ABSTRACT
Synthetic optogenetics is a powerful technique for the control and study of native neuronal ion channels and receptors, in vitro and in vivo, with the use of light. Synthetic Photoisomerizable Azobenzene-Regulated K+- channel emerged at a time when molecular structures of ion channels and membrane proteins were becoming more and more available. A new addition to the PhotoTethered Ligand family of photoswitches consists of Targeted Covalent Photoswitches. Photoswitches can undergo changes in geometry, interconversions from open-to-closed states, changes in polarity, changes in charge distribution, etc. Choosing the right pharmacophore often benefits from exploring traditional pharmacology with its rich repertoire of compounds with extensive characterizations, some in clinical use, with analogous structures to photoswitchable cores, and, importantly, many commercially available. Aside pharmacophores, photoswitches can also include tethering moieties as the active headgroups. An emerging class of photoswitches specific for mGluRs involves allosteric compounds.
