Channelrhodopsin



 It has been suggested that Channelrhodopsin-2 be merged into this article or section. (Discuss)

Channelrhodopsins are light-gated ion channels. They are useful molecules, enabling the use of light to control intracellular acidity, calcium influx, and electrical excitability.

Two channelrhodopsins are currently known: Channelrhodopsin-1 and Channelrhodopsin-2 exhibits in addition some conductance for cations. Both proteins serve as sensory photoreceptors in the green alga Chlamydomonas controlling behavioural responses like photophobic and phototaxic responses at high light intensities.

Structurally, channelrhodopsins are halorhodopsin together enable multiple-color optical activation and silencing of neural activity.

External links

  • Optogenetics Resource Center
  • Using channelrhodopsin to optically activate neurons
  • Using channelrhodopsin potentially to treat blindness
 
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Channelrhodopsin". A list of authors is available in Wikipedia.