image: Synthetic phototransduction cascade. Blue light changes the conformation of melanopsin, which sequentially activates the enzymes PLC and PKC. This triggers the influx of calcium ions by activating the "TCRP" ion channels. Calcium ions may also come from intracellular storage organelles, such as the endoplasmic reticulum. The calcium ion surge is linked to the signaling pathway of the transcription factor called NFAT, via the calcium sensor protein calmodulin. As the signaling cascade procedes, NFAT is imported into the nucleus, where it binds to specific promoters and cooperates with resident transcription factors to induce the expression of specific transgenes. This image relates to an article that appeared in the June 24, 2011, issue of Science, published by AAAS. The study, by Haifeng Ye at Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (ETH) Zurich in Basel, Switzerland, and colleagues was titled, "A Synthetic Optogenetic Transcription Device Enhances Blood-Glucose Homeostasis in Mice." view more
Credit: [Image courtesy of <i>Science</i>/AAAS]