MPI-CBG group leader Jan Huisken combines optical tools and transgenic expression to control cardiac function in zebrafish
How is the heart rate controlled by cells? Where are the cardiac pacemaker cells located and can they be manipulated? This is what Jan Huisken, research group leader at the MPI-CBG, wanted to find out. Therefore, he genetically modified heart cells in zebrafish embryos, using a light gated pump and illuminated them with light patterns generated with a digital micromirror device. Like that, Huisken could optically control the heart rate and switch the zebrafish heart from healthy to diseased state.
The research team also studied the consequences of the inactivation of the pacemaker. “No fish were harmed”, says Huisken: “In zebrafish, blood circulation is dispensable for survival for a few days”. Moreover, the induced disease-like states are reversible. This opens a new avenue for controlling hemodynamic forces.
The results also show that a surprisingly small number of pacemaker cells is indispensable for heartbeat initiation – this makes the embyronic heart very vulnerable.
A.B. Arrenberg, D.Y.R. Stainier, H. Baier, J. Huisken
Optogenetic control of cardiac function. Science (New York, NY) (2010) vol. 330 (6006) pp. 971-4
www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/330/6006/971
watch a video
The effect of illuminating the genetically manipulated fish heart can be appreciated in this high-speed recording. As soon as the heart is illuminated it stops beating and only starts again after the light is switched off.
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