BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: Cell-penetrating peptides, a class of small cationic peptides, could mediate macromolecules transduction into many cell lines. This study was to explore the penetrating ability of PEP-1 in the transduction of enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) into human colorectal cancer cell line SW480. METHODS: Two prokaryotic expression plasmids pET15b-EGFP and pET15b-PEP-1-EGFP were constructed and transformed into E.coli BL21 (DE3) to express EGFP and fusion protein PEP-1-EGFP, respectively. Purified EGFP and PEP-1-EGFP were incubated with SW480 cells. The expression of EGFP in SW480 cells was observed under inverted fluorescent microscope. RESULTS: EGFP could not be transduced into SW480 cells, whereas PEP-1-EGFP fusion protein could be transduced into SW480 cells and distributed in cytoplasm and nuclei after 1-hour incubation. CONCLUSION: Mediated by PEP-1, EGFP could be transduced efficiently into SW480 cells.
BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: Cell-penetrating peptides, a class of small cationic peptides, could mediate macromolecules transduction into many cell lines. This study was to explore the penetrating ability of PEP-1 in the transduction of enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) into humancolorectal cancer cell line SW480. METHODS: Two prokaryotic expression plasmids pET15b-EGFP and pET15b-PEP-1-EGFP were constructed and transformed into E.coli BL21 (DE3) to express EGFP and fusion protein PEP-1-EGFP, respectively. Purified EGFP and PEP-1-EGFP were incubated with SW480 cells. The expression of EGFP in SW480 cells was observed under inverted fluorescent microscope. RESULTS: EGFP could not be transduced into SW480 cells, whereas PEP-1-EGFP fusion protein could be transduced into SW480 cells and distributed in cytoplasm and nuclei after 1-hour incubation. CONCLUSION: Mediated by PEP-1, EGFP could be transduced efficiently into SW480 cells.