A novel cell-penetrating peptide derived from human eosinophil cationic protein

Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) are short peptides which can carry various types of molecules into cells; however, although most CPPs rapidly penetrate cells in vitro, their in vivo tissue-targeting specificities are low. Herein, we describe cell-binding, internalization, and targeting characteristics of a newly identified 10-residue CPP, denoted ECP(32-41), derived from the core heparin-binding motif of human eosinophil cationic protein (ECP). Besides traditional emphasis on positively charged residues, the presence of cysteine and tryptophan residues was demonstrated to be essential for internalization. ECP(32-41) entered Beas-2B and wild-type CHO-K1 cells, but not CHO cells lacking of cell-surface glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), indicating that binding of ECP(32-41) to cell-surface GAGs was required for internalization. When cells were cultured with GAGs or pre-treated with GAG-digesting enzymes, significant decreases in ECP(32-41) internalization were observed, suggesting that cell-surface GAGs, especially heparan sulfate proteoglycans were necessary for ECP(32-41) attachment and penetration. Furthermore, treatment with pharmacological agents identified two forms of energy-dependent endocytosis, lipid-raft endocytosis and macropinocytosis, as the major ECP(32-41) internalization routes. ECP(32-41) was demonstrated to transport various cargoes including fluorescent chemical, fluorescent protein, and peptidomimetic drug into cultured Beas-2B cells in vitro, and targeted broncho-epithelial and intestinal villi tissues in vivo. Hence this CPP has the potential to serve as a novel vehicle for intracellular delivery of biomolecules or medicines, especially for the treatment of pulmonary or gastrointestinal diseases.