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Ogbu CP, Kapoor S, Vecchio AJ. Structural Basis of Clostridium perfringens Enterotoxin Activation and Oligomerization by Trypsin. Toxins (Basel) 2023; 15:637. [PMID: 37999500 PMCID: PMC10674488 DOI: 10.3390/toxins15110637] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Revised: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin (CpE) is a β-pore forming toxin that disrupts gastrointestinal homeostasis in mammals by binding membrane protein receptors called claudins. Although structures of CpE fragments bound to claudins have been determined, the mechanisms that trigger CpE activation and oligomerization that lead to the formation of cytotoxic β-pores remain undetermined. Proteolysis of CpE in the gut by trypsin has been shown to play a role in this and subsequent cytotoxicity processes. Here, we report solution structures of full-length and trypsinized CpE using small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and crystal structures of trypsinized CpE and its C-terminal claudin-binding domain (cCpE) using X-ray crystallography. Mass spectrometry and SAXS uncover that removal of the CpE N-terminus by trypsin alters the CpE structure to expose areas that are normally unexposed. Crystal structures of trypsinized CpE and cCpE reveal unique dimer interfaces that could serve as oligomerization sites. Moreover, comparisons of these structures to existing ones predict the functional implications of oligomerization in the contexts of cell receptor binding and β-pore formation. This study sheds light on trypsin's role in altering CpE structure to activate its function via inducing oligomerization on its path toward cytotoxic β-pore formation. Its findings can incite new approaches to inhibit CpE-based cytotoxicity with oligomer-disrupting therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Alex J. Vecchio
- Department of Structural Biology, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA; (C.P.O.); (S.K.)
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Koike H, Kanda M, Yoshikawa S, Hayashi H, Matsushima Y, Ohba Y, Hayashi M, Nagano C, Otsuka K, Kamiie J, Sasamoto T. Proteomic identification and quantification of Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin using a stable isotope-labelled peptide via liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Forensic Toxicol 2023; 41:249-259. [PMID: 36773219 DOI: 10.1007/s11419-023-00660-2] [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: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/29/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Detection of Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin (CPE) in human stool is critical evidence of food poisoning. However, processing patient-derived samples is difficult and very few methods exist to confirm the presence of CPE. In this study, a technique was developed using proteomic analysis to identify and quantify CPE in artificial gut fluid as an alternative. METHODS The standard CPE was spiked into artificial gut fluids, and effective methods were developed by employing both a stable isotope-labelled internal standard peptide and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). RESULTS Proteotypic peptide EILDLAAATER formed by tryptic digestion was selected for quantitation of CPE. The peptide was identified using product ion spectra. Although the nontoxic peptides originating from CPE showed very low detectability in extraction and tryptic digestion, they could be detected with sufficient sensitivity using the method we developed. Based on a spiked recovery test at two concentrations (50 and 200 µg/kg), the recovery values were 85 and 78%, respectively. The relative standard deviations of repeatability and within-laboratory reproducibility were less than 8 and 11%, respectively. These standard deviations satisfied the criteria of the Japanese validation guidelines for residues (MHLW 2010, Director Notice, Syoku-An No. 1224-1). The limit of quantification (LOQ) was estimated to be 50 µg/kg. The combination of the product ion spectra and relative ion ratio supported CPE identification at the LOQ level. CONCLUSIONS To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of proteomic analysis of CPE using LC-MS/MS. The method would greatly help in assessing CPE reliably.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi Koike
- Department of Food Safety, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Public Health, 3-24-1, Hyakunin-Cho, Shinjuku-Ku, Tokyo, 169-0073, Japan.
| | - Maki Kanda
- Department of Food Safety, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Public Health, 3-24-1, Hyakunin-Cho, Shinjuku-Ku, Tokyo, 169-0073, Japan
| | - Souichi Yoshikawa
- Department of Food Safety, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Public Health, 3-24-1, Hyakunin-Cho, Shinjuku-Ku, Tokyo, 169-0073, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Hayashi
- Department of Food Safety, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Public Health, 3-24-1, Hyakunin-Cho, Shinjuku-Ku, Tokyo, 169-0073, Japan
| | - Yoko Matsushima
- Department of Food Safety, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Public Health, 3-24-1, Hyakunin-Cho, Shinjuku-Ku, Tokyo, 169-0073, Japan
| | - Yumi Ohba
- Department of Food Safety, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Public Health, 3-24-1, Hyakunin-Cho, Shinjuku-Ku, Tokyo, 169-0073, Japan
| | - Momoka Hayashi
- Department of Food Safety, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Public Health, 3-24-1, Hyakunin-Cho, Shinjuku-Ku, Tokyo, 169-0073, Japan
| | - Chieko Nagano
- Department of Food Safety, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Public Health, 3-24-1, Hyakunin-Cho, Shinjuku-Ku, Tokyo, 169-0073, Japan
| | - Kenji Otsuka
- Department of Food Safety, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Public Health, 3-24-1, Hyakunin-Cho, Shinjuku-Ku, Tokyo, 169-0073, Japan
| | - Junichi Kamiie
- Laboratory of Veterinary Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Azabu University, 1-17-71, Fuchinobe, Chuo-Ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 252-5201, Japan
| | - Takeo Sasamoto
- Department of Food Safety, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Public Health, 3-24-1, Hyakunin-Cho, Shinjuku-Ku, Tokyo, 169-0073, Japan
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3
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Safaei S, Imani M. Computational design of a chimeric toxin against Claudin-4-expressing cancer cells: molecular modeling, docking and molecular dynamics simulation analysis. Vet Res Forum 2023; 14:259-265. [PMID: 37342289 PMCID: PMC10278906 DOI: 10.30466/vrf.2022.548415.3378] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/22/2023]
Abstract
Cancer is one of the main reasons of mortality all over the world. Over the time, the major ways for cancer-therapy were based on radiotherapy, chemotherapy and surgery. These methods are not specific enough for that purpose, therefore, new ideas for design of new drugs with higher specificity are considered. Chimeric protein toxins are hybrid proteins consisting of a targeting portion and a toxic one which specifically bind and kill the target cancer cells. The main purpose of this study was designing a recombinant chimeric toxin with biding capability to one of the most key receptors namely claudin-4 which is over-expressed in almost all cancer cells. To design it, we utilized the last 30 C-terminal amino acids of Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin (CPE) as a binding module for claudin-4 and the toxic module which is the A-domain of Shiga toxin from Shigella dysenteriae. Using molecular modeling and docking methods, appropriate binding affinity of the recombinant chimeric toxin to its specific receptor was demonstrated. In the next step, the stability of this interaction was investigated by molecular dynamics simulation. Although partial instability was detected at some time points, however, sufficient stable situation of hydrogens bonds and high binding affinity between the chimeric toxin and receptor were observed in the in silico studies which in turn suggested that this complex could be formed successfully.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mehdi Imani
- Correspondence:Mehdi Imani. Msc, PhD, Department of Basic Science, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran, E-mail:
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4
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Beier LS, Piontek J, Piontek A, Protze J, Kobelt D, Walther W. Claudin-Targeted Suicide Gene Therapy for Claudin-Overexpressing Tumor Cells by Using Modified Clostridium perfringens Enterotoxin (CPE). Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2521:173-188. [PMID: 35732998 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2441-8_9] [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] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Bacterial toxins gain growing attention as potential cancer treatment due to their potent cytotoxic effects. Among the very different toxins with diverse modes of action, the Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin (CPE) is in focus to treat solid cancers. This toxin targets the tight junction proteins claudin-3 and -4 (Cldn-3/4), which are frequently overexpressed in solid cancers. Binding to these claudins induces pore formation in the host cell plasma membrane leading to rapid oncoleaking cell death of tumor cells. Based on this, extending the targeting of CPE beyond Cldn-3/4 is of interest, since other claudins, such as claudin-1 or -5 are often overexpressed in various cancer entities such as non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) or papillary thyroid carcinoma. In this chapter we describe the modification of a CPE-encoding vector by structure-directed mutagenesis to either preferentially target Cldn-1 and -5 or to expand targeting to Cldn1-9 for improved broadened cytotoxic targeting of claudin-overexpressing tumors such as but not limited to lung cancer via CPE gene transfer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura-Sophie Beier
- Division of Gastroenterology, Infectiology, Rheumatology, Clinical Physiology/Nutritional Medicine, Medical Department, Charitè - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Division of Cell and Developmental Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jörg Piontek
- Division of Gastroenterology, Infectiology, Rheumatology, Clinical Physiology/Nutritional Medicine, Medical Department, Charitè - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Anna Piontek
- Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP), Berlin, Germany
| | - Jonas Protze
- Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP), Berlin, Germany
| | - Dennis Kobelt
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Walther
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany.
- Experimental and Clinical Research Center, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
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Shimizu Y, Isoda K, Taira Y, Taira I, Kondoh M, Ishida I. Anti-tumor effect of a recombinant Bifidobacterium strain secreting a claudin-targeting molecule in a mouse breast cancer model. Eur J Pharmacol 2020; 887:173596. [PMID: 32979353 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2020.173596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2020] [Revised: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Bifidobacterium is a nonpathogenic strain of anaerobic bacteria that selectively localizes and proliferates in tumors. It has emerged as a specific carrier of anticancer proteins against malignant tumors. Claudins are tetraspanin transmembrane proteins that form tight junctions. Claudin-4 is overexpressed in certain epithelial malignant cancers. The C-terminal fragment of the Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin (C-CPE), an exotoxin without the cytotoxic domain, strongly binds to claudin-4. The C-CPE fusion toxin (C-CPE-PE23), which targets claudin-4, strongly suppresses tumor growth; however, C-CPE fusion toxins exhibit hepatic toxicity. In this study, we successfully generated a strain of Bifidobacterium longum that secreted C-CPE-PE23 (B. longum-C-CPE-PE23) and was specific to and cross reactive with human and mouse claudin-4. We evaluated the therapeutic potential of this strain against triple-negative breast cancer using a mouse model. C-CPE-PE23 decreased cell viability in a dose-dependent manner in human and mouse breast cancer cell lines. After intravenous injection, Bifidobacterium was specifically distributed in the tumors of mice bearing breast cancer tumors. Moreover, B. longum-C-CPE-PE23 significantly suppressed tumor growth in mice with breast cancer without serious side effects, such as weight loss or hepatic and renal damage. We suggest that B. longum-C-CPE-PE23 is a good candidate for breast cancer treatment. Bifidobacterium could also be used as a drug delivery system for hepatotoxic agents.
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Abstract
C. perfringens type F strains are a common cause of food poisoning and antibiotic-associated diarrhea. Type F strain virulence requires production of C. perfringens enterotoxin (CPE). In Caco-2 cells, high CPE concentrations cause necrosis while low enterotoxin concentrations induce apoptosis. The current study determined that receptor-interacting serine/threonine-protein kinases 1 and 3 are involved in both CPE-induced apoptosis and necrosis in Caco-2 cells, while mixed-lineage kinase domain-like pseudokinase (MLKL) oligomerization is involved in CPE-induced necrosis, thereby indicating that this form of CPE-induced cell death involves necroptosis. High CPE concentrations also caused necroptosis in T84 and Vero cells. Calpain activation was identified as a key intermediate for CPE-induced necroptosis. These results suggest inhibitors of RIP1, RIP3, MLKL oligomerization, or calpain are useful therapeutics against CPE-mediated diseases. Clostridium perfringens type F strains cause gastrointestinal disease when they produce a pore-forming toxin named C. perfringens enterotoxin (CPE). In human enterocyte-like Caco-2 cells, low CPE concentrations cause caspase-3-dependent apoptosis, while high CPE concentrations cause necrosis. Since necrosis or apoptosis sometimes involves receptor-interacting serine/threonine-protein kinase-1 or 3 (RIP1 or RIP3), this study examined whether those kinases are important for CPE-induced apoptosis or necrosis. Highly specific RIP1 or RIP3 inhibitors reduced both CPE-induced apoptosis and necrosis in Caco-2 cells. Those findings suggested that the form of necrosis induced by treating Caco-2 cells with high CPE concentrations involves necroptosis, which was confirmed when high, but not low, CPE concentrations were shown to induce oligomerization of mixed-lineage kinase domain-like pseudokinase (MLKL), a key late step in necroptosis. Furthermore, an MLKL oligomerization inhibitor reduced cell death caused by high, but not low, CPE concentrations. Supporting RIP1 and RIP3 involvement in CPE-induced necroptosis, inhibitors of those kinases also reduced MLKL oligomerization during treatment with high CPE concentrations. Calpain inhibitors similarly blocked MLKL oligomerization induced by high CPE concentrations, implicating calpain activation as a key intermediate in initiating CPE-induced necroptosis. In two other CPE-sensitive cell lines, i.e., Vero cells and human enterocyte-like T84 cells, low CPE concentrations also caused primarily apoptosis/late apoptosis, while high CPE concentrations mainly induced necroptosis. Collectively, these results establish that high, but not low, CPE concentrations cause necroptosis and suggest that RIP1, RIP3, MLKL, or calpain inhibitors can be explored as potential therapeutics against CPE effects in vivo.
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7
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Beier LS, Rossa J, Woodhouse S, Bergmann S, Kramer HB, Protze J, Eichner M, Piontek A, Vidal-Y-Sy S, Brandner JM, Krause G, Zitzmann N, Piontek J. Use of Modified Clostridium perfringens Enterotoxin Fragments for Claudin Targeting in Liver and Skin Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:E4774. [PMID: 31561440 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20194774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2019] [Revised: 09/11/2019] [Accepted: 09/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Claudins regulate paracellular permeability in different tissues. The claudin-binding domain of Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin (cCPE) is a known modulator of a claudin subset. However, it does not efficiently bind to claudin-1 (Cldn1). Cldn1 is a pharmacological target since it is (i) an essential co-receptor for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections and (ii) a key element of the epidermal barrier limiting drug delivery. In this study, we investigated the potential of a Cldn1-binding cCPE mutant (i) to inhibit HCV entry into hepatocytes and (ii) to open the epidermal barrier. Inhibition of HCV infection by blocking of Cldn1 with cCPE variants was analyzed in the Huh7.5 hepatoma cell line. A model of reconstructed human epidermis was used to investigate modulation of the epidermal barrier by cCPE variants. In contrast to cCPEwt, the Cldn1-binding cCPE-S305P/S307R/S313H inhibited infection of Huh7.5 cells with HCV in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, TJ modulation by cCPE variant-mediated targeting of Cldn1 and Cldn4 opened the epidermal barrier in reconstructed human epidermis. cCPE variants are potent claudin modulators. They can be applied for mechanistic in vitro studies and might also be used as biologics for therapeutic claudin targeting including HCV treatment (host-targeting antivirals) and improvement of drug delivery.
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Abstract
Claudin proteins are the most crucial components of tight junctions, and play an essential role in maintaining cell polarity, regulating cell permeability and the intercellular ion. In recent years, many studies have shown that abnormality of claudins expression is implicated in the tumor progression. The expression correlates with tumor prognosis and can serve as a biomarker of prognosis and potential therapeutic targets. This review summarizes the current knowledge regarding claudin dysregulation in cancer and highlights the progress in claudin-based treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siyuan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, Fujian, China
| | - Xue Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, Fujian, China
| | - Wenxin Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, Fujian, China
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Hashimoto Y, Tachibana K, Krug SM, Kunisawa J, Fromm M, Kondoh M. Potential for Tight Junction Protein-Directed Drug Development Using Claudin Binders and Angubindin-1. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:E4016. [PMID: 31426497 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20164016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2019] [Revised: 08/14/2019] [Accepted: 08/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The tight junction (TJ) is an intercellular sealing component found in epithelial and endothelial tissues that regulates the passage of solutes across the paracellular space. Research examining the biology of TJs has revealed that they are complex biochemical structures constructed from a range of proteins including claudins, occludin, tricellulin, angulins and junctional adhesion molecules. The transient disruption of the barrier function of TJs to open the paracellular space is one means of enhancing mucosal and transdermal drug absorption and to deliver drugs across the blood–brain barrier. However, the disruption of TJs can also open the paracellular space to harmful xenobiotics and pathogens. To address this issue, the strategies targeting TJ proteins have been developed to loosen TJs in a size- or tissue-dependent manner rather than to disrupt them. As several TJ proteins are overexpressed in malignant tumors and in the inflamed intestinal tract, and are present in cells and epithelia conjoined with the mucosa-associated lymphoid immune tissue, these TJ-protein-targeted strategies may also provide platforms for the development of novel therapies and vaccines. Here, this paper reviews two TJ-protein-targeted technologies, claudin binders and an angulin binder, and their applications in drug development.
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Mahamat Abdelrahim A, Radomski N, Delannoy S, Djellal S, Le Négrate M, Hadjab K, Fach P, Hennekinne JA, Mistou MY, Firmesse O. Large-Scale Genomic Analyses and Toxinotyping of Clostridium perfringens Implicated in Foodborne Outbreaks in France. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:777. [PMID: 31057505 PMCID: PMC6481350 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.00777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2018] [Accepted: 03/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Clostridium perfringens is both an ubiquitous environmental bacterium and the fourth most common causative agent of foodborne outbreaks (FBOs) in France and Europe. These outbreaks are known to be caused by C. perfringens enterotoxin (CPE) encoded by the cpe gene. However, additional information on the toxin/virulence gene content of C. perfringens has become available in the last few years. Therefore, to understand the enteropathogenicity of this bacterium, we need to describe the toxin and virulence genes content of strains involved in FBOs. In this study, we used a new real-time PCR typing technique based on a comprehensive set of 17 genes encoding virulence factors. The analysis was performed on a collection of 141 strains involved in 42 FBOs in the Paris region. It was combined with whole genome sequence (WGS) phylogenomic reconstruction, based on the coregenome single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of 58 isolates, representatives of the identified virulence gene profiles. Two or three different virulence gene profiles were detected in 10 FBOs, demonstrating that C. perfringens FBOs may be associated with heterogeneous strains. cpe-positive strains were isolated in 23 outbreaks, confirming the prominent role of CPE in pathogenicity. However, while C. perfringens was the sole pathogen isolated from the incriminated food, the cpe gene was not detected in strains related to 13 outbreaks. This result indicates either that the standard method was not able to isolate cpe+ strains or that the cpe gene may not be the only determinant of the enterotoxigenic potential of C. perfringens strains. Using phylogenomic reconstruction, we identified two clades distinguishing chromosomal cpe-positive from cpe-negative and plasmid-borne cpe. Important epidemiological information was also garnered from this phylogenomic reconstruction that revealed unexpected links between different outbreaks associated with closely related strains (seven SNP differences) and having common virulence gene profiles. This study provides new insight into the characterization of foodborne C. perfringens and highlights the potential of WGS for the investigation of FBOs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Olivier Firmesse
- Université PARIS-EST, Agence Nationale de Sécurité Sanitaire de l’Alimentation, de l’Environnement et du Travail (ANSES), Laboratory for Food Safety, Maisons-Alfort, France
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Suzuki H, Hosomi K, Nasu A, Kondoh M, Kunisawa J. Development of Adjuvant-Free Bivalent Food Poisoning Vaccine by Augmenting the Antigenicity of Clostridium perfringens Enterotoxin. Front Immunol 2018; 9:2320. [PMID: 30356722 PMCID: PMC6189403 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.02320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2018] [Accepted: 09/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin (CPE) is a common cause of food poisoning and hyperkalemia-associated death. Previously, we reported that fusion of pneumococcal surface protein A (PspA) to C-terminal fragment of CPE (C-CPE) efficiently bound mucosal epithelium so that PspA-specific immune responses could be provoked. In this study, we found that fusion of C-CPE with PspA augmented the antigenicity of C-CPE itself. These findings allowed us to hypothesize that fusion of C-CPE and another food poisoning vaccine act as a bivalent food poisoning vaccine. Therefore, we constructed an adjuvant-free bivalent vaccine against CPE and cholera toxin (CT), which is a major food poisoning in developing country, by genetically fusing CT B subunit to C-CPE. Because of the low antigenicity of C-CPE, immunization of mice with C-CPE alone did not induce C-CPE-specific immune responses. However, immunization with our vaccine induced both C-CPE- and CT-specific neutralizing antibody. The underlying mechanism of the augmented antigenicity of C-CPE included the activation of T cells by CTB. Moreover, neutralizing antibodies lasted for at least 48 weeks and the quality of the antibody was dependent on the binding activity of CTB–C-CPE to its receptors. These findings suggest that our fusion protein is a potential platform for the development of an adjuvant-free bivalent vaccine against CPE and CT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hidehiko Suzuki
- Laboratory of Vaccine Materials and Laboratory of Gut Environmental System, National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition (NIBIOHN), Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Koji Hosomi
- Laboratory of Vaccine Materials and Laboratory of Gut Environmental System, National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition (NIBIOHN), Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Ayaka Nasu
- Laboratory of Vaccine Materials and Laboratory of Gut Environmental System, National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition (NIBIOHN), Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Masuo Kondoh
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
| | - Jun Kunisawa
- Laboratory of Vaccine Materials and Laboratory of Gut Environmental System, National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition (NIBIOHN), Ibaraki, Japan.,Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita, Japan.,International Research and Development Center for Mucosal Vaccines, The Institute of Medical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan.,Graduate School of Medicine and Graduate School of Dentistry, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
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Abstract
According to numerous studies, failures in treatment of ovarian cancer, i.e., a relapse and metastases, result from a small population of cancer stem cells (CSCs). They may also be responsible for tumor initiation. Cancer stem cells are resistant to chemoand radiotherapy. Eradication of CSCs may involve the application of salinomycin, metformin and Clostridium perfringens; the effect of anti-angiogenic factors remains controversial. Salinomycin is an antibiotic isolated from Streptomyces albus bacteria. Its CSC-eradicating effect has been demonstrated both in ovarian cancer cell lines and in women with breast cancer. Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin (CPE) has been demonstrated to destroy CSCs in ovarian cancer both in vivo and in vitro. Metformin, apart from its hypoglycemic effect, reduces the CSC population and inhibits the proliferation of neoplastic cells and angiogenesis. Cancer stem cells with expression of VEGFR1+ have been described as affecting circulating cancer cells and influencing the formation of metastases. Both positive and negative effects of anti-angiogenic therapy on the CSC population have been documented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Markowska
- Department of Perinatology and Women's Diseases, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poland
| | - Stefan Sajdak
- Department of Gynecological Surgery, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poland
| | - Adam Huczyński
- Faculty of Chemistry, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poland
| | - Sandra Rehlis
- Klinikum Fulda, Universitätsmedizin, Marburg, Germany
| | - Janina Markowska
- Department of Oncology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poland
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Bagherpour G, Ghasemi H, Zand B, Zarei N, Roohvand F, Ardakani EM, Azizi M, Khalaj V. Oral Administration of Recombinant Saccharomyces boulardii Expressing Ovalbumin-CPE Fusion Protein Induces Antibody Response in Mice. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:723. [PMID: 29706942 PMCID: PMC5908956 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.00723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2018] [Accepted: 03/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Saccharomyces boulardii, a subspecies of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, is a well-known eukaryotic probiotic with many benefits for human health. In the present study, a recombinant strain of S. boulardii was prepared to use as a potential oral vaccine delivery vehicle. In this sense, a ura3 auxotroph strain of S. boulardii CNCM I-745 (known as S. cerevisiae HANSEN CBS 5926, Yomogi®) was generated using CRISPR/Cas9 methodology. Then a gene construct encoding a highly immunogenic protein, ovalbumin (OVA), was prepared and transformed into the ura3- S. boulardii. To facilitate the transport of the recombinant immunogen across the intestinal barrier, a claudin-targeting sequence from Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin (CPE) was added to the C-terminus of the expression cassette. The recombinant S. boulardii strain expressing the OVA-CPE fusion protein was then administered orally to a group of mice, and serum IgG and fecal IgA levels were evaluated by ELISA. Our results demonstrated that anti-OVA IgG in serum significantly increased in test group (P < 0.001) compared to control groups (receiving wild type S. boulardii or PBS), and the fecal IgA titer was significantly higher in test group (P < 0.05) than control groups. In parallel, a recombinant S. boulardii strain expressing the similar construct lacking C-terminal CPE was also administered orally. The result showed an increased level of serum IgG in group receiving yeasts expressing the CPE negative construct compared to control groups; however, the fecal IgA levels did not increase significantly. In conclusion, our findings indicated that the yeast S. boulardii, as a delivery vehicle with possible immunomodulatory effects, and c-CPE, as a targeting tag, synergistically assist to stimulate systemic and local immunity. This proposed recombinant S. boulardii system might be useful in the expression of other antigenic peptides, making it as a promising tool for oral delivery of vaccines or therapeutic proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ghasem Bagherpour
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hosnie Ghasemi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Bahare Zand
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Najmeh Zarei
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Farzin Roohvand
- Department of Virology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Esmat M Ardakani
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Azizi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Vahid Khalaj
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
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14
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Piontek A, Witte C, May Rose H, Eichner M, Protze J, Krause G, Piontek J, Schröder L. A cCPE-based xenon biosensor for magnetic resonance imaging of claudin-expressing cells. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2017. [PMID: 28636798 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.13363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The majority of malignant tumors originate from epithelial cells, and many of them are characterized by an overexpression of claudins (Cldns) and their mislocalization out of tight junctions. We utilized the C-terminal claudin-binding domain of Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin (cCPE), with its high affinity to specific members of the claudin family, as the targeting unit for a claudin-sensitive cancer biosensor. To overcome the poor sensitivity of conventional relaxivity-based magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents, we utilized the superior sensitivity of xenon Hyper-CEST biosensors. We labeled cCPE for both xenon MRI and fluorescence detection. As one readout module, we employed a cryptophane (CrA) monoacid and, as the second, a fluorescein molecule. Both were conjugated separately to a biotin molecule via a polyethyleneglycol chemical spacer and later via avidin linked to GST-cCPE. Nontransfected HEK293 cells and HEK293 cells stably expressing Cldn4-FLAG were incubated with the cCPE-based biosensor. Fluorescence-based flow cytometry and xenon MRI demonstrated binding of the biosensor specifically to Cldn4-expressing cells. This study provides proof of concept for the use of cCPE as a carrier for diagnostic contrast agents, a novel approach for potential detection of Cldn3/-4-overexpressing tumors for noninvasive early cancer detection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Piontek
- Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP), Structural Bioinformatics and Protein Design, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christopher Witte
- Leibniz-Institut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP), Molecular Imaging, Berlin, Germany
| | - Honor May Rose
- Leibniz-Institut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP), Molecular Imaging, Berlin, Germany
| | - Miriam Eichner
- Institute of Clinical Physiology Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jonas Protze
- Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP), Structural Bioinformatics and Protein Design, Berlin, Germany
| | - Gerd Krause
- Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP), Structural Bioinformatics and Protein Design, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jörg Piontek
- Institute of Clinical Physiology Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Leif Schröder
- Leibniz-Institut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP), Molecular Imaging, Berlin, Germany
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15
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Nagpal R, Tsuji H, Takahashi T, Nomoto K, Kawashima K, Nagata S, Yamashiro Y. Gut dysbiosis following C-section instigates higher colonisation of toxigenic Clostridium perfringens in infants. Benef Microbes 2017; 8:353-365. [PMID: 28504574 DOI: 10.3920/bm2016.0216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Herein we investigated the intestinal carriage of α-toxigenic and enterotoxigenic Clostridium perfringens during infancy, focusing on its association with other gut microbes and mode of delivery and feeding. Faecal samples from 89 healthy term infants were collected at age 7 days, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months and 3 years. C. perfringens was quantified by qPCR; other gut bacteria were quantified by reverse-transcription-qPCR. Alpha-toxigenic C. perfringens was detected in 3.4% infants at day 7 but was present in 35-40% infants at subsequent time-points, with counts ranging from 103-107 cells/g faeces. Enterotoxigenic C. perfringens remained undetected at day 7 but was detected in 1.1, 4.5, 10.1 and 4.5% infants at 1 month, 3 months, 6 months and 3 years, respectively. Intriguingly, infants carrying α-toxigenic C. perfringens had lower levels of Bacteroides fragilis group, bifidobacteria, lactobacilli and organic acids as compared to non-carriers. Further analyses revealed that, compared to vaginally-born infants, caesarean-born infants had higher carriage of C. perfringens and lower levels of B. fragilis group, bifidobacteria, lactobacilli and faecal organic acids during first 6 months. Compared to formula-fed infants, breast-fed infants were slightly less often colonised with C. perfringens; and within caesarean-born infants, breast-fed infants had slightly lower levels of C. perfringens and higher levels of B. fragilis group, bifidobacteria, and lactobacilli than formula-fed infants. This study demonstrates the quantitative dynamics of toxigenic C. perfringens colonisation in infants during the early years of life. Caesarean-born infants acquire a somewhat perturbed microbiota, and breast-feeding might be helpful in ameliorating this dysbiosis. Higher carriage of toxigenic C. perfringens in healthy infants is intriguing and warrants further investigation of its sources and clinical significance in infants, particularly the caesarean-born who may represent a potential reservoir of this opportunistic pathogen and might be more prone to associated illnesses.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Nagpal
- 1 Laboratory for Probiotics Research (Yakult), Juntendo University, Graduate School of Medicine, Hongo 2-9-8-3F, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - H Tsuji
- 2 Yakult Central Institute, 5-11 Izumi, Kunitachi-shi, Tokyo 186-8650, Japan
| | - T Takahashi
- 2 Yakult Central Institute, 5-11 Izumi, Kunitachi-shi, Tokyo 186-8650, Japan
| | - K Nomoto
- 2 Yakult Central Institute, 5-11 Izumi, Kunitachi-shi, Tokyo 186-8650, Japan
| | - K Kawashima
- 3 Gonohashi Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, 6 Chome-1-6 Kameido, Koto, Tokyo 136-0071, Japan
| | - S Nagata
- 4 Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Tokyo Women's Medical University, 8-1 Kawadacho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8666, Japan
| | - Y Yamashiro
- 1 Laboratory for Probiotics Research (Yakult), Juntendo University, Graduate School of Medicine, Hongo 2-9-8-3F, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
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16
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Gabig TG, Waltzer WC, Whyard T, Romanov V. Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin as a potential drug for intravesical treatment of bladder cancer. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2016; 478:887-92. [PMID: 27520378 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2016.08.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2016] [Accepted: 08/08/2016] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
The current intravesical treatment of bladder cancer (BC) is limited to a few chemotherapeutics that show imperfect effectiveness and are associated with some serious complications. Thus, there is an urgent need for alternative therapies, especially for patients with high-risk non-muscle invasive (NMIBC). Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin (CPE), cytolytic protein binds to its receptors: claudin 3 and 4 that are expressed in epithelial cells. This binding is followed by rapid cell death. Claudin 4 is present in several epithelial tissue including bladder urothelium and its expression is elevated in some forms of BC. In addition to directly targeting BC cells, binding of CPE to claudins increases urothelium permeability that creates conditions for better accession of the tumor. Therefore, we evaluated CPE as a candidate for intravesical treatment of BC using a cellular model. We examined cytotoxicity of CPE against BC cells lines and 3D cultures of cells derived from surgical samples. To better elucidate cellular mechanisms, activated by CPE and to consider the use of CPE non-toxic fragment (C-CPE) for combination treatment with other drugs we synthesized C-CPE, compared its cytotoxic activity with CPE and examined claudin 4 expression and intracellular localization after C-CPE treatment. CPE induced cell death after 1 h in low aggressive RT4 cells, in moderately aggressive 5637 cells and in the primary 3D cultures of BC cells derived from NMIBC. Conversely, non-transformed urothelial cells and cells derived from highly aggressive tumor (T24) survived this treatment. The reason for this resistance to CPE might be the lower expression of CLDNs or their inaccessibility for CPE in these cells. C-CPE treatment for 48 h did not affect cell viability in tested cells, but declined expression of CLDN4 in RT4 cells. C-CPE increased sensitivity of RT4 cells to Mitommycin C and Dasatinib. To better understand mechanisms of this effect we examined expression and phosphorylation status of EphA2 and Src after C-CPE treatment and found changes in expression and phosphorylated status of these regulatory molecules. These observations show that after additional preclinical studies CPE and C-CPE in combinations with other drugs can be considered as a potential modalities for intravesical treatment of BC because of its ability to effectively destroy BC cells expressing claudin 4 and low toxicity against normal urothelium.
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17
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Hashimoto Y, Yagi K, Kondoh M. Roles of the first-generation claudin binder, Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin, in the diagnosis and claudin-targeted treatment of epithelium-derived cancers. Pflugers Arch 2016; 469:45-53. [PMID: 27629072 DOI: 10.1007/s00424-016-1878-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [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: 08/01/2016] [Revised: 08/20/2016] [Accepted: 09/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Given that most malignant tumors are derived from epithelium, developing a strategy for treatment of epithelium-derived cancers (i.e., carcinomas) is a pivotal issue in cancer therapy. Carcinomas, including ovarian, breast, prostate, and pancreatic cancers, are known to overexpress various claudins (CLDNs); in particular, CLDN-3 and -4 are frequently overexpressed in malignant case. The generation of CLDN binders is a key for expanding CLDN-targeted cancer therapy but has been delayed due to the small size of CLDN extracellular domains (approximately 50 amino acids for the first domain and 15 amino acids for the second) and their high homology among species. Interestingly, however, the receptors for Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin (CPE), a foodborne toxin in humans, happen to be identical to CLDN-3 and -4. Thus, the first CLDN binder, CPE, has provided us CLDN-targeted cancer therapy from a concept into a potential reality. In this review, we describe roles of CPE technology in cancer therapy and discuss future directions in the CLDN-targeting concept-to-therapy process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yosuke Hashimoto
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Kiyohito Yagi
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Masuo Kondoh
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.
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18
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Liao Z, Yang Z, Piontek A, Eichner M, Krause G, Li L, Piontek J, Zhang J. Specific binding of a mutated fragment of Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin to endothelial claudin-5 and its modulation of cerebral vascular permeability. Neuroscience 2016; 327:53-63. [PMID: 27095710 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2016.04.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [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: 12/10/2015] [Revised: 04/08/2016] [Accepted: 04/09/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
The vertebrate blood-brain barrier (BBB) creates an obstacle for central nervous system-related drug delivery. Claudin-5 (Cldn5), expressed in large quantities in BBB, plays a vital role in restricting BBB permeability. The C-terminal domain of Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin (cCPE) has been verified as binding to a subset of claudins (Cldns). The Cldn5-binding cCPE194-319 variant cCPEY306W/S313H was applied in this study to investigate its ability to modulate the permeability of zebrafish larval BBB. In vitro results showed that cCPEY306W/S313H is able to bind specifically to Cldn5 in murine brain vascular endothelial (bEnd.3) cells, and is transported along with Cldn5 from the cell membrane to the cytoplasm, which in turn results in a reduction in transendothelial electrical resistance (TEER). Conversely, this effect can be reversed by removal of cCPEY306W/S313H. In an in vivo experiment, this study estimates the capability of cCPEY306W/S313H to modulate Cldn5 using a rhodamine B-Dextran dye diffusion assay in zebrafish larval BBB. The results show that cCPEY306W/S313H co-localized with Cldn5 in zebrafish cerebral vascular cells and modulated BBB permeability, resulting in dye leakage. Taken together, this study suggests that cCPEY306W/S313H has the capability - both in vitro and in vivo - to modulate BBB permeability temporarily by specific binding to Cldn5.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuangbin Liao
- Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Zhenguo Yang
- Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Anna Piontek
- Leibniz Institut für Molekulare Pharmakologie, Berlin, Germany
| | - Miriam Eichner
- Clinical Physiology & Nutritional Medicine, Department of Gastroenterology, Rheumatology & Infectious Diseases, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Gerd Krause
- Leibniz Institut für Molekulare Pharmakologie, Berlin, Germany
| | - Longxuan Li
- Department of Neurology, Gongli Hospital, Pudong New Area, Shanghai, China
| | - Joerg Piontek
- Clinical Physiology & Nutritional Medicine, Department of Gastroenterology, Rheumatology & Infectious Diseases, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jingjing Zhang
- Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China.
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19
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Cocco E, Shapiro EM, Gasparrini S, Lopez S, Schwab CL, Bellone S, Bortolomai I, Sumi NJ, Bonazzoli E, Nicoletti R, Deng Y, Saltzman WM, Zeiss CJ, Centritto F, Black JD, Silasi DA, Ratner E, Azodi M, Rutherford TJ, Schwartz PE, Pecorelli S, Santin AD. Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin C-terminal domain labeled to fluorescent dyes for in vivo visualization of micrometastatic chemotherapy-resistant ovarian cancer. Int J Cancer 2015; 137:2618-29. [PMID: 26060989 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.29632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [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: 03/02/2015] [Accepted: 05/19/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Identification of micrometastatic disease at the time of surgery remains extremely challenging in ovarian cancer patients. We used fluorescence microscopy, an in vivo imaging system and a fluorescence stereo microscope to evaluate fluorescence distribution in Claudin-3- and -4-overexpressing ovarian tumors, floating tumor clumps isolated from ascites and healthy organs. To do so, mice harboring chemotherapy-naïve and chemotherapy-resistant human ovarian cancer xenografts or patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) were treated with the carboxyl-terminal binding domain of the Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin (c-CPE) conjugated to FITC (FITC-c-CPE) or the near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent tag IRDye CW800 (CW800-c-CPE) either intraperitoneally (IP) or intravenously (IV). We found tumor fluorescence to plateau at 30 min after IP injection of both the FITC-c-CPE and the CW800-c-CPE peptides and to be significantly higher than in healthy organs (p < 0.01). After IV injection of CW800-c-CPE, tumor fluorescence plateaued at 6 hr while the most favorable tumor-to-background fluorescence ratio (TBR) was found at 48 hr in both mouse models. Importantly, fluorescent c-CPE was highly sensitive for the in vivo visualization of peritoneal micrometastatic tumor implants and the identification of ovarian tumor spheroids floating in malignant ascites that were otherwise not detectable by conventional visual observation. The use of the fluorescent c-CPE peptide may represent a novel and effective optical approach at the time of primary debulking surgery for the real-time detection of micrometastatic ovarian disease overexpressing the Claudin-3 and -4 receptors or the identification of residual disease at the time of interval debulking surgery after neoadjuvant chemotherapy treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emiliano Cocco
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT.,Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Palazzetto Polifunzionale, Brescia, Italy
| | - Erik M Shapiro
- Department of Radiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
| | - Sara Gasparrini
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | - Salvatore Lopez
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT.,Division of Gynecologic Oncology, University Campus Bio-Medico of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Carlton L Schwab
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | - Stefania Bellone
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | - Ileana Bortolomai
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | - Natalia J Sumi
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | - Elena Bonazzoli
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | - Roberta Nicoletti
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | - Yang Deng
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT
| | - W Mark Saltzman
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT
| | - Caroline J Zeiss
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | - Floriana Centritto
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | - Jonathan D Black
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | - Dan-Arin Silasi
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | - Elena Ratner
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | - Masoud Azodi
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | - Thomas J Rutherford
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | - Peter E Schwartz
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | - Sergio Pecorelli
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Alessandro D Santin
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
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20
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Zhang J, Ni C, Yang Z, Piontek A, Chen H, Wang S, Fan Y, Qin Z, Piontek J. Specific binding of Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin fragment to Claudin-b and modulation of zebrafish epidermal barrier. Exp Dermatol 2015; 24:605-10. [PMID: 25869230 DOI: 10.1111/exd.12728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/09/2015] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Claudins (Cldn) are the major components of tight junctions (TJs) sealing the paracellular cleft in tissue barriers of various organs. Zebrafish Cldnb, the homolog of mammalian Cldn4, is expressed at epithelial cell-cell contacts and is important for regulating epidermal permeability. The bacterial toxin Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin (CPE) has been shown to bind to a subset of mammalian Cldns. In this study, we used the Cldn-binding C-terminal domain of CPE (194-319 amino acids, cCPE 194-319 ) to investigate its functional role in modulating zebrafish larval epidermal barriers. In vitro analyses show that cCPE 194-319 removed Cldn4 from epithelial cells and disrupted the monolayer tightness, which could be rescued by the removal of cCPE 194-319. Incubation of zebrafish larvae with cCPE 194-319 removed Cldnb specifically from the epidermal cell membrane. Dye diffusion analysis with 4-kDa fluorescent dextran indicated that the permeability of the epidermal barrier increased due to cCPE 194-319 incubation. Electron microscopic investigation revealed reversible loss of TJ integrity by Cldnb removal. Collectively, these results suggest that cCPE 194-319 could be used as a Cldnb modulator to transiently open the epidermal barrier in zebrafish. In addition, zebrafish might be used as an in vivo system to investigate the capability of cCPE to enhance drug delivery across tissue barriers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingjing Zhang
- Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical College, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, China.,Leibniz Institut für Molekulare Pharmakologie, Berlin, Germany
| | - Chen Ni
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No.1 Jianshe East Road, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan Province, China
| | - Zhenguo Yang
- Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical College, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, China
| | - Anna Piontek
- Leibniz Institut für Molekulare Pharmakologie, Berlin, Germany
| | - Huapu Chen
- Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical College, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, China
| | - Sijie Wang
- Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical College, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, China
| | - Yiming Fan
- Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical College, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, China
| | - Zhihai Qin
- Key Laboratory of Protein and Peptide Pharmaceuticals, Chinese Academy of Sciences-University of Tokyo Joint Laboratory of Structural Virology and Immunology, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Joerg Piontek
- Institute of Clinical Physiology, Charité -Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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21
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Romanov V, Whyard TC, Waltzer WC, Gabig TG. A claudin 3 and claudin 4-targeted Clostridium perfringens protoxin is selectively cytotoxic to PSA-producing prostate cancer cells. Cancer Lett 2014; 351:260-4. [PMID: 24952257 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2014.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [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: 03/19/2014] [Revised: 06/11/2014] [Accepted: 06/11/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of non-cutaneous cancer-related death in males, and effective strategies for treatment of metastatic disease are currently limited. The tight junction proteins, claudin 3 and claudin 4, serve as cell-surface receptors for the pore-forming Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin [CPE]. Most prostate cancer cells overexpress claudin 3 and claudin 4, and claudins are aberrantly distributed over the plasma membrane, making these cells particularly sensitive to cytolysis by CPE. Prostate cancer cells secrete PSA locally that is proteolytically active; however, circulating PSA is inactivated via binding to protease inhibitors. To overcome systemic toxicity of CPE, a modified protoxin was constructed with a tethered ligand attached to the C-terminus connected by a flexible linker containing a PSA-specific protease cleavage site. This engineered protoxin selectively and efficiently lyses PSA-producing prostate cancer cells whereas CLDN3 and CLDN4 positive cells that do not express PSA are resistant to cytolysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor Romanov
- Department of Urology, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY, United States
| | - Terry C Whyard
- Department of Urology, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY, United States
| | - Wayne C Waltzer
- Department of Urology, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY, United States
| | - Theodore G Gabig
- Department of Medicine, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY, United States.
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22
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Li X, Saeki R, Watari A, Yagi K, Kondoh M. Tissue distribution and safety evaluation of a claudin-targeting molecule, the C-terminal fragment of Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin. Eur J Pharm Sci 2013; 52:132-7. [PMID: 24231339 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejps.2013.10.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [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: 04/02/2013] [Revised: 10/25/2013] [Accepted: 10/25/2013] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
We previously found that claudin (CL) is a potent target for cancer therapy using a CL-3 and -4-targeting molecule, namely the C-terminal fragment of Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin (C-CPE). Although CL-3 and -4 are expressed in various normal tissues, the safety of this CL-targeting strategy has never been investigated. Here, we evaluated the tissue distribution of C-CPE in mice. Ten minutes after intravenous injection into mice, C-CPE was distributed to the liver and kidney (24.0% and 9.5% of the injected dose, respectively). The hepatic level gradually fell to 3.2% of the injected dose by 3 h post-injection, whereas the renal C-CPE level gradually rose to 46.5% of the injected dose by 6 h post-injection and then decreased. A C-CPE mutant protein lacking the ability to bind CL accumulated in the liver to a much lesser extent (2.0% of the dose at 10 min post-injection) than did C-CPE, but its renal profile was similar to that of C-CPE. To investigate the acute toxicity of CL-targeted toxin, we intravenously administered C-CPE-fused protein synthesis inhibitory factor to mice. The CL-targeted toxin dose-dependently increased the levels of serum biomarkers of liver injury, but not of kidney injury. Histological examination confirmed that injection of CL-targeted toxin injured the liver but not the kidney. These results indicate that potential adverse hepatic effects should be considered in C-CPE-based cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangru Li
- Laboratory of Bio-Functional Molecular Chemistry, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Rie Saeki
- Laboratory of Bio-Functional Molecular Chemistry, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Akihiro Watari
- Laboratory of Bio-Functional Molecular Chemistry, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Kiyohito Yagi
- Laboratory of Bio-Functional Molecular Chemistry, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Masuo Kondoh
- Laboratory of Bio-Functional Molecular Chemistry, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
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Neesse A, Hahnenkamp A, Griesmann H, Buchholz M, Hahn SA, Maghnouj A, Fendrich V, Ring J, Sipos B, Tuveson DA, Bremer C, Gress TM, Michl P. Claudin-4-targeted optical imaging detects pancreatic cancer and its precursor lesions. Gut 2013; 62:1034-43. [PMID: 22677720 DOI: 10.1136/gutjnl-2012-302577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Novel imaging methods based on specific molecular targets to detect both established neoplasms and their precursor lesions are highly desirable in cancer medicine. Previously, we identified claudin-4, an integral constituent of tight junctions, as highly expressed in various gastrointestinal tumours including pancreatic cancer. Here, we investigate the potential of targeting claudin-4 with a naturally occurring ligand to visualise pancreatic cancer and its precursor lesions in vitro and in vivo by near-infrared imaging approaches. DESIGN A non-toxic C-terminal fragment of the claudin-4 ligand Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin (C-CPE) was labelled with a cyanine dye (Cy5.5). Binding of the optical tracer was analysed on claudin-4 positive and negative cells in vitro, and tumour xenografts in vivo. In addition, two genetically engineered mouse models for pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanIN) and pancreatic cancer were used for in vivo validation. Optical imaging studies were conducted using 2D planar fluorescence reflectance imaging (FRI) technology and 3D fluorescence-mediated tomography (FMT). RESULTS In vitro, the peptide-dye conjugate showed high binding affinity to claudin-4 positive CAPAN1 cells, while claudin-4 negative HT1080 cells revealed little or no fluorescence. In vivo, claudin-4 positive tumour xenografts, endogenous pancreatic tumours, hepatic metastases, as well as preinvasive PanIN lesions, were visualised by FRI and FMT up to 48 h after injection showing a significantly higher average of fluorochrome concentration as compared with claudin-4 negative xenografts and normal pancreatic tissue. CONCLUSIONS C-CPE-Cy5.5 combined with novel optical imaging methods enables non-invasive visualisation of claudin-4 positive murine pancreatic tumours and their precursor lesions, representing a promising modality for early diagnostic imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albrecht Neesse
- Department of Gastroenterology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
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Veshnyakova A, Protze J, Rossa J, Blasig IE, Krause G, Piontek J. On the interaction of Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin with claudins. Toxins (Basel) 2010; 2:1336-56. [PMID: 22069641 DOI: 10.3390/toxins2061336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2010] [Revised: 05/21/2010] [Accepted: 06/04/2010] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Clostridium perfringens causes one of the most common foodborne illnesses, which is largely mediated by the Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin (CPE). The toxin consists of two functional domains. The N-terminal region mediates the cytotoxic effect through pore formation in the plasma membrane of the mammalian host cell. The C-terminal region (cCPE) binds to the second extracellular loop of a subset of claudins. Claudin-3 and claudin-4 have been shown to be receptors for CPE with very high affinity. The toxin binds with weak affinity to claudin-1 and -2 but contribution of these weak binding claudins to CPE-mediated disease is questionable. cCPE is not cytotoxic, however, it is a potent modulator of tight junctions. This review describes recent progress in the molecular characterization of the cCPE-claudin interaction using mutagenesis, in vitro binding assays and permeation studies. The results promote the development of recombinant cCPE-proteins and CPE-based peptidomimetics to modulate tight junctions for improved drug delivery or to treat tumors overexpressing claudins.
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25
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Bose CK, Mukhopadhyay A. Claudin and ovarian cancer. J Turk Ger Gynecol Assoc 2010; 11:48-54. [PMID: 24591894 PMCID: PMC3939305] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2009] [Accepted: 10/26/2009] [Indexed: 06/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Claudins are a family of proteins and the most important component of the tight junction. They constitute a paracellular barrier that controls the flow of molecules in the intercellular space of an epithelium. Although it seems that claudin should be down regulated in cancer cell, some claudins are, in fact highly elevated in various human cancers, including ovarian cancer. Whereas the functional significance of claudin overexpression in ovarian carcinoma is unclear, these proteins are important for migration, invasion, and survival of ovarian cancer cells. They clearly represent a general pathway in tumorigenesis, are a novel marker for ovarian cancer and may become a target for therapy or diagnosis of this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ashis Mukhopadhyay
- Address for Correspondence / Yazışma Adresi: Bay Ashis Mukhopadhyay, 16A Park Lane, Kolkata, India Kolkata, India, Phone: 913322291049 e.mail:
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