halorhodopsin
HAL-oh-roh-DOP-sin
Definition
A light-sensitive protein that acts as a chloride pump, used in optogenetics to inhibit the activity of neurons when exposed to specific wavelengths of light.
Etymology
The word is a combination of 'halo-' from the Greek 'hals' (salt) and 'rhodopsin,' a light-sensitive protein found in the retina. It was coined to describe these light-driven ion pumps first discovered in halophilic, or salt-loving, microorganisms.
In the news
In the experiment, researchers used halorhodopsin to temporarily silence specific neurons in the rats' brains, allowing them to observe how disrupting this region affected habitual behavior.
MIT neuroscientists silenced a tiny region of rats’ prefrontal cortex for just seconds, and an ingrained habit stopped controlling their behaviour almost immediately. But the habit had not vanished—it remained hidden and later returned, suggesting this region ac
Read the full article ↗ScienceBlog.com