The strategic placement
of unnatural amino acids into the active
site of kinases and phosphatases has allowed for the generation of
photocaged signaling proteins that offer spatiotemporal control over
activation of these pathways through precise light exposure. However,
deploying this technology to study cell signaling in the context of
embryo development has been limited. The promise of optical control
is especially useful in the early stages of an embryo where development
is driven by tightly orchestrated signaling events. Here, we demonstrate
light-induced activation of Protein Kinase A and a RASopathy mutant
of NRAS in the zebrafish embryo using a new light-activated amino
acid. We applied this approach to gain insight into the roles of these
proteins in gastrulation and heart development and forge a path for
further investigation of RASopathy mutant proteins in animals.