Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 27, 2026
08:48
Peptide-derived Method to Transport Genes and Proteins Across Cellular and Organellar Barriers in Plants
Published on: December 16, 2016
11.0K
Gene delivery by peptide-assisted transport
Raj Kumar Thapa1, Millicent O Sullivan1
1Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716.
Current Opinion in Biomedical Engineering
|March 26, 2019
Summary
Peptides enhance non-viral gene delivery by enabling targeted uptake, endosomal escape, and nuclear delivery. These peptide-assisted strategies overcome biological barriers, paving the way for advanced gene therapy applications.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology
- Molecular Biology
- Drug Delivery Systems
Background:
- Non-viral vectors (polymers, lipids) show promise for gene delivery but face challenges like non-specific uptake and poor cellular trafficking.
- Existing non-viral vectors struggle with endosomal escape and inefficient delivery to the cell nucleus, limiting their therapeutic efficacy.
- Peptides offer unique amino acid chemistries and structures, acting as effective mimics of protein motifs for targeted delivery.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the potential of peptide-assisted non-viral vectors for overcoming biological barriers in gene delivery.
- To investigate how peptides can improve targeted cellular uptake, endosomal escape, and nuclear importation for enhanced gene delivery.
- To highlight the role of peptides in achieving spatio-temporal control for complex gene delivery applications.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing peptides to facilitate targeted gene delivery via cell-surface receptors (integrins, growth factor receptors, GPCRs).
- Employing peptides for membrane disruption to promote endosomal escape.
- Investigating peptide capabilities for nuclear importation of gene delivery vectors.
- Conducting in vitro and in vivo studies to assess peptide-mediated gene delivery efficacy and targeting.
Main Results:
- Peptide-assisted trafficking demonstrates potential to overcome limitations of traditional non-viral vectors.
- Targeted uptake is achieved through specific cell-surface receptor interactions mediated by peptides.
- Peptides facilitate endosomal escape and enhance nuclear delivery of genetic material.
- Spatio-temporal control over gene delivery is achievable using peptide-based strategies.
Conclusions:
- Peptide-assisted non-viral vectors represent a promising strategy to significantly improve gene delivery efficiency and targeting.
- Overcoming biological barriers like endosomal entrapment and nuclear entry is feasible with peptide integration.
- Further in vitro and in vivo research on targeted and microenvironment-sensitive peptide delivery systems could lead to clinical translation.
Related Concept Videos
02:22Regulated mRNA Transport
7.0K
In eukaryotes, transcription and translation are compartmentalized; an mRNA is first synthesized in the nucleus and then selectively transported to the cytoplasm for protein synthesis. Before transport, a pre-mRNA undergoes several steps of post-transcriptional modifications including splicing, 5' capping, and the addition of a poly-adenine tail. Various proteins bind to the pre-mRNA during these modifications. The mRNA transport takes place with the help of multiple proteins playing...
7.0K
02:43Peptide Bonds
82.6K
A peptide bond covalently attaches amino acids through a dehydration reaction. One amino acid's carboxyl group and another amino acid's amino group combine, releasing a water molecule. The resulting bond is the peptide bond. The products that such linkages form are peptides. As more amino acids join this growing chain, the resulting chain is a polypeptide. Each polypeptide has a free amino group at one end. This end has the N-terminal, or the amino-terminal, and the other end has a free...
82.6K
01:19Facilitated Transport
147.4K
The chemical and physical properties of plasma membranes cause them to be selectively permeable. Since plasma membranes have both hydrophobic and hydrophilic regions, substances need to be able to transverse both regions. The hydrophobic area of membranes repels substances such as charged ions. Therefore, such substances need special membrane proteins to cross a membrane successfully. In facilitated transport, also known as facilitated diffusion, molecules and ions travel across a...
147.4K
01:47Primary Active Transport
197.8K
In contrast to passive transport, active transport involves a substance being moved through membranes in a direction against its concentration or electrochemical gradient. There are two types of active transport: primary active transport and secondary active transport. Primary active transport utilizes chemical energy from ATP to drive protein pumps that are embedded in the cell membrane. With energy from ATP, the pumps transport ions against their electrochemical gradients—a direction...
197.8K
01:55Secondary Active Transport
137.6K
One example of how cells use the energy contained in electrochemical gradients is demonstrated by glucose transport into cells. The ion vital to this process is sodium (Na+), which is typically present in higher concentrations extracellularly than in the cytosol. Such a concentration difference is due, in part, to the action of an enzyme “pump” embedded in the cellular membrane that actively expels Na+ from a cell. Importantly, as this pump contributes to the high concentration of...
137.6K
02:02Phloem and Sugar Transport
39.9K
Like many living organisms, plants have tissues that specialize in specific plant functions. For example, shoots are well adapted to rapid growth, while roots are structured to acquire resources efficiently. However, sugar production is primarily restricted to the photosynthetic cells that reside in the leaves of angiosperm plants. Sugar and other resources are transported from photosynthetic tissues to other specialized tissues by a process called translocation.
39.9K