In cells and multi-cellular organisms, biological processes are tightly regulated in a spatio-temporal fashion. To study, dissect, and fully understand these processes - especially the regulation of gene expression, it is important to be able to control them in high spatial and temporal resolution. Here, light is an ideal external trigger that can be easily and precisely controlled in timing, location, and amplitude, and thus can be applied for the activation and inhibition of gene expression. In this regard, we are creating photocaged oligonucleotides that allow for the light-regulation of gene expression at the transcriptional level in mammalian cells. We are presenting data that will demonstrate the applicability of the developed technology to the control of different transcriptional regulatory processes in live cells using light, thus laying the foundation for the engineering of photochemical gene switches.

Regulation of gene transcription in mammalian cells through light-activated oligonucleotides

244th National Meeting (2012)

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