Mice hemizygous for the Thy1-mhChR2-YFP transgene are viable and fertile with expression of the mhChR2::YFP fusion protein directed to neural cells by the modified murine Thy1 promoter region. The mhChR2::YFP fusion protein is composed of a mammalian codon-optimized Chlamydomonas reinhardtii-derived channelrhodopsin-2 (optimized with an N-terminal beta2 nictinic acytlcholine receptor signal peptide and C-terminal ER-export and Golgi-export motifs) that harbors a gain-of-function H134R substitution fused in-frame with an enhanced yellow fluorescent protein (EYFP). The mhChR2 is designed to cause larger stationary photocurrents compared to ChR2. The bacterial opsins are retinal-binding proteins that provide light-dependent ion transport and sensory functions to a family of halophilic bacteria; and this mhChR2 functions as a blue light-driven cation channel that depolarizes the cell and causes action potentials. As such, illuminating mhChR2-expressing neurons with blue light (450-490 nm) leads to rapid and reversible photostimulation of action potential firing/neural activity in these cells. The donating investigator specifically reports that Thy1-mhChR2-YFP mice derived from founder line 20 exhibit high EGFP expression in cortex, CA1, thalamus, superior colliculus, inferior culliculus, brainstem, amygdala and cerebellum. These Thy1-mhChR2-YFP line 20 transgenic mice may be useful for rapid control of motor behavior by addition or removal of light, for ex vivo and in vivo studies of neural circuitry/connectivity following illumination, or for fluorescent labeling of neural tissues.

This optogenetic strain is one of many from the same transgene creator/donating investigator with light-inducible neurobiology applications; including
Thy1-ChR2-YFP line 18 (Stock No. 007612),
Thy1-ChR2-YFP line 9 (Stock No. 007615),
Thy1-eNpHR-YFP line 2 (Stock No. 012332),
Thy1-eNpHR-YFP line 4 (Stock No. 012334),
Thy1-vChR1-YFP line 1 (Stock No. 012341),
Thy1-vChR1-YFP line 4 (Stock No. 012344),
Thy1-vChR1-YFP line 8 (Stock No. 012348),
Prv-mhChR2-YFP Line 15 (Stock No. 012355),
ChAT-ChR2-YFP line 5 (Stock No. 014545),
ChAT-ChR2-YFP line 6 (Stock No. 014546),
VGAT-ChR2-YFP line 8 (Stock No. 014548),
and TpH2-ChR2-YFP line 5 (Stock No. 014555).