| 摘要 |
Methods and constructs are provided for controlling processes in live animals, plants or microbes via genetically engineered near-infrared light-activated or light-inactivated proteins including chimeras including the photosensory modules of bacteriohytochromes and output modules that possess enzymatic activity and/or ability to bind to DNA, RNA, protein, or small molecules. DNA encoding these proteins are introduced as genes into live animals, plants or microbes, where their activities can be turned on by near-infrared light, controlled by the intensity of light, and turned off by near-infrared light of a different wavelength than the activating light. These proteins can regulate diverse cellular processes with high spatial and temporal precision, in a nontoxic manner, often using external light sources. For example, near-infrared light-activated proteins possessing nucleotidyl cyclase, protein kinase, protease, DNA-binding and RNA-binding activities are useful to control signal transduction, cell apoptosis, proliferation, adhesion, differentiation and other cell processes. |
| 主权项 |
1. A homodimeric fusion protein controllable by far red and/or near-infrared (NIR) light, said fusion protein comprising:
a. a photoreceptor domain from a bacteriophytochrome; b. a nucleotidyl cyclase domain; and c. a linker sequence between the bacteriophytochrome and the nucleotidyl cyclase, wherein the linker sequence comprises an amino acid sequence which is capable of forming at least one, two, three, or four or more complete alpha helical turns;wherein said nucleotidyl cyclase domain of said homodimeric fusion protein is capable of dimerizing with another nucleotidyl cyclase domain of another of said homodimeric fusion protein when treated with far-red or NIR light, and wherein the nucleotidyl cyclase is enzymatically activated upon homodimerization. |
