Template:Team:KULeuven/Components/Blue Light Receptor

The receptor senses the blue light to which the bacteria are exposed. By choosing the light intensity, the wanted vanillin concentration is set. Upon photo-excitation the receptorprotein YcgF dimerizes and interacts directly with the repressor YcgE. This protein is bound to the promoter-region of the key-gene and inhibits its transcription. The dimerized YcgF acts as an anti-repressor and releases YcgE from the DNA. Thereupon, the transcribed key activates vanillin production, which is proportional to the entered intensity of the blue light.