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Dowd S, Lagalante L, Rahlfs J, Sharo C, Opulente D, Lagalante A, Elmer J. Sequencing of the Lumbricus terrestris genome reveals degeneracy in its erythrocruorin genes. Biochimie 2024; 219:130-141. [PMID: 37981225 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2023.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/21/2023]
Abstract
The erythrocruorin of Lumbricus terrestris (LtEc) is a relatively large macromolecular assembly that consists of at least four different hemoglobin subunits (A, B, C, and D) and four linker subunits (L1, L2, L3, and L4). The complexity and stability of this large structure make LtEc an attractive hemoglobin-based oxygen carrier that could potentially be used as a substitute for donated red blood cells. However, the sequences of the LtEc subunit sequences must be determined before a scalable recombinant expression platform can be developed. The goal of this study was to sequence the L. terrestris genome to identify the complete sequences of the LtEc subunit genes. Our results revealed multiple homologous genes for each subunit (e.g., two homologous A globin genes; A1 and A2), with the exception of the L4 linker. Some of the homologous genes encoded identical peptide sequences (C1 and C2, L1a and L1b), while cDNA and mass spectrometry experiments revealed that some of the homologs are not expressed (e.g., A2). In contrast, multiple sequences for the B, D, L2, and L4 subunits were detected in LtEc samples. These observations reveal novel degeneracy in LtEc and other annelids, along with some new revisions to its previously published peptide sequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean Dowd
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Villanova University, 800 E Lancaster Avenue, Villanova, PA, 19085, USA
| | - Luke Lagalante
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Villanova University, 800 E Lancaster Avenue, Villanova, PA, 19085, USA
| | - Jack Rahlfs
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Villanova University, 800 E Lancaster Avenue, Villanova, PA, 19085, USA
| | - Catherine Sharo
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Villanova University, 800 E Lancaster Avenue, Villanova, PA, 19085, USA
| | - Dana Opulente
- Department of Biology, Villanova University, 800 E Lancaster Avenue, Villanova, PA, 19085, USA
| | - Anthony Lagalante
- Department of Chemistry, Villanova University, 800 E Lancaster Avenue, Villanova, PA, 19085, USA
| | - Jacob Elmer
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Villanova University, 800 E Lancaster Avenue, Villanova, PA, 19085, USA.
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Kruczkowska W, Kciuk M, Pasieka Z, Kłosiński K, Płuciennik E, Elmer J, Waszczykowska K, Kołat D, Kałuzińska-Kołat Ż. The artificial oxygen carrier erythrocruorin-characteristics and potential significance in medicine. J Mol Med (Berl) 2023; 101:961-972. [PMID: 37460699 PMCID: PMC10400677 DOI: 10.1007/s00109-023-02350-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Revised: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023]
Abstract
The diminishing supply and increasing costs of donated blood have motivated research into novel hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers (HBOCs) that can serve as red blood cell (RBC) substitutes. HBOCs are versatile agents that can be used in the treatment of hemorrhagic shock. However, many of the RBC substitutes that are based on mammalian hemoglobins have presented key limitations such as instability and toxicity. In contrast, erythrocruorins (Ecs) are other types of HBOCs that may not suffer these disadvantages. Ecs are giant metalloproteins found in annelids, crustaceans, and some other invertebrates. Thus far, the Ecs of Lumbricus terrestris (LtEc) and Arenicola marina (AmEc) are the most thoroughly studied. Based on data from preclinical transfusion studies, it was found that these compounds not only efficiently transport oxygen and have anti-inflammatory properties, but also can be modified to further increase their effectiveness. This literature review focuses on the structure, properties, and application of Ecs, as well as their advantages over other HBOCs. Development of methods for both the stabilization and purification of erythrocruorin could confer to enhanced access to artificial blood resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weronika Kruczkowska
- Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Medical University of Lodz, Zeligowskiego 7/9, 90-752, Lodz, Poland
| | - Mateusz Kciuk
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Genetics, University of Lodz, Banacha 12/16, 90-237, Lodz, Poland
- Doctoral School of Exact and Natural Sciences, University of Lodz, Banacha 12/16, 90-237, Lodz, Poland
| | - Zbigniew Pasieka
- Department of Experimental Surgery, Medical University of Lodz, Narutowicza 60, 90-136, Lodz, Poland
| | - Karol Kłosiński
- Department of Experimental Surgery, Medical University of Lodz, Narutowicza 60, 90-136, Lodz, Poland
| | - Elżbieta Płuciennik
- Department of Functional Genomics, Medical University of Lodz, Zeligowskiego 7/9, 90-752, Lodz, Poland
| | - Jacob Elmer
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Villanova University, Villanova, PA, USA
| | - Klaudia Waszczykowska
- Department of Functional Genomics, Medical University of Lodz, Zeligowskiego 7/9, 90-752, Lodz, Poland
| | - Damian Kołat
- Department of Experimental Surgery, Medical University of Lodz, Narutowicza 60, 90-136, Lodz, Poland
| | - Żaneta Kałuzińska-Kołat
- Department of Experimental Surgery, Medical University of Lodz, Narutowicza 60, 90-136, Lodz, Poland.
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Harris E, Zimmerman D, Warga E, Bamezai A, Elmer J. Nonviral gene delivery to T cells with Lipofectamine LTX. Biotechnol Bioeng 2021; 118:1693-1706. [PMID: 33480049 DOI: 10.1002/bit.27686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2020] [Revised: 01/06/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Retroviral gene delivery is widely used in T cell therapies for hematological cancers. However, viral vectors are expensive to manufacture, integrate genes in semirandom patterns, and their transduction efficiency varies between patients. In this study, several nonviral gene delivery vehicles, promoters, and additional variables were compared to optimize nonviral transgene delivery and expression in both Jurkat and primary T cells. Transfection of Jurkat cells was maximized to a high efficiency (63.0% ± 10.9% EGFP+ cells) by transfecting cells with Lipofectamine LTX in X-VIVO 15 media. However, the same method yielded a much lower transfection efficiency in primary T cells (8.1% ± 0.8% EGFP+ ). Subsequent confocal microscopy revealed that a majority of the lipoplexes did not enter the primary T cells, which might be due to relatively low expression levels of heparan sulfate proteoglycans detected via messenger RNA-sequencing. Pyrin and HIN (PYHIN) DNA sensors (e.g., AIM2 and IFI16) that can induce apoptosis or repress transcription after binding cytoplasmic DNA were also detected at high levels in primary T cells. Therefore, transfection of primary T cells appears to be limited at the level of cellular uptake or DNA sensing in the cytoplasm. Both of these factors should be considered in the development of future viral and nonviral T cell gene delivery methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Harris
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Villanova University, Villanova, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Devon Zimmerman
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Villanova University, Villanova, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Eric Warga
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Villanova University, Villanova, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Anil Bamezai
- Department of Biology, Villanova University, Villanova, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jacob Elmer
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Villanova University, Villanova, Pennsylvania, USA
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Spivack K, Muzzelo C, Hall M, Warga E, Neely C, Slepian H, Cunningham A, Tucker M, Elmer J. Enhancement of transgene expression by the β-catenin inhibitor iCRT14. Plasmid 2021; 114:102556. [PMID: 33472046 DOI: 10.1016/j.plasmid.2021.102556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2020] [Revised: 10/08/2020] [Accepted: 10/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The innate immune response is an essential defense mechanism that allows cells to detect pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) like endotoxin or cytosolic DNA and then induce the expression of defensive genes that restrict the replication of viruses and other pathogens. However, the therapeutic DNA used in some gene therapy treatments can also trigger the innate immune response, which activates host cell genes that may inhibit transgene expression. The goal of this study was to enhance transgene expression by inhibiting key components of the innate immune response with small molecule inhibitors (iCRT14, curcumin, Amlexanox, H-151, SC-514, & VX-702). Most of the inhibitors significantly increased transgene (luciferase) expression at least 2-fold, but the β-catenin/TCF4 inhibitor iCRT14 showed the highest enhancement (16 to 35-fold) in multiple cell lines (PC-3, MCF7, & MB49) without significantly decreasing cellular proliferation. Alternatively, cloning a β-catenin/TCF4 binding motif (TCAAAG) into the EF1α promoter also enhanced transgene expression up to 8-fold. To further investigate the role of β-catenin/TCF4 in transgene expression, mRNA-sequencing experiments were conducted to identify host cell genes that were upregulated following transfection with PEI but down-regulated after the addition of iCRT14. As expected, transfection with plasmid DNA activated the innate immune response and upregulated hundreds (687) of defensive genes, but only 7 of those genes were down-regulated in the presence of iCRT14 (e.g., PTGS2 & PLA1A). Altogether, these results show that transgene expression can be enhanced by inhibiting the innate immune response with SMIs like iCRT14, which inhibits β-catenin/TCF4 to prevent the expression of specific host cell genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle Spivack
- Villanova University, Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering, United States
| | - Christine Muzzelo
- Villanova University, Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering, United States
| | - Matthew Hall
- Villanova University, Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering, United States
| | - Eric Warga
- Villanova University, Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering, United States
| | - Christopher Neely
- Villanova University, Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering, United States
| | - Holly Slepian
- Villanova University, Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering, United States
| | - Alyssa Cunningham
- Villanova University, Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering, United States
| | - Matthew Tucker
- Villanova University, Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering, United States
| | - Jacob Elmer
- Villanova University, Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering, United States.
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Timm B, Abdulmalik O, Chakrabarti A, Elmer J. Purification of Lumbricus terrestris erythrocruorin (LtEc) with anion exchange chromatography. J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci 2020; 1150:122162. [PMID: 32505113 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchromb.2020.122162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2020] [Revised: 05/12/2020] [Accepted: 05/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The naturally extracellular hemoglobin (erythrocruorin) of the Canadian nightcrawler, Lumbricus terrestris (LtEc), is a unique oxygen transport protein that may be an effective substitute for donated human blood. Indeed, this ultra-high molecular weight (~3.6 MDa) hemoglobin has already been shown to avoid the side effects associated with previous hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers and its high thermal stability (Tm = 56°C) and resistance to heme oxidation (kox = 0.04 hr-1 × 103 at 20°C) allow it to be stored for long periods of time without refrigeration. However, before it can be tested in human clinical trials, an effective and scalable purification process for LtEc must be developed. We have previously purified LtEc for animal studies with tangential flow filtration (TFF), which allows rapid and scalable purification of LtEc based on its relatively large size, but that type of size-based purification may not be able to specifically remove some impurities and high MW (>500 kDa) contaminants like endotoxin (MW = ~1-4 MDa). Anion exchange (AEX) and immobilized metal affinity chromatography (IMAC) are two purification methods that have been previously used to purify mammalian hemoglobins, but they have not yet been used to purify large invertebrate hemoglobins like LtEc. Therefore, the goal of this study was to determine if AEX and IMAC resins could successfully purify LtEc from crude earthworm homogenate, while also preserving its macromolecular structure and function. Both processes were able to produce purified LtEc with low levels of endotoxin, but IMAC purification induced significantly higher levels of heme oxidation and subunit dissociation than AEX. In addition, the IMAC process required an additional desalting step to enable LtEc binding. In contrast, AEX produced highly pure LtEc that was not dissociated. LtEc purified by AEX also exhibits similar oxygen binding characteristics (P50 = 27.33 ± 1.82 mm Hg, n = 1.58 ± 0.17) to TFF-purified LtEc (P50 = 28.84 ± 0.40 mm Hg, n = 1.93 ± 0.02). Therefore, AEX appears to be the optimal method for LtEc purification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon Timm
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Villanova University, 800 East Lancaster Avenue, Villanova, PA 19085, USA
| | - Osheiza Abdulmalik
- Div. of Hematology, Abramson Building, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 34th St. and Civic Center Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Atis Chakrabarti
- Tosoh Bioscience, LLC, 3604 Horizon Drive, King of Prussia, PA 19406, USA
| | - Jacob Elmer
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Villanova University, 800 East Lancaster Avenue, Villanova, PA 19085, USA.
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Barrett CM, McCracken R, Elmer J, Haynes KA. Components from the Human c-myb Transcriptional Regulation System Reactivate Epigenetically Repressed Transgenes. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E530. [PMID: 31947658 PMCID: PMC7014047 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21020530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2019] [Revised: 01/07/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
A persistent challenge for mammalian cell engineering is the undesirable epigenetic silencing of transgenes. Foreign DNA can be incorporated into closed chromatin before and after it has been integrated into a host cell's genome. To identify elements that mitigate epigenetic silencing, we tested components from the c-myb and NF-kB transcriptional regulation systems in transiently transfected DNA and at chromosomally integrated transgenes in PC-3 and HEK 293 cells. DNA binding sites for MYB (c-myb) placed upstream of a minimal promoter enhanced expression from transiently transfected plasmid DNA. We targeted p65 and MYB fusion proteins to a chromosomal transgene, UAS-Tk-luciferase, that was silenced by ectopic Polycomb chromatin complexes. Transient expression of Gal4-MYB induced an activated state that resisted complete re-silencing. We used custom guide RNAs and dCas9-MYB to target MYB to different positions relative to the promoter and observed that transgene activation within ectopic Polycomb chromatin required proximity of dCas9-MYB to the transcriptional start site. Our report demonstrates the use of MYB in the context of the CRISPR-activation system, showing that DNA elements and fusion proteins derived from c-myb can mitigate epigenetic silencing to improve transgene expression in engineered cell lines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassandra M. Barrett
- School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, Arizona State University, 501 East Tyler Mall, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA;
| | - Reilly McCracken
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Villanova University, 217 White Hall, 800 East Lancaster Avenue, Villanova, PA 19085, USA; (R.M.); (J.E.)
| | - Jacob Elmer
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Villanova University, 217 White Hall, 800 East Lancaster Avenue, Villanova, PA 19085, USA; (R.M.); (J.E.)
| | - Karmella A. Haynes
- School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, Arizona State University, 501 East Tyler Mall, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA;
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
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Lambacher B, Frei C, Schoiswohl J, Tichy A, Elmer J, Frei J, Krametter-Frötscher R. Comparison of coproscopic examination and organ diagnosis in slaughtered lambs for nematodes, especially Haemonchus contortus. Small Rumin Res 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.smallrumres.2019.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Zimmerman D, Patel K, Hall M, Elmer J. Enhancement of transgene expression by nuclear transcription factor Y and CCCTC-binding factor. Biotechnol Prog 2018; 34:1581-1588. [PMID: 30294957 DOI: 10.1002/btpr.2712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2018] [Revised: 08/03/2018] [Accepted: 08/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
If a transgene is effectively delivered to a cell, its expression may still be limited by epigenetic mechanisms that silence the transgene. Indeed, once the transgene reaches the nucleus, it may be bound by histone proteins and condensed into heterochromatin or associated with repressor proteins that block transcription. In this study, we sought to enhance transgene expression by adding binding motifs for several different epigenetic enzymes either upstream or downstream of two promoters (CMV and EF1α). Screening these plasmids revealed that luciferase expression was enhanced 10-fold (10.4 ± 5.8) by the addition of a CCAAT box just upstream of the EF1α promoter to recruit nuclear transcription factor Y (NF-Y), while inserting a CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF) motif downstream of the EF1α promoter enhanced expression at least 14-fold (14.03 ± 6.54). ChIP assays confirmed that NF-Y and CTCF bound to the motifs that were added to each plasmid, but the presence of NF-Y and CTCF did not significantly affect the levels of histone acetylation (H3K9ac) or methylation (H3K9me3). Overall, these results show that transgene expression from the EF1α promoter can be significantly increased with motifs that recruit NF-Y or CTCF. © 2018 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 34:1581-1588, 2018.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devon Zimmerman
- Dept. of Chemical Engineering, Villanova University, Villanova, PA, 19085
| | - Krupa Patel
- Dept. of Chemical Engineering, Villanova University, Villanova, PA, 19085
| | - Matthew Hall
- Dept. of Chemical Engineering, Villanova University, Villanova, PA, 19085
| | - Jacob Elmer
- Dept. of Chemical Engineering, Villanova University, Villanova, PA, 19085
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Spivack K, Tucker M, Zimmerman D, Nicholas M, Abdulmalik O, Comolli N, Elmer J. Increasing the stability of Lumbricus terrestris erythrocruorin via poly(acrylic acid) conjugation. Artif Cells Nanomed Biotechnol 2018; 46:1137-1144. [PMID: 29916733 PMCID: PMC6476418 DOI: 10.1080/21691401.2018.1480491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2018] [Revised: 05/15/2018] [Accepted: 05/15/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Since donated red blood cells must be constantly refrigerated, they are often unavailable in remote areas and battlefields. The goal of this study was to synthesize a highly stable blood substitute that does not require refrigeration. Specifically, the extracellular haemoglobin (a.k.a. erythrocruorin, Ec) of the earthworm Lumbricus terrestris erythrocruororin (LtEc) was cross-linked with poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) and ethylene diamine (EDA). PAGE analysis of the LtEc nanoparticles reveals cross-linking between subunits, while dynamic light scattering and scanning electron microscopy show that cross-linking significantly increases the size of the LtEc nanoparticles (164 ± 13.9 nm). Cross-linking also significantly increased the thermal stability of the LtEc nanoparticles by 10 °C (Tm = 72 ± 0.84 °C) relative to native LtEc (Tm = 62 ± 0.6 °C). In addition, while native LtEc rapidly dissociates at pH 9, the LtEc nanoparticles resist subunit dissociation up to pH 10. The oxygen affinity of the LtEc nanoparticles (P50 = 6.85 ± 0.13 mm Hg) is much higher than native LtEc (P50 = 26.67 ± 0.4 mm Hg), but the cooperativity (n = 2.43 ± 0.12) is not affected. Altogether, these results show that cross-linking LtEc with PAA and EDA provides a potential blood substitute with increased stability and oxygen affinity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle Spivack
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Villanova University, 800 East Lancaster Avenue, Villanova, PA, USA 19085
| | - Matthew Tucker
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Villanova University, 800 East Lancaster Avenue, Villanova, PA, USA 19085
| | - Devon Zimmerman
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Villanova University, 800 East Lancaster Avenue, Villanova, PA, USA 19085
| | - Matthew Nicholas
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Villanova University, 800 East Lancaster Avenue, Villanova, PA, USA 19085
| | - Osheiza Abdulmalik
- Division of Hematology, Abramson Building, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, 34th St. & Civic Center Blvd, Philadelphia, PA, USA 19104
| | - Noelle Comolli
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Villanova University, 800 East Lancaster Avenue, Villanova, PA, USA 19085
| | - Jacob Elmer
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Villanova University, 800 East Lancaster Avenue, Villanova, PA, USA 19085
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Rajesh A, Zimmerman D, Spivack K, Abdulmalik O, Elmer J. Glutaraldehyde cross-linking increases the stability of Lumbricus terrestris erythrocruorin. Biotechnol Prog 2017; 34:521-528. [PMID: 29226612 DOI: 10.1002/btpr.2593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2017] [Revised: 11/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Since donated red blood cells must be constantly refrigerated, they are not available in remote areas and battlefields. We have previously shown that the hemoglobin of the earthworm Lumbricus terrestris (LtEc) is an effective and safe substitute for donated blood that is stable enough to be stored for long periods at the relatively high temperatures that may be encountered in remote areas. The goal of this study was to further increase the thermal stability of LtEc by covalently cross-linking LtEc with glutaraldehyde (gLtEc). Our results show that the melting temperatures of the gLtEc samples steadily increase as the molar ratio of glutaraldehyde to heme increases (from Tm = 57°C for native LtEc up to Tm = 68°C at a ratio of 128:1). In addition, while native LtEc is susceptible to subunit dissociation at alkaline pH (8-10), cross-linking with glutaraldehyde completely prevents dissociation of gLtEc at pH 10. Increasing the molar ratio of glutaraldehyde:heme also significantly increased the oxygen affinity of gLtEc, but this effect was decreased by cross-linking gLtEc in the deoxygenated T state. Finally, while gLtEc samples cross-linked at low G:H ratios (e.g., 2:1) exhibited slight increases in oxidation rate in Tris buffer, no significant difference in oxidation rate was observed between native LtEc and the gLtEc samples in Ringer's Solution, which contains antioxidants. Overall, cross-linking LtEc with glutaraldehyde significantly increases its thermal and structural stability without any loss of function, making gLtEc an attractive blood substitute for deployment in remote areas and battlefields. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 34:521-528, 2018.
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Affiliation(s)
- Athul Rajesh
- Dept. of Chemical Engineering, Villanova University, 800 East Lancaster Avenue, Villanova, PA, 19085
| | - Devon Zimmerman
- Dept. of Chemical Engineering, Villanova University, 800 East Lancaster Avenue, Villanova, PA, 19085
| | - Kyle Spivack
- Dept. of Chemical Engineering, Villanova University, 800 East Lancaster Avenue, Villanova, PA, 19085
| | - Osheiza Abdulmalik
- Div. of Hematology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Abramson Research Center Suite 302F, 3615 Civic Center Blvd, Philadelphia, PA, 19104
| | - Jacob Elmer
- Dept. of Chemical Engineering, Villanova University, 800 East Lancaster Avenue, Villanova, PA, 19085
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Muzzelo C, Neely C, Shah P, Abdulmalik O, Elmer J. Prolonging the shelf life of Lumbricus terrestris erythrocruorin for use as a novel blood substitute. Artif Cells Nanomed Biotechnol 2017; 46:39-46. [PMID: 28278582 DOI: 10.1080/21691401.2017.1290645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Limitations associated with the storage of red blood cells have motivated the development of novel blood substitutes that are able to withstand long-term storage at elevated temperatures. The hemoglobin of the earthworm Lumbricus terrestris (LtEc) is an attractive blood substitute candidate, since it is resistant to oxidation and aggregation during storage. Several factors were investigated to optimize the thermal and oxidative stability of LtEc during storage, including pH, antioxidant supplements, and deoxygenation. A strategy for the reduction of fully oxidized LtEc with antioxidants was also developed. Overall, LtEc was shown to have the highest thermal stability in Ringer's Modified Lactate solution with 10 mM HEPES at pH 7.0. Deoxygenation of the LtEc was also shown to significantly reduce oxidation of the ferrous heme iron (e.g., %Fe2+ after 7 d at 37 °C = 75.7%). However, even in cases where oxidation does occur, the addition of 1.8 mM ascorbic acid (AA) was found to reduce 98.3% of the oxidized LtEc (37 μM heme). Most importantly, the oxygen transport properties of LtEc were unaffected by storage at high temperatures or oxidation followed by reduction with AA. These results show that LtEc can be stored at high temperatures (37 °C) without any significant loss of function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Muzzelo
- a Department of Chemical Engineering , Villanova University , Villanova , PA , USA
| | - Christopher Neely
- a Department of Chemical Engineering , Villanova University , Villanova , PA , USA
| | - Payal Shah
- a Department of Chemical Engineering , Villanova University , Villanova , PA , USA
| | - Osheiza Abdulmalik
- b Division of Hematology , ARC Suite 302F, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia , Philadelphia , PA , USA
| | - Jacob Elmer
- a Department of Chemical Engineering , Villanova University , Villanova , PA , USA
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Stub D, Schmicker R, Anderson M, Callaway C, Daya M, Sayre M, Elmer J, Grunau B, Aufderheide T, Lin S, Buick J, Zive D, Peterson E, Nichol G. Hospital post-resuscitative performance is associated with clinical outcomes after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Heart Lung Circ 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.hlc.2015.06.630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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13
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Roth AD, Elmer J, Harris DR, Huntley J, Palmer AF, Nelson T, Johnson JK, Xue R, Lannutti JJ, Viapiano MS. Hemoglobin regulates the migration of glioma cells along poly(ε-caprolactone)-aligned nanofibers. Biotechnol Prog 2014; 30:1214-20. [DOI: 10.1002/btpr.1950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2013] [Revised: 06/17/2014] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Alexander D. Roth
- William G. Lowrie Dept. of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering; The Ohio State University; Columbus OH 43210
| | - Jacob Elmer
- William G. Lowrie Dept. of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering; The Ohio State University; Columbus OH 43210
| | - David R. Harris
- William G. Lowrie Dept. of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering; The Ohio State University; Columbus OH 43210
| | - Joseph Huntley
- William G. Lowrie Dept. of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering; The Ohio State University; Columbus OH 43210
| | - Andre F. Palmer
- William G. Lowrie Dept. of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering; The Ohio State University; Columbus OH 43210
| | - Tyler Nelson
- Dept. of Biomedical Engineering; The Ohio State University; Columbus OH 43210
| | - Jed K. Johnson
- Nanofiber Solutions LLC; 1275 Kinnear Road Columbus OH 43212
| | - Ruipeng Xue
- Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering; The Ohio State University; Columbus OH 43210
| | - John J. Lannutti
- Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering; The Ohio State University; Columbus OH 43210
| | - Mariano S. Viapiano
- Dept. of Neurological Surgery; The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center; Columbus OH 43210
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Elmer J, Hou P, Wilcox S, Chang Y, Bajwa E, Hess D, Camargo C, Greenberg S, Rosand J, Pallin D, Goldstein J. 47 EMF Risk of Acute Lung Injury After Spontaneous Intracerebral Hemorrhage. Ann Emerg Med 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2012.06.074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Elmer J, Zorc K, Rameez S, Zhou Y, Cabrales P, Palmer AF. Hypervolemic infusion of Lumbricus terrestris erythrocruorin purified by tangential-flow filtration. Transfusion 2012; 52:1729-40. [PMID: 22304397 DOI: 10.1111/j.1537-2995.2011.03523.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The hemoglobin of the earthworm Lumbricus terrestris (also known as erythrocruorin, or LtEc) is a naturally occurring high-molecular-weight protein assembly (3.6 MDa) that is extremely stable, resistant to oxidation, and transports oxygen similarly to human whole blood. Therefore, LtEc may serve as an alternative to donated human red blood cells. However, a suitable purification process must be developed to produce highly pure LtEc on a large scale that can be evaluated in an animal model to determine the safety and efficacy of LtEc. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS We used tangential-flow filtration (TFF), an easily scalable and affordable technique, to produce highly pure LtEc from earthworms. The purity, yield, methemoglobin level, viscosity, colloid osmotic pressure, O(2) binding equilibria, and ligand-binding kinetics of the purified LtEc were measured in vitro. The purified LtEc product was then evaluated in hamsters using a hypervolemic infusion model to establish its basic biocompatibility and detect any changes in microcirculatory and systemic variables. RESULTS TFF was able to produce LtEc with high purity and yield (5-10 g/1000 worms). The purified LtEc product did not elicit hypertension or vasoconstriction when infused into hamsters. CONCLUSION LtEc may be easily purified and safely transfused into hamsters in small amounts (0.5-1.5 g/dL final concentration in blood) without any noticeable side effects. Therefore, LtEc may serve as a very promising oxygen carrier for use in transfusion medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob Elmer
- William G. Lowrie Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
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Elmer J, Palmer AF. Biophysical Properties of Lumbricus terrestris Erythrocruorin and Its Potential Use as a Red Blood Cell Substitute. J Funct Biomater 2012; 3:49-60. [PMID: 24956515 PMCID: PMC4031009 DOI: 10.3390/jfb3010049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2011] [Revised: 12/09/2011] [Accepted: 12/24/2011] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous generations of hemoglobin (Hb)-based oxygen carriers (HBOCs) have been plagued by key biophysical limitations that result in severe side-effects once transfused in vivo, including protein instability, high heme oxidation rates, and nitric oxide (NO) scavenging. All of these problems emerge after mammalian Hbs are removed from red blood cells (RBCs) and used for HBOC synthesis/formulation. Therefore, extracellular Hbs (erythrocruorins) from organisms which lack RBCs might serve as better HBOCs. This review focuses on the erythrocruorin of Lumbricus terrestris (LtEc), which has been shown to be extremely stable, resistant to oxidation, and may interact with NO differently than mammalian Hbs. All of these beneficial properties show that LtEc is a promising new HBOC which warrants further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob Elmer
- William G. Lowrie Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, 425 Koffolt Laboratories, 140 West 19th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
| | - Andre F Palmer
- William G. Lowrie Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, 425 Koffolt Laboratories, 140 West 19th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
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Elmer J, Harris D, Palmer AF. Purification of hemoglobin from red blood cells using tangential flow filtration and immobilized metal ion affinity chromatography. J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci 2011; 879:131-8. [PMID: 21195679 PMCID: PMC3023821 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchromb.2010.11.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2010] [Revised: 11/11/2010] [Accepted: 11/22/2010] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Two methods for purifying hemoglobin (Hb) from red blood cells (RBCs) are compared. In the first method, red blood cell lysate is clarified with a 50 nm tangential flow filter and hemoglobin is purified using immobilized metal ion affinity chromatography (IMAC). In the second method, RBC lysate is processed with 50 nm, 500 kDa, and 50-100 kDa tangential flow filters, then hemoglobin is purified with IMAC. Our results show that the hemoglobins from both processes produce identical Hb products that are ultrapure and retain their biophysical properties (except for chicken hemoglobin, which shows erratic oxygen binding behavior after purification). Therefore, the most efficient method for Hb purification appears to be clarification with a 50 nm tangential flow filter, followed by purification with IMAC, and sample concentration/polishing on a 10-50 kDa tangential flow filter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob Elmer
- William G. Lowrie Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, 140 West 19 Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210
| | - David Harris
- William G. Lowrie Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, 140 West 19 Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210
| | - Andre F. Palmer
- William G. Lowrie Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, 140 West 19 Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210
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Elmer J, Cabrales P, Wang Q, Zhang N, Palmer AF. Synthesis and biophysical properties of polymerized human serum albumin. Biotechnol Prog 2011; 27:290-6. [DOI: 10.1002/btpr.531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2010] [Revised: 09/16/2010] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Elmer J, Pallin D, Liu S, Pearson C, Chang Y, Greenberg S, Ros J, Goldstein J. 23: Prolonged Emergency Department Length of Stay Is Not Associated With Worse Neurologic Outcomes In Patients With Intracerebral Hemorrhage. Ann Emerg Med 2010. [DOI: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2010.06.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Elmer J, Buehler PW, Jia Y, Wood F, Harris DR, Alayash AI, Palmer AF. Functional comparison of hemoglobin purified by different methods and their biophysical implications. Biotechnol Bioeng 2010; 106:76-85. [PMID: 20073089 DOI: 10.1002/bit.22659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Hemoglobin (Hb) that is purified from red blood cells (RBCs) is commonly subjected to harsh processing conditions, such as high temperatures and extensive column separation, which may damage the Hb by altering the heme prosthetic group and/or the Hb protein structure. In this study, bovine and human Hb purified by tangential flow filtration (TFF) was compared to commercial preparations of human Hb (Hemosol, Inc., Toronto, Canada) and bovine Hb (Biopure, Inc., Cambridge, MA). Purified Hbs were characterized by measuring their overall purity (SDS-PAGE, SEC, and ESI-MS), susceptibility to oxidation (k(ox)), responses to physiological conditions (pH, [Cl(-)], [IHP], and T), and ligand binding kinetics (O(2), NO, and CO). All Hbs evaluated possessed comparable biophysical properties, however, a small amount of catalase was detected in the TFF-purified Hbs that reduced the rate of autoxidation. Mass changes observed by mass spectrometry suggest that structural alterations may be introduced into Hbs that are purified by extensive chromatographic separations. These results demonstrate that TFF is a suitable process for the purification of Hb from RBCs with a quality equivalent to that of commercial Hb preparations that employ more extensive purification strategies. This work also shows that TFF can yield highly pure Hb which can be used for Hb-based O(2) carrier synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob Elmer
- William G. Lowrie Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
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Abstract
A recent study by Palmer, Sun, and Harris (Biotechnol. Prog., 25:189-199, 2009) demonstrated that tangential flow filtration (TFF) can be used to produce HPLC-grade bovine and human hemoglobin (Hb). In this current study, we assessed the quality of bovine Hb (bHb) purified by introducing a 10 L batch-mode diafiltration step to the previously mentioned TFF Hb purification process. The bHb was purified from bovine red blood cells (RBCs) by filtering clarified RBC lysate through 50 nm (stage I) and 500 kDa (stage II) hollow fiber (HF) membranes. The filtrate was then passed through a 100 kDa (stage III) HF membrane with or without an additional 10 L diafiltration step to potentially remove additional small molecular weight impurities. Protein assays, SDS-PAGE, and LC-MS of the purified bHb (stage III retentate) reveal that addition of a diafiltration step has no effect on bHb purity or yield; however, it does increase the methemoglobin level and oxygen affinity of purified bHb. Therefore, we conclude that no additional benefit is gained from diafiltration at stage III and a three stage TFF process is sufficient to produce HPLC-grade bHb.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob Elmer
- William G. Lowrie Dept. of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, 43210, USA
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Aksamit TR, DelMundo J, Bronte D, Hill A, Johnson M, Stoskopf L, VanBuren H, Wentzel P, Huber J, Helgeson C, Sullivan A, Roth K, Elmer J, Danielson R. Bedside Placement of Post-Pyloric Feeding Tubes in Critically Ill Patients. Chest 2003. [DOI: 10.1378/chest.124.4_meetingabstracts.177s-b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022] Open
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Abstract
One hundred and fifty children between 3 and 6 years old were screened for amblyopia with TNO stereotest in their kindergartens. Thirty screening positive children were found of whom 3 were amblyopic with strabismus and no stereopsis. Re-testing showed that 19 children were false screening positive. Three children with refractive errors and equally impaired vision in both eyes were not detected. The test was found suitable for screening of monocular amblyopia in kindergartens, as it was easy to administrate and indicated all children with monocular amblyopia.
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Abstract
17 amblyopic children between 4 and 9 years were fitted with high power plus extended wear soft contact lenses (Scanlens 24 h, Duragel 75) for optical occlusion of strabismic amblyopia. Amblyopia and eccentric fixation responded quickly to treatment between 2 to 13 weeks. Only one patient failed to reach 6/9, and 11 patients achieved equal visual acuity. Out of 10 patients with eccentric fixation only two remained eccentric after treatment. The contact lenses were tolerated by the children. Among the problems, concerning the use of extended wear soft contact lenses, should be mentioned fitting problems, deposits, loss of lenses (1 child needed 4 lenses) and occurrence of conjunctivitis (5 eyes). No major infections were seen. A one year follow-up showed that almost all the children needed renewed occlusion treatment. It is therefore recommended to continue with contact lens occlusion for at total period of 3 months.
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Elmer J. Case of Mortification and Separation of the Body of the Uterus; Also an Account of a Monstrous Birth. Med Phys J 1807; 18:344-346. [PMID: 30492168 PMCID: PMC5682535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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