PENETRATION AND INTRACELLULAR ROUTING OF NUCLEUS-DIRECTED PEPTIDE-BASED SHUTTLES (LOLIGOMERS) IN EUKARYOTIC CELLS

Loligomers are multitasking, peptide-based shuttles that are able to penetrate cells and self-localize into distinct cellular compartments. In particular, loligomer 4 incorporates internalization and nuclear import sequences as well as reporter groups. The intracellular routing of loligomer 4 was analyzed by microscopy and flow cytometry, to define and demonstrate localization events. Electron micrographs of CHO cells exposed to a biotinylated derivative of loligomer 4 as well as confocal images of CHO cells treated with rhodamine-labeled loligomer 4 indicate their presence in the cytosol, endocytic vesicles, and the nucleus of CHO cells. Loligomer 4 accumulates irreversibly inside cells. Uptake of loligomer 4 by six mammalian cell lines (Daudi, EL4, CHO, COS-7, VERO, and HeLa) was proven by flow cytometry, establishing the generality of the principle. Cells presented as monolayers typically were less able to endocytose the construct than cells grown in suspension. Cellular accumulation of loligomer 4 var...