[Optogenetics sheds light on memory research.Development and application of photoactivatable CaMKⅡ inhibitory peptide to the study of synaptic plasticity.]

In the past decade, the various types of genetically-encoded optogenetic tools using blue-light sensitive LOV2 domain have been developed and applied in a wide range of areas including neuroscience field. Recently, we succeeded in developing a photoactivatable inhibitory peptide, a genetically-encoded light inducible CaMKⅡ inhibitory peptide. Using this new optogenetic tool, we found that the 1 min of CaMKⅡ activation is sufficient for triggering structural plasticity of synapses(spines)in hippocampal neurons. Furthermore, using passive avoidance test, we found that transient CaMKⅡ activity, but not sustained activity, is only required for fear memory formation/maintenance in amygdala of mice.