Cell-Penetrating Peptides for Use in Development of Transgenic Plants

Abstract

Genetically modified plants and crops can contribute to remarkable increase in global food supply, with improved yield and resistance to plant diseases or insect pests. The development of biotechnology introducing exogenous nucleic acids in transgenic plants is important for plant health management. Different genetic engineering methods for DNA delivery, such as biolistic methods, Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation, and other physicochemical methods have been developed to improve translocation across the plasma membrane and cell wall in plants. Recently, the peptide-based gene delivery system, mediated by cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs), has been regarded as a promising non-viral tool for efficient and stable gene transfection into both animal and plant cells. CPPs are short peptides with diverse sequences and functionalities, capable of agitating plasma membrane and entering cells. Here, we highlight recent research and ideas on diverse types of CPPs, which have been applied in DNA delivery in plants. Various basic, amphipathic, cyclic, and branched CPPs were designed, and modifications of functional groups were performed to enhance DNA interaction and stabilization in transgenesis. CPPs were able to carry cargoes in either a covalent or noncovalent manner and to internalize CPP/cargo complexes into cells by either direct membrane translocation or endocytosis. Importantly, subcellular targets of CPP-mediated nucleic acid delivery were reviewed. CPPs offer transfection strategies and influence transgene expression at subcellular localizations, such as in plastids, mitochondria, and the nucleus. In summary, the technology of CPP-mediated gene delivery provides a potent and useful tool to genetically modified plants and crops of the future.

The Search of a Molecular “Swiss Knife” for Chloroplast Genomic Editing

“…In addition to the methods described above, there are methods currently being developed for the targeted delivery of components of genome-editing systems using signal peptides. They combine, in their structure, functional peptides, such as cell-penetrating peptides (CPP), which can pass through cell membranes; polycationic peptides consisting of positively charged amino acids and binding to nucleic acids; as well as endogenous signal peptides that deliver proteins to organelles [48,49]. Such synthetic peptides can be used for targeted DNA delivery into the cell organelles of various plant tissue types.…”

Nanoplatforms for the Delivery of Nucleic Acids into Plant Cells

“…Despite multiple studies on the CPP/cargo internalization mechanisms having been performed, they have still not been fully clarified. For some peptides, it was demonstrated that they enter the cell endocytosis independently, but others are sensitive to the inhibitors of endocytosis [166]. Endocytic vesicle escape probably is achieved due to the pH-buffering properties of the carrier peptide (for example, histidine residues).…”

Plant Synthetic Promoters

“…Global climate change has elevated the role of sustainable agriculture; there is a growing demand for novel plant genotypes or genetically modified plants with increased tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses or secondary metabolite production [1][2][3][4][5][6][7]. This can be enabled by the expression of foreign genes that increase resistance to insects, herbicides as glyphosate, or by facilitating biosynthesis, such as carotenes or astaxanthin in rice [8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16].…”