The expanding role of split protein complementation in opsin-free optogenetics
Savanna Sharum Skeeters1, Tyler Camp1, Huaxun Fan1
1Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.
Current Opinion in Pharmacology
|May 24, 2022
Summary
Opsin-free optogenetics uses light to control signaling molecules, advancing biological research. This review explores split protein complementation and recombination for optogenetic sensing and actuation.
Area of Science:
- Cellular signaling
- Optogenetics
- Molecular biology
Background:
- Understanding cell signaling is crucial for biology and disease.
- Current methods struggle to probe dynamic signaling interactions in space and time.
- Opsin-based optogenetics excels at spatiotemporal control of excitable cells.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review opsin-free optogenetic strategies.
- To provide a historical overview of split protein complementation.
- To highlight split protein recombination for optogenetic applications.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of opsin-free optogenetic techniques.
- Historical analysis of split protein complementation.
- Discussion of split protein recombination as sensors and actuators.
Main Results:
- Opsin-free optogenetics enables light-based control of diverse signaling molecules.
- Split protein complementation has evolved into sophisticated optogenetic tools.
- Split protein recombination serves as a versatile platform for optogenetic sensing and actuation.
Conclusions:
- Opsin-free optogenetics expands the utility of light modulation beyond neural science.
- Split protein technologies offer powerful new avenues for studying and manipulating cellular signaling.
