Efficient cellular uptake of recombinant murine Hoxc8 homeoprotein in COS-7 cells

Life Sci. 2006 Nov 17;79(25):2345-8. doi: 10.1016/j.lfs.2006.07.039. Epub 2006 Aug 9.

Abstract

In order to analyze the self-delivery activity of Hoxc8, recombinant Hoxc8 protein (rHoxc8) was designed to be expressed and purified in E. coli as a glutathione S-transferase and green fluorescent protein-fused form (GST-GFP-Hoxc8). After purification using glutathione sepharose beads, the 82 kDa fusion protein was separated on the SDS-PAGE gel and confirmed by detecting the fluorescence through luminescent image analyzer. When rHoxc8 was added to culture media for 30 h, most of the COS-7 cells contained the fusion proteins, showing green fluorescence under the fluorescent microscope. When the efficiency of cellular uptake was examined after Hoechst staining, almost 100% of the cells exhibited the GFP signal, revealing that rHoxc8 can traverse the cellular membrane of COS-7 cells efficiently, suggesting that the rHoxc8 could be applied in the development of efficient and useful delivery vectors for therapeutic molecules.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • COS Cells / metabolism
  • Chlorocebus aethiops
  • Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel
  • Escherichia coli / genetics
  • Escherichia coli / metabolism
  • Fluorescence
  • Glutathione Transferase / genetics
  • Glutathione Transferase / metabolism
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / genetics
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / metabolism
  • Homeodomain Proteins / genetics
  • Homeodomain Proteins / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / genetics
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / metabolism*
  • Transduction, Genetic

Substances

  • Homeodomain Proteins
  • Hoxc8 protein, mouse
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • enhanced green fluorescent protein
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins
  • Glutathione Transferase