Understanding brain function requires technologies that can control the activity of large populations of neurons with high fidelity in space and time. We developed a new multiphoton holographic approach to activate or suppress the activity of ensembles of cortical neurons with cellular resolution and sub-millisecond precision. Since existing opsins were inadequate, we engineered new soma-targeted (ST) optogenetic tools, ST-ChroME and IRES-ST-eGtACR1, optimized for multiphoton activation and suppression. Employing a three-dimensional all-optical read/write interface, we demonstrate the ability to photo-stimulate up to 50 neurons simultaneously distributed in three dimensions in a 550 × 550 × 100 μm volume of brain tissue. This new approach allows the synthesis and editing of complex neural activity patterns needed to gain insight into the principles of neural codes.

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Optical methods capable of manipulating neural activity with cellular resolution and millisecond precision in three dimensions will accelerate the pace of neuroscience research. Existing approaches for targeting individual neurons, however, fall short of these requirements. Here we present a new multiphoton photo-excitation method, termed three-dimensional scanless holographic optogenetics with temporal focusing (3D-SHOT), which allows precise, simultaneous photo-activation of arbitrary sets of neurons anywhere within the addressable volume of a microscope. This technique uses point-cloud holography to place multiple copies of a temporally focused disc matching the dimensions of a neuron’s cell body. Experiments in cultured cells, brain slices, and in living mice demonstrate single-neuron spatial resolution even when optically targeting randomly distributed groups of neurons in 3D. This approach opens new avenues for mapping and manipulating neural circuits, allowing a real-time, cellular resolution interface to the brain.

SARS-CoV-2 encodes three putative ion channels: E, 8a, and 3a. In related SARS-CoV-1, 3a is implicated in viral release, inflammasome activation, and cell death and its deletion reduces viral titer and morbidity in animal models, suggesting 3a-targeted therapeutics could treat SARS and COVID-19. However, the structural basis for the function of 3a is unknown. Here, we show that SARS-CoV-2 forms large conductance cation channels and present cryo-EM structures of dimeric and tetrameric SARS-CoV-2 3a in lipid nanodiscs. 3a adopts a novel fold and is captured in a closed or inactivated state. A narrow bifurcated exterior pore precludes conduction and leads to a large polar cavity open to the cytosol. 3a function is conserved in a common variant among circulating SARS-CoV-2 that alters the channel pore. We identify 3a-like proteins in Alphaand Beta-coronaviruses that infect bats and humans, suggesting therapeutics targeting 3a could treat a range of coronaviral diseases.

Autophagy is a process of self-degradation that maintains cellular viability during periods of metabolic stress. Although autophagy is considered a survival mechanism when faced with cellular stress, extensive autophagy can also lead to cell death. Aberrations in autophagy are associated with several diseases, including cancer. Therapeutic exploitation of this process requires a clear understanding of its regulation. Although the core molecular components involved in the execution of autophagy are well studied there is limited information on how cellular signaling pathways, particularly kinases, regulate this complex process. Protein kinases are integral to the autophagy process. Atg1, the first autophagy-related protein identified, is a serine/threonine kinase and it is regulated by another serine/threonine kinase mTOR. Emerging studies suggest the participation of many different kinases in regulating various components/steps of this catabolic process. This review focuses on the regulation of autophagy by several kinases with particular emphasis on serine/threonine protein kinases such as mTOR, AMP-activated protein kinase, Akt, mitogen-activated protein kinase (ERK, p38 and JNK) and protein kinase C that are often deregulated in cancer and are important therapeutic targets.