Template:Team:KULeuven/Components/Blue Light Receptor

From 2009.igem.org

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.