Curated Optogenetic Publication Database

Abstract: Light-responsive hydrogels enable noninvasive, precise, remote control over material properties with great biocompatibility, yet achieving multicolor addressability and dynamic regulation of mechanical properties remains challenging. Most systems rely on single photoswitches and regulate stiffness primarily through changes in crosslinking density. Here, we present a fully protein-based hydrogel that combines multicolor light responsiveness with optical control of crosslink dynamics. The hydrogel includes two visible light-responsive photoceptors: the cyanobacterial phytochrome Cph1, which enables reversible red/far-red light-controlled crosslinking, and CarH, which introduces irreversible green light-induced gel-sol transitions. Remarkably, Cph1-based hydrogels exhibited an attenuated red light intensity response, forming stiffer networks under low-intensity illumination than under high-intensity light and show a subsequent dark-adaptation with stiffening once red light illumination is stopped. This counterintuitive behavior arises from light-driven bidirectional photoisomerization that modulates crosslink lifetimes without altering the photostationary state composition. Together, these findings establish orthogonally addressable reversible and irreversible crosslinks and photoregulated crosslink dynamics as new design principles for multicolor light-responsive biomaterials.

Abstract: Light-responsive hydrogels are highly valued for their dynamic mechanical properties and biocompatibility. In this study, we present a hydrogel system that can either soften or strengthen on green light exposure, or remain unresponsive to light, depending on the addition of adenosyl cobalamin (AdoCbl) and Co2+. These protein-based hydrogels were formed using genetically encoded SpyTag-SpyCatcher chemistry and included green light-sensitive CarHc protein domains. As previously reported, these hydrogels formed in the dark with the addition of AdoCbl, due to the tetramerization of the CarHc domains. Upon green light exposure, the CarHc tetramers disassembled, leading to a rapid transition from gel to sol. Interestingly, we discovered that an excess of AdoCbl leads to photo-strengthening rather than photo-weakening. This occurred because light exposure induces interchain crosslinks between AdoCbl and poly-histidine tags (His6-tags) of the proteins. Furthermore, incorporating Co2+ ions enhanced hydrogel stiffness by coordinating to His6-tags. This not only suppressed photo-weakening but also promoted photo-strengthening behaviour. These findings highlight the role of His6-tags in photochemical crosslinking with excess AdoCbl and in coordination to Co2+ ions, providing a novel strategy for designing tuneable, light responsiveness in materials.

Abstract: Protein photolithography is an invaluable tool for generating protein microchips and regulating interactions between cells and materials. However, the absence of light-responsive molecules that allow for the copatterning of multiple functional proteins with biocompatible visible light poses a significant challenge. Here, a new approach for photopatterning three distinct proteins on a single surface by using green, red, and far-red light is reported. The cofactor of the green light-sensitive protein CarH is engineered such that it also becomes sensitive to red and far-red light. These new cofactors are shown to be compatible with two CarH-based optogenetic tools to regulate bacterial cell-cell adhesions and gene expression in mammalian cells with red and far-red light. Further, by incorporating different CarH variants with varying light sensitivities in layer-by-layer (LbL) multiprotein films, specific layers within the films, along with other protein layers on top are precisely removed by using different colors of light, all with high spatiotemporal accuracy. Notably, with these three distinct colors of visible light, it is possible to incorporate diverse proteins under mild conditions in LbL films based on the reliable interaction between Ni2+- nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) groups and polyhistidine-tags (His-tags)on the proteins and their subsequent photopatterning. This approach has potential applications spanning biofabrication, material engineering, and biotechnology.

Abstract: In nature, photoreceptor proteins undergo molecular responses to light, that exhibit supreme fidelity in time and space and generally occur under mild reaction conditions. To unlock these traits for material science, the light‐induced homodimerization of light‐oxygen‐voltage (LOV) photoreceptors is leveraged to control the assembly of gold nanoparticles. Conjugated to genetically encodable LOV proteins, the nanoparticles are monodispersed in darkness but rapidly assemble into large aggregates upon blue‐light exposure. The work establishes a new modality for reaction control in macromolecular chemistry and thus augurs enhanced precision in space and time in diverse applications of gold nanoparticles.