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Kavaliauskaitė J, Kazlauskaitė A, Lazutka JR, Mozolevskis G, Stirkė A. Pulsed Electric Fields Alter Expression of NF-κB Promoter-Controlled Gene. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 23:ijms23010451. [PMID: 35008875 PMCID: PMC8745616 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23010451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2021] [Revised: 12/19/2021] [Accepted: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The possibility to artificially adjust and fine-tune gene expression is one of the key milestones in bioengineering, synthetic biology, and advanced medicine. Since the effects of proteins or other transgene products depend on the dosage, controlled gene expression is required for any applications, where even slight fluctuations of the transgene product impact its function or other critical cell parameters. In this context, physical techniques demonstrate optimistic perspectives, and pulsed electric field technology is a potential candidate for a noninvasive, biophysical gene regulator, exploiting an easily adjustable pulse generating device. We exposed mammalian cells, transfected with a NF-κB pathway-controlled transcription system, to a range of microsecond-duration pulsed electric field parameters. To prevent toxicity, we used protocols that would generate relatively mild physical stimulation. The present study, for the first time, proves the principle that microsecond-duration pulsed electric fields can alter single-gene expression in plasmid context in mammalian cells without significant damage to cell integrity or viability. Gene expression might be upregulated or downregulated depending on the cell line and parameters applied. This noninvasive, ligand-, cofactor-, nanoparticle-free approach enables easily controlled direct electrostimulation of the construct carrying the gene of interest; the discovery may contribute towards the path of simplification of the complexity of physical systems in gene regulation and create further synergies between electronics, synthetic biology, and medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justina Kavaliauskaitė
- Laboratory of Bioelectrics, Center for Physical Sciences and Technology, Sauletekio Ave. 3, LT-10257 Vilnius, Lithuania; (J.K.); (A.K.)
- Department of Botany and Genetics, Institute of Biosciences, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Sauletekio Ave. 7, LT-10222 Vilnius, Lithuania;
| | - Auksė Kazlauskaitė
- Laboratory of Bioelectrics, Center for Physical Sciences and Technology, Sauletekio Ave. 3, LT-10257 Vilnius, Lithuania; (J.K.); (A.K.)
- Department of Botany and Genetics, Institute of Biosciences, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Sauletekio Ave. 7, LT-10222 Vilnius, Lithuania;
| | - Juozas Rimantas Lazutka
- Department of Botany and Genetics, Institute of Biosciences, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Sauletekio Ave. 7, LT-10222 Vilnius, Lithuania;
| | - Gatis Mozolevskis
- Laboratory of Prototyping of Electronic and Photonic Devices, Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Latvia, Kengaraga Str. 8, LV-1063 Riga, Latvia;
| | - Arūnas Stirkė
- Laboratory of Bioelectrics, Center for Physical Sciences and Technology, Sauletekio Ave. 3, LT-10257 Vilnius, Lithuania; (J.K.); (A.K.)
- Laboratory of Prototyping of Electronic and Photonic Devices, Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Latvia, Kengaraga Str. 8, LV-1063 Riga, Latvia;
- Correspondence:
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Prasmickaite L, Cekaite L, Hellum M, Hovig E, Høgset A, Berg K. Transcriptome changes in a colon adenocarcinoma cell line in response to photochemical treatment as used in photochemical internalisation (PCI). FEBS Lett 2006; 580:5739-46. [PMID: 17007842 DOI: 10.1016/j.febslet.2006.09.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2006] [Accepted: 09/15/2006] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
The photochemical internalisation (PCI) technology liberates endocytosed macromolecules like transgenes from endocytic vesicles in response to photochemical treatment. Thereby PCI improves gene transfection and is suggested for use in gene therapy. It has been proposed that PCI might also stimulate transcription of internalised transgenes, especially if they are controlled by photochemically inducible promoters (transcriptional targeting). In order to identify inducible promoters, and to evaluate the treatments influence on cellular transcriptional activity, the effect of the photochemical treatment as used in PCI (with the photosensitizer disulfonated meso-tetraphenylporphin followed by illumination) on gene transcription in WiDr adenocarcinoma cells was evaluated using microarrays. The expression of 390 genes were identified significantly changed (89% were up-regulated), of which genes associated with DNA binding and transcriptional functions were the most represented. This may be important for the expression of a photochemically internalised transgene under a specific promoter control. Real-time PCR verified photochemical up-regulation of the HSP family genes, as well as down-regulation of EGR-1 at 2-10h post-treatment, suggesting that the HSP (particularly HSP70), in addition to the microarray-identified metallothioneins, but not the EGR-1 promoters, could be relevant promoter candidates for transcriptional targeting via PCI. The resulting overview of gene expression changes in WiDr cells exposed to the PCI-relevant photochemical treatment also provide a basis for the design of new PCI-based strategies with respect of transcriptional targeting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina Prasmickaite
- Department of Radiation Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Montebello, N-0310 Oslo, Norway.
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