Compositions and methods for using actin-based peptides to modulate cellular bioactivity and cellular susceptibility to intracellular pathogens

A method for controlling viral or bacterial infection, comprising administering an actin-based peptide to a cell, virus, or bacteria, in an amount sufficient to inhibit or enhance infection of said virus or bacteria, wherein the actin-based peptide comprises:

• an actin core domain and a cell penetration domain, operably linked together by a a spacer domain,
• wherein an N-terminus or C-terminus may have either the actin core domain or the cell penetration domain, and
• wherein the actin core domain is a N7 core domain having the sequence IMFETFN, which are the amino acids 2-8 of SEQ ID NO:854.

A method for modulating actin dynamics, comprising delivering into a cell one or more actin-based peptides in an amount effective to modulate actin dynamics, wherein the actin-based peptide comprises:

• an actin core domain and a cell penetration domain, operably linked together by a a spacer domain,
• wherein an N-terminus or C-terminus may have either the actin core domain or the cell penetration domain, and
• wherein the actin core domain is a N7 core domain having the sequence IMFETFN, which are the amino acids 2-8 of SEQ ID NO:854.

A method for modulating cellular bioactivity, comprising delivering into a cell one or more actin-based peptides in an amount effective to modulate cellular bioactivity, wherein the actin-based peptide comprises:

• an actin core domain and a cell penetration domain, operably linked together by a a spacer domain,
• wherein an N-terminus or C-terminus may have either the actin core domain or the cell penetration domain, and
• wherein the actin core domain is a N7 core domain having the sequence IMFETFN, which are the amino acids 2-8 of SEQ ID NO:854.