Novel cell-penetrating peptide targeting mitochondria.

Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) are short, nontoxic peptides with cationic and/or amphipathic properties able to cross the cellular membrane. CPPs are used for the delivery of a wide variety of cargoes, such as proteins, oligonucleotides, and therapeutic molecules. The aim of the present study was to synthesize unusually small novel CPPs targeting mitochondria based on the Szeto-Schiller peptide (SS-31) to influence intramitochondrial processes and to improve the biologic effects. All the peptides used were synthesized manually using 9-fluorenylmethyloxycarbonyl chemistry. In the first part of the study, HeLa 705, U87, and bEnd.3 cells were used as in vitro delivery model. Cells were incubated for 24 h at 37°C and 5% CO2 with different concentrations of our peptides. Cell proliferation assay was performed to evaluate cell viability. Biologic effects such as mitochondrial membrane potential and antioxidant activity were evaluated. H2O2 was used as positive control. Uptake studies were performed using peptides conjugated with 5(6)-carboxyfluorescein (FAM). Fluorescent microscopy was used to determine presence and localization of peptides into the cells. Isolated mitochondria from pretreated cells and mitochondria treated after isolation were used to confirm the targeting ability of the peptide. Uptake of FAM alone was used as negative control. Microscopy studies confirmed the ability of peptides to penetrate cell. Localization analysis showed increase in uptake by 35% compared with SS-31. Mitochondrial CPP 1 (mtCPP-1) had no effect on mitochondrial membrane potential and prevented reactive oxygen species formation in bEnd.3 cells by 2-fold compared with SS-31. No cytotoxicity was observed even at high concentration (100 µM). These data suggest that mtCPP-1 is a mitochondrial CPP and protect mitochondria from oxidative damage due to its own antioxidant activities.