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  • Perspective
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Illuminating developmental biology through photochemistry

Nature Chemical Biology volume 13, pages 587–598 (2017)Cite this article

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Abstract

Developmental biology has been continually shaped by technological advances, evolving from a descriptive science into one immersed in molecular and cellular mechanisms. Most recently, genome sequencing and 'omics' profiling have provided developmental biologists with a wealth of genetic and biochemical information; however, fully translating this knowledge into functional understanding will require new experimental capabilities. Photoactivatable probes have emerged as particularly valuable tools for investigating developmental mechanisms, as they can enable rapid, specific manipulations of DNA, RNA, proteins, and cells with spatiotemporal precision. In this Perspective, we describe optochemical and optogenetic systems that have been applied in multicellular organisms, insights gained through the use of these probes, and their current limitations. We also suggest how chemical biologists can expand the reach of photoactivatable technologies and bring new depth to our understanding of organismal development.

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Figure 1: Photoresponsive proteins evolved by microbes and plants.
Figure 2: Photoresponsive synthetic compounds.
Figure 3: Photoactivatable probes of cell function.
Figure 4: Optochemical and optogenetic probes of gene function.
Figure 5: Optochemical probes of protein function.
Figure 6: Optogenetic probes of protein function.
Figure 7: Optochemical and optogenetic studies of embryonic patterning.

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Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge support by the National Institutes of Health (R01 GM108952 to J.K.C.; P50 GM107615 to the Stanford Center for Systems Biology), and we thank J.A. Crapster and Z. Feng for helpful discussions.

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  1. Lukasz Kowalik

    Present address: Present address: Innovation Center, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany.,

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  1. Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA

    Lukasz Kowalik & James K Chen

  2. Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA

    James K Chen

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Kowalik, L., Chen, J. Illuminating developmental biology through photochemistry. Nat Chem Biol 13, 587–598 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/nchembio.2369

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