Fig. 2: A pre-miR21-aptamer chimera enables light-control of gene expression.

a Schematic representation of the pre-miR21 variants and corresponding controls. Blue boxes: aptamer domain, orange boxes: miR21 domain, gray boxes: aptamer point mutant or control miR. b Luciferase expression after transfection of the indicated pre-miR21 variants. Values are normalized to SHD incubated in darkness. c Fold changes calculated from light vs. dark conditions from (b). d Number of cells expressing eGFP after transfection of the indicated pre-miR21 variants. Values are normalized to SHD incubated in darkness. e, Fold changes calculated from light vs. dark conditions from (d). f Number of cells expressing eGFP in the presence of elevated levels of AGO2 and after transfection of the indicated pre-miR21 variants. Values are normalized to SHD incubated in darkness. g Fold changes calculated from light vs. dark conditions from (f). N = 6 (b, d), 8 (f), 12 (c, e) or 16 (g). b–g Each biologically independent experiment was performed in duplicates. b, d, f Gray bars: light conditions, black bars: dark conditions. c, e, g Dark gray bars: fold changes. b–f Wilcoxon two-sided signed-rank test was used for statistical analysis as a paired observation was assumed. h Illumination protocol applied in (i) and (j). i Luciferase expression level of cells expressing SHA or SHC. Shown are normalized values to SHC in darkness. j Fold changes calculated from light vs. dark conditions from (i). k Illumination protocol applied in (l) and (m). l Expression level of luciferase of cells expressing SHA or SHC. Shown are normalized values to SHC in darkness. m Fold changes calculated from light vs. dark conditions from (l). b–m Values are means ± s. d. N = 8 (i, l) or 16 (j, m). Each biologically independent culture was performed in duplicates. j–m Two-sided Mann–Whitney U test was used for statistical analysis as an unpaired observation was assumed. n Spatial patterning of eGFP expression after transfection with SHA (top panel) or SHB (middle panel). Irradiation was done on cells covered with a photomask (bottom panel); white bars: 1000 µm. Source data for (b–g, i, j, l, m) are provided as a source data file.