Luciferase‐Induced Photouncaging: Bioluminolysis

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Abstract
Bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) has been widely used for studying dynamic processes in biological systems such as protein–protein interactions and other signaling events. Aside from acting as a reporter, BRET can also turn on functions in living systems. Herein, we report the application of BRET to performing a biorthogonal reaction in living cells; namely, releasing functional molecules through energy transfer to a coumarin molecule, a process termed bioluminolysis. An efficient BRET from Nanoluc‐Halotag chimera protein (H‐Luc) to a coumarin substrate yields the excited state of coumarin, which in turn triggers hydrolysis to uncage a target molecule. Compared to the conventional methods, this novel uncaging system requires no external light source and shows fast kinetics (t1/2<2 min). We applied this BRET uncaging system to release a potent kinase inhibitor, ibrutinib, in living cells, highlighting its broad utility in controlling the supply of bioactive small molecules in vivo.
Funding Information
  • Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung (200020_169141)

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