Genetic Tools

Which of the following statements regarding the main features of optogenetics and chemogenetics is not true? 

• Both optogenetics and chemogenetics rely on viral vectors 

• Both optogenetics and chemogenetics are ideal for prolonged interventions 

• Only optogenetics enables inhibition of neurons with a precisely timed millisecond timescale 

• Chemogenetics is less invasive than optogenetics 

How can fibre photometry help to advance our understanding of brain functions? 

• It complements optogenetics and chemogenetics 

• Tracking intracellular calcium imaging is a good proxy for neural activity 

• We can track neural activity in both cell bodies and terminals in behaving animals 

• All the above 

Which statement is true regarding viral vectors? 

• The promotor allows tracking of the transduced cell 

• The transgene provides neurons with new functions 

• The reporter enables us to target specific cells 

• Adeno-Associated Virus (AAV) but not Lentivirus (LV) have all of these key elements 

Which set of experimental approaches can help to determine causality? 

• Optogenetics and fibre photometry 

• Optogenetics, chemogenetics, and fibre photometry 

• Optogenetics and chemogenetics 

• Fibre photometry and histology 

IN the viral vector AAV-CamKII-ChR2-mCherry, the promotor is 

• AAV 

• CamKII 

• ChR2 

• mCherry

In Barnett et al. (2021), the anterior thalamus was stimulated using optogenetics following mammillothalamic tract injury. What effect was identified following stimulation with blue light in the 12-arm radial maze? 

• Increased errors in the sham-lesion control rats 

• No effect on either Sham or the previously impaired MTT-lesion rats 

• Reduced errors in the MTT-lesion rats 

• Increased errors in the MTT-lesion rats 

Fibre photometry is a tool to measure 

• Intracellular calcium activity 

• Extracellular calcium activity 

• Extracellular sodium activity 

• All the above 

In a chemogenetic DREADD experiment, it is important to control for 

• The infusion of the active DREADD viral vector 

• The injection of the DREADD ligand 

• Both the infusion of viral vector and injection of the ligand 

• No additional controls are required