Coupling of Nuclear Localization Signals to Plasmid DNA and Specific Interaction of the Conjugates with Importin α

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Abstract
The nuclear localization signal (NLS) of the SV40 large T antigen efficiently induces nuclear targeting of proteins. We have developed a chemical strategy for covalent coupling of NLS peptides to plasmid DNA. A p-azido-tetrafluoro-benzyl-NLS peptide conjugate was synthesized. This conjugate was used to covalently associate NLS peptides to plasmid DNA by photoactivation. Reporter gene was expressed after transfection of the plasmid−NLS conjugates in NIH 3T3 cells. The conjugates interacted specifically with the NLS-receptor importin α, but plasmid−NLS conjugates were not detected in the nucleus, by fluorescence microscopy, after cytoplasmic microinjection.