Transient Photoinactivation of Cell Membrane Protein Activity without Genetic Modification by Molecular Hyperthermia.

ABSTRACT: Precise manipulation of protein activity in living systems has broad applications in biomedical sciences. However, it is challenging to use light to manipulate protein activity in living systems without genetic modification. Here, we report a technique to optically switch off protein activity in living cells with high spatiotemporal resolution, referred to as molecular hyperthermia (MH). MH is based on the nanoscale-confined heating of plasmonic gold nanoparticles by short laser pulses to unfold and photoinactivate targeted proteins of interest. First, we show that protease-activated receptor 2 (PAR2), a G-protein-coupled receptor and an important pathway that leads to pain sensitization, can be photoinactivated in situ by MH without compromising cell proliferation. PAR2 activity can be sw

SUBMITTER: Kang P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7096286 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature