Fig. 4: LOCa3 enables optogenetic intervention in neurodegeneration in vivo.
From: Engineering of a bona fide light-operated calcium channel
Data are shown as mean ± s.e.m. Blue light was delivered using pulsed LEDs emitting at 470 nm with a power density of 40 µW/mm2. Flies were subjected to a total of 10 min photostimulation per hour for up to two months. a Diagram showing the generation of AD flies expressing Aβ42 and /or LOCa3 by using the GAL4-UAS expression system, with the driver stain bearing GAL4 under the control of a Drosophila neuron-specific Elav (embryonic lethal abnormal visual system) promoter to enable pan-neuronal expression of target genes. b Statistics showing jRCaMP1b fluorescence within the same regions of the brain from LOCa3-expressing AD Drosophila before and after exposure to blue light (n = 24 from 5 flies). c. Quantification of changes of jRCaMP1b fluorescence before and after light stimulation in the brains of AD flies and AD flies co-expressing LOCa3 (n = 5 flies each). d Graphs showing the effects of photostimulation on the climbing ability during aging in WT (left panel), Aβ42 (middle), and Aβ42 + LOCa3 (right) flies (5 independent replicates; 10 files per repeat). **P = 0.0046; ****P < 0.0001 (compared to the dark group; two-tailed unpaired Student’s t-test). Also see Supplementary Movies 2–4.
