Harvard Medical School other research news
University researchers demonstrated that a portion of anthrax toxin can be the basis for ferrying proteins into cells. While this protective antigen portion helps other parts of the toxin to enter cells, it turns out that the other parts are not necessary in a delivery system. A simple chain of lysine can substitute for the other portions of the toxin, and serve as the ferrying vehicle.
Since lysine chains are easily linked to proteins without altering their structure, polylysine-linked proteins and the anthrax protective antigen might be a useful delivery system for therapeutics, the researchers concluded in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. They noted that other toxin-based delivery systems, such as those using diphtheria toxin, either are prone to instability of the fusion product, or induce general leakiness of the target cell, such as those based on Staph alpha-toxin. ...