Sensor macrophages derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells to assess pyrogenic contaminations in parenteral drugs.

Ensuring the safety of parenteral drugs before injection into patients is of utmost importance. New regulations around the globe and the need to refrain from using animals however, have highlighted the need for new cell sources to be used in next-generation bioassays to detect the entire spectrum of possible contaminating pyrogens. Given the current drawbacks of the Monocyte-Activation-Test (MAT) with respect to the use of primary peripheral blood mono-nuclear cells or the use of monocytic cell lines, we here demonstrate the manufacturing of sensor monocytes/macrophages from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iMonoMac), which are fully defined and superior to current cell products. Using a modern and scalable manufacturing platform, iMonoMac showed typical macrophage-like morphology and stained positive for several Toll like receptor (TLRs) such as TLR-2, TLR-5, TLR-4. Furthermore, iMonoMac derived from the same donor were sensitive to endotoxins, non-endotoxins, and process related pyrogens at a high dynamic range and across different cellular densities. Of note, iMonoMac showed increased sensitivity and reactivity to a broad range of pyrogens, demonstrated by the detection of interleukin-6 at low concentrations of LPS and MALP-2 which could not be reached using the current MAT cell sources. To further advance the system, iMonoMac or genetically engineered iMonoMac with NF-κB-luciferase reporter cassette could reveal a specific activation response while correlating to the classical detection method employing enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to measure cytokine secretion. Thus, we present a valuable cellular tool to assess parenteral drugs safety, facilitating the future acceptance and design of regulatory-approved bioassays.

Programmable multispecific DNA-origami-based T-cell engagers.

Multispecific antibodies have emerged as versatile therapeutic agents, and therefore, approaches to optimize and streamline their design and assembly are needed. Here we report on the modular and programmable assembly of IgG antibodies, F(ab) and scFv fragments on DNA origami nanocarriers. We screened 105 distinct quadruplet antibody variants in vitro for the ability to activate T cells in the presence of target cells. T-cell engagers were identified, which in vitro showed the specific and efficient T-cell-mediated lysis of five distinct target cell lines. We used these T-cell engagers to target and lyse tumour cells in vivo in a xenograft mouse tumour model. Our approach enables the rapid generation, screening and testing of bi- and multispecific antibodies to facilitate preclinical pharmaceutical development from in vitro discovery to in vivo proof of concept.

Structures of LnmK, a Bifunctional Acyltransferase/Decarboxylase, with Substrate Analogues Reveal the Basis for Selectivity and Stereospecificity.

LnmK stereospecifically accepts (2R)-methylmalonyl-CoA, generating propionyl-S-acyl carrier protein to support polyketide biosynthesis. LnmK and its homologues are the only known enzymes that carry out a decarboxylation (DC) and acyl transfer (AT) reaction in the same active site as revealed by structure-function studies. Substrate-assisted catalysis powers LnmK, as decarboxylation of (2R)-methylmalonyl-CoA generates an enolate capable of deprotonating active site Tyr62, and the Tyr62 phenolate subsequently attacks propionyl-CoA leading to a propionyl-O-LnmK acyl-enzyme intermediate. Due to the inherent reactivity of LnmK and methylmalonyl-CoA, a substrate-bound structure could not be obtained. To gain insight into substrate specificity, stereospecificity, and catalytic mechanism, we determined the structures of LnmK with bound substrate analogues that bear malonyl-thioester isosteres where the carboxylate is represented by a nitro or sulfonate group. The nitro-bearing malonyl-thioester isosteres bind in the nitronate form, with specific hydrogen bonds that allow modeling of the (2R)-methylmalonyl-CoA substrate and rationalization of stereospecificity. The sulfonate isosteres bind in multiple conformations, suggesting the large active site of LnmK allows multiple binding modes. Considering the smaller malonyl group has more conformational freedom than the methylmalonyl group, we hypothesized the active site can entropically screen against catalysis with the smaller malonyl-CoA substrate. Indeed, our kinetic analysis reveals malonyl-CoA is accepted at 1% of the rate of methylmalonyl-CoA. This study represents another example of how our nitro- and sulfonate-bearing methylmalonyl-thioester isosteres are of use for elucidating enzyme-substrate binding interactions and revealing insights into catalytic mechanism. Synthesis of a larger panel of analogues presents an opportunity to study enzymes with complicated structure-function relationships such as acyl-CoA carboxylases, trans-carboxytransferases, malonyltransferases, and ß-ketoacylsynthases.

Custom-Size, Functional, and Durable DNA Origami with Design-Specific Scaffolds.

DNA origami nano-objects are usually designed around generic single-stranded "scaffolds". Many properties of the target object are determined by details of those generic scaffold sequences. Here, we enable designers to fully specify the target structure not only in terms of desired 3D shape but also in terms of the sequences used. To this end, we built design tools to construct scaffold sequences de novo based on strand diagrams, and we developed scalable production methods for creating design-specific scaffold strands with fully user-defined sequences. We used 17 custom scaffolds having different lengths and sequence properties to study the influence of sequence redundancy and sequence composition on multilayer DNA origami assembly and to realize efficient one-pot assembly of multiscaffold DNA origami objects. Furthermore, as examples for functionalized scaffolds, we created a scaffold that enables direct, covalent cross-linking of DNA origami via UV irradiation, and we built DNAzyme-containing scaffolds that allow postfolding DNA origami domain separation.

Sequence-programmable covalent bonding of designed DNA assemblies.

Bottom-up fabrication of custom nanostructures using the methods of DNA nanotechnology has great potential for applications in many areas of science and technology. One obstacle to applications concerns the constrained environmental conditions at which DNA objects retain their structure. We present a general, site-selective, and scalable method for creating additional covalent bonds that increase the structural stability of DNA nanostructures. Placement of thymidines in close proximity within DNA nanostructures allows the rational creation of sites for covalent cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer (CPD) bonds induced via ultraviolet irradiation. The additional covalent bonds may be used in a sequence-programmable fashion to link free strand termini, to bridge strand breaks at crossover sites, and to create additional interhelical connections. Thus designed multilayer DNA origami objects can remain stable at temperatures up to 90°C and in pure double-distilled water with no additional cations present. In addition, these objects show enhanced resistance against nuclease activity. Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structural analysis of non-cross-linked and cross-linked objects indicated that the global shape and the internal network of crossovers are preserved after irradiation. A cryo-EM map of a CPD-stabilized multilayer DNA origami object determined at physiological ionic strength reveals a substantial swelling behavior, presumably caused by repulsive electrostatic forces that, without covalent stabilization, would cause disassembly at low ionic strength. Our method opens new avenues for applications of DNA nanostructures in a wider range of conditions.

Biotechnological mass production of DNA origami.

DNA nanotechnology, in particular DNA origami, enables the bottom-up self-assembly of micrometre-scale, three-dimensional structures with nanometre-precise features. These structures are customizable in that they can be site-specifically functionalized or constructed to exhibit machine-like or logic-gating behaviour. Their use has been limited to applications that require only small amounts of material (of the order of micrograms), owing to the limitations of current production methods. But many proposed applications, for example as therapeutic agents or in complex materials, could be realized if more material could be used. In DNA origami, a nanostructure is assembled from a very long single-stranded scaffold molecule held in place by many short single-stranded staple oligonucleotides. Only the bacteriophage-derived scaffold molecules are amenable to scalable and efficient mass production; the shorter staple strands are obtained through costly solid-phase synthesis or enzymatic processes. Here we show that single strands of DNA of virtually arbitrary length and with virtually arbitrary sequences can be produced in a scalable and cost-efficient manner by using bacteriophages to generate single-stranded precursor DNA that contains target strand sequences interleaved with self-excising 'cassettes', with each cassette comprising two Zn2+-dependent DNA-cleaving DNA enzymes. We produce all of the necessary single strands of DNA for several DNA origami using shaker-flask cultures, and demonstrate end-to-end production of macroscopic amounts of a DNA origami nanorod in a litre-scale stirred-tank bioreactor. Our method is compatible with existing DNA origami design frameworks and retains the modularity and addressability of DNA origami objects that are necessary for implementing custom modifications using functional groups. With all of the production and purification steps amenable to scaling, we expect that our method will expand the scope of DNA nanotechnology in many areas of science and technology.

Chemostat studies of bacteriophage M13 infected Escherichia coli JM109 for continuous ssDNA production.

Steady state studies in a chemostat enable the control of microbial growth rate at defined reaction conditions. The effects of bacteriophage M13 infection on maximum growth rate of Escherichia coli JM109 were studied in parallel operated chemostats on a milliliter-scale to analyze the steady state kinetics of phage production. The bacteriophage infection led to a decrease in maximum specific growth rate of 15% from 0.74h-1 to 0.63h-1. Under steady state conditions, a constant cell specific ssDNA formation rate of 0.15±0.004 mgssDNA gCDW-1h-1 was observed, which was independent of the growth rate. Using the estimated kinetic parameters for E. coli infected with bacteriophage M13, the ssDNA concentration in the steady state could be predicted as function of the dilution rate and the glucose concentration in the substrate. Scalability of milliliter-scale data was approved by steady state studies on a liter-scale at a selected dilution rate. An ssDNA space-time yield of 5.7mgL-1h-1 was achieved with increased glucose concentration in the feed at a dilution rate of 0.3h-1, which is comparable to established fed-batch fermentation with bacteriophage M13 for ssDNA production.

Specific growth rate and multiplicity of infection affect high-cell-density fermentation with bacteriophage M13 for ssDNA production.

The bacteriophage M13 has found frequent applications in nanobiotechnology due to its chemically and genetically tunable protein surface and its ability to self-assemble into colloidal membranes. Additionally, its single-stranded (ss) genome is commonly used as scaffold for DNA origami. Despite the manifold uses of M13, upstream production methods for phage and scaffold ssDNA are underexamined with respect to future industrial usage. Here, the high-cell-density phage production with Escherichia coli as host organism was studied in respect of medium composition, infection time, multiplicity of infection, and specific growth rate. The specific growth rate and the multiplicity of infection were identified as the crucial state variables that influence phage amplification rate on one hand and the concentration of produced ssDNA on the other hand. Using a growth rate of 0.15 h-1 and a multiplicity of infection of 0.05 pfu cfu-1 in the fed-batch production process, the concentration of pure isolated M13 ssDNA usable for scaffolded DNA origami could be enhanced by 54% to 590 mg L-1 . Thus, our results help enabling M13 production for industrial uses in nanobiotechnology. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2017;114: 777-784. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Efficient Production of Single-Stranded Phage DNA as Scaffolds for DNA Origami.

Scaffolded DNA origami enables the fabrication of a variety of complex nanostructures that promise utility in diverse fields of application, ranging from biosensing over advanced therapeutics to metamaterials. The broad applicability of DNA origami as a material beyond the level of proof-of-concept studies critically depends, among other factors, on the availability of large amounts of pure single-stranded scaffold DNA. Here, we present a method for the efficient production of M13 bacteriophage-derived genomic DNA using high-cell-density fermentation of Escherichia coli in stirred-tank bioreactors. We achieve phage titers of up to 1.6 × 10(14) plaque-forming units per mL. Downstream processing yields up to 410 mg of high-quality single-stranded DNA per one liter reaction volume, thus upgrading DNA origami-based nanotechnology from the milligram to the gram scale.