1
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Gu G, Brown M, Agan V, Nevills S, Hu R, Simmons A, Xu Y, Yang Y, Yagan M, Najam S, Dadi P, Sampson L, Magnuson M, Jacobson D, Lau K, Hodges E. Endocrine islet β-cell subtypes with differential function are derived from biochemically distinct embryonic endocrine islet progenitors that are regulated by maternal nutrients. RESEARCH SQUARE 2024:rs.3.rs-3946483. [PMID: 38496675 PMCID: PMC10942487 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3946483/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
Endocrine islet b cells comprise heterogenous cell subsets. Yet when/how these subsets are produced and how stable they are remain unknown. Addressing these questions is important for preventing/curing diabetes, because lower numbers of b cells with better secretory function is a high risk of this disease. Using combinatorial cell lineage tracing, scRNA-seq, and DNA methylation analysis, we show here that embryonic islet progenitors with distinct gene expression and DNA methylation produce b-cell subtypes of different function and viability in adult mice. The subtype with better function is enriched for genes involved in vesicular production/trafficking, stress response, and Ca2+-secretion coupling, which further correspond to differential DNA methylation in putative enhancers of these genes. Maternal overnutrition, a major diabetes risk factor, reduces the proportion of endocrine progenitors of the b-cell subtype with better-function via deregulating DNA methyl transferase 3a. Intriguingly, the gene signature that defines mouse b-cell subtypes can reliably divide human cells into two sub-populations while the proportion of b cells with better-function is reduced in diabetic donors. The implication of these results is that modulating DNA methylation in islet progenitors using maternal food supplements can be explored to improve b-cell function in the prevention and therapy of diabetes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Yilin Yang
- Vanderbilty University School of Medicine
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2
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Ye L, Lam SZ, Yang L, Suzuki K, Zou Y, Lin Q, Zhang Y, Clark P, Peng L, Chen S. AAV-mediated delivery of a Sleeping Beauty transposon and an mRNA-encoded transposase for the engineering of therapeutic immune cells. Nat Biomed Eng 2024; 8:132-148. [PMID: 37430157 DOI: 10.1038/s41551-023-01058-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023]
Abstract
Engineering cells for adoptive therapy requires overcoming limitations in cell viability and, in the efficiency of transgene delivery, the duration of transgene expression and the stability of genomic integration. Here we report a gene-delivery system consisting of a Sleeping Beauty (SB) transposase encoded into a messenger RNA delivered by an adeno-associated virus (AAV) encoding an SB transposon that includes the desired transgene, for mediating the permanent integration of the transgene. Compared with lentiviral vectors and with the electroporation of plasmids of transposon DNA or minicircle DNA, the gene-delivery system, which we named MAJESTIC (for 'mRNA AAV-SB joint engineering of stable therapeutic immune cells'), offers prolonged transgene expression, as well as higher transgene expression, therapeutic-cell yield and cell viability. MAJESTIC can deliver chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) into T cells (which we show lead to strong anti-tumour activity in vivo) and also transduce natural killer cells, myeloid cells and induced pluripotent stem cells with bi-specific CARs, kill-switch CARs and synthetic T-cell receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lupeng Ye
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- System Biology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, CT, USA
- Center for Cancer Systems Biology, Yale University, West Haven, CT, USA
- Institute of Modern Biology, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Stanley Z Lam
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- System Biology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, CT, USA
- Center for Cancer Systems Biology, Yale University, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - Luojia Yang
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- System Biology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, CT, USA
- Center for Cancer Systems Biology, Yale University, West Haven, CT, USA
- Molecular Cell Biology, Genetics, and Development Program, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Kazushi Suzuki
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- System Biology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, CT, USA
- Center for Cancer Systems Biology, Yale University, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - Yongji Zou
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- System Biology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, CT, USA
- Center for Cancer Systems Biology, Yale University, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - Qianqian Lin
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- System Biology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, CT, USA
- Center for Cancer Systems Biology, Yale University, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - Yueqi Zhang
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- System Biology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, CT, USA
- Center for Cancer Systems Biology, Yale University, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - Paul Clark
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- System Biology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, CT, USA
- Center for Cancer Systems Biology, Yale University, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - Lei Peng
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- System Biology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, CT, USA
- Center for Cancer Systems Biology, Yale University, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - Sidi Chen
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
- System Biology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, CT, USA.
- Center for Cancer Systems Biology, Yale University, West Haven, CT, USA.
- Molecular Cell Biology, Genetics, and Development Program, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
- Immunobiology Program, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
- Yale Comprehensive Cancer Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
- Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
- Yale Center for Biomedical Data Science, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
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3
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Jin Z, Lakshmanan A, Zhang R, Tran TA, Rabut C, Dutka P, Duan M, Hurt RC, Malounda D, Yao Y, Shapiro MG. Ultrasonic reporters of calcium for deep tissue imaging of cellular signals. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.09.566364. [PMID: 37986929 PMCID: PMC10659314 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.09.566364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
Calcium imaging has enabled major biological discoveries. However, the scattering of light by tissue limits the use of standard fluorescent calcium indicators in living animals. To address this limitation, we introduce the first genetically encoded ultrasonic reporter of calcium (URoC). Based on a unique class of air-filled protein nanostructures called gas vesicles, we engineered URoC to produce elevated nonlinear ultrasound signal upon binding to calcium ions. With URoC expressed in mammalian cells, we demonstrate noninvasive ultrasound imaging of calcium signaling in vivo during drug-induced receptor activation. URoC brings the depth and resolution advantages of ultrasound to the in vivo imaging of dynamic cellular function and paves the way for acoustic biosensing of a broader variety of biological signals.
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4
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Seeger C. A CRISPR-based system to investigate HBV cccDNA biology. J Virol 2023; 97:e0118523. [PMID: 37819132 PMCID: PMC10617570 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01185-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Hepatitis B virus cccDNA is the key target for the necessary development of antiviral therapies aimed at curing chronic hepatitis B. The CRISPR-based system to produce covalently closed circular (cccDNA)-like extrachromosomal DNAs described in this report enables large-scale screens of chemical libraries to identify drug candidates with the potential to permanently inactivate cccDNA. Moreover, this approach permits investigations on unresolved problems as described in this report concerning cccDNA biology including mechanisms of SMC5/6-dependent transcriptional silencing and the contributions of the SMC5/6 complex to cccDNA stability in resting and dividing hepatocytes.
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5
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Hua WK, Hsu JC, Chen YC, Chang PS, Wen KLK, Wang PN, Yang WC, Shen CN, Yu YS, Chen YC, Cheng IC, Wu SCY. Quantum pBac: An effective, high-capacity piggyBac-based gene integration vector system for unlocking gene therapy potential. FASEB J 2023; 37:e23108. [PMID: 37534940 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202201654r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Revised: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023]
Abstract
Recent advances in gene therapy have brought novel treatment options for cancer. However, the full potential of this approach has yet to be unlocked due to the limited payload capacity of commonly utilized viral vectors. Virus-free DNA transposons, including piggyBac, have the potential to obviate these shortcomings. In this study, we improved a previously modified piggyBac system with superior transposition efficiency. We demonstrated that the internal domain sequences (IDS) within the 3' terminal repeat domain of hyperactive piggyBac (hyPB) donor vector contain dominant enhancer elements. Plasmid-free donor vector devoid of IDS was used in conjunction with a helper plasmid expressing Quantum PBase™ v2 to generate an optimal piggyBac system, Quantum pBac™ (qPB), for use in T cells. qPB outperformed hyPB in CD20/CD19 CAR-T production in terms of performance as well as yield of the CAR-T cells produced. Furthermore, qPB also produced CAR-T cells with lower donor-associated variabilities compared to lentiviral vector. Importantly, qPB yielded mainly CD8+ CAR-TSCM cells, and the qPB-produced CAR-T cells effectively eliminated CD20/CD19-expressing tumor cells both in vitro and in vivo. Our findings confirm qPB as a promising virus-free vector system with an enhanced payload capacity to incorporate multiple genes. This highly efficient and potentially safe system will be expected to further advance gene therapy applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei-Kai Hua
- GenomeFrontier Therapeutics, Inc, New Taipei City, Taiwan ROC
| | - Jeff C Hsu
- GenomeFrontier Therapeutics, Inc, New Taipei City, Taiwan ROC
| | - Yi-Chun Chen
- GenomeFrontier Therapeutics, Inc, New Taipei City, Taiwan ROC
| | - Peter S Chang
- GenomeFrontier Therapeutics, Inc, New Taipei City, Taiwan ROC
| | | | - Po-Nan Wang
- Division of Hematology, Chang Gung Medical Foundation, Taipei City, Taiwan ROC
| | - Wei-Cheng Yang
- Biomedical Translation Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei City, Taiwan ROC
| | - Chia-Ning Shen
- Biomedical Translation Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei City, Taiwan ROC
- Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei City, Taiwan ROC
| | - Yi-Shan Yu
- GenomeFrontier Therapeutics, Inc, New Taipei City, Taiwan ROC
| | - Ying-Chun Chen
- GenomeFrontier Therapeutics, Inc, New Taipei City, Taiwan ROC
| | - I-Cheng Cheng
- GenomeFrontier Therapeutics, Inc, New Taipei City, Taiwan ROC
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6
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Zhang P, Zhang G, Wan X. Challenges and new technologies in adoptive cell therapy. J Hematol Oncol 2023; 16:97. [PMID: 37596653 PMCID: PMC10439661 DOI: 10.1186/s13045-023-01492-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Adoptive cell therapies (ACTs) have existed for decades. From the initial infusion of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes to the subsequent specific enhanced T cell receptor (TCR)-T and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapies, many novel strategies for cancer treatment have been developed. Owing to its promising outcomes, CAR-T cell therapy has revolutionized the field of ACTs, particularly for hematologic malignancies. Despite these advances, CAR-T cell therapy still has limitations in both autologous and allogeneic settings, including practicality and toxicity issues. To overcome these challenges, researchers have focused on the application of CAR engineering technology to other types of immune cell engineering. Consequently, several new cell therapies based on CAR technology have been developed, including CAR-NK, CAR-macrophage, CAR-γδT, and CAR-NKT. In this review, we describe the development, advantages, and possible challenges of the aforementioned ACTs and discuss current strategies aimed at maximizing the therapeutic potential of ACTs. We also provide an overview of the various gene transduction strategies employed in immunotherapy given their importance in immune cell engineering. Furthermore, we discuss the possibility that strategies capable of creating a positive feedback immune circuit, as healthy immune systems do, could address the flaw of a single type of ACT, and thus serve as key players in future cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengchao Zhang
- Center for Protein and Cell-based Drugs, Institute of Biomedicine and Biotechnology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1068 Xueyuan Avenue, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, 518055, People's Republic of China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, People's Republic of China
| | - Guizhong Zhang
- Center for Protein and Cell-based Drugs, Institute of Biomedicine and Biotechnology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1068 Xueyuan Avenue, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, 518055, People's Republic of China.
| | - Xiaochun Wan
- Center for Protein and Cell-based Drugs, Institute of Biomedicine and Biotechnology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1068 Xueyuan Avenue, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, 518055, People's Republic of China.
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7
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Pilat JM, Brown RE, Chen Z, Berle NJ, Othon AP, Washington MK, Anant SA, Kurokawa S, Ng VH, Thompson JJ, Jacobse J, Goettel JA, Lee E, Choksi YA, Lau KS, Short SP, Williams CS. SELENOP modifies sporadic colorectal carcinogenesis and WNT signaling activity through LRP5/6 interactions. J Clin Invest 2023; 133:e165988. [PMID: 37166989 PMCID: PMC10313376 DOI: 10.1172/jci165988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Although selenium deficiency correlates with colorectal cancer (CRC) risk, the roles of the selenium-rich antioxidant selenoprotein P (SELENOP) in CRC remain unclear. In this study, we defined SELENOP's contributions to sporadic CRC. In human single-cell cRNA-Seq (scRNA-Seq) data sets, we discovered that SELENOP expression rose as normal colon stem cells transformed into adenomas that progressed into carcinomas. We next examined the effects of Selenop KO in a mouse adenoma model that involved conditional, intestinal epithelium-specific deletion of the tumor suppressor adenomatous polyposis coli (Apc) and found that Selenop KO decreased colon tumor incidence and size. We mechanistically interrogated SELENOP-driven phenotypes in tumor organoids as well as in CRC and noncancer cell lines. Selenop-KO tumor organoids demonstrated defects in organoid formation and decreases in WNT target gene expression, which could be reversed by SELENOP restoration. Moreover, SELENOP increased canonical WNT signaling activity in noncancer and CRC cell lines. In defining the mechanism of action of SELENOP, we mapped protein-protein interactions between SELENOP and the WNT coreceptors low-density lipoprotein receptor-related proteins 5 and 6 (LRP5/6). Last, we confirmed that SELENOP-LRP5/6 interactions contributed to the effects of SELENOP on WNT activity. Overall, our results position SELENOP as a modulator of the WNT signaling pathway in sporadic CRC.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rachel E. Brown
- Program in Cancer Biology
- Medical Scientist Training Program, and
| | - Zhengyi Chen
- Program in Chemical and Physical Biology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Epithelial Biology Center, VUMC, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Nathaniel J. Berle
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC), Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | | | - M. Kay Washington
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | | | - Suguru Kurokawa
- Department of Pharmacy, Osaka Ohtani University, Tondabayashi, Osaka, Japan
| | | | | | - Justin Jacobse
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC), Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Willem Alexander Children’s Hospital, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
- Veterans Affairs Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Jeremy A. Goettel
- Program in Cancer Biology
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC), Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Center for Mucosal Inflammation and Cancer, VUMC, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Ethan Lee
- Program in Cancer Biology
- Epithelial Biology Center, VUMC, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology and
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Yash A. Choksi
- Program in Cancer Biology
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC), Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Veterans Affairs Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Center for Mucosal Inflammation and Cancer, VUMC, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Ken S. Lau
- Program in Chemical and Physical Biology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Epithelial Biology Center, VUMC, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Center for Mucosal Inflammation and Cancer, VUMC, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology and
- Department of Surgery, VUMC, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Sarah P. Short
- Program in Cancer Biology
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC), Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Center for Mucosal Inflammation and Cancer, VUMC, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Christopher S. Williams
- Program in Cancer Biology
- Medical Scientist Training Program, and
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC), Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Veterans Affairs Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Center for Mucosal Inflammation and Cancer, VUMC, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
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8
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Ssemadaali MA, Arredondo J, Buser EA, Newmyer S, Radhakrishnan H, Javitz HS, Dandekar S, Bhatnagar P. Genetically engineered pair of cells for serological testing and its application for SARS-CoV-2. Bioeng Transl Med 2023; 8:e10508. [PMID: 37206248 PMCID: PMC10189431 DOI: 10.1002/btm2.10508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023] Open
Abstract
We have developed a serology test platform for identifying individuals with prior exposure to specific viral infections and provide data to help reduce public health risks. The serology test composed of a pair of cell lines engineered to express either a viral envelop protein (Target Cell) or a receptor to recognize the Fc region of an antibody (Reporter Cell), that is, Diagnostic-Cell-Complex (DxCell-Complex). The formation of an immune synapse, facilitated by the analyte antibody, resulted into a dual-reporter protein expression by the Reporter Cell. We validated it with human serum with confirmed history of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. No signal amplification steps were necessary. The DxCell-Complex quantitatively detected the target-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) within 1 h. Validation with clinical human serum containing SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies confirmed 97.04% sensitivity and 93.33% specificity. The platform can be redirected against other antibodies. Self-replication and activation-induced cell signaling, two attributes of the cell, will enable rapid and cost-effective manufacturing and its operation in healthcare facilities without requiring time-consuming signal amplification steps.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Juan Arredondo
- Medical Microbiology and ImmunologyUniversity of California DavisDavisCalifornia95616United States
| | - Elise A. Buser
- Medical Microbiology and ImmunologyUniversity of California DavisDavisCalifornia95616United States
| | - Sherri Newmyer
- Biosciences DivisionSRI InternationalMenlo ParkCalifornia94025United States
| | | | - Harold S. Javitz
- Education DivisionSRI InternationalMenlo ParkCalifornia94025United States
| | - Satya Dandekar
- Medical Microbiology and ImmunologyUniversity of California DavisDavisCalifornia95616United States
| | - Parijat Bhatnagar
- Biosciences DivisionSRI InternationalMenlo ParkCalifornia94025United States
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9
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Ye L, Lam SZ, Yang L, Suzuki K, Zou Y, Lin Q, Zhang Y, Clark P, Peng L, Chen S. Therapeutic immune cell engineering with an mRNA : AAV- Sleeping Beauty composite system. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.14.532651. [PMID: 36993594 PMCID: PMC10055155 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.14.532651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Adoptive cell therapy has shown clinical success in patients with hematological malignancies. Immune cell engineering is critical for production, research, and development of cell therapy; however, current approaches for generation of therapeutic immune cells face various limitations. Here, we establish a composite gene delivery system for the highly efficient engineering of therapeutic immune cells. This system, termed MAJESTIC ( m RNA A AV-Sleeping-Beauty J oint E ngineering of S table T herapeutic I mmune C ells), combines the merits of mRNA, AAV vector, and transposon into one composite system. In MAJESTIC, the transient mRNA component encodes a transposase that mediates permanent genomic integration of the Sleeping Beauty (SB) transposon, which carries the gene-of-interest and is embedded within the AAV vector. This system can transduce diverse immune cell types with low cellular toxicity and achieve highly efficient and stable therapeutic cargo delivery. Compared with conventional gene delivery systems, such as lentiviral vector, DNA transposon plasmid, or minicircle electroporation, MAJESTIC shows higher cell viability, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) transgene expression, therapeutic cell yield, as well as prolonged transgene expression. CAR-T cells generated by MAJESTIC are functional and have strong anti-tumor activity in vivo . This system also demonstrates versatility for engineering different cell therapy constructs such as canonical CAR, bi-specific CAR, kill switch CAR, and synthetic TCR; and for CAR delivery into various immune cells, including T cells, natural killer cells, myeloid cells, and induced pluripotent stem cells.
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10
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Newmyer S, Ssemadaali MA, Radhakrishnan H, Javitz HS, Bhatnagar P. Electrically regulated cell-based intervention for viral infections. Bioeng Transl Med 2023; 8:e10434. [PMID: 36925710 PMCID: PMC10013824 DOI: 10.1002/btm2.10434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
This work reports on an engineered cell that-when electrically stimulated-synthesizes a desired protein, that is, ES-Biofactory. The platform has been used to express interferon (IFN)-β as a universal antiviral protein. Compelling evidence indicates the inevitability of new pandemics and drives the need for a pan-viral intervention that may be quickly deployed while more specific vaccines are in development. Toward this goal, a fast-growing mammalian cell (Chassis) has been engineered with multiple synthetic elements. These include-(1) a voltage-gated Ca2+ channel (Voltage-Sensor) that, upon sensing the electric field, activates the (2) Ca2+-mediated signaling pathway (Actuator) to upregulate (3) IFN-β, via an engineered antiviral transgene (Effector), that is, ES-Biofactory➔IFN-β. The antiviral effects of the ES-Biofactory➔IFN-β have been validated on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-infected cells. The irradiated ES-Biofactory, that does not exhibit oncogenic capacity, continues to exert antiviral effect. The resulting ES-Biofactory➔IFN-β uses a novel signaling pathway that, unlike the natural IFN synthesis pathway, is not subject to viral interference. Once clinically validated, the ES-Biofactory will be a universal antiviral cell therapy that can be immediately deployed in the event of an outbreak. The platform may also be useful in treating other diseases including cancer and autoimmune disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sherri Newmyer
- Biosciences Division SRI International Menlo Park California USA
| | | | | | - Harold S Javitz
- Education Division SRI International Menlo Park California USA
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11
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Arroyo JP, Terker AS, Zuchowski Y, Watts JA, Bock F, Meyer C, Luo W, Kapp ME, Gould ER, Miranda AX, Carty J, Jiang M, Vanacore RM, Hammock E, Wilson MH, Zent R, Zhang M, Bhave G, Harris RC. Kidney collecting duct cells make vasopressin in response to NaCl-induced hypertonicity. JCI Insight 2022; 7:e161765. [PMID: 36326835 PMCID: PMC9869977 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.161765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 10/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Vasopressin has traditionally been thought to be produced by the neurohypophyseal system and then released into the circulation where it regulates water homeostasis. The questions of whether vasopressin could be produced outside of the brain and if the kidney could be a source of vasopressin are raised by the syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (vasopressin). We found that mouse and human kidneys expressed vasopressin mRNA. Using an antibody that detects preprovasopressin, we found that immunoreactive preprovasopressin protein was found in mouse and human kidneys. Moreover, we found that murine collecting duct cells made biologically active vasopressin, which increased in response to NaCl-mediated hypertonicity, and that water restriction increased the abundance of kidney-derived vasopressin mRNA and protein expression in mouse kidneys. Thus, we provide evidence of biologically active production of kidney-derived vasopressin in kidney tubular epithelial cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Pablo Arroyo
- Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, and
- Vanderbilt Center for Kidney Disease, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Andrew S. Terker
- Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, and
- Vanderbilt Center for Kidney Disease, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Yvonne Zuchowski
- Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, and
| | - Jason A. Watts
- Epigenetics and Stem Cell Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, NIH, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Fabian Bock
- Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, and
- Vanderbilt Center for Kidney Disease, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Cameron Meyer
- Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, and
| | - Wentian Luo
- Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, and
| | - Meghan E. Kapp
- Division of Renal Pathology, Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, University Hospitals, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Edward R. Gould
- Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, and
| | - Adam X. Miranda
- Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Joshua Carty
- Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, and
| | - Ming Jiang
- Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, and
| | - Roberto M. Vanacore
- Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, and
- Vanderbilt Center for Kidney Disease, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Elizabeth Hammock
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
| | - Matthew H. Wilson
- Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, and
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Roy Zent
- Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, and
- Vanderbilt Center for Kidney Disease, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
| | - Mingzhi Zhang
- Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, and
- Vanderbilt Center for Kidney Disease, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Gautam Bhave
- Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, and
- Vanderbilt Center for Kidney Disease, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Raymond C. Harris
- Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, and
- Vanderbilt Center for Kidney Disease, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
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12
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Luo W, Hickman AB, Genzor P, Ghirlando R, Furman C, Menshikh A, Haase A, Dyda F, Wilson M. Transposase N-terminal phosphorylation and asymmetric transposon ends inhibit piggyBac transposition in mammalian cells. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:13128-13142. [PMID: 36537219 PMCID: PMC9825180 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac1191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2022] [Revised: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA transposon systems are widely used in mammalian cells for genetic modification experiments, but their regulation remains poorly understood. We used biochemical and cell-based assays together with AlphaFold modeling and rational protein redesign to evaluate aspects of piggyBac transposition including the previously unexplained role of the transposase N-terminus and the need for asymmetric transposon ends for cellular activity. We found that phosphorylation at predicted casein kinase II sites in the transposase N-terminus inhibits transposition, most likely by preventing transposase-DNA interactions. Deletion of the region containing these sites releases inhibition thereby enhancing activity. We also found that the N-terminal domain promotes transposase dimerization in the absence of transposon DNA. When the N-terminus is deleted, the transposase gains the ability to carry out transposition using symmetric transposon left ends. This novel activity is also conferred by appending a second C-terminal domain. When combined, these modifications together result in a transposase that is highly active when symmetric transposon ends are used. Our results demonstrate that transposase N-terminal phosphorylation and the requirement for asymmetric transposon ends both negatively regulate piggyBac transposition in mammalian cells. These novel insights into the mechanism and structure of the piggyBac transposase expand its potential use for genomic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wentian Luo
- Department of Medicine, Division and Nephrology and Hypertension, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Alison B Hickman
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Pavol Genzor
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Rodolfo Ghirlando
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Christopher M Furman
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Anna Menshikh
- Department of Medicine, Division and Nephrology and Hypertension, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Astrid Haase
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Fred Dyda
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Matthew H Wilson
- Department of Medicine, Division and Nephrology and Hypertension, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Nashville, TN 37212, USA
- Departments of Pharmacology and Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
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13
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Abstract
We have engineered a cell that can be used for diagnosing active severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections. Isolation of individuals with active infections offers an effective solution for mitigating pandemics. However, the implementation of this practice requires robust infrastructure for rapid and intuitive testing, which is currently missing in our communities. To address this need, we engineered a fast-growing cell line into a cell-based antigen test platform for emerging viruses, i.e., DxCell, that can be rapidly deployed in decentralized health care facilities for continuous testing. The technology was characterized using cells engineered to present spike glycoprotein of SARS-CoV-2 (SARS-CoV-2-Sgp-cells) and Calu-3 host cells infected with competent SARS-CoV-2. Preclinical validation was conducted by directly incubating the DxCell with oropharyngeal swabs from mice infected with SARS-CoV-2. No sample preparation steps are necessary. The DxCell quantitatively detected the SARS-CoV-2-Sgp-cells within 1 h (P < 0.02). Reporter signal was proportional to the number of SARS-CoV-2-Sgp-cells, which represents the infection burden. The SARS-CoV-2 DxCell antigen test was benchmarked against quantitative PCR (qPCR) test and accurately differentiated between infected (n = 8) and control samples (n = 3) (P < 0.05). To demonstrate the broad applicability of the platform, we successfully redirected its specificity and tested its sensing function with cells engineered to present antigens from other viruses. In conclusion, we have developed an antigen test platform that capitalizes on the two innate functions of the cell, self-replication and activation-induced cell signaling. These provide the DxCell key advantages over existing technologies, e.g., label-free testing without sample processing, and will facilitate its implementation in decentralized health care facilities. IMPORTANCE Pandemic mitigation requires continuous testing of symptomatic or asymptomatic individuals with rapid turnaround time, and lack of this capability in our community has prolonged pandemic duration leading to obliteration of world economies. The DxCell platform is a cell-based self-replicative antigen test that detects molecular signatures of the target pathogen and can be distributed in small quantities to testing facilities for expansion on site to the desired volume. In this work, we directed this platform to target SARS-CoV-2. Unlike the PCR detection of viral mRNA that requires trained personnel, the DxCell does not require any sample preparation or signal amplification step and introduces an opportunity for a decentralized testing network.
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14
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Mijakovac A, Miškec K, Krištić J, Vičić Bočkor V, Tadić V, Bošković M, Lauc G, Zoldoš V, Vojta A. A Transient Expression System with Stably Integrated CRISPR-dCas9 Fusions for Regulation of Genes Involved in Immunoglobulin G Glycosylation. CRISPR J 2022; 5:237-253. [PMID: 35021898 DOI: 10.1089/crispr.2021.0089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Alternative glycosylation of immunoglobulin G (IgG) is functionally important in multiple human physiological and pathological states. Our understanding of molecular mechanisms that regulate IgG glycosylation is vague because of the complexity of this process, which involves hundreds of genes. Several genome-wide association (GWA) studies have revealed a network of genes associated with IgG glycosylation that are pleiotropic for a number of diseases. Here, we report a design of a versatile system for IgG production and gene manipulations that can be used for in vitro functional follow-up of GWA hits or any gene of interest. The system is based on CRISPR-dCas9, extended by a piggyBac integrase compatible vector, and drives IgG production in HEK-293F cells. We validated our systems that stably express VPR-dCas9 and KRAB-dCas9 by manipulation of four glyco-genes with a known role in IgG glycosylation, and then functionally validated three GWAS hits for IgG glycosylation with an as-yet-unknown role in this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anika Mijakovac
- Department of Biology, Division of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia; University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Karlo Miškec
- Department of Biology, Division of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia; University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Jasminka Krištić
- Genos Glycoscience Research Laboratory, Zagreb, Croatia; University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Vedrana Vičić Bočkor
- Department of Biology, Division of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia; University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Vanja Tadić
- Division of Molecular Biology, Laboratory for Cell Biology and Signaling, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Zagreb, Croatia; University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Maria Bošković
- Laboratory for Cancer research, University of Split School of Medicine, Split, Croatia, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Gordan Lauc
- Genos Glycoscience Research Laboratory, Zagreb, Croatia; University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.,Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Vlatka Zoldoš
- Department of Biology, Division of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia; University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Aleksandar Vojta
- Department of Biology, Division of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia; University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
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15
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Kruse RL, Huang Y, Shum T, Bai L, Ding H, Wang ZZ, Selaru FM, Kumbhari V. Endoscopic-mediated, biliary hydrodynamic injection mediating clinically relevant levels of gene delivery in pig liver. Gastrointest Endosc 2021; 94:1119-1130.e4. [PMID: 34197834 PMCID: PMC8605992 DOI: 10.1016/j.gie.2021.06.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Gene therapy could provide curative therapies to many inherited monogenic liver diseases. Clinical trials have largely focused on adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) for liver gene delivery. These vectors, however, are limited by small packaging size, capsid immune responses, and inability to redose. As an alternative, nonviral, hydrodynamic injection through vascular routes can successfully deliver plasmid DNA (pDNA) into mouse liver but has achieved limited success in large animal models. METHODS We explored hydrodynamic delivery of pDNA through the biliary system into the liver of pigs using ERCP and a power injector to supply hydrodynamic force. Human factor IX (hFIX), deficient in hemophilia B, was used as a model gene therapy. RESULTS Biliary hydrodynamic injection was well tolerated without significant changes in vital signs, liver enzymes, hematology, or histology. No off-target pDNA delivery to other organs was detected by polymerase chain reaction. Immunohistochemistry revealed that 50.19% of the liver stained positive for hFIX after hydrodynamic injection at 5.5 mg pDNA, with every hepatic lobule in all liver lobes demonstrating hFIX expression. hFIX-positive hepatocytes were concentrated around the central vein, radiating outward across all 3 metabolic zones. Biliary hydrodynamic injection in pigs resulted in significantly higher transfection efficiency than mouse vascular hydrodynamic injection at matched pDNA per liver weight dose (32.7%-51.9% vs 18.9%, P < .0001). CONCLUSIONS Biliary hydrodynamic injection using ERCP can achieve higher transfection efficiency into hepatocytes compared with AAVs at magnitudes of less cost in a clinically relevant human-sized large animal. This technology may serve as a platform for gene therapy of human liver diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert L Kruse
- Department of Pathology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Yuting Huang
- Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Department of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Department of Medicine, University of Maryland Medical Center Midtown Campus, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Thomas Shum
- Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Lu Bai
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Hui Ding
- Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Department of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zack Z Wang
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Florin M Selaru
- Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Department of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Vivek Kumbhari
- Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Department of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic Florida, Jacksonville, Florida, USA
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16
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Applications of piggyBac Transposons for Genome Manipulation in Stem Cells. Stem Cells Int 2021; 2021:3829286. [PMID: 34567130 PMCID: PMC8460389 DOI: 10.1155/2021/3829286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Transposons are mobile genetic elements in the genome. The piggyBac (PB) transposon system is increasingly being used for stem cell research due to its high transposition efficiency and seamless excision capacity. Over the past few decades, forward genetic screens based on PB transposons have been successfully established to identify genes associated with drug resistance and stem cell-related characteristics. Moreover, PB transposon is regarded as a promising gene therapy vector and has been used in some clinically relevant stem cells. Here, we review the recent progress on the basic biology of PB, highlight its applications in current stem cell research, and discuss its advantages and challenges.
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17
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Beckermann TM, Luo W, Wilson CM, Veach RA, Wilson MH. Cognate restriction of transposition by piggyBac-like proteins. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:8135-8144. [PMID: 34232995 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Revised: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Mobile genetic elements have been harnessed for gene transfer for a wide variety of applications including generation of stable cell lines, recombinant protein production, creation of transgenic animals, and engineering cell and gene therapy products. The piggyBac transposon family includes transposase or transposase-like proteins from a variety of species including insect, bat and human. Recently, human piggyBac transposable element derived 5 (PGBD5) protein was reported to be able to transpose piggyBac transposons in human cells raising possible safety concerns for piggyBac-mediated gene transfer applications. We evaluated three piggyBac-like proteins across species including piggyBac (insect), piggyBat (bat) and PGBD5 (human) for their ability to mobilize piggyBac transposons in human cells. We observed a lack of cross-species transposition activity. piggyBac and piggyBat activity was restricted to their cognate transposons. PGBD5 was unable to mobilize piggyBac transposons based on excision, colony count and plasmid rescue analysis, and it was unable to bind piggyBac terminal repeats. Within the piggyBac family, we observed a lack of cross-species activity and found that PGBD5 was unable to bind, excise or integrate piggyBac transposons in human cells. Transposition activity appears restricted within species within the piggyBac family of mobile genetic elements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas M Beckermann
- Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.,Department of Veterans Affairs, Tennessee Valley Health Services, Nashville, TN 37212, USA
| | - Wentian Luo
- Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.,Department of Veterans Affairs, Tennessee Valley Health Services, Nashville, TN 37212, USA
| | - Catherine M Wilson
- Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Ruth Ann Veach
- Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.,Department of Veterans Affairs, Tennessee Valley Health Services, Nashville, TN 37212, USA
| | - Matthew H Wilson
- Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.,Department of Veterans Affairs, Tennessee Valley Health Services, Nashville, TN 37212, USA.,Departments of Pharmacology and Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
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18
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Lukjanov V, Koutná I, Šimara P. CAR T-Cell Production Using Nonviral Approaches. J Immunol Res 2021; 2021:6644685. [PMID: 33855089 PMCID: PMC8019376 DOI: 10.1155/2021/6644685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2020] [Revised: 01/30/2021] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor T-cells (CAR T-cells) represent a novel and promising approach in cancer immunotherapy. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the number of oncological patients is steadily growing in developed countries despite immense progress in oncological treatments, and the prognosis of individual patients is still relatively poor. Exceptional results have been recorded for CAR T-cell therapy in patients suffering from B-cell malignancies. This success opens up the possibility of using the same approach for other types of cancers. To date, the most common method for CAR T-cell generation is the use of viral vectors. However, dealing with virus-derived vectors brings possible obstacles in the CAR T-cell manufacturing process owing to strict regulations and high cost demands. Alternative approaches may facilitate further development and the transfer of the method to clinical practice. The most promising substitutes for virus-derived vectors are transposon-derived vectors, most commonly sleeping beauty, which offer great coding capability and a safe integration profile while maintaining a relatively low production cost. This review is aimed at summarizing the state of the art of nonviral approaches in CAR T-cell generation, with a unique perspective on the conditions in clinical applications and current Good Manufacturing Practice. If CAR T-cell therapy is to be routinely used in medical practice, the manufacturing cost and complexity need to be as low as possible, and transposon-based vectors seem to meet these criteria better than viral-based vectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viktor Lukjanov
- Masaryk University Brno, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Histology and Embryology, Kamenice 5, Brno 62500, Czech Republic
- St. Anne's University Hospital Brno, International Clinical Research Center, Pekarska 53, Brno 656 91, Czech Republic
| | - Irena Koutná
- Masaryk University Brno, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Histology and Embryology, Kamenice 5, Brno 62500, Czech Republic
- St. Anne's University Hospital Brno, International Clinical Research Center, Pekarska 53, Brno 656 91, Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Šimara
- Masaryk University Brno, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Histology and Embryology, Kamenice 5, Brno 62500, Czech Republic
- St. Anne's University Hospital Brno, International Clinical Research Center, Pekarska 53, Brno 656 91, Czech Republic
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19
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Yang LR, Li L, Meng MY, Wang WJ, Yang SL, Zhao YY, Wang RQ, Gao H, Tang WW, Yang Y, Yang LL, Liao LW, Hou ZL. Evaluation of piggyBac-mediated anti-CD19 CAR-T cells after ex vivo expansion with aAPCs or magnetic beads. J Cell Mol Med 2020; 25:686-700. [PMID: 33225580 PMCID: PMC7812273 DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.16118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2020] [Revised: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Adoptive immunotherapy is a new potential method of tumour therapy, among which anti‐CD19 chimeric antigen receptor T‐cell therapy (CAR‐T cell), is a typical treatment agent for haematological malignancies. Previous clinical trials showed that the quality and phenotype of CAR‐T cells expanded ex vivo would seriously affect the tumour treatment efficacy. Although magnetic beads are currently widely used to expand CAR‐T cells, the optimal expansion steps and methods have not been completely established. In this study, the differences between CAR‐T cells expanded with anti‐CD3/CD28 mAb‐coated beads and those expanded with cell‐based aAPCs expressing CD19/CD64/CD86/CD137L/mIL‐15 counter‐receptors were compared. The results showed that the number of CD19‐specific CAR‐T cells with a 4‐1BB and CD28 co‐stimulatory domain was much greater with stimulation by aAPCs than that with beads. In addition, the expression of memory marker CD45RO was higher, whereas expression of exhausted molecules was lower in CAR‐T cells expanded with aAPCs comparing with the beads. Both CAR‐T cells showed significant targeted tumoricidal effects. The CAR‐T cells stimulated with aAPCs secreted apoptosis‐related cytokines. Moreover, they also possessed marked anti‐tumour effect on NAMALWA xenograft mouse model. The present findings provided evidence on the safety and advantage of two expansion methods for CAR‐T cells genetically modified by piggyBac transposon system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Rong Yang
- Central Laboratory of Yan'an Hospital Affiliated to Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China.,Key Laboratory of Tumor Immunological Prevention and Treatment of Yunnan Province, Kunming, China.,Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| | - Lin Li
- Central Laboratory of Yan'an Hospital Affiliated to Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China.,Key Laboratory of Tumor Immunological Prevention and Treatment of Yunnan Province, Kunming, China.,Yunnan Cell Biology and Clinical Translation Research Center, Kunming, China
| | - Ming-Yao Meng
- Central Laboratory of Yan'an Hospital Affiliated to Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China.,Key Laboratory of Tumor Immunological Prevention and Treatment of Yunnan Province, Kunming, China.,Yunnan Cell Biology and Clinical Translation Research Center, Kunming, China
| | - Wen-Ju Wang
- Central Laboratory of Yan'an Hospital Affiliated to Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China.,Key Laboratory of Tumor Immunological Prevention and Treatment of Yunnan Province, Kunming, China.,Yunnan Cell Biology and Clinical Translation Research Center, Kunming, China
| | - Song-Lin Yang
- Central Laboratory of Yan'an Hospital Affiliated to Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China.,Key Laboratory of Tumor Immunological Prevention and Treatment of Yunnan Province, Kunming, China.,Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| | - Yi-Yi Zhao
- Central Laboratory of Yan'an Hospital Affiliated to Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China.,Key Laboratory of Tumor Immunological Prevention and Treatment of Yunnan Province, Kunming, China.,Yunnan Cell Biology and Clinical Translation Research Center, Kunming, China
| | - Run-Qing Wang
- Central Laboratory of Yan'an Hospital Affiliated to Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China.,Key Laboratory of Tumor Immunological Prevention and Treatment of Yunnan Province, Kunming, China.,Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| | - Hui Gao
- Central Laboratory of Yan'an Hospital Affiliated to Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China.,Key Laboratory of Tumor Immunological Prevention and Treatment of Yunnan Province, Kunming, China.,Yunnan Cell Biology and Clinical Translation Research Center, Kunming, China
| | - Wei-Wei Tang
- Central Laboratory of Yan'an Hospital Affiliated to Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China.,Key Laboratory of Tumor Immunological Prevention and Treatment of Yunnan Province, Kunming, China.,Yunnan Cell Biology and Clinical Translation Research Center, Kunming, China
| | - Yang Yang
- Central Laboratory of Yan'an Hospital Affiliated to Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China.,Key Laboratory of Tumor Immunological Prevention and Treatment of Yunnan Province, Kunming, China.,Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| | - Li-Li Yang
- Central Laboratory of Yan'an Hospital Affiliated to Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China.,Key Laboratory of Tumor Immunological Prevention and Treatment of Yunnan Province, Kunming, China.,Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| | - Li-Wei Liao
- Central Laboratory of Yan'an Hospital Affiliated to Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China.,Key Laboratory of Tumor Immunological Prevention and Treatment of Yunnan Province, Kunming, China.,Yunnan Cell Biology and Clinical Translation Research Center, Kunming, China
| | - Zong-Liu Hou
- Central Laboratory of Yan'an Hospital Affiliated to Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China.,Key Laboratory of Tumor Immunological Prevention and Treatment of Yunnan Province, Kunming, China.,Yunnan Cell Biology and Clinical Translation Research Center, Kunming, China
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20
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Amberger M, Ivics Z. Latest Advances for the Sleeping Beauty Transposon System: 23 Years of Insomnia but Prettier than Ever: Refinement and Recent Innovations of the Sleeping Beauty Transposon System Enabling Novel, Nonviral Genetic Engineering Applications. Bioessays 2020; 42:e2000136. [PMID: 32939778 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202000136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2020] [Revised: 07/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The Sleeping Beauty transposon system is a nonviral DNA transfer tool capable of efficiently mediating transposition-based, stable integration of DNA sequences of choice into eukaryotic genomes. Continuous refinements of the system, including the emergence of hyperactive transposase mutants and novel approaches in vectorology, greatly improve upon transposition efficiency rivaling viral-vector-based methods for stable gene insertion. Current developments, such as reversible transgenesis and proof-of-concept RNA-guided transposition, further expand on possible applications in the future. In addition, innate advantages such as lack of preferential integration into genes reduce insertional mutagenesis-related safety concerns while comparably low manufacturing costs enable widespread implementation. Accordingly, the system is recognized as a powerful and versatile tool for genetic engineering and is playing a central role in an ever-expanding number of gene and cell therapy clinical trials with the potential to become a key technology to meet the growing demand for advanced therapy medicinal products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maximilian Amberger
- Division of Medical Biotechnology, Paul Ehrlich Institute, Langen, D-63225, Germany
| | - Zoltán Ivics
- Division of Medical Biotechnology, Paul Ehrlich Institute, Langen, D-63225, Germany
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21
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Brommel CM, Cooney AL, Sinn PL. Adeno-Associated Virus-Based Gene Therapy for Lifelong Correction of Genetic Disease. Hum Gene Ther 2020; 31:985-995. [PMID: 32718227 PMCID: PMC7495917 DOI: 10.1089/hum.2020.138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The list of successful gene therapy trials using adeno-associated virus (AAV)-based vectors continues to grow and includes a wide range of monogenic diseases. Replication incompetent AAV genomes typically remain episomal and expression dilutes as cells divide and die. Consequently, long-term transgene expression from AAV is best suited for quiescent cell types, such as retinal cells, myocytes, or neurons. For genetic diseases that involve cells with steady turnover, AAV-conferred correction may require routine readministration, where every dose carries the risk of developing an adaptive immune response that renders treatment ineffective. Here, we discuss innovative approaches to permanently modify the host genome using AAV-based platforms, thus potentially requiring only a single dose. Such approaches include using AAV delivery of DNA transposons, homologous recombination templates into safe harbors, and nucleases for targeting integration. In tissues with continual cell turnover, genetic modification of progenitor cell populations will help ensure persistent therapeutic outcomes. Combining the safety profile of AAV-based gene therapy vectors with the ability to integrate a therapeutic transgene creates novel solutions to the challenge of lifelong curative treatments for human genetic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ashley L. Cooney
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Patrick L. Sinn
- Program in Molecular Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
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22
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Kumar D, Anand T, Talluri TR, Kues WA. Potential of transposon-mediated cellular reprogramming towards cell-based therapies. World J Stem Cells 2020; 12:527-544. [PMID: 32843912 PMCID: PMC7415244 DOI: 10.4252/wjsc.v12.i7.527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2020] [Revised: 05/09/2020] [Accepted: 05/28/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells present a seminal discovery in cell biology and promise to support innovative treatments of so far incurable diseases. To translate iPS technology into clinical trials, the safety and stability of these reprogrammed cells needs to be shown. In recent years, different non-viral transposon systems have been developed for the induction of cellular pluripotency, and for the directed differentiation into desired cell types. In this review, we summarize the current state of the art of different transposon systems in iPS-based cell therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dharmendra Kumar
- Animal Physiology and Reproduction Division, ICAR-Central Institute for Research on Buffaloes, Hisar 125001, India
| | - Taruna Anand
- NCVTC, ICAR-National Research Centre on Equines, Hisar 125001, India
| | - Thirumala R Talluri
- Equine Production Campus, ICAR-National Research Centre on Equines, Bikaner 334001, India
| | - Wilfried A Kues
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Institute of Farm Animal Genetics, Department of Biotechnology, Mariensee 31535, Germany
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23
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Structural basis of seamless excision and specific targeting by piggyBac transposase. Nat Commun 2020; 11:3446. [PMID: 32651359 PMCID: PMC7351741 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-17128-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2020] [Accepted: 06/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The piggyBac DNA transposon is used widely in genome engineering applications. Unlike other transposons, its excision site can be precisely repaired without leaving footprints and it integrates specifically at TTAA tetranucleotides. We present cryo-EM structures of piggyBac transpososomes: a synaptic complex with hairpin DNA intermediates and a strand transfer complex capturing the integration step. The results show that the excised TTAA hairpin intermediate and the TTAA target adopt essentially identical conformations, providing a mechanistic link connecting the two unique properties of piggyBac. The transposase forms an asymmetric dimer in which the two central domains synapse the ends while two C-terminal domains form a separate dimer that contacts only one transposon end. In the strand transfer structure, target DNA is severely bent and the TTAA target is unpaired. In-cell data suggest that asymmetry promotes synaptic complex formation, and modifying ends with additional transposase binding sites stimulates activity.
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Wen W, Song S, Han Y, Chen H, Liu X, Qian Q. An efficient Screening System in Yeast to Select a Hyperactive piggyBac Transposase for Mammalian Applications. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21093064. [PMID: 32357554 PMCID: PMC7247424 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21093064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2020] [Revised: 04/15/2020] [Accepted: 04/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
As non-viral transgenic vectors, the piggyBac transposon system represents an attractive tool for gene delivery to achieve a long-term gene expression in immunotherapy applications due to its large cargo capacity, its lack of a trace of transposon and of genotoxic potential, and its highly engineered structure. However, further improvements in transpose activity are required for industrialization and clinical applications. Herein, we established a one-plasmid effective screening system and a two-step high-throughput screening process in yeast to isolate hyperactive mutants for mammalian cell applications. By applying this screening system, 15 hyperactive piggyBac transposases that exhibited higher transpose activity compared with optimized hyPBase in yeast and four mutants that showed higher transpose activity in mammalian cells were selected among 3000 hyPBase mutants. The most hyperactive transposase, bz-hyPBase, with four mutation sites showed an ability to yield high-efficiency editing in Chinese hamster ovarian carcinoma (CHO) cells and T cells, indicating that they could be expanded for gene therapy approaches. Finally, we tested the potential of this screening system in other versions of piggyBac transposase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen Wen
- Shanghai Cell Therapy Research Institute, Shanghai 201805, China; (W.W.); (S.S.); (Y.H.); (H.C.)
- Shanghai Cell Therapy Group, Shanghai 201805, China
| | - Shanshan Song
- Shanghai Cell Therapy Research Institute, Shanghai 201805, China; (W.W.); (S.S.); (Y.H.); (H.C.)
- Shanghai Cell Therapy Group, Shanghai 201805, China
| | - Yuchun Han
- Shanghai Cell Therapy Research Institute, Shanghai 201805, China; (W.W.); (S.S.); (Y.H.); (H.C.)
- Shanghai Cell Therapy Group, Shanghai 201805, China
| | - Haibin Chen
- Shanghai Cell Therapy Research Institute, Shanghai 201805, China; (W.W.); (S.S.); (Y.H.); (H.C.)
- Shanghai Cell Therapy Group, Shanghai 201805, China
| | - Xiangzhen Liu
- Shanghai Cell Therapy Research Institute, Shanghai 201805, China; (W.W.); (S.S.); (Y.H.); (H.C.)
- Shanghai Cell Therapy Group, Shanghai 201805, China
- Correspondence: (X.L.); (Q.Q.); Tel.: +86-021-5959-3168
| | - Qijun Qian
- Shanghai Cell Therapy Research Institute, Shanghai 201805, China; (W.W.); (S.S.); (Y.H.); (H.C.)
- Shanghai Cell Therapy Group, Shanghai 201805, China
- Correspondence: (X.L.); (Q.Q.); Tel.: +86-021-5959-3168
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piggyBac-Based Non-Viral In Vivo Gene Delivery Useful for Production of Genetically Modified Animals and Organs. Pharmaceutics 2020; 12:pharmaceutics12030277. [PMID: 32204422 PMCID: PMC7151002 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics12030277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2020] [Revised: 03/17/2020] [Accepted: 03/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
In vivo gene delivery involves direct injection of nucleic acids (NAs) into tissues, organs, or tail-veins. It has been recognized as a useful tool for evaluating the function of a gene of interest (GOI), creating models for human disease and basic research targeting gene therapy. Cargo frequently used for gene delivery are largely divided into viral and non-viral vectors. Viral vectors have strong infectious activity and do not require the use of instruments or reagents helpful for gene delivery but bear immunological and tumorigenic problems. In contrast, non-viral vectors strictly require instruments (i.e., electroporator) or reagents (i.e., liposomes) for enhanced uptake of NAs by cells and are often accompanied by weak transfection activity, with less immunological and tumorigenic problems. Chromosomal integration of GOI-bearing transgenes would be ideal for achieving long-term expression of GOI. piggyBac (PB), one of three transposons (PB, Sleeping Beauty (SB), and Tol2) found thus far, has been used for efficient transfection of GOI in various mammalian cells in vitro and in vivo. In this review, we outline recent achievements of PB-based production of genetically modified animals and organs and will provide some experimental concepts using this system.
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Tipanee J, Di Matteo M, Tulalamba W, Samara-Kuko E, Keirsse J, Van Ginderachter JA, Chuah MK, VandenDriessche T. Validation of miR-20a as a Tumor Suppressor Gene in Liver Carcinoma Using Hepatocyte-Specific Hyperactive piggyBac Transposons. MOLECULAR THERAPY. NUCLEIC ACIDS 2020; 19:1309-1329. [PMID: 32160703 PMCID: PMC7036702 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2020.01.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2019] [Revised: 01/12/2020] [Accepted: 01/13/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
We established a semi-high-throughput in vivo screening platform using hyperactive piggyBac (hyPB) transposons (designated as PB-miR) to identify microRNAs (miRs) that inhibit hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development in vivo, following miR overexpression in hepatocytes. PB-miRs encoding six different miRs from the miR-17-92 cluster and nine miRs from outside this cluster were transfected into mouse livers that were chemically induced to develop HCC. In this slow-onset HCC model, miR-20a significantly inhibited HCC. Next, we developed a more aggressive HCC model by overexpression of oncogenic Harvey rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (HRASG12V) and c-MYC oncogenes that accelerated HCC development after only 6 weeks. The tumor suppressor effect of miR-20a could be demonstrated even in this rapid-onset HRASG12V/c-MYC HCC model, consistent with significantly prolonged survival and decreased HCC tumor burden. Comprehensive RNA expression profiling of 95 selected genes typically associated with HCC development revealed differentially expressed genes and functional pathways that were associated with miR-20a-mediated HCC suppression. To our knowledge, this is the first study establishing a direct causal relationship between miR-20a overexpression and liver cancer inhibition in vivo. Moreover, these results demonstrate that hepatocyte-specific hyPB transposons are an efficient platform to screen and identify miRs that affect overall survival and HCC tumor regression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaitip Tipanee
- Department of Gene Therapy & Regenerative Medicine, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1090 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Mario Di Matteo
- Department of Gene Therapy & Regenerative Medicine, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1090 Brussels, Belgium; Center for Molecular & Vascular Biology, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Warut Tulalamba
- Department of Gene Therapy & Regenerative Medicine, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1090 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Ermira Samara-Kuko
- Department of Gene Therapy & Regenerative Medicine, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1090 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jiri Keirsse
- Myeloid Cell Immunology Lab, VIB Center for Inflammation Research, Brussels, Belgium; Lab of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jo A Van Ginderachter
- Myeloid Cell Immunology Lab, VIB Center for Inflammation Research, Brussels, Belgium; Lab of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Marinee Khim Chuah
- Department of Gene Therapy & Regenerative Medicine, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1090 Brussels, Belgium; Center for Molecular & Vascular Biology, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Thierry VandenDriessche
- Department of Gene Therapy & Regenerative Medicine, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1090 Brussels, Belgium; Center for Molecular & Vascular Biology, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
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Wilson MH, Veach RA, Luo W, Welch RC, Roy S, Fissell WH. Genome Engineering Renal Epithelial Cells for Enhanced Volume Transport Function. Cell Mol Bioeng 2019; 13:17-26. [PMID: 32030105 DOI: 10.1007/s12195-019-00601-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2019] [Accepted: 09/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Bioengineering an implantable artificial kidney (IAK) will require renal epithelial cells capable of reabsorption of salt and water. We used genome engineering to modify cells for improved Na+/H+ exchange and H2O reabsorption. The non-viral piggyBac transposon system enables genome engineering cells to stably overexpress one or more transgenes simultaneously. Methods We generated epitope-tagged human sodium hydrogen exchanger 3 (NHE3) and aquaporin-1 (AQP1) cDNA expressing piggyBac transposon vectors. Transgene expression was evaluated via western blot and immunofluorescence. Flow cytometry analysis was used to quantitate transporter expression in a library of genome engineered clones. Cell surface biotinylation was used evaluate surface protein localization. Blister formation assays were used to monitor cellular volumetric transport. Results piggyBac enabled stable transposon integration and overexpression of cumate-inducible NHE3 and/or constitutively expressing AQP1 in cultured renal (MDCK) epithelial cells. Cell surface delivery of NHE3 and AQP1 was confirmed using cell surface biotinylation assays. Flow cytometry of a library of MDCK clones revealed varying expression of AQP1 and NHE3. MDCK cells expressing AQP1 and cumate-inducible NHE3 demonstrated increased volumetric transport. Conclusions Our results demonstrate that renal epithelial cells an be genome engineered for enhanced volumetric transport that will be needed for an IAK device. Our results lay the foundation for future studies of genome engineering human kidney cells for renal tubule cell therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew H Wilson
- Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1161 21st Ave South, S-3223 MCN, Nashville, TN 37232 USA
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Tennessee Valley Health Services, Nashville, TN 37212 USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232 USA
| | - Ruth Ann Veach
- Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1161 21st Ave South, S-3223 MCN, Nashville, TN 37232 USA
| | - Wentian Luo
- Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1161 21st Ave South, S-3223 MCN, Nashville, TN 37232 USA
| | - Richard C Welch
- Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1161 21st Ave South, S-3223 MCN, Nashville, TN 37232 USA
| | - Shuvo Roy
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158 USA
| | - William H Fissell
- Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1161 21st Ave South, S-3223 MCN, Nashville, TN 37232 USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232 USA
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Hew BE, Sato R, Mauro D, Stoytchev I, Owens JB. RNA-guided piggyBac transposition in human cells. Synth Biol (Oxf) 2019; 4:ysz018. [PMID: 31355344 PMCID: PMC6642342 DOI: 10.1093/synbio/ysz018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2019] [Revised: 06/11/2019] [Accepted: 06/26/2019] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Safer and more efficient methods for directing therapeutic genes to specific sequences could increase the repertoire of treatable conditions. Many current approaches act passively, first initiating a double-stranded break, then relying on host repair to uptake donor DNA. Alternatively, we delivered an actively integrating transposase to the target sequence to initiate gene insertion. We fused the hyperactive piggyBac transposase to the highly specific, catalytically dead SpCas9-HF1 (dCas9) and designed guide RNAs (gRNAs) to the CCR5 safe harbor sequence. We introduced mutations to the native DNA-binding domain of piggyBac to reduce non-specific binding of the transposase and cause the fusion protein to favor binding by dCas9. This strategy enabled us, for the first time, to direct transposition to the genome using RNA. We showed that increasing the number of gRNAs improved targeting efficiency. Interestingly, over half of the recovered insertions were found at a single TTAA hotspot. We also found that the fusion increased the error rate at the genome-transposon junction. We isolated clonal cell lines containing a single insertion at CCR5 and demonstrated long-term expression from this locus. These vectors expand the utility of the piggyBac system for applications in targeted gene addition for biomedical research and gene therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian E Hew
- Department of Anatomy, Biochemistry, and Physiology, Institute for Biogenesis Research, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - Ryuei Sato
- Department of Anatomy, Biochemistry, and Physiology, Institute for Biogenesis Research, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - Damiano Mauro
- Department of Anatomy, Biochemistry, and Physiology, Institute for Biogenesis Research, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - Ilko Stoytchev
- Department of Anatomy, Biochemistry, and Physiology, Institute for Biogenesis Research, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - Jesse B Owens
- Department of Anatomy, Biochemistry, and Physiology, Institute for Biogenesis Research, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI, USA
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In Vivo Piggybac-Based Gene Delivery towards Murine Pancreatic Parenchyma Confers Sustained Expression of Gene of Interest. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20133116. [PMID: 31247905 PMCID: PMC6651600 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20133116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2019] [Revised: 06/24/2019] [Accepted: 06/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The pancreas is a glandular organ that functions in the digestive system and endocrine system of vertebrates. The most common disorders involving the pancreas are diabetes, pancreatitis, and pancreatic cancer. In vivo gene delivery targeting the pancreas is important for preventing or curing such diseases and for exploring the biological function of genes involved in the pathogenesis of these diseases. Our previous experiments demonstrated that adult murine pancreatic cells can be efficiently transfected by exogenous plasmid DNA following intraparenchymal injection and subsequent in vivo electroporation using tweezer-type electrodes. Unfortunately, the induced gene expression was transient. Transposon-based gene delivery, such as that facilitated by piggyBac (PB), is known to confer stable integration of a gene of interest (GOI) into host chromosomes, resulting in sustained expression of the GOI. In this study, we investigated the use of the PB transposon system to achieve stable gene expression when transferred into murine pancreatic cells using the above-mentioned technique. Expression of the GOI (coding for fluorescent protein) continued for at least 1.5 months post-gene delivery. Splinkerette-PCR-based analysis revealed the presence of the consensus sequence TTAA at the junctional portion between host chromosomes and the transgenes; however, this was not observed in all samples. This plasmid-based PB transposon system enables constitutive expression of the GOI in pancreas for potential therapeutic and biological applications.
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Li F, Jiang X, Luo LL, Xu YM, Huang XX, Huang C, Zhang Y. A piggyBac-based TANGO GFP assay for high throughput screening of GPCR ligands in live cells. Cell Commun Signal 2019; 17:49. [PMID: 31122241 PMCID: PMC6533772 DOI: 10.1186/s12964-019-0359-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2019] [Accepted: 05/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND GPCRs are considered essential for various physiological processes and have been the most productive drug targets. Therefore, development of the methods of GPCR ligands screening is a high priority for pharmaceutical industries and research institutions. METHODS We developed a potential method (piggyBac-TANGO) based on the TANGO and PRESTO-TANGO assays. The system was optimized with a piggyBac transposon as a transgene vehicle, and eGFP was used as a reporter instead of luciferase. The assay was validated in the HEK 293T and U87-MG cell lines and antagonist activities of the compounds were assessed. The transgene copy number and long-term stability were evaluated by qPCR. Then, we performed a DRD2-targeted screening for natural products using the piggyBac-TANGO assay. RESULTS The validation assay showed that using the piggyBac transposon as a transgene vehicle produced high signal-to-background ratio and stable readout confirmed by investigation of the transgene copy number and long-term stability. Use of eGFP instead of luciferase as a reporter enabled to create a high throughput system suitable for live cells. Moreover, the piggyBac-TANGO assay permitted versatile detection of antagonist activity of compounds and was not limited to a particular cell type. With the use of the piggyBac-TANGO assay, we have successfully identified a novel agonist of DRD2. CONCLUSION Thus, the results indicate that the piggyBac-TANGO method is a user-friendly, robust and imaging-based assay that provides a novel approach to high throughput GPCR-targeted ligand screening and drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Li
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China.,School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xi Jiang
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Ling-Ling Luo
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yue-Ming Xu
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xing-Xu Huang
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Cheng Huang
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.
| | - Yu Zhang
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China.
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Vanslambrouck JM, Woodard LE, Suhaimi N, Williams FM, Howden SE, Wilson SB, Lonsdale A, Er PX, Li J, Maksimovic J, Oshlack A, Wilson MH, Little MH. Direct reprogramming to human nephron progenitor-like cells using inducible piggyBac transposon expression of SNAI2-EYA1-SIX1. Kidney Int 2019; 95:1153-1166. [PMID: 30827514 DOI: 10.1016/j.kint.2018.11.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2018] [Revised: 11/15/2018] [Accepted: 11/21/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
All nephrons in the mammalian kidney arise from a transient nephron progenitor population that is lost close to the time of birth. The generation of new nephron progenitors and their maintenance in culture are central to the success of kidney regenerative strategies. Using a lentiviral screening approach, we previously generated a human induced nephron progenitor-like state in vitro using a pool of six transcription factors. Here, we sought to develop a more efficient approach for direct reprogramming of human cells that could be applied in vivo. PiggyBac transposons are a non-viral integrating gene delivery system that is suitable for in vivo use and allows for simultaneous delivery of multiple genes. Using an inducible piggyBac transposon system, we optimized a protocol for the direct reprogramming of HK2 cells to induced nephron progenitor-like cells with expression of only 3 transcription factors (SNAI2, EYA1, and SIX1). Culture in conditions supportive of the nephron progenitor state further increased the expression of nephron progenitor genes. The refined protocol was then applied to primary human renal epithelial cells, which integrated into developing nephron structures in vitro and in vivo. Such inducible reprogramming to nephron progenitor-like cells could facilitate direct cellular reprogramming for kidney regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica M Vanslambrouck
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Melbourne, Australia; Division of Genomics of Development and Disease, Institute for Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Lauren E Woodard
- Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Department of Veterans Affairs, Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Norseha Suhaimi
- Division of Genomics of Development and Disease, Institute for Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Felisha M Williams
- Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Sara E Howden
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Melbourne, Australia; Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - Sean B Wilson
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Andrew Lonsdale
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Pei X Er
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Joan Li
- Division of Genomics of Development and Disease, Institute for Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Jovana Maksimovic
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Alicia Oshlack
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Matthew H Wilson
- Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Department of Veterans Affairs, Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Melissa H Little
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Melbourne, Australia; Division of Genomics of Development and Disease, Institute for Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia; Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia.
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Haridhasapavalan KK, Borgohain MP, Dey C, Saha B, Narayan G, Kumar S, Thummer RP. An insight into non-integrative gene delivery approaches to generate transgene-free induced pluripotent stem cells. Gene 2018; 686:146-159. [PMID: 30472380 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2018.11.069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2018] [Revised: 11/11/2018] [Accepted: 11/20/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Over a decade ago, a landmark study that reported derivation of induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs) by reprogramming fibroblasts has transformed stem cell research attracting the interest of the scientific community worldwide. These cells circumvent the ethical and immunological concerns associated with embryonic stem cells, and the limited self-renewal ability and restricted differentiation potential linked to adult stem cells. iPSCs hold great potential for understanding basic human biology, in vitro disease modeling, high-throughput drug testing and discovery, and personalized regenerative medicine. The conventional reprogramming methods involving retro- and lenti-viral vectors to deliver reprogramming factors in somatic cells to generate iPSCs nullify the clinical applicability of these cells. Although these gene delivery systems are efficient and robust, they carry an enormous risk of permanent genetic modifications and are potentially tumorigenic. To evade these safety concerns and derive iPSCs for human therapy, tremendous technological advancements have resulted in the development of non-integrating viral- and non-viral approaches. These gene delivery techniques curtail or eliminate the risk of any genomic alteration and enhance the prospects of iPSCs from bench-to-bedside. The present review provides a comprehensive overview of non-integrating viral (adenoviral vectors, adeno-associated viral vectors, and Sendai virus vectors) and DNA-based, non-viral (plasmid transfection, minicircle vectors, transposon vectors, episomal vectors, and liposomal magnetofection) approaches that have the potential to generate transgene-free iPSCs. The understanding of these techniques could pave the way for the use of iPSCs for various biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krishna Kumar Haridhasapavalan
- Laboratory for Stem Cell Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute Technology Guwahati, Guwahati 781039, Assam, India.
| | - Manash P Borgohain
- Laboratory for Stem Cell Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute Technology Guwahati, Guwahati 781039, Assam, India.
| | - Chandrima Dey
- Laboratory for Stem Cell Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute Technology Guwahati, Guwahati 781039, Assam, India.
| | - Bitan Saha
- Laboratory for Stem Cell Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute Technology Guwahati, Guwahati 781039, Assam, India
| | - Gloria Narayan
- Laboratory for Stem Cell Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute Technology Guwahati, Guwahati 781039, Assam, India.
| | - Sachin Kumar
- Viral Immunology Lab, Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati 781039, Assam, India.
| | - Rajkumar P Thummer
- Laboratory for Stem Cell Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute Technology Guwahati, Guwahati 781039, Assam, India.
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Harvey A, Mielke N, Grimstead JW, Jones RE, Nguyen T, Mueller M, Baird DM, Hendrickson EA. PARP1 is required for preserving telomeric integrity but is dispensable for A-NHEJ. Oncotarget 2018; 9:34821-34837. [PMID: 30410680 PMCID: PMC6205175 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.26201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2018] [Accepted: 09/15/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Poly-ADP ribose polymerase 1 (PARP1) is clinically important because of its synthetic lethality with breast cancer allele 1 and 2 mutations, which are causative for inherited breast and ovarian cancers. Biochemically, PARP1 is a single-stranded DNA break repair protein that is needed for preserving genomic integrity. In addition, PARP1 has been implicated in a veritable plethora of additional cellular pathways and thus its precise contribution(s) to human biology has remained obscure. To help address this deficiency, we utilized gene editing to construct genetically-null PARP1 human cancer cells. We found a minor role for PARP1 in an alternative form of DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair, but only when these cells were deficient for the classical form of DSB repair. Despite being proficient for DSB repair, however, cell cycle progression defects and elevated endogenous DNA damage signaling were observed. These deficiencies were instead linked to telomere defects, where PARP1 -/- cells had short telomeres that co-localized with markers of endogenous DNA damage and were compromised in their ability to escape a telomere-driven crisis. Our data suggest that while PARP1 does not participate significantly in DNA DSB repair itself, it does prevent the incidence of telomeric DSBs, which, in turn, can drive genomic instability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Harvey
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA
| | - Nicholas Mielke
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA
| | - Julia W. Grimstead
- Division of Cancer and Genetics, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Heath Park, Cardiff CF14 4XN, United Kingdom
| | - Rhiannon E. Jones
- Division of Cancer and Genetics, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Heath Park, Cardiff CF14 4XN, United Kingdom
| | - Thanh Nguyen
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA
| | - Matthew Mueller
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA
| | - Duncan M. Baird
- Division of Cancer and Genetics, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Heath Park, Cardiff CF14 4XN, United Kingdom
| | - Eric A. Hendrickson
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA
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Eckermann KN, Ahmed HMM, KaramiNejadRanjbar M, Dippel S, Ogaugwu CE, Kitzmann P, Isah MD, Wimmer EA. Hyperactive piggyBac transposase improves transformation efficiency in diverse insect species. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2018; 98:16-24. [PMID: 29653176 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2018.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2017] [Revised: 04/06/2018] [Accepted: 04/08/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Even in times of advanced site-specific genome editing tools, the improvement of DNA transposases is still on high demand in the field of transgenesis: especially in emerging model systems where evaluated integrase landing sites have not yet been created and more importantly in non-model organisms such as agricultural pests and disease vectors, in which reliable sequence information and genome annotations are still pending. In fact, random insertional mutagenesis is essential to identify new genomic locations that are not influenced by position effects and thus can serve as future stable transgene integration sites. In this respect, a hyperactive version of the most widely used piggyBac transposase (PBase) has been engineered. The hyperactive version (hyPBase) is currently available with the original insect codon-based coding sequence (ihyPBase) as well as in a mammalian codon-optimized (mhyPBase) version. Both facilitate significantly higher rates of transposition when expressed in mammalian in vitro and in vivo systems compared to the classical PBase at similar protein levels. Here we demonstrate that the usage of helper plasmids encoding the hyPBase - irrespective of the codon-usage - also strikingly increases the rate of successful germline transformation in the Mediterranean fruit fly (Medfly) Ceratitis capitata, the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum, and the vinegar fly Drosophila melanogaster. hyPBase-encoding helpers are therefore highly suitable for the generation of transgenic strains of diverse insect orders. Depending on the species, we achieved up to 15-fold higher germline transformation rates compared to PBase and generated hard to obtain transgenic T. castaneum strains that express constructs affecting fitness and viability. Moreover, previously reported high sterility rates supposedly caused by hyPBase (iPB7), encoded by ihyPBase, could not be confirmed by our study. Therefore, we value hyPBase as an effective genetic engineering tool that we highly recommend for insect transgenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kolja N Eckermann
- Department of Developmental Biology, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, Göttingen Center of Molecular Biosciences, University of Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany; Göttingen Graduate Center for Neurosciences, Biophysics, and Molecular Biosciences, University of Göttingen, 37077 Goettingen, Germany; Molecular Cell Dynamics, Max-Planck-Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Hassan M M Ahmed
- Department of Developmental Biology, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, Göttingen Center of Molecular Biosciences, University of Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Mohammad KaramiNejadRanjbar
- Department of Developmental Biology, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, Göttingen Center of Molecular Biosciences, University of Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Stefan Dippel
- Department of Developmental Biology, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, Göttingen Center of Molecular Biosciences, University of Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Christian E Ogaugwu
- Department of Developmental Biology, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, Göttingen Center of Molecular Biosciences, University of Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Peter Kitzmann
- Göttingen Graduate Center for Neurosciences, Biophysics, and Molecular Biosciences, University of Göttingen, 37077 Goettingen, Germany; Department of Evolutionary Developmental Genetics, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, Göttingen Center of Molecular Biosciences, University of Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Musa D Isah
- Department of Developmental Biology, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, Göttingen Center of Molecular Biosciences, University of Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Ernst A Wimmer
- Department of Developmental Biology, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, Göttingen Center of Molecular Biosciences, University of Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany; Göttingen Graduate Center for Neurosciences, Biophysics, and Molecular Biosciences, University of Göttingen, 37077 Goettingen, Germany.
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Wang L, Fan M, Zeng C, Li W, Hu Q, Liu W, Huang X, Li G, Yu F. Expression and purification of a rapidly degraded protein, TMEM8B-a, in mammalian cell line. Protein Expr Purif 2018; 151:38-45. [PMID: 29886078 DOI: 10.1016/j.pep.2018.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2018] [Revised: 05/18/2018] [Accepted: 06/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
TMEM8B-a protein is the longer, predominant isoform of the TMEM8B gene product, which is a tumor metastasis suppressor in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and lung cancer. TMEM8B-a is rapidly degraded via the proteasome pathway mediated by ezrin in many NPC and lung cancer cell lines, but TMEM8B-a is not ubiquitinated. In this study, we report the recombinant production of full-length modified TMEM8B-a in mammalian cells. We used the PiggyBac transposon system to efficiently generate normal and lung cancer cell lines with stable TMEM8B-a protein expression. 293FT cells were the best host cell line to express TMEM8B-a protein. Then, we treated the stable 293FT cell lines with various small-molecule inhibitors and demonstrated that treatment with MG-132 and bortezomib, which target the proteasome and disrupt its function, could prevent TMEM8B-a degradation and induce protein expression in 293FT cells. Finally, we utilized the combination of Twin-Strep-tag and Strep-Tactin XT resin to successfully purify the TMEM8B-a protein. The final yield was estimated to be approximately 10-20 μg of the purified TMEM8B-a per 3.0 × 108 293FT cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Wang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, 139 Renmin Middle Road, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, People's Republic of China
| | - Min Fan
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, 139 Renmin Middle Road, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, People's Republic of China
| | - Chao Zeng
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, 139 Renmin Middle Road, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei Li
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, 139 Renmin Middle Road, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, People's Republic of China
| | - Qikang Hu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, 139 Renmin Middle Road, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenliang Liu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, 139 Renmin Middle Road, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, People's Republic of China
| | - Xingchun Huang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, 139 Renmin Middle Road, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, People's Republic of China
| | - Guiyuan Li
- Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, 110 Xiangya Road, Changsha, Hunan, 410078, People's Republic of China
| | - Fenglei Yu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, 139 Renmin Middle Road, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, People's Republic of China.
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O'Neil RT, Saha S, Veach RA, Welch RC, Woodard LE, Rooney CM, Wilson MH. Transposon-modified antigen-specific T lymphocytes for sustained therapeutic protein delivery in vivo. Nat Commun 2018; 9:1325. [PMID: 29636469 PMCID: PMC5893599 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-03787-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2017] [Accepted: 03/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
A cell therapy platform permitting long-term delivery of peptide hormones in vivo would be a significant advance for patients with hormonal deficiencies. Here we report the utility of antigen-specific T lymphocytes as a regulatable peptide delivery platform for in vivo therapy. piggyBac transposon modification of murine cells with luciferase allows us to visualize T cells after adoptive transfer. Vaccination stimulates long-term T-cell engraftment, persistence, and transgene expression enabling detection of modified cells up to 300 days after adoptive transfer. We demonstrate adoptive transfer of antigen-specific T cells expressing erythropoietin (EPO) elevating the hematocrit in mice for more than 20 weeks. We extend our observations to human T cells demonstrating inducible EPO production from Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) antigen-specific T lymphocytes. Our results reveal antigen-specific T lymphocytes to be an effective delivery platform for therapeutic molecules such as EPO in vivo, with important implications for other diseases that require peptide therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard T O'Neil
- Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- The Vanderbilt Center for Kidney Disease, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Sunandan Saha
- Interdepartmental Program in Translational Biology and Molecular Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Ruth Ann Veach
- Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- The Vanderbilt Center for Kidney Disease, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Richard C Welch
- Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- The Vanderbilt Center for Kidney Disease, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Lauren E Woodard
- Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- The Vanderbilt Center for Kidney Disease, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Nashville, TN, 37212, USA
| | - Cliona M Rooney
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Department of Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Matthew H Wilson
- Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA.
- The Vanderbilt Center for Kidney Disease, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA.
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Nashville, TN, 37212, USA.
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37
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Laptev IA, Raevskaya NM, Filimonova NA, Sineoky SP. The piggyBac Transposon as a Tool in Genetic Engineering. APPL BIOCHEM MICRO+ 2018. [DOI: 10.1134/s000368381709006x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
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38
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Translational Advances of Hydrofection by Hydrodynamic Injection. Genes (Basel) 2018; 9:genes9030136. [PMID: 29494564 PMCID: PMC5867857 DOI: 10.3390/genes9030136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2018] [Revised: 02/20/2018] [Accepted: 02/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Hydrodynamic gene delivery has proven to be a safe and efficient procedure for gene transfer, able to mediate, in murine model, therapeutic levels of proteins encoded by the transfected gene. In different disease models and targeting distinct organs, it has been demonstrated to revert the pathologic symptoms and signs. The therapeutic potential of hydrofection led different groups to work on the clinical translation of the procedure. In order to prevent the hemodynamic side effects derived from the rapid injection of a large volume, the conditions had to be moderated to make them compatible with its use in mid-size animal models such as rat, hamster and rabbit and large animals as dog, pig and primates. Despite the different approaches performed to adapt the conditions of gene delivery, the results obtained in any of these mid-size and large animals have been poorer than those obtained in murine model. Among these different strategies to reduce the volume employed, the most effective one has been to exclude the vasculature of the target organ and inject the solution directly. This procedure has permitted, by catheterization and surgical procedures in large animals, achieving protein expression levels in tissue close to those achieved in gold standard models. These promising results and the possibility of employing these strategies to transfer gene constructs able to edit genes, such as CRISPR, have renewed the clinical interest of this procedure of gene transfer. In order to translate the hydrodynamic gene delivery to human use, it is demanding the standardization of the procedure conditions and the molecular parameters of evaluation in order to be able to compare the results and establish a homogeneous manner of expressing the data obtained, as ‘classic’ drugs.
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WNT9A Is a Conserved Regulator of Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cell Development. Genes (Basel) 2018; 9:genes9020066. [PMID: 29382179 PMCID: PMC5852562 DOI: 10.3390/genes9020066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2017] [Revised: 01/10/2018] [Accepted: 01/23/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) differentiate into all cell types of the blood and can be used therapeutically to treat hematopoietic cancers and disorders. Despite decades of research, it is not yet possible to derive therapy-grade HSCs from pluripotent precursors. Analysis of HSC development in model organisms has identified some of the molecular cues that are necessary to instruct hematopoiesis in vivo, including Wnt9A, which is required during an early time window in zebrafish development. Although bona fide HSCs cannot be derived in vitro, it is possible to model human hematopoietic progenitor development by differentiating human pluripotent stem cells to hematopoietic cells. Herein, we modulate WNT9A expression during the in vitro differentiation of human embryonic stem cells to hematopoietic progenitor cells and demonstrate that WNT9A also regulates human hematopoietic progenitor cell development in vitro. Overexpression of WNT9A only impacts differentiation to CD34+/CD45+ cells during early time windows and does so in a dose-dependent manner. The cells that receive the Wnt signal—not the cells that secrete WNT9A—differentiate most efficiently to hematopoietic progenitors; this mimics the paracrine action of Wnt9a during in vivo hematopoiesis. Taken together, these data indicate that WNT9A is a conserved regulator of zebrafish and human hematopoietic development.
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40
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Tipanee J, VandenDriessche T, Chuah MK. Transposons: Moving Forward from Preclinical Studies to Clinical Trials. Hum Gene Ther 2017; 28:1087-1104. [DOI: 10.1089/hum.2017.128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jaitip Tipanee
- Department of Gene Therapy and Regenerative Medicine, Free University of Brussels (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Thierry VandenDriessche
- Department of Gene Therapy and Regenerative Medicine, Free University of Brussels (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
- Center for Molecular and Vascular Biology, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Marinee K. Chuah
- Department of Gene Therapy and Regenerative Medicine, Free University of Brussels (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
- Center for Molecular and Vascular Biology, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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41
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Klose D, Woitok M, Niesen J, Beerli RR, Grawunder U, Fischer R, Barth S, Fendel R, Nachreiner T. Generation of an artificial human B cell line test system using Transpo-mAbTM technology to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of novel antigen-specific fusion proteins. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0180305. [PMID: 28704435 PMCID: PMC5509223 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0180305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2016] [Accepted: 06/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The antigen-specific targeting of autoreactive B cells via their unique B cell receptors (BCRs) is a novel and promising alternative to the systemic suppression of humoral immunity. We generated and characterized cytolytic fusion proteins based on an existing immunotoxin comprising tetanus toxoid fragment C (TTC) as the targeting component and the modified Pseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin A (ETA') as the cytotoxic component. The immunotoxin was reconfigured to replace ETA' with either the granzyme B mutant R201K or MAPTau as human effector domains. The novel cytolytic fusion proteins were characterized with a recombinant human lymphocytic cell line developed using Transpo-mAb™ technology. Genes encoding a chimeric TTC-reactive immunoglobulin G were successfully integrated into the genome of the precursor B cell line REH so that the cells could present TTC-reactive BCRs on their surface. These cells were used to investigate the specific cytotoxicity of GrB(R201K)-TTC and TTC-MAPTau, revealing that the serpin proteinase inhibitor 9-resistant granzyme B R201K mutant induced apoptosis specifically in the lymphocytic cell line. Our data confirm that antigen-based fusion proteins containing granzyme B (R201K) are suitable candidates for the depletion of autoreactive B cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Klose
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Aachen, Germany
- Department of Experimental Medicine and Immunotherapy, Institute for Applied Medical Engineering, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany
| | - Mira Woitok
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Aachen, Germany
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology (Biology VII), RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Judith Niesen
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Aachen, Germany
| | | | | | - Rainer Fischer
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Aachen, Germany
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology (Biology VII), RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Stefan Barth
- Department of Experimental Medicine and Immunotherapy, Institute for Applied Medical Engineering, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany
- South African Research Chair in Cancer Biotechnology, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine (IDM), Department of Integrative Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Rolf Fendel
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Aachen, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Thomas Nachreiner
- Department of Experimental Medicine and Immunotherapy, Institute for Applied Medical Engineering, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany
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42
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Woodard LE, Cheng J, Welch RC, Williams FM, Luo W, Gewin LS, Wilson MH. Kidney-specific transposon-mediated gene transfer in vivo. Sci Rep 2017; 7:44904. [PMID: 28317878 PMCID: PMC5357952 DOI: 10.1038/srep44904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2016] [Accepted: 02/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Methods enabling kidney-specific gene transfer in adult mice are needed to develop new therapies for kidney disease. We attempted kidney-specific gene transfer following hydrodynamic tail vein injection using the kidney-specific podocin and gamma-glutamyl transferase promoters, but found expression primarily in the liver. In order to achieve kidney-specific transgene expression, we tested direct hydrodynamic injection of a DNA solution into the renal pelvis and found that luciferase expression was strong in the kidney and absent from extra-renal tissues. We observed heterogeneous, low-level transfection of the collecting duct, proximal tubule, distal tubule, interstitial cells, and rarely glomerular cells following injection. To assess renal injury, we performed the renal pelvis injections on uninephrectomised mice and found that their blood urea nitrogen was elevated at two days post-transfer but resolved within two weeks. Although luciferase expression quickly decreased following renal pelvis injection, the use of the piggyBac transposon system improved long-term expression. Immunosuppression with cyclophosphamide stabilised luciferase expression, suggesting immune clearance of the transfected cells occurs in immunocompetent animals. Injection of a transposon expressing erythropoietin raised the haematocrit, indicating that the developed injection technique can elicit a biologic effect in vivo. Hydrodynamic renal pelvis injection enables transposon mediated-kidney specific gene transfer in adult mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren E Woodard
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Nashville, TN 37212 USA.,Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232 USA.,Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Jizhong Cheng
- Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Richard C Welch
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232 USA
| | - Felisha M Williams
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232 USA
| | - Wentian Luo
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232 USA
| | - Leslie S Gewin
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Nashville, TN 37212 USA.,Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232 USA.,Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232 USA
| | - Matthew H Wilson
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Nashville, TN 37212 USA.,Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232 USA.,Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.,Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232 USA.,Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232 USA.,Department of Veterans Affairs, Houston, TX 77030 USA
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43
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A reliable and flexible gene manipulation strategy in posthatch zebra finch brain. Sci Rep 2017; 7:43244. [PMID: 28233828 PMCID: PMC5324116 DOI: 10.1038/srep43244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2016] [Accepted: 01/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Songbird models meaningfully contribute to many fields including learned vocal communication, the neurobiology of social interactions, brain development, and ecology. The value of investigating gene-brain-behavior relationships in songbirds is therefore high. Viral infections typically used in other lab animals to deliver gene editing constructs have been less effective in songbirds, likely due to immune system properties. We therefore leveraged the in vivo electroporation strategy used in utero in rodents and in ovo in poultry, and apply it to posthatch zebra finch songbird chicks. We present a series of experiments with a combination of promoters, fluorescent protein genes, and piggyBac transposase vectors to demonstrate that this can be a reliable, efficient, and flexible strategy for genome manipulation. We discuss options for gene delivery experiments to test circuit and behavioral hypotheses using a variety of manipulations, including gene overexpression, CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing, inducible technologies, optogenetic or DREADD cellular control, and cell type-specific expression.
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44
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Liu J, Shui SL. Delivery methods for site-specific nucleases: Achieving the full potential of therapeutic gene editing. J Control Release 2016; 244:83-97. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2016.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2016] [Revised: 10/30/2016] [Accepted: 11/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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45
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Woodard LE, Downes LM, Lee YC, Kaja A, Terefe ES, Wilson MH. Temporal self-regulation of transposition through host-independent transposase rodlet formation. Nucleic Acids Res 2016; 45:353-366. [PMID: 27899587 PMCID: PMC5224482 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkw1115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2016] [Revised: 10/25/2016] [Accepted: 10/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Transposons are highly abundant in eukaryotic genomes, but their mobilization must be finely tuned to maintain host organism fitness and allow for transposon propagation. Forty percent of the human genome is comprised of transposable element sequences, and the most abundant cut-and-paste transposons are from the hAT superfamily. We found that the hAT transposase TcBuster from Tribolium castaneum formed filamentous structures, or rodlets, in human tissue culture cells, after gene transfer to adult mice, and ex vivo in cell-free conditions, indicating that host co-factors or cellular structures were not required for rodlet formation. Time-lapsed imaging of GFP-laced rodlets in human cells revealed that they formed quickly in a dynamic process involving fusion and fission. We delayed the availability of the transposon DNA and found that transposition declined after transposase concentrations became high enough for visible transposase rodlets to appear. In combination with earlier findings for maize Ac elements, these results give insight into transposase overproduction inhibition by demonstrating that the appearance of transposase protein structures and the end of active transposition are simultaneous, an effect with implications for genetic engineering and horizontal gene transfer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren E Woodard
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Nashville, TN 37212, USA and Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.,Department of Veterans Affairs, Houston, TX 77030, USA and Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Laura M Downes
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Nashville, TN 37212, USA and Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Yi-Chien Lee
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Houston, TX 77030, USA and Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Aparna Kaja
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Houston, TX 77030, USA and Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Eyuel S Terefe
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Houston, TX 77030, USA and Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Matthew H Wilson
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Nashville, TN 37212, USA and Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA .,Department of Veterans Affairs, Houston, TX 77030, USA and Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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Abstract
DNA transposons are defined segments of DNA that are able to move from one genomic location to another. Movement is facilitated by one or more proteins, called the transposase, typically encoded by the mobile element itself. Here, we first provide an overview of the classification of such mobile elements in a variety of organisms. From a mechanistic perspective, we have focused on one particular group of DNA transposons that encode a transposase with a DD(E/D) catalytic domain that is topologically similar to RNase H. For these, a number of three-dimensional structures of transpososomes (transposase-nucleic acid complexes) are available, and we use these to describe the basics of their mechanisms. The DD(E/D) group, in addition to being the largest and most common among all DNA transposases, is the one whose members have been used for a wide variety of genomic applications. Therefore, a second focus of the article is to provide a nonexhaustive overview of transposon applications. Although several non-transposon-based approaches to site-directed genome modifications have emerged in the past decade, transposon-based applications are highly relevant when integration specificity is not sought. In fact, for many applications, the almost-perfect randomness and high frequency of integration make transposon-based approaches indispensable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison B. Hickman
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - Fred Dyda
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
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47
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Aravalli RN, Steer CJ. Gene editing technology as an approach to the treatment of liver diseases. Expert Opin Biol Ther 2016; 16:595-608. [DOI: 10.1517/14712598.2016.1158808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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Abstract
The piggyBac transposon was originally isolated from the cabbage looper moth, Trichoplusia ni, in the 1980s. Despite its early discovery and dissimilarity to the other DNA transposon families, the piggyBac transposon was not recognized as a member of a large transposon superfamily for a long time. Initially, the piggyBac transposon was thought to be a rare transposon. This view, however, has now been completely revised as a number of fully sequenced genomes have revealed the presence of piggyBac-like repetitive elements. The isolation of active copies of the piggyBac-like elements from several distinct species further supported this revision. This includes the first isolation of an active mammalian DNA transposon identified in the bat genome. To date, the piggyBac transposon has been deeply characterized and it represents a number of unique characteristics. In general, all members of the piggyBac superfamily use TTAA as their integration target sites. In addition, the piggyBac transposon shows precise excision, i.e., restoring the sequence to its preintegration state, and can transpose in a variety of organisms such as yeasts, malaria parasites, insects, mammals, and even in plants. Biochemical analysis of the chemical steps of transposition revealed that piggyBac does not require DNA synthesis during the actual transposition event. The broad host range has attracted researchers from many different fields, and the piggyBac transposon is currently the most widely used transposon system for genetic manipulations.
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Loperfido M, Jarmin S, Dastidar S, Di Matteo M, Perini I, Moore M, Nair N, Samara-Kuko E, Athanasopoulos T, Tedesco FS, Dickson G, Sampaolesi M, VandenDriessche T, Chuah MK. piggyBac transposons expressing full-length human dystrophin enable genetic correction of dystrophic mesoangioblasts. Nucleic Acids Res 2015; 44:744-60. [PMID: 26682797 PMCID: PMC4737162 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkv1464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2015] [Accepted: 11/28/2015] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a genetic neuromuscular disorder caused by the absence of dystrophin. We developed a novel gene therapy approach based on the use of the piggyBac (PB) transposon system to deliver the coding DNA sequence (CDS) of either full-length human dystrophin (DYS: 11.1 kb) or truncated microdystrophins (MD1: 3.6 kb; MD2: 4 kb). PB transposons encoding microdystrophins were transfected in C2C12 myoblasts, yielding 65±2% MD1 and 66±2% MD2 expression in differentiated multinucleated myotubes. A hyperactive PB (hyPB) transposase was then deployed to enable transposition of the large-size PB transposon (17 kb) encoding the full-length DYS and green fluorescence protein (GFP). Stable GFP expression attaining 78±3% could be achieved in the C2C12 myoblasts that had undergone transposition. Western blot analysis demonstrated expression of the full-length human DYS protein in myotubes. Subsequently, dystrophic mesoangioblasts from a Golden Retriever muscular dystrophy dog were transfected with the large-size PB transposon resulting in 50±5% GFP-expressing cells after stable transposition. This was consistent with correction of the differentiated dystrophic mesoangioblasts following expression of full-length human DYS. These results pave the way toward a novel non-viral gene therapy approach for DMD using PB transposons underscoring their potential to deliver large therapeutic genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Loperfido
- Department of Gene Therapy & Regenerative Medicine, Free University of Brussels, Brussels 1090, Belgium Center for Molecular & Vascular Biology, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Susan Jarmin
- School of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, Surrey, TW20 0EX, UK
| | - Sumitava Dastidar
- Department of Gene Therapy & Regenerative Medicine, Free University of Brussels, Brussels 1090, Belgium
| | - Mario Di Matteo
- Department of Gene Therapy & Regenerative Medicine, Free University of Brussels, Brussels 1090, Belgium Center for Molecular & Vascular Biology, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Ilaria Perini
- Translational Cardiomyology Laboratory, Embryo and Stem Cell Biology Unit, Department of Development and Regeneration, University of Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Marc Moore
- School of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, Surrey, TW20 0EX, UK
| | - Nisha Nair
- Department of Gene Therapy & Regenerative Medicine, Free University of Brussels, Brussels 1090, Belgium
| | - Ermira Samara-Kuko
- Department of Gene Therapy & Regenerative Medicine, Free University of Brussels, Brussels 1090, Belgium
| | - Takis Athanasopoulos
- School of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, Surrey, TW20 0EX, UK Faculty of Science & Engineering, University of Wolverhampton, Wolverhampton, WV1 1LY, UK
| | | | - George Dickson
- School of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, Surrey, TW20 0EX, UK
| | - Maurilio Sampaolesi
- Translational Cardiomyology Laboratory, Embryo and Stem Cell Biology Unit, Department of Development and Regeneration, University of Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Thierry VandenDriessche
- Department of Gene Therapy & Regenerative Medicine, Free University of Brussels, Brussels 1090, Belgium Center for Molecular & Vascular Biology, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Marinee K Chuah
- Department of Gene Therapy & Regenerative Medicine, Free University of Brussels, Brussels 1090, Belgium Center for Molecular & Vascular Biology, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
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Ahmadi M, Damavandi N, Akbari Eidgahi MR, Davami F. Utilization of Site-Specific Recombination in Biopharmaceutical Production. IRANIAN BIOMEDICAL JOURNAL 2015; 20:68-76. [PMID: 26602035 PMCID: PMC4726886 DOI: 10.7508/ibj.2016.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Mammalian expression systems, due to their capacity in post-translational modification, are preferred systems for biopharmaceutical protein production. Several recombinant protein systems have been introduced to the market, most of which are under clinical development. In spite of significant improvements such as cell line engineering, introducing novel expression methods, gene silencing and process development, expression level is unpredictable and unstable because of the random location of integration in the genome. Site-specific recombination techniques are capable of producing stable and high producer clonal cells; therefore, they are gaining more importance in the biopharmaceutical production. Site-specific recombination methods increase the recombinant protein production by specifically inserting a vector at a locus with specific expression trait. The present review focused on the latest developments in site-specific recombination techniques, their specific features and comparisons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Ahmadi
- Dept. of Medical Biotechnology, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran.,Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Narges Damavandi
- Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.,Dept. of Biotechnology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Fatemeh Davami
- Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
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