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Tsylents U, Burmistrz M, Wojciechowska M, Stępień J, Maj P, Trylska J. Iron uptake pathway of Escherichia coli as an entry route for peptide nucleic acids conjugated with a siderophore mimic. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1331021. [PMID: 38357356 PMCID: PMC10864483 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1331021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Bacteria secrete various iron-chelators (siderophores), which scavenge Fe3+ from the environment, bind it with high affinity, and retrieve it inside the cell. After the Fe3+ uptake, bacteria extract the soluble iron(II) from the siderophore. Ferric siderophores are transported inside the cell via the TonB-dependent receptor system. Importantly, siderophore uptake paths have been also used by sideromycins, natural antibiotics. Our goal is to hijack the transport system for hydroxamate-type siderophores to deliver peptide nucleic acid oligomers into Escherichia coli cells. As siderophore mimics we designed and synthesized linear and cyclic Nδ-acetyl-Nδ-hydroxy-l-ornithine based peptides. Using circular dichroism spectroscopy, we found that iron(III) is coordinated by the linear trimer with hydroxamate groups but not by the cyclic peptide. The internal flexibility of the linear siderophore oxygen atoms and their interactions with Fe3+ were confirmed by all-atom molecular dynamics simulations. Using flow cytometry we found that the designed hydroxamate trimer transports PNA oligomers inside the E. coli cells. Growth recovery assays on various E. coli mutants suggest the pathway of this transport through the FhuE outer-membrane receptor, which is responsible for the uptake of the natural iron chelator, ferric-coprogen. This pathway also involves the FhuD periplasmic binding protein. Docking of the siderophores to the FhuE and FhuD receptor structures showed that binding of the hydroxamate trimer is energetically favorable corroborating the experimentally suggested uptake path. Therefore, this siderophore mimic, as well as its conjugate with PNA, is most probably internalized through the hydroxamate pathway.
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Polak A, Machnik G, Bułdak Ł, Ruczyński J, Prochera K, Bujak O, Mucha P, Rekowski P, Okopień B. The Application of Peptide Nucleic Acids (PNA) in the Inhibition of Proprotein Convertase Subtilisin/Kexin 9 ( PCSK9) Gene Expression in a Cell-Free Transcription/Translation System. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:1463. [PMID: 38338741 PMCID: PMC10855603 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25031463] [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: 11/19/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin 9 (PCSK9) is a protein that plays a key role in the metabolism of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. The gain-of-function mutations of the PCSK9 gene lead to a reduced number of surface LDL receptors by binding to them, eventually leading to endosomal degradation. This, in turn, is the culprit of hypercholesterolemia, resulting in accelerated atherogenesis. The modern treatment for hypercholesterolemia encompasses the use of biological drugs against PCSK9, like monoclonal antibodies and gene expression modulators such as inclisiran-a short, interfering RNA (siRNA). Peptide nucleic acid (PNA) is a synthetic analog of nucleic acid that possesses a synthetic peptide skeleton instead of a phosphate-sugar one. This different structure determines the unique properties of PNA (e.g., neutral charge, enzymatic resistance, and an enormously high affinity with complementary DNA and RNA). Therefore, it might be possible to use PNA against PCSK9 in the treatment of hypercholesterolemia. We sought to explore the impact of three selected PNA oligomers on PCSK9 gene expression. Using a cell-free transcription/translation system, we showed that one of the tested PNA strands was able to reduce the PCSK9 gene expression down to 74%, 64%, and 68%, as measured by RT-real-time PCR, Western blot, and HPLC, respectively. This preliminary study shows the high applicability of a cell-free enzymatic environment as an efficient tool in the initial evaluation of biologically active PNA molecules in the field of hypercholesterolemia research. This cell-free approach allows for the omission of the hurdles associated with transmembrane PNA transportation at the early stage of PNA selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Polak
- Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Pharmacology, Faculty of Medical Science in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Medykow 18, 40-752 Katowice, Poland
| | - Grzegorz Machnik
- Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Pharmacology, Faculty of Medical Science in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Medykow 18, 40-752 Katowice, Poland
| | - Łukasz Bułdak
- Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Pharmacology, Faculty of Medical Science in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Medykow 18, 40-752 Katowice, Poland
| | - Jarosław Ruczyński
- Laboratory of Chemistry of Biologically Active Compounds, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland; (J.R.); (K.P.)
| | - Katarzyna Prochera
- Laboratory of Chemistry of Biologically Active Compounds, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland; (J.R.); (K.P.)
| | - Oliwia Bujak
- Laboratory of Chemistry of Biologically Active Compounds, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland; (J.R.); (K.P.)
| | - Piotr Mucha
- Laboratory of Chemistry of Biologically Active Compounds, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland; (J.R.); (K.P.)
| | - Piotr Rekowski
- Laboratory of Chemistry of Biologically Active Compounds, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland; (J.R.); (K.P.)
| | - Bogusław Okopień
- Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Pharmacology, Faculty of Medical Science in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Medykow 18, 40-752 Katowice, Poland
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Mucha P, Sikorska E, Rekowski P, Ruczyński J. Interaction of Arginine-Rich Cell-Penetrating Peptides with an Artificial Neuronal Membrane. Cells 2022; 11:cells11101638. [PMID: 35626677 PMCID: PMC9139471 DOI: 10.3390/cells11101638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Revised: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Arginine-rich cell-penetrating peptides (RRCPPs) exhibit intrinsic neuroprotective effects on neurons injured by acute ischemic stroke. Conformational properties, interaction, and the ability to penetrate the neural membrane are critical for the neuroprotective effects of RRCCPs. In this study, we applied circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy and coarse-grained molecular dynamics (CG MD) simulations to investigate the interactions of two RRCPPs, Tat(49–57)-NH2 (arginine-rich motif of Tat HIV-1 protein) and PTD4 (a less basic Ala-scan analog of the Tat peptide), with an artificial neuronal membrane (ANM). CD spectra showed that in an aqueous environment, such as phosphate-buffered saline, the peptides mostly adopted a random coil (PTD4) or a polyproline type II helical (Tat(49–57)-NH2) conformation. On the other hand, in the hydrophobic environment of the ANM liposomes, the peptides showed moderate conformational changes, especially around 200 nm, as indicated by CD curves. The changes induced by the liposomes were slightly more significant in the PTD4 peptide. However, the nature of the conformational changes could not be clearly defined. CG MD simulations showed that the peptides are quickly attracted to the neuronal lipid bilayer and bind preferentially to monosialotetrahexosylganglioside (DPG1) molecules. However, the peptides did not penetrate the membrane even at increasing concentrations. This suggests that the energy barrier required to break the strong peptide–lipid electrostatic interactions was not exceeded in the simulated models. The obtained results show a correlation between the potential of mean force parameter and a peptide’s cell membrane-penetrating ability and neuroprotective properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piotr Mucha
- Laboratory of Chemistry of Biologically Active Compounds, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland;
- Environmental Nucleic Acid Laboratory, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland
- Correspondence: (P.M.); (J.R.); Tel.: +48-58-5235432 (P.M.); +48-58-5235235 (J.R.)
| | - Emilia Sikorska
- Laboratory of Structural Research of Biopolymers, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland;
| | - Piotr Rekowski
- Laboratory of Chemistry of Biologically Active Compounds, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland;
- Environmental Nucleic Acid Laboratory, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Jarosław Ruczyński
- Laboratory of Chemistry of Biologically Active Compounds, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland;
- Correspondence: (P.M.); (J.R.); Tel.: +48-58-5235432 (P.M.); +48-58-5235235 (J.R.)
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Pieńko T, Czarnecki J, Równicki M, Wojciechowska M, Wierzba AJ, Gryko D, Bartosik D, Trylska J. Vitamin B 12-peptide nucleic acids use the BtuB receptor to pass through the Escherichia coli outer membrane. Biophys J 2021; 120:725-737. [PMID: 33453274 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2021.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2020] [Revised: 12/30/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Short modified oligonucleotides that bind in a sequence-specific way to messenger RNA essential for bacterial growth could be useful to fight bacterial infections. One such promising oligonucleotide is peptide nucleic acid (PNA), a synthetic DNA analog with a peptide-like backbone. However, the limitation precluding the use of oligonucleotides, including PNA, is that bacteria do not import them from the environment. We have shown that vitamin B12, which most bacteria need to take up for growth, delivers PNAs to Escherichia coli cells when covalently linked with PNAs. Vitamin B12 enters E. coli via a TonB-dependent transport system and is recognized by the outer-membrane vitamin B12-specific BtuB receptor. We engineered the E. coli ΔbtuB mutant and found that transport of the vitamin B12-PNA conjugate requires BtuB. Thus, the conjugate follows the same route through the outer membrane as taken by free vitamin B12. From enhanced sampling all-atom molecular dynamics simulations, we determined the mechanism of conjugate permeation through BtuB. BtuB is a β-barrel occluded by its luminal domain. The potential of mean force shows that conjugate passage is unidirectional and its movement into the BtuB β-barrel is energetically favorable upon luminal domain unfolding. Inside BtuB, PNA extends making its permeation mechanically feasible. BtuB extracellular loops are actively involved in transport through an induced-fit mechanism. We prove that the vitamin B12 transport system can be hijacked to enable PNA delivery to E. coli cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomasz Pieńko
- Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland; Department of Drug Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy with the Laboratory Medicine Division, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Jakub Czarnecki
- Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland; Bacterial Genome Plasticity, Department of Genomes and Genetics, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Marcin Równicki
- Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | | | | | - Dorota Gryko
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | | | - Joanna Trylska
- Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
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Transportan 10 improves the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of vancomycin. Sci Rep 2019; 9:3247. [PMID: 30824786 PMCID: PMC6397271 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-40103-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2018] [Accepted: 02/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
In the presented study, transportan 10 (TP10), an amphipathic cell penetrating peptide (CPP) with high translocation activity, was conjugated with vancomycin (Van), which is known for poor access to the intracellular bacteria and the brain. The antibacterial activity of the conjugates was tested on selected clinical strains of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Enterococcus sp. It turned out that all of them had superior antimicrobial activity in comparison to that of free Van, which became visible particularly against clinical MRSA strains. Furthermore, one of the conjugates was tested against MRSA - infected human cells. With respect to them, this compound showed high bactericidal activity. Next, the same conjugate was screened for its capacity to cross the blood brain barrier (BBB). Therefore, qualitative and quantitative analyses of the conjugate's presence in the mouse brain slices were carried out after its iv administration. They indicated the conjugate's presence in the brain in amount >200 times bigger than that of Van. The conjugates were safe with respect to erythrocyte toxicity (erythrocyte lysis assay). Van in the form of a conjugate with TP10 acquires superior pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic.
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Rusiecka I, Ruczyński J, Kozłowska A, Backtrog E, Mucha P, Kocić I, Rekowski P. TP10-Dopamine Conjugate as a Potential Therapeutic Agent in the Treatment of Parkinson's Disease. Bioconjug Chem 2019; 30:760-774. [PMID: 30653302 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.8b00894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common progressive neurodegenerative disorder for which the current treatment is not fully satisfactory. One of the major drawbacks of current PD therapy is poor penetration of drugs across the blood-brain barrier (BBB). In recent years, cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) such as Tat, SynB, or TP10 have gained great interest due to their ability to penetrate cell membranes and to deliver different cargos to their targets including the central nervous system (CNS). However, there is no data with respect to the use of CPPs as drug carriers to the brain for the treatment of PD. In the presented research, the covalent TP10-dopamine conjugate was synthesized and its pharmacological properties were characterized in terms of its ability to penetrate the BBB and anti-parkinsonian activity. The results showed that dopamine (DA) in the form of a conjugate with TP10 evidently gained access to the brain tissue, exhibited low susceptibility to O-methylation reaction by catechol- O-methyltransferase (lower than that of DA), possessed a relatively high affinity to both dopamine D1 and D2 receptors (in the case of D1, a much higher than that of DA), and showed anti-parkinsonian activity (higher than that of l-DOPA) in the MPTP-induced preclinical animal model of PD. The presented results prove that the conjugation of TP10 with DA may be a good starting point for the development of a new strategy for the treatment of PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Izabela Rusiecka
- Department of Pharmacology , Medical University of Gdańsk , Dębowa 23 , 80-204 Gdańsk , Poland
| | - Jarosław Ruczyński
- Faculty of Chemistry , University of Gdańsk , Wita Stwosza 63 , 80-308 Gdańsk , Poland
| | - Agnieszka Kozłowska
- Faculty of Chemistry , University of Gdańsk , Wita Stwosza 63 , 80-308 Gdańsk , Poland
| | - Ewelina Backtrog
- Faculty of Chemistry , University of Gdańsk , Wita Stwosza 63 , 80-308 Gdańsk , Poland
| | - Piotr Mucha
- Faculty of Chemistry , University of Gdańsk , Wita Stwosza 63 , 80-308 Gdańsk , Poland
| | - Ivan Kocić
- Department of Pharmacology , Medical University of Gdańsk , Dębowa 23 , 80-204 Gdańsk , Poland
| | - Piotr Rekowski
- Faculty of Chemistry , University of Gdańsk , Wita Stwosza 63 , 80-308 Gdańsk , Poland
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Astakhova K, Ray R, Taskova M, Uhd J, Carstens A, Morris K. "Clicking" Gene Therapeutics: A Successful Union of Chemistry and Biomedicine for New Solutions. Mol Pharm 2018; 15:2892-2899. [PMID: 29300491 PMCID: PMC6078818 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.7b00765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The use of nucleic acid, DNA and RNA, based strategies to disrupt gene expression as a therapeutic is quickly emerging. Indeed, synthetic oligonucleotides represent a major component of modern gene therapeutics. However, the efficiency and specificity of intracellular uptake for nonmodified oligonucleotides is rather poor. Utilizing RNA based oligonucleotides as therapeutics is even more challenging to deliver, due to extremely fast enzymatic degradation of the RNAs. RNAs get rapidly degraded in vivo and demonstrate large off-target binding events when they can reach and enter the desired target cells. One approach that holds much promise is the utilization of "click chemistry" to conjugate receptor or cell specific targeting molecules directly to the effector oligonucleotides. We discuss here the applications of the breakthrough technology of CuAAC click chemistry and the immense potential in utilizing "click chemistry" in the development of new age targeted oligonucleotide therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kira Astakhova
- Department of Chemistry, Technical University of Denmark, 206 Kemitorvet, 2800 Kgs Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Roslyn Ray
- Center for Gene Therapy, City of Hope – Beckman Research Institute and Hematological Malignancy and Stem Cell Transplantation Institute at the City of Hope. 1500 E. Duarte Rd., Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
| | - Maria Taskova
- Department of Chemistry, Technical University of Denmark, 206 Kemitorvet, 2800 Kgs Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Jesper Uhd
- Department of Chemistry, Technical University of Denmark, 206 Kemitorvet, 2800 Kgs Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Annika Carstens
- Department of Chemistry, Technical University of Denmark, 206 Kemitorvet, 2800 Kgs Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Kevin Morris
- Center for Gene Therapy, City of Hope – Beckman Research Institute and Hematological Malignancy and Stem Cell Transplantation Institute at the City of Hope. 1500 E. Duarte Rd., Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
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Antimicrobial synergy between mRNA targeted peptide nucleic acid and antibiotics in E. coli. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2018; 28:3094-3098. [PMID: 30082123 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2018.07.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2018] [Revised: 07/18/2018] [Accepted: 07/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
A combination of antibacterial agents should make the emergence of resistance in bacteria less probable. Thus we have analyzed the synergistic effects between antibacterial antisense peptide nucleic acids (PNA) and conventional antibiotics against Escherichia coli AS19 (lipopolysaccharide defective) strain and a derivative of a pathogenic strain E. coli O157:H7. PNAs were designed to target mRNA transcripts encoding the essential acyl carrier protein (gene acpP) and conjugated to the cell-penetrating peptide (KFF)3K for cellular uptake. Antibiotics included aminoglycosides, aminopenicillins, polymyxins, rifamycins, sulfonamides and trimethoprim. Synergies were evaluated using the checkerboard technique. Fractional Inhibitory Concentration indices (FICi) were calculated for all combinations based on the minimal inhibitory concentration of each individual agent. The results demonstrate two novel synergistic combinations of antimicrobial agents, namely, (KFF)3K-PNA anti-acpP with polymyxin B and (KFF)3K-PNA anti-acpP with trimethoprim (both with FICi = 0.38). Polymyxin B's synergy postulates cell wall targeted antibiotics as attractive agents to improve the uptake of PNA while trimethoprim's interaction with PNA my reveal a new inhibitory mechanism.
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Kulkarni K, Watson GM, Sang J, Wilce JA. Preparation and cellular uptake of bicyclic-peptide cargo clicked to cell penetrating peptides. Pept Sci (Hoboken) 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/pep2.24037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ketav Kulkarni
- Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Monash University; Clayton VIC 3800 Australia
| | - Gabrielle M. Watson
- Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Monash University; Clayton VIC 3800 Australia
| | - Jianrong Sang
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine; Jiangsu University; People's Republic of China
| | - Jacqueline A. Wilce
- Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Monash University; Clayton VIC 3800 Australia
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Równicki M, Wojciechowska M, Wierzba AJ, Czarnecki J, Bartosik D, Gryko D, Trylska J. Vitamin B 12 as a carrier of peptide nucleic acid (PNA) into bacterial cells. Sci Rep 2017; 7:7644. [PMID: 28794451 PMCID: PMC5550456 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-08032-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2017] [Accepted: 07/06/2017] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Short modified oligonucleotides targeted at bacterial DNA or RNA could serve as antibacterial agents provided that they are efficiently taken up by bacterial cells. However, the uptake of such oligonucleotides is hindered by the bacterial cell wall. To overcome this problem, oligomers have been attached to cell-penetrating peptides, but the efficiency of delivery remains poor. Thus, we have investigated the ability of vitamin B12 to transport peptide nucleic acid (PNA) oligomers into cells of Escherichia coli and Salmonella Typhimurium. Vitamin B12 was covalently linked to a PNA oligomer targeted at the mRNA of a reporter gene expressing Red Fluorescent Protein. Cu-catalyzed 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition was employed for the synthesis of PNA-vitamin B12 conjugates; namely the vitamin B12 azide was reacted with PNA possessing the terminal alkyne group. Different types of linkers and spacers between vitamin B12 and PNA were tested, including a disulfide bond. We found that vitamin B12 transports antisense PNA into E. coli cells more efficiently than the most widely used cell-penetrating peptide (KFF)3K. We also determined that the structure of the linker impacts the antisense effect. The results of this study provide the foundation for developing vitamin B12 as a carrier of PNA oligonucleotides into bacterial cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcin Równicki
- College of Inter-Faculty Individual Studies in Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Banacha 2c, 02-097, Warsaw, Poland
- Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, Banacha 2c, 02-097, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Monika Wojciechowska
- Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, Banacha 2c, 02-097, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Aleksandra J Wierzba
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, M. Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Jakub Czarnecki
- Department of Bacterial Genetics, Institute of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Miecznikowa 1, 02-096, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Dariusz Bartosik
- Department of Bacterial Genetics, Institute of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Miecznikowa 1, 02-096, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Dorota Gryko
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, M. Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224, Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Joanna Trylska
- Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, Banacha 2c, 02-097, Warsaw, Poland.
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11
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Kulik M, Markowska-Zagrajek A, Wojciechowska M, Grzela R, Wituła T, Trylska J. Helix 69 of Escherichia coli 23S ribosomal RNA as a peptide nucleic acid target. Biochimie 2017; 138:32-42. [PMID: 28396015 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2017.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2016] [Revised: 03/03/2017] [Accepted: 04/03/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
A fragment of 23S ribosomal RNA (nucleotides 1906-1924 in E. coli), termed Helix 69, forms a hairpin that is essential for ribosome function. Helix 69 forms a conformationally flexible inter-subunit connection with helix 44 of 16S ribosomal RNA, and the nucleotide A1913 of Helix 69 influences decoding accuracy. Nucleotides U1911 and U1917 are post-transcriptionally modified with pseudouridines (Ψ) and U1915 with 3-methyl-Ψ. We investigated Helix 69 as a target for a complementary synthetic oligonucleotide - peptide nucleic acid (PNA). We determined thermodynamic properties of Helix 69 and its complexes with PNA and tested the performance of PNA targeted at Helix 69 in inhibiting translation in cell-free extracts and growth of E. coli cells. First, we examined the interactions of a PNA oligomer complementary to the G1907-A1919 fragment of Helix 69 with the sequences corresponding to human and bacterial species (with or without pseudouridine modifications). PNA invades the Helix 69 hairpin creating stable complexes and PNA binding to the pseudouridylated bacterial sequence is stronger than to Helix 69 without any modifications. Second, we confirmed the binding of PNA to 23S rRNA and 70S ribosomes. Third, we verified the efficiency of translation inhibition of these PNA oligomers in the cell-free translation/transcription E. coli system, which were in a similar range as tetracycline. Next, we confirmed that PNA conjugated to the (KFF)3K transporter peptide inhibited E. coli growth in micromolar concentrations. Overall, targeting Helix 69 with PNA or other sequence-specific oligomers could be a promising way to inhibit bacterial translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Kulik
- Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, Banacha 2c, 02-097, Warsaw, Poland; Faculty of Chemistry, University of Warsaw, Pasteura 1, 02-093, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Markowska-Zagrajek
- Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, Banacha 2c, 02-097, Warsaw, Poland; Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Miecznikowa 1, 02-096, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Monika Wojciechowska
- Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, Banacha 2c, 02-097, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Renata Grzela
- Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, Banacha 2c, 02-097, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Tomasz Wituła
- Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, Banacha 2c, 02-097, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Joanna Trylska
- Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, Banacha 2c, 02-097, Warsaw, Poland.
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Gooding M, Malhotra M, Evans JC, Darcy R, O'Driscoll CM. Oligonucleotide conjugates - Candidates for gene silencing therapeutics. Eur J Pharm Biopharm 2016; 107:321-40. [PMID: 27521696 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpb.2016.07.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2016] [Revised: 07/24/2016] [Accepted: 07/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The potential therapeutic and diagnostic applications of oligonucleotides (ONs) have attracted great attention in recent years. The capability of ONs to selectively inhibit target genes through antisense and RNA interference mechanisms, without causing un-intended sideeffects has led them to be investigated for various biomedical applications, especially for the treatment of viral diseases and cancer. In recent years, many researchers have focused on enhancing the stability and target specificity of ONs by encapsulating/complexing them with polymers or lipid chains to formulate nanoparticles/nanocomplexes/micelles. Also, chemical modification of nucleic acids has emerged as an alternative to impart stability to ONs against nucleases and other degrading enzymes and proteins found in blood. In addition to chemically modifying the nucleic acids directly, another strategy that has emerged, involves conjugating polymers/peptide/aptamers/antibodies/proteins, preferably to the sense strand (3'end) of siRNAs. Conjugation to the siRNA not only enhances the stability and targeting specificity of the siRNA, but also allows for the development of self-administering siRNA formulations, with a much smaller size than what is usually observed for nanoparticle (∼200nm). This review concentrates mainly on approaches and studies involving ON-conjugates for biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matt Gooding
- Pharmacodelivery Group, School of Pharmacy, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Meenakshi Malhotra
- Pharmacodelivery Group, School of Pharmacy, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - James C Evans
- Pharmacodelivery Group, School of Pharmacy, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Raphael Darcy
- Pharmacodelivery Group, School of Pharmacy, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
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Zhang D, Wang J, Xu D. Cell-penetrating peptides as noninvasive transmembrane vectors for the development of novel multifunctional drug-delivery systems. J Control Release 2016; 229:130-139. [PMID: 26993425 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2016.03.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 162] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2015] [Revised: 03/10/2016] [Accepted: 03/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Unique characteristics, such as nontoxicity and rapid cellular internalization, allow the cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) to transport hydrophilic macromolecules into cells, thus, enabling them to execute biological functions. However, some CPPs have limitations due to nonspecificity and easy proteolysis. To overcome such defects, the CPP amino acid sequence can be modified, replaced, and reconstructed for optimization. CPPs can also be used in combination with other drug vectors, fused with their preponderances to create novel multifunctional drug-delivery systems that increase the stability during blood circulation, and also develop novel preparations capable of targeted delivery, along with sustainable and controllable release. Further improvements in CPP structure can facilitate the penetration of macromolecules into diverse biomembrane structures, such as the blood brain barrier, gastroenteric mucosa, and skin dermis. The ability of CPP to act as transmembrane vectors improves the clinical application of some biomolecules to treat central nervous system diseases, increase oral bioavailability, and develop percutaneous-delivery dosage form.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongdong Zhang
- Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, 27 Taiping Road, Beijing 100850, PR China; Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, PR China
| | - Jiaxi Wang
- Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, 27 Taiping Road, Beijing 100850, PR China
| | - Donggang Xu
- Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, 27 Taiping Road, Beijing 100850, PR China; Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, PR China.
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