Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 25, 2026

Spatiotemporal Control of Protein Activity through Optogenetic Allosteric Regulation
Published on: October 4, 2024
An allosteric modulator to control endogenous G protein-coupled receptors with light
Silvia Pittolo1, Xavier Gómez-Santacana2, Kay Eckelt3
11] Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), Barcelona, Spain. [2].
Abstract:
Controlling drug activity with light offers the possibility of enhancing pharmacological selectivity with spatial and temporal regulation, thus enabling highly localized therapeutic effects and precise dosing patterns. Here we report on the development and characterization of what is to our knowledge the first photoswitchable allosteric modulator of a G protein-coupled receptor. Alloswitch-1 is selective for the metabotropic glutamate receptor mGlu5 and enables the optical control of endogenous mGlu5 receptors.
More Related Videos
07:41A Kinetic Fluorescence-based Ca2+ Mobilization Assay to Identify G Protein-coupled Receptor Agonists, Antagonists, and Allosteric Modulators
Published on: February 20, 2018
08:49Mapping the Cellular Distribution of an Optogenetic Protein Using a Light-Stimulation Grid
Published on: January 26, 2024
Related Concept Videos
G-Protein Gated Ion Channels
Sensory...
Activation and Inactivation of G Proteins
G-protein Coupled Receptors
G-protein Coupled Receptors
G Protein-coupled Receptors
GPCRs are also called heptahelical, 7TM, or serpentine receptors, and consist of seven (H1-H7) transmembrane alpha-helices that span the bilayer to form a cylindrical core. The transmembrane helices are connected by three extracellular loops and three...
G Protein-coupled Receptors