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Cited by 74Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology ResearchPhotoreceptor and optogenetics researchAdvanced Fluorescence Microscopy Techniques

Photoactivatable CaMKII induces synaptic plasticity in single synapses

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Shibata, Akihiro C. E., Ueda, Hiromi H., Eto, Kei, Onda, Maki, Sato, Aiko, Ohba, Tatsuko, Nabekura, Junichi, Murakoshi, Hideji·2021·Nature Communications
DOI 10.1038/s41467-021-21025-6PMC PMC7854602
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Abstract

Optogenetic approaches for studying neuronal functions have proven their utility in the neurosciences. However, optogenetic tools capable of inducing synaptic plasticity at the level of single synapses have been lacking. Here, we engineered a photoactivatable (pa)CaMKII by fusing a light-sensitive domain, LOV2, to CaMKIIα. Blue light or two-photon excitation reversibly activated paCaMKII. Activation in single spines was sufficient to induce structural long-term potentiation (sLTP) in vitro and in vivo. paCaMKII activation was also sufficient for the recruitment of AMPA receptors and functional LTP in single spines. By combining paCaMKII with protein activity imaging by 2-photon FLIM-FRET, we demonstrate that paCaMKII activation in clustered spines induces robust sLTP via a mechanism that involves the actin-regulatory small GTPase, Cdc42. This optogenetic tool for dissecting the function of CaMKII activation (i.e., the sufficiency of CaMKII rather than necessity) and for manipulating synaptic plasticity will find many applications in neuroscience and other fields.

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  • A photoactivatable form of CaMKII has recently been reported to induce LTP.

    “A photoactivatable form of CaMKII has recently been reported to induce LTP (215).”

    From Synaptic memory and CaMKII (2023) · cites this paper as [215]

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Authors
Shibata, A. C. E., Ueda, H. H., Eto, K., Onda, M., Sato, A., Ohba, T., Nabekura, J., & Murakoshi, H.
Affiliations
  • National Institute for Physiological Sciences (JP)
  • The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI (JP)
Corresponding author
Murakoshi, Hideji
ORCID
Venue
Nature Communications
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2021-02-02
Volume
12
Issue
1
Pages
751-751
ISSN
2041-1723 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1038/s41467-021-21025-6
PMC
PMC7854602
OpenAlex
W3127543782
Cited by
74
References
10
Citations by year
2026: 9 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 14 · 2023: 18 · 2022: 12 · 2021: 11
FWCI
6.34
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Nature Communications (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Funders
  • Takeda Science Foundation
  • Asahi Glass Foundation
  • Sumitomo Foundation
  • Japan Foundation for Applied Enzymology
  • Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (JP16H06280)
  • Research Foundation for Opto-Science and Technology
  • Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (18K14826, 16H06280, 17H01530, 20H00500)
  • Japan Science and Technology Agency (JP16H06280)
  • National Institutes of Natural Sciences
  • Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology
  • Precursory Research for Embryonic Science and Technology
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Photoreceptor and optogenetics research
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Biophysics › Advanced Fluorescence Microscopy Techniques
Keywords
CaMKIIα, optogenetics, synaptic plasticity, single synapse, Cdc42, actin regulation, FLIM-FRET, two-photon excitation, dendritic spines
MeSH terms
Animals, Electrophysiology, Female, HeLa Cells, Hippocampus, Humans, Male, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Neuronal Plasticity, Synapses, Signal Transduction, Long-Term Potentiation, Receptors, AMPA, Mice, Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase Type 2, Optogenetics

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