Study of CPP mechanisms by mass spectrometry

Abstract

Studying the mechanisms of entry of cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) requires reliable methods to measure their cellular uptake efficiency, monitor their metabolic stability, and identify their intracellular localization. We describe here a protocol based on the direct detection of peptides by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS), which allows the absolute quantification of the intact internalized species and the analysis of their intracellular degradation. This protocol can be easily applied to the simultaneous quantification of different species, for example mixtures of CPPs.