Long-term editing of brain circuits in mice using an engineered electrical synapse
www.biorxiv.org
Electrical signaling across distinct populations of brain cells underpins cognitive and emotional function; however, approaches that selectively regulate electrical signaling between two cellular components of a mammalian neural circuit remain sparse. Here, we engineered an electrical synapse composed of two connexin proteins found in Morone americana (white perch fish) – connexin34.7 and connexin35 – to accomplish mammalian circuit modulation. By exploiting protein mutagenesis, devising a new in vitro system for assaying connexin hemichannel docking, and performing computational modeling of hemichannel interactions, we uncovered a structural motif that contributes to electrical synapse formation. Targeting these motifs, we designed connexin34.7 and connexin35 hemichannels that dock with each other to form an electrical synapse, but not with other major connexins expressed in the mammalian central nervous system. We validated this electrical synapse in vivo using C. elegans and mice, demonstrating that it can strengthen communication across neural circuits composed of pairs of distinct cell types and modify behavior accordingly. Thus, we establish ‘Long-term integration of Circuits using connexins’ (LinCx) for precision circuit-editing in mammals. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest.
  • LughOPMAEnglish
    21·
    8 days ago

    This is a lab result on mice, so likely still years away from treatments available to humans.

    Still, here’s a thought to ponder. If gene editing treatments to make people smarter, kinder, and more sociable were widely available, do you think some people would feel threatened ?

    Those traits and others correlate with political persuasions. People might argue that people being smarter, kinder, and more sociable are worse for society, in order to protect their political power base.

    • SoftestSapphic@lemmy.worldEnglish
      1·
      8 days ago

      It think the result would be a caste system where the genetically smarter people control the others like Brave New World.

      So yeah that sounds pretty inhumane to have a class of genetically stupid physical laborers controlled by the genetically smart tertiary workers.