A photoswitchable CENP-E inhibitor with single blue-green light to control chromosome positioning in mitotic cells

Reversibly photoswitchable chemical tools have aided in the development of novel approaches in the biomedical field. The visible region of light should be ideal for the biological application of this approach because of its low phototoxicity and deep penetration depth compared to ultraviolet light. Herein, we report a photoswitchable centromere-associated protein E (CENP-E) inhibitor, which is controllable with low-energy blue-green light (around 500 nm) illumination. This photoswitchable tool enabled us to control CENP-E-driven chromosome movements and positioning at subcellular resolutions with low phototoxic effects. This study can contribute to the development of a unique technique for chromosome engineering. A photoswitchable centromere-associated protein E (CENP-E) inhibitor based on the 4-methylaminoazobenzene photoswitch is reported, which is characterized with cis-trans photoisomerization with blue-green light and fast thermal relaxation.