Reversible Photoswitchable Inhibitors Generate Ultrasensitivity in Out-of-Equilibrium Enzymatic Reactions
Michael Teders, Aleksandr A. Pogodaev, Glenn Bojanov, Wilhelm T. S. Huck
Abstract
) for the different photoisomers. A microfluidic flow setup was used to study enzymatic reactions under out-of-equilibrium conditions by continuous addition and removal of reagents. Upon irradiation of the continuously stirred tank reactor with different light pulse sequences, i.e., varying the pulse duration or frequency of UV and blue light irradiation, reversible switching between photoisomers resulted in ultrasensitive responses in enzymatic activity as well as frequency filtering of input signals. This general and modular strategy enables reversible and tunable control over the kinetic rates of individual enzyme-catalyzed reactions and makes a programmable linkage of enzymes to a wide range of network topologies feasible.