The protein truncation caused by fusion of PEP-1 peptide and protective roles of transduced PEP-1-MsrA in skin cells.

Tae-Hyung Lee, Seung Hee Choi, Hwa-Young Kim

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Yeungnam University College of Medicine, Daegu 705-717, Korea.

BMB reports 2011 Apr

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PEP-1 peptide has been used for transduction of native protein into mammalian cells. This work describes the findings that the fusion of PEP-1 to target proteins led to protein truncation likely in a non-protein-specific manner. Approximately 75% of PEP-1-MsrA fusion protein was truncated in the N-terminal region of MsrA between Lys-27 and Val-28 during expression in Escherichia coli and purification. This large protein truncation was also observed in another PEP-1 fused protein, PEP-1- MsrB2, in the N-terminal region of MsrB2. The full-length PEP-1-MsrA protein was rapidly transduced into keratinocyte cells within 15 min. The transduced PEP-1-MsrA was functionally active and could protect skin cells against oxidative stress-and ultraviolet radiation-induced cell death. Collectively, our data demonstrated the protective roles of MsrA in skin cells and, moreover, may raise a concern of protein truncation caused by fusion of PEP-1 about the general use of this peptide for protein transduction.

Citation

Tae-Hyung Lee, Seung Hee Choi, Hwa-Young Kim. The protein truncation caused by fusion of PEP-1 peptide and protective roles of transduced PEP-1-MsrA in skin cells. BMB reports. 2011 Apr;44(4):256-61