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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2009 Mar 13.
Published in final edited form as: Neuron. 2008 Mar 13;57(5):634–660. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2008.01.002

Table 3.

Genetically Targeted Methods for Inducible Neuronal Activation

Method Model Systems Tested Inducible (Timescale) Reversible (Timescale) Inducer Comments References
ChR2 Mm, MC, MBS, Dm, Ce, Ch millseconds milliseconds blue light high expression levels and light intensities required Nagel et al., 2003; Boyden et al., 2005; Li et al., 2005
chARGe MC seconds seconds light multiple transgenes required Zemelman et al., 2002
ATP/Capsaicin Receptor MC, Dm milliseconds seconds UV light/caged ligand activation by photorelease of caged ligands Zemelman et al., 2003; Lima and Miesenbock, 2005
RASSL Mm seconds seconds small-molecule limited to situations where G-protein activation depolarizes neurons Redfern et al., 1999; Zhao et al., 2003
LiGluR MC, Zf milliseconds milliseconds Light/tethered small-molecule agonist activation by cystein- conjugated tethered agonists Szobota et al., 2007
SPARK MC milliseconds milliseconds Light/tethered small-molecule agonist inactivation by cystein- conjugated tethered agonists Banghart et al., 2004

Abbreviations: Ce, C. elegans; Dm, Drosophila melanogaster; Zf, zebrafish; Ch, chick; Mm, mouse; MC, mammalian cultured neurons; MBS, mammalian brain slices.