RESUMEN
Lentiviral vectors (LVs) are used for various gene transfer applications, notably for hematopoietic gene therapy, but methods are lacking for precisely evaluating parameters that control the efficiency of transduction in relation to the entry of vectors into target cells. We adapted a fluorescence resonance energy transfer-based human immunodeficiency virus-1 fusion assay to measure the entry of nonreplicative recombinant LVs in various cell types, including primary human hematopoietic stem progenitor cells (HSPCs), and to quantify the level of transduction of the same initially infected cells. The assay utilizes recombinant LVs containing ß-lactamase (BLAM)-Vpr chimeric proteins (BLAM-LVs) and encoding a truncated form of the low-affinity nerve growth factor receptor (ΔNGFR). After infection of target cells with BLAM-LVs, the vector entry rapidly leads to BLAM-Vpr release into the cytoplasm, which is measured by cleavage of a fluorescent substrate using flow cytometry. Parallel cultures of the same infected cells show transduction efficiency resulting from ΔNGFR expression. This LV-based fusion/transduction assay is a dynamic and versatile tool, revealing, for instance, the postentry restrictions of LVs known to occur in cells of hematopoietic origin, especially human HSPCs. Furthermore, this BLAM-LV assay allowed us to evaluate the effect of cytokine prestimulation of HSPCs on the entry step of LVs. The assay also shows that transduction enhancers such as Vectofusin-1 or Retronectin can partially relieve the postentry block, but their effects differ in how they promote LV entry. In conclusion, one such assay should be useful to study hematopoietic postentry restrictions directed against LVs and therefore should allow improvements in various LV-based gene therapy protocols.
Asunto(s)
Antígenos CD34/metabolismo , Vectores Genéticos/metabolismo , VIH-1/genética , Células Madre Hematopoyéticas/metabolismo , Lentivirus/genética , Transducción Genética , Células Cultivadas , Citocinas/farmacología , Vectores Genéticos/genética , Células HCT116 , Células Madre Hematopoyéticas/citología , Células Madre Hematopoyéticas/efectos de los fármacos , Humanos , Receptor de Factor de Crecimiento Nervioso/genética , Receptor de Factor de Crecimiento Nervioso/metabolismo , beta-Lactamasas/genética , beta-Lactamasas/metabolismoRESUMEN
Group II introns are self-splicing mobile elements found in prokaryotes and eukaryotic organelles. These introns propagate by homing into precise genomic locations, following assembly of a ribonucleoprotein complex containing the intron-encoded protein (IEP) and the spliced intron RNA. Engineered group II introns are now commonly used tools for targeted genomic modifications in prokaryotes but not in eukaryotes. We speculate that the catalytic activation of currently known group II introns is limited in eukaryotic cells. The brown algae Pylaiella littoralis Pl.LSU/2 group II intron is uniquely capable of in vitro ribozyme activity at physiological level of magnesium but this intron remains poorly characterized. We purified and characterized recombinant Pl.LSU/2 IEP. Unlike most IEPs, Pl.LSU/2 IEP displayed a reverse transcriptase activity without intronic RNA. The Pl.LSU/2 intron could be engineered to splice accurately in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and splicing efficiency was increased by the maturase activity of the IEP. However, spliced transcripts were not expressed. Furthermore, intron splicing was not detected in human cells. While further tool development is needed, these data provide the first functional characterization of the PI.LSU/2 IEP and the first evidence that the Pl.LSU/2 group II intron splicing occurs in vivo in eukaryotes in an IEP-dependent manner.
Asunto(s)
Intrones , Phaeophyceae/genética , Phaeophyceae/metabolismo , Proteínas/genética , Proteínas/metabolismo , Línea Celular , Endorribonucleasas/metabolismo , Expresión Génica , Orden Génico , Humanos , Conformación de Ácido Nucleico , Nucleotidiltransferasas/metabolismo , ARN/química , ARN/genética , ARN/metabolismo , Empalme del ARN , ADN Polimerasa Dirigida por ARN/metabolismo , Saccharomyces cerevisiae/genética , Saccharomyces cerevisiae/metabolismo , Partículas Ribonucleoproteicas en Bóveda/metabolismoRESUMEN
Gene transfer into hCD34(+) hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSCs) using human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-based lentiviral vectors (LVs) has several promising therapeutic applications. Yet, efficiency, safety, and cost of LV gene therapy could be ameliorated by enhancing target cell transduction levels and reducing the amount of LV used on the cells. Several transduction enhancers already exist such as fibronectin fragments and cationic compounds, but all present limitations. In this study, we describe a new transduction enhancer called Vectofusin-1, which is a short cationic peptide, active on several LV pseudotypes. Vectofusin-1 is used as a soluble additive to safely increase the frequency of transduced HSCs and to augment the level of transduction to one or two copies of vector per cell in a vector dose-dependent manner. Vectofusin-1 acts at the entry step by promoting the adhesion and the fusion between viral and cellular membranes. Vectofusin-1 is therefore a promising additive that could significantly ameliorate hCD34(+) cell-based gene therapy.Molecular Therapy-Nucleic Acids (2013) 2, e90; doi:10.1038/mtna.2013.17; published online 7 May 2013.