Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods for detecting extracellular ligands and/or inducing expression of an exogenous or endogenous gene. The disclosed systems and methods typically include and/or utilize (i) first and second exogenous extracellular sensors, and third and fourth exogenous extracellular sensors; and (ii) an expression vector comprising a target gene operably linked to a hybrid promoter sequence. The hybrid promoter sequence of the expression vector includes a minimal promoter for inducing transcription and the hybrid promoter sequence further includes interspaced transcription regulator binding sites upstream of the minimal promoter that bind two or more transcription regulators of the extracellular sensors that are released from the extracellular sensors when the extracellular sensor bind an extracellular ligand.

Abstract: The present invention provides modular extracellular sensors, nucleic acids encoding such sensors, and cells expressing such sensors, and methods of employing such sensors and cells for detecting extracellular ligands. In certain embodiments, the extracellular sensors comprise a ligand binding domain, a transmembrane domain, a protease domain, a protease cleavage site, and a transcription factor. In other embodiments, a pair of extracellular receptors is provided where both receptors contain a ligand binding domain and transmembrane domain, and one receptor contains a protease cleavage site and a transcription factor and the other receptor contains a protease domain.

Abstract: The present invention provides modular extracellular sensors, nucleic acids encoding such sensors, and cells expressing such sensors, and methods of employing such sensors and cells for detecting extracellular ligands. In certain embodiments, the extracellular sensors comprise a ligand binding domain, a transmembrane domain, a protease domain, a protease cleavage site, and a transcription factor. In other embodiments, a pair of extracellular receptors is provided where both receptors contain a ligand binding domain and transmembrane domain, and one receptor contains a protease cleavage site and a transcription factor and the other receptor contains a protease domain.