Breaching membrane barriers to modulate intracellular pathways
Cell membranes are barriers that control what can get inside cells. The ability to cross these barriers and deliver biological macromolecules, such as biomarkers, therapeutics and research tools, inside cells has endless opportunities that can be used to modulate cell’s activity. We are working on the development of novel molecular transporters to deliver macromolecules inside cells/microorganisms with therapeutic and biotechnological relevance. This technology is based on the use of stable cyclic peptides to deliver genes, proteins, probes or biomarkers into distinct cell types (e.g. cancer cells, bacteria, algae). We are specifically interested in the use of cell-penetrating peptides to target and monitor cancer biomarkers and to deliver nucleic acids inside model organisms with cell wall (e.g. bacteria, algae) to improve their potential as biofactories.
Relevant publications:
Henriques, Sónia Troeira & Craik, David J. (2017) Cyclotide Structure and Function: The Role of Membrane Binding and Permeation. Biochemistry, 56(5), pp. 669-682. (https://eprints.qut.edu.au/124524/)
Ojeda, Paola G., Henriques, Sónia Troeira, Pan, Yijun, Nicolazzo, Joseph A., Craik, David J., & Wang, Conan K. (2017) Lysine to arginine mutagenesis of chlorotoxin enhances its cellular uptake. Biopolymers, 108(5), e23025-e23025. (https://eprints.qut.edu.au/124522/)
D’Souza, Charlotte, Henriques, Sónia Troeira, Wang, Conan K., & Craik, David J. (2014) Structural parameters modulating the cellular uptake of disulfide-rich cyclic cell-penetrating peptides: MCoTI-II and SFTI-1. European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 88, pp. 10-18.(https://eprints.qut.edu.au/124499/)
Torcato, Inês M., Huang, Yen-Hua, Franquelim, Henri G., Gaspar, Diana D., Craik, David J., Castanho, Miguel A. R. B., & Henriques, Sónia Troeira (2013) The Antimicrobial Activity of Sub3 is Dependent on Membrane Binding and Cell-Penetrating Ability. ChemBioChem, 14(15), pp. 2013-2022. (https://eprints.qut.edu.au/124498/)
Henriques, Sónia Troeira & Craik, David J. (2012) Importance of the Cell Membrane on the Mechanism of Action of Cyclotides. ACS Chemical Biology, 7(4), pp. 626-636. (https://eprints.qut.edu.au/124493/)
Henriques, Sónia Troeira, Huang, Yen-Hua, Castanho, Miguel A. R. B., Bagatolli, Luis A., Sonza, Secondo, Tachedjian, Gilda, Daly, Norelle L.,& Craik, David J. (2012) Phosphatidylethanolamine Binding Is a Conserved Feature of Cyclotide-Membrane Interactions. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 287(40), pp. 33629-33643. (https://eprints.qut.edu.au/124494/)
Cascales, Laura, Henriques, Sónia T., Kerr, Markus C., Huang, Yen-Hua, Sweet, Matthew J., Daly, Norelle L., & Craik, David J. (2011) Identification and Characterization of a New Family of Cell-penetrating Peptides. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 286(42), pp. 36932-36943. (https://eprints.qut.edu.au/124487/)
Henriques, Sónia T. (2010) Biophysics and the way out of the endosomal versus non-endosomal dilemma for cell-penetrating pep-1. In Castanho, Miguel A.R.B. (Ed.) Membrane-Active Peptides: methods and results on structure and function. IUL Publishers, La Jolla, CA, pp. 377-414. (https://eprints.qut.edu.au/127123/)
Henriques, Sónia Troeira, Castanho, Miguel A. R. B., Pattenden, Leonard Keith, & Aguilar, Marie-Isabel (2010) Fast membrane association is a crucial factor in the peptide pep-1 translocation mechanism: A kinetic study followed by surface plasmon resonance. Biopolymers, 94(3), pp. 314-322. (https://eprints.qut.edu.au/124484/)
Henriques, Sónia Troeira & Castanho, Miguel A. R. B. (2008) Translocation or membrane disintegration? Implication of peptide–membrane interactions in pep-1 activity. Journal of Peptide Science, 14(4), pp. 482-487. (https://eprints.qut.edu.au/124481/)
Henriques, Sónia Troeira, Quintas, Alexandre, Bagatolli, Luis A., Homblé, Fabrice, & Castanho, Miguel A.R.B. (2007) Energy-independent translocation of cell-penetrating peptides occurs without formation of pores. A biophysical study with pep-1. Molecular Membrane Biology, 24(4), pp. 282-293. (https://eprints.qut.edu.au/124480/)
Henriques, Sónia Troeira, Melo, Manuel Nuo, & Castanho, Miguel A. R. B. (2007) How to address CPP and AMP translocation? Methods to detect and quantify peptide internalizationin vitroandin vivo(Review). Molecular Membrane Biology, 24(3), pp. 173-184.(https://eprints.qut.edu.au/124479/)
Henriques, Sónia Troeira & Castanho, Miguel A.R.B. (2005) Environmental factors that enhance the action of the cell penetrating peptide pep-1. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) – Biomembranes, 1669(2), pp. 75-86. (https://eprints.qut.edu.au/124475/)
Henriques, Sónia T., Costa, Júlia, & Castanho, Miguel A.R.B. (2005) Re-evaluating the role of strongly charged sequences in amphipathic cell-penetrating peptides. FEBS Letters, 579(20), pp. 4498-4502. (https://eprints.qut.edu.au/124476/)
Henriques, Sónia Troeira, Costa, Júlia, & Castanho, Miguel A. R. B. (2005) Translocation of β-Galactosidase Mediated by the Cell-Penetrating Peptide Pep-1 into Lipid Vesicles and Human HeLa Cells Is Driven by Membrane Electrostatic Potential. Biochemistry, 44(30), pp. 10189-10198. (https://eprints.qut.edu.au/124477/)
Henriques, Sónia Troeira & Castanho, Miguel Augusto Rico Botas (2004) Consequences of nonlytic membrane perturbation to the translocation of the cell penetrating peptide pep-1 in lipidic vesicles. Biochemistry, 43(30), pp. 9716-9724.(https://eprints.qut.edu.au/124471/)