Multifunctional Cre-dependent transgenic mice for high-precision all-optical interrogation of neural circuits

Causally relating the detailed structure and function of neural circuits to behavior requires the ability to precisely and simultaneously write-in and read-out neural activity. All optical systems that combine two photon (2p) calcium imaging and targeted photostimulation provide such an approach, but require co-expression of an activity indicator, such as GCaMP, and an optogenetic actuator, ideally a potent soma-targeted opsin. In the mammalian brain, such co-expression has so far been achieved by viral transduction, which is invasive and can produce variable, focal, and sometimes toxic overexpression. To overcome this challenge, we developed and validated a Cre-reporter mouse (‘Ai203’) that conditionally expresses a soma-targeted opsin, ChroME, fused to GCaMP7s. 1p or 2p illumination of expressing neurons in vitro and in vivo produces powerful, precise activation comparable to viral expression of ChroME. The soma-targeted GCaMP7s provides sensitive activity measurements for tracking physiological activity, and the soma-targeted ChroME provides powerful control over neural ensemble activity with holographic optogenetics. We further demonstrate the use of the Ai203 reporter line in 1p optogenetic manipulation of performance on a cortex-dependent visual task and in 2p synaptic connectivity mapping. This new transgenic line could thus greatly facilitate the study of neural circuits by providing a flexible, convenient, and stable tool for all-optical access to large, cell-type specific neural populations throughout the nervous system. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest.