Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 21, 2026

Construction of Cyclic Cell-Penetrating Peptides for Enhanced Penetration of Biological Barriers
Published on: September 19, 2022
Cell-penetrating peptides are excluded from the mitochondrial matrix
1MRC Dunn Human Nutrition Unit, Wellcome Trust/MRC Building, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 2XY, UK. mfr@mrc-dunn.cam.ac.uk
Abstract:
CPPs (cell-penetrating peptides) facilitate cellular uptake of covalently attached macromolecules, through an as yet controversial mechanism that either involves direct membrane passage or a type of endocytosis. We investigated the potential of the CPPs penetratin and Tat to act as mitochondria-targeting vectors by testing whether they were internalized by isolated mitochondria, and by mitochondria within cells in culture. We also tested peptides conjugated to the mitochondria-targeting moiety triphenylphosphonium. We found no evidence for mitochondrial uptake by penetratin, Tat or their triphenylphosphonium conjugates. This result suggests that CPPs are unsuitable as mitochondria-targeting vectors, and implies an endocytic mode of cellular uptake for CPPs.
Related Concept Videos
Translocation of Proteins into the Mitochondria
Sorting of outer membrane proteins:
Mitochondrial outer membrane proteins are of two types: the transmembrane, beta-barrel porins, and the membrane-anchored, alpha-helical proteins. Beta-barrel porin precursors are translocated by the TOM complex and inserted into the outer mitochondrial membrane by the SAM complex. In contrast,...
Mitochondrial Precursor Proteins
Most of the mitochondrial precursors...
Protein Transport into the Inner Mitochondrial Membrane
Transport of mitochondrial precursors across the TIM23 channel is driven by...
Mitochondrial Protein Sorting
Most of these mitochondrial proteins are encoded by the nucleus and imported to the mitochondria as unfolded or loosely folded precursors. Mitochondrial precursors...
Energy to Drive Translocation
Generally, polypeptides are unfolded by two distinct...
Structure of Porins

