Transportan is a 27 amino acid chimeric peptide consisting of 12 amino acids from the amino terminal of galanin and the 14 amino acid peptide mastoparan connected via a lysine residue. Transportan possesses characteristics of both galanin and mastoparan as it inhibits the binding of galanin to the GALR-1 receptor as well as modulating the activity of G proteins through inhibition of GTPase. Transportan is a cell-penetrating peptide which can penetrate into many cell types in a rapid and efficient way. In the cell interior, Transportan localizes mostly in membranous structures and is conveyed into the nuclei, where it concentrates in the nucleoli.
