Development of an Optical Cargo-Releasing Method 'RudLOV' for Controlling Intracellular Protein Transport

December 17, 2024

This novel method, which enables spatial, temporal, and quantitative control of cargo release, allows the observation of local transport within cells

A collaborative research team from Hiroshima University and the RIKEN CSRS has developed a method named ‘retention using dark state of LOV2’ (RudLOV), which enables the on/off control of intracellular protein transport initiation using light.

Within cells, cargo proteins (various proteins synthesized in the endoplasmic reticulum) are transported to the Golgi apparatus, where they undergo modifications and maturation before being delivered to their appropriate destinations, such as organelles or the cell membrane. Recent advancements in microscopy technology have made it possible to observe the transport process of cargo proteins in living cells, revealing aspects of their transport mechanism. However, in normal cells, cargo proteins are gradually transported to the Golgi apparatus, making observation difficult. A synchronized transport initiation method that temporarily halts and accumulates cargo proteins before their transport to the Golgi is needed to allow researchers to control their release at a specific moment.

The newly developed RudLOV method enables precise spatial, temporal, and quantity control during cargo release. By using RudLOV, researchers can more precisely observe differences in transport pathways based on the type of cargo protein, paving the way for the discovery of new transport mechanisms.

Original article

EMBO reports doi: 10.1038/s44319-024-00342-z

T. Tago, T. Ogawa,Y. Goto, K. Toyooka, T. Tojima, A. Nakano, T. Satoh, AK. Satoh,

"RudLOV ─a new optically synchronized cargo transport method reveals unexpected effect of dynasore".

Contact

Kiminori Toyooka
Senior Technical Scientist
Mass Spectrometry and Microscopy Unit