Data for: Potent optogenetic inhibition of behavior with anion channelrhodopsins, a study available at bioRxiv https://doi.org/10.1101/082255 Abstract Optogenetics employs light exposure to manipulate physiology in genetically modified organisms. There are abundant tools for optogenetic excitation, but the limitations of current photo-inhibitors present an obstacle to demonstrating the necessity of neuronal circuits. Here we show that anion channelrhodopsins can be used to specifically and rapidly inhibit neural systems involved in Drosophila locomotion, wing expansion, memory retrieval and gustation, demonstrating their broad utility to the circuit analysis of behavior.

Funding: FM, SO, JYC and ACC were supported by grant MOE-2013-T2-2-054 from the Ministry of Education; JCS and ACC were supported by grants 1231AFG030 and 1431AFG120 from the A*STAR Joint Council Office. JH was supported by the A*STAR Scientific Scholars Fund. The authors were supported by a Biomedical Research Council block grant to the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology. FM, SO, KC and ACC received support from Duke-NUS Medical School, including the Integrated Biology and Medicine doctoral program (KC).