Light-activated serotonin for exploring its action in biological systems.

Chem Biol

Department of Chemistry, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA; New York University Abu Dhabi, P.O. Box 129188, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Electronic address:

Published: December 2013

Serotonin (5-HT) is a neuromodulator involved in regulating mood, appetite, memory, learning, pain, and establishment of left-right (LR) asymmetry in embryonic development. To explore the role of 5-HT in physiology, we have created two forms of "caged" 5-HT, BHQ-O-5HT and BHQ-N-5HT. When exposed to 365 or 740 nm light, BHQ-O-5HT releases 5-HT through one- or two-photon excitation, respectively. BHQ-O-5HT mediated changes in neural activity in cultured mouse primary sensory neurons and the trigeminal ganglion and optic tectum of intact zebrafish larvae in the form of high-amplitude spiking in response to light. In Xenopus laevis embryos, light-activated 5-HT increased the occurrence of LR patterning defects. Maximal rates of LR defects were observed when 5-HT was released at stage 5 compared with stage 8. These experiments show the potential for BHQ-caged serotonins in studying 5-HT-regulated physiological processes.

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http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3909739PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chembiol.2013.11.005DOI Listing

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