Growth factor- and adhesion protein-like components of fetal calf serum can significantly enhance the intracellular delivery of Peptide nucleic acids.

Evidence is presented that components of fetal calf serum (FCS) can significantly enhance the splicing correction activity of peptide nucleic acids (PNA) in HeLa pLuc 705 cells. The effect proved more pronounced for PNAs bearing fluorescence tags and relies on the ability of specific components of FCS to mediate a mainly nonendocytotic intracellular delivery of PNA. Attempts to isolate and characterize the active serum components using PNA-loaded beads and nano-LC-ESI mass spectrometry revealed the growth-factor related inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor and the adhesion protein fibronectin to be substantially responsible for the delivery activity of FCS.

Evidence for extensive non-endocytotic translocation of peptide nucleic acids across mammalian plasma membranes.

The ability of peptide nucleic acids (PNA) to enter and to cross filter-grown MDCK, HEK and CHO cells was studied by means of a protocol based on capillary electrophoresis combined with laser-induced fluorescence detection. The used approach avoided possible errors encountered in protocols based on confocal laserscanning microscopy and FACS analysis. In contradiction to the commonly anticipated unability of PNA to cross biomembranes, extensive translocation of unmodified PNA into and across the investigated cell types was found. The transport mode comprised a variety of energy dependent and -independent as well as temperature sensitive mechanisms being probably destined to natural substrates and hijacked by PNA. The presented results suggest active as well as passive export mechanisms rather than poor penetration into cells to be responsible for the only weak biological activity of unmodified PNA.

Fluorescence lifetime assays: current advances and applications in drug discovery.

INTRODUCTION: Fluorescence lifetime assays complement the portfolio of established assay formats available in drug discovery, particularly with the recent advances in microplate readers and the commercial availability of novel fluorescent labels. Fluorescence lifetime assists in lowering complexity of compound screening assays, affording a modular, toolbox-like approach to assay development and yielding robust homogeneous assays. AREAS COVERED: To date, materials and procedures have been reported for biochemical assays on proteases, as well as on protein kinases and phosphatases. This article gives an overview of two assay families, distinguished by the origin of the fluorescence signal modulation. EXPERT OPINION: The pharmaceutical industry demands techniques with a robust, integrated compound profiling process and short turnaround times. Fluorescence lifetime assays have already helped the drug discovery field, in this sense, by enhancing productivity during the hit-to-lead and lead optimization phases. Future work will focus on covering other biochemical molecular modifications by investigating the detailed photo-physical mechanisms underlying the fluorescence signal.

A fluorescence lifetime-based assay for abelson kinase.

We present a novel homogeneous in vitro assay format and apply it to the quantitative determination of the enzymatic activity of a tyrosine kinase. The assay employs a short peptidic substrate containing a single tyrosine and a single probe attached via a cysteine side chain. The structural flexibility of the peptide allows for the dynamic quenching of the probe by the nonphosphorylated tyrosine side chain. The probe responds with changes in its fluorescence lifetime depending on the phosphorylation state of the tyrosine. We use this effect to directly follow the enzymatic phosphorylation of the substrate, without having to resort to additional assay components such as an antibody against the phosphotyrosine. As an example for the application of this assay principle, we present results from the development of an assay for Abelson kinase (c-Abl) used for compound profiling. Adjustments in the peptide sequence would make this assay format suitable to a wide variety of other tyrosine kinases.

Cellular uptake and biological activity of peptide nucleic acids conjugated with peptides with and without cell-penetrating ability.

A 12-mer peptide nucleic acid (PNA) directed against the nociceptin/orphanin FQ receptor mRNA was disulfide bridged with various peptides without and with cell-penetrating features. The cellular uptake and the antisense activity of these conjugates were assessed in parallel. Quantitation of the internalized PNA was performed by using an approach based on capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence detection (CE-LIF). This approach enabled a selective assessment of the PNA moiety liberated from the conjugate in the reducing intracellular environment, thus avoiding bias of the results by surface adsorption. The biological activity of the conjugates was studied by an assay based on the downregulation of the nociceptin/orphanin FQ receptor in neonatal rat cardiomyocytes (CM). Comparable cellular uptake was found for all conjugates and for the naked PNA, irrespective of the cell-penetrating properties of the peptide components. All conjugates exhibited a comparable biological activity in the 100 nM range. The naked PNA also exhibited extensive antisense activity, which, however, proved about five times lower than that of the conjugates. The found results suggest cellular uptake and the bioactivity of PNA-peptide conjugates to be not primarily related to the cell-penetrating ability of their peptide components. Likewise from these results it can be inferred that the superior bioactivity of the PNA-peptide conjugates in comparison with that of naked PNA rely on as yet unknown factors rather than on higher membrane permeability. Several hints point to the resistance against cellular export and the aggregation propensity combined with the endocytosis rate to be candidates for such factors.

Synthesis of a chiral amino acid with bicyclo[1.1.1]pentane moiety and its incorporation into linear and cyclic antimicrobial peptides.

The synthesis of the lipophilic chiral amino acid 1 bearing the bicyclo[1.1.1]pentane moiety is described. Linear and cyclic hexapeptides of the type Arg-Arg-Xaa-Yaa-Arg-Phe containing 1 instead of one or two tryptophan residues are prepared by solid phase peptide synthesis and the antimicrobial and hemolytic activity of the peptides obtained are discussed.

Synthesis of biologically active peptide nucleic acid-peptide conjugates by sortase-mediated ligation.

Sortase A is a transpeptidase that cleaves at a pentapeptide-motif and subsequently transfers the acyl component to a nucleophile containing N-terminal oligoglycines. We investigate the reaction conditions of the sortase-mediated ligation and demonstrate a useful application by the synthesis of a peptide nucleic acid-cell-penetrating peptide chimera, the reaction equilibrium of which can be shifted in favor of the product by dialyzing out the low molecular weight byproduct. The synthesized conjugate exhibits dose-dependent antisense activity.

Structural requirements for cellular uptake and antisense activity of peptide nucleic acids conjugated with various peptides.

Peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) have shown great promise as potential antisense drugs; however, poor cellular delivery limits their applications. Improved delivery into mammalian cells and enhanced biological activity of PNAs have been achieved by coupling to cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs). Structural requirements for the shuttling ability of these peptides as well as structural properties of the conjugates such as the linker type and peptide position remained controversial, so far. In the present study an 18mer PNA targeted to the cryptic splice site of a mutated beta-globin intron 2, which had been inserted into a luciferase reporter gene coding sequence, was coupled to various peptides. As the peptide lead we used the cell-penetrating alpha-helical amphipathic peptide KLAL KLAL KAL KAAL KLA-NH2 [model amphipathic peptide (MAP)] which was varied with respect to charge and structure-forming properties. Furthermore, the linkage and the localization of the attached peptide (C- vs N-terminal) were modified. Positive charge as well as helicity and amphipathicity of the KLA peptide was all required for efficient dose-dependent correction of aberrant splicing. The highest antisense effect was reached within 4 h without any transfection agent. Stably linked conjugates were also efficient in correction of aberrant splicing, suggesting that a cleavable disulfide bond between CPP and PNA is clearly not essential. Moreover, the placement of the attached peptide turned out to be crucial for attaining antisense activity. Coadministration of endosome disrupting agents such as chloroquine or Ca2+ significantly increased the splicing correction efficiency of some conjugates, indicating the predominant portion to be sequestered in vesicular compartments.