Cellular uptake of glutathione transferases and their development as cell transfection agents

The efficient delivery of biological material into living cells remains a holy grail of cell biology. Our intention is to further explore the recently discovered ability of a glutathione transferase (GST) enzyme to translocate across the plasma membrane into different cell types. We shall determine the mechanism by which cell entry occurs and compare this with other known cell-penetrating peptides/proteins. Furthermore, by the use of several innovative biochemical techniques, we will develop GSTs as vehicles for the transfection of a range of bioactive molecules including, peptides, proteins, nucleotides, and therapeutic drugs. We expect this approach will significantly advance the technology surrounding intracellular delivery systems.