光基因技术在医学研究中的进展

光敏感蛋白是能够被光激活的一大类膜蛋白,其广泛分布于原核生物、植物以及动物的视觉系统中.它可分为两大类：一类为G蛋白偶联受体,光照后通过激活G蛋白经第二信使起作用,如视紫红质；另一类为光敏感离子通道,它们本身为离子通道,光照后通道激活,膜内外离子流动而致膜电位发生改变,如ChR2、NpHR等.利用遗传学技术使细胞表达光敏感蛋白,可实现对细胞的光学控制.Deisseroth将这种结合光学和遗传学的方法称为光基因技术.利用光基因技术控制细胞活动,具有无损伤、非侵入、时空分辨率高、能定量重复、使用简单等优势,正得到越来越广泛的应用.本综述拟对光基因技术在医学研究中的进展进行总结.

The progress of optogenetic technologies in medical science studies

Light-sensitive proteins are a major part of a membrane protein group,which is widely distributed in prokaryotic organisms, plants and animal visual systems.They can be divided into two types: one type is the G-protein-coupled receptor that can activate G-protein signal pathways in response to light, such as those affected by rhodopsin; the other is a light-sensitive ion channel that can cause changes in membrane potentials in response to light, such as ChR2 and NpHR.Genetic techniques can be used to control the optics of a cell after making it express light-sensitive proteins.Deisseroth called this method that combined photics and genetics as optogenetic technology.Optogenetic technology is being applied more widely because of its ease in handling,intact stimulus,high temporal and spacial precision,quantifiability and repeatabilty.This article reviews the influence of optogenetic technology on medical science studies.