Curated Optogenetic Publication Database

Abstract: Light-induced membrane fusion has become a pivotal technique for constructing and functionalizing synthetic cells by enabling precise control over membrane merging events. Traditional fusion approaches that rely on chemical, physical, and mechanical stimuli frequently lack both specificity and reversibility, limiting their utility in mimicking dynamic cellular processes. Here, we review advances employing photosensitive molecules and optogenetic tools that facilitate spatiotemporally controlled fusion of lipid and polymer vesicles, enabling dynamic content exchange and membrane remodeling. These approaches have enhanced synthetic cell assembly, molecular transport, and signal transduction, with applications extending to drug delivery and biosensing. Despite challenges in efficiency and biocompatibility, ongoing innovations in photosensitizer design and light activation strategies promise to expand the capabilities of synthetic biology platforms. This work underscores the potential of light-induced fusion to advance the development of intelligent nanomaterials and functional synthetic cellular systems.

Abstract: Biomolecular condensates participate in the regulation of gene transcription, yet the relationship between nuclear condensation and transcriptional activation remains elusive. Here, we devised a biotinylated CRISPR-dCas9-based optogenetic method, light-activated macromolecular phase separation (LAMPS), to enable inducible formation, affinity purification, and multiomic dissection of nuclear condensates at the targeted genomic loci. LAMPS-induced condensation at enhancers and promoters activates endogenous gene transcription by chromatin reconfiguration, causing increased chromatin accessibility and de novo formation of long-range chromosomal loops. Proteomic profiling of light-induced condensates by dCas9-mediated affinity purification uncovers multivalent interaction-dependent remodeling of macromolecular composition, resulting in the selective enrichment of transcriptional coactivators and chromatin structure proteins. Our findings support a model whereby the formation of nuclear condensates at native genomic loci reconfigures chromatin architecture and multiprotein assemblies to modulate gene transcription. Hence, LAMPS facilitates mechanistic interrogation of the relationship between nuclear condensation, genome structure, and gene transcription in living cells.