Surface decorated gold nanoparticles by linear and cyclic peptides as molecular transporters

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were synthesized in situ in a green and rapid method from the reaction of reducing linear and cyclic peptides containing tryptophan and lysine residues, (KW)5 and cyclic [KW]5, with an aqueous solution of HAuCl4 and were evaluated as cellular nanodrug delivery systems. The cyclic or linear nature of the peptide was found to determine the morphology and size of the formed peptide-AuNPs and their in vitro molecular transporting efficiency. While cyclic [KW]5-AuNPs formed sponge-like agglomerates, linear (KW)5-AuNPs demonstrated ball-shaped structures. A comparative flow cytometry study showed that the cellular uptake of fluorescence-labeled anti-HIV drugs (emtricitabine (FTC) and lamivudine (3TC)) in human leukemia (CCRF-CEM) cells, and a negatively charged cell-impermeable phosphopeptide (GpYEEI) in human ovarian adecarcinoma (SK-OV-3) cells was significantly higher in the presence of cyclic [KW]5-AuNPs than that of linear (KW)5-AuNPs, parent cyclic [KW]5, and linear (KW)5 peptides. For example, the cellular uptake of F'-GpYEEI was enhanced 12.8-fold by c[KW]5-AuNPs. Confocal microscopy revealed the localization of fluorescence-labeled-3TC in the presence of c[KW]5-AuNPs mostly in nucleus in SK-OV-3 cells after 1 h. On the other hand, l(KW)5-AuNPs delivered fluorescence-labeled-3TC in cytoplasm. These data suggest that noncell penetrating peptides can be converted to efficient molecular transporters through peptide-capped AuNPs formation.