Synthesis of phycocyanobilin in mammalian cells

Konrad Müller, Raphael Engesser, Jens Timmer, Ferenc Nagy, Matias D Zurbriggen, Wilfried Weber

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract / Description of output

The chromophore 3-Z phycocyanobilin (PCB, (2R,3Z)-8,12-bis(2-carboxyethyl)-18-ethyl-3-ethylidene-2,7,13,17-tetramethyl-2,3-dihydrobilin-1,19(21H,24H)-dione) mediates red and far-red light perception in natural and synthetic biological systems. Here we describe a PCB synthesis strategy in mammalian cells. We optimize the production by co-localizing the biocatalysts to the substrate source, by coordinating the availability of the biocatalysts and by reducing the degradation of the reaction product. We show that the resulting PCB levels of 2 μM are sufficient to sustain the functionality of red light-responsive optogenetic tools suitable for the light-inducible control of gene expression in mammalian cells.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)8970-2
Number of pages3
JournalChemical Communications
Volume49
Issue number79
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 11 Oct 2013

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

  • animals
  • bacterial proteins
  • biocatalysis
  • CHO cells
  • cricetinae
  • cricetulus
  • cyanobacteria
  • heme oxygenase-1
  • light
  • oxidoreductases Acting on CH-CH Group Donors
  • phycobilins
  • phycocyanin
  • plasmids
  • RNA interference
  • RNA
  • small interfering

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