Assays, Tools and Reagents made by the Zhou Lab are distributed through the followign venues: Addgene, Kerafast, Applied Biological Materials, CancerTools.org

Tools for optical monitoring and control of calcium/NFAT signaling

Tool names
Applications
Resources
Opto-CRAC v1
LOV2-STIM1 chimera for light-inducible activation of ORAI channels
eLife '15 Available at Addgene Also available at ABM
Opto-CRAC v2
CRY2/CIB-STIM1 chimeras as genetically-encoded calcium channel actuator for optical control of ORAI channels
LOCa
LOV2-ORAI1 chimera as a ligh-operated calcium channel
Nat Commun '21 Available at ABM
piCRAC
Azopyrazole-based photoswitchable CRAC channel inhibitor
YZ129
A small molecule targeting HSP70/CaN/NFAT for brain tumor killing
STIMATE
A STIM1-binindg partner that facilitates store operated calcium entry (SOCE)
STIM1beta PM-STIM
A tumor-promoting STIM1 splice variant; PM-resident STIM1/2 variants
FRET-based ER calcium sensors
STIM1-based FRET sensors to monitor ER Ca2+ depletion (Donor: STIM1-1-310-CFP; Acceptor: YFP-SOAR variants)
Nat Commun '15 Available at Addgene
NEMOb | NEMOc | NEMOf | NEMOs | NEMOm
mNeoGreen-based calcium indicators (GECIs) with high dynamics and sensitivity (>100-fold change); Five variants: bright, contrast, fast, sensitive, and medium
Nat Methods '23 Available at Addgene NEMOer series: ER-resdient, mitochondrial, or nuclear versions available upon request
OptoRGK
RGK engineered to switch off voltage gated calcium channel CaV by light
CRAB | optoCRAB | ChemoCRAB | VIP-CRAB
Genetically encoded CRAC channel blockers and light-, chemical, or protease-switchable variants
To be released
mRODEO
Protein-oscillator based molecular recorder
To be released
Thermo-CRAC | Thermo-CRAB
Engineered temperature-sensitive CRAC channel modulators; Thermosensitive STIM1/ORAI1/CRAB
To be released
CRACi
CRAC channel inhibitors; small molecules or cyclic peptides
To be released

Tools for immunomodulation and optogenetic immunotherapy

Tool names
Applications
Resources
LiCAR-T
Light-switchable chimeric antigen receptor for optogenetic CAR-T cell therapy
optoCAR-T
cpLOV2-based optogenetic CAR designed for photo-inducible activation CAR-T cells
LiSmore | optoSTING
CRY2-STING chimeras for light-inducible activation of STING mediated anti-tumor immunity
OptoMAVS
Light-inducible clustering of MAVS subdomain to photo-manipulate IRF3-mediated immune response
Li-MyD88
Light-inducible clustering of MyD88 to initiate TLR-independent NF-kb activation
VIP-STING
Chemical inducible STING clustering to control innate immunity
To be released
Thermogenetics
Thermo-sensitive immune signaling proteins to control host immunity with temperature
To be released
More ion channel engineering...

To be released

Tools for precise control of organelles and membrane contact sites (MCS)

Tool names
Applications
Resources
LiMETER v1
Light inducible assembly of membrane contact sites between ER and PM
LiMETER v2 | OptoPBer
CRY2/CIB-STIM1 chimeras for light-inducible activation of ORAI channels
OptoPB
LOV2-PB fusion for optical control of protein-phosphoinositide (PIP2/PIP3) interaction
Chem Sci '17 Available at Addgene
pNUT1
Single-component LOV2-based nucleolus-targeting tool
NAR '22 Available at Addgene
pNUT2
Optical contrtol of nucleolar delivery of cargo proteins
NAR '22Available at Addgene
pNUT3
Single-component CRY2-based nucleolus-targeting tool
NAR '22Available at Addgene
MoTag
A genetically-encoded tag for real-time detection of protein oligomeric state; microtubule-binders based
LiSODA
Light-inducible subcellular organelle delocalizatino and actuation tools
To be released
optoEE
Single-component light-inducible early endosome targeting tool
To be released
optoGolgi
Single-component light-inducible Golgi complex targeting tool
To be released
optoLE/LY
Single-component light-inducible late endosome or lysosome targeting tool
To be released
optoPEX
Single-component light-inducible peroxisome targeting tool
To be released
optoMT | OptoTIP | OptoCUT
A suite of optogenetic tools for light-inducible microtubule labeling, plus end tracking, and destabilizing
To be released
ChiACT
Chemogenetic tools to remodel actin cytoskeleton
To be released
More...

To be released

Modular tools for protein engineering and signaling rewiring

Tool names
Applications
Resources
cpLOV2
Circularly permuted LOV2 as a modular caging moiety and allosteric switch
cpLID
cpLOV2 paired with sspB as an optical dimerizer
cpRAPID
Circularly permuted rapamycin-inducible dimerization system
JMB '18 Available at Addgene
COSMO BiCOSMO-S
Caffeine-inducible dimerization systems
BiCOSMO-L
Engineered bivalent anti-caffeine nanobody as an allosteric swtich
PhoBIT
Photo-inducible binary interaction tool
To be released
LiPAD
Light-inducible protein association and dissociation devices
To be released
SAMBA
Salicylic acid or aspirin-controllable heterodimerizatino tool
To be released; under review
VIPoligo
Antiviral-inducible oligomerization tool
To be released
BioPAD
Vitamin-inducible protein association or dissociation device
To be released
LiVelcro | LOVoligo
LOV2-based oligomerization and heterodimerization tools
To be released

Chemo- or photo-switchable nanobody and monobody

Tool names
Applications
Resources
Sunbody
Light-switchable nanobody (ON-Switch)
Moonbody
Light-switchable monobody (OFF-switch)
Chessbody
Chemically switchable split nanobody
JMB '18 Available at Addgene
Caffebody
Single-component caffeine-switchable nanobody
To be released Available at Kerafast
Rapabody
Single-chain rapamycin-switchable nanobody
To be released Available at Kerafast
CaNb
Calcium-switchable nanobody
To be released
VIPbody
Protease-sensitive nanobody
To be released
Thermobody
Temperature-controlled intrabody
To be released
PepBody
Peptide-grafted nanobody
To be released

Wireless optogenetics solutions

Tool names
Applications
Resources
UCNP
NIR-to-blue upconversion nanoparticles for deeper tissue penetration
NanoLOGS
NanoLuc‐catalyzed bioluminescence‐based optogenetic stimulation system
Adv Sci '21Available at Addgene

Optical control of enzymes, pyroptosis and necroptosis

Tool names
Applications
Resources
LiPOP1
A single-component optogenetic tool for photoswitchable necroptosis
Adv Sci '21 Aavailable at Addgene
LiPOP2
Light-switchable induction of pyroptosis
Adv Sci '21Available at Addgene
optoID | ChemID
Light or chemical-inducible control of TurboID for photo-activatable biotinylation / proximity labeling

Tools for inducible transcriptional and epigenetic control

Tool names
Applications
Resources
LAMPS
A single-component optogenetic tool for photoswitchable necroptosis
Sci Adv '23 Aavailable at Addgene
CaRROT
Rewiring calcium signaling for CRISPR-mediated endogenous gene activation
CiDER
A splti TET2 enzyme for chemical inducible epigenetic remodeling

GPCR inspired molecular tools

Tool names
Applications
Resources
TRAPIT
Transmembrane Receptor-Aided Protein Degradation Tool
To be released
OPERAS
Orthogonal peptide-engaged receptor actuation system
To be released
SENTRYL
Synthetic ENgineered Transmembrane Receptor for Ligand-sensing
To be released
Contact : Zhou Lab / Texas A&M IBT/CTCR 2121 W Holcombe Blvd Houston, TX 77030
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