A controllable photoresponsive potassium transporter.
basic_science · Level V
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- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 40721588.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-025-62113-1 and PMC identifier 12304099.
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Abstract
Artificial photoresponsive transport systems are particularly intriguing because they offer the potential for precise spatio-temporal control, rapid response times and minimal toxicity associated with the light. We report here a controllable, photoresponsive, ion-transporting carrier, achieving controllability through a photoregulated β-cyclodextrin (β-CD)-azobenzene host-guest complex. In this complex, a lipid-anchored β-CD serves as the launch base, tightly immobilizing through host-guest interactions the otherwise freely moving trans-transporter derived from a crown ether-modified trans-azobenzene motif, but rapidly releasing most of it upon 365 nm UV irradiation that converts transporter to its cis-configuration. The launched cis-transporter functions well as a highly efficient potassium transporter, delivering a low EC<sub>50</sub> value of 1.51 μM and a drastic transport activity enhancement by ~ 400% relative to the base-bound trans-transporter (EC<sub>50</sub> = 7.46 μM), with on-off activities repeatedly regulated by light. In the absence of the base, the on-off activities between cis- and trans-transporters however differ by only 80% (1.35 μM vs 2.45 μM).