Team manipulates intracellular signal transduction using optogenetic technology

A research team led by Dr. Tetsuya Muramoto from the Faculty of Science at Toho University has demonstrated the mechanisms by which periodic chemical signal frequencies in cells regulate gene expression via transcription factors and influence the cell fate determination processes. This discovery was made using optogenetic technology, which facilitates the manipulation of biological phenomena using light.

The findings are published in Development.

The study revealed the mechanisms by which periodic intracellular cAMP signal frequencies regulate transcription factor shuttling between the nucleus and cytoplasm and multicellular structure formation. The researchers successfully detected and monitored cAMP using optogenetic technology combined with biosensors, which facilitated the precise real-time analysis of cellular responses.

The findings highlight the significance of frequency-selective cellular responses in developmental biology, providing valuable insights into the intercellular signal transduction mechanisms.