title: Reversible photocontrol of peptide conformation with a rhodopsin-like photoswitch.
abstract: Reversible photocontrol of biomolecules requires chromophores that can efficiently undergo large conformational changes upon exposure to wavelengths of light that are compatible with living systems. We designed a benzylidene-pyrroline chromophore that mimics the Schiff base of rhodopsin and can be used to introduce light-switchable intramolecular cross-links in peptides and proteins. This new class of photoswitch undergoes an ~10 Å change in end-to-end distance upon isomerization and can be used to control the conformation of a target peptide efficiently and reversibly using, alternately, violet (400 nm) and blue (446 nm) light.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Química, Unidad Asociada al C.S.I.C., Universidad de La Rioja, Madre de Dios 51, E-26006 Logroño, La Rioja, Spain.
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Blanco-Lomas
authors.forename: Subhas
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Samanta
authors.forename: Pedro J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Campos
authors.forename: G Andrew
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Woolley
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sampedro
mesh_terms: D001597:Benzylidene Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D015394:Molecular Structure; D010455:Peptides / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry*; D055668:Photochemical Processes; D011487:Protein Conformation; D011758:Pyrroles / Q000737:chemistry; D012243:Rhodopsin / Q000737:chemistry*; D012545:Schiff Bases / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D001597:Benzylidene Compounds; D010455:Peptides; D011758:Pyrroles; D012545:Schiff Bases; C013231:pyrroline; D012243:Rhodopsin