title: A synthetic photoactivated protein to generate local or global Ca(2+) signals.
abstract: Ca(2+) signals regulate diverse physiological processes through tightly regulated fluxes varying in location, time, frequency, and amplitude. Here, we developed LOVS1K, a genetically encoded and photoactivated synthetic protein to generate local or global Ca(2+) signals. With 300 ms blue light exposure, LOVS1K translocated to Orai1, a plasma membrane Ca(2+) channel, within seconds, generating a local Ca(2+) signal on the plasma membrane, and returning to the cytoplasm after tens of seconds. With repeated photoactivation, global Ca(2+) signals in the cytoplasm were generated to modulate engineered Ca(2+)-inducible proteins. Although Orai1 is typically associated with global store-operated Ca(2+) entry, we demonstrate that Orai1 can also generate local Ca(2+) influx on the plasma membrane. Our photoactivation system can be used to generate spatially and temporally precise Ca(2+) signals and to engineer synthetic proteins that respond to specific Ca(2+) signals.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, 164 College Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3G9, Canada.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pham
authors.forename: Evan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mills
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Truong
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D015220:Calcium Channels / Q000378:metabolism*; D020013:Calcium Signaling; D002460:Cell Line; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008027:Light; D055668:Photochemical Processes; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics; D021381:Protein Transport
chemical_list: D015220:Calcium Channels; D002118:Calcium