Novel rabies virus variant for bi-directional optical control reveals modulatory influence of the pulvinar on visual cortex in rat

• DOI: 10.1101/2020.07.23.218610
• Publication Date: 2020-07-25T02:25:15Z
• Authors: LR Scholl; L Zhang; AT Foik; DC Lyon
• Keywords: Channelrhodopsin; Biological neural network

Abstract Optogenetic tools have become of great utility in the causal analysis systems brain. However, current optogenetic techniques do not reliably support both excitation and suppression same cells vivo, limiting slowing research. Here we developed a novel glycoprotein-deleted rabies virus expressing two channelrhodopsin proteins, GtACR2 Chrimson, order to independently manipulate excitatory inhibitory transmembrane potentials, respectively. Using this approach, demonstrated that rodent pulvinar neurons modulate cortical size tuning suppress flash responses, but drive activity visual cortex. While our goal was primarily develop method study structure-function organization thalamocortical circuits, technique is readily applicable any brain region.