Shining a light on RhoA: Optical control of cell contractility.
Int J Biochem Cell Biol
; 161: 106442, 2023 08.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-37348811
ABSTRACT
In addition to biochemical and electrochemical signaling, cells also rely extensively on mechanical signaling to regulate their behavior. While a number of tools have been adapted from physics and engineering to manipulate cell mechanics, they typically require specialized equipment or lack spatiotemporal precision. Alternatively, a recent, more elegant approach is to use light itself to modulate the mechanical equilibrium inside the cell. This approach leverages the power of optogenetics, which can be controlled in a fully reversible manner in both time and space, to tune RhoA signaling, the master regulator of cellular contractility. We review here the fundamentals of this approach, including illustrating the tunability and flexibility that optogenetics offers, and demonstrate how this tool can be used to modulate both internal cytoskeletal flows and contractile force generation. Together these features highlight the advantages that optogenetics offers for investigating mechanical interactions in cells.
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Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Transdução de Sinais
/
Mecanotransdução Celular
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Int J Biochem Cell Biol
Assunto da revista:
BIOQUIMICA
Ano de publicação:
2023
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Estados Unidos