小柯机器人

西班牙Ciències Fotònique研究所Michael Krieg研究小组实现以光子为突触递质的神经工程化。这一研究成果于2023年4月6日在线发表在国际学术期刊《自然—方法学》上。

为了扩大内源性细胞通讯的范围，研究人员开发了一个合成的、光子辅助突触传输（PhAST）系统。PhAST是基于荧光素酶和通道荧光素，使神经元的状态能够跨空间传输，使用光子作为神经递质。PhAST克服了突触障碍，并通过条件性的、钙触发的光子发射，在线虫痛觉回避回路的两个神经元之间拯救了谷氨酸突变体的行为缺陷。为了证明多功能性和灵活性，研究人员在一个性双态神经元回路中的两个未连接的细胞之间产生了新的突触传递，通过激活阴离子通道视紫红质抑制了内源性痛觉反应，并在一个嗅觉回路中把吸引行为转换为厌恶行为。最后，研究人员应用PhAST剖析了排卵运动回路中时间模式发生器的钙离子动态。总之，研究人员建立了基于光子的突触传递，从而促进了动物行为的改变。

据了解，神经元的计算是通过单个神经元连接到一个更大的网络来实现的。

附：英文原文

Title: Neural engineering with photons as synaptic transmitters

Author: Porta-de-la-Riva, Montserrat, Gonzalez, Adriana Carolina, Sanfeliu-Cerdn, Neus, Karimi, Shadi, Malaiwong, Nawaphat, Pidde, Aleksandra, Morales-Curiel, Luis-Felipe, Fernandez, Pablo, Gonzlez-Bolvar, Sara, Hurth, Cedric, Krieg, Michael

Issue&Volume: 2023-04-06

Abstract: Neuronal computation is achieved through connections of individual neurons into a larger network. To expand the repertoire of endogenous cellular communication, we developed a synthetic, photon-assisted synaptic transmission (PhAST) system. PhAST is based on luciferases and channelrhodopsins that enable the transmission of a neuronal state across space, using photons as neurotransmitters. PhAST overcomes synaptic barriers and rescues the behavioral deficit of a glutamate mutant with conditional, calcium-triggered photon emission between two neurons of the Caenorhabditis elegans nociceptive avoidance circuit. To demonstrate versatility and flexibility, we generated de novo synaptic transmission between two unconnected cells in a sexually dimorphic neuronal circuit, suppressed endogenous nocifensive response through activation of an anion channelrhodopsin and switched attractive to aversive behavior in an olfactory circuit. Finally, we applied PhAST to dissect the calcium dynamics of the temporal pattern generator in a motor circuit for ovipositioning. In summary, we established photon-based synaptic transmission that facilitates the modification of animal behavior.

DOI: 10.1038/s41592-023-01836-9

Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41592-023-01836-9

Nature Methods：《自然—方法学》，创刊于2004年。隶属于施普林格·自然出版集团，最新IF：47.99
官方网址：https://www.nature.com/nmeth/
投稿链接：https://mts-nmeth.nature.com/cgi-bin/main.plex