Endosomal Escape of Peptide-Photosensitizer Conjugates Is Affected by Amino Acid Sequences near the Photosensitizer.

Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) are widely used for the intracellular delivery of peptides and proteins, but CPP fusion peptides and proteins are often transported by endocytosis and trapped in endosomes. Photochemical internalization (PCI) is a method for the endosomal escape of the trapped peptide or protein and release into the cytosol using light and photosensitizers. In PCI, endosomal membranes are thought to be destabilized by singlet oxygen (O) photogenerated from photosensitizers localized in endosomes.

In-stem molecular beacon targeted to a 5'-region of tRNA inclusive of the D arm that detects mature tRNA with high sensitivity.

Cellular functions are regulated by the up- and down-regulation and localization of RNA molecules. Therefore, many RNA detection methods have been developed to analyze RNA levels and localization. Molecular beacon (MB) is one of the major methods for quantitative RNA detection and analysis of RNA localization.

High performance diffuse reflectance circular dichroism spectrophotometer.

A new dual-purpose transmittance circular dichroism (CD) and diffuse reflectance CD (DRCD) universal chiroptical spectrophotometer (UCS-3, J-800KCMFII) was successfully developed to have the capability of measuring DRCD spectra down to 190 nm with high efficiency, based on UCS-2: J-800KCMF. Optical components newly used in UCS-3 are the integrating sphere of optimum size and material to achieve high performance particularly in the shorter wavelength region, a baffle installed to reduce the first specular reflection signals, and a condenser lens to increase light intensity per area for small samples. As a result, UCS-3 has become a very powerful instrument to measure DRCD spectra of powdered samples in situ, with approximately 20 times sensitivity of existing UCS-2.