A genetically targetable near-infrared photosensitizer.

ABSTRACT: Upon illumination, photosensitizer molecules produce reactive oxygen species that can be used for functional manipulation of living cells, including protein inactivation, targeted-damage introduction and cellular ablation. Photosensitizers used to date have been either exogenous, resulting in delivery and removal challenges, or genetically encoded proteins that form or bind a native photosensitizing molecule, resulting in a constitutively active photosensitizer inside the cell. We describe a genetically encoded fluorogen-activating protein (FAP) that binds a heavy atom-substituted fluorogenic dye, forming an 'on-demand' activated photosensitizer that produces singlet oxygen and fluorescence when activated with near-infrared light. This targeted and activated photosensitizer (TAPs) approach

SUBMITTER: He J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4916159 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature