Caged compounds: photorelease technology for control of cellular chemistry and physiology.
Caged compounds are light-sensitive probes that functionally encapsulate biomolecules in an inactive form. Irradiation liberates the trapped molecule, permitting targeted perturbation of a biological process. Uncaging technology and fluorescence microscopy are 'optically orthogonal': the former allows control, and the latter, observation of cellular function. Used in conjunction with other technologies (for example, patch clamp and/or genetics), the light beam becomes a uniquely powerful tool to stimulate a selected biological target in space or time. Here I describe important examples of widely used caged compounds, their design features and synthesis, as well as practical details of how to use them with living cells.
Department of Pharmacology & Physiology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19102, USA. ged@drexel.edu
Graham C R
GC
Ellis-Davies
D003585:Cell Biology; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D015335:Molecular Probes; D010777:Photochemistry
D015335:Molecular Probes