Journal
FASEB JOURNAL
Volume 18, Issue 10, Pages 1407-+Publisher
WILEY
DOI: 10.1096/fj.03-1459fje
Keywords
chromosomes; centrosomes; cell penetrating peptide
Categories
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Herein we report that crotamine, a small lysine- and cysteine-rich protein from the venom of the South American rattlesnake, can rapidly penetrate into different cell types and mouse blastocysts in vitro. In vivo, crotamine strongly labels cells from mouse bone marrow and spleen and from peritoneal liquid, as shown by fluorescent confocal laser-scanning microscopy. Nuclear localization of crotamine was observed in both fixed and unfixed cells. In the cytoplasm, crotamine specifically associates with centrosomes and thus allows us to follow the process of centriole duplication and separation. In the nucleus, it binds to the chromosomes at S/G2 phase, when centrioles start dividing. Moreover, crotamine appears as a marker of actively proliferating cells, as shown by 5-BrdU cell-proliferation assay. Crotamine in the micromolar range proved nontoxic to any of the cell cultures tested and did not affect the pluripotency of ES cells or the development of mouse embryos.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available