The precise spatiotemporal dynamics of protein activity remain poorly understood, yet they can be critical in determining cell behaviour. A genetically encoded, photoactivatable version of the protein Rac1, a key GTPase regulating actin cytoskeletal dynamics, has now been produced; this approach enables the manipulation of the activity of Rac1 at precise times and places within a living cell, thus controlling motility.
- Yi I. Wu
- Daniel Frey
- Klaus M. Hahn