Toolkit Items

The anchor paper explicitly reports super-resolution imaging under a PALM setup.

Many draw inspiration from widely successful fluorescence-based techniques such as stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscopy, photoactivated localization microscopy (PALM), and stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (STORM).

The review focuses on tag-mediated protein labeling methods, such as the tetracysteine tag and SNAP-tag.

The publisher version of the anchor paper explicitly identifies the fabricated particles as dual-emissive PCL polymer nanoparticles.

Circularly permuted AsLOV2 is a re-engineered LOV-domain optogenetic module created by circular permutation of AsLOV2 to enable photoswitchable control over the C-terminus of a peptide. It is reported to function as a light-responsive caging element either alone or in combination with the original AsLOV2 for enhanced caging.

The development of enhanced photoswitchable fluorescent probes for single molecule tracking and super-resolution microscopy (see review by Vaughan and colleagues) has been crucial for these advances.

LOV domain–based photoswitches are protein-domain tools built from LOV photosensory modules that respond to light. The cited 2010 Nature Methods study reports rational improvement of these light-responsive photoswitches.

Here, we report the molecular cloning and spectroscopic characterization of mKikGR, a monomeric version of the previously reported KikGR that displays high photostability and switching rates.

There exists now a wide range of experimentally validated protein tools capable of modifying cellular function, including ... neurotransmitter receptors modified with tethered photo-switchable ligands.

super-resolution imaging methods such as ... fluorescence photoactivation localization microscopy

Azobenzene-containing crosslinkers carrying reactive maleimide groups are used to photocontrol the conformation and, hence, activity of proteins.

The SecYEG complex was engineered as a light-responsive protein translocation switch by introducing an organochemical photoswitch into two transmembrane segments that form the lateral gate of the bacterial membrane-embedded protein-conducting pore. Illumination modulates pore gating and thereby controls SecYEG-dependent protein translocation.

Light-controlled molecular switches, such as azobenzene and spiropyran, have attracted a lot of attention for nanomaterial's functionalization because of the remote modulation of their physicochemical properties using light stimulus.

Additionally we show, by means of flash-photolysis experiments, that chromophore cis to trans photoswitching involves a molecular mechanism where stereochemical isomerization and chromophore protonation occur in a coordinated way.

OptoGels are hydrogels whose material properties are programmed by light through incorporation of naturally occurring photoswitchable proteins. They are described as extracellular optogenetic materials that enable dynamic optical control of hydrogel behavior.

All localization precision and patterned illumination techniques-such as photo-activation localization microscopy ... take advantage of these inherent switching properties to achieve superior spatial resolution.

Light-controlled molecular switches, such as azobenzene and spiropyran, have attracted a lot of attention for nanomaterial's functionalization because of the remote modulation of their physicochemical properties using light stimulus.

The mitochondrial cytochrome c-tagged Dendra2 reporter is a photoswitchable fluorescent protein construct used to monitor mitochondrial fission and fusion dynamics. In the cited method, Dendra2 is fused to mitochondrial cytochrome c and imaged by confocal microscopy with Fiji-based image analysis.

Using a photoswitchable SM (AzoSM), we observed that the raft-promoting conformation (trans-AzoSM) resulted in efficient phagocytosis, whereas the raft-inhibiting conformation (cis-AzoSM) significantly but reversibly blunted phagocytosis.

Circularly permuted LOV2 (cpLOV2) is a LOV2-derived protein-domain photoswitch described as a modular component for optogenetic engineering. The supplied evidence supports its identity as a light-responsive module but does not provide additional functional or performance detail.

The Light Oxygen Voltage 2 (LOV2) domain is a light-responsive protein domain from Avena sativa phototropin 1 that serves as a well-characterized foundation for the design of engineered photoswitches. The supplied evidence supports its role as a cornerstone component for optogenetic and protein-engineering applications.

Some require specific transitions and states that can be found only in certain fluorophore subfamilies, such as photoswitchable fluorophores, while other variants can be realized with standard fluorescent labels.

The LOV2 domain from Avena sativa (AsLOV2) is a blue-light receptor protein domain. In the cited 2024 study, cofactor exchange with 5-deazaFMN converted AsLOV2 into a photoswitch that forms a light-induced thermodynamically stable adduct and undergoes repeatable photo-induced dark-state recovery.

Genetically encoded photoswitches are opsin-free optogenetic components that can be modularly engineered into protein scaffolds or host cells to control biological processes with light. The cited review places these systems within optophysiology, where they are used to interrogate cellular physiology.

Photoswitches are light-responsive multi-component optogenetic tools used in plant systems for externally controlled regulation of gene expression. Source evidence specifically states that single or combined photoswitches have been successfully applied for light-controlled gene expression in plants.

Here, we have studied the photoswitching mechanism of the reversibly switchable fluoroprotein asFP595 at the atomic level...

Perhaps the best artificial mimic of this strong photo-switching effect however, for reversibility, speed, and simplicity of incorporation, is azobenzene. This review focuses on the study and application of reversible changes in shape that can be achieved with various systems incorporating azobenzene.

The supplied web research summary states that the review is centered on optopharmacology, especially azobenzene photoswitches.

The supplied web research summary identifies Azo-PROTAC as an explicitly supported related item candidate and as a major photoswitchable degrader design emphasized by the anchor review.

Specifically, we synthesized a probe that contains Cy3 and Cy5 dye molecules as well as a BG moiety (Scheme 1). The BG permits the targeting of the Cy3-Cy5 photoswitch to SNAP-tag fusion proteins.

PubMed and the journal page indicate the core contribution is a 16-frequency photoswitchable polyyne palette termed Carbow-switch, built by coupling asymmetric diarylethene with super-multiplexed Carbow for reversible visible-light-controlled SRS imaging in living cells.

The paper establishes wavelength-selective, reversible orthogonal switching by combining donor-acceptor Stenhouse adduct (DASA) and azobenzene modules in one system, including a dual-functional construct in which the DASA controls phase transfer and the azobenzene controls α-cyclodextrin binding.

Meldrum's acid furfural conjugate (MAFC) has been extensively explored as a starting material for the synthesis of photoswitchable donor-acceptor Stenhouse adducts (DASA). DASA formation hereby results from the rapid reaction of MAFC with primary and secondary amines.

The supplied source summary states that the review frames optimization around major photosensory modules including Dronpa-based designs.

Iminothioindoxyl as a molecular photoswitch with 100 nm band separation in the visible range

The supplied web research summary lists LiGluN as an explicitly supported related tool/component and identifies it as a family of photoswitchable NMDA receptors relevant to the review.

These include (3) nanotweezers, which are photoswitchable crosslinkers.

Among them is the bimodal photoswitchable Neorhodopsin (NeoR), which exhibits a near-infrared absorbing, highly fluorescent state.

The supplied web research summary identifies PHOTACs as a photoswitchable PROTAC class directly central to the anchor review and as an explicitly supported related component/tool name in sources discussed by the review.

LD50 values for gramicidin S and photoisomeric forms of its photoswitchable diarylethene-containing analogs were determined using mice.

In section II there are presented photoswitchable inhibitors of microtubule dynamics.

Photoswitchable catalysts based on phosphorus ligands have been overlooked so far... including synthetic approaches to photoswitchable phosphines and their transition metal complexes.

The supplied web research summary states that the review explicitly includes photoswitchable tethered ligands, and related item candidates identify this as an explicit methodological class across the anchor review and aligned literature.

Recently, the field has made big steps forward by implementing dedicated functionality, e.g. catalytic centres or photoswitches to allow stimuli control.

We develop a real-time precision opto-control (RPOC) technology that detects a chemical-specific optical response from molecular targets during laser scanning and uses the optical signal to couple a separate laser to only interact with these molecules without affecting other sample locations.

This review showcases the implementation of function into self-assembled cages and devises strategies to selectively form heteroleptic structures.

A high labeling density of photoswitchable fluorophores is crucial for these techniques, which can be provided by sequence independent DNA stains in which photoblinking reactions can be induced.

Tethered photopharmacology, where a photoswitchable ligand is covalently attached to a target protein, offers a particularly high degree of spatiotemporal control, as well as the ability to genetically target drug action and limit effects to specific protein subtypes.

Towards this end, we expressed β-tubulin as a C-terminal fusion of SNAP-tag (β-tubulin-SNAP) in U2OS cells.