RESUMEN

The modified cell-penetrating peptide Pas2r12 can deliver antibodies (IgG, 150 kDa) and enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP1, 27 kDa) into the cytosol through caveolae-dependent endocytosis. In this study, we determined the effect of Caveolin-1 overexpression on the cytosolic delivery of EGFP by Pas2r12. Three types of Caveolin-1 overexpressing strains were isolated, including Cav1L (low), Cav1M (medium), and Cav1H (high), using HEK293 as the parent cell line. We found that the number of caveolae on the surface of the Caveolin-1-overexpressing strains was similar to that of HEK293. We examined the cytosolic delivery rate of EGFP by Pas2r12. In the Cav1L and Cav1M cells, there was little change compared with HEK293; however, in Cav1H, the rate was significantly decreased. Moreover, the amount of EGFP uptake into the cells (total intracellular EGFP) showed an increasing trend in Cav1H compared with HEK293. These results indicate that in Cav1H, the amount of EGFP uptake into the cells increases, whereas the cytosolic delivery rate of EGFP decreases. This suggests that high overexpression of Caveolin-1 inhibits the transition of EGFP from endosomes to the cytosol.