Source 1primary paper2020
Toolkit/TAEL
TAEL
Taxonomy: Mechanism Branch / Component. Workflows sit above the mechanism and technique branches rather than replacing them.
Summary
TAEL is an engineered optogenetic transcription factor optimized for zebrafish in which blue light induces TAEL dimerization, binding to the C120 promoter element, and activation of downstream transcription. TAEL 2.0 is an improved transgenic implementation that enables inducible expression at late embryonic and larval stages and produces faster, higher reporter expression than the original system.
Usefulness & Problems
Why this is useful
TAEL provides light-gated control of transcription in zebrafish, allowing gene expression to be induced with blue light through the C120 promoter. TAEL 2.0 extends this utility to late embryonic and larval stages, addressing a key limitation of the original system while preserving comparable background and toxicity.
Source:
We demonstrate that the ubiquitous line in particular can be used to induce expression at late embryonic and larval stages, addressing a major deficiency of the original TAEL system.
Problem solved
This tool addresses the need for inducible, optogenetic control of gene expression in zebrafish. TAEL 2.0 specifically solves a major deficiency of the original TAEL system by enabling inducible expression from a ubiquitous transgenic line at late embryonic and larval stages.
Source:
We demonstrate that the ubiquitous line in particular can be used to induce expression at late embryonic and larval stages, addressing a major deficiency of the original TAEL system.
Problem links
Need precise spatiotemporal control with light input
DerivedTAEL is an engineered optogenetic transcription factor optimized for zebrafish in which blue light induces TAEL dimerization and activation of gene expression from the C120 promoter. An improved version, TAEL 2.0, supports inducible expression at late embryonic and larval stages and produces faster, higher reporter expression than the original system.
Need tighter control over gene expression timing or amplitude
DerivedTAEL is an engineered optogenetic transcription factor optimized for zebrafish in which blue light induces TAEL dimerization and activation of gene expression from the C120 promoter. An improved version, TAEL 2.0, supports inducible expression at late embryonic and larval stages and produces faster, higher reporter expression than the original system.
Taxonomy & Function
Primary hierarchy
Mechanism Branch
Component: A low-level protein part used inside a larger architecture that realizes a mechanism.
Mechanisms
dna binding to the c120 promoter elementdna binding to the c120 promoter elementHeterodimerizationlight-induced dimerizationlight-induced homodimerizationtranscriptional activationtranscriptional activationTechniques
No technique tags yet.
Target processes
transcriptionInput: Light
Implementation Constraints
cofactor dependency: cofactor requirement unknownencoding mode: genetically encodedimplementation constraint: context specific validationimplementation constraint: multi component delivery burdenimplementation constraint: spectral hardware requirementoperating role: reporterswitch architecture: multi componentswitch architecture: recruitment
The system is described as an engineered transcription factor optimized for zebrafish and used with the C120 promoter element. Blue light is the activating input, and a ubiquitous TAEL 2.0 transgenic line was reported for late embryonic and larval induction. The provided evidence does not specify construct architecture, cofactors, illumination parameters, or delivery methods beyond transgenesis.
The supplied evidence is focused on zebrafish and does not establish performance in other organisms or cell types. Mechanistic and performance claims are limited to blue-light activation of C120-driven expression and reported reporter assays, with no additional scope or quantitative implementation details provided here.
Validation
Cell-freeBacteriaMammalianMouseHumanTherapeuticIndep. Replication
Supporting Sources
Source 2primary paper2021Journal of Visualized Experiments
Ranked Claims
Blue light causes TAEL to dimerize, bind C120, and activate transcription.
When illuminated with blue light, TAEL dimerizes, binds to its cognate regulatory element called C120, and activates transcription.
A ubiquitous TAEL 2.0 transgenic line can induce expression at late embryonic and larval stages, addressing a major deficiency of the original TAEL system.
We demonstrate that the ubiquitous line in particular can be used to induce expression at late embryonic and larval stages, addressing a major deficiency of the original TAEL system.
Blue light causes TAEL transcription factors to dimerize and activate gene expression downstream of the C120 promoter.
When illuminated with blue light, TAEL transcription factors dimerize and activate gene expression downstream of the TAEL-responsive C120 promoter.
TAEL 2.0 induces higher levels of reporter gene expression and does so faster than the original TAEL system, while maintaining comparable background and toxicity.
We demonstrate that TAEL 2.0 consistently induces higher levels of reporter gene expression and at a faster rate, but with comparable background and toxicity as the original TAEL system.
Approval Evidence
2 sources4 linked approval claimsfirst-pass slug tael
an engineered transcription factor called TAEL
Source:
We previously developed an optogenetic gene expression system called TAEL that is optimized for use in zebrafish.
Source:
mechanismsupports
Blue light causes TAEL to dimerize, bind C120, and activate transcription.
When illuminated with blue light, TAEL dimerizes, binds to its cognate regulatory element called C120, and activates transcription.
Source:
application scopesupports
A ubiquitous TAEL 2.0 transgenic line can induce expression at late embryonic and larval stages, addressing a major deficiency of the original TAEL system.
We demonstrate that the ubiquitous line in particular can be used to induce expression at late embryonic and larval stages, addressing a major deficiency of the original TAEL system.
Source:
mechanismsupports
Blue light causes TAEL transcription factors to dimerize and activate gene expression downstream of the C120 promoter.
When illuminated with blue light, TAEL transcription factors dimerize and activate gene expression downstream of the TAEL-responsive C120 promoter.
Source:
performance improvementsupports
TAEL 2.0 induces higher levels of reporter gene expression and does so faster than the original TAEL system, while maintaining comparable background and toxicity.
We demonstrate that TAEL 2.0 consistently induces higher levels of reporter gene expression and at a faster rate, but with comparable background and toxicity as the original TAEL system.
Source:
Comparisons
Source-backed strengths
Blue light triggers TAEL dimerization and transcriptional activation from the C120 promoter, providing direct optical control over gene expression. In the reported comparison, TAEL 2.0 produced faster and higher reporter expression than the original TAEL system while maintaining comparable background and toxicity. A ubiquitous TAEL 2.0 transgenic line was reported to function at late embryonic and larval stages.
Source:
We demonstrate that TAEL 2.0 consistently induces higher levels of reporter gene expression and at a faster rate, but with comparable background and toxicity as the original TAEL system.
Compared with CIB1 N-terminal CRY2-binding region
TAEL and CIB1 N-terminal CRY2-binding region address a similar problem space because they share transcription.
Shared frame: same top-level item type; shared target processes: transcription; shared mechanisms: heterodimerization; same primary input modality: light
Strengths here: appears more independently replicated; looks easier to implement in practice.
Compared with cryptochromes
TAEL and cryptochromes address a similar problem space because they share transcription.
Shared frame: same top-level item type; shared target processes: transcription; shared mechanisms: heterodimerization; same primary input modality: light
Compared with Enhanced Magnets
TAEL and Enhanced Magnets address a similar problem space because they share transcription.
Shared frame: same top-level item type; shared target processes: transcription; shared mechanisms: heterodimerization; same primary input modality: light
Ranked Citations
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