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Cao XW, Wang FJ, Liew OW, Lu YZ, Zhao J. Analysis of Triterpenoid Saponins Reveals Insights into Structural Features Associated with Potent Protein Drug Enhancement Effects. Mol Pharm 2020; 17:683-694. [PMID: 31913047 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.9b01158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Plant-based saponins are amphipathic glycosides composed of a hydrophobic aglycone backbone covalently bound to one or more hydrophilic sugar moieties. Recently, the endosomal escape activity of triterpenoid saponins has been investigated as a potentially powerful tool for improved cytosolic penetration of protein drugs internalized by endocytic uptake, thereby greatly enhancing their pharmacological effects. However, only a few saponins have been studied, and the paucity in understanding the structure-activity relationship of saponins imposes significant limitations on their applications. To address this knowledge gap, 12 triterpenoid saponins with diverse structural side chains were screened for their utility as endosomolytic agents. These compounds were used in combination with a toxin (MAP30-HBP) comprising a type I ribosome-inactivating protein fused to a cell-penetrating peptide. Suitability of saponins as endosomolytic agents was assessed on the basis of cytotoxicity, endosomal escape promotion, and synergistic effects on toxins. Five saponins showed strong endosomal escape activity, enhancing MAP30-HBP cytotoxicity by more than 106 to 109 folds. These saponins also enhanced the apoptotic effect of MAP30-HBP in a pH-dependent manner. Additionally, growth inhibition of MAP30-HBP-treated SMMC-7721 cells was greater than that of similarly treated HeLa cells, suggesting that saponin-mediated endosomolytic effect is likely to be cell-specific. Furthermore, the structural features and hydrophobicity of the sugar side chains were analyzed to draw correlations with endosomal escape activity and derive predictive rules, thus providing new insights into structure-activity relationships of saponins. This study revealed new saponins that can potentially be exploited as efficient cytosolic delivery reagents for improved therapeutic drug effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue-Wei Cao
- Department of Applied Biology , East China University of Science and Technology , 130 Meilong Road , Shanghai 200237 , China
| | - Fu-Jun Wang
- New Drug R&D Center , Zhejiang Fonow Medicine Company, Ltd. , 209 West Hulian Road , Dongyang 322100 , Zhejiang , China.,Shanghai R&D Center for Standardization of Chinese Medicines , 1200 Cailun Road , Shanghai 201203 , China.,Institute of Chinese Materia , Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine , 1200 Cailun Road , Shanghai 201203 , China
| | - Oi-Wah Liew
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, National University Health System , Centre for Translational Medicine , MD6#08-01, 14 Medical Drive , 117599 , Singapore
| | - Ye-Zhou Lu
- Department of Applied Biology , East China University of Science and Technology , 130 Meilong Road , Shanghai 200237 , China
| | - Jian Zhao
- Department of Applied Biology , East China University of Science and Technology , 130 Meilong Road , Shanghai 200237 , China.,State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering , East China University of Science and Technology , 130 Meilong Road , Shanghai 200237 , China
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Scirè A, Tanfani F, Ausili A. A Spectroscopic Study on Secondary Structure and Thermal Unfolding of the Plant Toxin Gelonin Confirms Some Typical Structural Characteristics and Unravels the Sequence of Thermal Unfolding Events. Toxins (Basel) 2019; 11:toxins11090483. [PMID: 31443430 PMCID: PMC6783991 DOI: 10.3390/toxins11090483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2019] [Revised: 08/19/2019] [Accepted: 08/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Gelonin from the Indian plant Gelonium multiflorum belongs to the type I ribosome-inactivating proteins (RIPs). Like other members of RIPs, this toxin glycoprotein inhibits protein synthesis of eukaryotic cells; hence, it is largely used in the construction of immunotoxins composed of cell-targeted antibodies. Lysosomal degradation is one of the main issues in targeted tumor therapies, especially for type I RIP-based toxins, as they lack the translocation domains. The result is an attenuated cytosolic delivery and a decrease of the antitumor efficacy of these plant-derived toxins; therefore, strategies to permit their release from endosomal vesicles or modifications of the toxins to make them resistant to degradation are necessary to improve their efficacy. Using infrared spectroscopy, we thoroughly analyzed both the secondary structure and the thermal unfolding of gelonin. Moreover, by the combination of two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy and phase diagram method, it was possible to deduce the sequence of events during the unfolding, confirming the typical characteristic of the RIP members to denature in two steps, as a sequential loss of tertiary and secondary structure was detected at 58 °C and at 65 °C, respectively. Additionally, some discrepancies in the unfolding process between gelonin and saporin-S6, another type I RIP protein, were detected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Scirè
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, 60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Fabio Tanfani
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, 60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Alessio Ausili
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular "A", Facultad de Veterinaria, Regional Campus of International Excellence "Campus Mare Nostrum", Universidad de Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain.
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Dhez AC, Benedetti E, Antonosante A, Panella G, Ranieri B, Florio TM, Cristiano L, Angelucci F, Giansanti F, Di Leandro L, d'Angelo M, Melone M, De Cola A, Federici L, Galzio R, Cascone I, Raineri F, Cimini A, Courty J, Giordano A, Ippoliti R. Targeted therapy of human glioblastoma via delivery of a toxin through a peptide directed to cell surface nucleolin. J Cell Physiol 2018; 233:4091-4105. [PMID: 28941284 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.26205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2017] [Accepted: 09/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Targeted anticancer therapies demand discovery of new cellular targets to be exploited for the delivery of toxic molecules and drugs. In this perspective, in the last few years, nucleolin has been identified as an interesting surface marker to be used for the therapy of glioblastoma. In this study, we investigated whether a synthetic antagonist of cell-surface nucleolin known as N6L, previously reported to decrease both tumor growth and tumor angiogenesis in several cancer cell lines, including glioblastoma cells, as well as endothelial cells proliferation, could be exploited to deliver a protein toxin (saporin) to glioblastoma cells. The pseudopeptide N6L cross-linked to saporin-S6 induced internalization of the toxin inside glioblastoma cancer cells. Our results in vitro demonstrated the effectiveness of this conjugate in inducing cell death, with an ID50 four orders of magnitude lower than that observed for free N6L. Furthermore, the preliminary in vivo study demonstrated efficiency in reducing the tumor mass in an orthotopic mouse model of glioblastoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne-Chloé Dhez
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
- Université Paris-Est, UPEC, Créteil, France
- CNRS, ERL 9215, Laboratoire de Recherche sur la Croissance Cellulaire, la Réparation et la Régénération Tissulaires (CRRET), Créteil, France
| | - Elisabetta Benedetti
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Andrea Antonosante
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Gloria Panella
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Brigida Ranieri
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Tiziana M Florio
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Loredana Cristiano
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Francesco Angelucci
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Francesco Giansanti
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Luana Di Leandro
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Michele d'Angelo
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Marina Melone
- Department of Biology, Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Department of Medical, Surgical, Neurological, Metabolic Sciences and Aging, 2nd Division of Neurology, Center for Rare Diseases and InterUniversity Center for Research in Neurosciences, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy
| | - Antonella De Cola
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Sciences, University of Chieti 'G. D'Annunzio', Chieti, Italy
| | - Luca Federici
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Sciences, University of Chieti 'G. D'Annunzio', Chieti, Italy
| | - Renato Galzio
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Ilaria Cascone
- Université Paris-Est, UPEC, Créteil, France
- CNRS, ERL 9215, Laboratoire de Recherche sur la Croissance Cellulaire, la Réparation et la Régénération Tissulaires (CRRET), Créteil, France
| | - Fabio Raineri
- Université Paris-Est, UPEC, Créteil, France
- CNRS, ERL 9215, Laboratoire de Recherche sur la Croissance Cellulaire, la Réparation et la Régénération Tissulaires (CRRET), Créteil, France
| | - Annamaria Cimini
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
- Department of Biology, Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN), Gran Sasso National Laboratory (LNGS), Assergi, Italy
| | - José Courty
- Université Paris-Est, UPEC, Créteil, France
- CNRS, ERL 9215, Laboratoire de Recherche sur la Croissance Cellulaire, la Réparation et la Régénération Tissulaires (CRRET), Créteil, France
| | - Antonio Giordano
- Department of Biology, Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Neuroscience, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Rodolfo Ippoliti
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
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Augmenting the Efficacy of Immunotoxins and Other Targeted Protein Toxins by Endosomal Escape Enhancers. Toxins (Basel) 2016; 8:toxins8070200. [PMID: 27376327 PMCID: PMC4963833 DOI: 10.3390/toxins8070200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2016] [Revised: 06/14/2016] [Accepted: 06/17/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The toxic moiety of almost all protein-based targeted toxins must enter the cytosol of the target cell to mediate its fatal effect. Although more than 500 targeted toxins have been investigated in the past decades, no antibody-targeted protein toxin has been approved for tumor therapeutic applications by the authorities to date. Missing efficacy can be attributed in many cases to insufficient endosomal escape and therefore subsequent lysosomal degradation of the endocytosed toxins. To overcome this drawback, many strategies have been described to weaken the membrane integrity of endosomes. This comprises the use of lysosomotropic amines, carboxylic ionophores, calcium channel antagonists, various cell-penetrating peptides of viral, bacterial, plant, animal, human and synthetic origin, other organic molecules and light-induced techniques. Although the efficacy of the targeted toxins was typically augmented in cell culture hundred or thousand fold, in exceptional cases more than million fold, the combination of several substances harbors new problems including additional side effects, loss of target specificity, difficulties to determine the therapeutic window and cell type-dependent variations. This review critically scrutinizes the chances and challenges of endosomal escape enhancers and their potential role in future developments.
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Lizzi AR, D'Alessandro AM, Bozzi A, Cinque B, Oratore A, D'Andrea G. Pattern expression of glycan residues in AZT-treated K562 cells analyzed by lectin cytochemistry. Mol Cell Biochem 2007; 300:29-37. [PMID: 17440690 DOI: 10.1007/s11010-006-9343-z] [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: 07/21/2006] [Accepted: 09/28/2006] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
The present paper shows that human chronic myeloid (K562) cells exposed 3 h to 20 microM 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine (AZT) exhibit marked variations of the oligosaccharide moiety of glycoconjugates. These changes were analyzed by confocal fluorescence microscopy, upon incubation of control and AZT-treated cells with biotin-lectin conjugates to visualize cell surface glycans or total glycans after cells permeabilization. In addition, cell fluorescence distribution of the biotinylated lectins, localized with streptavidin conjugates labeled with Alexa Fluor 488, was analyzed by flow cytometry. The results obtained show significant variations on the expression/distribution of membrane surface glycans as detected by both WGA and SNA, two lectins that recognize primarily cellular internal membrane glycolipids. A further interesting result was the significant increase of N-acetylglucosamine linked glycans localized either at the cell surface or intracellularly but only in K562 cells exposed to AZT. On the whole, our data demonstrate that AZT alters both lipid and N-linked glycosylations thus confirming previous observations, from our laboratory and from other Authors, that the drug impair the nucleotide-sugar import in the Golgi's lumen. AZT does also alter the O-linked glycosylations that occur in the Golgi complex since these reactions require the incorporation of sialic acid, GlcNAc and GalNAc all of which are sensitive to the drug.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Rita Lizzi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Technologies, University of L'Aquila, 67100 L'Aquila, Italy
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