cytoFLARE system for recording and manipulating neuronal activity
Recording and manipulating behaviorally relevant neuronal ensembles is challenging.
The researchers develop cytoFLARE, which incorporates cytosolic tethering of a transcription factor and expression of a more sensitive pair of calcium-sensing domains.
cytoFLARE is a time-gated calcium integrator with improved sensitivity, enabling precise neuronal tagging and manipulation in Drosophila.
cytoFLARE captures more calcium- and light-dependent signals in HEK293T cells and higher signal-to-background ratios in neuronal cultures. In transgenic Drosophila models, cytoFLARE was able to label activated neurons upon sensory or optogenetic stimulation within a defined time window.
The authors reactivated and inhibited neurons involved in the larval nociceptive system using cytoFLARE.
This work establishes cytoFLARE as a powerful tool for studying neural circuits’ underlying behavior with temporal precision.
https://www.cell.com/cell-reports-methods/fulltext/S2667-2375(25)00048-7
