It has become clear that biological processes are highly dynamic and heterogeneous within and among cells. Conventional analytical tools and chemical or genetic manipulations are unsuitable for dissecting the role of their spatiotemporally dynamic nature. Recently, optical control of biomolecular signaling, a technology called “optogenetics,” has gained much attention. The technique has enabled spatial and temporal regulation of specific signaling pathways both in vitro and in vivo. This review presents strategies for optogenetic systems development and application for biological research. Combinations with other technologies and future perspectives are also discussed herein. Although many optogenetic approaches are designed to modulate ion channel conductivity, we mainly examine systems that target other biomolecular reactions such as gene expression, protein translocations, and kinase or receptor signaling pathways.

已经清楚的是，生物过程在细胞内和细胞间是高度动态的和异质的。传统的分析工具和化学或遗传操作不适合剖析其时空动态性质的作用。最近，称为“光遗传学”的生物分子信号的光学控制引起了广泛关注。该技术已实现了体内和体外特定信号通路的时空调节。这篇综述介绍了光遗传学系统开发和生物学研究应用的策略。本文还讨论了与其他技术和未来观点的结合。尽管设计了许多光遗传学方法来调节离子通道的电导率，但我们主要检查针对其他生物分子反应的系统，例如基因表达，蛋白质易位以及激酶或受体信号通路。