Some embodiments of the methods and compositions provided herein relate to systems comprising a promoter operably linked to a nucleic acid encoding a receptor, and an inducible promoter operably linked to a nucleic acid encoding a payload. In some embodiments, transcription from the inducible promoter is induced by activation of the receptor. In some embodiments, transcription from the inducible promoter is further modulated by inhibiting a signal between the activated receptor and the inducible promoter.