Your browser doesn't support javascript.
loading
: 20 | 50 | 100
1 - 20 de 82.047
1.
J Vis Exp ; (207)2024 May 17.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38829112

The construction of gene expression vectors is an important component of laboratory work in experimental biology. With technical advancements like Gibson Assembly, vector construction becomes relatively simple and efficient. However, when the full-length genome of Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus (PRRSV) cannot be easily amplified by a single polymerase chain reaction (PCR) from cDNA, or it is difficult to acquire a full-length gene expression vector by homologous recombination of multiple inserts in vitro, the current Gibson Assembly technique fails to achieve this goal. Consequently, we aimed to divide the PRRSV genome into several fragments and introduce appropriate restriction sites into the reverse primer for obtaining PCR-amplified fragments. After joining the previous DNA fragment into the vector by homologous recombination technology, the new vector acquired the restriction enzyme cleavage site. Thus, we can linearize the vector by using the newly added enzyme cleavage site and introduce the next DNA fragment downstream of the upstream DNA fragment. The introduced restriction enzyme cleavage site at the 3' end of the upstream DNA fragment will be eliminated, and a new cleavage site will be introduced into the 3' end of the downstream DNA fragment. In this way, we can join DNA fragments to the vector one by one. This method is applicable to successfully construct the PRRSV expression vector and is an effective method for assembling a large number of fragments into the expression vector.


Cloning, Molecular , Genetic Vectors , Porcine respiratory and reproductive syndrome virus , Porcine respiratory and reproductive syndrome virus/genetics , Genetic Vectors/genetics , Cloning, Molecular/methods , Animals , Polymerase Chain Reaction/methods , Swine , Genome, Viral/genetics
2.
Curr Protoc ; 4(6): e1068, 2024 Jun.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38837274

Adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors can efficiently transduce exogenous genes into various tissues in vivo. Owing to their convenience, high efficiency, long-term stable gene expression, and minimal side effects, AAV vectors have become one of the gold standards for investigating gene functions in vivo, especially in non-clinical studies. However, challenges persist in efficiently preparing a substantial quantity of high-quality AAV vectors. Commercial AAV vectors are typically associated with high costs. Further, in-laboratory production is hindered by the lack of specific laboratory equipment, such as ultracentrifuges. Therefore, a simple, quick, and scalable preparation method for AAV vectors is needed for proof-of-concept experiments. Herein, we present an optimized method for producing and purifying high-quality AAV serotype 9 (AAV9) vectors using standard laboratory equipment and chromatography. Using ceramic hydroxyapatite as a mixed-mode chromatography medium can markedly increase the quality of purified AAV vectors. Basic Protocols and optional methods for evaluating purified AAV vectors are also described. © 2024 The Author(s). Current Protocols published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. Basic Protocol 1: Production of AAV9 vectors in 293EB cells Basic Protocol 2: Concentration and buffer exchange of AAV9 vectors from 293EB cell culture supernatants using tangential flow filtration Basic Protocol 3: Purification of AAV9 vectors from TFF samples using ceramic hydroxyapatite chromatography Basic Protocol 4: Analysis of the purified AAV9 vectors.


Ceramics , Dependovirus , Durapatite , Genetic Vectors , Serogroup , Dependovirus/genetics , Dependovirus/isolation & purification , Genetic Vectors/isolation & purification , Genetic Vectors/genetics , Humans , Ceramics/chemistry , Durapatite/chemistry , Chromatography/methods , HEK293 Cells
3.
J Nanobiotechnology ; 22(1): 309, 2024 Jun 02.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38825720

Gene therapy aims to modify or manipulate gene expression and change the biological characteristics of living cells to achieve the purpose of treating diseases. The safe, efficient, and stable expression of exogenous genes in cells is crucial for the success of gene therapy, which is closely related to the vectors used in gene therapy. Currently, gene therapy vectors are mainly divided into two categories: viral vectors and non-viral vectors. Viral vectors are widely used due to the advantages of persistent and stable expression, high transfection efficiency, but they also have certain issues such as infectivity, high immunological rejection, randomness of insertion mutation, carcinogenicity, and limited vector capacity. Non-viral vectors have the advantages of non-infectivity, controllable chemical structure, and unlimited vector capacity, but the transfection efficiency is low. With the rapid development of nanotechnology, the unique physicochemical properties of nanomaterials have attracted increasing attention in the field of drug and gene delivery. Among many nanomaterials, iron-based nanomaterials have attracted much attention due to their superior physicochemical properties, such as Fenton reaction, magnetic resonance imaging, magnetothermal therapy, photothermal therapy, gene delivery, magnetically-assisted drug delivery, cell and tissue targeting, and so on. In this paper, the research progress of iron-based nanomaterials in gene delivery and tumor gene therapy is reviewed, and the future application direction of iron-based nanomaterials is further prospected.


Gene Transfer Techniques , Genetic Therapy , Iron , Neoplasms , Genetic Therapy/methods , Humans , Neoplasms/therapy , Animals , Iron/chemistry , Iron/metabolism , Nanostructures/chemistry , Genetic Vectors
5.
Plant Cell Rep ; 43(6): 162, 2024 Jun 05.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38837057

KEY MESSAGE: A robust agroinfiltration-mediated transient gene expression method for soybean leaves was developed. Plant genotype, developmental stage and leaf age, surfactant, and Agrobacterium culture conditions are important for successful agroinfiltration. Agroinfiltration of Nicotiana benthamiana has emerged as a workhorse transient assay for plant biotechnology and synthetic biology to test the performance of gene constructs in dicot leaves. While effective, it is nonetheless often desirable to assay transgene constructs directly in crop species. To that end, we innovated a substantially robust agroinfiltration method for Glycine max (soybean), the most widely grown dicot crop plant in the world. Several factors were found to be relevant to successful soybean leaf agroinfiltration, including genotype, surfactant, developmental stage, and Agrobacterium strain and culture medium. Our optimized protocol involved a multi-step Agrobacterium culturing process with appropriate expression vectors, Silwet L-77 as the surfactant, selection of fully expanded leaves in the VC or V1 stage of growth, and 5 min of vacuum at - 85 kPa followed by a dark incubation period before plants were returned to normal growth conditions. Using this method, young soybean leaves of two lines-V17-0799DT, and TN16-5004-were high expressors for GUS, two co-expressed fluorescent protein genes, and the RUBY reporter product, betalain. This work not only represents a new research tool for soybean biotechnology, but also indicates critical parameters for guiding agroinfiltration optimization for other crop species. We speculate that leaf developmental stage might be the most critical factor for successful agroinfiltration.


Agrobacterium , Glycine max , Plant Leaves , Plants, Genetically Modified , Glycine max/genetics , Glycine max/microbiology , Glycine max/growth & development , Plant Leaves/genetics , Plant Leaves/metabolism , Agrobacterium/genetics , Gene Expression Regulation, Plant , Nicotiana/genetics , Genetic Vectors/genetics
6.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A ; 121(24): e2311570121, 2024 Jun 11.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38830095

Even a transient period of hearing loss during the developmental critical period can induce long-lasting deficits in temporal and spectral perception. These perceptual deficits correlate with speech perception in humans. In gerbils, these hearing loss-induced perceptual deficits are correlated with a reduction of both ionotropic GABAA and metabotropic GABAB receptor-mediated synaptic inhibition in auditory cortex, but most research on critical period plasticity has focused on GABAA receptors. Therefore, we developed viral vectors to express proteins that would upregulate gerbil postsynaptic inhibitory receptor subunits (GABAA, Gabra1; GABAB, Gabbr1b) in pyramidal neurons, and an enzyme that mediates GABA synthesis (GAD65) presynaptically in parvalbumin-expressing interneurons. A transient period of developmental hearing loss during the auditory critical period significantly impaired perceptual performance on two auditory tasks: amplitude modulation depth detection and spectral modulation depth detection. We then tested the capacity of each vector to restore perceptual performance on these auditory tasks. While both GABA receptor vectors increased the amplitude of cortical inhibitory postsynaptic potentials, only viral expression of postsynaptic GABAB receptors improved perceptual thresholds to control levels. Similarly, presynaptic GAD65 expression improved perceptual performance on spectral modulation detection. These findings suggest that recovering performance on auditory perceptual tasks depends on GABAB receptor-dependent transmission at the auditory cortex parvalbumin to pyramidal synapse and point to potential therapeutic targets for developmental sensory disorders.


Auditory Cortex , Gerbillinae , Hearing Loss , Animals , Auditory Cortex/metabolism , Auditory Cortex/physiopathology , Hearing Loss/genetics , Hearing Loss/physiopathology , Receptors, GABA-B/metabolism , Receptors, GABA-B/genetics , Glutamate Decarboxylase/metabolism , Glutamate Decarboxylase/genetics , Receptors, GABA-A/metabolism , Receptors, GABA-A/genetics , Parvalbumins/metabolism , Parvalbumins/genetics , Auditory Perception/physiology , Pyramidal Cells/metabolism , Pyramidal Cells/physiology , Genetic Vectors/genetics
7.
PLoS One ; 19(6): e0297817, 2024.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38833479

Lentiviral vectors derived from human immunodeficiency virus type I are widely used to deliver functional gene copies to mammalian cells for research and gene therapies. Post-transcriptional splicing of lentiviral vector transgene in transduced host and transfected producer cells presents barriers to widespread application of lentiviral vector-based therapies. The present study examined effects of indole derivative compound IDC16 on splicing of lentiviral vector transcripts in producer cells and corresponding yield of infectious lentiviral vectors. Indole IDC16 was shown previously to modify alternative splicing in human immunodeficiency virus type I. Human embryonic kidney 293T cells were transiently transfected by 3rd generation backbone and packaging plasmids using polyethyleneimine. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction of the fraction of unspliced genomes in human embryonic kidney 293T cells increased up to 31% upon the indole's treatment at 2.5 uM. Corresponding yield of infectious lentiviral vectors decreased up to 4.5-fold in a cell transduction assay. Adjusting timing and duration of IDC16 treatment indicated that the indole's disruption of early stages of transfection and cell cycle had a greater effect on exponential time course of lentiviral vector production than its reduction of post-transcriptional splicing. Decrease in transfected human embryonic kidney 293T proliferation by IDC16 became significant at 10 uM. These findings indicated contributions by early-stage transfection, cell proliferation, and post-transcriptional splicing in transient transfection of human embryonic kidney 293T cells for lentiviral vector production.


Alternative Splicing , Cell Proliferation , Genetic Vectors , Indoles , Lentivirus , Transfection , Humans , Indoles/pharmacology , Cell Proliferation/drug effects , Genetic Vectors/genetics , Lentivirus/genetics , Transfection/methods , HEK293 Cells
8.
Biol Pharm Bull ; 47(5): 886-894, 2024.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38692864

The number of patients with lifestyle-related diseases such as type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), formerly known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), has continued to increase worldwide. Therefore, development of innovative therapeutic methods targeting lifestyle-related diseases is required. Gene therapy has attracted considerable attention as an advanced medical treatment. Safe and high-performance vectors are essential for the practical application of gene therapy. Replication-incompetent adenovirus (Ad) vectors are widely used in clinical gene therapy and basic research. Here, we developed a novel Ad vector, named Ad-E4-122aT, exhibiting higher and longer-term transgene expression and lower hepatotoxicity than conventional Ad vectors. We also elucidated the mechanisms underlying Ad vector-induced hepatotoxicity during the early phase using Ad-E4-122aT. Next, we examined the therapeutic effects of the genes of interest, namely zinc finger AN1-type domain 3 (ZFAND3), lipoprotein lipase (LPL), and lysophospholipid acyltransferase 10 (LPLAT10), on lifestyle-related diseases using Ad-E4-122aT. We showed that the overexpression of ZFAND3 in the liver improved glucose tolerance and insulin resistance. Liver-specific LPL overexpression suppressed hepatic lipid accumulation and improved glucose metabolism. LPLAT10 overexpression in the liver suppressed postprandial hyperglycemia by increasing glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. Furthermore, we also focused on foods to advance research on the pathophysiology and treatment of lifestyle-related diseases. Cranberry and calamondin, which are promising functional foods, attenuated the progression of MASLD/NAFLD. Our findings will aid the development of new therapeutic methods, including gene therapy, for lifestyle-related diseases such as T2DM and MASLD/NAFLD.


Adenoviridae , Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 , Genetic Therapy , Genetic Vectors , Life Style , Genetic Vectors/administration & dosage , Adenoviridae/genetics , Genetic Therapy/methods , Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/therapy , Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/genetics , Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/metabolism , Animals , Humans , Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease/therapy , Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease/genetics , Liver/metabolism , Insulin Resistance
9.
Mol Plant Pathol ; 25(5): e13460, 2024 May.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38695626

Reverse genetic approaches are common tools in genomics for elucidating gene functions, involving techniques such as gene deletion followed by screening for aberrant phenotypes. If the generation of gene deletion mutants fails, the question arises whether the failure stems from technical issues or because the gene of interest (GOI) is essential, meaning that the deletion causes lethality. In this report, we introduce a novel method for assessing gene essentiality using the phytopathogenic ascomycete Magnaporthe oryzae. The method is based on the observation that telomere vectors are lost in transformants during cultivation without selection pressure. We tested the hypothesis that essential genes can be identified in deletion mutants co-transformed with a telomere vector. The M. oryzae gene MoPKC, described in literature as essential, was chosen as GOI. Using CRISPR/Cas9 technology transformants with deleted GOI were generated and backed up by a telomere vector carrying a copy of the GOI and conferring fenhexamid resistance. Transformants in which the GOI deletion in the genome was not successful lost the telomere vector on media without fenhexamid. In contrast, transformants with confirmed GOI deletion retained the telomere vector even in absence of fenhexamid selection. In the latter case, the maintenance of the telomere indicates that the GOI is essential for the surveillance of the fungi, as it would have been lost otherwise. The method presented here allows to test for essentiality of genes when no mutants can be obtained from gene deletion approaches, thereby expanding the toolbox for studying gene function in ascomycetes.


Ascomycota , Genes, Essential , Genetic Vectors , Phenotype , Telomere , Telomere/genetics , Genetic Vectors/genetics , CRISPR-Cas Systems/genetics , Genes, Fungal/genetics , Gene Deletion , Magnaporthe/genetics , Magnaporthe/pathogenicity
10.
Skelet Muscle ; 14(1): 9, 2024 May 03.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38702726

BACKGROUND: Adeno-associated virus (AAV)-based gene therapy is a promising strategy to treat muscle diseases. However, this strategy is currently confronted with challenges, including a lack of transduction efficiency across the entire muscular system and toxicity resulting from off-target tissue effects. Recently, novel myotropic AAVs named MyoAAVs and AAVMYOs have been discovered using a directed evolution approach, all separately demonstrating enhanced muscle transduction efficiency and liver de-targeting effects. However, these newly discovered AAV variants have not yet been compared. METHODS: In this study, we performed a comparative analysis of these various AAV9-derived vectors under the same experimental conditions following different injection time points in two distinct mouse strains. RESULTS: We highlight differences in transduction efficiency between AAV9, AAVMYO, MyoAAV2A and MyoAAV4A that depend on age at injection, doses and mouse genetic background. In addition, specific AAV serotypes appeared more potent to transduce skeletal muscles including diaphragm and/or to de-target heart or liver. CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides guidance for researchers aiming to establish proof-of-concept approaches for preventive or curative perspectives in mouse models, to ultimately lead to future clinical trials for muscle disorders.


Dependovirus , Genetic Therapy , Genetic Vectors , Mice, Inbred C57BL , Muscle, Skeletal , Transduction, Genetic , Animals , Dependovirus/genetics , Genetic Vectors/administration & dosage , Muscle, Skeletal/metabolism , Mice , Transduction, Genetic/methods , Genetic Therapy/methods , Male , Liver/metabolism , Mice, Inbred mdx
11.
J Nanobiotechnology ; 22(1): 223, 2024 May 03.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38702815

Cardiac muscle targeting is a notoriously difficult task. Although various nanoparticle (NP) and adeno-associated viral (AAV) strategies with heart tissue tropism have been developed, their performance remains suboptimal. Significant off-target accumulation of i.v.-delivered pharmacotherapies has thwarted development of disease-modifying cardiac treatments, such as gene transfer and gene editing, that may address both rare and highly prevalent cardiomyopathies and their complications. Here, we present an intriguing discovery: cargo-less, safe poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) particles that drastically improve heart delivery of AAVs and NPs. Our lead formulation is referred to as ePL (enhancer polymer). We show that ePL increases selectivity of AAVs and virus-like NPs (VLNPs) to the heart and de-targets them from the liver. Serotypes known to have high (AAVrh.74) and low (AAV1) heart tissue tropisms were tested with and without ePL. We demonstrate up to an order of magnitude increase in heart-to-liver accumulation ratios in ePL-injected mice. We also show that ePL exhibits AAV/NP-independent mechanisms of action, increasing glucose uptake in the heart, increasing cardiac protein glycosylation, reducing AAV neutralizing antibodies, and delaying blood clearance of AAV/NPs. Current approaches utilizing AAVs or NPs are fraught with challenges related to the low transduction of cardiomyocytes and life-threatening immune responses; our study introduces an exciting possibility to direct these modalities to the heart at reduced i.v. doses and, thus, has an unprecedented impact on drug delivery and gene therapy. Based on our current data, the ePL system is potentially compatible with any therapeutic modality, opening a possibility of cardiac targeting with numerous pharmacological approaches.


Dependovirus , Genetic Vectors , Myocardium , Nanoparticles , Polylactic Acid-Polyglycolic Acid Copolymer , Dependovirus/genetics , Animals , Nanoparticles/chemistry , Mice , Myocardium/metabolism , Polylactic Acid-Polyglycolic Acid Copolymer/chemistry , Humans , Mice, Inbred C57BL , Heart , Genetic Therapy/methods , Gene Transfer Techniques , Liver/metabolism , Viral Tropism , HEK293 Cells
12.
Nat Commun ; 15(1): 3780, 2024 May 06.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38710714

Recombinant adeno-associated viruses (rAAVs) have emerged as promising gene therapy vectors due to their proven efficacy and safety in clinical applications. In non-human primates (NHPs), rAAVs are administered via suprachoroidal injection at a higher dose. However, high doses of rAAVs tend to increase additional safety risks. Here, we present a novel AAV capsid (AAVv128), which exhibits significantly enhanced transduction efficiency for photoreceptors and retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells, along with a broader distribution across the layers of retinal tissues in different animal models (mice, rabbits, and NHPs) following intraocular injection. Notably, the suprachoroidal delivery of AAVv128-anti-VEGF vector completely suppresses the Grade IV lesions in a laser-induced choroidal neovascularization (CNV) NHP model for neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD). Furthermore, cryo-EM analysis at 2.1 Å resolution reveals that the critical residues of AAVv128 exhibit a more robust advantage in AAV binding, the nuclear uptake and endosome escaping. Collectively, our findings highlight the potential of AAVv128 as a next generation ocular gene therapy vector, particularly using the suprachoroidal delivery route.


Choroidal Neovascularization , Dependovirus , Genetic Therapy , Genetic Vectors , Retinal Pigment Epithelium , Animals , Dependovirus/genetics , Genetic Vectors/genetics , Genetic Vectors/administration & dosage , Genetic Therapy/methods , Mice , Retinal Pigment Epithelium/metabolism , Retinal Pigment Epithelium/virology , Choroidal Neovascularization/therapy , Choroidal Neovascularization/genetics , Rabbits , Humans , Gene Transfer Techniques , Macular Degeneration/therapy , Macular Degeneration/genetics , Macular Degeneration/pathology , Disease Models, Animal , Capsid Proteins/genetics , Capsid Proteins/metabolism , Transduction, Genetic , Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A/genetics , Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A/metabolism , Mice, Inbred C57BL , Retina/metabolism , Retina/virology , Male , HEK293 Cells
13.
Nat Commun ; 15(1): 3773, 2024 May 06.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38710738

Bietti crystalline corneoretinal dystrophy (BCD) is an autosomal recessive chorioretinal degenerative disease without approved therapeutic drugs. It is caused by mutations in CYP4V2 gene, and about 80% of BCD patients carry mutations in exon 7 to 11. Here, we apply CRISPR/Cas9 mediated homology-independent targeted integration (HITI)-based gene editing therapy in HEK293T cells, BCD patient derived iPSCs, and humanized Cyp4v3 mouse model (h-Cyp4v3mut/mut) using two rAAV2/8 vectors via sub-retinal administration. We find that sgRNA-guided Cas9 generates double-strand cleavage on intron 6 of the CYP4V2 gene, and the HITI donor inserts the carried sequence, part of intron 6, exon 7-11, and a stop codon into the DNA break, achieving precise integration, effective transcription and translation both in vitro and in vivo. HITI-based editing restores the viability of iPSC-RPE cells from BCD patient, improves the morphology, number and metabolism of RPE and photoreceptors in h-Cyp4v3mut/mut mice. These results suggest that HITI-based editing could be a promising therapeutic strategy for those BCD patients carrying mutations in exon 7 to 11, and one injection will achieve lifelong effectiveness.


CRISPR-Cas Systems , Corneal Dystrophies, Hereditary , Cytochrome P450 Family 4 , Gene Editing , Genetic Therapy , Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells , Retinal Diseases , Humans , Gene Editing/methods , Animals , HEK293 Cells , Corneal Dystrophies, Hereditary/genetics , Corneal Dystrophies, Hereditary/therapy , Corneal Dystrophies, Hereditary/pathology , Corneal Dystrophies, Hereditary/metabolism , Mice , Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells/metabolism , Genetic Therapy/methods , Cytochrome P450 Family 4/genetics , Cytochrome P450 Family 4/metabolism , Disease Models, Animal , Mutation , Retinal Pigment Epithelium/metabolism , Retinal Pigment Epithelium/pathology , Genetic Vectors/genetics , Introns/genetics , Exons/genetics
14.
Biotechnol J ; 19(5): e2400090, 2024 May.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38719592

The production of lentiviral vectors (LVs) pseudotyped with the vesicular stomatitis virus envelope glycoprotein (VSV-G) is limited by the associated cytotoxicity of the envelope and by the production methods used, such as transient transfection of adherent cell lines. In this study, we established stable suspension producer cell lines for scalable and serum-free LV production derived from two stable, inducible packaging cell lines, named GPRG and GPRTG. The established polyclonal producer cell lines produce self-inactivating (SIN) LVs carrying a WAS-T2A-GFP construct at an average infectious titer of up to 4.64 × 107 TU mL-1 in a semi-perfusion process in a shake flask and can be generated in less than two months. The derived monoclonal cell lines are functionally stable in continuous culture and produce an average infectious titer of up to 9.38 × 107 TU mL-1 in a semi-perfusion shake flask process. The producer clones are able to maintain a productivity of >1 × 107 TU mL-1 day-1 for up to 29 consecutive days in a non-optimized 5 L stirred-tank bioreactor perfusion process, representing a major milestone in the field of LV manufacturing. As the producer cell lines are based on an inducible Tet-off expression system, the established process allows LV production in the absence of inducers such as antibiotics. The purified LVs efficiently transduce human CD34+ cells, reducing the LV quantities required for gene and cell therapy applications.


Bioreactors , Genetic Vectors , Lentivirus , Lentivirus/genetics , Humans , Genetic Vectors/genetics , Culture Media, Serum-Free , Cell Line , Cell Culture Techniques/methods , Virus Cultivation/methods , HEK293 Cells , Transfection/methods
15.
Methods Mol Biol ; 2807: 175-194, 2024.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38743229

Retroviruses must overcome cellular restrictions to the nucleocytoplasmic export of viral mRNAs that retain introns in order to complete their replication cycle. HIV accomplishes this using a system comprised of a trans-acting viral protein, Rev, and a cis-acting RNA secondary structure in the viral genome, the Rev-Response Element (RRE). HIV primary isolates differ with respect to the sequence and functional activity of the Rev-RRE system. Here, we describe a high throughput assay system for analyzing Rev-RRE functional activity using packageable viral vectors.


RNA, Viral , Response Elements , rev Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus , Humans , rev Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus/genetics , rev Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus/metabolism , Response Elements/genetics , RNA, Viral/genetics , HIV-1/genetics , HIV-1/physiology , Gene Expression Regulation, Viral , Virus Replication/genetics , Genetic Vectors/genetics , RNA, Messenger/genetics , RNA, Messenger/metabolism
16.
Methods Mol Biol ; 2808: 35-56, 2024.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38743361

Mononegaviruses are promising tools as oncolytic and transgene vectors for gene therapy and regenerative medicine. However, when mononegaviruses are used for therapeutic applications, the viral activity must be strictly controlled due to concerns about toxicity and severe side effects. With this technology, mononegavirus vectors can be grown where they are intended and can be easily removed when they are no longer needed. In particular, a photoswitch protein called Magnet (consisting of two magnet domains) is incorporated into the hinge region between the connector and methyltransferase domains of the mononegavirus polymerase protein (L protein) to disrupt the L protein functions. Blue light (470 ± 20 nm) irradiation causes the dimerization of the two magnet domains, and the L protein is restored to activity, allowing viral gene expression and virus replication. Since the magnet domains' dimerization is reversible, viral gene expression and replication cease when blue light irradiation is stopped.


Gene Expression Regulation, Viral , Virus Replication , Virus Replication/genetics , Humans , Viral Proteins/genetics , Viral Proteins/metabolism , Light , Animals , Genetic Vectors/genetics
17.
World J Microbiol Biotechnol ; 40(6): 195, 2024 May 09.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38722426

Bacillus subtilis is regarded as a promising microbial expression system in bioengineering due to its high stress resistance, nontoxic, low codon preference and grow fast. The strain has a relatively efficient expression system, as it has at least three protein secretion pathways and abundant molecular chaperones, which guarantee its expression ability and compatibility. Currently, many proteins are expressed in Bacillus subtilis, and their application prospects are broad. Although Bacillus subtilis has great advantages compared with other prokaryotes related to protein expression and secretion, it still faces deficiencies, such as low wild-type expression, low product activity, and easy gene loss, which limit its large-scale application. Over the years, many researchers have achieved abundant results in the modification of Bacillus subtilis expression systems, especially the optimization of promoters, expression vectors, signal peptides, transport pathways and molecular chaperones. An optimal vector with a suitable promoter strength and other regulatory elements could increase protein synthesis and secretion, increasing industrial profits. This review highlights the research status of optimization strategies related to the expression system of Bacillus subtilis. Moreover, research progress on its application as a food-grade expression system is also presented, along with some future modification and application directions.


Bacillus subtilis , Bacterial Proteins , Promoter Regions, Genetic , Bacillus subtilis/genetics , Bacillus subtilis/metabolism , Bacterial Proteins/genetics , Bacterial Proteins/metabolism , Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial , Genetic Vectors , Molecular Chaperones/metabolism , Molecular Chaperones/genetics , Recombinant Proteins/genetics , Recombinant Proteins/metabolism , Protein Sorting Signals/genetics
18.
World J Microbiol Biotechnol ; 40(6): 183, 2024 May 09.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38722449

Heterologous production of proteins in Escherichia coli has raised several challenges including soluble production of target proteins, high levels of expression and purification. Fusion tags can serve as the important tools to overcome these challenges. SUMO (small ubiquitin-related modifier) is one of these tags whose fusion to native protein sequence can enhance its solubility and stability. In current research, a simple, efficient and cost-effective method is being discussed for the construction of pET28a-SUMO vector. In order to improve the stability and activity of lysophospholipase from Pyrococcus abyssi (Pa-LPL), a 6xHis-SUMO tag was fused to N-terminal of Pa-LPL by using pET28a-SUMO vector. Recombinant SUMO-fused enzyme (6 H-S-PaLPL) works optimally at 35 °C and pH 6.5 with remarkable thermostability at 35-95 °C. Thermo-inactivation kinetics of 6 H-S-PaLPL were also studied at 35-95 °C with first order rate constant (kIN) of 5.58 × 10- 2 h-1 and half-life of 12 ± 0 h at 95 °C. Km and Vmax for the hydrolysis of 4-nitrophenyl butyrate were calculated to be 2 ± 0.015 mM and 3882 ± 22.368 U/mg, respectively. 2.4-fold increase in Vmax of Pa-LPL was observed after fusion of 6xHis-SUMO tag to its N-terminal. It is the first report on the utilization of SUMO fusion tag to enhance the overall stability and activity of Pa-LPL. Fusion of 6xHis-SUMO tag not only aided in the purification process but also played a crucial role in increasing the thermostability and activity of the enzyme. SUMO-fused enzyme, thus generated, can serve as an important candidate for degumming of vegetable oils at industrial scale.


Enzyme Stability , Escherichia coli , Pyrococcus abyssi , Recombinant Fusion Proteins , Temperature , Recombinant Fusion Proteins/genetics , Recombinant Fusion Proteins/metabolism , Recombinant Fusion Proteins/chemistry , Escherichia coli/genetics , Escherichia coli/metabolism , Hydrogen-Ion Concentration , Kinetics , Pyrococcus abyssi/genetics , Pyrococcus abyssi/enzymology , Small Ubiquitin-Related Modifier Proteins/metabolism , Small Ubiquitin-Related Modifier Proteins/genetics , Genetic Vectors/metabolism , SUMO-1 Protein/genetics , SUMO-1 Protein/metabolism , SUMO-1 Protein/chemistry , Cloning, Molecular , Solubility
19.
J Vis Exp ; (207)2024 May 03.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38767370

Preclinical gene therapy research, particularly in rodent and large animal models, necessitates the production of AAV vectors with high yield and purity. Traditional approaches in research laboratories often involve extensive use of cell culture dishes to cultivate HEK293T cells, a process that can be both laborious and problematic. Here, a unique in-house method is presented, which simplifies this process with a specific cell factory (or cell stacks, CF10) platform. An integration of polyethylene glycol/aqueous two-phase partitioning with iodixanol gradient ultracentrifugation improves both the yield and purity of the generated AAV vectors. The purity of the AAV vectors is verified through SDS-PAGE and silver staining, while the ratio of full to empty particles is determined using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). This approach offers an efficient cell factory platform for the production of AAV vectors at high yields, coupled with an improved purification method to meet the quality demands for in vivo studies.


Dependovirus , Genetic Vectors , Dependovirus/genetics , Humans , Genetic Vectors/chemistry , HEK293 Cells , Triiodobenzoic Acids/chemistry , Polyethylene Glycols/chemistry , Microscopy, Electron, Transmission
20.
Thromb Res ; 238: 151-160, 2024 Jun.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38718473

It is crucial to develop a long-term therapy that targets hemophilia A and B, including inhibitor-positive patients. We have developed an Adeno-associated virus (AAV) based strategy to integrate the bypass coagulation factor, activated FVII (murine, mFVIIa) gene into the Rosa26 locus using Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9 mediated gene-editing. AAV vectors designed for expression of guide RNA (AAV8-gRNA), Cas9 (AAV2 neddylation mutant-Cas9), and mFVIIa (AAV8-mFVIIa) flanked by homology arms of the target locus were validated in vitro. Hemophilia B mice were administered with AAV carrying gRNA, Cas9 (1 × 1011 vgs/mouse), and mFVIIa with homology arms (2 × 1011 vgs/mouse) with appropriate controls. Functional rescue was documented with suitable coagulation assays at various time points. The data from the T7 endonuclease assay revealed a cleavage efficiency of 20-42 %. Further, DNA sequencing confirmed the targeted integration of mFVIIa into the safe-harbor Rosa26 locus. The prothrombin time (PT) assay revealed a significant reduction in PT in mice that received the gene-editing vectors (22 %), and a 13 % decline in mice that received only the AAV-FVIIa when compared to mock treated mice, 8 weeks after vector administration. Furthermore, FVIIa activity in mice that received triple gene-editing vectors was higher (122.5mIU/mL vs 28.8mIU/mL) than the mock group up to 15 weeks post vector administration. A hemostatic challenge by tail clip assay revealed that hemophilia B mice injected with only FVIIa or the gene-editing vectors had significant reduction in blood loss. In conclusion, AAV based gene-editing facilitates sustained expression of coagulation FVIIa and phenotypic rescue in hemophilia B mice.


Dependovirus , Disease Models, Animal , Hemophilia B , Animals , Hemophilia B/therapy , Hemophilia B/genetics , Dependovirus/genetics , Mice , Phenotype , Gene Editing/methods , Hemorrhage/genetics , Hemorrhage/therapy , Factor VIIa , Humans , Genetic Therapy/methods , Mice, Inbred C57BL , Genetic Vectors , CRISPR-Cas Systems , Genetic Engineering/methods
...