Molecular tools for acute spatiotemporal manipulation of signal transduction. (October 2016) - Ross, Brian
Highlights: Molecular tools to perturb signal transduction pathways offer spatiotemporal control. Our toolkit includes chemically induced, optically induced, and magnetically induced systems. These tools are used to modulate enzymatic activities, interactions, and receptor activation. Abstract : The biochemical activities involved in signal transduction in cells are under tight spatiotemporal regulation. To study the effects of the spatial patterning and temporal dynamics of biochemical activities on downstream signaling, researchers require methods to manipulate signaling pathways acutely and rapidly. In this review, we summarize recent developments in the design of three broad classes of molecular tools for perturbing signal transduction, classified by their type of input signal: chemically induced, optically induced, and magnetically induced.