---
_id: '1549'
abstract:
- lang: eng
  text: Nature has incorporated small photochromic molecules, colloquially termed
    'photoswitches', in photoreceptor proteins to sense optical cues in photo-taxis
    and vision. While Nature's ability to employ light-responsive functionalities
    has long been recognized, it was not until recently that scientists designed,
    synthesized and applied synthetic photochromes to manipulate many of which open
    rapidly and locally in their native cell types, biological processes with the
    temporal and spatial resolution of light. Ion channels in particular have come
    to the forefront of proteins that can be put under the designer control of synthetic
    photochromes. Photochromic ion channel controllers are comprised of three classes,
    photochromic soluble ligands (PCLs), photochromic tethered ligands (PTLs) and
    photochromic crosslinkers (PXs), and in each class ion channel functionality is
    controlled through reversible changes in photochrome structure. By acting as light-dependent
    ion channel agonists, antagonist or modulators, photochromic controllers effectively
    converted a wide range of ion channels, including voltage-gated ion channels,
    'leak channels', tri-, tetra- and pentameric ligand-gated ion channels, and temperaturesensitive
    ion channels, into man-made photoreceptors. Control by photochromes can be reversible,
    unlike in the case of 'caged' compounds, and non-invasive with high spatial precision,
    unlike pharmacology and electrical manipulation. Here, we introduce design principles
    of emerging photochromic molecules that act on ion channels and discuss the impact
    that these molecules are beginning to have on ion channel biophysics and neuronal
    physiology.
author:
- first_name: Catherine
  full_name: Mckenzie, Catherine
  id: 3EEDE19A-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
  last_name: Mckenzie
- first_name: Inmaculada
  full_name: Sanchez Romero, Inmaculada
  id: 3D9C5D30-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
  last_name: Sanchez Romero
- first_name: Harald L
  full_name: Janovjak, Harald L
  id: 33BA6C30-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
  last_name: Janovjak
  orcid: 0000-0002-8023-9315
citation:
  ama: 'Mckenzie C, Sanchez-Romero I, Janovjak HL. Flipping the photoswitch: Ion channels
    under light control. In: <i>Novel Chemical Tools to Study Ion Channel Biology</i>.
    Vol 869. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology. Springer; 2015:101-117.
    doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-2845-3_6">10.1007/978-1-4939-2845-3_6</a>'
  apa: 'Mckenzie, C., Sanchez-Romero, I., &#38; Janovjak, H. L. (2015). Flipping the
    photoswitch: Ion channels under light control. In <i>Novel chemical tools to study
    ion channel biology</i> (Vol. 869, pp. 101–117). Springer. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-2845-3_6">https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-2845-3_6</a>'
  chicago: 'Mckenzie, Catherine, Inmaculada Sanchez-Romero, and Harald L Janovjak.
    “Flipping the Photoswitch: Ion Channels under Light Control.” In <i>Novel Chemical
    Tools to Study Ion Channel Biology</i>, 869:101–17. Advances in Experimental Medicine
    and Biology. Springer, 2015. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-2845-3_6">https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-2845-3_6</a>.'
  ieee: 'C. Mckenzie, I. Sanchez-Romero, and H. L. Janovjak, “Flipping the photoswitch:
    Ion channels under light control,” in <i>Novel chemical tools to study ion channel
    biology</i>, vol. 869, Springer, 2015, pp. 101–117.'
  ista: 'Mckenzie C, Sanchez-Romero I, Janovjak HL. 2015.Flipping the photoswitch:
    Ion channels under light control. In: Novel chemical tools to study ion channel
    biology. vol. 869, 101–117.'
  mla: 'Mckenzie, Catherine, et al. “Flipping the Photoswitch: Ion Channels under
    Light Control.” <i>Novel Chemical Tools to Study Ion Channel Biology</i>, vol.
    869, Springer, 2015, pp. 101–17, doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-2845-3_6">10.1007/978-1-4939-2845-3_6</a>.'
  short: C. Mckenzie, I. Sanchez-Romero, H.L. Janovjak, in:, Novel Chemical Tools
    to Study Ion Channel Biology, Springer, 2015, pp. 101–117.
date_created: 2018-12-11T11:52:39Z
date_published: 2015-09-18T00:00:00Z
date_updated: 2021-01-12T06:51:32Z
day: '18'
ddc:
- '571'
- '576'
department:
- _id: HaJa
doi: 10.1007/978-1-4939-2845-3_6
file:
- access_level: open_access
  checksum: bd1bfdf2423a0c3b6e7cabfa8b44bc0f
  content_type: application/pdf
  creator: system
  date_created: 2018-12-12T10:11:02Z
  date_updated: 2020-07-14T12:45:01Z
  file_id: '4854'
  file_name: IST-2017-839-v1+1_mckenzie.pdf
  file_size: 1919655
  relation: main_file
file_date_updated: 2020-07-14T12:45:01Z
has_accepted_license: '1'
intvolume: '       869'
language:
- iso: eng
month: '09'
oa: 1
oa_version: Submitted Version
page: 101 - 117
publication: Novel chemical tools to study ion channel biology
publication_identifier:
  isbn:
  - 978-1-4939-2844-6
publication_status: published
publisher: Springer
publist_id: '5622'
pubrep_id: '839'
quality_controlled: '1'
scopus_import: 1
series_title: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology
status: public
title: 'Flipping the photoswitch: Ion channels under light control'
type: book_chapter
user_id: 2DF688A6-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
volume: 869
year: '2015'
...