Treatment of lung cancer via telomerase inhibition: self-assembled nanoplexes versus polymeric nanoparticles as vectors for 2'-O-Methyl-RNA.

Antisense oligonucleotide, 2'-O-Methyl-RNA (OMR), is known as potent telomerase inhibitor for the treatment of lung cancer but limited by poor intracellular uptake. Chitosan-coated polymeric nanoparticles were compared to chitosan solution as non-viral vectors for OMR. The study investigated the role of chitosan properties and concentration in improving the efficiency of the nanocarriers in terms of loading, viability, cellular uptake, and telomerase inhibition in human lung cancer cell lines. Certain concentration of chitosan on nanoparticle surface is necessary to significantly increase the cellular uptake. However, excessive chitosan negatively affected the transfection efficiency. Self-assembled nanoplexes with chitosan polymer are preferentially adsorbed to the cell membrane rather than being internalized. Thus, polymeric nanoparticles proved to be superior to cationic polymers as carrier for antisense oligonucleotides. Charge cannot be considered the principle factor behind improved transfection. Uptake studies carried out on air-interface cell cultures to mimic in vivo conditions supported the results on normal cultures showing enhanced uptake of nanoplexes over naked oligonucleotides. OMR nanoplexes reduced telomerase activity by ∼50% in A549 cells concluding the potential of the system as a safe, non-invasive, and efficient treatment for lung carcinoma. These data are prerequisites for the ongoing studies on lung perfusion model and in vivo experiments.

Virus neutralizing and enhancing epitopes characterized by synthetic oligopeptides derived from the feline leukaemia virus glycoprotein sequence.

Synthetic peptides that mimic antigenic determinants of viral proteins were used in vaccine studies of feline leukaemia virus (FeLV) infection. Immunoreactive epitopes on FeLV gp70 and p15E were predicted according to the criteria of their terminal position, hydrophilicity and the probability of them constituting helical structures. Nineteen peptides, consisting of seven to 19 amino acid residues, were synthesized, of which two peptides were derived from the FeLV subtype A, 16 from subtype B and one from subtype C. Rabbits were immunized with individual peptides coupled to keyhole limpet haemocyanin and the specificity and biological activities of these hyperimmune sera were determined by ELISA, Western blotting, virus neutralization and cytotoxicity assays. All sera reacted specifically with the immunizing peptide. Twelve of the 19 peptides induced antibodies against purified gp85 and antibodies to 11 peptides reacted with the whole virus. One peptide representing the carboxy terminus of the transmembrane protein p15E, and two peptides derived from the external glycoprotein gp70 elicited neutralizing antibodies, whereas antisera against four peptides enhanced virus infection in vitro. None of the peptide antisera mediated complement lysis of FeLV-infected cells.

Crystallization of cytoplasmic actin in complex with deoxyribonuclease I.

Crystals of cytoplasmic (porcine liver) actin in complex with deoxyribonuclease I (DNAase I) were prepared for structural determination by X-ray-diffraction analysis. The crystallization of porcine liver actin-DNAase I complex is preceded by a brief treatment with immobilized trypsin, whereby a C-terminal tri- or di-peptide including cysteine-374 is removed from the actin without any noticeable degradation of both proteins as judged by sodium dodecyl-sulphate/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis. Analysis of the crystals obtained does not reveal any differences in the three-dimensional structure of porcine liver actin from its skeletal compartment at up to 0.6 nm resolution. However, in contrast with crystalline skeletal-muscle actin-DNAase I complex, heavy-atom substitution of crystals of porcine liver actin-DNAase I complex could not be achieved with methyl mercuriacetate. Evidence is presented that, in porcine liver actin, the N-terminal cysteine residue is not located at position no. 10, as in skeletal- and smooth-muscle actin, but most probably at position no. 17. Thus, because this site is covered by DNAase I, the cysteine becomes inaccessible to titration with 5,5'-dithiobis-(2-nitrobenzoic acid) after complex-formation with DNAase I.

Semi-reversible cross-linking. Synthesis and application of a novel heterobifunctional reagent.

The synthesis of a novel heterobifunctional cross-linking reagent, 3-(4-azido-2-nitrobenzoylseleno)propionic acid is described. The selenol ester function serves as a selective and reversible thiol reagent. Cross-linking is carried out photochemically via nitrene generation. The reagent is well suited for the identification of the environment of a defined cysteine residue according to the principle of semi-reversible cross-linking (Trommer, W.E., Friebel, K., Kiltz, H.-H. & Kolkenbrock. H. (1977) Adv. Exp. Med. Biol. 86A, 187-195). Cleavage of the thiol ester bond (the first anchor point) can be achieved by a variety of labels carrying an amino function thus giving rise to labelled amino acids or proteins in a distance of about 0.7 nm from the known cysteine residue. Optimal conditions were determined by reaction of 3-(4-azido-2-nitrobenzoylseleno)propionic acid and of its unsubstituted analog with glutathione and N alpha-benzoylglycyllysine. Nucleosidetriphosphate-adenylate kinase from pig muscle was chosen as an example to demonstrate the usefulness of the reagent. 14C-labelled aminobutyric acid was applied to cleave the thiol ester bond between the reagent and cysteine-25 leading to labelling of the N-terminal arginine peptide.

Inhibition of preovulatory gonadotropin secretion in the rhesus monkey by [(

We report the first example of a complete inhibition of preovulatory gonadotropin secretion resulting from administration of a luteinizing hormone releasing hormone antagonist during a spontaneous menstrual cycle. The antagonist, [(

Synthesis and application of new bifunctional reagents.

Two new bifunctional reagents suited for the step-wise cross-linking of cysteine and lysine residues in proteins are described. Application to lactate dehydrogenase yields a cross-link between cysteine-165 and lysine-179, which suggests an alternative mechanism by which the "essential" cysteine reacts. For the mapping of the environment of a known and well defined amino acid the use of semireversible bifunctional reagents is suggested.