Optogenetic control of nuclear protein export.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 26853913.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/ncomms10624 and PMC identifier 4748110.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Active nucleocytoplasmic transport is a key mechanism underlying protein regulation in eukaryotes. While nuclear protein import can be controlled in space and time with a portfolio of optogenetic tools, protein export has not been tackled so far. Here we present a light-inducible nuclear export system (LEXY) based on a single, genetically encoded tag, which enables precise spatiotemporal control over the export of tagged proteins. A constitutively nuclear, chromatin-anchored LEXY variant expands the method towards light inhibition of endogenous protein export by sequestering cellular CRM1 receptors. We showcase the utility of LEXY for cell biology applications by regulating a synthetic repressor as well as human p53 transcriptional activity with light. LEXY is a powerful addition to the optogenetic toolbox, allowing various novel applications in synthetic and cell biology.
Medical subject headings
- Active Transport, Cell Nucleus
- Cell Nucleus
- Cytoplasm
- Karyopherins
- Light
- Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear
- Tumor Suppressor Protein p53