A group of Korean researchers have succeeded in developing a new technology to remotely control “FGFR1 (fibroblast growth factor receptor 1)” intracellular signaling by illumination with blue light.

The research outcome was published online, June 26^th, in Chemistry & Biology, which is the sister journal of Cell. In addition, it was selected to appear on the cover of the journal’s July issue and also introduced in the preview section. The article was recommended by the Faculty 1000 Biology.

This research outcome is a ground-breaking discovery because researchers have developed the new technology to control cell migration and polarity by using light only, without the assistance of any chemical treatment. Consequently, this newly-developed technology is expected to have a significant impact on future research regarding blood vessel development and cancer metastasis.

Researchers have announced that they can freely control FGFR1 signaling by applying different levels of frequency, duration, intensity, etc. of light illumination.

They engineered a new type of receptor by attaching light-inducible proteins to FGFR1, and named this new receptor “OptoFGFR1”.

They have found that they can control major biological phenomenon, such as cell polarity and migration, by regulating FGFR1 signaling with light only and without the aid of any chemical treatment. They have also discovered that this whole process can be done simply by switching light on and off.

Moreover, they have verified that when continuously applying light illumination to a particular area, they can induce directed cell migration towards the illuminated area. This is similar to phototaxis, which is the directed movement of organisms in response to a stimulus of light.

Professor Won Do Heo has been currently taking the lead in developing novel optogenetic tools and related researches. He has published a series of papers in the world’s most prominent science journals within the field of optogenetics, including publications in Nature Methods, Nature Communications and Chemistry & Biology in June alone.

Notes for editors

-         References
Nury Kim, Jin Man Kim, Minji Lee, Cha Yeon Kim, Ki-Young Chang, and Won Do Heo (2014). Spatiotemporal Control of Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor Signals by Blue Light. Chemistry & Biology 21(7): 903-912.
(http://www.cell.com/chemistry-biology/abstract/S1074-5521(14)00183-5)

-         To speak with Prof. Won Do Heo, please contact: Ms. Na Eun Lee, IBS Center for Cognition and Sociality (+82-42-350-5642; nelee@ibs.re.kr) or Mr. Han Bin Oh, Overseas Public Relations Officer, IBS Public Relations Team (+82-42-878-8182; ohanvin@ibs.re.kr)

-         To speak with Dr. Nury Kim, please contact directly to him (+82-42-350-5642; tesdar@ibs.re.kr)

-         This research was conducted by the Bio-imaging Research Group, led by Won Do Heo, a group leader at the Center for Cognition and Sociality, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), as well as an associate professor at the Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST).

-         Institute for Basic Science (IBS) was founded in 2011 by the government of the Republic of Korea. With the sole purpose of driving forward the development of basic science in Korea, IBS will be comprised of a total of 50 research centers in all fields of basic science, including mathematics, physics, chemistry, life science, earth science and interdisciplinary science. IBS has launched 21 research centers as of September 2014.