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Photo Control of Protein Function Using Photoactive Yellow Protein

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Optogenetics

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 1408))

Abstract

Photoswitchable proteins are becoming increasingly common tools for manipulating cellular processes with high spatial and temporal precision. Photoactive yellow protein (PYP) is a small, water-soluble protein that undergoes a blue light induced change in conformation. It can serve as a scaffold for designing new tools to manipulate biological processes, but with respect to other protein scaffolds it presents some technical challenges. Here, we present practical information on how to overcome these, including how to synthesize the PYP chromophore, how to express and purify PYP, and how to screen for desired activity.

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Acknowledgments

This work has been supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and by NIH (R01MH086379).

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Correspondence to G. Andrew Woolley .

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© 2016 Springer Science+Business Media New York

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Reis, J.M., Woolley, G.A. (2016). Photo Control of Protein Function Using Photoactive Yellow Protein. In: Kianianmomeni, A. (eds) Optogenetics. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 1408. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-3512-3_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-3512-3_6

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-3510-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4939-3512-3

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