Optogenetic actuators enable highly precise spatiotemporal interrogation of biological processes at levels ranging from the subcellular to cells, circuits and behaving organisms. Although their application in neuroscience has traditionally focused on the control of spiking activity at the somatodendritic level, the scope of optogenetic modulators for direct manipulation of presynaptic functions is growing. Presynaptically localized opsins combined with light stimulation at the terminals allow light-mediated neurotransmitter release, presynaptic inhibition, induction of synaptic plasticity and specific manipulation of individual components of the presynaptic machinery. Here, we describe presynaptic applications of optogenetic tools in the context of the unique cell biology of axonal terminals, discuss their potential shortcomings and outline future directions for this rapidly developing research area.

光遗传学致动器能够在从亚细胞到细胞、电路和行为有机体的各个层面对生物过程进行高度精确的时空询问。尽管它们在神经科学中的应用传统上侧重于控制体树突水平的尖峰活动，但用于直接操纵突触前功能的光遗传学调节剂的范围正在扩大。突触前定位的视蛋白与末端的光刺激相结合，允许光介导的神经递质释放、突触前抑制、突触可塑性的诱导和突触前机制的各个组件的特定操作。在这里，我们描述了光遗传学工具在轴突末端独特细胞生物学背景下的突触前应用，