P. Hegemann

Phototropin connects blue light perception to starch metabolism in green algae

The paper identifies a blue light signaling pathway in green algae that inhibits starch accumulation via PMSK1 dephosphorylation and GAP1 repression.

Robust Optogenetic Inhibition with Red-light-sensitive Anion-conducting Channelrhodopsins

The paper identifies and characterizes red-light-sensitive anion-conducting channelrhodopsins (ACRs) for optogenetic inhibition, showing improved temporal resolution in mouse neurons.

Calredoxin regulates the chloroplast NADPH-dependent thioredoxin reductase in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

The paper investigates the role of calredoxin (CRX) in regulating the chloroplast NADPH-dependent thioredoxin reductase (NTRC) in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, showing that CRX controls redox balance and photosynthesis efficiency.

A cytoplasmic protein kinase in Chlamydomonas couples engagement of ciliary receptors to rapid cellular responses

The paper identifies GSPK as a cytoplasmic kinase that rapidly converts ciliary receptor engagement into a global cellular response by triggering cAMP increase and cell fusion in Chlamydomonas.

Altered N-glycan composition impacts flagella mediated adhesion in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

This study shows that altered N-glycan composition in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii reduces flagella-mediated adhesion and surface binding.

Lateral gene transfer of anion-conducting channelrhodopsins between green algae and giant viruses

The paper identifies a new family of anion-conducting channelrhodopsins (ACRs) transferred from green algae to marine giant viruses, which function in light-induced behavioral responses.

MerMAIDs: A novel family of metagenomically discovered, marine, anion-conducting and intensely desensitizing channelrhodopsins.

The paper identifies a new family of marine anion-conducting channelrhodopsins (MerMAIDs) that rapidly desensitize under continuous light, enabling their use as optogenetic silencers.

A unifying photocycle model for light adaptation and temporal evolution of cation conductance in Channelrhodopsin-2

The paper develops a unifying photocycle model for ChR2 explaining light adaptation and ion conductance changes through parallel anti- and syn-photocycles.