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Soft structure formation and cancer cell transport mechanisms of a folic acid–dipeptide conjugate
Author(s) -
Kaur Gagandeep,
Shukla Akansha,
Sivakumar Sri,
Verma Sandeep
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
journal of peptide science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.475
H-Index - 66
eISSN - 1099-1387
pISSN - 1075-2617
DOI - 10.1002/psc.2742
Subject(s) - folate receptor , conjugate , dipeptide , endocytosis , chemistry , cancer cell , folic acid , receptor , biochemistry , peptide , cancer , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , medicine , mathematical analysis , genetics , mathematics
Folic acid (FA) is a low‐molecular‐weight micronutrient, which plays a critical role in the prevention of birth defects and cancers. It is also essential for biochemical pathways responsible for DNA synthesis and maintenance and for the generation of new red blood cells. Cellular trafficking of FA and folate is based on its high‐affinity binding to cognate folate receptor, a protein commonly expressed in several human cancers. Thus, folate conjugates of drugs, plasmids, biosensors, contrast, and radiodiagnostic imaging agents have been used for assisted delivery in folate receptor‐positive cancer cells, via endocytosis pathways. This report describes morphologies of soft structures from a fully characterized FA–dipeptide conjugate and detailed mechanistic studies of its cancer cell uptake, as tracked by the inherent fluorescence of the conjugate. Copyright © 2015 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.