Optogenetic Control of Molecular Motors and Organelle Distributions in Cells

Abstract

Organelle transport and distribution plays important roles in various cellular activities, including intracellular signaling, cell polarization, cell survival and apoptosis. However, establishing a direct link between organelle distribution and cellular functions is hindered by the lack of means to manipulate molecular motors in the complex intracellular environment. Here, we provide an optogenetic method to control the transport and distribution of organelles by light. This is achieved by optically recruiting molecular motors onto organelles through the heterodimerization of Arabidopsis thaliana cryptochrome 2 (CRY2) with its interacting partner CIB1. Upon exposure to blue light, CRY2 and CIB1 dimerize within subseconds, which requires no exogenous ligands and low intensity of light. We demonstrate that organelles, including mitochondria, peroxisomes, and lysosomes, can be driven toward the cell periphery or the cell nucleus upon recruitment of specific molecular motors. Light-induced motor recruitment and organelle movements are repeatable, reversible, and can be achieved at subcellular regions. This optogenetic strategy provides a valuable tool to unveil the roles of distributions of various organelles in cellular functions in living cells.