Tg(Thy1-COP3/EYFP)4Gfng

A fusion protein was created with a synthetic, mammalian codon-optimized, red-shifted channelrhodopsin-1 cDNA sequence derived from Volvox carteri (VChR1; GenBank accession number EU622855 [residues 1-300]) fused in-frame to the amino terminus of an enhanced yellow fluorescent protein sequence (EYFP). This enhanced fusion protein (VChR1::YFP) was placed downstream of the modified regulatory region of the "murine thy1.2 gene" (extending from the promoter to the intron following exon 4, excluding exon 3 and its flanking introns), and followed by a bovine growth hormone polyA signal. Mice derived from founder line 4 exhibit medium to high EGFP expression in layer 5 pyramidal neurons at cortex, CA1, and dentate gyrus of hippocampus, thalamus, superior colliculus, inferior culliculus, brainstem, amydagala and cerebellum. (J:160663)