In numerous Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria as well as in Archaea SL proteins form the outermost layer of the cell envelope. SL (glyco)monomers self-assemble with oblique (p2), tetragonal (p4), or hexagonal (p3, p6) symmetries [12]. SL subunits interact with each other and with the underlying cell surface by relatively weak non-covalent forces such as hydrogen-bonds, ionic bonds, salt-bridges or hydrophobic interactions. This makes them easy to isolate by applying chaotropic agents like urea and guanidine hydrochloride (GuHCl), chelating chemicals, or by changing the pH of the environment [10]. Upon dialysis in an ambient buffer monomers recrystallize into regular arrays that possess the forms of flat sheets, open ended cylinders, or spheres on solid substrates, at air-water intefaces and on lipid films, making them appealing for nanobiotechnological applications [3, 18]. The aim of this study was to investigate the structure, thermal stability, in vivo self-assembly process, recrystallization and metallization of three different recombinant SL proteins (SslA-eGFP, mSbsC-eGFP and S13240-eGFP) expressed in yeast S. cerevisiae BY4741 which could be further used in nanobiotechnological applications. In order to fulfill this aim, I investigated the in vivo expression of SL proteins (SslA, SbsC, S13240) tagged with eGFP (SL-eGFP) in the yeast S. cerevisiae BY4141. First, I characterized the heterologous expression of SL fusion constructs with growth and fluorescence measurements combined with Western blot analyses. Fluorescence microscopy investigations of overnight grown cultures showed that SslA-eGFP fusion protein was expressed as fluorescent patches, mSbsC-eGFP as tubular networks, and S13240-eGFP as hollow-like fibrillar network structures, while eGFP did not show any distinct structure Thermal stability of in vivo expressed SL-eGFP fusion proteins were investigated by fluorescence microscopy and immunodetection. In vivo self-assembly kinetics during mitosis and meiosis was the second main issue. In parallel, association of in vivo mSbsC-eGFP structures with the cellular components was of interest. A network of tubular structures in the cytosol of the transformed yeast cells that did not colocalize with microtubules or the actin cytoskeleton was observed. Time-resolved analysis of the formation of these structures during vegetative growth and sporulation was investigated by live fluorescence microscopy. While in meiosis ascospores seemed to receive assembled structures from the diploid cells, during mitosis surface layer structures were formed de novo in the buds. Surface layer assembly always started with the appearance of a dot-like structure in the cytoplasm, suggesting a single nucleation point. In order to get these in vivo SL assemblies stably outside the cells (in situ), cell distruption experiments were conducted. The tubular structures formed by the protein in vivo were retained upon bursting the cells by osmotic shock; however their average length was decreased. During dialysis, monomers obtained by treatment with chaotropic agents recrystallized again to form tube-like structures. This process was strictly dependent on calcium ions, with an optimal concentration of 10 mM. Further increase of the Ca2+ concentration resulted in multiple non-productive nucleation points. It was further shown that the lengths of the S-layer assemblies increased with time and could be controlled by pH. After 48 hours the average length at pH 9.0 was 4.13 µm compared to 2.69 µm at pH 5.5. Successful chemical deposition of platinum indicates the potential of recrystallized mSbsC-eGFP structures for nanobiotechnological applications. For example, such metalized protein nanotubes could be used in conductive nanocircuit technologies as nanowires.

We present a HiLo microscope with an electrically tunable lens for high-contrast three-dimensional image acquisition. HiLo microscopy combines widefield and speckled illumination images to create optically sectioned images. Additionally, the depth-of-field is not fixed, but can be adjusted between widefield and confocal-like axial resolution. We incorporate an electrically tunable lens in the HiLo microscope for axial scanning, to obtain three-dimensional data without the need of moving neither the sample nor the objective. The used adaptive lens consists of a transparent polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) membrane into which an annular piezo bending actuator is embedded. A transparent fluid is filled between the membrane and the glass substrate. When actuated, the piezo generates a pressure in the lens which deflects the membrane and thus changes the refractive power. This technique enables a large tuning range of the refractive power between 1/f = (-24 . . . 25) 1/m. As the NA of the adaptive lens is only about 0.05, a fixed high-NA lens is included in the setup to provide high resolution. In this contribution, the scan properties and capabilities of the tunable lens in the HiLo microscope are analyzed. Eventually, exemplary measurements are presented and discussed.

In dieser Arbeit wurden die von Seitz et al. entwickelten forced intercalation (FIT)-Sonden zur mRNA-Charakterisierung in lebenden Zellen eingesetzt. Es erfolgte die Synthese verbesserter FIT-Sonden für die systematische Untersuchung der Aufnahme durch lebende Flp-In™ 293 T-REx™-Zellen. Dafür wurden sowohl hergestellte FIT-Sonden-Konjugate/Aggregate als auch kommerziell erhältliche Reagenzien, wie z.B. die Palmitinsäure und das porenbildende Enzym Streptolysin-O auf ihre Effizienz untersucht. Die optimalen Bedingungen für das Einbringen von DNA- und PNA-FIT-Sonden in Flp-In™ 293 T-REx™-Zellen lieferte das Enzym Streptolysin-O. Durch den simultanen Einsatz von drei unterschiedlichen Sonden (BO-, TO- und CB-markiert), komplementär zu drei verschiedenen Zielsequenzen, gelang es erstmals eine Dreifarben-Lebendzell-Bildgebung mit FIT-Sonden durchzuführen. Des Weiteren wurden TO-FIT-Sonden zur Unterscheidung verschiedener T-Zelllinien eingesetzt. Mithilfe eines kompetitiven Hybridisierungsexperiments konnte die spezifische Fluoreszenzemission der Sonden in den Zellen belegt werden. Untersuchungen mit zwei T-Zelllinien zeigten, dass TO-FIT-Sonden sowie terminal Cy7-markierte TO-FIT-Sonden eine erhöhte TO-Emission bei Vorhandensein der komplementären TCR-mRNA-Zielsequenz in den Zellen aufwiesen. Der terminale Cy7-Farbstoff bot mit einem zweiten Detektionskanal die Möglichkeit die Cy7-Intensität und die vorhandene TO-Intensität ins Verhältnis zu setzen, sodass Signale von ungebundener Sonde leichter ausgeschlossen werden konnten. Dies ermöglichte eine spezifische Markierung der T-Zellen. Es folgte die Synthese CB-markierter FIT-Sonden zur Aufklärung biologischer Fragestellungen, wie dem Verlauf einer Influenza A Infektion und die Synthese und Evaluation neuer Farbstoffe mit einem Absorptionsmaximum bei 590/596 nm. Zudem wurde der Einbau eines zyklischen PNA- Monomers bezüglich der Verbesserung von Responsivität und Helligkeit von PNA-FIT-Sonden analysiert. / In this work forced Intercalation (FIT) probes, developed by Seitz et al. were used for the mRNA characterization in living cells. The synthesis of improved FIT probes as well as the systematic study on the uptake of FIT probes by living Flp-In™ 293 T-REx™ cells was performed. Therefore FIT probe conjugates/aggregates as well as commercially available reagents, e.g. palmitic acid and the pore-forming enzyme Streptolysin-O were investigated under various conditions. Furthermore, the transfection was tested using an electroporator. The optimal transfection condition for the introduction of DNA and PNA FIT probes into Flp-In™ 293 T-REx™ cells was achieved using Streptolysin-O. Multicolor live cell imaging with the simultaneous use of three different FIT probes (BO, TO and QB) against three different target sequences was performed successfully. In addition, FIT probes were used for the differentiation between T cell lines. A competitive hybridization experiment with cells confirmed the specific fluorescence emission of the probes. Further studies with two cell lines and TO-FIT probes as well as terminal Cy7-labeled TO-FIT probes showed an increased TO emission in the presence of the complementary TCR mRNA target sequence in the cells. A second detection channel of the terminal Cy7 dye provided the advantage of comparing the Cy7- and TO-intensity ratio, thereby making it easier to exclude signals from unbound probe. This enabled the specific tagging of t cells. This was followed by the synthesis of QB-DNA-based FIT probes for the use in various biological applications e.g. as a pan selective marker for Influenza A infection. Moreover, the synthesis and evaluation of new dyes with an absorption maximum at 590/596 nm was performed. The incorporation of a cyclic PNA monomer next to the TO dye has also been realized to improve responsiveness and brightness in PNA-FIT probes.

The Gram-negative bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a life-threatening nosocomial pathogen due to its generally low susceptibility toward antibiotics. Furthermore, many strains have acquired resistance mechanisms requiring new antimicrobials with novel mechanisms to enhance treatment options. Proline-rich antimicrobial peptides, such as the apidaecin analog Api137, are highly efficient against various Enterobacteriaceae infections in mice, but less active against P. aeruginosa in vitro. Here, we extended our recent work by optimizing lead peptides Api755 (gu-OIORPVYOPRPRPPHPRL-OH; gu = N,N,N′,N′-tetramethylguanidino, O = L-ornithine) and Api760 (gu-OWORPVYOPRPRPPHPRL-OH) by incorporation of Ile-Orn- and Trp-Orn-motifs, respectively. Api795 (gu-O(IO)2RPVYOPRPRPPHPRL-OH) and Api794 (gu-O(WO)3RPVYOPRPRPPHPRL-OH) were highly active against P. aeruginosa with minimal inhibitory concentrations of 8–16 and 8–32 μg/mL against Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Assessed using a quartz crystal microbalance, these peptides inserted into a membrane layer and the surface activity increased gradually from Api137, over Api795, to Api794. This mode of action was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy indicating some membrane damage only at the high peptide concentrations. Api794 and Api795 were highly stable against serum proteases (half-life times >5 h) and non-hemolytic to human erythrocytes at peptide concentrations of 0.6 g/L. At this concentration, Api795 reduced the cell viability of HeLa cells only slightly, whereas the IC50 of Api794 was 0.23 ± 0.09 g/L. Confocal fluorescence microscopy revealed no colocalization of 5(6)-carboxyfluorescein-labeled Api794 or Api795 with the mitochondria, excluding interactions with the mitochondrial membrane. Interestingly, Api795 was localized in endosomes, whereas Api794 was present in endosomes and the cytosol. This was verified using flow cytometry showing a 50% higher uptake of Api794 in HeLa cells compared with Api795. The uptake was reduced for both peptides by 50 and 80%, respectively, after inhibiting endocytotic uptake with dynasore. In summary, Api794 and Api795 were highly active against P. aeruginosa in vitro. Both peptides passed across the bacterial membrane efficiently, most likely then disturbing the ribosome assembly, and resulting in further intracellular damage. Api795 with its IOIO-motif, which was particularly active and only slightly toxic in vitro, appears to represent a promising third generation lead compound for the development of novel antibiotics against P. aeruginosa.

Die Aufklärung der Prozesse, die zur Zusammensetzung des Influenza A Virus führen, ist Bestandteil für die Bekämpfung dieser Infektionskrankheit. Der Viruspartikel setzt sich aus einer Hülle, der darunter liegenden Matrix und dem Genom zusammen. Das Genom ist als Bündel aus acht Ribunucleoproteinkomplexen organisiert. Die Hülle besteht aus einer Membran, die mit Sphingomyelin und Cholesterol angereichert ist und den darin eingebetteten Membranproteinen Hämagglutinin, Neuraminidase und dem Protonenkanal M2. Die unter der Hülle liegende Matrix wird von einem einzigen Influenzaprotein formiert: Dem Matrixprotein M1. Es spielt eine Schlüsselrolle im Replikationszyklus des Virus in der Zelle. Es interagiert mit dem genetischen Material, mit den Membranproteinen und der Lipidmembran der Hülle. Die vorliegende Arbeit gibt Auskunft, welche Lipide eine Rolle in der M1-MembranWechselwirkung spielen. Die Liste der identifizierten Lipide umfasst neben dem bereits bekannten Phosphatidylserin auch Phosphatidylglycerol und Phosphatidsäure. Verschiedene Phosphatidylinositole konnten ebenfalls identifiziert werden. Als stärkster M1 Bindungspartner trat dabei Phosphatidylinositol-4-Phosphat zutage. Weitere auf Mutanten basierende Untersuchungen zeigten, dass der membranbindende Bereich nicht auf eine einzelne Domäne in M1 festgelegt werden kann. Die N-terminale M1-Domäne mit ihrem Oberflächen-exponierten, positiv geladenen Areal und die C-terminale Domäne interagierten mit Modellmembranen. Das Resultat dieser Interaktionen konnte mittels mikroskopischer Untersuchungen an gigantischen unilamellaren Vesikeln dokumentiert werden. Für M1 und für eine Mutante, die nur aus der N-terminalen M1-Domäne besteht, konnte eine von anderen viralen Proteinen unabhängige homooligomere Organisation auf der Membran gezeigt werden. Diese M1-Cluster könnten während der Zusammensetzung des Viruspartikels als Fundament für die Eingliederung aller weiteren viralen Komponenten dienen. / about the assembly process of the influenza A virus particle is essential for the development of effective approaches for prevention and treatment of this virus infection. The virus particle consists of an envelope, an underlying matrix, and the encapsulated genome. The genetic material is organized as bundle of eight ribonucleoprotein complexes that encode for eleven proteins. The envelope consists of a lipid bilayer that is enriched in sphingomyelin and cholesterol. The viral spike proteins, hemagglutinin and neuraminidase, as well as the proton channel M2 are embedded into this membrane. The matrix can be found below the envelope. It is formed by one single protein, the matrix protein M1. M1 plays a crucial role during the replication of the virus in the cell. It interacts with the genetic material, with the envelope proteins and with the lipid bilayer of the envelope. The results of this study reveal in detail which lipids are targeted by M1. The set of identified lipids contains phosphatylglycerol and phosphatidic acids as new binding partners, beside the known phophatidylserine. Additionally, several phosphatidylinositols were identified. Phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate was the strongest binding partner from this group. Mutant-based analysis revealed that M1 owns more than one membrane binding site. The positively charged area in the N-terminal and the C-terminal domain mediated membrane association of the respective mutant protein. The final constitution of M1 on the membrane was characterized by confocal fluorescence microscopy on giant unilamellar vesicles. Full length M1 and a mutant that consisted only of the N-terminal part of M1 showed lateral clustering of homooligomers on the vesicle surface. The clusters formed independently of any other viral component. A function as fundament for the incorporation of the other viral components can be assumed for these clusters.

Der Tumorsuppressor p53 spielt eine wichtige Rolle bei der Aufrechterhaltung der zellulären Homöostase und verhindert die Bildung und Entwicklung von Krebs. Frühere Studien auf Einzelzellebene haben gezeigt, der p53 nach dem Auftreten von DNS Schäden in einer Serie gleichförmiger Pulse im Kern akkumuliert. Um den Einfluss von Temperatur, dem Zustand des NFκB Weges oder dem Vorhandensein von Wachstumsfaktoren auf die p53 Dynamiken nach DNS-Schäden zu untersuchen, wurden in dieser Arbeit A549 und MCF10A p53 Reporter-Zelllinien verwendet. Um Daten mit hoher zeitlicher und räumlicher Auflösung auf Einzelzellebene zu erhalten, wurde Zeitraffer-Fluoreszenzmikroskopie verwendet. Überraschenderweise zeigten A549 Zellen, die mit γ-Strahlung behandelt wurden, eine höhere p53 Akkumulation und ein verlängertes Zeitintervall zwischen den p53 Pulsen, wenn sie bei 30°C inkubiert wurden im Vergleich zu Zellen unter physiologischen Bedingungen. Hingegen zeigten Zellen bei 40°C eine höhere p53 Pulsfrequenz. Außerdem wurde die p53 Zielgen-Expression durch die Änderungen in der Dynamik beeinflusst. In den beiden Zelllinien, A549 und MCF10A, wurde die p53 Dynamik durch Inhibierung des NFκB Signalweges verändert, nicht aber durch dessen Aktivierung mittels TNF. So verlängert die Inhibierung des NFkB Signalweges das Zeitintervall zwischen p53 Pulsen, was sich auch in der Expression von p53 Zielgenen wiederspiegelt. Weiterhin konnte in MCF10A Zellen durch Experimente mit verschiedenen Medien-Bedingungen gezeigt werden, dass p53 Dynamiken vor allem durch die Anwesenheit von EGF und Hydrocortison geprägt werden. So führt EGF zu einem pulsierenden p53 Verhalten, während Hydrocortison alleine die p53 Antwort vollständig aufhebt.. Diese Studie macht deutlich, wie wichtig es ist, das Verhältnis von zellulärem Zustand und p53 Antwort systematisch zu untersuchen, um Krebstherapien wirksamer zu machen / The tumor suppressor p53 plays important roles in maintaining cellular homeostasis and in preventing the formation and development of cancer. Previous studies on p53 activation after DNA damage have reported that it shows a series of regular discrete pulses of protein accumulation over time at the single cell level. In this work A549 and MCF10A p53 reporters cell line were used to investigate how p53 dynamics after DNA damage were affected by changes in temperature, by changes in the state of the NFκB pathway and changes in the provided growth factors. Time-lapse florescent microscopy was used to obtain single cell data with high temporal and special resolution at the single cell level. Surprisingly A549 cells treated with γ-irradiation showed higher level of p53 accumulation and increased time between p53 pulses when imaged at 30°C than cells imaged under physiological conditions. Cells imaged at 40°C showed instead higher p53 pulse frequency. P53 target gene expression was also affected by these changes in dynamics. In both A549 and MCF10A cells, p53 dynamics were changed by NFκB pathways inhibition but not activation via TNFα. Upon inhibition of the NFκB pathway the timing between p53 pulses was increased leading to changes also in p53 target genes expression. In MCF10A cells experiments done under different medium conditions proved that p53 dynamic in this cell line was shaped mainly by the presence of EGF and hydrocortisone that are usual components of the media. EGF leads to a more pulsatile p53 behavior while hydrocortisone completely abrogates the p53 response. These discoveries pointed out the need to study more systematically the relationship between the p53 response to a given stress and the cellular state in order to make cancer therapies more effective.

Die Struktur der Plasmamembran ist von deren Lipid- und Proteinzusammensetzung abhängig und wird durch die Anbindung an das unterliegende Zytoskelett beeinflusst. Das Ziel der vorliegenden Arbeit war die Untersuchung eines neuen Modellsystems basierend auf po­ren­über­span­nen­den Membranen, welches sowohl die heterogene Lipidzusammensetzung als auch den Einfluss eines unterliegenden Netzwerks berücksichtigt. Lipidmembranen, zusammengesetzt aus der „raft“-ähnlichen Lipidmischung DOPC/Sphingo­myelin/Cho­les­terin (40:40:20), wurden auf porösen, hochgeordneten Siliziumsubstraten mit Po­ren­durch­messern von 0.8, 1.2 und 2.0 µm durch Spreiten und Fusion von Riesenvesikeln (giant unilamellar vesicles, GUVs) präpariert. Die mikroskopische Phasenseparation in koexistierenden flüssig-geordneten (liquid ordered, lo) und flüssig-ungeordneten (liquid disordered, ld) Domänen wurde stark durch das unterliegende poröse Substrat beeinflusst. Die Größe der lo-Domänen konnte durch die Porengröße des Siliziumsubstrats, die Temperatur und den Cholesteringehalt der Membran, welcher durch Zugabe von Methyl-β-Cyclodextrin moduliert wurde, kontrolliert werden. Die Bindung der Shiga Toxin B-Untereinheit (STxB) an po­ren­überspannende Membranen, dotiert mit 5 mol% des Rezeptorlipids Gb3, führte zu einem Anstieg des Anteils der lo-Phase. Außerdem wurde die Bildung von lo-Domänen in nicht-phasenseparierten Membranen, zusammengesetzt aus DOPC/Sphingomyelin/Cholesterin/Gb3 (65:10:20:5), durch die Shiga Toxin-Bindung induziert. Ein Anstieg des Anteils der lo-Phase konnte ebenfalls bei der Bindung der pentameren Cholera Toxin B-Untereinheit (CTxB) an po­ren­überspannende Membranen, dotiert mit 1 mol% des Rezeptorlipids GM1, beobachtet werden. Des Weiteren wurde der Einfluss der chemischen Struktur des Gb3-Moleküls auf die Shiga Toxin-Bindung und die Reorganisation von festkörperunterstützten Membranen (solid supported membranes, SSMs) untersucht. Die STxB-Bindung an α-hydroxyliertes Gb3 erhöhte signifikant den Anteil der lo-Phase, während eine cis-Doppelbindung zur Bildung einer weiteren lo-Phase führte, die vermutlich ungesättigte (Glyko-)Sphingolipide und Cholesterin enthält. Im Falles des ungesättigten Gb3 konnte außerdem eine Kondensation zu größeren Domänen nach der STxB-Bindung beobachtet werden. Die genaue Phasenzuordnung der eingesetzten Glykospingolipide vor der Proteinbindung ist bisher unbekannt. Daher wurde das Phasenverhalten eines fluoreszierenden Polyen-Ga­lac­to­ce­re­bro­sids untersucht, welches bevorzugt in der lo-Phase von GUVs angereichert war. Dieser neue, intrinsische Fluorophor vermag als Grundlage für weitere Studien zum Phasenverhalten von Glykosphingolipiden dienen.

Electrically tunable lenses exhibit strong potential for fast motion-free axial scanning in a variety of microscopes. However, they also lead to a degradation of the achievable resolution because of aberrations and misalignment between illumination and detection optics that are induced by the scan itself. Additionally, the typically nonlinear relation between actuation voltage and axial displacement leads to over- or under-sampled frame acquisition in most microscopic techniques because of their static depth-of-field. To overcome these limitations, we present an Adaptive-Lens-High-and-Low-frequency (AL-HiLo) microscope that enables volumetric measurements employing an electrically tunable lens. By using speckle-patterned illumination, we ensure stability against aberrations of the electrically tunable lens. Its depth-of-field can be adjusted a-posteriori and hence enables to create flexible scans, which compensates for irregular axial measurement positions. The adaptive HiLo microscope provides an axial scanning range of 1 mm with an axial resolution of about 4 μm and sub-micron lateral resolution over the full scanning range. Proof of concept measurements at home-built specimens as well as zebrafish embryos with reporter gene-driven fluorescence in the thyroid gland are shown.

Electrically tunable lenses exhibit strong potential for fast motion-free axial scanning in a variety of microscopes. However, they also lead to a degradation of the achievable resolution because of aberrations and misalignment between illumination and detection optics that are induced by the scan itself. Additionally, the typically nonlinear relation between actuation voltage and axial displacement leads to over- or under-sampled frame acquisition in most microscopic techniques because of their static depth-of-field. To overcome these limitations, we present an Adaptive-Lens-High-and-Low-frequency (AL-HiLo) microscope that enables volumetric measurements employing an electrically tunable lens. By using speckle-patterned illumination, we ensure stability against aberrations of the electrically tunable lens. Its depth-of-field can be adjusted a-posteriori and hence enables to create flexible scans, which compensates for irregular axial measurement positions. The adaptive HiLo microscope provides an axial scanning range of 1 mm with an axial resolution of about 4 μm and sub-micron lateral resolution over the full scanning range. Proof of concept measurements at home-built specimens as well as zebrafish embryos with reporter gene-driven fluorescence in the thyroid gland are shown.

The Gram-negative bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a life-threatening nosocomial pathogen due to its generally low susceptibility toward antibiotics. Furthermore, many strains have acquired resistance mechanisms requiring new antimicrobials with novel mechanisms to enhance treatment options. Proline-rich antimicrobial peptides, such as the apidaecin analog Api137, are highly efficient against various Enterobacteriaceae infections in mice, but less active against P. aeruginosa in vitro. Here, we extended our recent work by optimizing lead peptides Api755 (gu-OIORPVYOPRPRPPHPRL-OH; gu = N,N,N′,N′-tetramethylguanidino, O = L-ornithine) and Api760 (gu-OWORPVYOPRPRPPHPRL-OH) by incorporation of Ile-Orn- and Trp-Orn-motifs, respectively. Api795 (gu-O(IO)2RPVYOPRPRPPHPRL-OH) and Api794 (gu-O(WO)3RPVYOPRPRPPHPRL-OH) were highly active against P. aeruginosa with minimal inhibitory concentrations of 8–16 and 8–32 μg/mL against Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Assessed using a quartz crystal microbalance, these peptides inserted into a membrane layer and the surface activity increased gradually from Api137, over Api795, to Api794. This mode of action was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy indicating some membrane damage only at the high peptide concentrations. Api794 and Api795 were highly stable against serum proteases (half-life times >5 h) and non-hemolytic to human erythrocytes at peptide concentrations of 0.6 g/L. At this concentration, Api795 reduced the cell viability of HeLa cells only slightly, whereas the IC50 of Api794 was 0.23 ± 0.09 g/L. Confocal fluorescence microscopy revealed no colocalization of 5(6)-carboxyfluorescein-labeled Api794 or Api795 with the mitochondria, excluding interactions with the mitochondrial membrane. Interestingly, Api795 was localized in endosomes, whereas Api794 was present in endosomes and the cytosol. This was verified using flow cytometry showing a 50% higher uptake of Api794 in HeLa cells compared with Api795. The uptake was reduced for both peptides by 50 and 80%, respectively, after inhibiting endocytotic uptake with dynasore. In summary, Api794 and Api795 were highly active against P. aeruginosa in vitro. Both peptides passed across the bacterial membrane efficiently, most likely then disturbing the ribosome assembly, and resulting in further intracellular damage. Api795 with its IOIO-motif, which was particularly active and only slightly toxic in vitro, appears to represent a promising third generation lead compound for the development of novel antibiotics against P. aeruginosa.