Caging and uncaging of biological signalling molecules

http://www.prairie-technologies.com/resources/techniques/photochemistry.html

Photolabile “caged” compounds are biological signaling inactive molecules with a photoactivatable group. When these compounds absorb photon(s), the caged group can be cleaved and the active biological signaling molecule is released at the site of action. The photochemical reaction can be very fast, with release of the active species often complete within less than a millisecond.

Caged substances range from ions, second messengers and amino acids to fluorescent dyes. A wide range of bioactive molecules such as second messengers or neurotransmitters are now available with conjugated caging groups. These caging groups render the molecule inert until the cage is opened by photolysis. Using this technique it is possible to precisely control in space and time the application of an experimentally applied signal molecule. This technique is providing new avenues of understanding into neurological disorders and drug delivery methods.

uncage = release

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16278654