Curated Optogenetic Publication Database

Search precisely and efficiently by using the advantage of the hand-assigned publication tags that allow you to search for papers involving a specific trait, e.g. a particular optogenetic switch or a host organism.

Showing 1 - 5 of 5 results
1.

Optogenetics Methods and Protocols

blue green red AsLOV2 CcaS/CcaR Cph1 CRY2/CIB1 CRY2olig DrBphP iLID LOVTRAP Magnets PAL PhyB/PIF6 TtCBD TULIP VVD YtvA 3T3-L1 B. subtilis Cos-7 E. coli H9c2 HaCaT HEK293T HeLa HFF-1 Jurkat MDA-MB-231 MKN28 mouse in vivo primary mouse T cells S. cerevisiae Schneider 2 U-2 OS Y. enterocolitica zebrafish in vivo
Methods Mol Biol, 26 Dec 2024 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-4047-0 Link to full text
Abstract: This volume explores the latest advancements in the field of optogenetics and how it uses cellular light-sensing components and genetic engineering to control proteins and biological processes. The book chapters are organized into four parts. Part One focuses on intracellular optogenetic components for control of specific cell functions; Part Two looks at externally supplied light regulators that do not require genetic manipulation of target cells; Part Three highlights optogenetic control of organelles, and Part Four introduces technical tools required for light induction in optogenetic experiments, as well as a method for performing and analyzing optogenetic cell-cell adhesion. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Cutting-edge and practical, Optogenetics: Methods and Protocols is a valuable resource to help researchers understand and apply the concepts of optogenetics and the underlying bioengineering principles, and establish the required technical light-illumination setups for administering light inputs and analysis of experimental outcomes.
2.

Enhancing Mitochondrial Functions by Optogenetic Clustering.

blue CRY2/CRY2 HeLa human primary dermal fibroblasts MCF7 Organelle manipulation
bioRxiv, 23 Nov 2022 DOI: 10.1101/2022.11.22.517578 Link to full text
Abstract: Known as the powerhouses of cells, mitochondria and its dynamics are important for their functions in cells. Herein, an optogenetic method that controlling mitochondria to form the clusters was developed. The plasmid named CRY2PHR-mCherry-Miro1TM was designed for the optogenetic system. The photoactivable protein CRY2PHR was anchored to mitochondria, via the specific organelle-targeting transmembrane domain Miro1TM. Under blue light illumination, CRY2PHR can form the oligomerization, called puncta. With the illuminated time extended, the puncta can interact, and the mitochondria were found to form clustering with reversibility and spatiotemporal controllability. The mitochondrial functions were found to enhance after the formation of optogenetic mitochondrial clusters. This method presented here provides a way to control mitochondrial clustering and raise mitochondrial functions up.
3.

Light-activated mitochondrial fission through optogenetic control of mitochondria-lysosome contacts.

blue CRY2/CIB1 BHK-21 HeLa human primary dermal fibroblasts PC-12 Organelle manipulation
Nat Commun, 25 Jul 2022 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31970-5 Link to full text
Abstract: Mitochondria are highly dynamic organelles whose fragmentation by fission is critical to their functional integrity and cellular homeostasis. Here, we develop a method via optogenetic control of mitochondria-lysosome contacts (MLCs) to induce mitochondrial fission with spatiotemporal accuracy. MLCs can be achieved by blue-light-induced association of mitochondria and lysosomes through various photoactivatable dimerizers. Real-time optogenetic induction of mitochondrial fission is tracked in living cells to measure the fission rate. The optogenetic method partially restores the mitochondrial functions of SLC25A46-/- cells, which display defects in mitochondrial fission and hyperfused mitochondria. The optogenetic MLCs system thus provides a platform for studying mitochondrial fission and treating mitochondrial diseases.
4.

Syntaxin Clustering and Optogenetic Control for Synaptic Membrane Fusion.

blue Cryptochromes LOV domains Review
J Mol Biol, 16 Jul 2020 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2020.07.005 Link to full text
Abstract: Membrane fusion during synaptic transmission mediates the trafficking of chemical signals and neuronal communication. The fast kinetics of membrane fusion on the order of millisecond is precisely regulated by the assembly of SNAREs and accessory proteins. It is believed that the formation of the SNARE complex is a key step during membrane fusion. Little is known, however, about the molecular machinery that mediates the formation of a large pre-fusion complex, including multiple SNAREs and accessory proteins. Syntaxin, a transmembrane protein on the plasma membrane, has been observed to undergo oligomerization to form clusters. Whether this clustering plays a critical role in membrane fusion is poorly understood in live cells. Optogenetics is an emerging biotechnology armed with the capacity to precisely modulate protein-protein interaction in time and space. Here, we propose an experimental scheme that combines optogenetics with single-vesicle membrane fusion, aiming to gain a better understanding of the molecular mechanism by which the syntaxin cluster regulates membrane fusion. We envision that newly developed optogenetic tools could facilitate the mechanistic understanding of synaptic transmission in live cells and animals.
5.

Optogenetic Delineation of Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Subcircuits in PC12 Cell Differentiation.

blue VfAU1-LOV PC-12 Signaling cascade control Cell differentiation
Cell Chem Biol, 27 Dec 2018 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2018.11.004 Link to full text
Abstract: Nerve growth factor elicits signaling outcomes by interacting with both its high-affinity receptor, TrkA, and its low-affinity receptor, p75NTR. Although these two receptors can regulate distinct cellular outcomes, they both activate the extracellular-signal-regulated kinase pathway upon nerve growth factor stimulation. To delineate TrkA subcircuits in PC12 cell differentiation, we developed an optogenetic system whereby light was used to specifically activate TrkA signaling in the absence of nerve growth factor. By using tyrosine mutants of the optogenetic TrkA in combination with pathway-specific pharmacological inhibition, we find that Y490 and Y785 each contributes to PC12 cell differentiation through the extracellular-signal-regulated kinase pathway in an additive manner. Optogenetic activation of TrkA eliminates the confounding effect of p75NTR and other potential off-target effects of the ligand. This approach can be generalized for the mechanistic study of other receptor-mediated signaling pathways.
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