Life starts in a solitary cell which continues to expand and transform continually. A cell moves, multiplies, and re-forms itself in response to imperceptible stimuli. MIT researchers have found the way to control such movement using light. They worked with starfish egg cells, an organism which has been commonly utilized in the study of cell development.
Light.-driven cell mobility
The scientists examined an enzyme that regulates cell mobility. They made it sensitive to light and injected it into egg cells. Under exposure to some light patterns, the enzyme activated, making the cells jitter, compress, and contract in a predictable manner.
Scientists were able to manipulate cells by changing the location of the light. With this technique, they were able to stretch cells from round to squares. Their results, reported in Nature Physics, introduce a new method of cell growth control. This can result in artificial cells that heal wounds or release drugs upon stimulation with light.
Understanding cellular mechanics
The senior author of the study, MIT physicist Nikta Fakhri, states that the finding illuminates the way cells organize themselves. Her lab researches how cells create and maintain symmetry. Starfish, with their five-armed bodies, is a perfect model organism on which to conduct such research.
The key to this research is an enzyme called GEF that turns on another protein called Rho. When turned on, Rho becomes bound to the cell membrane, which activates small muscle-like fibers. The fibers allow cells to contract and move.
Scientists in earlier research found that raising the concentration of GEF made cells contract more frequently. This encouraged scientists to try to find out if and how they could control movement with precision using light. Creating Programmable Cells
Creating programmable cells
The researchers used optogenetics, a technique where biological components respond to light. They created a light-sensitive version of GEF and injected it into starfish egg cells. After it is inside the cells, the cells naturally produce the enzyme.
They controlled the enzyme's activation by illuminating light at different places. This enabled them to control the cell's form and mobility. In several cases, a little light stimulus caused a considerable contraction, demonstrating the excitability of this cellular mechanism.
The scientists built a theoretical model for cell prediction of light response. They anticipate that the discovery will be used to create synthetic cells for medicine. Potential applications in the future can be in the form of light-activated repair patches or drug-releasing cells.
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