17.15 N260, 3.13 Talk by Prof. Dr. Andreas Möglich (University Bayreuth)
Controlling Nucleic-Acid-Based processes by Light
Sensory photoreceptors underpin diverse adaptations of organismal behaviour, lifestyle and physiology to incident light. In optogenetics, photoreceptors double as genetically encoded, light-gated actuators and enable the noninvasive control of cellular circuits with spatiotemporal precision. Against this backdrop, we investigate and engineer blue-light-responsive receptors of the light-oxygen-voltage (LOV) family that mediate optogenetic control of various nucleic-acid-based processes, e.g., transcription, translation and endonuclease activity. Biochemical analyses of receptor structure, function and signalling mechanism unravel the molecular bases for light-dependent allostery and inform additional protein engineering efforts.