Nonhuman Primate Optogenetics: Recent Advances and Future Directions

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Adriana Galvan, Emory University; William R. Stauffer, University of Pittsburgh; Leah Acker, Duke University; Yasmine El-Shamayleh, University of Washington; Ken-ichi Inoue, Kyoto University; Shay Ohayon, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Michael C. Schmid, Newcastle University
• Language: English
• Date: 2017-11-08
• Publisher: Society for Neuroscience
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2017 the authors.
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1839-17.2017
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Journal of Neuroscience
• ISSN: 0270-6474
• Volume: 37
• Issue: 45
• Start Page: 10894
• End Page: 10903
• Grant/Funding Information: This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health (Grants P50NS098685, P51OD011132, DP2MH113095-01, EY017292, 1R01DA029639, 1R01NS067199, R21EY024362, R01EY019258, R01EY023277, R01EY011378, P51OD010425, and P30 EY01730), University of Pittsburgh Brain Institute (Start-Up funds to W.R.S.); the National Science Foundation (Graduate Research Fellowship Program to L.A.); National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowships (to L.A.); the Friends of McGovern Institute (to L.A.); the Japan Science and Technology Agency (PRESTO Grant JPMJPR1683, to K.I.); KAKENHI (Grants 15H05879 and 17H05565, to K.I.); the Howard Hughes Medical Institute; the Life Sciences Research Foundation; the German Research Foundation (DFG Emmy Noether SCHM2806 to M.C.S.); and European Research Council (Optovision, to M.C.S.).
• Keywords: LATERAL GENICULATE-NUCLEUS; FRONTAL EYE FIELD; LENTIVIRAL VECTORS; OPTICAL CONTROL; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; VIRAL VECTORS; optogenetic; GENE-EXPRESSION; NHP; BRAIN HYPERTHERMIA; opsins; NEURON POPULATIONS; Science & Technology; Neurosciences & Neurology; monkey; promoter; PRIMARY VISUAL-CORTEX; optrode; PREFRONTAL CORTEX; Neurosciences
• Research Categories: Biology, Genetics; Health Sciences, Opthamology; Biology, Neuroscience

Abstract

Optogenetics is the use of genetically coded, light-gated ion channels or pumps (opsins) for millisecond resolution control of neural activity. By targeting opsin expression to specific cell types and neuronal pathways, optogenetics can expand our understanding of the neural basis of normal and pathological behavior. To maximize the potential of optogenetics to study human cognition and behavior, optogenetics should be applied to the study of nonhuman primates (NHPs). The homology between NHPs and humans makes these animals the best experimental model for understanding human brain function and dysfunction. Moreover, for genetic tools to have translational promise, their use must be demonstrated effectively in large, wild-type animals such as Rhesus macaques. Here, we review recent advances in primate optogenetics. We highlight the technical hurdles that have been cleared, challenges that remain, and summarize how optogenetic experiments are expanding our understanding of primate brain function.