Abstract
Crotamine is a basic, 42-residue polypeptide derived from snake venom that has been shown to possess cell-penetrating properties. Crotamine forms nanoparticles with a variety of DNA and RNA molecules, and crotamine-plasmid DNA nanoparticles are selectively delivered into actively proliferating cells in culture or in mice. As such, these nanoparticles could form the basis for a nucleic acid drug-delivery system. Here we describe the preparation, purification, and biochemical and biophysical analysis of venom-derived, recombinant, chemically synthesized, and fluorescent-labeled crotamine; the formation and characterization of crotamine-DNA and -RNA nanoparticles; and the delivery of these nanoparticles into cells and animals.
Publication types
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
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Amino Acid Sequence
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Animals
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Base Sequence
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Cell Line, Tumor
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Cell-Penetrating Peptides / chemistry*
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Cell-Penetrating Peptides / genetics
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Cell-Penetrating Peptides / isolation & purification
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Crotalid Venoms / chemistry*
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Crotalid Venoms / genetics
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Crotalid Venoms / isolation & purification
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Drug Delivery Systems
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Gene Transfer Techniques
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Mice
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Mice, Inbred C57BL
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Molecular Sequence Data
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Nanoconjugates / chemistry*
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Neoplasms / therapy
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Nucleic Acids / chemistry
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Particle Size
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Recombinant Proteins / chemistry
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Recombinant Proteins / genetics
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Recombinant Proteins / isolation & purification
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Transfection
Substances
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Cell-Penetrating Peptides
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Crotalid Venoms
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Nanoconjugates
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Nucleic Acids
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Recombinant Proteins
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crotamine