Functional dissection of retinal neurons and their dendrites by optogenetic approaches with ectopic melanopsin expression

本研究的目的是通过光遗传学方法研究视网膜中间神经元（即无长突细胞）及其树突的功能与光敏色素黑视素的异位表达。我们成功地建立了成年啮齿动物视网膜器官型组织培养与粒子介导的黑视素基因转移。此外，我们建立了转基因小鼠系BitetO-OPN 4-mCherry，其在四环素激活剂（tTA）存在下表达黑视素（OPN 4）以及mCherry。

The aim of this study is to investigate the function of retinal interneurons, namely amacrine cells, and their dendrites by optogenetic approaches with ectopic expression of photosensitive pigment, melanopsin. We successfully established organotypic tissue culture of adult rodent retina with particle-mediated gene transfer of melanopsin. In addition, we established transgenic mouse line, BitetO-OPN4-mCherry, which express melanopsin(OPN4) as well as mCherry under the presence of tetracycline-activator(tTA).