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Discovery of long-sought light-gated potassium channels: natural kalium channel-rhodopsins

Nature Neuroscience volume 25, pages 847–848 (2022)Cite this article

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We report light-gated channels in a fungus-like protist that are highly selective for K+ over Na+. These microbial rhodopsin channels, named kalium channelrhodopsins, enable robust inhibition of mouse cortical neurons with millisecond precision. In addition, kalium channelrhodopsins reveal a previously unknown potassium selectivity mechanism.

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Fig. 1: Hyphochytrium catenoides kalium channelrhodopsins (HcKCRs) are potassium-selective optogenetic silencers.

References

  1. Deisseroth, K. Optogenetics: 10 years of microbial opsins in neuroscience. Nat. Neurosci. 18, 1213–1225 (2015). A review article that summarizes progress in microbial rhodopsin-based optogenetics.

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  2. Govorunova, E. G. et al. Microbial Rhodopsins: Diversity, Mechanisms, and Optogenetic Applications. Annu. Rev. Biochem. 86, 845–872 (2017). A review article that describes microbial rhodopsins.

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This is a summary of: Govorunova, E. G. et al. Kalium channelrhodopsins are natural light-gated potassium channels that mediate optogenetic inhibition. Nat. Neurosci. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-022-01094-6 (2022).

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Discovery of long-sought light-gated potassium channels: natural kalium channel-rhodopsins. Nat Neurosci 25, 847–848 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-022-01096-4

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