Binding modes of mammalian hepatic Gal/GalNAc receptors

Ligands of the asialoglycoprotein receptor for targeted gene delivery, part 1: Synthesis of and binding studies with biotinylated cluster glycosides containing N-acetylgalactosamine

In order to develop the non-viral Bioplex vector system for targeted delivery of genes to hepatocytes, we have evaluated the structure-function relationship for a number of synthetic ligands designed for specific interaction with the hepatic lectin ASGPr. Biotinylated ligand derivatives containing two, three or six beta-linked N-acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc) residues were synthesized, bound to fluorescent-labeled streptavidin and tested for binding and uptake to HepG2 cells using flow cytometry analysis (FACS). Uptake efficiency increased with number of displayed GalNAc units per ligand, in a receptor dependent manner. Thus, a derivative displaying six GalNAc units showed the highest uptake efficacy both in terms of number of internalizing cells and increased amount of material taken up per each cell. However, this higher efficiency was shown to be due not so much to higher number of sugar units, but to higher accessibility of the sugar units for interaction with the receptor (longer spacer). Improving the flexibility and accessibility of a trimeric GalNAc ligand through use of a longer spacer markedly influenced the uptake efficiency, while increasing the number of GalNAc units per ligand above three only provided a minor contribution to the overall affinity. We hereby report the details of the chemical synthesis of the ligands and the structure-function studies in vitro.

Targeted gene transfer into hepatoma cells with lipopolyamine-condensed DNA particles presenting galactose ligands: a stage toward artificial viruses

Optimal in vitro gene delivery with cationic lipids requires an excess of cationic charges with respect to DNA phosphates. In these conditions, in vivo delivery will be hampered by interference from cationic lipid-binding macromolecules either circulating or in the extracellular matrix. To overcome this problem, we are developing a modular transfection system based on lipid-coated DNA particles reminiscent of enveloped viruses. The particle core consists of the lipopolyamine-condensed nucleic acid in an electrically neutral ratio to which other synthetic lipids with key viral properties are hydrophobically adsorbed. As a first result, we have found that a good transfection level can be achieved simply with the neutral core particle, provided a zwitterionic lipid (dioleoyl phosphatidylethanolamine) is added to completely coat the DNA. Addition of lipids bearing a fusogenic or a nuclear localization peptide head group to the particles does not significantly improve an already efficient system, in contrast to polylysine-based gene transfer methods that rely on lysosomotropic or fusogenic agents to be effective. This emphasizes the distinctive properties of the lipopolyamines, including cell membrane destabilization, endosome buffering capacity, and possibly nuclear tropism. Most importantly, addition of lipids with a triantennary galactosyl residue drives the neutral nucleolipidic particles to the asialoglycoprotein receptor of human hepatoma HepG2 cells: Transfection increases approximately 1000-fold with 25% galactolipid. This receptor-mediated process is saturable and slightly less efficient than receptor-independent transfection obtained in vitro with a large excess of cationic lipid alone. Yet, electrically silent particles may provide an attractive solution for gene transfer in vivo where their external saccharide coat should allow them to diffuse within the organism and reach their target cells.

Analysis of carbohydrate-protein interactions with synthetic N-linked neoglycoconjugate probes

Recently we have describe a simple efficient chemical method of generating an asparagine side-chain linker with beta-stereochemistry at the anomeric position of neutral oligosaccharides. We now report the 1-N-glycyl beta-derivatization of sialylated saccharides. Several neoglycoconjugates formed using these N-linked inter-mediates were investigated for their usefulness in probing carbohydrate-protein interactions. First, biotinyl derivatives of two xylose/fucose class plant-type oligosaccharides purified from horseradish peroxidase were effective in demonstrating the carbohydrate specificity of polyclonal anti-(horseradish peroxidase) antibodies. Secondly, a fluorescein-labelled asialo- and digalactosylated biantennary complex sugar was synthesized and shown to bind to a Ricinus communis agglutinin column. This galactose-specific recognition was abolished by treating this fluorescein-labelled oligosaccharide with jack bean beta-galactosidase. Finally, two 1-N-glycyl beta-saccharide derivatives were modified with thiophosgene to form their corresponding isothiocyanate derivatives. Coupling of these isothiocyanate derivatives of sugars to BSA, amino-derivatized polystyrene plates and glass-fibre discs resulted in multiple sugar presentation. The binding of an anti-N-acetylglucosamine monoclonal antibody to N,N'-diacetylchitobiose residues presented on BSA and solid supports was shown by e.l.i.s.a. Similarly the binding of concanavalin A to asialo-, agalactosylated biantennary complex oligosaccharide residues attached to BSA was demonstrated by a competitive e.l.i.s.a. Our results demonstrate that N-linked neoglycoconjugates could be made readily available and they are valuable tools for the detailed analyses of carbohydrates and carbohydrate-binding proteins.