Signalling Research Centres BIOSS and CIBSS, University of Freiburg, 79104, Freiburg, Germany.
Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, 79104, Freiburg, Germany.
Adv Mater. 2019 Mar;31(12):e1806727. doi: 10.1002/adma.201806727. Epub 2019 Jan 27.
Interrogation and control of cellular fate and function using optogenetics is providing revolutionary insights into biology. Optogenetic control of cells is achieved by coupling genetically encoded photoreceptors to cellular effectors and enables unprecedented spatiotemporal control of signaling processes. Here, a fast and reversibly switchable photoreceptor is used to tune the mechanical properties of polymer materials in a fully reversible, wavelength-specific, and dose- and space-controlled manner. By integrating engineered cyanobacterial phytochrome 1 into a poly(ethylene glycol) matrix, hydrogel materials responsive to light in the cell-compatible red/far-red spectrum are synthesized. These materials are applied to study in human mesenchymal stem cells how different mechanosignaling pathways respond to changing mechanical environments and to control the migration of primary immune cells in 3D. This optogenetics-inspired matrix allows fundamental questions of how cells react to dynamic mechanical environments to be addressed. Further, remote control of such matrices can create new opportunities for tissue engineering or provide a basis for optically stimulated drug depots.
使用光遗传学来询问和控制细胞命运和功能为生物学提供了革命性的见解。通过将遗传编码的光感受器与细胞效应器偶联，可以实现对细胞的光遗传学控制，从而以前所未有的时空分辨率控制信号转导过程。在这里，使用一种快速且可双向切换的光感受器以完全可逆、波长特异性、剂量和空间控制的方式来调节聚合物材料的机械性能。通过将工程化的蓝细菌光光色素 1 整合到聚（乙二醇）基质中，合成了对细胞兼容的红/远红光谱中的光响应水凝胶材料。这些材料被用于研究人类间充质干细胞在不同的机械环境中如何响应改变的机械环境，并控制原代免疫细胞在 3D 中的迁移。这种受光遗传学启发的基质可以解决细胞如何对动态机械环境做出反应的基本问题。此外，对这种基质的远程控制可以为组织工程提供新的机会，或者为光刺激药物库提供基础。
