A biological transporter for the delivery of peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) to the nuclear compartment of living cells.
To facilitate nuclear delivery of biomolecules we describe the synthesis of a modular transporter bearing a cellular membrane transport peptide (pAntp) and, as a cargo, a 16-mer peptide nucleic acid (PNA) covalently linked to a nuclear localisation signal (NLS[SV40-T]). Transport peptide and PNA are connected via N-terminal activated cysteine to form cleavable disulphide bonds. Internalization and subsequent delivery of PNA to the nucleus was verified in living and fixed cells by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS). Double-labelling experiments indicate the cytoplasmic cleavage of the two modules and the effective nuclear import of the chromophore-tagged cargo. A non-degradable linker between transport module and cargo as well as a construct without NLS did not enable nuclear PNA import under the described experimental conditions. FCS-measurements revealed that most of the PNAs delivered into the cytoplasm by the modular transporter are anchored or encapsulated, indicating that intracellular transport of these compounds is not governed by molecular diffusion. Our results clearly demonstrate efficient compartment-directed transport using a synthetic, non-toxic modular transporter in living cells.
Braun
Klaus
K
Division of Radiooncology, Klinische Kooperationseinheit Strahlentherapeutische Onkologie, Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
Peschke
Peter
P
Pipkorn
Rüdiger
R
Lampel
Stefan
S
Wachsmuth
Malte
M
Waldeck
Waldemar
W
Friedrich
Eckhard
E
Debus
Jürgen
J
D021581:Active Transport, Cell Nucleus; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000952:Antigens, Polyomavirus Transforming / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D001483:Base Sequence; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D019913:Nuclear Localization Signals / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D020135:Peptide Nucleic Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D000952:Antigens, Polyomavirus Transforming; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D019913:Nuclear Localization Signals; D020135:Peptide Nucleic Acids