Use light switches to control the cell

A team of scientists led by Ernst Bamberg at the Max Planck Institute for Biophysics in Germany has developed light switches that use light pulses to control the cells. cell (mode enabled or disabled), this is a combination of membrane proteins 02 different photoresist (off and on). The method is used to connect two components (possibly using different protein variants), to create new cells with more features.

New field of research (Optogenetics) : using light to control the cells, scientists take advantage of sensitive proteins (in the cell layers of some algae and bacteria) with self-light and insert the genes (with the membrane of the reconstructed photosynthetic proteins) into the DNA of the target cell. Depending on the type of protein used, light switches (switches) react to different wavelengths of light. Switches work correctly when: the genes are received. form separately and the cells make copies (highlighted) of each protein (in different amounts).

Scientists have also developed a viable solution: locating the gene (on the same part of the DNA) controls the on / off mode of the protein, along with an additional gene that contains assembly instructions for a piece of connector. This protein interferes with and secures two switch proteins (switches) in the cell membrane. This allows the control of cells with high accuracy. Researchers have created light -assisted switches (switches) from the protein films of two species of single-celled bluegill ( channelrhodopsin-2 and halorhodopsin ).

This switch reacts to blue light by allowing the cell wall to permeate positively charged ions, the currents of these positive ions will cause a nerve impulse to activate the cell. . Whereas the halorodontic species, isolated by scientists from the bacterium Natromonas pharaonis, have the opposite effect: when the cell is illuminated with orange light, it allows the ions to carry negative charge, nerve impulse repression.

"By binding different proteins on demand, we can control cells with much greater accuracy in the future , " Bamberg said.