A Synthetic Photoactivated Protein to Generate Local or Global Ca2+ Signals

作者：Pham Elizabeth; Mills Evan; Truong Kevin^*

来源：Chemistry & Biology, 2011, 18(7): 880-890.

DOI：10.1016/j.chembiol.2011.04.014

Ca2+ signals regulate diverse physiological processes through tightly regulated fluxes varying in location, time, frequency, and amplitude. Here, we developed LOVS1K, a genetically encoded and photoactivated synthetic protein to generate local or global Ca2+ signals. With 300 ms blue light exposure, LOVS1K translocated to rail, a plasma membrane Ca2+ channel, within seconds, generating a local Ca2+ signal on the plasma membrane, and returning to the cytoplasm after tens of seconds. With repeated photoactivation, global Ca2+ signals in the cytoplasm were generated to modulate engineered Ca2+-inducible proteins. Although Orai1 is typically associated with global store-operated Ca2+ entry, we demonstrate that Orai1 can also generate local Ca2+ influx on the plasma membrane. Our photoactivation system can be used to generate spatially and temporally precise Ca2+ signals and to engineer synthetic proteins that respond to specific Ca2+ signals.

• 出版日期2011-7-29