After hair cell energy exchange, sound signals are encoded into electrical signals in the spiral ganglion and transmitted to the central nervous system. After hearing loss, stimulating spiral ganglion through cochlear electrode can partially restore a certain hearing, but it will affect the sound resolution. Photogenetics is a very precise technical means, which can control complex biological systems with free movement. Optogenetic technology can enhance or weaken the function of specific cells in tissues in auditory research, so as to increase the resolution of sound coding.

Creative BioMart has mastered and developed a variety of optical switching systems for auditory. We have the ability to provide the construction services of cell lines, expression systems and model organisms.

Optogenetic Tools for Auditory Research

The first application of photogenetics in auditory research is to irradiate ChR2 (channel rhodopsin-2) expressed on spiral ganglion with blue light to activate it and generate action potential. Subsequently, it was applied to cochlear nucleus, cochlear nucleus nerve and auditory central nerve. At present, photogenetic technology has become mature. Both transgenic animals and virus transfection can make ChR2 protein expressed on auditory nerve and activated under low-intensity light stimulation.

Achievable Missions at Creative BioMart

Expression of ChR2 in auditory pathway

Virus transfection can effectively express photosensitive protein on target cells, and studies have confirmed that virus mediated opsin expression does not damage the auditory system. Selective expression of opsin is the key to the operation of optogenetic technology in the auditory system. The selection specificity of virus capsid, the promoter of transgene and the method of virus transfection.

Time and transfection targets are the basis of the application of optogenetics in auditory research. Among the many tested viruses, adeno-associated virus has the best transfection effect on the spiral ganglion of the ear, and is also suitable for transfecting cochlear nucleus neurons.

Customized light stimulation strategy

We provide a strategy for optogenetic stimulation of rodent auditory pathway, and lay a foundation for the future application of cochlear optogenetics in auditory research and prosthesis. Virus mediated ChR2 variant has higher light sensitivity in spiral ganglion neurons SGN.

Optogenetics will become a very valuable technical choice in the field of auditory research and auditory repair. The expression of ChR protein in rodent auditory system has been successful, but it is basically obtained through AAV transfection. Then, functional detection and histological longitudinal research are needed, such as the selection of gene fragment vector and its auxiliary technology, to adapt to the research of other species, such as non-human primates, so as to prepare for future preclinical experiments.

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Reference

1. Bali B, Lopez de la Morena D, Mittring A, Mager T, Rankovic V, Huet AT, Moser T. Utility of red-light ultrafast optogenetic stimulation of the auditory pathway. EMBO Mol Med. 2021 Jun 7;13(6):e13391.

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