Chemo-optogenetic Protein Translocation System Using a Photoactivatable Self-Localizing Ligand.

Manipulating subcellular protein localization using light is a powerful approach for controlling signaling processes with high spatiotemporal precision. The most widely used strategy for this is based on light-induced protein heterodimerization. The use of small synthetic molecules that can control the localization of target proteins in response to light without the need for a second protein has several advantages. However, such methods have not been well established. Herein, we present a chemo-optogenetic approach for controlling protein localization using a photoactivatable self-localizing ligand (paSL). We developed a paSL that can recruit tag-fused proteins of interest from the cytoplasm to the plasma membrane within seconds upon light illumination. This paSL-induced protein translocation (paSLIPT) is reversible and enables the spatiotemporal control of signaling processes in living cells, even in a local region. paSLIPT can also be used to implement simultaneous optical stimulation and multiplexed imaging of molecular processes in a single cell, offering an attractive and novel chemo-optogenetic platform for interrogating and engineering dynamic cellular functions.

Design and synthesis of gene-directed caged cyclic nucleotides exhibiting cell type selectivity.

We designed a new caging group that can be photoactivated only in the presence of a non-endogenous enzyme when exposed to 405 nm light. Because cells or tissues can be genetically tagged by an exogenously expressed enzyme, this novel method can serve as a strategy for adding targeting abilities to photocaged compounds.

Design, Synthesis, and Photochemical Properties of Clickable Caged Compounds.

Caged compounds enable the photo-mediated manipulation of the cell physiology with high spatiotemporal resolution. However, the limited structural diversity of currently available caging groups and the difficulties in synthetic modification without sacrificing their photolysis efficiencies are obstacles to expanding the repertoire of caged compounds for live cell applications. As the chemical modification of coumarin-type photo-caging groups is a promising approach for the preparation of caged compounds with diverse physical and chemical properties, we report a method for the synthesis of clickable caged compounds that can be modified easily with various functional units via the copper(I)-catalyzed Huisgen cyclization. The modular platform molecule contains a (6-bromo-7-hydroxycoumarin-4-yl)methyl (Bhc) group as a photo-caging group, which exhibits a high photolysis efficiency compared to those of the conventional 2-nitrobenzyls. General procedures for the preparation of clickable caged compounds containing amines, alcohols, and carboxylates are presented. Additional properties such as the water solubility and cell targeting ability can be readily incorporated into clickable caged compounds. Furthermore, the physical and photochemical properties, including the photolysis quantum yield, were measured and were found to be superior to those of the corresponding Bhc caged compounds. The described protocol could therefore be considered a potential solution for the lack of structural diversity in the available caged compounds.