Abstract
There are now several cationic peptide carriers that efficiently import plasmids and oligonucleotides into cells. As a result, we anticipate that cationic peptides will play an increasingly important role with in vitro and in vivo gene delivery systems. Cationic peptides usually bind through ionic interactions to the negatively charged phosphate backbone of DNA, although additional noncovalent bonds may stabilize the interaction between the polymer and DNA (Fig. 1). Alternatively, cationic peptides may be covalently conjugated to DNA to promote entry into the cell. Regardless of the type of linkage between the peptide and DNA, peptide-mediated delivery can be characterized by the pathway of entry into cells: endosomolytic (1-5) or membrane-penetrating (6-9). Endosomolytic peptides enter cells through endocytosis, whereas membrane-penetrating peptides bypass the endocytotic pathway and may fuse directly with the cellular membranes. Although this chapter will discuss several methods for preparing peptide/DNA complexes, we will focus on the solid phase synthesis of peptides and the complexes that these peptides form with DNA.
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Zhang, L., Ambulos, N., Mixson, A. (2004). DNA Delivery to Cells in Culture Using Peptides. In: Heiser, W.C. (eds) Gene Delivery to Mammalian Cells. Methods in Molecular Biology™, vol 245. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1385/1-59259-649-5:33
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1385/1-59259-649-5:33
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