Light-Controlled Growth Factor-Mediated Signal Transduction

Abstract

Growth factor-mediated signal transduction regulates critical cellular responses including cell proliferation, differentiation, migration, and apoptosis. However, direct and quantitative linkage between time kinetics of growth factor-mediated pathways and the cellular response is still lacking due to difficulties in perturbing the kinetics of intracellular signaling pathways. Here, we construct an optogenetic system that uses light to regulate growth-factor mediated signaling pathways. We show that various downstream pathways control cell fate determination differentially. Overall, light-controlled growth-factor signal transduction enables precise dissection of individual subsets of signaling pathways in cells.