Photocatalytic manipulation of Ca²⁺ signaling for regulating cellular and animal behaviors via MOF-enabled H₂O₂ generation.

Abstract

The in situ generation of H₂O₂ in cells in response to external stimulation has exceptional advantages in modulating intracellular Ca²⁺ dynamics, including high controllability and biological safety, but has been rarely explored. Here, we develop photocatalyst-based metal-organic frameworks (DCSA-MOFs) to modulate Ca²⁺ responses in cells, multicellular spheroids, and organs. By virtue of the efficient photocatalytic oxygen reduction to H₂O₂ without sacrificial agents, photoexcited DCSA-MOFs can rapidly trigger Ca²⁺ outflow from the endoplasmic reticulum with single-cell precision in a repeatable and controllable manner, enabling the propagation of intercellular Ca²⁺ waves (ICW) over long distances in two-dimensional and three-dimensional cell cultures. After photoexcitation, ICWs induced by DCSA-MOFs can activate neural activities in the optical tectum of tadpoles and thighs of spinal frogs, eliciting the corresponding motor behaviors. Our study offers a versatile optical nongenetic modulation technique that enables remote, repeatable, and controlled manipulation of cellular and animal behaviors.