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In vivo photopharmacology with a caged mu opioid receptor agonist drives rapid changes in behavior

et al.

Published Web Location

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41592-023-01819-w
Abstract

Photoactivatable drugs and peptides can drive quantitative studies into receptor signaling with high spatiotemporal precision, yet few are compatible with behavioral studies in mammals. We developed CNV-Y-DAMGO—a caged derivative of the mu opioid receptor-selective peptide agonist DAMGO. Photoactivation in the mouse ventral tegmental area produced an opioid-dependent increase in locomotion within seconds of illumination. These results demonstrate the power of in vivo photopharmacology for dynamic studies into animal behavior.

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