The Influence of Peptide Linkers on Functional Properties of Hybrid Structures with the Selective pH-Dependent Binding to Cancer Cells

Most of the modern cancer therapies are non-specific and have adverse side effects on the body. Nowadays, targeted cancer therapies are being developed, in particular using targeting peptides that selectively bind to cancer cells. The aim of the present work is to explore the prospects of using a peptide pHLIP that binds to cancer cells at decreased pH values, as a part of recombinant protein-peptide construct for cancer diagnosis and targeted therapy. Hybrid structures based on the fluorescent protein EGFP and a linker sequence connecting fluorescent protein to two different pHLIP variants were obtained. The effect of different linkers on the pH-dependent binding of the constructs to cells, as well as on the efficiency of EGFP chromophore synthesis within the hybrid construct was investigated.