation models and the concept of speciation continuum have been well established in multicellular eukaryotes. However, the mechanisms underlying population differentiation and their environmental drivers in prokaryotes remain elusive. Here, we explored the population diversification of the filamentous cyanobacterium Microcoleus vaginatus, a photoautotrophic edificator with significant importance for dryland ecosystems worldwide. By constructing a 132-genome dataset spanning multiple climate zones across four continents, we integrated intraspecific genomics with environmental association analyses to elucidate the population genetic structure and molecular mechanisms underlying the divergence of the M. vaginatus continuum. Our findings reveal that adaptive differentiation is driven by the combined effects of natural selection, homologous recombination, and gene family turnover, with varying contributions across different phylogroups. The evolution of core and accessory genomes exhibits complementary patterns, with genome-wide association studies demonstrating the predominant role of the core genome in population divergence. Selection, followed by neutral evolution and recombination, mediates trade-offs in life-history strategies, while environmental factors shape these evolutionary processes. Notably, while local edaphic variables exert direct influences on Tajimas D values, they demonstrate predominantly indirect modulation through alterations in the selection-to-gene gain ratio (S/G). pH emerges as the principal abiotic driver governing population genetic signatures, operating through coordinated effects on both S/G and the proportion of selected genes undergoing recombination (SUR). This study offers novel insights into the diversification mechanisms of cosmopolitan, dominant cyanobacteria, thereby advancing our understanding of prokaryotic speciation in complex natural settings and providing a framework for predicting microbial adaptation in a changing world.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2025

A multiscale theory for mesenchymal cell migration in straight or curved channel confinement

Mesenchymal cells navigate the extracellular matrix (ECM) in vivo by processing both its mechanical properties and confinement geometry. Here we develop a multiscale whole-cell theory to investigate cell spreading and migration in two-dimensional (2D) viscoelastic channel confinements of varying width and curvature. Our simulations show that, in straight channels, the cell migration speed depends monotonically on the substrate elastic stiffness, which is otherwise biphasic on an unconfined substrate. This is because confinement enforces directional spreading while reducing the spreading area, which results in lower intracellular viscous drag on the nucleus and a higher net traction force of polarized cells in our model. In contrast, we find that confinement curvature slows down cell migration since the friction forces between the bending cell and the confinement walls increase with curvature. We validate our model with experimental data for cell migration in straight channels spanning a wide range of (ECM) stiffness as well as in curved channels. Our model illuminates the intertwined effects of substrate viscoelasticity and confinement geometry on cell spreading and migration in complex microenvironments, revealing that geometric curvature can hierarchically override substrate mechanics to dominate migration regulation. The study paves the way for designing scaffolds that leverage curvature and confinement to steer controllable cell migration. Significance statementCell migration occurs within a 3D extracellular matrix in vivo, which confines cell movement into narrow openings. However, most studies focus on migration on open surfaces, overlooking these extra constraints. Here, we develop a theory to reveal how the mechanical properties of the substrate and confinement geometry jointly regulate migration. Our model provides new insights into how cells navigate tissue openings in vivo or channels in vitro, and highlights how curves along the cells trajectories modulate their migration efficiency. Our findings not only improve our understanding of cell motility in development, immune response, and cancer invasion, but also pave the way for the design of biomimetic platforms that control cell movement for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

biophysics↗

bioRxiv2024

Rapid riparian ecosystem recovery in low-latitudinal North China following the end-Permian mass extinction

The greatest mass extinction at the end of the Permian, ca. 252 million years ago, led to a tropical dead zone on land and sea. The speed of recovery of life has been debated, whether fast or slow, and terrestrial ecosystems are much less understood than marine. Here, we show fast reestablishment of riparian ecosystems in low-latitude North China as little as [~]2 million years after the end-Permian mass extinction. The initial ichnoassemblages in shallow lacustrine and fluvial facies of late Smithian age are monospecific, devoid of infaunalization, with apparent size reduction. In the following Spathian, relatively complex, multi-level, structured riverain ecosystems had been rebuilt including medium-sized carnivores, plant stems, root traces, increased ichnological complexity, and significantly increased infaunalization. Specifically, burrowing behavior had re-emerged as a key life strategy not only to minimize stressful climatic conditions, but possibly to escape predation.

paleontology↗

bioRxiv2024

Tap into non-symbiotic carbon? Exogenous myristate fuels the growth of symbiotic arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi but disrupts their carbon-phosphorus exchange with host plants

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are obligate biotrophs that rely on symbiotic carbohydrates and, in particular, lipids derived from their host plants. However, it remains unclear whether symbiotic AMF can access exogenous non-symbiotic lipids in the presence of plant-derived carbon, complicating our understanding of their relationship with host plants. Here, we investigated the direct uptake of exogenous 13C1-labeled myristate by three symbiotic AMF species (Rhizophagus irregularis, R. intraradices, and R. diaphanous) and assessed their growth responses using AMF-carrot hairy root co-culture systems. Furthermore, we explored the environmental distribution of myristate, and evaluated the impact of exogenous myristate on the carbon-phosphorus exchange between R. irregularis and alfalfa or rice in a greenhouse experiment. Our results showed that symbiotic AMF can absorb exogenous myristate, as evidenced by 13C enrichment and transcriptional activation of fatty acid transport and metabolism genes in AMF extraradical hyphae. Myristate is commonly present in various soil and plant environments, and its application increased both intraradical and extraradical fungal biomass, possibly linked to suppressed mycorrhizal-activated defense responses in host roots. Unexpectedly, exogenous myristate reduced the mycorrhizal phosphorus benefits for both alfalfa and rice and decreased their symbiotic carbon allocation to root-colonizing AMF, suggesting that the application of exogenous myristate may not be a promising strategy to enhance AM symbiosis. These findings provide new insights into understanding and manipulating the nutritional interactions between AMF and host plants.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2024

A small molecule VHL molecular glue degrader for cysteine dioxygenase 1

The Von Hippel-Lindau Tumor Suppressor gene product (pVHL) is an E3 ligase substrate receptor that binds proline-hydroxylated HIF1-, leading to its ubiquitin-dependent degradation. By using protein arrays, we identified a small molecule that binds the HIF1- binding pocket on pVHL and functions as a molecular glue degrader of the neosubstrate cysteine dioxygenase (CDO1) by recruiting it into the VHL-cullin-ring E3 ligase complex and leading to its selective degradation. The CDO1 binding region involved in VHL recruitment was characterized through a combination of mutagenesis and protein-protein docking coupled with molecular dynamics-based solvation analysis. The X-ray structure of the ternary complexes of VHL, CDO1, and degrader molecules confirms the binding region prediction and provides atomic insights into key molecular glue interactions.

biochemistry↗

bioRxiv2024

Hydrophobic bulk conservation and genetic code determine the pattern of prokaryotic genome organization

Prokaryotic genomes in general exhibit marked organizational asymmetry, and differ substantially in GC-skew, AT-skew, and GS-bias (gene strand bias). Despite enigmatic origins, these organizational features and genomic GC-content have been described to be widely associated with each other recently, providing an opportunity to probe the evolutionary mechanisms. By analyzing sequence data of 4,012 leading strands from all available representative genomes, we found that the unusual nucleotide usage of coding genes under low GC-content contributed to a shift between two organizational patterns in the context of mutational biases. Analysis of artificially established neutral and natural models further suggests that in genes both GC-skew and AT-skew increase with decreasing GC-content, mostly contributed by synonymous substitutions because of genetic code, and by nonsynonymous substitutions because of hydrophobic bulk conservation in amino acid usage, respectively. This novel mechanistic framework in our study highlights the importance of evolutionary processes "operating at lower levels of organization" in the microbial world.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2023

A multiscale theory for spreading and migration of adhesion-reinforced mesenchymal cells

We present a chemomechanical whole-cell theory for the spreading and migration dynamics of mesenchymal cells that can actively reinforce their adhesion to an underlying viscoelastic substrate as a function of its stiffness. Our multiscale model couples the adhesion reinforcement effect at the subcellular scale with the nonlinear mechanics of the nucleus-cytoskeletal network complex at the cellular scale to explain the concurrent monotonic area-stiffness and non-monotonic speed-stiffness relationships observed in experiments: We consider that large cell spreading on stiff substrates flattens the nucleus, increasing the viscous drag force on it. The resulting force balance dictates a reduction in the migration speed on stiff substrates. We also reproduce the experimental influence of the substrate viscosity on the cell spreading area and migration speed by elucidating how the viscosity may either maintain adhesion reinforcement or prevent it depending on the substrate stiffness. Additionally, our model captures the experimental directed migration behavior of the adhesion-reinforced cells along a stiffness gradient, known as durotaxis, as well as up or down a viscosity gradient (viscotaxis or anti-viscotaxis), the cell moving towards an optimal viscosity in either case. Overall, our theory explains the intertwined mechanics of the cell spreading, migration speed and direction in the presence of the molecular adhesion reinforcement mechanism.

biophysics↗

bioRxiv2023

Crystal structure of mRNA cap (guanine-N7) methyltransferase E12 subunit from monkeypox virus and discovery of its inhibitors

In July 2022, the World Health Organization announced monkeypox as a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC), over 85,000 global cases have been reported currently. However, preventive and therapeutic treatments are very limited. The monkeypox virus (MPXV) E12, an mRNA capping enzyme small subunit, is essential for the methyltransferase activity of RNA capping enzymes of MPXV. Here, we solved a 2.16 [A] crystal structure of E12. We also docked the D1 subunit c-terminal domain (D1CTD) of vaccinia virus (VACV) with E12 to analyze the critical residues of interface between them. These residues are used for drug screening. The top six compounds are Rutin, Quercitrin, Epigallocatechin, Rosuvastatin, 5-hydroxy-L-Tryptophan, and Deferasirox. These findings may provide insights into the development of anti-MPXV drugs.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2023

Impact of Peripheral Auditory Structure on the Development of Auditory-Language Network in Children with Profound Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Profound congenital sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) prevents children from developing spoken language. Cochlear implantation and auditory brainstem implantation can provide hearing sensation, but language development outcomes can vary, particularly for patients with inner ear malformations and/or cochlear nerve deficiency (IEM&CND). Currently, the peripheral auditory structure is evaluated through visual inspection of clinical imaging, but this method is insufficient for surgical planning and prognosis. The central auditory pathway is also challenging to examine in vivo due to its delicate subcortical structures. Previous attempts to locate subcortical auditory nuclei using fMRI responses to sounds are not applicable to deaf patients. In this study, we developed a new pipeline for mapping the auditory pathway using structural and diffusional MRI. We used a fixel-based approach to investigate the structural development of the auditory-language network for profound SNHL children with normal peripheral structure and those with IEM&CND under six years old. Our findings indicate that the language pathway is more sensitive to peripheral auditory condition than the central auditory pathway, highlighting the importance of early intervention for profound SNHL children to provide timely speech inputs. We also propose a comprehensive pre-surgical evaluation extending from the cochlea to the auditory-language network, which has promising clinical potential.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2023

Engineering synthetic CopT/A-based genetic circuits for miRNA imaging and functional gene regulation

Synthetic genetic circuits that can operate at the transcriptional and translation levels have been widely applied in the control of cellular behaviors and functions. However, the regulation of genetic circuits is often accompanied by the introduction of exogenous substances or the endogenous generation of inhibitory products, which would bring uncontrollable hazards for biological safety and reduce the efficiency of the system. Here, we described a miRNA-responsive CopT-CopA (miCop) genetic circuit system to realize real-time monitoring the intracellular expression of miRNA-124a during neurogenesis or miRNA-122 under the stimulation of extracellular drugs in living cells and animals. Furthermore, to prove the modularity of the system, we engineered this mipCop to tune the expression of DTA (diphtheria toxin A) gene, and showed the powerful capacity of killing cancer cells by inducing apoptosis and cell cycle arrest based on miRNA response. This study provides an effective means to couple miRNA sensing with miRNA-responsive gene modulation, which may open up new diagnostic or therapeutic applications.

synthetic biology↗

bioRxiv2022

Metagenomic discovery of Candidatus Parvarchaeales related lineages sheds light on the adaptation and diversification from neutral-thermal to acidic-mesothermal environments

Candidatus Parvarchaeales, representing a DPANN archaeal group with limited metabolic potentials and reliance on hosts for their growth, were initially found in acid mine drainage (AMD). Due to the lack of representatives, however, their ecological roles and adaptation to extreme habitats such as AMD, as well as how they diverge across the lineage remain largely unexplored. By applying genome-resolved metagenomics, 28 Parvarchaeales-associated metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) representing two orders and five genera were recovered. Among them, we identified three new genera and proposed the names Candidatus Jingweiarchaeum, Candidatus Haiyanarchaeum, and Candidatus Rehaiarchaeum with the former two belonging to a new order Candidatus Jingweiarchaeales. Further analyses of metabolic potentials revealed substantial niche differentiation between Jingweiarchaeales and Parvarchaeales. Jingweiarchaeales may rely on fermentation, salvage pathways, partial glycolysis, and pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) for energy reservation, while the metabolic potentials of Parvarchaeales might be more versatile. Comparative genomic analyses suggested that Jingweiarchaeales are more favorable to habitats with higher temperatures and Parvarchaeales are better adapted to acidic environments. We further revealed that the thermal adaptation of these lineages especially for Haiyanarchaeum might rely on innate genomic features such as the usage of specific amino acids, genome streamlining, and hyperthermal featured genes such as rgy. Notably, the acidic adaptation of Parvarchaeales was possibly driven by horizontal gene transfer (HGT). Reconstruction of ancestral states demonstrated that both may originate from thermal and neutral environments and later spread to mesothermal and acidic environments. These evolutionary processes may also be accompanied by adaptation toward oxygen-rich environments via HGT. ImportanceCandidatus Parvarchaeales may represent a lineage uniquely distributed in extreme environments such as AMD and hot springs. However, little is known about the strategies and processes of how they adapted to these extreme environments. By the discovery of potential new order-level lineages - Jingweiarchaeales and in-depth comparative genomic analysis, we unveiled the functional differentiation of these lineages. Further, we show that the adaptation to high-temperature and acidic environments of these lineages was driven by different strategies, with the prior relying more on innate genomic characteristics and the latter more on the acquisition of genes associated with acid tolerance. Finally, by reconstruction of ancestral states of OGT and pI, we showed the potential evolutionary process of Parvarchaeales-related lineages with regard to the shift from a high-temperature environment of their common ancestors to low-temperature (potentially acidic) environments.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2022

Stratified tissue biofabrication by rotational internal flow layer engineering

The bioassembly of layered tissue that closely mimics human histology presents challenges for tissue engineering. Existing bioprinting technologies lack the resolution and cell densities necessary to form the microscale cell-width layers commonly observed in stratified tissue, particularly when using low-viscosity hydrogels, such as collagen. Here we present rotational internal flow layer engineering (RIFLE), a novel biofabrication technology for assembling tuneable, multi-layered tissue-like structures. Using high-speed rotating tubular moulds, small volumes of cell-laden liquids added to the inner surface were transitioned into thin layers and gelled, progressively building macroscale tubes composed of discrete microscale strata with thicknesses a function of rotational speed. Cell encapsulation enabled the patterning of high-density layers (108 cells/ml) into heterogenous constructs. RIFLE versatility was demonstrated through tunica media assembly, encapsulating human smooth muscle cells in cell-width (12.5m) collagen layers. This enabling technology has the potential to allow researchers to economically create a range of representative stratified tissue.

bioengineering↗

bioRxiv2022

DNA-encoded library (DEL)-enabled discovery of proximity-inducing small molecules

Molecular glues and bifunctional compounds that induce protein-protein associations provide a powerful and general mechanism to modulate cell circuitry. We sought to develop a platform for the direct discovery of compounds able to induce association of any two pre-selected proteins, using the first bromodomain of BRD4 and the VHL-elongin C-elongin B (VCB) complex as a test system. Leveraging the screening power of DNA-encoded libraries (DELs), we synthesized [~]one million DNA-encoded compounds that possess a VHL-targeting fragment, a variety of connectors, and a diversity element generated by split- and-pool combinatorial chemistry. By screening our DEL against BRD4BD1 in the presence and absence of VCB, we could identify VHL-bound molecules that simultaneously bind BRD4. For highly barcode-enriched library members, ternary complex formation leading to BRD4 degradation was confirmed in cells. Furthermore, a ternary complex crystal structure was obtained for the most enriched library member. Our work provides a foundation for adapting DEL screening to the discovery of proximity-inducing small molecules. O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=73 SRC="FIGDIR/small/512184v1_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (22K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@43f3c9org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@13a1f9eorg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@f1d751org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@16f3789_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG

pharmacology and toxicology↗

bioRxiv2022

MAM-STAT3-induced upregulation of mitochondrial Ca+2 causes immunosenescence in patients with type A mandibuloacral dysplasia

Homozygous lamina/c p.R527C mutations result in severe mandibuloacral dysplasia (MAD) and progeroid syndrome, but the underlying molecular pathology remains unknown. Here, we report on three patients with MAD, all displaying severe systemic inflammaging and characterized the major molecular pathways involved in the manifestation of this disease. Analysis of induced pluripotent stem cell (IPSC)-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MAD-iMSCs) obtained from the patients revealed that increased mitochondrial Ca+2 loading was the root cause of lost mitochondrial membrane potential, abnormal fission/fusion and fragmentation, which then participated in inflammaging by inducing the inflammasome. These alterations in Ca+2 homeostasis were mediated by signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), which is located on the mitochondrial associated membrane (MAM). STAT3 function could be rescued by treatment with clinically-approved IL-6 blockers, or by correction of R527C mutations. In addition, extracellular vesicles (EVs) obtained from MAD-iMSCs displayed reduced immunomodulatory function, being unable to rescue bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis and triggering mitochondrial dysfunction, senescence, and fibrosis in healthy cells. Our results provide new insights into the pathology of complex lamin-associated MAD with systemic immunosenescence, and suggest that targeting defective mitochondrial Ca+2 homeostasis may represent a promising novel therapy for this condition.

cell biology↗

bioRxiv2022

A multiscale whole-cell theory for mechano-sensitive migration on viscoelastic substrates

Increasing experimental evidence validates that both the elastic stiffness and viscosity of the extracellular matrix regulate mesenchymal cell behavior, such as the rational switch between durotaxis (cell migration to stiffer regions), anti-durotaxis (migration to softer regions), and adurotaxis (stiffness-insensitive migration). To reveal the mechanisms underlying the crossover between these motility regimes, we have developed a multiscale chemo-mechanical whole-cell theory for mesenchymal migration. Our framework couples the sub-cellular focal adhesion dynamics at the cell-substrate interface with the cellular cytoskeletal mechanics and the chemical signaling pathways involving Rho GTPase proteins. Upon polarization by the Rho GTPase gradients, our simulated cell migrates by concerted peripheral protrusions and contractions, a hallmark of the mesenchymal mode. The resulting cell dynamics quantitatively reproduces the experimental migration speed as a function of the uniform substrate stiffness and explains the influence of viscosity on the migration efficiency. In the presence of stiffness gradients and absence of chemical polarization, our simulated cell can exhibit durotaxis, anti-durotaxis, and adurotaxis respectively with increasing substrate stiffness or viscosity. The cell moves toward an optimally stiff region from softer regions during durotaxis and from stiffer regions during anti-durotaxis. We show that cell polarization through steep Rho GTPase gradients can reverse the migration direction dictated by the mechanical cues. Overall, our theory demonstrates that opposing durotactic behaviors emerge via the interplay between intracellular signaling and cellmedium mechanical interactions in agreement with experiments, thereby elucidating complex mechano-sensing at the single-cell level.

biophysics↗

bioRxiv2022

Genomic legacies of ancient adaptation illuminate the GC-content evolution in bacterial genomes

In conventional views, the bacterial adaptation is characterized by strong purifying selection as well as rapid evolution in changing environments. However, the genomic GC content varies greatly but has some degree of phylogenetic stability. Using 11,083 representative genomes, we report a phylogenetically constrained bimodal distribution of the genomic GC. Results suggest that such divergence of the genomic GC can be well explained by the DNA replication and repair (DRR) system, in which multiple pathways are observed correlated to the genomic GC. The biased conservations of various stress-related genes especially the DRR-related ones imply distinct adaptive evolution of the ancestral lineages of high or low GC clades which may be induced by major environmental changes in early evolution. Furthermore, our findings support that the mutational biases resulted from these legacies of adaptation have changed the course of adaptive evolution in bacteria thus causing great variation in the genomic GC. This study demonstrates the importance of indirect effects from natural selection which may be easily misinterpreted as neutral processes.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2022

A Neuropsin-based Optogenetic Tool for Precise Control of Gq signaling

Gq-coupled receptors regulate numerous physiological processes by activating enzymes and inducing intracellular Ca2+ signals. There is a strong need for an optogenetic tool that enables powerful experimental control over Gq signaling. Here, we present chicken opsin 5 (cOpn5) as the long sought-after, single-component optogenetic tool that mediates ultra-sensitive optical control of intracellular Gq signaling with high temporal and spatial resolution. Expressing cOpn5 in mammalian cells enables blue light-triggered, Gq-dependent Ca2+ release from intracellular stores and protein kinase C activation. Strong Ca2+ transients were evoked by brief light pulses of merely 10 ms duration and at 3 orders lower light intensity of that for common optogenetic tools. Photostimulation of cOpn5-expressing cells at the subcellular and single-cell levels generated intracellular and intercellular Ca2+ wave propagation, respectively, thus demonstrating the high spatial precision of cOpn5 optogenetics. The cOpn5-mediated optogenetics could also be applied to activate neurons and control animal behavior in a circuit-dependent manner. We further revealed that optogenetic activation of cOpn5-expressing astrocytes induced massive ATP release and modulation neuronal activation in the brain of awake, behaving mice. cOpn5 optogenetics may find broad applications in studying the mechanisms and functional relevance of Gq signaling in both non-excitable cells and excitable cells in all major organ systems.

neuroscience↗