Volume 63, Issue 13 e202315726
Communication

Bidirectional Neuronal Actuation by Uncaging with Violet and Green Light

Dr. Lorenzo Sansalone

Dr. Lorenzo Sansalone

Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 10029 New York, NY, USA

These authors contributed equally to this work.

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Dr. Jun Zhao

Dr. Jun Zhao

Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 10029 New York, NY, USA

These authors contributed equally to this work.

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Linh T. B. Nguyen

Linh T. B. Nguyen

Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University, 739-8526 Hiroshima, Japan

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Dr. Swati Gupta

Dr. Swati Gupta

Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 10029 New York, NY, USA

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Prof. Deanna L. Benson

Prof. Deanna L. Benson

Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 10029 New York, NY, USA

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Prof. Manabu Abe

Prof. Manabu Abe

Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University, 739-8526 Hiroshima, Japan

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Prof. Graham C. R. Ellis-Davies

Corresponding Author

Prof. Graham C. R. Ellis-Davies

Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 10029 New York, NY, USA

These authors contributed equally to this work.

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First published: 08 February 2024
Citations: 2

Graphical Abstract

We have created a chromatically complimentary pair of caging chromophores from coumarin-102, by thionation of the exocyclic julolidine oxygen. This enabled wavelength selective photolysis of thio-coumarin-102-GABA on neurons with green versus violet light. When partnered with coumarin-102-Glu, violet and green light could be used for bidirectional neuronal actuation.

Abstract

We have developed a photochemical protecting group that enables wavelength selective uncaging using green versus violet light. Change of the exocyclic oxygen of the laser dye coumarin-102 to sulfur, gave thio-coumarin-102, a new chromophore with an absorption ratio at 503/402 nm of 37. Photolysis of thio-coumarin-102 caged γ-aminobutyric acid was found to be highly wavelength selective on neurons, with normalized electrical responses >100-fold higher in the green versus violet channel. When partnered with coumarin-102 caged glutamate, we could use whole cell violet and green irradiation to fire and block neuronal action potentials with complete orthogonality. Localized irradiation of different dendritic segments, each connected to a neuronal cell body, in concert with 3-dimenional Ca2+ imaging, revealed that such inputs could function independently. Chemical signaling in living cells always involves a complex balance of multiple pathways, use of (thio)-coumarin-102 caged compounds will enable arbitrarily timed flashes of green and violet light to interrogate two independent pathways simultaneously.

Data Availability Statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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