Photoactivatable transcription system New technology to control user-defined endogenous genes with light

Ph.D. course student Yuta Nihongaki, Associate Professor Moritoshi Sato and their research group at Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, the University of Tokyo, have developed a new technology to control user-defined endogenous genes (genes native to the cell) with light.

Various technologies have been developed for gene regulation. However, these conventional technologies require significant experimental labor and/or know-how, greatly restricting the study of gene functions. In contrast to these conventional technologies, the research group’s new technology allows optical control of any genes just by designing the first 20 nucleotides of guide RNA and thereby provides an easy-to-use, general method for gene control. In addition, the research group has demonstrated the simultaneous control of multiple endogenous genes with light.

This new technology could contribute to understanding endogenous gene functions and is expected to lead to the development of new methods to control cellular functions, such as differentiation and proliferation, with light.