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. 2024 Apr 13:2024:10.17912/micropub.biology.001082.
doi: 10.17912/micropub.biology.001082. eCollection 2024.

OptoChamber: A Low-cost, Easy-to-Make, Customizable, and Multi-Chambered Electronic Device for Applying Optogenetic Stimulation to Larval Drosophila melanogaster

Michael Ryan Kann  1   2 , Martin K Ackerman  3 , Sarah D Ackerman  1
Affiliations

OptoChamber: A Low-cost, Easy-to-Make, Customizable, and Multi-Chambered Electronic Device for Applying Optogenetic Stimulation to Larval Drosophila melanogaster

Michael Ryan Kann et al. MicroPubl Biol. .

Abstract

Optogenetics is a powerful tool used to manipulate physiological processes in animals through cell-specific expression of genetically modified channelrhodopsins. In Drosophila melanogaster, optogenetics is frequently used for temporal control of neuronal activation or silencing through light-dependent actuation of cation and anion channelrhodopsins, respectively. The high setup costs and complexity associated with commercially available optogenetic systems prevents many investigators from exploring the use of this technology. We developed a low-cost, customizable, and easy-to-make optogenetics chamber (OptoChamber) and verified its functionality in a robust cellular assay: activity-dependent remodeling of larval motor neurons in Drosophila embryos.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest present.

Figures

Figure 1. <b> The OptoChamber used to regulate dendrite volume of motor neurons in developing <i>Drosophila melanogaster</i> larvae </b>
Figure 1. The OptoChamber used to regulate dendrite volume of motor neurons in developing Drosophila melanogaster larvae
A) AutoCAD 3D surface reconstruction of OptoChamber. B) Fully constructed and functioning OptoChamber. C) Circuit schematic used for OptoChamber designed in Autodesk TinkerCAD. A 9V battery, or an AC to DC power adaptor, can be used as power sources. D) Schematic showing the experimental setup within each OptoChamber. In the activation chamber, the LED blinked at 10 Hz at a wavelength of 590nm for 1 hour (h). In the silencing chamber, the LED blinked at 10 Hz at a wavelength of 470nm for 1 h. In the control chamber, the LED produced no light for 1 hour. Figure created with Biorender.com. E-J) aCC–RP2 motor neuron dendrites (a single hemisegment) from dark-reared control larvae ( G-H ), and following activation ( E-F ) or optogenetic silencing ( I-J ) for 1 h ending at larval hatching. Full dendritic arbor (top row); RP2 clone (bottom row). Genotypes: control and silencing, RN2-gal4,UAS-GtACR2::eYFP ; activation, RN2-gal4 , UAS-CsChrimson::mCherry ; RP2 clones, same genotypes as for silencing and activation, plus UAS -hsMCFO. Scale bars represent 5 µm and should be applied to all panels in a single row. K) Normalized dendrite volume from dark-reared control larvae (Control) and following optogenetic activation or silencing. Chrimson Controls: n = 6; Chrimson Activating: n = 7; GtACR2 Controls: n = 12; GtACR2 Silencing: n = 9. Statistics by Mann Whitney U Test: P < 0.05 between Chrimson Control and Activation, P < 0.001 between GtACR2 Controls and Silencing. Data are mean ± s.d. Biological replicates ( n ) from three independent experiments.
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Grants and funding

Work in our laboratories is supported by an NIH/Brain Initiative grant R00NS12113 to S.D.A. S.D.A. is also supported by Klingenstein Philanthropies in collaboration with the Simons Foundation as a 2023 Klingenstein-Simons Fellow.

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