Abstract
While optogenetic approaches have been widely used for remote control of cell membrane excitability and intracellular signaling pathways, their application in mitochondrial study has been limited, largely due to the challenge of effectively and specifically expressing heterologous light-gated rhodopsin channels in the mitochondria. Here, we describe the methods for expressing functional channelrhodopsin 2 (ChR2) proteins in the mitochondrial inner membrane with an unusually long mitochondrial leading sequence and characterizing optogenetic-mediated mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨ(m)) depolarization. We then illustrate how this next-generation optogenetic approach can be used to study the effect of ΔΨ(m) on mitochondrial functions such as mitophagy, programed cell death, and preconditioning-mediated cytoprotection. We anticipate that this innovative technology will enable new insights into the mechanisms by which changes in ΔΨ(m) differentially impacts mitochondrial and cellular functions.