光遗传学技术是一种新型的生物技术,融合了光学及遗传学技术,可以实现光对细胞活动的控制。在光遗传学应用当中,靶向细胞可用基因来改造和表达光敏蛋白质,并可被光所调控。光遗传学技术利用光敏离子通道蛋白对特定神经细胞进行精准、快速的光控,已经掀起了神经科学研究领域的一场革命。除了光敏离子通道之外,能产生蛋白质相互作用的光敏蛋白也已被广泛应用于光遗传学研究。本文讨论了常见的基于蛋白-蛋白相互作用的光敏蛋白,然后介绍了基于光控蛋白-蛋白相互作用的光遗传学技术在光控基因表达、相分离、代谢工程和细胞器运输中的应用。

Optogenetics is an emerging technique that exploits light to control cells by combining optics and genetics techniques. In optogenetic systems, cells are genetically modified to express photosensitive proteins and consequently become responsive to light pulses. Optogenetics has revolutionized neuroscience research by facilitating selective and rapid control of targeted neurons expressing light-gated ion channels. In addition to light-gated ion channels, photosensitive proteins based on light-gated protein-protein interactions are widely used in optogenetic research. In this review, we discuss these common photosensitive proteins and summarize optogenetic applications in optical control of gene expression, phase separation, biosynthesis, and organelle distribution based on light-gated protein-protein interactions.