title: Protein delivery into live cells by incubation with an endosomolytic agent.
abstract: We report that a tetramethylrhodamine-labeled dimer of the cell-penetrating peptide TAT, dfTAT, penetrates live cells by escaping from endosomes with high efficiency. By mediating endosomal leakage, dfTAT also delivers proteins into cultured cells after a simple co-incubation procedure. We achieved cytosolic delivery in several cell lines and primary cells and observed that only a relatively small amount of material remained trapped inside endosomes. Delivery did not require a binding interaction between dfTAT and a protein, multiple molecules could be delivered simultaneously, and delivery could be repeated. dfTAT-mediated delivery did not noticeably affect cell viability, cell proliferation or gene expression. dfTAT-based intracellular delivery should be useful for cell-based assays, cellular imaging applications and the ex vivo manipulation of cells.
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA. [2].
authors.forename: Alfredo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Erazo-Oliveras
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA. [2].
authors.forename: Kristina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Najjar
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: Laila
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dayani
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: Ting-Yi
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: Gregory A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: Jean-Philippe
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Pellois
mesh_terms: D049109:Cell Proliferation; D011992:Endosomes / Q000378:metabolism*; D011506:Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D011506:Proteins