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Yahoo N, Pournasr B, Rostamzadeh J, Fathi F. Forced expression of Hnf4a induces hepatic gene activation through directed differentiation. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2016; 476:313-318. [PMID: 27233607 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2016.05.119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2016] [Accepted: 05/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Embryonic stem (ES) cells are capable of unlimited self-renewal and have a diverse differentiation potential. These unique features make ES cells as an attractive source for developmental biology studies. Having the mature hepatocyte in the lab with functional activities is valuable in drug discovery studies. Overexpression of hepatocyte lineage-specific transcription factors (TFs) becomes a promising approach in pluripotent cell differentiation toward liver cells. Many studies generate transgenic ES cell lines to examine the effects of specific TFs overexpression in cell differentiation. In the present report, we have addressed whether a suspension or adherent model of differentiation is an appropriate way to study the role of Hnf4a overexpression. We generated ES cells that carried a doxycycline (Dox)-inducible Hnf4a using lentiviral vectors. The transduced cells were subjected to induced Hnf4a overexpression through both spontaneous and directed differentiation methods. Gene expression analysis showed substantially increased expression of hepatic gene markers, particularly Ttr and endogenous Hnf4a, in transduced cells differentiated by the directed approach. These results demonstrated that forced expression of TFs during directed differentiation would be an appropriate way to study relevant gene activation and the effects of overexpression in the context of hepatic differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neda Yahoo
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran
| | - Behshad Pournasr
- Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Jalal Rostamzadeh
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, School of Science, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran
| | - Fardin Fathi
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran.
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Part II: Functional delivery of a neurotherapeutic gene to neural stem cells using minicircle DNA and nanoparticles: Translational advantages for regenerative neurology. J Control Release 2016; 238:300-310. [PMID: 27369863 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2016.06.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2016] [Revised: 05/21/2016] [Accepted: 06/27/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Both neurotrophin-based therapy and neural stem cell (NSC)-based strategies have progressed to clinical trials for treatment of neurological diseases and injuries. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in particular can confer neuroprotective and neuro-regenerative effects in preclinical studies, complementing the cell replacement benefits of NSCs. Therefore, combining both approaches by genetically-engineering NSCs to express BDNF is an attractive approach to achieve combinatorial therapy for complex neural injuries. Current genetic engineering approaches almost exclusively employ viral vectors for gene delivery to NSCs though safety and scalability pose major concerns for clinical translation and applicability. Magnetofection, a non-viral gene transfer approach deploying magnetic nanoparticles and DNA with magnetic fields offers a safe alternative but significant improvements are required to enhance its clinical application for delivery of large sized therapeutic plasmids. Here, we demonstrate for the first time the feasibility of using minicircles with magnetofection technology to safely engineer NSCs to overexpress BDNF. Primary mouse NSCs overexpressing BDNF generated increased daughter neuronal cell numbers post-differentiation, with accelerated maturation over a four-week period. Based on our findings we highlight the clinical potential of minicircle/magnetofection technology for therapeutic delivery of key neurotrophic agents.
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Sladitschek HL, Neveu PA. Bidirectional Promoter Engineering for Single Cell MicroRNA Sensors in Embryonic Stem Cells. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0155177. [PMID: 27152616 PMCID: PMC4859538 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0155177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2016] [Accepted: 04/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
MicroRNAs have emerged as important markers and regulators of cell identity. Precise measurements of cellular miRNA levels rely traditionally on RNA extraction and thus do not allow to follow miRNA expression dynamics at the level of single cells. Non-invasive miRNA sensors present an ideal solution but they critically depend on the performance of suitable ubiquitous promoters that reliably drive expression both in pluripotent and differentiated cell types. Here we describe the engineering of bidirectional promoters that drive the expression of precise ratiometric fluorescent miRNA sensors in single mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) and their differentiated derivatives. These promoters are based on combinations of the widely used CAG, EF1α and PGK promoters as well as the CMV and PGK enhancers. miR-142-3p, which is known to be bimodally expressed in mESCs, served as a model miRNA to gauge the precision of the sensors. The performance of the resulting miRNA sensors was assessed by flow cytometry in single stable transgenic mESCs undergoing self-renewal or differentiation. EF1α promoters arranged back-to-back failed to drive the robustly correlated expression of two transgenes. Back-to-back PGK promoters were shut down during mESC differentiation. However, we found that a back-to-back arrangement of CAG promoters with four CMV enhancers provided both robust expression in mESCs undergoing differentiation and the best signal-to-noise for measurement of miRNA activity in single cells among all the sensors we tested. Such a bidirectional promoter is therefore particularly well suited to study the dynamics of miRNA expression during cell fate transitions at the single cell level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna L. Sladitschek
- Cell Biology and Biophysics Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
| | - Pierre A. Neveu
- Cell Biology and Biophysics Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
- * E-mail:
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Multiple mechanisms determine the sensitivity of human-induced pluripotent stem cells to the inducible caspase-9 safety switch. MOLECULAR THERAPY-METHODS & CLINICAL DEVELOPMENT 2016; 3:16003. [PMID: 27626039 PMCID: PMC5008202 DOI: 10.1038/mtm.2016.3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2015] [Revised: 01/03/2016] [Accepted: 01/04/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Expression of the inducible caspase-9 (iC9) suicide gene is one of the most appealing safety strategies for cell therapy and has been applied for human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC) to control the cell fate of hiPSC. iC9 can induce cell death of over 99% of iC9-transduced hiPSC (iC9-hiPSC) in less than 24 hours after exposure to chemical inducer of dimerization (CID). There is, however, a small number of resistant cells that subsequently outgrows. To ensure greater uniformity of the hiPSC response to iC9 activation, we purified a resistant population by culturing iC9-hiPSC with CID and analyzing the mechanisms by which the cells evade killing. We found that iC9-resistant hiPSC have significant heterogeneity in terms of their escape mechanisms from caspase-dependent apoptosis including reduced expression of iC9 by promoter silencing and overexpression of BCL2. As a consequence, modifying a single element alone will be insufficient to ensure sustained susceptibility of iC9 in all cells and prevent the eventual outgrowth of a resistant population. To solve this issue, we propose to isolate an iC9-sensitive population and show that this hiPSC line has sustained a uniform responsiveness to iC9-mediated growth control.
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Hwang I, Hahm SC, Choi KA, Park SH, Jeong H, Yea JH, Kim J, Hong S. Intrathecal Transplantation of Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Spinal GABAergic Neural Precursor Cells Attenuates Neuropathic Pain in a Spinal Cord Injury Rat Model. Cell Transplant 2016; 25:593-607. [DOI: 10.3727/096368915x689460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuropathic pain following spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating disease characterized by spontaneous pain such as hyperalgesia and allodynia. In this study, we investigated the therapeutic potential of ESC-derived spinal GABAergic neurons to treat neuropathic pain in a SCI rat model. Mouse embryonic stem cell–derived neural precursor cells (mESC-NPCs) were cultured in media supplemented with sonic hedgehog (SHH) and retinoic acid (RA) and efficiently differentiated into GABAergic neurons. Interestingly, low doses of SHH and RA induced MGE-like progenitors, which expressed low levels of DARPP32 and Nkx2.1 and high levels of Irx3 and Pax6. These cells subsequently generated the majority of the DARPP32- GABAergic neurons after in vitro differentiation. The spinal mESC-NPCs were intrathecally transplanted into the lesion area of the spinal cord around T10–T11 at 21 days after SCI. The engrafted spinal GABAergic neurons remarkably increased both the paw withdrawal threshold (PWT) below the level of the lesion and the vocalization threshold (VT) to the level of the lesion (T12, T11, and T10 vertebrae), which indicates attenuation of chronic neuropathic pain by the spinal GABAergic neurons. The transplanted cells were positive for GABA antibody staining in the injured region, and cells migrated to the injured spinal site and survived for more than 7 weeks in L4–L5. The mESC-NPC-derived spinal GABAergic neurons dramatically attenuated the chronic neuropathic pain following SCI, suggesting that the spinal GABAergic mESC-NPCs cultured with low doses of SHH and RA could be alternative cell sources for treatment of SCI neuropathic pain by stem cell-based therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Insik Hwang
- School of Biosystem and Biomedical Science, College of Health Science, Korea University, Anam-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Graduate School, Korea University, Anam-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Suk-Chan Hahm
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Graduate School, Korea University, Anam-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Physical Therapy, College of Health Science, Korea University, Anam-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyung-Ah Choi
- School of Biosystem and Biomedical Science, College of Health Science, Korea University, Anam-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science; Korea University, Anam-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung-Ho Park
- Department of Physical Therapy, College of Health Science, Korea University, Anam-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyesun Jeong
- School of Biosystem and Biomedical Science, College of Health Science, Korea University, Anam-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Graduate School, Korea University, Anam-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Ji-Hye Yea
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Graduate School, Korea University, Anam-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Physical Therapy, College of Health Science, Korea University, Anam-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Junesun Kim
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Graduate School, Korea University, Anam-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Physical Therapy, College of Health Science, Korea University, Anam-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sunghoi Hong
- School of Biosystem and Biomedical Science, College of Health Science, Korea University, Anam-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Graduate School, Korea University, Anam-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Integrated Biomedical and Life Science, Graduate School, Korea University, Anam-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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Tennstaedt A, Mastropietro A, Nelles M, Beyrau A, Hoehn M. In Vivo Fate Imaging of Intracerebral Stem Cell Grafts in Mouse Brain. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0144262. [PMID: 26641453 PMCID: PMC4671578 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0144262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2015] [Accepted: 11/16/2015] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
We generated transgenic human neural stem cells (hNSCs) stably expressing the reporter genes Luciferase for bioluminescence imaging (BLI) and GFP for fluorescence imaging, for multimodal imaging investigations. These transgenic hNSCs were further labeled with a clinically approved perfluoropolyether to perform parallel 19F MRI studies. In vitro validation demonstrated normal cell proliferation and differentiation of the transgenic and additionally labeled hNSCs, closely the same as the wild type cell line, making them suitable for in vivo application. Labeled and unlabeled transgenic hNSCs were implanted into the striatum of mouse brain. The time profile of their cell fate after intracerebral grafting was monitored during nine days following implantation with our multimodal imaging approach, assessing both functional and anatomical condition. The 19F MRI demarcated the graft location and permitted to estimate the cell number in the graft. BLI showed a pronounce cell loss during this monitoring period, indicated by the decrease of the viability signal. The in vivo obtained cell fate results were further validated and confirmed by immunohistochemistry. We could show that the surviving cells of the graft continued to differentiate into early neurons, while the severe cell loss could be explained by an inflammatory reaction to the graft, showing the graft being surrounded by activated microglia and macrophages. These results are different from earlier cell survival studies of our group where we had implanted the identical cells into the same mouse strain but in the cortex and not in the striatum. The cortical transplanted cells did not show any loss in viability but only pronounced and continuous neuronal differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annette Tennstaedt
- In-vivo-NMR Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, Cologne, Germany
| | - Alfonso Mastropietro
- In-vivo-NMR Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, Cologne, Germany
- Scientific Direction Unit, IRCCS Foundation Neurological Institute “C. Besta”, Milan, Italy
- Politecnico di Milano, Department of Electronic Information and Bioengineering, Milan, Italy
| | - Melanie Nelles
- In-vivo-NMR Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, Cologne, Germany
| | - Andreas Beyrau
- In-vivo-NMR Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, Cologne, Germany
| | - Mathias Hoehn
- In-vivo-NMR Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, Cologne, Germany
- Department Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
- * E-mail:
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Hildebrand L, Seemann P, Kurtz A, Hecht J, Contzen J, Gossen M, Stachelscheid H. Selective cell targeting and lineage tracing of human induced pluripotent stem cells using recombinant avian retroviruses. Cell Mol Life Sci 2015; 72:4671-80. [PMID: 26109426 PMCID: PMC11113433 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-015-1957-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2015] [Revised: 05/20/2015] [Accepted: 06/10/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC) differentiate into multiple cell types. Selective cell targeting is often needed for analyzing gene function by overexpressing proteins in a distinct population of hiPSC-derived cell types and for monitoring cell fate in response to stimuli. However, to date, this has not been possible, as commonly used viruses enter the hiPSC via ubiquitously expressed receptors. Here, we report for the first time the application of a heterologous avian receptor, the tumor virus receptor A (TVA), to selectively transduce TVA(+) cells in a mixed cell population. Expression of the TVA surface receptor via genetic engineering renders cells susceptible for infection by avian leucosis virus (ALV). We generated hiPSC lines with this stably integrated, ectopic TVA receptor gene that expressed the receptor while retaining pluripotency. The undifferentiated hiPSC(TVA+) as well as their differentiating progeny could be infected by recombinant ALV (so-called RCAS virus) with high efficiency. Due to incomplete receptor blocking, even sequential infection of differentiating or undifferentiated TVA(+) cells was possible. In conclusion, the TVA/RCAS system provides an efficient and gentle gene transfer system for hiPSC and extends our possibilities for selective cell targeting and lineage tracing studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Hildebrand
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin-Brandenburg Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Berlin, Germany
| | - Petra Seemann
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin-Brandenburg Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Berlin, Germany
| | - Andreas Kurtz
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin-Brandenburg Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Berlin, Germany
- College of Veterinary Medicine and Research Institute for Veterinary Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jochen Hecht
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin-Brandenburg Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Berlin, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jörg Contzen
- Berlin-Brandenburg Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Berlin, Germany
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht (HZG), Institute of Biomaterial Science, Teltow, Germany
| | - Manfred Gossen
- Berlin-Brandenburg Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Berlin, Germany
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht (HZG), Institute of Biomaterial Science, Teltow, Germany
| | - Harald Stachelscheid
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany.
- Berlin-Brandenburg Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Berlin, Germany.
- Berlin Institute of Health-Stem Cell Core Facility, Berlin, Germany.
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Benazra M, Lecomte MJ, Colace C, Müller A, Machado C, Pechberty S, Bricout-Neveu E, Grenier-Godard M, Solimena M, Scharfmann R, Czernichow P, Ravassard P. A human beta cell line with drug inducible excision of immortalizing transgenes. Mol Metab 2015; 4:916-25. [PMID: 26909308 PMCID: PMC4731729 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmet.2015.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2015] [Revised: 09/17/2015] [Accepted: 09/22/2015] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives Access to immortalized human pancreatic beta cell lines that are phenotypically close to genuine adult beta cells, represent a major tool to better understand human beta cell physiology and develop new therapeutics for Diabetes. Here we derived a new conditionally immortalized human beta cell line, EndoC-βH3 in which immortalizing transgene can be efficiently removed by simple addition of tamoxifen. Methods We used lentiviral mediated gene transfer to stably integrate a tamoxifen inducible form of CRE (CRE-ERT2) into the recently developed conditionally immortalized EndoC βH2 line. The resulting EndoC-βH3 line was characterized before and after tamoxifen treatment for cell proliferation, insulin content and insulin secretion. Results We showed that EndoC-βH3 expressing CRE-ERT2 can be massively amplified in culture. We established an optimized tamoxifen treatment to efficiently excise the immortalizing transgenes resulting in proliferation arrest. In addition, insulin expression raised by 12 fold and insulin content increased by 23 fold reaching 2 μg of insulin per million cells. Such massive increase was accompanied by enhanced insulin secretion upon glucose stimulation. We further observed that tamoxifen treated cells maintained a stable function for 5 weeks in culture. Conclusions EndoC βH3 cell line represents a powerful tool that allows, using a simple and efficient procedure, the massive production of functional non-proliferative human beta cells. Such cells are close to genuine human beta cells and maintain a stable phenotype for 5 weeks in culture. EndoC-βH3: a conditionally immortalized human pancreatic beta cell line. Proliferation arrest upon removal of immortalizing transgenes with Tamoxifen. Enhancement of beta cell function upon removal of immortalizing transgenes. Tamoxifen-treated EndoC-βH3 maintain a stable phenotype for 5 weeks in culture. EndoC-βH3: a unique tool for large-scale drug discovery and proliferation studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marion Benazra
- Institut du cerveau et de la moelle (ICM), Biotechnology & Biotherapy Team, 75013 Paris, France
- CNRS UMR7225, 75013 Paris, France
- INSERM U1127, 75013 Paris, France
- Université Pierre et Marie Curie, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Marie-José Lecomte
- Endocells, Pépinière d'entreprises Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle, 75007 Paris, France
| | - Claire Colace
- Institut du cerveau et de la moelle (ICM), Biotechnology & Biotherapy Team, 75013 Paris, France
- CNRS UMR7225, 75013 Paris, France
- INSERM U1127, 75013 Paris, France
- Université Pierre et Marie Curie, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Andreas Müller
- Paul Langerhans Institute of the Helmholtz Center Munich at the University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD e.V), 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Cécile Machado
- Endocells, Pépinière d'entreprises Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle, 75007 Paris, France
| | - Severine Pechberty
- Endocells, Pépinière d'entreprises Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle, 75007 Paris, France
| | - Emilie Bricout-Neveu
- Endocells, Pépinière d'entreprises Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle, 75007 Paris, France
| | - Maud Grenier-Godard
- Endocells, Pépinière d'entreprises Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle, 75007 Paris, France
| | - Michele Solimena
- Paul Langerhans Institute of the Helmholtz Center Munich at the University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD e.V), 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Raphaël Scharfmann
- INSERM, U1016, Institut Cochin, Faculté de Médecine, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 75014 Paris, France
| | - Paul Czernichow
- Endocells, Pépinière d'entreprises Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle, 75007 Paris, France
| | - Philippe Ravassard
- Institut du cerveau et de la moelle (ICM), Biotechnology & Biotherapy Team, 75013 Paris, France
- CNRS UMR7225, 75013 Paris, France
- INSERM U1127, 75013 Paris, France
- Université Pierre et Marie Curie, 75013 Paris, France
- Corresponding author. ICM Biotechnology & Biotherapy Team, Hôpital Pitié Salpêtrière, 47 Bd. De l'Hôpital, 75013 Paris, France. Tel./fax: +33 157274575.
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DeRosa BA, Belle KC, Thomas BJ, Cukier HN, Pericak-Vance MA, Vance JM, Dykxhoorn DM. hVGAT-mCherry: A novel molecular tool for analysis of GABAergic neurons derived from human pluripotent stem cells. Mol Cell Neurosci 2015; 68:244-57. [PMID: 26284979 PMCID: PMC4593758 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcn.2015.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2014] [Revised: 07/30/2015] [Accepted: 08/10/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND GABAergic synaptic transmission is known to play a critical role in the assembly of neuronal circuits during development and is responsible for maintaining the balance between excitatory and inhibitory signaling in the brain during maturation into adulthood. Importantly, defects in GABAergic neuronal function and signaling have been linked to a number of neurological diseases, including autism spectrum disorders, schizophrenia, and epilepsy. With patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-based models of neurological disease, it is now possible to investigate the disease mechanisms that underlie deficits in GABAergic function in affected human neurons. To that end, tools that enable the labeling and purification of viable GABAergic neurons from human pluripotent stem cells would be of great value. RESULTS To address the need for tools that facilitate the identification and isolation of viable GABAergic neurons from the in vitro differentiation of iPSC lines, a cell type-specific promoter-driven fluorescent reporter construct was developed that utilizes the human vesicular GABA transporter (hVGAT) promoter to drive the expression of mCherry specifically in VGAT-expressing neurons. The transduction of iPSC-derived forebrain neuronal cultures with the hVGAT promoter-mCherry lentiviral reporter construct specifically labeled GABAergic neurons. Immunocytochemical analysis of hVGAT-mCherry expression cells showed significant co-labeling with the GABAergic neuronal markers for endogenous VGAT, GABA, and GAD67. Expression of mCherry from the VGAT promoter showed expression in several cortical interneuron subtypes to similar levels. In addition, an effective and reproducible protocol was developed to facilitate the fluorescent activated cell sorting (FACS)-mediated purification of high yields of viable VGAT-positive cells. CONCLUSIONS These studies demonstrate the utility of the hVGAT-mCherry reporter construct as an effective tool for studying GABAergic neurons differentiated in vitro from human pluripotent stem cells. This approach could provide a means of obtaining large quantities of viable GABAergic neurons derived from disease-specific hiPSCs that could be used for functional assays or high-throughput screening of small molecule libraries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brooke A DeRosa
- Dr. John T Macdonald Foundation Department of Human Genetics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, United States; John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, United States.
| | - Kinsley C Belle
- Dr. John T Macdonald Foundation Department of Human Genetics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, United States; John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, United States.
| | - Blake J Thomas
- Dr. John T Macdonald Foundation Department of Human Genetics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, United States; John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, United States.
| | - Holly N Cukier
- Dr. John T Macdonald Foundation Department of Human Genetics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, United States; John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, United States.
| | - Margaret A Pericak-Vance
- Dr. John T Macdonald Foundation Department of Human Genetics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, United States; John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, United States.
| | - Jeffery M Vance
- Dr. John T Macdonald Foundation Department of Human Genetics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, United States; John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, United States.
| | - Derek M Dykxhoorn
- Dr. John T Macdonald Foundation Department of Human Genetics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, United States; John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, United States.
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60
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Lin F, Liu Q, Yuan Y, Hong Y. Development of retroviral vectors for insertional mutagenesis in medaka haploid cells. Gene 2015; 573:296-302. [PMID: 26192464 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2015.07.059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2015] [Revised: 07/02/2015] [Accepted: 07/16/2015] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Insertional mutagenesis (IM) by retrovirus (RV) is a high-throughput approach for interrogating gene functions in model species. Haploid cell provides a unique system for genetic screening by IM and prosperous progress has been achieved in mammal cells. However, little was known in lower vertebrate cells. Here, we report development of retroviral vectors (rvSAchCVgfp, rvSAchCVpf and rvSAchSTpf) and establishment of IM library in medaka haploid cells. Each vector contains a modified gene trapping (GT) cassette, which could extend the mutated cell population including GT insertions not in-frame or in weakly expressed genes. Virus titration determined by flow cytometry showed that rvSAchSTpf possessed the highest supernatant virus titer (1.5×10(5)TU/ml) in medaka haploid cell, while rvSAchCVpf produced the lowest titer (2.8×10(4)TU/ml). However, quantification of proviral DNAs in transduced cells by droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) demonstrated that the "real titer" may be similar among the three vectors. Furthermore, an IM library was established by FACS of haploid cells transduced with rvSAchCVgfp at a MOI of 0.1. A single copy RV integration in the majority of cells was confirmed by ddPCR in the library. Notably, there was a significant decrease of haploid cell percentage after FACS, suggesting potential trapping for survival/growth essential genes. Our results demonstrated successful development of retroviral vectors for IM in medaka haploid cells, serving for haploid genetic screening of host factors for virus infection and genes underlying certain cellular processes in fish model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fan Lin
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Qizhi Liu
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yongming Yuan
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yunhan Hong
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
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61
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Kitajima K, Kawaguchi M, Miyashita K, Nakajima M, Kanokoda M, Hara T. Efficient production of T cells from mouse pluripotent stem cells by controlled expression of Lhx2. Genes Cells 2015; 20:720-38. [PMID: 26153538 DOI: 10.1111/gtc.12266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2014] [Accepted: 06/03/2015] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
LIM-homeobox transcription factor Lhx2 induces ex vivo amplification of adult hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) in mice. We previously showed that engraftable HSC-like cells are generated from mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells by enforced expression of Lhx2. However, when these HSC-like cells were transplanted into irradiated congenic mice, donor-derived T cells were barely detectable, whereas other lineages of hematopoietic cells were continuously produced. Here we investigated T-cell differentiation potential of the Lhx2-induced HSC-like cells using ESCs carrying doxycycline (dox)-inducible Lhx2 expression cassette. Dox-mediated over-expression of Lhx2 conferred a self-renewing activity to ESC-derived c-Kit(+) CD41(+) embryonic hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs), thereby converting them to HSC-like cells. When these HSC-like cells were transplanted into irradiated immunodeficient mice and they were supplied with a dox-containing water, CD4/8 double negative T cells were detected in their thymi. Once the Lhx2 expression was terminated, differentiation of CD4/8 double positive and single positive T cells was initiated in the thymi of transplanted mice and mature T cells were released in the peripheral blood. These results showed that engraftable HSC-like cells with full hematopoietic potential can be obtained from ESCs by the conditional expression of Lhx2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenji Kitajima
- Stem Cell Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, 2-1-6 Kamikitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 156-8506, Japan
| | - Manami Kawaguchi
- Stem Cell Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, 2-1-6 Kamikitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 156-8506, Japan.,Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8510, Japan
| | - Kazuya Miyashita
- Stem Cell Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, 2-1-6 Kamikitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 156-8506, Japan.,Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8510, Japan
| | - Marino Nakajima
- Stem Cell Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, 2-1-6 Kamikitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 156-8506, Japan.,Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8510, Japan
| | - Mai Kanokoda
- Stem Cell Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, 2-1-6 Kamikitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 156-8506, Japan.,Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8510, Japan
| | - Takahiko Hara
- Stem Cell Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, 2-1-6 Kamikitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 156-8506, Japan.,Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8510, Japan
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62
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An Inducible Caspase-9 Suicide Gene to Improve the Safety of Therapy Using Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells. Mol Ther 2015; 23:1475-85. [PMID: 26022733 DOI: 10.1038/mt.2015.100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2015] [Accepted: 05/25/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC) hold promise for regenerative therapies, though there are several safety concerns including the risk of oncogenic transformation or unwanted adverse effects associated with hiPSC or their differentiated progeny. Introduction of the inducible caspase-9 (iC9) suicide gene, which is activated by a specific chemical inducer of dimerization (CID), is one of the most appealing safety strategies for cell therapies and is currently being tested in multicenter clinical trials. Here, we show that the iC9 suicide gene with a human EF1α promoter can be introduced into hiPSC by lentiviral transduction. The transduced hiPSC maintain their pluripotency, including their capacity for unlimited self-renewal and the potential to differentiate into three germ layer tissues. Transduced hiPSC are eliminated within 24 hours of exposure to pharmacological levels of CID in vitro, with induction of apoptosis in 94-99% of the cells. Importantly, the iC9 suicide gene can eradicate tumors derived from hiPSC in vivo. In conclusion, we have developed a direct and efficient hiPSC killing system that provides a necessary safety mechanism for therapies using hiPSC. We believe that our iC9 suicide gene will be of value in clinical applications of hiPSC-based therapy.
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63
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Tennstaedt A, Aswendt M, Adamczak J, Collienne U, Selt M, Schneider G, Henn N, Schaefer C, Lagouge M, Wiedermann D, Kloppenburg P, Hoehn M. Human neural stem cell intracerebral grafts show spontaneous early neuronal differentiation after several weeks. Biomaterials 2015; 44:143-54. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2014.12.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2014] [Accepted: 12/20/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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64
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Kust N, Rybalkina E, Mertsalov I, Savchenko E, Revishchin A, Pavlova G. Functional analysis of Drosophila HSP70 promoter with different HSE numbers in human cells. PLoS One 2014; 9:e101994. [PMID: 25101947 PMCID: PMC4125163 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0101994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2014] [Accepted: 06/06/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The activation of genetic constructs including the Drosophila hsp70 promoter with four and eight HSE sequences in the regulatory region has been described in human cells. The promoter was shown to be induced at lower temperatures compared to the human hsp70 promoter. The promoter activity increased after a 60-min heat shock already at 38 °C in human cells. The promoter activation was observed 24 h after heat shock for the constructs with eight HSEs, while those with four HSEs required 48 h. After transplantation of in vitro heat-shocked transfected cells, the promoter activity could be maintained for 3 days with a gradual decline. The promoter activation was confirmed in vivo without preliminary heat shock in mouse ischemic brain foci. Controlled expression of the Gdnf gene under a Drosophila hsp70 promoter was demonstrated. This promoter with four and eight HSE sequences in the regulatory region can be proposed as a regulated promoter in genetic therapeutic systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadezda Kust
- Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
- Ltd Apto-pharm, Moscow, Russia
| | | | - Ilya Mertsalov
- Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Ekaterina Savchenko
- Institute of Medicine and Cell Transplantation, Moscow, Russia
- Ltd Apto-pharm, Moscow, Russia
| | - Alexander Revishchin
- Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
- Institute of Medicine and Cell Transplantation, Moscow, Russia
- Ltd Apto-pharm, Moscow, Russia
| | - Gali Pavlova
- Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
- Institute of Medicine and Cell Transplantation, Moscow, Russia
- Ltd Apto-pharm, Moscow, Russia
- * E-mail:
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65
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Ettle B, Reiprich S, Deusser J, Schlachetzki JCM, Xiang W, Prots I, Masliah E, Winner B, Wegner M, Winkler J. Intracellular alpha-synuclein affects early maturation of primary oligodendrocyte progenitor cells. Mol Cell Neurosci 2014; 62:68-78. [PMID: 25019582 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcn.2014.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2014] [Revised: 05/21/2014] [Accepted: 06/06/2014] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Myelin loss is a widespread neuropathological hallmark of the atypical parkinsonian disorder multiple system atrophy (MSA). On a cellular level, MSA is characterized by alpha-synuclein (aSyn)-positive glial cytoplasmic inclusions (GCIs) within mature oligodendrocytes leading to demyelination as well as axonal and neuronal loss. Oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) represent a proliferative cell population distributed throughout the adult mammalian central nervous system. During remyelination, OPCs are recruited to sites of demyelination, differentiate, and finally replace dysfunctional mature oligodendrocytes. However, comprehensive studies investigating OPCs and remyelination processes in MSA are lacking. In the present study, we therefore investigate the effect of human aSyn (h-aSyn) on early primary rat OPC maturation. Upon lentiviral transduction, h-aSyn expressing OPCs exhibit fewer and shorter primary processes at the initiation of differentiation. Until day 4 of a 6day differentiation paradigm, h-aSyn expressing OPCs further show a severely delayed maturation evidenced by reduced myelin gene expression and increased levels of the progenitor marker platelet derived growth factor receptor-alpha (PDGFRα). Matching these results, OPCs that take up extracellular recombinant h-aSyn exhibit a similar delayed differentiation. In both experimental setups however, myelin gene expression is restored at day 6 of differentiation paralleled by decreased intracellular h-aSyn levels indicating a reverse correlation of h-aSyn and the differentiation potential of OPCs. Taken together, these findings suggest a tight link between the intracellular level of h-aSyn and maturation capacity of primary OPCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Ettle
- Department of Molecular Neurology, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Simone Reiprich
- Institute of Biochemistry, Emil-Fischer-Zentrum, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Janina Deusser
- Department of Molecular Neurology, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Johannes C M Schlachetzki
- Department of Molecular Neurology, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Wei Xiang
- Institute of Biochemistry, Emil-Fischer-Zentrum, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Iryna Prots
- IZKF Junior Group III and BMBF Research Group Neurosciences, Nikolaus-Fiebiger Center for Molecular Medicine, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Eliezer Masliah
- Department of Neurosciences and Pathology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Beate Winner
- IZKF Junior Group III and BMBF Research Group Neurosciences, Nikolaus-Fiebiger Center for Molecular Medicine, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Michael Wegner
- Institute of Biochemistry, Emil-Fischer-Zentrum, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Jürgen Winkler
- Department of Molecular Neurology, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054 Erlangen, Germany.
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66
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Liu Y, Fu S, Niu R, Yang C, Lin J. Transcriptional activity assessment of three different promoters for mouse in utero electroporation system. Plasmid 2014; 74:52-8. [PMID: 24984206 DOI: 10.1016/j.plasmid.2014.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2014] [Revised: 06/20/2014] [Accepted: 06/22/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
In utero electroporation (IUE) is a simple and rapid approach to in vivo investigate exogenous gene function in mouse brain, and intensive studies using IUE have greatly contributed to analyze the characterization of specific steps during mouse brain development. Because the efficiency of IUE is highly dependent on the plasmid used and its concentration, and the transcriptional activity of plasmid is not only regulated by the host defense system, but also by the promoter of the expression vectors. Therefore, in the present study, we evaluated the transcriptional activity of three commonly used promoters, CMV, CAG and SV40, in IUE system through measuring the fluorescence intensity of green fluorescent protein which serves as an indicator. Our results demonstrated that the artificially-designed CAG promoter is a potent promoter that effectively drives target gene expression in IUE system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanli Liu
- College of Life Science and Technology, Xinxiang Medical University, 453003 Xinxiang, China; Key Lab for Medical Tissue Regeneration of Henan Province, 453003 Xinxiang, China
| | - Sulei Fu
- College of Life Science and Technology, Xinxiang Medical University, 453003 Xinxiang, China
| | - Rongcheng Niu
- College of Life Science and Technology, Xinxiang Medical University, 453003 Xinxiang, China
| | - Ciqing Yang
- College of Life Science and Technology, Xinxiang Medical University, 453003 Xinxiang, China; Key Lab for Medical Tissue Regeneration of Henan Province, 453003 Xinxiang, China
| | - Juntang Lin
- College of Life Science and Technology, Xinxiang Medical University, 453003 Xinxiang, China; Key Lab for Medical Tissue Regeneration of Henan Province, 453003 Xinxiang, China; Institute of Anatomy I, Jena University Hospital, Teichgraben 7, 07743 Jena, Germany.
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67
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Roby JA, Bielefeldt-Ohmann H, Prow NA, Chang DC, Hall RA, Khromykh AA. Increased expression of capsid protein in trans enhances production of single-round infectious particles by West Nile virus DNA vaccine candidate. J Gen Virol 2014; 95:2176-2191. [PMID: 24958626 DOI: 10.1099/vir.0.064121-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
West Nile virus (WNV; genus Flavivirus, family Flaviviridae) is an emerging pathogenic arbovirus responsible for outbreaks of encephalitis around the world. Whilst no vaccines are currently available to prevent WNV infection of humans, the use of cDNA copies of flavivirus RNA genomes with large internal deletions within the capsid (C) appears promising. C-deleted vaccines are able to replicate and secrete large amounts of non-infectious immunogenic subviral particles (SVPs) from transfected cells. We have previously generated a WNV DNA vaccine candidate pKUNdC/C where C-deleted WNV cDNA was placed under the control of one copy of the cytomegalovirus (CMV) promoter and the C gene was placed under the control of a second copy of the CMV promoter in the same plasmid DNA. This DNA was shown to generate single-round infectious particles (SRIPs) capable of delivering self-replicating C-deleted RNA producing SVPs to surrounding cells, thus enhancing the vaccine potential. However, the amounts of both SRIPs and SVPs produced from pKUNdC/C DNA were relatively low. In this investigation, we aimed at increasing SRIP production by optimizing trans-C expression via incorporating different forms of C and the use of a more powerful promoter. The construct containing an elongation factor EF1α promoter encoding an extended form of C was demonstrated to produce the highest titres of SRIPs and was immunogenic in mice. Additionally, SRIP and SVP titres were further improved via incorporation of a glycosylation motif in the envelope protein. The optimized DNA yielded ~100-fold greater titres of SRIPs than the original construct, thus providing a promising candidate for further vaccine evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin A Roby
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, Australia.,Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, University of Queensland, Australia
| | - Helle Bielefeldt-Ohmann
- School of Veterinary Sciences, University of Queensland, Australia.,Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, University of Queensland, Australia
| | - Natalie A Prow
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, Australia.,Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, University of Queensland, Australia
| | - David C Chang
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, Australia
| | - Roy A Hall
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, Australia.,Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, University of Queensland, Australia
| | - Alexander A Khromykh
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, Australia.,Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, University of Queensland, Australia
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68
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Efficient reprogramming of mouse fibroblasts to neuronal cells including dopaminergic neurons. ScientificWorldJournal 2014; 2014:957548. [PMID: 24991651 PMCID: PMC4058809 DOI: 10.1155/2014/957548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2014] [Accepted: 05/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Somatic cells were directly converted to functional neurons through the use of a combination of transcription factors, including Ascl1, Brn2, and Myt1l. However, a major limitation is the lack of a reliable source of cell-replacement therapy for neurological diseases. Here, we show that a combination of the transcription factors Ascl1 and Nurr1 (AN) and neurotrophic factors including SHH and FGF8b directly reprogrammed embryonic mouse fibroblasts to induced neuronal (iN) cells: pan-neuronal cells and dopaminergic (DA) neurons under our systematic cell culture conditions. Reprogrammed cells showed the morphological properties of neuronal cells. Additionally, cells were analyzed using various markers, including Tuj1 and Map2 for neuronal cells and Lmx1a, Th, Aadc and Vmat2 for DA neurons in our immunostaining and reverse transcription (RT)-PCR experiments. We found that a combination of transcription factors and neurotrophic factors could directly reprogram fibroblasts to neuronal cells including DA neurons. Various types of reprogrammed cells are promising cell sources for cell-based therapy of neurological disorders like Parkinson's disease and spinal cord injury.
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69
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Abe H, Nakazawa M, Kasuga K, Kojima I, Kobayashi M. The CAG Promoter is More Active than the CEF Promoter for the Expression of Transgenes in a Mouse ES Cell Line E14-Derived EB3 Cells. BIOTECHNOL BIOTEC EQ 2014. [DOI: 10.5504/bbeq.2011.0013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
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70
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Schwanke K, Merkert S, Kempf H, Hartung S, Jara-Avaca M, Templin C, Göhring G, Haverich A, Martin U, Zweigerdt R. Fast and efficient multitransgenic modification of human pluripotent stem cells. Hum Gene Ther Methods 2014; 25:136-53. [PMID: 24483184 DOI: 10.1089/hgtb.2012.248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) represent a prime cell source for pharmacological research and regenerative therapies because of their extensive expansion potential and their ability to differentiate into essentially all somatic lineages in vitro. Improved methods to stably introduce multiple transgenes into hPSCs will promote, for example, their preclinical testing by facilitating lineage differentiation and purification in vitro and the subsequent in vivo monitoring of respective progenies after their transplantation into relevant animal models. To date, the establishment of stable transgenic hPSC lines is still laborious and time-consuming. Current limitations include the low transfection efficiency of hPSCs via nonviral methods, the inefficient recovery of genetically engineered clones, and the silencing of transgene expression. Here we describe a fast, electroporation-based method for the generation of multitransgenic hPSC lines by overcoming the need for any preadaptation of conventional hPSC cultures to feeder-free conditions before genetic manipulation. We further show that the selection for a single antibiotic resistance marker encoded on one plasmid allowed for the stable genomic (co-)integration of up to two additional, independent expression plasmids. The method thereby enables the straightforward, nonviral generation of valuable multitransgenic hPSC lines in a single step. Practical applicability of the method is demonstrated for antibiotic-based lineage enrichment in vitro and for sodium iodide symporter transgene-based in situ cell imaging after intramyocardial cell infusion into explanted pig hearts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristin Schwanke
- 1 Leibniz Research Laboratories for Biotechnology and Artificial Organs (LEBAO) , Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Transplantation, and Vascular Surgery, 30625 Hannover, Germany
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71
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Rieck S, Zimmermann K, Wenzel D. Transduction of murine embryonic stem cells by magnetic nanoparticle-assisted lentiviral gene transfer. Methods Mol Biol 2014; 1058:89-96. [PMID: 23592033 DOI: 10.1007/7651_2013_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/23/2023]
Abstract
Genetic modification of embryonic stem (ES) cells is a valuable technique when combined with cell replacement strategies. Obtaining stable transgene expression and low-cytotoxicity lentiviral transduction of ES cells is advantageous. It has been shown that the efficiency of transfection and transduction approaches can be increased by magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs). Here, we present a protocol for MNP-assisted lentiviral transduction of adherent mouse ES cells. The application of MNPs increased transduction efficiency and provided the opportunity of cell positioning by a magnetic field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Rieck
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
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72
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Zhao Y, Matsuo-Takasaki M, Tsuboi I, Kimura K, Salazar GT, Yamashita T, Ohneda O. Dual functions of hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha for the commitment of mouse embryonic stem cells toward a neural lineage. Stem Cells Dev 2014; 23:2143-55. [PMID: 24236637 DOI: 10.1089/scd.2013.0278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Embryonic stem (ES) cells are useful for elucidating the molecular mechanisms of cell fate decision in the early development of mammals. It has been shown that aggregate culture of ES cells efficiently induces neuroectoderm differentiation. However, the molecular mechanism that leads to selective neural differentiation in aggregate culture is not fully understood. Here, we demonstrate that the oxygen-sensitive hypoxia-inducible transcription factor, Hif-1α, is an essential regulator for neural commitment of ES cells. We found that a hypoxic environment is spontaneously established in differentiating ES cell aggregates within 3 days, and that this time window coincides with Hif-1α activation. In ES cells in adherent culture under hypoxic conditions, Hif-1α activation was correlated with significantly greater expression of neural progenitor-specific gene Sox1 compared with ES cells in adherent culture under normoxic conditions. In contrast, Hif-1α-depleted ES cell aggregates showed severe reduction in Sox1 expression and maintained high expression of undifferentiated ES cell marker genes and epiblast marker gene Fgf5 on day 4. Notably, chromatin immune precipitation assay and luciferase assay showed that Hif-1α might directly activate Sox1 expression. Of additional importance is our finding that attenuation of Hif-1α resulted in an increase of BMP4, a potent inhibitor of neural differentiation, and led to a high level of phosphorylated Smad1. Thus, our results indicate that Hif-1α acts as a positive regulator of neural commitment by promoting the transition of ES cell differentiation from the epiblast into the neuroectoderm state via direct activation of Sox1 expression and suppressing endogenous BMP signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Zhao
- Department of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Biology, Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba , Tsukuba, Japan
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73
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Hong S, Chung S, Leung K, Hwang I, Moon J, Kim KS. Functional roles of Nurr1, Pitx3, and Lmx1a in neurogenesis and phenotype specification of dopamine neurons during in vitro differentiation of embryonic stem cells. Stem Cells Dev 2013; 23:477-87. [PMID: 24172139 DOI: 10.1089/scd.2013.0406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
To elucidate detailed functional mechanisms of key fate-determining transcription factors (eg, Nurr1, Pitx3, and Lmx1a) and their functional interplay for midbrain dopamine (mDA) neurons, we developed highly efficient gain-of-function system by transducing the neural progenitors (NPs) derived from embryonic stem cells (ESCs) with retroviral vectors, allowing the analysis of downstream molecular and cellular effects. Overexpression of each factors, Nurr1, Pitx3, and Lmx1a robustly promoted the dopaminergic differentiation of ESC-NP cells exposed to sonic hedgehog (SHH) and fibroblast growth factor 8 (FGF8). In addition, each of these factors directly interacts with potential binding sites within the tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) gene and activated its promoter activity. Interestingly, however, overexpression of Nurr1, but not of Pitx3 or Lmx1a, generated a significant number of nonneuronal TH-positive cells. In line with this, Pitx3 and Lmx1a, but not Nurr1, induced expression of the Ngn2 gene, which is critical for neurogenesis. We also observed that Pitx3 directly bound to its potential binding sites within the Ngn2 gene and the pan-neuronal marker β-tubulin III gene, suggesting that Pitx3 contributes to mDA neurogenesis by directly regulating these genes. Taken together, our data demonstrate that key mDA regulators (Nurr1, Pitx3, and Lmx1a) play overlapping as well as distinct roles during neurogenesis and neurotransmitter phenotype determination of mDA neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sunghoi Hong
- 1 Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry and Program in Neuroscience, McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School , Belmont, Massachusetts
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74
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Establishment of a reporter system to monitor silencing status in induced pluripotent stem cell lines. Anal Biochem 2013; 443:104-12. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ab.2013.08.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2013] [Revised: 07/22/2013] [Accepted: 08/04/2013] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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75
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Ackermann M, Lachmann N, Hartung S, Eggenschwiler R, Pfaff N, Happle C, Mucci A, Göhring G, Niemann H, Hansen G, Schambach A, Cantz T, Zweigerdt R, Moritz T. Promoter and lineage independent anti-silencing activity of the A2 ubiquitous chromatin opening element for optimized human pluripotent stem cell-based gene therapy. Biomaterials 2013; 35:1531-42. [PMID: 24290698 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2013.11.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2013] [Accepted: 11/07/2013] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Epigenetic silencing of retroviral transgene expression in pluripotent stem cells (PSC) and their differentiated progeny constitutes a major roadblock for PSC-based gene therapy. As ubiquitous chromatin opening elements (UCOEs) have been successfully employed to stabilize transgene expression in murine hematopoietic and pluripotent stem cells as well as their differentiated progeny, we here investigated UCOE activity in their human counterparts to establish a basis for future clinical application of the element. To this end, we demonstrate profound anti-silencing activity of the A2UCOE in several human iPS and ES cell lines including their progeny obtained upon directed cardiac or hematopoietic differentiation. We also provide evidence for A2UCOE activity in murine iPSC-derived hepatocyte-like cells, thus establishing efficacy of the element in cells of different germ layers. Finally, we investigated combinations of the A2UCOE with viral promoter/enhancer elements again demonstrating profound stabilization of transgene expression. In all these settings the effect of the A2UCOE was associated with strongly reduced promoter DNA-methylation. Thus, our data clearly support the concept of the A2UCOE as a generalized strategy to prevent epigenetic silencing in PSC and their differentiated progeny and strongly favors its application to stabilize transgene expression in PSC-based cell and gene therapy approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mania Ackermann
- Reprogramming and Gene Therapy Group, REBIRTH Cluster of Excellence, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Lower Saxony 30625, Germany; Institute of Experimental Hematology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Lower Saxony 30625, Germany
| | - Nico Lachmann
- Reprogramming and Gene Therapy Group, REBIRTH Cluster of Excellence, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Lower Saxony 30625, Germany; Institute of Experimental Hematology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Lower Saxony 30625, Germany
| | - Susann Hartung
- Leibniz Research Laboratories for Biotechnology and Artificial Organs (LEBAO), Department of Cardiothoracic, Transplantation and Vascular Surgery, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Lower Saxony 30625, Germany
| | - Reto Eggenschwiler
- Translational Hepatology and Stem Cell Biology, REBIRTH Cluster of Excellence, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Lower Saxony 30625, Germany
| | - Nils Pfaff
- Reprogramming and Gene Therapy Group, REBIRTH Cluster of Excellence, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Lower Saxony 30625, Germany; Institute of Experimental Hematology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Lower Saxony 30625, Germany
| | - Christine Happle
- Department of Pediatrics, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Lower Saxony 30625, Germany; Biomedical Research in Endstage and Obstructive Lung Disease Hannover (BREATH), Member of the Center for Lung Research (DZL), Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Lower Saxony 30625, Germany
| | - Adele Mucci
- Reprogramming and Gene Therapy Group, REBIRTH Cluster of Excellence, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Lower Saxony 30625, Germany
| | - Gudrun Göhring
- Institute of Cell and Molecular Pathology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Lower Saxony 30625, Germany
| | - Heiner Niemann
- Institute of Farm Animal Genetics, Friedrich-Löffler-Institut, Mariensee/Neustadt, Lower Saxony 31535, Germany
| | - Gesine Hansen
- Department of Pediatrics, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Lower Saxony 30625, Germany; Biomedical Research in Endstage and Obstructive Lung Disease Hannover (BREATH), Member of the Center for Lung Research (DZL), Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Lower Saxony 30625, Germany
| | - Axel Schambach
- Institute of Experimental Hematology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Lower Saxony 30625, Germany; Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Tobias Cantz
- Translational Hepatology and Stem Cell Biology, REBIRTH Cluster of Excellence, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Lower Saxony 30625, Germany
| | - Robert Zweigerdt
- Leibniz Research Laboratories for Biotechnology and Artificial Organs (LEBAO), Department of Cardiothoracic, Transplantation and Vascular Surgery, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Lower Saxony 30625, Germany
| | - Thomas Moritz
- Reprogramming and Gene Therapy Group, REBIRTH Cluster of Excellence, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Lower Saxony 30625, Germany; Institute of Experimental Hematology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Lower Saxony 30625, Germany.
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76
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Turaç G, Hindley CJ, Thomas R, Davis JA, Deleidi M, Gasser T, Karaöz E, Pruszak J. Combined flow cytometric analysis of surface and intracellular antigens reveals surface molecule markers of human neuropoiesis. PLoS One 2013; 8:e68519. [PMID: 23826393 PMCID: PMC3691147 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0068519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2013] [Accepted: 05/30/2013] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Surface molecule profiles undergo dynamic changes in physiology and pathology, serve as markers of cellular state and phenotype and can be exploited for cell selection strategies and diagnostics. The isolation of well-defined cell subsets is needed for in vivo and in vitro applications in stem cell biology. In this technical report, we present an approach for defining a subset of interest in a mixed cell population by flow cytometric detection of intracellular antigens. We have developed a fully validated protocol that enables the co-detection of cluster of differentiation (CD) surface antigens on fixed, permeabilized neural cell populations defined by intracellular staining. Determining the degree of co-expression of surface marker candidates with intracellular target population markers (nestin, MAP2, doublecortin, TUJ1) on neuroblastoma cell lines (SH-SY5Y, BE(2)-M17) yielded a combinatorial CD49f-/CD200high surface marker panel. Its application in fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) generated enriched neuronal cultures from differentiated cell suspensions derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells. Our data underlines the feasibility of using the described co-labeling protocol and co-expression analysis for quantitative assays in mammalian neurobiology and for screening approaches to identify much needed surface markers in stem cell biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gizem Turaç
- Emmy Noether-Group for Stem Cell Biology, Department of Molecular Embryology, Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Center for Stem Cell and Gene Therapies Research and Practice, Kocaeli University, Kocaeli, Turkey
| | - Christopher J. Hindley
- Emmy Noether-Group for Stem Cell Biology, Department of Molecular Embryology, Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Ria Thomas
- Emmy Noether-Group for Stem Cell Biology, Department of Molecular Embryology, Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Spemann Graduate School of Biology and Medicine (SGBM), Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Jason A. Davis
- Emmy Noether-Group for Stem Cell Biology, Department of Molecular Embryology, Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Michela Deleidi
- 4 Hertie, Institute for Clinical Brain Research, Department of Neurodegenerative Diseases, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Thomas Gasser
- 4 Hertie, Institute for Clinical Brain Research, Department of Neurodegenerative Diseases, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Erdal Karaöz
- Center for Stem Cell and Gene Therapies Research and Practice, Kocaeli University, Kocaeli, Turkey
| | - Jan Pruszak
- Emmy Noether-Group for Stem Cell Biology, Department of Molecular Embryology, Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Center for Biological Signaling Studies (BIOSS), University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- *
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77
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Chakraborty S, Christoforou N, Fattahi A, Herzog RW, Leong KW. A robust strategy for negative selection of Cre-loxP recombination-based excision of transgenes in induced pluripotent stem cells. PLoS One 2013; 8:e64342. [PMID: 23717601 PMCID: PMC3661507 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0064342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2013] [Accepted: 04/14/2013] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Viral vectors remain the most efficient and popular in deriving induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). For translation, it is important to silence or remove the reprogramming factors after induction of pluripotency. In this study, we design an excisable loxP-flanked lentiviral construct that a) includes all the reprogramming elements in a single lentiviral vector expressed by a strong EF-1α promoter; b) enables easy determination of lentiviral titer; c) enables transgene removal and cell enrichment using LoxP-site-specific Cre-recombinase excision and Herpes Simplex Virus-thymidine kinase/ganciclovir (HSV-tk/gan) negative selection; and d) allows for transgene excision in a colony format. A reprogramming efficiency comparable to that reported in the literature without boosting molecules can be consistently obtained. To further demonstrate the utility of this Cre-loxP/HSV-tk/gan strategy, we incorporate a non-viral therapeutic transgene (human blood coagulation Factor IX) in the iPSCs, whose expression can be controlled by a temporal pulse of Cre recombinase. The robustness of this platform enables the implementation of an efficacious and cost-effective protocol for iPSC generation and their subsequent transgenesis for downstream studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Syandan Chakraborty
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Nicolas Christoforou
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Ali Fattahi
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Roland W. Herzog
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Kam W. Leong
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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78
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Zheng W, Wang Y, Chang T, Huang H, Yee JK. Significant differences in genotoxicity induced by retrovirus integration in human T cells and induced pluripotent stem cells. Gene 2013; 519:142-9. [PMID: 23376452 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2013.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2012] [Revised: 12/07/2012] [Accepted: 01/07/2013] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Retrovirus is frequently used in the genetic modification of mammalian cells and the establishment of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) via cell reprogramming. Vector-induced genotoxicity could induce profound effect on the physiology and function of these stem cells and their differentiated progeny. We analyzed retrovirus-induced genotoxicity in somatic cell Jurkat and two iPSC lines. In Jurkat cells, retrovirus frequently activated host gene expression and gene activation was not dependent on the distance between the integration site and the transcription start site of the host gene. In contrast, retrovirus frequently down-regulated host gene expression in iPSCs, possibly due to the action of chromatin silencing that spreads from the provirus to the nearby host gene promoter. Our data raises the issue that some of the phenotypic variability observed among iPSC clones derived from the same parental cell line may be caused by retrovirus-induced gene expression changes rather than by the reprogramming process itself. It also underscores the importance of characterizing retrovirus integration and carrying out risk assessment of iPSCs before they can be applied in basic research and clinics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiyan Zheng
- Bone Marrow Transplantation Center, Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
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79
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Jackson MF, Hoversten KE, Powers JM, Trobridge GD, Rodgers BD. Genetic manipulation of myoblasts and a novel primary myosatellite cell culture system: comparing and optimizing approaches. FEBS J 2013; 280:827-39. [PMID: 23173931 DOI: 10.1111/febs.12072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2012] [Revised: 11/13/2012] [Accepted: 11/16/2012] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The genetic manipulation of skeletal muscle cells in vitro is notoriously difficult, especially when using undifferentiated muscle cell lines (myoblasts) or primary muscle stem cells (myosatellites). We therefore optimized methods of gene transfer by overexpressing green fluorescent protein (GFP) in mouse C2C12 cells and in a novel system, primary rainbow trout myosatellite cells. A common lipid-based transfection reagent was used (Lipofectamine 2000) along with three different viral vectors: adeno-associated virus serotype 2 (AAV2), baculovirus (BAC) and lentivirus. Maximal transfection efficiencies of 49% were obtained in C2C12 cells after optimizing cell density and reagent : DNA ratio, although the GFP signal rapidly dissipated with proliferation and was not maintained with differentiation. The transduction efficiency of AAV2 was optimized to 65% by extending incubation time and decreasing cell density, although only 30% of cells retained expression after passing. A viral comparison revealed that lentivirus was most efficient at transducing C2C12 myoblasts as 97% of cells were transduced with only 10(6) viral genomes (vg) compared to 54% with 10(8) vg AAV2 and 23% with 10(9) vg BAC. Lentivirus also transduced 90% of primary trout myosatellites compared to 1-10% with AAV2 and BAC. The phosphoglycerate kinase 1 (pgk) promoter was 10-fold more active than the cytomegalovirus immediate-early promoter in C2C12 cells and both were effective in trout myosatellites. Maximal transduction of C2C12 myotubes was achieved by differentiating myoblasts previously transduced with lentivirus and the pgk promoter. Thus, our optimized protocol proved highly effective in diverse muscle cell systems and could therefore help overcome a common technological barrier.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa F Jackson
- School of Molecular Biosciences, Washington Center for Muscle Biology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-6351, USA
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80
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Suicide gene-mediated ablation of tumor-initiating mouse pluripotent stem cells. Biomaterials 2012; 34:1701-11. [PMID: 23218839 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2012.11.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2012] [Accepted: 11/11/2012] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Pluripotent stem cells, including embryonic stem (ES) and induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, serve as unlimited resources for cell replacement therapy and tissue engineering because such cells are capable of extensive proliferation in vitro and can give rise to lineages that represent any of the three embryonic germ layers. However, in the context of the in vivo behavior of cell transplants, key challenges need to be addressed and essential strategies should be developed before stem cells can be used in clinical practice. In the present study, we modified mouse ES/iPS cells to contain a suicide gene, deltaTK or CodA, under the transcriptional control of the EF1α or Nanog promoter. The suicide gene was introduced via lentivirus transduction without interfering with their self-renewal and pluripotency characteristics. We found that EF1α promoter-controlled deltaTK/CodA expression efficiently eliminated pluripotent stem cells and their derivatives both in vitro and in vivo. When the suicide gene was under the control of the Nanog promoter, tumor-initiating undifferentiated pluripotent stem cells were selectively ablated in vitro after prodrug treatment. These results indicate that modification of pluripotent stem cells with a suicide gene prior to transplantation offers a safe manner by which wayward stem cells, and their progeny, can be controlled in vivo. Our approach will render the clinical application of human pluripotent stem cells increasingly possible.
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81
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Kluiver J, Slezak-Prochazka I, Smigielska-Czepiel K, Halsema N, Kroesen BJ, van den Berg A. Generation of miRNA sponge constructs. Methods 2012; 58:113-7. [PMID: 22836127 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2012.07.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2012] [Revised: 07/12/2012] [Accepted: 07/16/2012] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
MicroRNA (miRNA) sponges are RNA molecules with repeated miRNA antisense sequences that can sequester miRNAs from their endogenous targets and thus serve as a decoy. Stably expressed miRNA sponges are especially valuable for long-term loss-of-function studies and can be used in vitro and in vivo. We describe here a straightforward method to generate retroviral miRNA sponge constructs using a single directional ligation reaction. This approach allows generation of sponges containing more than 20 miRNA binding sites. We provide a basis for the design of the sponge constructs with respect to the sequence of the miRNA binding site and the sequences flanking the miRNA binding sites. In-silico validation approaches are presented to test the predicted efficiencies of the sponges in comparison to known target genes. In addition, we describe in vitro validation experiments to confirm the effectiveness of the miRNA sponges. Finally, we describe how the here described procedure can be adapted to easily generate sponges that target multiple miRNAs simultaneously. In summary, our approach allows rapid generation of single or combination miRNA sponges that can be used for long-term miRNA loss-of-function studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joost Kluiver
- Department of Pathology & Medical Biology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
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82
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Human thyroxine binding globulin (TBG) promoter directs efficient and sustaining transgene expression in liver-specific pattern. Gene 2012; 506:289-94. [PMID: 22820390 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2012.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2012] [Revised: 06/23/2012] [Accepted: 07/09/2012] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The liver performs a vital role in metabolic process, which makes it an attractive target organ for gene therapy. To improve the effects of gene therapy in disorders caused by metabolic disturbance, we quantitatively evaluated six promoters, CMV, EF1α, PGK, apoE, thyroxine binding globulin (TBG), and cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) by measuring the expression of α1-antitrypsin, which is controlled by these promoters and introduced via a lentivirus-mediated delivery system in the liver. The results showed that the TBG promoter presents as highly active though in general it is slightly lower than the ubiquitous CMV and EF1α. The expression of exogenous genes driven by the TBG promoter demonstrates to be much higher than by PGK, apoE, and CYP2E1 promoters, and the fragment of -435bp to -26bp from transcription start site (TSS) in the TBG promoter region is identified as the optimum region to direct transgene expression at a higher level. In addition, we further confirmed that the TBG promoter confers transgene persistent and specific expression within the liver up to several months after integration. The data suggests that the TBG promoter is a valuable tool and will greatly facilitate the optimization of vector design in hepatic gene therapy.
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83
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Kacherovsky N, Harkey MA, Blau CA, Giachelli CM, Pun SH. Combination of Sleeping Beauty transposition and chemically induced dimerization selection for robust production of engineered cells. Nucleic Acids Res 2012; 40:e85. [PMID: 22402491 PMCID: PMC3367214 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gks213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The main methods for producing genetically engineered cells use viral vectors for which safety issues and manufacturing costs remain a concern. In addition, selection of desired cells typically relies on the use of cytotoxic drugs with long culture times. Here, we introduce an efficient non-viral approach combining the Sleeping Beauty (SB) Transposon System with selective proliferation of engineered cells by chemically induced dimerization (CID) of growth factor receptors. Minicircles carrying a SB transposon cassette containing a reporter transgene and a gene for the F36VFGFR1 fusion protein were delivered to the hematopoietic cell line Ba/F3. Stably-transduced Ba/F3 cell populations with >98% purity were obtained within 1 week using this positive selection strategy. Copy number analysis by quantitative PCR (qPCR) revealed that CID-selected cells contain on average higher copy numbers of transgenes than flow cytometry-selected cells, demonstrating selective advantage for cells with multiple transposon insertions. A diverse population of cells is present both before and after culture in CID media, although site-specific qPCR of transposon junctions show that population diversity is significantly reduced after selection due to preferential expansion of clones with multiple integration events. This non-viral, positive selection approach is an attractive alternative for producing engineered cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nataly Kacherovsky
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
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84
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[TSA improve transgenic porcine cloned embryo development and transgene expression]. YI CHUAN = HEREDITAS 2011; 33:749-56. [PMID: 22049689 DOI: 10.3724/sp.j.1005.2011.00749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Uncompleted epigenetic reprogramming is attributed to the low efficiency of producing transgenic cloned animals. Histone modification associated with epigenetics can directly influence the embryo development and transgene expression. Trichostatin A (TSA), as an inhibitor of histone deacetylase, can change the status of histone acetylation, improve somatic cell reprogramming, and enhance cloning efficiency. TSA prevents the chromatin structure from being condensed, so that transcription factor could binds to DNA sequence easily and enhance transgene expression. Our study established the optimal TSA treatment on porcine donor cells and cloned embryos, 250 nmol/L, 24 h and 40 nmol/L, 24 h, respectively. Furthermore, we found that both the cloned embryo and the donor cell treated by TSA resulted in the highest development efficiency. Meanwhile, TSA can improve transgene expression in donor cell and cloned embryo. In summary, TSA can significantly improve porcine reconstructed embryo development and transgene expression.
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85
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[Exploration of the variance in exogenous gene expression driven by the different promoters in leukemia cells]. YI CHUAN = HEREDITAS 2011; 33:879-85. [PMID: 21831804 DOI: 10.3724/sp.j.1005.2011.00879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
To investigate the variance in exogenous gene expression driven by the different promoters in leukemia cells, four GFP reporter lentivirus vectors carrying different promoters, including EF1α, PGK, Ubiquitin and CMV, were selected. Leukemia cell lines NB4, THP1, HL60 and Kasumi were infected with lentivirus produced from these reporter vectors, respectively. Then, fluorescence microscope, flow cytometry and fluorescence quantitative PCR were used to detect the GFP expression strength. The results of this study clearly showed that the expression levels of the reporter genes with four different promoters were significantly different. Among them, EF1α drove the highest level of GFP expression, while CMV promoter induced the lowest level. Our results suggested that promoters should be carefully chosen in order to get the appropriate exogenous expression level in leukemia cells according to the study need.
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86
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Chen CM, Krohn J, Bhattacharya S, Davies B. A comparison of exogenous promoter activity at the ROSA26 locus using a ΦiC31 integrase mediated cassette exchange approach in mouse ES cells. PLoS One 2011; 6:e23376. [PMID: 21853122 PMCID: PMC3154917 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0023376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2011] [Accepted: 07/14/2011] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The activities of nine ubiquitous promoters (ROSA26, CAG, CMV, CMVd1, UbC, EF1α, PGK, chicken β-actin and MC1) have been quantified and compared in mouse embryonic stem cells. To avoid the high variation in transgene expression which results from uncontrolled copy number and chromosomal position effects when using random insertion based transgenic approaches, we have adopted a PhiC31 integrase mediated cassette exchange method for the efficient insertion of transgenes at single copy within a defined and well characterized chromosomal position, ROSA26. This has enabled the direct comparison of constructs from within the same genomic context and allows a systematic and quantitative assessment of the strengths of the promoters in comparison with the endogenous ROSA26 promoter. The behavior of these exogenous promoters, when integrated at ROSA26 in both sense and antisense orientations, reveals a large variation in their levels of activity. In addition, a subset of promoters, EF1α, UbC and CAG, show an increased activity in the sense orientation as a consequence of integration. Transient transfection experiments confirmed these observations to reflect integration dependent effects and also revealed significant differences in the behaviour of these promoters when delivered transiently or stably. As well as providing an important reference which will facilitate the choice of an appropriate promoter to achieve the desired level of expression for a specific research question, this study also demonstrates the suitability of the cassette exchange methodology for the robust and reliable expression of multiple variant transgenes in ES cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiann-mun Chen
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Jon Krohn
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Shoumo Bhattacharya
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Benjamin Davies
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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87
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Mejía-Toiber J, Castillo CG, Giordano M. Strategies for the Development of Cell Lines for Ex Vivo Gene Therapy in the Central Nervous System. Cell Transplant 2011; 20:983-1001. [DOI: 10.3727/096368910x546599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Disorders of the central nervous system (CNS) as a result of trauma or ischemic or neurodegenerative processes still pose a challenge for modern medicine. Due to the complexity of the CNS, and in spite of the advances in the knowledge of its anatomy, pharmacology, and molecular and cellular biology, treatments for these diseases are still limited. The development of cell lines as a source for transplantation into the damaged CNS (cell therapy), and more recently their genetic modification to favor the expression and delivery of molecules with therapeutic potential (ex vivo gene therapy), are some of the techniques used in search of novel restorative strategies. This article reviews the different approaches that have been used and perfected during the last decade to generate cell lines and their use in experimental models of neuronal damage, and evaluates the prospects of applying these methods to treat CNS disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana Mejía-Toiber
- Laboratorio de Plasticidad Neuronal, Departamento de Neurobiología Conductual y Cognitiva, Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico, Querétaro, Mexico
| | - Claudia G. Castillo
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, San Luis Potosí, Mexico
| | - Magda Giordano
- Laboratorio de Plasticidad Neuronal, Departamento de Neurobiología Conductual y Cognitiva, Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico, Querétaro, Mexico
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88
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Shen B, Xiang Z, Miller B, Louie G, Wang W, Noel JP, Gage FH, Wang L. Genetically encoding unnatural amino acids in neural stem cells and optically reporting voltage-sensitive domain changes in differentiated neurons. Stem Cells 2011; 29:1231-40. [PMID: 21681861 PMCID: PMC3209808 DOI: 10.1002/stem.679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Although unnatural amino acids (Uaas) have been genetically encoded in bacterial, fungal, and mammalian cells using orthogonal transfer RNA (tRNA)/aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase pairs, applications of this method to a wider range of specialized cell types, such as stem cells, still face challenges. While relatively straightforward in stem cells, transient expression lacks sufficient temporal resolution to afford reasonable levels of Uaa incorporation and to allow for the study of the longer term differentiation process of stem cells. Moreover, Uaa incorporation may perturb differentiation. Here, we describe a lentiviral-based gene delivery method to stably incorporate Uaas into proteins expressed in neural stem cells, specifically HCN-A94 cells. The transduced cells differentiated into neural progenies in the same manner as the wild-type cells. By genetically incorporating a fluorescent Uaa into a voltage-dependent membrane lipid phosphatase, we show that this Uaa optically reports the conformational change of the voltage-sensitive domain in response to membrane depolarization. The method described here should be generally applicable to other stem cells and membrane proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Shen
- The Jack H. Skirball Center for Chemical Biology & Proteomics, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California, 92037, U.S.A
| | - Zheng Xiang
- The Jack H. Skirball Center for Chemical Biology & Proteomics, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California, 92037, U.S.A
| | - Barbara Miller
- Laboratory of Genetics, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California, 92037, U.S.A
| | - Gordon Louie
- The Jack H. Skirball Center for Chemical Biology & Proteomics, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California, 92037, U.S.A
| | - Wenyuan Wang
- The Jack H. Skirball Center for Chemical Biology & Proteomics, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California, 92037, U.S.A
| | - Joseph P. Noel
- The Jack H. Skirball Center for Chemical Biology & Proteomics, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California, 92037, U.S.A
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California, 92037, U.S.A
| | - Fred H. Gage
- Laboratory of Genetics, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California, 92037, U.S.A
| | - Lei Wang
- The Jack H. Skirball Center for Chemical Biology & Proteomics, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California, 92037, U.S.A
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89
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Roldão A, Vicente T, Peixoto C, Carrondo MJT, Alves PM. Quality control and analytical methods for baculovirus-based products. J Invertebr Pathol 2011; 107 Suppl:S94-105. [PMID: 21784235 DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2011.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2011] [Accepted: 01/24/2011] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- António Roldão
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica/Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Apartado 127, P-2781-901 Oeiras, Portugal
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90
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Mehta V, Abi Nader K, Waddington S, David AL. Organ targeted prenatal gene therapy--how far are we? Prenat Diagn 2011; 31:720-34. [PMID: 21618255 DOI: 10.1002/pd.2787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2010] [Revised: 04/14/2011] [Accepted: 04/17/2011] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Prenatal gene therapy aims to deliver genes to cells and tissues early in prenatal life, allowing correction of a genetic defect, before long-term tissue damage has occurred. In contrast to postnatal gene therapy, prenatal application can target genes to a large population of dividing stem cells, and the smaller fetal size allows a higher vector-to-target cell ratio to be achieved. Early-gestation delivery may allow the development of immune tolerance to the transgenic protein which would facilitate postnatal repeat vector administration if needed. Targeting particular organs will depend on manipulating the vector to achieve selective tropism and on choosing the most appropriate gestational age and injection method for fetal delivery. Intra-amniotic injection reaches the skin, and other organs that are bathed in the fluid however since gene transfer to the lung and gut is usually poor more direct injection methods will be needed. Delivery to the liver and blood can be achieved by systemic delivery via the umbilical vein or peritoneal cavity. Gene transfer to the central nervous system in the fetus is difficult but newer vectors are available that transduce neuronal tissue even after systemic delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vedanta Mehta
- Prenatal Cell and Gene Therapy Group, Institute for Women's Health, University College London, London, UK
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91
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Suga T, Kimura E, Morioka Y, Ikawa M, Li S, Uchino K, Uchida Y, Yamashita S, Maeda Y, Chamberlain JS, Uchino M. Muscle fiber type-predominant promoter activity in lentiviral-mediated transgenic mouse. PLoS One 2011; 6:e16908. [PMID: 21445245 PMCID: PMC3060803 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0016908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2010] [Accepted: 01/17/2011] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Variations in gene promoter/enhancer activity in different muscle fiber types after gene transduction was noticed previously, but poorly analyzed. The murine stem cell virus (MSCV) promoter drives strong, stable gene expression in hematopoietic stem cells and several other cells, including cerebellar Purkinje cells, but it has not been studied in muscle. We injected a lentiviral vector carrying an MSCV-EGFP cassette (LvMSCV-EGFP) into tibialis anterior muscles and observed strong EGFP expression in muscle fibers, primary cultured myoblasts, and myotubes isolated from injected muscles. We also generated lentiviral-mediated transgenic mice carrying the MSCV-EGFP cassette and detected transgene expression in striated muscles. LvMSCV-EGFP transgenic mice showed fiber type-dependent variations in expression: highest in types I and IIA, intermediate in type IID/X, and lowest in type IIB fibers. The soleus and diaphragm muscles, consisting mainly of types I and IIA, are most severely affected in the mdx mouse model of muscular dystrophy. Further analysis of this promoter may have the potential to achieve certain gene expression in severely affected muscles of mdx mice. The Lv-mediated transgenic mouse may prove a useful tool for assessing the enhancer/promoter activities of a variety of different regulatory cassettes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomohiro Suga
- Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - En Kimura
- Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
- Department of Neurology, Medicine, and Biochemistry, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Yuka Morioka
- Research Center for Infection-Associated Cancer, Division of Disease Model Innovation, Institute for Genetic Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
- Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Masahito Ikawa
- Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Sheng Li
- Department of Neurology, Medicine, and Biochemistry, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Katsuhisa Uchino
- Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Yuji Uchida
- Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, Division of Life Science, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sojo University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Satoshi Yamashita
- Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Yasushi Maeda
- Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Jeffrey S. Chamberlain
- Department of Neurology, Medicine, and Biochemistry, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Makoto Uchino
- Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
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92
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A bidirectional promoter architecture enhances lentiviral transgenesis in embryonic and extraembryonic stem cells. Gene Ther 2011; 18:817-26. [PMID: 21390068 DOI: 10.1038/gt.2011.26] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
The two main challenges facing retroviral transgenesis are variable expression and epigenetic silencing. Although modern lentiviral vectors incorporate several elements to increase transgene expression and reduce position effect variegation and silencing, therapeutic research in stem cells, as well as production of transgenic animals, is still hampered by these two key problems. On the basis of recent studies demonstrating the chromatin insulating properties of divergent promoters, we sought to develop a bidirectional lentiviral vector with which to conduct RNA interference (RNAi)-based genetic screens in embryonic and extraembryonic stem cells. To this end, we designed and tested a series of synthetic bidirectional promoters, combining the mouse phosphoglycerate kinase 1 (Pgk1) promoter with other strong mammalian and viral promoters. Here, we demonstrate that a back-to-back configuration of the mouse Pgk1 and human eukaryotic translation elongation factor 1 alpha 1 promoters provided a substantive increase in both transgene expression and RNAi-based transcript depletion as compared with previous designs and other promoter combinations. Using this vector, we were able to achieve stable and robust depletion of a transfected luciferase reporter, as well as an endogenous non-coding RNA. The described constructs are an improved transgene delivery system capable of conducting RNAi screens in stem cells at single copy.
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93
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Kawasaki H, Kosugi I, Arai Y, Iwashita T, Tsutsui Y. Mouse embryonic stem cells inhibit murine cytomegalovirus infection through a multi-step process. PLoS One 2011; 6:e17492. [PMID: 21407806 PMCID: PMC3047572 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0017492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2010] [Accepted: 02/07/2011] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
In humans, cytomegalovirus (CMV) is the most significant infectious cause of intrauterine infections that cause congenital anomalies of the central nervous system. Currently, it is not known how this process is affected by the timing of infection and the susceptibility of early-gestational-period cells. Embryonic stem (ES) cells are more resistant to CMV than most other cell types, although the mechanism responsible for this resistance is not well understood. Using a plaque assay and evaluation of immediate-early 1 mRNA and protein expression, we found that mouse ES cells were resistant to murine CMV (MCMV) at the point of transcription. In ES cells infected with MCMV, treatment with forskolin and trichostatin A did not confer full permissiveness to MCMV. In ES cultures infected with elongation factor-1α (EF-1α) promoter-green fluorescent protein (GFP) recombinant MCMV at a multiplicity of infection of 10, less than 5% of cells were GFP-positive, despite the fact that ES cells have relatively high EF-1α promoter activity. Quantitative PCR analysis of the MCMV genome showed that ES cells allow approximately 20-fold less MCMV DNA to enter the nucleus than mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) do, and that this inhibition occurs in a multi-step manner. In situ hybridization revealed that ES cell nuclei have significantly less MCMV DNA than MEF nuclei. This appears to be facilitated by the fact that ES cells express less heparan sulfate, β1 integrin, and vimentin, and have fewer nuclear pores, than MEF. This may reduce the ability of MCMV to attach to and enter through the cellular membrane, translocate to the nucleus, and cross the nuclear membrane in pluripotent stem cells (ES/induced pluripotent stem cells). The results presented here provide perspective on the relationship between CMV susceptibility and cell differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hideya Kawasaki
- Department of Second Pathology, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan.
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94
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Roldão A, Mellado MCM, Castilho LR, Carrondo MJT, Alves PM. Virus-like particles in vaccine development. Expert Rev Vaccines 2011; 9:1149-76. [PMID: 20923267 DOI: 10.1586/erv.10.115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 580] [Impact Index Per Article: 44.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Virus-like particles (VLPs) are multiprotein structures that mimic the organization and conformation of authentic native viruses but lack the viral genome, potentially yielding safer and cheaper vaccine candidates. A handful of prophylactic VLP-based vaccines is currently commercialized worldwide: GlaxoSmithKline's Engerix (hepatitis B virus) and Cervarix (human papillomavirus), and Merck and Co., Inc.'s Recombivax HB (hepatitis B virus) and Gardasil (human papillomavirus) are some examples. Other VLP-based vaccine candidates are in clinical trials or undergoing preclinical evaluation, such as, influenza virus, parvovirus, Norwalk and various chimeric VLPs. Many others are still restricted to small-scale fundamental research, despite their success in preclinical tests. This article focuses on the essential role of VLP technology in new-generation vaccines against prevalent and emergent diseases. The implications of large-scale VLP production are discussed in the context of process control, monitorization and optimization. The main up- and down-stream technical challenges are identified and discussed accordingly. Successful VLP-based vaccine blockbusters are briefly presented concomitantly with the latest results from clinical trials and the recent developments in chimeric VLP-based technology for either therapeutic or prophylactic vaccination.
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Affiliation(s)
- António Roldão
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica/Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Apartado 127, P-2781-901, Oeiras, Portugal
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95
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Roldão A, Silva A, Mellado M, Alves P, Carrondo M. Viruses and Virus-Like Particles in Biotechnology. COMPREHENSIVE BIOTECHNOLOGY 2011. [PMCID: PMC7151966 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-08-088504-9.00072-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Although viruses are simple biological systems, they are capable of evolving highly efficient techniques for infecting cells, expressing their genomes, and generating new copies of themselves. It is possible to genetically manipulate most of the different classes of known viruses in order to produce recombinant viruses that express foreign proteins. Recombinant viruses have been used in gene therapy to deliver selected genes into higher organisms, in vaccinology and immunotherapy, and as important research tools to study the structure and function of these proteins. Virus-like particles (VLPs) are multiprotein structures that mimic the organization and conformation of authentic native viruses but lack the viral genome. They have been applied not only as prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines but also as vehicles in drug and gene delivery and, more recently, as tools in nanobiotechnology. In this article, basic and advanced features of viruses and VLPs are presented and their major applications are discussed. The different production platforms based on animal cell technology are explained, and their main challenges and future perspectives are explored. The implications of large-scale production of viruses and VLPs are discussed in the context of process control, monitorization, and optimization. The main upstream and downstream technical challenges are identified and discussed accordingly.
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96
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Kamata M, Liu S, Liang M, Nagaoka Y, Chen ISY. Generation of human induced pluripotent stem cells bearing an anti-HIV transgene by a lentiviral vector carrying an internal murine leukemia virus promoter. Hum Gene Ther 2010; 21:1555-67. [PMID: 20524893 DOI: 10.1089/hum.2010.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The recent development of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) by ectopic expression of defined reprogramming factors offers enormous therapeutic opportunity. To deliver these factors, murine leukemia virus (MLV)-based vectors have been broadly used in the setting of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. However, MLV vectors have been implicated in malignancy induced by insertional mutagenesis, whereas lentiviral vectors have not. Furthermore, the infectivity of MLV vectors is limited to dividing cells, whereas lentiviral vectors can also transduce nondividing cells. One important characteristic of MLV vectors is a self-silencing property of the promoter element in pluripotent stem cells, allowing temporal transgene expression in a nonpluripotent state before iPSC derivation. Here we test iPSC generation using a novel chimeric vector carrying a mutant MLV promoter internal to a lentiviral vector backbone, thereby containing the useful properties of both types of vectors. Transgene expression of this chimeric vector was highly efficient compared with that of MLV vectors and was silenced specifically in human embryonic stem cells. Human fetal fibroblasts transduced with the vector encoding each factor were efficiently reprogrammed into a pluripotent state, and these iPSCs had potential to differentiate into a variety of cell types. To explore the possibility of iPSCs for gene therapy, we established iPSC clones expressing a short hairpin RNA (shRNA) targeting chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5), the main coreceptor for HIV-1. Using a reporter construct for CCR5 expression, we confirmed that CCR5 shRNA was expressed and specifically knocked down the reporter expression in iPSCs. These data indicate that our chimeric lentiviral vector is a valuable tool for generation of iPSCs and the combination with vectors encoding transgenes allows for rapid establishment of desired genetically engineered iPSC lines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masakazu Kamata
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California at Los Angeles, David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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97
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Seo HW, Kim TM, Choi JW, Han BK, Song G, Han JY. Evaluation of combinatorial cis-regulatory elements for stable gene expression in chicken cells. BMC Biotechnol 2010; 10:69. [PMID: 20849657 PMCID: PMC2949789 DOI: 10.1186/1472-6750-10-69] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2010] [Accepted: 09/19/2010] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Recent successes in biotechnological application of birds are based on their unique physiological traits such as unlimited manipulability onto developing embryos and simple protein constituents of the eggs. However it is not likely that target protein is produced as kinetically expected because various factors affect target gene expression. Although there have been various attempts to minimize the silencing of transgenes, a generalized study that uses multiple cis-acting elements in chicken has not been made. The aim of the present study was to analyze whether various cis-acting elements can help to sustain transgene expression in chicken fibroblasts. Results We investigated the optimal transcriptional regulatory elements for enhancing stable transgene expression in chicken cells. We generated eight constructs that encode enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) driven by either CMV or CAG promoters (including the control), containing three types of key regulatory elements: a chicken lysozyme matrix attachment region (cMAR), 5'-DNase I-hypersensitive sites 4 (cHS4), and the woodchuck hepatitis virus posttranscriptional regulatory element (WPRE). Then we transformed immortalized chicken embryonic fibroblasts with these constructs by electroporation, and after cells were expanded under G418 selection, analyzed mRNA levels and mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) by quantitative real-time PCR and flow cytometry, respectively. We found that the copy number of each construct significantly decreased as the size of the construct increased (R2 = 0.701). A significant model effect was found in the expression level among various constructs in both mRNA and protein (P < 0.0001). Transcription with the CAG promoter was 1.6-fold higher than the CMV promoter (P = 0.027) and the level of eGFP expression activity in cMAR- or cHS4-flanked constructs increased by two- to three-fold compared to the control CMV or CAG promoter constructs. In addition, flow cytometry analysis showed that constructs having cis-acting elements decreased the level of gene silencing as well as the coefficient of variance of eGFP-expressing cells (P < 0.0001). Conclusions Our current data show that an optimal combination of cis-acting elements and promoters/enhancers for sustaining gene expression in chicken cells is suggested. These results provide important information for avian transgenesis and gene function studies in poultry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hee W Seo
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, WCU Biomodulation Major, Research Institute for Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-921, Korea
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98
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Groth AC, Emery DW. A functional screen for regulatory elements that improve retroviral vector gene expression. Blood Cells Mol Dis 2010; 45:343-50. [PMID: 20846887 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcmd.2010.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2010] [Accepted: 08/04/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Recombinant retroviruses constitute the most common class of gene delivery vectors used in hematopoietic cell-based gene therapy. However, the use of these vectors can be limited by inadequate levels of transgene expression, often mediated by expression variegation and vector silencing due to chromosomal position effects. Toward the goal of addressing this problem, we sought to identify cis-regulatory elements from the human genome that can improve the level and stability of retroviral vector gene expression. Libraries of size-selected fragments from the human genome were cloned into the "double-copy" position of the gammaretroviral reporter vector MGPN2, and the resulting vectors underwent several rounds of transduction and selection for high-level vector GFP expression. From this screen we identified both enhancer-like elements and vector mutations associated with increased vector expression. One element, H-11, exhibited enhancer activity in a mouse bone marrow progenitor colony assay, a human promoter trap assay, and a long-term mouse bone marrow transplant assay. This element seems to be an orientation-dependent, tissue-independent enhancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy C Groth
- Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Genetics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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99
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Norrman K, Fischer Y, Bonnamy B, Wolfhagen Sand F, Ravassard P, Semb H. Quantitative comparison of constitutive promoters in human ES cells. PLoS One 2010; 5:e12413. [PMID: 20865032 PMCID: PMC2928720 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0012413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2010] [Accepted: 07/26/2010] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Constitutive promoters that ensure sustained and high level gene expression are basic research tools that have a wide range of applications, including studies of human embryology and drug discovery in human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). Numerous cellular/viral promoters that ensure sustained gene expression in various cell types have been identified but systematic comparison of their activities in hESCs is still lacking. Methodology/Principal Findings We have quantitatively compared promoter activities of five commonly used constitutive promoters, including the human β-actin promoter (ACTB), cytomegalovirus (CMV), elongation factor-1α, (EF1α), phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK) and ubiquitinC (UbC) in hESCs. Lentiviral gene transfer was used to ensure stable integration of promoter-eGFP constructs into the hESCs genome. Promoter activities were quantitatively compared in long term culture of undifferentiated hESCs and in their differentiated progenies. Conclusion/Significance The ACTB, EF1α and PGK promoters showed stable activities during long term culture of undifferentiated hESCs. The ACTB promoter was superior by maintaining expression in 75–80% of the cells after 50 days in culture. During embryoid body (EB) differentiation, promoter activities of all five promoters decreased. Although the EF1α promoter was downregulated in approximately 50% of the cells, it was the most stable promoter during differentiation. Gene expression analysis of differentiated eGFP+ and eGFP- cells indicate that promoter activities might be restricted to specific cell lineages, suggesting the need to carefully select optimal promoters for constitutive gene expression in differentiated hESCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karin Norrman
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund Center for Stem Cell Biology and Cell Therapy, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Yvonne Fischer
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund Center for Stem Cell Biology and Cell Therapy, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Blandine Bonnamy
- Biotechnology and Biotherapy Laboratory, Centre de Recherche de l'Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle, CNRS UMR 7225, INSERM UMRS 975, University Pierre et Marie Curie, Hôpital Pitié Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Fredrik Wolfhagen Sand
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund Center for Stem Cell Biology and Cell Therapy, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Philippe Ravassard
- Biotechnology and Biotherapy Laboratory, Centre de Recherche de l'Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle, CNRS UMR 7225, INSERM UMRS 975, University Pierre et Marie Curie, Hôpital Pitié Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Henrik Semb
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund Center for Stem Cell Biology and Cell Therapy, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- * E-mail:
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100
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Bioinformatics in new generation flavivirus vaccines. J Biomed Biotechnol 2010; 2010:864029. [PMID: 20467477 PMCID: PMC2867002 DOI: 10.1155/2010/864029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2009] [Revised: 12/21/2009] [Accepted: 03/02/2010] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Flavivirus infections are the most prevalent arthropod-borne infections world wide, often causing severe disease especially among children, the elderly, and the immunocompromised. In the absence of effective antiviral treatment, prevention through vaccination would greatly reduce morbidity and mortality associated with flavivirus infections. Despite the success of the empirically developed vaccines against yellow fever virus, Japanese encephalitis virus and tick-borne encephalitis virus, there is an increasing need for a more rational design and development of safe and effective vaccines. Several bioinformatic tools are available to support such rational vaccine design. In doing so, several parameters have to be taken into account, such as safety for the target population, overall immunogenicity of the candidate vaccine, and efficacy and longevity of the immune responses triggered. Examples of how bio-informatics is applied to assist in the rational design and improvements of vaccines, particularly flavivirus vaccines, are presented and discussed.
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