A genetically encoded photoactivatable Rac controls the motility of living cells

Yi I. Wu (), Daniel Frey, Oana I. Lungu, Angelika Jaehrig, Ilme Schlichting, Brian Kuhlman and Klaus M. Hahn ()
Additional contact information
Yi I. Wu: Department of Pharmacology,
Daniel Frey: Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Jahn-Strasse 29, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
Oana I. Lungu: Department of Pharmacology,
Angelika Jaehrig: Department of Pharmacology,
Ilme Schlichting: Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Jahn-Strasse 29, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
Brian Kuhlman: and
Klaus M. Hahn: Department of Pharmacology,

Nature, 2009, vol. 461, issue 7260, 104-108

Abstract: A light touch on proteins Many aspects of cellular function depend on when and where in the cell various protein activities are turned 'on' or 'off' at the molecular level. A new technique that uses light to manipulate the activity of a protein at precise times and places within the living cell has the potential make the study of this fundamental aspect of protein function a practical proposition. It makes use of a genetically encoded, photoactivatable derivative of Rac1, a GTPase that regulates actin cytoskeletal dynamics, which can be activated by exposure to laser light. This localized activation generates precisely localized cell protrusions and ruffling and can direct cell motility. This approach should be extensible to other proteins.

Date: 2009
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DOI: 10.1038/nature08241

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