The inter-laboratory validation study of EpiSensA for predicting skin sensitization potential.

The Epidermal Sensitization Assay (EpiSensA) is a reconstructed human epidermis (RhE)-based gene expression assay for predicting the skin sensitization potential of chemicals. Since the RhE model is covered by a stratified stratum corneum, various kinds of test chemicals, including lipophilic ones and pre-/pro-haptens, can be tested with a route of exposure akin to an in vivo assay and human exposure. This article presents the results of a formally managed validation study of the EpiSensA that was carried out by three participating laboratories. The purpose of this validation study was to assess transferability of the EpiSensA to new laboratories along with its within- (WLR) and between-laboratory reproducibility (BLR). The validation study was organized into two independent stages. As demonstrated during the first stage, where three sensitizers and one non-sensitizer were correctly predicted by all participating laboratories, the EpiSensA was successfully transferred to all three participating laboratories. For Phase I of the second stage, each participating laboratory performed three experiments with an identical set of 15 coded test chemicals resulting in WLR of 93.3%, 93.3%, and 86.7%, respectively. Furthermore, when the results from the 15 test chemicals were combined with those of the additional 12 chemicals tested in Phase II of the second stage, the BLR for 27 test chemicals was 88.9%. Moreover, the predictive capacity among the three laboratories showed 92.6% sensitivity, 63.0% specificity, 82.7% accuracy, and 77.8% balanced accuracy based on murine local lymph node assay (LLNA) results. Overall, this validation study concluded that EpiSensA is easily transferable and sufficiently robust for assessing the skin sensitization potential of chemicals.

Transferability and within- and between-laboratory reproducibilities of EpiSensA for predicting skin sensitization potential in vitro: A ring study in three laboratories.

The epidermal sensitization assay (EpiSensA) is an in vitro skin sensitization test method based on gene expression of four markers related to the induction of skin sensitization; the assay uses commercially available reconstructed human epidermis. EpiSensA has exhibited an accuracy of 90% for 72 chemicals, including lipophilic chemicals and pre-/pro-haptens, when compared with the results of the murine local lymph node assay. In this work, a ring study was performed by one lead and two naive laboratories to evaluate the transferability, as well as within- and between-laboratory reproducibilities, of EpiSensA. Three non-coded chemicals (two lipophilic sensitizers and one non-sensitizer) were tested for the assessment of transferability and 10 coded chemicals (seven sensitizers and three non-sensitizers, including four lipophilic chemicals) were tested for the assessment of reproducibility. In the transferability phase, the non-coded chemicals (two sensitizers and one non-sensitizer) were correctly classified at the two naive laboratories, indicating that the EpiSensA protocol was transferred successfully. For the within-laboratory reproducibility, the data generated with three coded chemicals tested in three independent experiments in each laboratory gave consistent predictions within laboratories. For the between-laboratory reproducibility, 9 of the 10 coded chemicals tested once in each laboratory provided consistent predictions among the three laboratories. These results suggested that EpiSensA has good transferability, as well as within- and between-laboratory reproducibility.

A highly selective biosynthetic pathway to non-natural C50 carotenoids assembled from moderately selective enzymes.

Synthetic biology aspires to construct natural and non-natural pathways to useful compounds. However, pathways that rely on multiple promiscuous enzymes may branch, which might preclude selective production of the target compound. Here, we describe the assembly of a six-enzyme pathway in Escherichia coli for the synthesis of C50-astaxanthin, a non-natural purple carotenoid. We show that by judicious matching of engineered size-selectivity variants of the first two enzymes in the pathway, farnesyl diphosphate synthase (FDS) and carotenoid synthase (CrtM), branching and the production of non-target compounds can be suppressed, enriching the proportion of C50 backbones produced. We then further extend the C50 pathway using evolved or wild-type downstream enzymes. Despite not containing any substrate- or product-specific enzymes, the resulting pathway detectably produces only C50 carotenoids, including ∼ 90% C50-astaxanthin. Using this approach, highly selective pathways can be engineered without developing absolutely specific enzymes.

Genotoxic potential and in vitro tumour-promoting potential of 2-dodecylcyclobutanone and 2-tetradecylcyclobutanone, two radiolytic products of fatty acids.

The DNA-damaging and tumour-promoting effects of two 2-alkylcyclobutanones (2-ACBs), which are found in irradiated fat-containing foods, were investigated by use of the comet assay and in an azoxymethane (AOM)-induced colon-carcinogenesis study in rats, respectively. We conducted genotoxicity tests of 2-dodecylcyclobutanone (2-dDCB) and 2-tetradecylcyclobutanone (2-tDCB) according to the test guidelines for chemicals or drugs. In addition, a cell-transformation assay with Bhas 42 cells was performed to investigate their promoting potential in vitro. The Salmonella typhimurium mutagenicity assay (Ames test), conducted with five tester strains, revealed that neither 2-dDCB nor 2-tDCB possessed mutagenic activity. Moreover, both in the in vitro chromosomal aberration test on CHL/IU cells and the in vivo bone-marrow micronucleus test where mice were given 2-dDCB and 2-tDCB (orally, up to 2000 mg/kg bw/day), we did not detect any clastogenic effects. Furthermore, DNA strand-breaks were not detected in the in vitro comet assay with CHL/IU cells, and DNA adducts derived from 2-dDCB and 2-tDCB were not detected in the colon tissues of the mice used for the micronucleus tests, in rats from a repeated dose 90-day oral toxicity test (0.03% 2-tDCB in the diet), or in rats from the AOM-induced carcinogenesis study (0.025% 2-tDCB in the diet). An in vitro tumour-promotion assay with Bhas 42 cells revealed that the number of transformed foci increased significantly following treatment of cells in the stationary phase with 2-dDCB or 2-tDCB for 10 days. Our results indicate that neither 2-dDCB nor 2-tDCB were genotoxic chemicals. However, they exhibited promoting activity, at least in vitro, when Bhas 42 cells were continuously exposed to these chemicals at toxic doses.

A high-throughput colorimetric screening assay for terpene synthase activity based on substrate consumption.

Terpene synthases catalyze the formation of a variety of terpene chemical structures. Systematic mutagenesis studies have been effective in providing insights into the characteristic and complex mechanisms of C-C bond formations and in exploring the enzymatic potential for inventing new chemical structures. In addition, there is growing demand to increase terpene synthase activity in heterologous hosts, given the maturation of metabolic engineering and host breeding for terpenoid synthesis. We have developed a simple screening method for the cellular activities of terpene synthases by scoring their substrate consumption based on the color loss of the cell harboring carotenoid pathways. We demonstrate that this method can be used to detect activities of various terpene synthase or prenyltransferase genes in a high-throughput manner, irrespective of the product type, enabling the mutation analysis and directed evolution of terpene synthases. We also report the possibility for substrate-specific screening system of terpene synthases by taking advantage of the substrate-size specificity of C30 and C40 carotenoid pathways.