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Powell G, Pavlovic Djuranovic S, Djuranovic S. Gene dosage effects of poly(A) track-engineered hypomorphs. MOLECULAR THERAPY-NUCLEIC ACIDS 2021; 26:865-878. [PMID: 34729253 PMCID: PMC8536507 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2021.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2021] [Revised: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Manipulation of gene activity through creation of hypomorphic mutants has been a long-standing tool in examining gene function. Our previous studies have indicated that hypomorphic mutants could be created by inserting cis-regulatory sequences composed of consecutive adenosine nucleotides called poly(A) tracks. Here we use poly(A) tracks to create hypomorphic mutants and functional characterization of membrane, secretory, and endogenous proteins. Insertion of poly(A) tracks into the sequences of interleukin-2 and membrane protein CD20 results in a programmable reduction of mRNA stability and attenuation of protein expression regardless of the presence of a signaling sequence. Likewise, CRISPR-Cas9 targeted insertion of poly(A) tracks into the coding sequence of the endogenous human genes AUF1 and TP53 results in a programmable reduction of targeted protein and mRNA levels. Functional analyses of AUF1-engineered hypomorphs indicate a direct correlation between AUF1 gene levels and the stability of AUF1-regulated mRNAs. Hypomorphs of TP53 affect expression of the target genes differentially depending on the severity of the hypomorphic mutation. Finally, decreases in TP53 protein affect the same cellular pathways in poly(A) track-engineered cells as in cancer cells, indicating these variants’ biological relevance. These results highlight this technology’s power to create predictable, stable hypomorphs in recombinant or endogenous genes in combination with CRISPR-Cas9 engineering tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geralle Powell
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Washington University School of Medicine, 600 South Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8228, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Slavica Pavlovic Djuranovic
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Washington University School of Medicine, 600 South Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8228, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Sergej Djuranovic
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Washington University School of Medicine, 600 South Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8228, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
- Correspondence: Sergej Djuranovic, Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Washington University School of Medicine, 600 South Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8228, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.
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Islamov RR, Bashirov FV, Sokolov ME, Izmailov AA, Fadeev FO, Markosyan VA, Davleeva MA, Zubkova OV, Smarov MM, Logunov DY, Naroditskyi BS, Salafutdinov II, Rizvanov AA, Turaev RG. Gene-modified leucoconcentrate for personalized ex vivo gene therapy in a mini pig model of moderate spinal cord injury. Neural Regen Res 2021; 16:357-361. [PMID: 32859798 PMCID: PMC7896207 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.290902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
We previously demonstrated that gene-modified umbilical cord blood mononuclear cells overexpressing a combination of recombinant neurotrophic factors are a promising therapeutic approach for cell-mediated gene therapy for neurodegenerative diseases, neurotrauma, and stroke. In this study, using a mini pig model of spinal cord injury, we proposed for the first time the use of gene-modified leucoconcentrate prepared from peripheral blood in the plastic blood bag for personalized ex vivo gene therapy. Leucoconcentrate obtained from mini pig peripheral blood was transduced with a chimeric adenoviral vector (Ad5/35F) that carried an enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) reporter gene in the plastic blood bag. The day after blood donation, the mini pigs were subjected to moderate SCI and four hours post-surgery they were intravenously autoinfused with gene-modified leucoconcentrate. A week after gene-modified leucoconcentrate therapy, fluorescent microscopy revealed EGFP-expressing leucocytes in spinal cord at the site of contusion injury. In the spleen the groups of EGFP-positive cells located in the lymphoid follicles were observed. In vitro flow cytometry and fluorescent microscopy studies of the gene-modified leucoconcentrate samples also confirmed the production of EGFP by leucocytes. Thus, the efficacy of leucocytes transduction in the plastic blood bag and their migratory potential suggest their use for temporary production of recombinant biologically active molecules to correct certain pathological conditions. This paper presents a proof-of-concept of simple, safe and effective approach for personalized ex vivo gene therapy based on gene-modified leucoconcentrate autoinfusion. The animal protocols were approved by the Kazan State Medical University Animal Care and Use Committee (approval No. 5) on May 27, 2014.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Olga V Zubkova
- Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, Moscow, Russia
| | - Maxim M Smarov
- Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, Moscow, Russia
| | - Denis Yu Logunov
- Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, Moscow, Russia
| | - Boris S Naroditskyi
- Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, Moscow, Russia
| | | | | | - Ramil G Turaev
- The Republican Blood Center of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Tatarstan, Kazan, Russia
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Schorch B, Heni H, Zahaf NI, Brummer T, Mione M, Schmidt G, Papatheodorou P, Aktories K. Targeting oncogenic Ras by the Clostridium perfringens toxin TpeL. Oncotarget 2018; 9:16489-16500. [PMID: 29662661 PMCID: PMC5893256 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.24740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2017] [Accepted: 03/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Clostridium perfringens toxin TpeL belongs to the family of large clostridial glycosylating toxins. The toxin causes N-acetylglucosaminylation of Ras proteins at threonine35 thereby inactivating the small GTPases. Here, we show that all main types of oncogenic Ras proteins (H-Ras, K-Ras and N-Ras) are modified by the toxin in vitro and in vivo. Toxin-catalyzed modification of Ras was accompanied by inhibition of the MAP kinase pathway. Importantly, TpeL inhibited the paradoxical activation of the MAP kinase pathway induced by the BRAF inhibitor Vemurafenib in the human melanoma cell line SBCL2. The toxin also blocked Ras signaling in a zebrafish embryo model expressing oncogenic H-RasG12V, resulting in a reduction of melanocyte number. By using the binding and translocation component of anthrax toxin (protective antigen), the glucosyltransferase domain of TpeL was effectively introduced into target cells that were not sensitive to native TpeL toxin. To reach a higher specificity towards cancer cells, a chimeric TpeL toxin was engineered that possessed the knob region of adenovirus serotype 35 fiber, which interacts with CD46 of target cells frequently overexpressed in cancer cells. The chimeric TpeL fusion toxin efficiently inhibited Ras and MAP kinases in human pancreatic cancer Capan-2 cells, which were insensitive to the wild-type toxin. The data reveal that TpeL and TpeL-related immunotoxins provide a new toolset as Ras-inactivating agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Björn Schorch
- Institut für Experimentelle und Klinische Pharmakologie und Toxikologie, Medizinische Fakultät, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Hannah Heni
- Institut für Experimentelle und Klinische Pharmakologie und Toxikologie, Medizinische Fakultät, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Nour-Imene Zahaf
- Institut für Experimentelle und Klinische Pharmakologie und Toxikologie, Medizinische Fakultät, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Tilman Brummer
- Institut für Molekulare Medizin und Zellforschung, Medizinische Fakultät, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Freiburg, Germany, and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.,Centre for Biological Signalling Studies (BIOSS), Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Marina Mione
- Institute of Toxicology and Genetics, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Eggestein-Leopoldshafen, Germany.,Present Address: Center for Integrative Biology, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Gudula Schmidt
- Institut für Experimentelle und Klinische Pharmakologie und Toxikologie, Medizinische Fakultät, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Panagiotis Papatheodorou
- Institut für Experimentelle und Klinische Pharmakologie und Toxikologie, Medizinische Fakultät, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.,Present Address: Institute of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany.,Present Address: Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Ulm Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Klaus Aktories
- Institut für Experimentelle und Klinische Pharmakologie und Toxikologie, Medizinische Fakultät, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.,Centre for Biological Signalling Studies (BIOSS), Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
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Agarwal P, Gammon EA, Sajib AM, Sandey M, Smith BF. Cell-Surface Integrins and CAR Are Both Essential for Adenovirus Type 5 Transduction of Canine Cells of Lymphocytic Origin. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0169532. [PMID: 28068367 PMCID: PMC5222425 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0169532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2016] [Accepted: 12/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Adenoviruses are the most widely used vectors in cancer gene therapy. Adenoviruses vectors are well characterized and are easily manipulated. Adenovirus serotype 5 (Ad5) is the most commonly used human serotype. Ad5 internalization into host cells is a combined effect of binding of Ad5 fiber knob with the coxsackie virus and adenovirus receptor (CAR) and binding of RGD motifs in viral penton to cell surface integrins (αvβ3, αvβ5). Ad5’s wide range of host-cell transduction and lack of integration into the host genome have made it an excellent choice for cancer therapeutics. However, Ad5 has limited ability to transduce cells of hematopoietic origin. It has been previously reported that low or no expression of CAR is a potential obstacle to Ad5 infection in hematopoietic origin cells. In addition, we have previously reported that low levels of cell surface integrins (αvβ3, αvβ5) may inhibit Ad5 infection in canine lymphoma cell lines. In the current report we have examined the ability of an Ad5 vector to infect human (HEK293) and canine non-cancerous (NCF and PBMC), canine non-hematopoietic origin cancer (CMT28, CML7, and CML10), and canine hematopoietic origin cancer (DH82, 17–71, OSW, MPT-1, and BR) cells. In addition, we have quantified CAR, αvβ3 and αvβ5 integrin transcript expression in these cells by using quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR (q-RT-PCR). Low levels of integrins were present in MPT1, 17–71, OSW, and PBMC cells in comparison to CMT28, DH82, and BR cells. CAR mRNA levels were comparatively higher in MPT1, 17–71, OSW, and PBMC cells. This report confirms and expands the finding that low or absent expression of cell surface integrins may be the primary reason for the inability of Ad5-based vectors to transduce cells of lymphocytic origin and some myeloid cells but this is not true for all hematopoietic origin cells. For efficient use of Ad5-based therapeutic vectors in cancers of lymphocytic origin, it is important to address the defects in cell surface integrins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Payal Agarwal
- Scott Ritchey Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, United States of America
| | - Elizabeth A. Gammon
- Scott Ritchey Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, United States of America
| | - Abdul Mohin Sajib
- Scott Ritchey Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, United States of America
| | - Maninder Sandey
- Scott Ritchey Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, United States of America
- Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, United States of America
| | - Bruce F. Smith
- Scott Ritchey Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, United States of America
- Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Lopez-Gordo E, Podgorski II, Downes N, Alemany R. Circumventing antivector immunity: potential use of nonhuman adenoviral vectors. Hum Gene Ther 2014; 25:285-300. [PMID: 24499174 DOI: 10.1089/hum.2013.228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Adenoviruses are efficient gene delivery vectors based on their ability to transduce a wide variety of cell types and drive high-level transient transgene expression. While there have been advances in modifying human adenoviral (HAdV) vectors to increase their safety profile, there are still pitfalls that need to be further addressed. Preexisting humoral and cellular immunity against common HAdV serotypes limits the efficacy of gene transfer and duration of transgene expression. As an alternative, nonhuman AdV (NHAdV) vectors can circumvent neutralizing antibodies against HAdVs in immunized mice and monkeys and in human sera, suggesting that NHAdV vectors could circumvent preexisting humoral immunity against HAdVs in a clinical setting. Consequently, there has been an increased interest in developing NHAdV vectors for gene delivery in humans. In this review, we outline the recent advances and limitations of HAdV vectors for gene therapy and describe examples of NHAdV vectors focusing on their immunogenicity, tropism, and potential as effective gene therapy vehicles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Estrella Lopez-Gordo
- 1 Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, BHF Glasgow Cardiovascular Research Centre, University of Glasgow , Glasgow G12 8TA, United Kingdom
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