Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Light as Energy01:35

Light as Energy

96.0K
The energy required to carry out photosynthesis is light— typically electromagnetic radiation from the sun. The range of all possible wavelengths is known as the electromagnetic spectrum.
Photons
A photon is a discrete electromagnetic particle or bundle of energy. Photons are characterized by their frequency, wavelength, and amplitude, similar to the properties of a wave. Waves with higher frequencies transmit more energy and have shorter wavelengths than longer wavelengths that transmit...
96.0K
Photoreceptors and Plant Responses to Light02:00

Photoreceptors and Plant Responses to Light

28.5K
Light plays a significant role in regulating the growth and development of plants. In addition to providing energy for photosynthesis, light provides other important cues to regulate a range of developmental and physiological responses in plants.
28.5K
Internal Receptors01:31

Internal Receptors

74.7K
Many cellular signals are hydrophilic and therefore cannot pass through the plasma membrane. However, small or hydrophobic signaling molecules can cross the hydrophobic core of the plasma membrane and bind to internal, or intracellular, receptors that reside within the cell. Many mammalian steroid hormones use this mechanism of cell signaling, as does nitric oxide (NO) gas.
74.7K
Receptor-mediated Endocytosis01:39

Receptor-mediated Endocytosis

111.1K
Overview
111.1K
Light Acquisition02:16

Light Acquisition

9.6K
In order to produce glucose, plants need to capture sufficient light energy. Many modern plants have evolved leaves specialized for light acquisition. Leaves can be only millimeters in width or tens of meters wide, depending on the environment. Due to competition for sunlight, evolution has driven the evolution of increasingly larger leaves and taller plants, to avoid shading by their neighbors with contaminant elaboration of root architecture and mechanisms to transport water and nutrients.
9.6K
Enzyme-linked Receptors01:00

Enzyme-linked Receptors

86.7K
Enzyme-linked receptors are proteins that act as both receptor and enzyme, activating multiple intracellular signals. This is a large group of receptors that include the receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) family. Many growth factors and hormones bind to and activate the RTKs.
Neurotrophin (NT) receptors are a family of RTKs, including trkA, trkB, and trkC (tropomyosin-related kinase) receptors. TrkA is specific for nerve growth factor (NGF), neurotrophin-6, and neurotrophin-7. TrkB binds...
86.7K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Dimer asymmetry in signaling of blue light sensor histidine kinases.

Science advances·2026
Same author

Multimodal control of Cas13d activity through domain insertion at an allosteric hotspot.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

Context-dependent variability of HIF heterodimers influences interactions with macromolecular and small molecule partners.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same author

Small Molecule Regulation of CLOCK:BMAL1 DNA Binding Activity.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Structural Basis of a Novel Heme Binding Bacterial One-Component Switch.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Distance-dependent electron- and energy transfer between tryptophan- and flavin-substituents in biomimetic oligo-proline diads.

Photochemical & photobiological sciences : Official journal of the European Photochemistry Association and the European Society for Photobiology·2026
Same journal

Synthetic Porous Carbons for High-Energy, High-Power Supercapacitors.

Chemical reviews·2026
Same journal

Navigating Misfolded Terrain: ER-Associated Degradation of Membrane Proteins.

Chemical reviews·2026
Same journal

Ink Design for Printing Perovskite Solar Cells and Modules.

Chemical reviews·2026
Same journal

Advanced Single-Atom Catalysts for Thermal-Catalytic C1 Chemistry.

Chemical reviews·2026
Same journal

Copper-Dependent Polysaccharide Monooxygenases: Mechanism and Function.

Chemical reviews·2026
Same journal

To Biotic or Abiotic: Biohybrid Systems for Artificial Photosynthesis.

Chemical reviews·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 8, 2026

Mapping the Cellular Distribution of an Optogenetic Protein Using a Light-Stimulation Grid
08:49

Mapping the Cellular Distribution of an Optogenetic Protein Using a Light-Stimulation Grid

Published on: January 26, 2024

609

Blue-Light Receptors for Optogenetics.

Aba Losi1, Kevin H Gardner2,3,4, Andreas Möglich5,6,7

  • 1Department of Mathematical, Physical and Computer Sciences , University of Parma , Parco Area delle Scienze 7/A-43124 Parma , Italy.

Chemical Reviews
|July 10, 2018
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Engineered photoreceptors offer precise light control over cellular functions, expanding optogenetics beyond neuroscience. These advanced tools enable detailed study of complex cellular processes with UV/blue light.

More Related Videos

Light-Induced GFP Expression in Zebrafish Embryos using the Optogenetic TAEL/C120 System
05:28

Light-Induced GFP Expression in Zebrafish Embryos using the Optogenetic TAEL/C120 System

Published on: August 19, 2021

3.4K
Combined Optogenetic and Freeze-fracture Replica Immunolabeling to Examine Input-specific Arrangement of Glutamate Receptors in the Mouse Amygdala
09:49

Combined Optogenetic and Freeze-fracture Replica Immunolabeling to Examine Input-specific Arrangement of Glutamate Receptors in the Mouse Amygdala

Published on: April 15, 2016

11.5K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Feb 8, 2026

Mapping the Cellular Distribution of an Optogenetic Protein Using a Light-Stimulation Grid
08:49

Mapping the Cellular Distribution of an Optogenetic Protein Using a Light-Stimulation Grid

Published on: January 26, 2024

609
Light-Induced GFP Expression in Zebrafish Embryos using the Optogenetic TAEL/C120 System
05:28

Light-Induced GFP Expression in Zebrafish Embryos using the Optogenetic TAEL/C120 System

Published on: August 19, 2021

3.4K
Combined Optogenetic and Freeze-fracture Replica Immunolabeling to Examine Input-specific Arrangement of Glutamate Receptors in the Mouse Amygdala
09:49

Combined Optogenetic and Freeze-fracture Replica Immunolabeling to Examine Input-specific Arrangement of Glutamate Receptors in the Mouse Amygdala

Published on: April 15, 2016

11.5K

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Biophysics
  • Optogenetics

Background:

  • Sensory photoreceptors mediate natural light responses in organisms.
  • Optogenetics utilizes genetically encoded photoreceptors for light-based control of cellular processes.
  • Existing optogenetic tools primarily focus on light-controlled ion flow.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the engineering and applications of artificial photoreceptors for optogenetics.
  • To highlight the expansion of optogenetics beyond neuroscience using UV/blue-light-sensitive photoreceptors.
  • To discuss novel design strategies and expanded functionalities of engineered photoreceptors.

Main Methods:

  • Engineering of artificial photoreceptors based on natural photoreceptor mechanisms.
  • Utilizing light-dependent protein association and (un)folding reactions for photoreceptor design.
  • Development of UV/blue-light-sensitive actuators and reporters.

Main Results:

  • Engineered photoreceptors enable precise, noninvasive control of diverse cellular processes (gene expression, protein stability, etc.).
  • UV/blue-light-sensitive photoreceptors have broadened optogenetics applications to numerous cellular functions.
  • Modified photoreceptors also function as fluorescent proteins and singlet oxygen generators.

Conclusions:

  • Engineered photoreceptors significantly expand the optogenetic toolkit.
  • UV/blue-light-sensitive actuators and reporters allow for detailed, quantitative interrogation of cellular networks.
  • Future developments promise even more precise control and analysis of cellular mechanisms.