A glycosyltransferase-enriched reconstituted membrane system for the synthesis of branched O-linked glycans in vitro.

Mimicking the biochemical reactions that take place in cell organelles is becoming one of the most important challenges in biological chemistry. In particular, reproducing the Golgi glycosylation system in vitro would allow the synthesis of bioactive glycan polymers and glycoconjugates for many future applications including treatments of numerous pathologies. In the present study, we reconstituted a membrane system enriched in glycosyltransferases obtained by combining the properties of the wheat germ lectin with the dialysable detergent n-octylglucoside. When applied to cells engineered to express the O-glycan branching enzyme core2 beta (1,6)-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase (C2GnT-I), this combination led to the reconstitution of lipid vesicles exhibiting an enzyme activity 11 times higher than that found in microsomal membranes. The enzyme also showed a slightly higher affinity than its soluble counterpart toward the acceptor substrate. Moreover, the use of either the detergent re-solubilization, glycoprotein substrates or N-glycanase digestion suggests that most of the reconstituted glycosyltransferases have their catalytic domains in an extravesicular orientation. Using the disaccharide substrate Galß1-3GalNAc-O-p-nitrophenyl as a primer, we performed sequential glycosylation reactions and compared the recovered oligosaccharides to those synthesized by cultured parental cells. After three successive glycosylation reactions using a single batch of the reconstituted vesicles and without changing the buffer, the acceptor was transformed into an O-glycan with chromatographic properties similar to glycans produced by C2GnT-I-expressing cells. Therefore, this new and efficient approach would greatly improve the synthesis of bioactive carbohydrates and glycoconjugates in vitro and could be easily adapted for the study of other reactions naturally occurring in the Golgi apparatus such as N-glycosylation or sulfation.

Expression of integrin alpha6beta1 enhances tumorigenesis in glioma cells.

The integrin alpha6beta1 and its main ligand laminin-111 are overexpressed in glioblastoma, as compared with normal brain tissue, suggesting they may be involved in glioblastoma malignancy. To address this question, we stably expressed the alpha6 integrin subunit in the U87 cell line via retroviral-mediated gene transfer. We show that cell surface expression of the alpha6beta1 integrin led to dramatic changes in tumor U87 cell behavior, both in vitro and in vivo. Nude mice receiving either subcutaneous or intracerebral inoculation of alpha6beta1-expressing cells developed substantially more voluminous tumors than mice injected with control cells. The difference in tumor growth was associated with a marked increase in vascularization in response to alpha6beta1 integrin expression and may also be related to changes in the balance between cell proliferation and survival. Indeed, expression of alpha6beta1 enhanced proliferation and decreased apoptosis of U87 cells both in the tumor and in vitro. Additionally, we demonstrate that alpha6beta1 is implicated in glioblastoma cell migration and invasion and that laminin-111 might mediate dissemination of alpha6beta1-positive cells in vivo. Our results highlight for the first time the considerable role of the integrin alpha6beta1 in glioma progression.

Essential role of Notch signaling in apoptosis of human pancreatic tumoral cells mediated by exosomal nanoparticles.

We previously reported that exosomal nanoparticles secreted by human pancreatic tumoral cell lines decrease tumoral cell proliferation through the mitochondria-dependent apoptotic pathway, because of activation of pro-apoptotic phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN) and of glucose synthase kinase-3beta (GSK-3beta). Interactions between exosomal nanoparticles and cells are thought to involve membrane lipid rafts. However, the underlying mechanism is unknown. Here, we report that the interaction of exosomal nanoparticles with pancreatic cancer cells led to decreased expression of hairy and enhancer-of-split homolog-1 (Hes-1), the intranuclear target of Notch-1 signaling pathway, and to activation of the apoptotic pathway after a cell cycle arrest in G(0)G(1) phase. Strikingly, the expression level of Notch-1 pathway components was critical, because exosomal nanoparticles decreased the proliferation of cells in which these partners are either weakly represented, in differentiated adenocarcinoma cells, or inhibited, in poorly differentiated carcinoma cells, by blocking presenilin in the gamma-secretase complex that regulates the Notch-1 pathway. Overexpression of Notch-1 intracellular domain resulted in the reversion of the cell proliferation inhibition promoted by exosomal nanoparticles. Blocking presenilin unexpectedly resulted in activation of PTEN and GSK-3beta. Conversely, inhibiting either PTEN or GSK-3beta increased Hes-1 expression and partially counteracted the inhibition of proliferation promoted by exosomal nanoparticles, highlighting reciprocal regulations between Notch signaling and PTEN/GSK-3beta. We concluded that interactions of exosomal nanoparticles with target cells, at lipid rafts where Notch-1 pathway partners are localized, hampered the functioning of the Notch-1 survival pathway and activated the apoptotic pathway, which determines tumoral cell fate.

Visualizing intracellular distribution and activity of core2 beta(1,6)N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase-I in living cells.

The core2 beta(1,6)-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase-I (C2GnT-I) is expressed by leukocytes and is involved in the synthesis of core2 O-glycans that carry sialyl-Lewis x (sLex) oligosaccharides. The core2-based sLex oligosaccharides (C2-O-sLex) have been demonstrated to be physiological selectin ligands that confer high affinity binding. The E-, P-, and L-selectins are adhesion proteins that direct leukocytes in the blood to lymphoid organs and sites of inflammation. They are also thought to be involved in the hematogenous dissemination of carcinoma cells expressing sialyl-Lewis glycans. Therefore, accumulation of data on structure-function relationships of this particular enzyme may represent an important part of investigations into pathologies involving selectins, such us inflammatory disorders and cancer progression. In this regard, studies of the intracellular distribution of C2GnT-I and its interaction with cognate substrates in vivo, as well as the knowledge of posttranslational modification (i.e., glycosylation, oligomerization, and proteolytic processing), may greatly aid in designing potential enzyme inhibitors. C2GnT-I fused to the green fluorescent protein is expressed to allow examination of the protein in living cells and to ease studies on structure-function relationships in vivo and in vitro.

N-glycans of core2 beta(1,6)-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase-I (C2GnT-I) but not those of alpha(1,3)-fucosyltransferase-VII (FucT-VII) are required for the synthesis of functional P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 (PSGL-1): effects on P-, L- and E-selectin binding.

C2GnT-I [core2 beta(1,6)-N-acetyglucosaminyltransferase-I] and FucT-VII [alpha(1,3)-fucosyltransferase-VII] are the key enzymes for the biosynthesis of sialyl-Lewis x determinants on selectin ligands and therefore they represent good drug targets for the treatment of inflammatory disorders and other pathologies involving selectins. In the present study, we examined the importance of N-glycosylation for the ability of C2GnT-I and FucT-VII to generate functional selectin ligands, particularly the PSGL-1 (P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1). We found that (i) both enzymes have their two N-glycosylation sites occupied, (ii) for C2GnT-I, the N-glycan chain linked to Asn-95 significantly contributes to the synthesis of functional PSGL-1 and is required to localize the enzyme to the cis/medial-Golgi compartment, (iii) all N-glycosylation-deficient proteins of FucT-VII displayr a dramatic impairment of their in vitro enzymatic activities, but retain their ability to fucosylate the core2-modified PSGL-I and to generate P- and L-selectin binding, and (iv) the glycomutants of FucT-VII fail to synthesize sialyl-Lewis x or to generate E-selectin binding unless core2-modified PSGL-1 is present. All combined, our results show a differential functional impact of N-glycosylation on C2GnT-1 and FucT-VII and disclose that a strongly reduced FucT-VII activity retains the ability to fucosylate PSGL-1 on the core2-based binding site(s) for the three selectins.

Inhibition of E-selectin expression on the surface of endothelial cells inhibits hepatocellular carcinoma growth by preventing tumor angiogenesis.

PURPOSE: Interactions between endothelial and tumor cells via E-selectin and sialyl Lewis x (sLex) have been suggested to play a significant role in the development of metastasis and tumor growth. In this work, we tested whether inhibition of E-selectin expression on the surface of endothelial cells might impair endothelial/tumor cells interactions and tumor growth of hepatocarcinoma cells in vitro and in vivo. METHODS: We used HepG2 cells that highly express sLex antigens and HuH7 cells that do not express sLex. Inhibition of E-selectin expression on the surface of endothelial cells was obtained by using cimetidine and amiloride treatment. RESULTS: Cimetidine and amiloride inhibited, respectively, by 20 and 64 % E-selectin expression by activated endothelial cells and significantly subsequent adhesion of HepG2 cells to activated endothelial cells. Subcutaneous injection of cimetidine or amiloride resulted in a significant inhibition of HepG2 cells tumor growth in nu/nu mice but not of HuH7 cells. Thus, cimetidine and amiloride administration led to an inhibition of 57 and 75 % of HepG2 tumor growth in vivo, respectively. This effect was associated with an inhibition of vasculogenesis as demonstrated by anti-CD31 immunostaining. CONCLUSION: Inhibition of E-selectin expression allows an anti-tumoral effect on sLex-expressing HCC tumors in vivo. This suggests that interactions between HCC cells and endothelial cells through sLex antigens and E-selectin might be a target for treatment of HCC. Further studies might evaluate the clinical impact of cimetidine and amiloride in the treatment of HCC patients alone or in combination with other anti-tumoral agents.

The impact of N- and O-glycosylation on the functions of Glut-1 transporter in human thyroid anaplastic cells.

It has been previously shown that glucose transporter Glut-1 expression was detectable by immunostaining in tissue sections from anaplastic carcinoma, but not in normal thyroid tissue. Using human thyroid anaplastic carcinoma cells, we studied the mechanism by which Glut-1 molecules are translocated from the endoplasmic reticulum to the cell surface. The contribution of N- and O-linked glycans for the translocation and activity of Glut-1 transporter is emphasized. The inhibition of N-glycosylation with tunicamycin (TM) led to a 50% decrease in glucose transport while glycosylated and unglycosylated forms of Glut-1 were found at the cell surface. However, the inhibition of N-linked oligosaccharide processing with deoxymannojirimycin (dMJ) and swainsonine (SW) influenced neither the intracellular trafficking nor the activity of the transporter. On the other hand, Glut-1 bound to the O-linked glycan-specific lectin jacalin and the O-glycosylation inhibitor benzyl-N-acetylgalactosamine dramatically inhibited glucose transport. These results show that O- and N-linked oligosaccharides arbored by Glut-1 are essential for glucose transport in anaplastic carcinoma cells. The quantitative and qualitative alterations of Glut-1 glycosylation and the increase in glucose transport are associated with the anaplastic phenotype of human thyroid cells.

Role of injured endothelial cells in the recruitment of human pulp cells.

In restorative dentistry, deep cavity preparation may lead to partial destruction of the odontoblastic layer. However, newly formed odontoblast-like cells can replace the necrotic odontoblasts and secrete a reparative dentine matrix. While growth factors such as transforming growth factor beta1 (TGFbeta1) and bone morphogenetic proteins (BMP-2 and BMP-4) seem to be involved in the proliferation and differentiation of pulp cells, little is known about the migration of the newly proliferating stem cells to the injury site. Our hypothesis was that endothelial cell injury may be involved in directing these cells towards the injury site. For this study, human pulp fibroblasts and L929 cells were fluorescence-labeled by transduction with the Enhanced Green Fluorescent Protein (EGFP). Similarly, human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) were labeled with the Discosoma Red Fluorescent Protein-2 (DsRed2). Cell migration was then studied in an insert cell culture system. The HUVEC cells were cultured in the lower compartment while the human pulp fibroblasts or L929 were in the upper compartment. After artificial injury to the HUVEC cells, only human pulp fibroblasts migrated to the lower compartment. At early time periods (4 days), migrating cells were randomly localized on the HUVEC layer. However, after 14 and 20 days, they were perfectly aligned along the injury site. In the absence of injury, no migration was observed. These results suggest that, the endothelial injury is involved in the recruitment of odontoblast-like cells at the injury site.

Hepatoma cell-specific ganciclovir-mediated toxicity of a lentivirally transduced HSV-TkEGFP fusion protein gene placed under the control of rat alpha-fetoprotein gene regulatory sequences.

Suicide gene therapy combining herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase gene transfer and ganciclovir administration can be envisioned as a powerful therapeutical approach in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma; however, safety issues regarding transgene expression in parenchyma cells have to be addressed. In this study, we constructed LATKW, a lentiviral vector expressing the HSV-TkEGFP gene placed under the control of the promoter elements that control the expression of the rat alpha-fetoprotein, and assayed its specific expression in vitro in hepatocarcinoma and nonhepatocarcinoma human cell lines, and in epidermal growth factor stimulated human primary hepatocytes. Using LATKW, a strong expression of the transgene was found in transduced hepatocarcinoma cells compared to a very low expression in nonhepatocarcinoma human cell lines, as assessed by Northern blot, RT-PCR, FACS analysis and ganciclovir-mediated toxicity assay, and no expression was found in lentivirally transduced normal human hepatocytes. Altogether, these results demonstrate the possibility to use a lentivirally transduced expression unit containing the rat alpha-fetoprotein promoter to restrict the HSV-TK-mediated induced GCV sensitivity to human hepatocarcinoma cells.

Monitoring E-selectin-mediated adhesion using green and red fluorescent proteins.

Accumulating evidence suggests that E-selectin, which is physiologically involved in leukocyte recruitment during inflammation, plays an important role in the early stages of tumor cell interactions with vessel walls and contributes to the hematogenous spreading of cancer cells. Therapy designed to block this key step may provide an effective anti-inflammatory and anti-metastatic treatment. It is therefore critical to establish a safe, rapid and sensitive E-selectin adhesion assay. In this regard, we propose a simple and highly sensitive adhesion system based on CHO cells permanently co-expressing E-selectin and the enhanced green fluorescent protein EGFP or the red fluorescent protein DsRed2. This is an inverted adhesion assay in which tumor cells are maintained intact while fluorescent cells expressing E-selectin and EGFP (or DsRed2) are added to them. Adherent cells are then quantified by three different fluorescence-based techniques including spectrofluorimetry, ELISA-type cytofluorimetry and fluorescence microscopy coupled to digital image quantification. In this assay, a battery of cell lines can be analysed at once since only one cell line (fluorescent E-selectin-expressing cells) needs to be harvested. We used this approach to analyze a number of E-selectin-specific binding parameters of intestinal cancer cells in comparison with adhesion to activated endothelial cells or to plastic dishes coated with recombinant E-selectin. Besides the possibility of analyzing a battery of cell lines at once, this assay might be suitable for screening anti-metastatic compounds and could provide valuable information on the metastatic potential of human cancers.

Noninvasive near-infrared fluorescent protein-based imaging of tumor progression and metastases in deep organs and intraosseous tissues.

Whole-body imaging of experimental tumor growth is more feasible within the near-infrared (NIR) optical window because of the highest transparency of mammalian tissues within this wavelength spectrum, mainly due to improved tissue penetration and lower autofluorescence. We took advantage from the recently cloned infrared fluorescent protein (iRFP) together with a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-based lentiviral vector to produce virally transduced tumor cells that permanently express this protein. We then noninvasively explored metastatic spread as well as primary tumor growth in deep organs and behind bone barriers. Intrabone tumor growth was investigated through intracranial and intratibial injections of glioblastoma and osteosarcoma cells, respectively, and metastasis was assessed by tail vein injection of melanoma cells. We found that the emitted fluorescence is captured as sharp images regardless of the organ or tissue considered. Furthermore, by overlaying fluorescence spots with the white light, it was possible to afford whole-body images yet never observed before. This approach allowed us to continuously monitor the growth and dissemination of tumor cells with a small number of animals, minimal animal handling, and without the need for any additive. This iRFP-based system provides high-resolution readouts of tumorigenesis that should greatly facilitate preclinical trials with anticancer therapeutic molecules.

Usefulness of controlled release of growth factors in investigating the early events of dentin-pulp regeneration.

INTRODUCTION: Little information is yet available on the signals involved in progenitor cell migration that precede reparative dentin synthesis. Our aim was to investigate the effect of the controlled release of fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-2 and transforming growth factor ß1 (TGF-ß1) on permanent teeth pulp cell proliferation and progenitor cell migration. METHODS: FGF-2 and TGF-ß1 were encapsulated into a biodegradable polymer matrix of lactide and glycolide. Human pulp cells were prepared from third molars, and progenitor cells were sorted by STRO-1. The synthesized microsphere toxicity was checked with the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide test. The growth factor release kinetics were checked by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay while maintaining their biological activity and were evaluated by investigating their effects on pulp cell proliferation. Their chemotactic potential was investigated on STRO-1-sorted cells in a migration chamber on Matrigel (Cambrex Bio Science, Walkersville, MD). RESULTS: The cell viability was unaffected by the presence of microspheres. The released amount of FGF-2 and TGF-ß1 from the microspheres was maintained after 21 days. Increasing the FGF-2-loaded microsphere concentration or the release period significantly increased dental pulp cell proliferation. TGF-ß1 acted as a potent chemotactic factor of STRO-1-sorted cells. CONCLUSIONS: Encapsulating TGF-ß1 and FGF-2 in a biodegradable polymer of lactide and glycolide microsphere allowed a sustained release of growth factors and provided a protection to their biological activities. Our results clearly show the usefulness of growth factor controlled release in investigating the early events of pulp/dentin regeneration. It provides additional data on the signals required for vital pulp therapy and future tissue engineering.

Expression of a functional recombinant C-type lectin-like protein lebecetin in the human embryonic kidney cells.

Lebecetin is an anticoagulant C-type lectin-like protein that was previously isolated from Macrovipera lebetina venom and described to consist of two subunits (alpha and beta). It was reported to potently prevent platelet aggregation by binding to glycoprotein Ib and to exhibit a broad spectrum of inhibitory activities on various integrin-mediated functions of tumor cells, including adhesion, proliferation, and cell migration. This study aimed to investigate the structure-function of lebecetin. Accordingly, the cDNA of each subunit was cloned and separately or jointly expressed in the human embryonic kidney cells using two vectors with different selectable tags. The immunofluorescence analysis of transfected cells revealed significant expression levels and co-localization of the two lebecetin subunits. The recombinant proteins were efficiently secreted and purified using metal-chelating affinity chromatography. We found that the Lebecetin alpha and beta subunits were produced as a mixture of homodimers and heterodimers and that the heterodimerization represents a prerequisite for functioning.

Introducing alpha(1,2)-linked fucose into hepatocarcinoma cells inhibits vasculogenesis and tumor growth.

The glycoantigen sialyl-Lewis x (sLex) and its isomer sialy-Lewis a (sLea) are frequently associated with advanced states of cancer and metastasis. In a previous work, we have shown that hepatocarcinoma cells (HCC) HepG2 interact with the endothelial E-selectin exclusively through sLe(x) oligosaccharides, the synthesis of which could be completely prevented by the alpha(1,2)-fucosyltransferase-I (FUT1), thus resulting in a strong inhibition of adhesion and rolling on activated endothelial cells. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the impact of inhibiting sLex synthesis and the subsequent E-selectin adhesion, on HCC tumor growth in nude mice. Four weeks after subcutaneous transplantation of cells, no FUT1-derived tumor could be detected, whereas 75% of control animals developed large size tumor nodules. Between the 4th and the 8th week postinoculation, 33% tumors arose from FUT1-transduced cells but showed a slow growth (nodule volumes less than 500 mm(3)), while more than 50% of control tumors reached volumes between 1,500 and 3,000 mm(3). Several parameters were examined, including cell division and proliferation, apoptosis, adhesion to extracellular matrix components and angiogenesis/vasculogenesis. We provide evidence that among all, vasculogenesis was the most clearly affected by FUT1 expression, suggesting that tumor angiomorphogenesis may, at least partly, depend on E-selectin-mediated interaction between HCC and endothelial cells, the inhibition of which remarkably retards tumor growth.

Transgene expression of alpha(1,2)-fucosyltransferase-I (FUT1) in tumor cells selectively inhibits sialyl-Lewis x expression and binding to E-selectin without affecting synthesis of sialyl-Lewis a or binding to P-selectin.

During inflammation, E- and P-selectins appear on activated endothelial cells to interact with leukocytes through sialyl-Lewis x and sialyl-Lewis a antigens (sLe(x/a)). These selectins can also interact with tumor cells in a sialyl-Lewis-dependent manner and for this reason, they are thought to play a key role in metastasis. Diverting the biosynthesis of sialyl-Lewis antigens toward nonadhesive structures is an attractive gene therapy for preventing the hematogenous metastatic spread of cancers. We have previously shown that transfection of alpha(1,2)-fucosyltransferase-I (FUT1) in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells had a slight effect on the overall sialylation while the synthesis of sLE(x) was dramatically prevented. We herein delivered the gene of FUT1 by a human immunodeficiency virus-derived lentiviral vector to three human cancer cell lines including pancreatic (BxPC3), hepatic (HepG2), and colonic (HT-29) cancer cells. We found that on FUT1 transduction, all cells exhibited a dramatic decrease in sLe(x) synthesis with a concomitant increase in Le(y) and Le(b) expression, without any detectable effect on the level of cell surface sLe(a) antigens. In parallel, FUT1-transduced HT-29 and HepG2 cells, but not BxPC3 cells, failed to interact with E-selectin as assessed by E-selectin-binding assay or dynamic adhesion to activated endothelial cells. We show also that transduced FUT1 efficiently fucosylates the P-selectin ligand PSGL-1 without altering P-selectin binding. These results have important implications for understanding cell-specific reactions underlying the synthesis of selectin ligands in cancer cells and may provide a basis for the development of anti-metastatic gene therapy.

The cytosolic and transmembrane domains of the beta 1,6 N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase (C2GnT) function as a cis to medial/Golgi-targeting determinant.

The beta 1,6 N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase (C2GnT) has been recently mapped to the cis/medial-Golgi compartment. To analyze the Golgi-targeting determinants of C2GnT, we constructed various deletion mutants of the enzyme fused to the enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) and localized these proteins by fluorescence microscopy in living cells. We found that the N-terminal peptide encompassing amino acids 1 to 32 represents the minimal Golgi-targeting signal sufficient to localize EGFP to the same compartment as the full-length C2GnT. This peptide makes up the cytoplasmic and the transmembrane domains of the enzyme and was referred to as CTd (cytoplasmic and transmembrane domains). We compared the Golgi-targeting efficiency of the C2GnT-derived CTd with its homologous domains from other glycosyltransferases, including the H-type alpha(1,2)-fucosyltransferase (FucTI), the polypeptide N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase-I (GalNAcT-I), the alpha(1,3)-fucosyltransferase VII (FucTVII), and the alpha(2,6)-sialyltransferase (ST6Gal-I) and found that the Golgi-targeting determinants of these glycosyltransferases were also composed of their cytosolic and transmembrane domains. To investigate whether the CTd of C2GnT could serve as a cis to medial Golgi-specific signal, we tested its ability to mislocalize two late-Golgi acting glycosyltransferases FucTI and FucTVII. We show that fusing the C2GnT-derived CTd with the catalytic domain of FucTVII resulted in a complete mislocalization of the enzyme to the C2GnT compartment, with a parallel alteration of sialyl-Lewis x synthesis and P-selectin binding. The intracellular distribution and activity of FucTI, however, were not affected. Thus, CTds of either early or late-Golgi acting glycosyltransferases represent the Golgi-targeting domains of these enzymes. In addition, we show that C2GnT-derived CTd can function as a cis/medial Golgi-targeting determinant.

Herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase-mediated suicide gene therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma using HIV-1-derived lentiviral vectors.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Gene therapy is a promising approach for treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, transduction of non-tumoral hepatocytes may lead to severe hepatitis when using suicide gene therapy approaches. The aim of our study was to evaluate the gene transfer efficiency into HCC cells and normal hepatocytes using human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-derived lentiviral vectors in vitro and in vivo. METHODS: Lentiviral vectors encoding for the LacZ gene or the fusion gene HSV-Tk/GFP were tested in vitro in human HCC cells and human hepatocytes in primary culture and in vivo in a chemically induced rat model of HCC. RESULTS: We show that HIV-1-derived lentiviral vectors are efficient in transducing HCC cells in vitro and in vivo. No significant transduction of non-tumorous hepatocytes was observed in vivo whatever the route of administration used. Measurement of tumor growth following direct intratumoral injection of a lentiviral vector containing the HSV-Tk gene and GCV treatment showed a strong antitumoral efficacy in the absence of normal liver toxicity. CONCLUSIONS: These observations suggest that lentiviral vectors allow an antitumoral effect with low liver toxicity when using suicide gene therapy approach and could be efficient tools for HCC gene therapy.

Different glycosyltransferases are differentially processed for secretion, dimerization, and autoglycosylation.

Modification of Golgi glycosyltransferases, such as formation of disulfide-bonded dimers and proteolytical release from cells as a soluble form, are important processes to regulate the activity of glycosyltransferases. To better understand these processes, six glycosyltransferases were selected on the basis of the donor sugars, including two N-acetylglucosaminyltransferases, core 1 beta1,3-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase (C1-beta3GnT) and core 2 beta1,6-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase (C2GnT-I); two fucosyltransferases, alpha1,2-fucosyltransferase-I (FucT-I) and alpha1,3-fucosyltransferase-VII (FucT-VII); and two sialyltransferases, alpha2,3-sialyltransferase-I (ST3Gal-I) and alpha2,6-sialyltransferase-I (ST6Gal-I). These enzymes were fused with enhanced green fluorescence protein and stably expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells. Spectrofluorimetric detection and immunoblotting analyses showed that all of these glycosyltransferases except FucT-VII were secreted in the medium. By examining dimers formed in cells and culture media, we found that all of the enzymes, except ST3Gal-I, form a combination of monomers and dimers in cells, whereas the molecules released in the media are either exclusively monomers (C2GnT-I and ST6Gal-I), dimers (FucT-I) or a mixture of both (C1-beta3GnT). These results indicate that dimerization does not always lead to Golgi retention. Analysis of the N-glycosylation status of the enzymes revealed that the secreted proteins are generally more heavily N-glycosylated and sialylated than their membrane-associated counterparts, suggesting that the proteolytic cleavage occurs before the glycosylation is completed. Using FucT-I and ST6Gal-I as a model, we also show that these glycosyltransferases are able to perform autoglycosylation in the dimeric forms. These results indicate that different glycosyltranferases differ significantly in dimerization, proteolytic digestion and secretion, and autoglycosylation. These results strongly suggest that disulfide-bonded dimerization and secretion differentially plays a role in the processing and function of different glycosyltransferases in the Golgi apparatus.