title: Peptide-mediated delivery of green fluorescent protein into yeasts and bacteria.
abstract: Stringent microbial cell barriers limit the application of many substances in research and therapeutics. Carrier peptides that penetrate or translocate across cell membranes may help overcome this problem. To assess peptide-mediated delivery into two yeast and three bacterial species, a range of cell penetrating and signal peptide sequences were fused to green fluorescent protein (GFP), expressed in Escherichia coli, partially purified and incubated with growing cells. Fluorescence microscopy indicated several peptides that mediated delivery. In particular, VLTNENPFSDP efficiently delivered GFP into Candida albicans and Staphylococcus aureus, while YKKSNNPFSD was most efficient for Bacillus subtilis and CFFKDEL for Escherichia coli. Carrier peptides may improve delivery of certain large molecular mass molecules into microorganisms for research and therapeutic applications.
authors.affiliation: Center for Genomics and Bioinformatics, Karolinska Institutet, Berzelius väg 35, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Gunaratna Kuttuva
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Rajarao
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nekhotiaeva
authors.forename: Liam
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Good
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001419:Bacteria / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D001483:Base Sequence; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008164:Luminescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D021382:Protein Sorting Signals / Q000235:genetics*; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D008164:Luminescent Proteins; D021382:Protein Sorting Signals; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins