These authors contributed equally to this work.
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Full Paper
Manipulating Cell Migration and Proliferation with a Light-Activated Polypeptide
Article first published online: 22 JAN 2009
DOI: 10.1002/cbic.200800679
Copyright © 2009 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim
Additional Information
How to Cite
Miller, D. S., Chirayil, S., Ball, H. L. and Luebke, K. J. (2009), Manipulating Cell Migration and Proliferation with a Light-Activated Polypeptide. ChemBioChem, 10: 577–584. doi: 10.1002/cbic.200800679
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These authors contributed equally to this work.
Publication History
- Issue published online: 6 FEB 2009
- Article first published online: 22 JAN 2009
- Manuscript Received: 10 OCT 2008
Funded by
- Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Grant Number: 010019-0067-2001
- Division of Translational Research at UT Southwestern
Keywords:
- caged proteins;
- EGF;
- growth factors;
- photochemistry;
- tissue engineering
Abstract
Remote control of cells: A polypeptide has been made that stimulates proliferation and migration of cells upon photochemical activation. This light-activated polypeptide enables spatially defined control of cell populations at the scale of tissue organization; this is accomplished without physically contacting the cells or modifying their substrate.
Polypeptide growth and differentiation factors modulate a wide variety of cell behaviors and can be used to manipulate cells in vitro for tissue engineering and basic studies of cell biology. To emulate in vitro the spatial aspect of growth factor function, new methods are needed to generate defined spatial gradients of activity. Polypeptide factors that are engineered to be activated with light provide a method for creating concentration gradients with the fine precision in space and time with which light can be directed. As a first test of this approach, we have chemically synthesized a polypeptide with the sequence of epidermal growth factor in which a critical glutamate is “caged” with a photoremovable group. Photolysis of this polypeptide afforded maximal mitogenic and chemokinetic activity at concentrations at which the caged factor was inactive. Spatially resolved photolysis of the factor resulted in spatial patterning of fibroblasts. This system will be useful for ex vivo tissue engineering and for investigating the interactions of cells with their matrix and the role of chemical gradients in biological pattern formation.