Anion-conducting channelrhodopsin

Anion-conducting channelrhodopsins are used as tools to manipulate brain activity in mice, fruit flies and other model organisms (Optogenetics).

Neurons expressing anion-conducting channelrhodopsins are silenced when illuminated with light, an effect that has been used to investigate information processing in the brain.

Naturally occurring anion-conducting channelrhodopsins (ACRs) were subsequently identified in cryptophyte algae.

When expressed in nerve cells, ACRs act as light-gated chloride channels.

[22] To inhibit neurons with wide-field illumination, it has proven useful to restrict ACRs to the somatic compartment (ST variants).

iChloC structure
Figure 1: It took 5 point mutations to create iChloC from cation-conducting Channelrhodopsin-2 . [ 1 ]
Structure of bromide-bound GtACR1 ( PDB: 7LE1 ). The two gray planes indicate the hydrocarbon boundaries of the lipid bilayer and were calculated with the ANVIL algorithm. [ 9 ]