Optogenetic control of focal adhesion kinase signaling
Hörner M, Chatelle C, Mühlhäuser WWD, Stocker DR, Coats M, Weber W, Radziwill G.
Cell Signal. 2017;42:176-183.
Here, we developed a single-component, photo-activatable focal adhesion kinase, termed optoFAK, by using blue light-induced oligomerization of cryptochrome 2 (CRY2) to activate FAK-CRY2 fusion proteins. OptoFAK functions uncoupled from physiological stimuli and activates downstream signaling rapidly and reversibly upon blue light exposure. OptoFAK may prove to be a useful tool to study the biological function of FAK and could serve as test system for kinase inhibitors.
