Organelle-Specific, Rapid Induction of Molecular Activities and Membrane Tethering

Using a series of novel chemically-inducible dimerization probes, we generated a system in which proteins were rapidly targeted to individual intracellular organelles. We demonstrated that a Ras GTPase can be activated at distinct intracellular locations and that membranes from two organelles, ER and mitochondria, can be inducibly tethered. Innovative techniques to rapidly perturb molecular activities and organelle-organelle communications at precise locations and timing will provide powerful strategies to dissect spatio-temporally complex biological processes.