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Optogenetic Control of Heart Rhythm: Lightly Guiding the Cardiac Pace

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cAMP Signaling

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 2483))

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Abstract

It is well appreciated that, differently from skeletal muscles, the heart contracts independently from neurogenic inputs. However, the speed and force of heartbeats are finely modulated during stresses, emotions, and daily activities, by the autonomic neurons (both parasympathetic and sympathetic) which highly innervate the myocardium. Despite this aspect of cardiac physiology has been known for long, research has only recently shed light on the biophysical mechanisms underlying the meticulous adaptation of heart activity to the needs of the organism. A conceptual advancement in this regard has come from the use of optogenetics, a revolutionary methodology which allows to control the activity of a given excitable cell type, with high specificity, temporal and spatial resolution, within intact tissues and organisms. The method, widely affirmed in the field of neuroscience, has more recently been exploited also in research on heart physiology and pathology, including the study of the mechanisms regulating heart rhythm. The last point is the object of this book chapter which, starting from the description of the physiology of heart rhythm automaticity and the neurogenic modulation of heart rate, makes an excursus on the theoretical basis of such biotechnology (with its advantages and limitations), and presents a series of examples in cardiac and neuro-cardiac optogenetics.

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Acknowledgments

This work was possible thanks to: StarsWiC “miniheartwork” to M.M., Stars “SKoOP” to T.Z., both from UNIPD. We thank the collaborators who have, in time, contributed to set up the described method, especially Drs Francesca Da Broi, Valentina Prando, and Anna Pia Plazzo.

This is not intended to be a review on optogenetics, and we apologize to the colleagues who have made seminal discoveries that have not been cited here.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy

    Lolita Dokshokova, Nicola Pianca, Tania Zaglia & Marco Mongillo

  2. Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine, Padova, Italy

    Lolita Dokshokova, Nicola Pianca, Tania Zaglia & Marco Mongillo

Authors
  1. Lolita Dokshokova
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  2. Nicola Pianca
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  3. Tania Zaglia
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  4. Marco Mongillo
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Tania Zaglia or Marco Mongillo .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, Oxford University, Oxford, UK

    Manuela Zaccolo

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Dokshokova, L., Pianca, N., Zaglia, T., Mongillo, M. (2022). Optogenetic Control of Heart Rhythm: Lightly Guiding the Cardiac Pace. In: Zaccolo, M. (eds) cAMP Signaling. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 2483. Humana, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-2245-2_13

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-2245-2_13

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  • Publisher Name: Humana, New York, NY

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