How to control proteins with light in living systems.

Nat Chem Biol

1] College de France, Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology, CNRS UMR 7241, INSERM U1050, Labex MemoLife, PSL Research University, Paris, France. [2] Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France.

Published: July 2014

The possibility offered by photocontrolling the activity of biomolecules in vivo while recording physiological parameters is opening up new opportunities for the study of physiological processes at the single-cell level in a living organism. For the last decade, such tools have been mainly used in neuroscience, and their application in freely moving animals has revolutionized this field. New photochemical approaches enable the control of various cellular processes by manipulating a wide range of protein functions in a noninvasive way and with unprecedented spatiotemporal resolution. We are at a pivotal moment where biologists can adapt these cutting-edge technologies to their system of study. This user-oriented review presents the state of the art and highlights technical issues to be resolved in the near future for wide and easy use of these powerful approaches.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nchembio.1534DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

control proteins
4
proteins light
4
light living
4
living systems
4
systems possibility
4
possibility offered
4
offered photocontrolling
4
photocontrolling activity
4
activity biomolecules
4
biomolecules vivo
4

Similar Publications

Male infertility is a common complication of diabetes. Diabetes leads to the decrease of zinc (Zn) content, which is a necessary trace element to maintain the normal structure and function of reproductive organs and spermatogenesis. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of metformin combined with zinc on testis and sperm in diabetic mice.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Backbone resonance assignments of PhoCl, a photocleavable protein.

Biomol NMR Assign

January 2025

High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Key Laboratory of High Magnetic Field and Ion Beam Physical Biology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui, China.

PhoCl is a photocleavable protein engineered from a green-to-red photoconvertible fluorescent protein by circular permutation, and has been used in various optogenetic applications including precise control of protein localization and activity in cells. Upon violet light illumination, PhoCl undergoes a β-elimination reaction to be cleaved at the chromophore, resulting in spontaneous dissociation into a large empty barrel and a small C-terminal peptide. However, the structural determinants and the mechanism of the PhoCl photocleavage remain elusive, hindering the further development of more robust photocleavable optogenetic tools.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Modulation of Intestinal Inflammation and Protection of Dopaminergic Neurons in Parkinson's Disease Mice through a Probiotic Formulation Targeting NLRP3 Inflammasome.

J Neuroimmune Pharmacol

January 2025

Laboratory Medicine Center, Department of Clinical Laboratory, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital), Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, PR China.

Emerging evidence highlights the significance of peripheral inflammation in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD) and suggests the gut as a viable therapeutic target. This study aimed to explore the neuroprotective effects of the probiotic formulation VSL#3 and its underlying mechanism in a PD mouse model induced by MPTP. Following MPTP administration, the striatal levels of dopamine and its metabolites, as along with the survival rate of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra, were significantly reduced in PD mice.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Infertility is a significant issue in spinal cord injury (SCI) patients. Men with SCI often experience erectile and ejaculatory dysfunctions, and low sperm quality leading to impaired fertility. In this study, we investigated the effectiveness of Erythropoietin (EPO)alginate/chitosan (CH-AL) hydrogel on SCI-induced male rat infertility.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase1 (IRAK1) plays a considerable role in the inflammatory signaling pathway. The current study aimed to identify any association between (rs1059703) single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and vulnerability to rheumatological diseases in the pediatric and adult Egyptian population.

Patients And Methods: The current study included four patient groups: adult Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus (JSLE), and juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!