Comparison of various envelope proteins for their ability to pseudotype lentiviral vectors and transduce primitive hematopoietic cells from human blood

Altered GM1 catabolism affects NMDAR-mediated Ca2+ signaling at ER-PM junctions and increases synaptic spine formation in a GM1-gangliosidosis model

Endoplasmic reticulum-plasma membrane (ER-PM) junctions mediate Ca2+ flux across neuronal membranes. The properties of these membrane contact sites are defined by their lipid content, but little attention has been given to glycosphingolipids (GSLs). Here, we show that GM1-ganglioside, an abundant GSL in neuronal membranes, is integral to ER-PM junctions; it interacts with synaptic proteins/receptors and regulates Ca2+ signaling. In a model of the neurodegenerative lysosomal storage disease, GM1-gangliosidosis, pathogenic accumulation of GM1 at ER-PM junctions due to β-galactosidase deficiency drastically alters neuronal Ca2+ homeostasis. Mechanistically, we show that GM1 interacts with the phosphorylated N-methyl D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) Ca2+ channel, thereby increasing Ca2+ flux, activating extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling, and increasing the number of synaptic spines without increasing synaptic connectivity. Thus, GM1 clustering at ER-PM junctions alters synaptic plasticity and worsens the generalized neuronal cell death characteristic of GM1-gangliosidosis.

Peptide ligands targeting the vesicular stomatitis virus G (VSV-G) protein for the affinity purification of lentivirus particles

The recent uptick in the approval of ex vivo cell therapies highlights the relevance of lentivirus (LV) as an enabling viral vector of modern medicine. As labile biologics, however, LVs pose critical challenges to industrial biomanufacturing. In particular, LV purification-currently reliant on filtration and anion-exchange or size-exclusion chromatography-suffers from long process times and low yield of transducing particles, which translate into high waiting time and cost to patients. Seeking to improve LV downstream processing, this study introduces peptides targeting the enveloped protein Vesicular stomatitis virus G (VSV-G) to serve as affinity ligands for the chromatographic purification of LV particles. An ensemble of candidate ligands was initially discovered by implementing a dual-fluorescence screening technology and a targeted in silico approach designed to identify sequences with high selectivity and tunable affinity. The selected peptides were conjugated on Poros resin and their LV binding-and-release performance was optimized by adjusting the flow rate, composition, and pH of the chromatographic buffers. Ligands GKEAAFAA and SRAFVGDADRD were selected for their high product yield (50%-60% of viral genomes; 40%-50% of HT1080 cell-transducing particles) upon elution in PIPES buffer with 0.65 M NaCl at pH 7.4. The peptide-based adsorbents also presented remarkable values of binding capacity (up to 3·109 TU per mL of resin, or 5·1011 vp per mL of resin, at the residence time of 1 min) and clearance of host cell proteins (up to a 220-fold reduction of HEK293 HCPs). Additionally, GKEAAFAA demonstrated high resistance to caustic cleaning-in-place (0.5 M NaOH, 30 min) with no observable loss in product yield and quality.

Delivery of gene editing therapeutics

For the past decades, gene editing demonstrated the potential to attenuate each of the root causes of genetic, infectious, immune, cancerous, and degenerative disorders. More recently, Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats-CRISPR-associated protein 9 (CRISPR-Cas9) editing proved effective for editing genomic, cancerous, or microbial DNA to limit disease onset or spread. However, the strategies to deliver CRISPR-Cas9 cargos and elicit protective immune responses requires safe delivery to disease targeted cells and tissues. While viral vector-based systems and viral particles demonstrate high efficiency and stable transgene expression, each are limited in their packaging capacities and secondary untoward immune responses. In contrast, the nonviral vector lipid nanoparticles were successfully used for as vaccine and therapeutic deliverables. Herein, we highlight each available gene delivery systems for treating and preventing a broad range of infectious, inflammatory, genetic, and degenerative diseases. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing for disease treatment and prevention is an emerging field that can change the outcome of many chronic debilitating disorders.

Neuronal SAM68 differentially regulates alternative last exon splicing and ensures proper synapse development and function

Alternative splicing in the 3'UTR of mammalian genes plays a crucial role in diverse biological processes, including cell differentiation and development. SAM68 is a key splicing regulator that controls the diversity of 3'UTR isoforms through alternative last exon (ALE) selection. However, the tissue/cell type-specific mechanisms underlying the splicing control at the 3' end and its functional significance remain unclear. Here, we show that SAM68 regulates ALE splicing in a dose-dependent manner and the neuronal splicing is differentially regulated depending on the characteristics of the target transcript. Specifically, we found that SAM68 regulates interleukin-1 receptor-associated protein splicing through the interaction with U1 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein. In contrast, the ALE splicing of protocadherin-15 (Pcdh15), a gene implicated in several neuropsychiatric disorders, is independent of U1 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein but modulated by the calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase signaling pathway. We found that the aberrant ALE selection of Pcdh15 led to a conversion from a membrane-bound to a soluble isoform and consequently disrupted its localization into excitatory and inhibitory synapses. Notably, the neuronal expression of the soluble form of PCDH15 preferentially affected the number of inhibitory synapses. Moreover, the soluble form of PCDH15 interacted physically with α-neurexins and further disrupted neuroligin-2-induced inhibitory synapses in artificial synapse formation assays. Our findings provide novel insights into the role of neuron-specific alternative 3'UTR isoform selections in synapse development.

Altered GM1 catabolism affects NMDAR-mediated Ca 2+ signaling at ER-PM junctions and increases synaptic spine formation

Endoplasmic reticulum-plasma membrane (ER-PM) junctions mediate Ca 2+ flux across neuronal membranes. The properties of these membrane contact sites are defined by their lipid content, but little attention has been given to glycosphingolipids (GSLs). Here, we show that GM1-ganglioside, an abundant GSL in neuronal membranes, is integral to ER-PM junctions; it interacts with synaptic proteins/receptors and regulates Ca 2+ signaling. In a model of the neurodegenerative lysosomal storage disease, GM1-gangliosidosis, pathogenic accumulation of GM1 at ER-PM junctions due to β-galactosidase deficiency drastically alters neuronal Ca 2+ homeostasis. Mechanistically, we show that GM1 interacts with the phosphorylated NMDAR Ca 2+ channel, thereby increasing Ca 2+ flux, activating ERK signaling, and increasing the number of synaptic spines without increasing synaptic connectivity. Thus, GM1 clustering at ER-PM junctions alters synaptic plasticity and exacerbates the generalized neuronal cell death characteristic of GM1-gangliosidosis.

PTPδ is a presynaptic organizer for the formation and maintenance of climbing fiber to Purkinje cell synapses in the developing cerebellum

Functionally mature neural circuits are shaped during postnatal development by eliminating redundant synapses formed during the perinatal period. In the cerebellum of neonatal rodents, each Purkinje cell (PC) receives synaptic inputs from multiple (more than 4) climbing fibers (CFs). During the first 3 postnatal weeks, synaptic inputs from a single CF become markedly larger and those from the other CFs are eliminated in each PC, leading to mono-innervation of each PC by a strong CF in adulthood. While molecules involved in the strengthening and elimination of CF synapses during postnatal development are being elucidated, much less is known about the molecular mechanisms underlying CF synapse formation during the early postnatal period. Here, we show experimental evidence that suggests that a synapse organizer, PTPδ, is required for early postnatal CF synapse formation and the subsequent establishment of CF to PC synaptic wiring. We showed that PTPδ was localized at CF-PC synapses from postnatal day 0 (P0) irrespective of the expression of Aldolase C (Aldoc), a major marker of PC that distinguishes the cerebellar compartments. We found that the extension of a single strong CF along PC dendrites (CF translocation) was impaired in global PTPδ knockout (KO) mice from P12 to P29-31 predominantly in PCs that did not express Aldoc [Aldoc (-) PCs]. We also demonstrated via morphological and electrophysiological analyses that the number of CFs innervating individual PCs in PTPδ KO mice were fewer than in wild-type (WT) mice from P3 to P13 with a significant decrease in the strength of CF synaptic inputs in cerebellar anterior lobules where most PCs are Aldoc (-). Furthermore, CF-specific PTPδ-knockdown (KD) caused a reduction in the number of CFs innervating PCs with decreased CF synaptic inputs at P10-13 in anterior lobules. We found a mild impairment of motor performance in adult PTPδ KO mice. These results indicate that PTPδ acts as a presynaptic organizer for CF-PC formation and is required for normal CF-PC synaptic transmission, CF translocation, and presumably CF synapse maintenance predominantly in Aldoc (-) PCs. Furthermore, this study suggests that the impaired CF-PC synapse formation and development by the lack of PTPδ causes mild impairment of motor performance.

Generation of Stable Cell Lines Expressing Golgi Reassembly Stacking Proteins (GRASPs) by Viral Transduction

Stable cell lines that express a gene of specific interest provide an advantage over transient gene expression by reducing variations in transfection efficiency between experiments, sustaining expression for long-term studies, and controlling expression levels in particular if a clonal population is selected. Transient transfection requires introduction of an exogenous gene into host cells via typically harsh chemicals or conditions that permeabilize the cell membrane, which does not normally integrate into the target cell genome. Here, we describe the method of using retroviral transduction to stably express Golgi proteins fused to a promiscuous biotin ligase (TurboID) in HeLa cells, thus creating cell lines that can be leveraged in studies of the proximome/interactome. We also demonstrate a similar protocol for stable expression of a Golgi protein fused to a fluorescent tag via lentiviral transduction. These methods can be further adapted to establish other cell lines with different sub-cellular markers or fusion tags. Viral transduction is a convenient method to create stable cell lines in cell-based studies.

Gene Therapy in Orthopaedics: Progress and Challenges in Pre-Clinical Development and Translation

In orthopaedics, gene-based treatment approaches are being investigated for an array of common -yet medically challenging- pathologic conditions of the skeletal connective tissues and structures (bone, cartilage, ligament, tendon, joints, intervertebral discs etc.). As the skeletal system protects the vital organs and provides weight-bearing structural support, the various tissues are principally composed of dense extracellular matrix (ECM), often with minimal cellularity and vasculature. Due to their functional roles, composition, and distribution throughout the body the skeletal tissues are prone to traumatic injury, and/or structural failure from chronic inflammation and matrix degradation. Due to a mixture of environment and endogenous factors repair processes are often slow and fail to restore the native quality of the ECM and its function. In other cases, large-scale lesions from severe trauma or tumor surgery, exceed the body’s healing and regenerative capacity. Although a wide range of exogenous gene products (proteins and RNAs) have the potential to enhance tissue repair/regeneration and inhibit degenerative disease their clinical use is hindered by the absence of practical methods for safe, effective delivery. Cumulatively, a large body of evidence demonstrates the capacity to transfer coding sequences for biologic agents to cells in the skeletal tissues to achieve prolonged delivery at functional levels to augment local repair or inhibit pathologic processes. With an eye toward clinical translation, we discuss the research progress in the primary injury and disease targets in orthopaedic gene therapy. Technical considerations important to the exploration and pre-clinical development are presented, with an emphasis on vector technologies and delivery strategies whose capacity to generate and sustain functional transgene expression in vivo is well-established.

The myogenesis program drives clonal selection and drug resistance in rhabdomyosarcoma

Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is a pediatric cancer with features of skeletal muscle; patients with unresectable or metastatic RMS fare poorly due to high rates of disease recurrence. Here, we use single-cell and single-nucleus RNA sequencing to show that RMS tumors recapitulate the spectrum of embryonal myogenesis. Using matched patient samples from a clinical trial and orthotopic patient-derived xenografts (O-PDXs), we show that chemotherapy eliminates the most proliferative component with features of myoblasts within embryonal RMS; after treatment, the immature population with features of paraxial mesoderm expands to reconstitute the developmental hierarchy of the original tumor. We discovered that this paraxial mesoderm population is dependent on EGFR signaling and is sensitive to EGFR inhibitors. Taken together, these data serve as a proof of concept that targeting each developmental state in embryonal RMS is an effective strategy for improving outcomes by preventing disease recurrence.

Pseudotyped lentiviral vectors: Ready for translation into targeted cancer gene therapy?

Gene therapy holds great promise for curing cancer by editing the deleterious genes of tumor cells, but the lack of vector systems for efficient delivery of genetic material into specific tumor sites in vivo has limited its full therapeutic potential in cancer gene therapy. Over the past two decades, increasing studies have shown that lentiviral vectors (LVs) modified with different glycoproteins from a donating virus, a process referred to as pseudotyping, have altered tropism and display cell-type specificity in transduction, leading to selective tumor cell killing. This feature of LVs together with their ability to enable high efficient gene delivery in dividing and non-dividing mammalian cells in vivo make them to be attractive tools in future cancer gene therapy. This review is intended to summarize the status quo of some typical pseudotypings of LVs and their applications in basic anti-cancer studies across many malignancies. The opportunities of translating pseudotyped LVs into clinic use in cancer therapy have also been discussed.

Amygdala Underlies the Environment Dependency of Defense Responses Induced via Superior Colliculus

In our previous study, we showed that the defense responses induced by the selective optogenetic activation of the uncrossed output pathway from the deeper layer of the superior colliculus were environment dependent in the mouse. In a small closed box, the stimulus frequently induced flight (fast forward run away) responses, while in a large open field, the stimulus tended to induce backward retreat responses. We tested a hypothesis that the amygdala is involved in such environment dependency of the innate defense responses. For this purpose, we made a bilateral lesion of the amygdala induced by the ibotenic acid injections in male mice. As a result, in the mice with lesions of substantial portions of the basolateral and basomedial complex, the flight responses in the closed box disappeared and retreat responses were mainly induced. The retreat responses on the open platform were unchanged. Classically, the amygdala has been considered to be involved in the memory-dependent contextual modulation of the fear responses. In contrast, the present results suggest a novel view on the role of the amygdala in which the amygdala plays a key role in sensing the current environmental setting for making a quick decision of action upon emergency, which is critical for survival in the natural environment.

Cas9 protein delivery non-integrating lentiviral vectors for gene correction in sickle cell disease

Gene editing with the CRISPR-Cas9 system could revolutionize hematopoietic stem cell (HSC)-targeted gene therapy for hereditary diseases, including sickle cell disease (SCD). Conventional delivery of editing tools by electroporation limits HSC fitness due to its toxicity; therefore, efficient and non-toxic delivery remains crucial. Integrating lentiviral vectors are established for therapeutic gene delivery to engraftable HSCs in gene therapy trials; however, their sustained expression and size limitation preclude their use for CRISPR-Cas9 delivery. Here, we developed a Cas9 protein delivery non-integrating lentiviral system encoding guide RNA and donor DNA, allowing for transient endonuclease function and inclusion of all editing tools in a single vector (all-in-one). We demonstrated efficient one-time correction of the SCD mutation in the endogenous βs-globin gene up to 42% at the protein level (p < 0.01) with the Cas9 protein delivery non-integrating lentiviral all-in-one system without electroporation. Our findings improve prospects for efficient and safe genome editing.

Lentiviral Vector Bioprocessing

Lentiviral vectors (LVs) are potent tools for the delivery of genes of interest into mammalian cells and are now commonly utilised within the growing field of cell and gene therapy for the treatment of monogenic diseases and adoptive therapies such as chimeric antigen T-cell (CAR-T) therapy. This is a comprehensive review of the individual bioprocess operations employed in LV production. We highlight the role of envelope proteins in vector design as well as their impact on the bioprocessing of lentiviral vectors. An overview of the current state of these operations provides opportunities for bioprocess discovery and improvement with emphasis on the considerations for optimal and scalable processing of LV during development and clinical production. Upstream culture for LV generation is described with comparisons on the different transfection methods and various bioreactors for suspension and adherent producer cell cultivation. The purification of LV is examined, evaluating different sequences of downstream process operations for both small- and large-scale production requirements. For scalable operations, a key focus is the development in chromatographic purification in addition to an in-depth examination of the application of tangential flow filtration. A summary of vector quantification and characterisation assays is also presented. Finally, the assessment of the whole bioprocess for LV production is discussed to benefit from the broader understanding of potential interactions of the different process options. This review is aimed to assist in the achievement of high quality, high concentration lentiviral vectors from robust and scalable processes.

Viral vector platforms within the gene therapy landscape

Throughout its 40-year history, the field of gene therapy has been marked by many transitions. It has seen great strides in combating human disease, has given hope to patients and families with limited treatment options, but has also been subject to many setbacks. Treatment of patients with this class of investigational drugs has resulted in severe adverse effects and, even in rare cases, death. At the heart of this dichotomous field are the viral-based vectors, the delivery vehicles that have allowed researchers and clinicians to develop powerful drug platforms, and have radically changed the face of medicine. Within the past 5 years, the gene therapy field has seen a wave of drugs based on viral vectors that have gained regulatory approval that come in a variety of designs and purposes. These modalities range from vector-based cancer therapies, to treating monogenic diseases with life-altering outcomes. At present, the three key vector strategies are based on adenoviruses, adeno-associated viruses, and lentiviruses. They have led the way in preclinical and clinical successes in the past two decades. However, despite these successes, many challenges still limit these approaches from attaining their full potential. To review the viral vector-based gene therapy landscape, we focus on these three highly regarded vector platforms and describe mechanisms of action and their roles in treating human disease.

Dissecting the Tectal Output Channels for Orienting and Defense Responses

Electrical stimulation and lesion experiments in 1980’s suggested that the crossed descending pathway from the deeper layers of superior colliculus (SCd) controls orienting responses, while the uncrossed pathway mediates defense-like behavior. To overcome the limitation of these classical studies and explicitly dissect the structure and function of these two pathways, we performed selective optogenetic activation of each pathway in male mice with channelrhodopsin 2 (ChR2) expression by Cre driver using double viral vector techniques. Brief photostimulation of the crossed pathway evoked short latency contraversive orienting-like head turns, while extended stimulation induced body turn responses. In contrast, stimulation of the uncrossed pathway induced short-latency upward head movements followed by longer-latency defense-like behaviors including retreat and flight. The novel discovery was that while the evoked orienting responses were stereotyped, the defense-like responses varied considerably depending on the environment, suggesting that uncrossed output can be influenced by top-down modification of the SC or its target areas. This further suggests that the connection of the SCd-defense system with non-motor, affective and cognitive structures. Tracing the whole axonal trajectories of these two pathways revealed existence of both ascending and descending branches targeting different areas in the thalamus, midbrain, pons, medulla, and/or spinal cord, including projections which could not be detected in the classical studies; the crossed pathway has some ipsilaterally descending collaterals and the uncrossed pathway has some contralaterally descending collaterals. Some of the connections might explain the context-dependent modulation of the defense-like responses. Thus, the classical views on the tectal output systems are updated.

Rapid Lentiviral Vector Producer Cell Line Generation Using a Single DNA Construct

Stable suspension producer cell lines for the production of vesicular stomatitis virus envelope glycoprotein (VSVg)-pseudotyped lentiviral vectors represent an attractive alternative to current widely used production methods based on transient transfection of adherent 293T cells with multiple plasmids. We report here a method to rapidly generate such producer cell lines from 293T cells by stable transfection of a single DNA construct encoding all lentiviral vector components. The resulting suspension cell lines yield titers as high as can be achieved with transient transfection, can be readily scaled up in single-use stirred-tank bioreactors, and are genetically and functionally stable in extended cell culture. By removing the requirement for efficient transient transfection during upstream processing of lentiviral vectors and switching to an inherently scalable suspension cell culture format, we believe that this approach will result in significantly higher batch yields than are possible with current manufacturing processes and enable better patient access to medicines based on lentiviral vectors.

Lentiviral delivery of human erythropoietin attenuates hippocampal atrophy and improves cognition in the R6/2 mouse model of Huntington's disease

Huntington's disease (HD) is an incurable neurodegenerative disorder caused by a trinucleotide (CAG) repeat expansion in the huntingtin gene (HTT). The R6/2 transgenic mouse model of HD expresses exon 1 of the human HTT gene with approximately 150 CAG repeats. R6/2 mice develop progressive behavioural abnormalities, impaired neurogenesis, and atrophy of several brain regions. In recent years, erythropoietin (EPO) has been shown to confer neuroprotection and enhance neurogenesis, rendering it a promising molecule to attenuate HD symptoms. In this study, the therapeutic potential of EPO was evaluated in female R6/2 transgenic mice. A single bilateral injection of a lentivirus encoding human EPO (LV-hEPO) was performed into the lateral ventricles of R6/2 mice at disease onset (8 weeks of age). Control groups were either untreated or injected with a lentivirus encoding green fluorescent protein (LV-GFP). Thirty days after virus administration, hEPO mRNA and protein were present in injected R6/2 brains. Compared to control R6/2 mice, LV-hEPO-treated R6/2 mice exhibited reduced hippocampal atrophy, increased neuroblast branching towards the dentate granular cell layer, and improved spatial cognition. Our results suggest that LV-hEPO administration may be a promising strategy to reduce cognitive impairment in HD.

The mRNA-Binding Protein IGF2BP1 Restores Fetal Hemoglobin in Cultured Erythroid Cells from Patients with β-Hemoglobin Disorders

Sickle cell disease (SCD) and β-thalassemia are caused by structural abnormality or inadequate production of adult hemoglobin (HbA, α₂β₂), respectively. Individuals with either disorder are asymptomatic before birth because fetal hemoglobin (HbF, α₂γ₂) is unaffected. Thus, reversal of the switch from HbF to HbA could reduce or even prevent symptoms these disorders. In this study, we show that insulin-like growth factor 2 mRNA-binding protein 1 (IGF2BP1) is one factor that could accomplish this goal. IGF2BP1 is a fetal factor that undergoes a transcriptional switch consistent with the transition from HbF to HbA. Lentivirus delivery of IGF2BP1 to CD34⁺ cells of healthy adult donors reversed hemoglobin production toward the fetal type in culture-differentiated erythroid cells. Analogous studies using patient-derived CD34⁺ cells revealed that IGF2BP1-dependent HbF induction could ameliorate the chain imbalance in β-thalassemia or potently suppress expression of sickle β-globin in SCD. In all cases, fetal γ-globin mRNA increased and adult β-globin decreased due, in part, to formation of contacts between the locus control region (LCR) and γ-globin genes. We conclude that expression of IGF2BP1 in adult erythroid cells has the potential to maximize HbF expression in patients with severe β-hemoglobin disorders by reversing the developmental γ- to β-globin switch.

Generation of a neutralizing antibody against RD114-pseudotyped viral vectors

The feline endogenous RD114 glycoprotein has proved to be an attractive envelope to pseudotype both retroviral and lentiviral vectors. As a surface protein, its detection on packaging cells as well as viral particles would be useful in different fields of its use. To address this, we generated a monoclonal antibody against RD114 by immunization of rats, termed 22F10. Once seroconversion was confirmed, purified 22F10 was cloned into murine Fc and characterized with a binding affinity of 10nM. The antibody was used to detect RD114 and its variant envelopes on different stable viral packaging cell lines (FLYRD18 and WinPac-RD). 22F10 was also shown to prevent the infections of different strains of RD-pseudotyped vectors but not related envelope glycoproteins by blocking cell surface receptor binding. We are the first to report the neutralization of viral particles by a monoclonal αRD114 antibody.

Development of a forward-oriented therapeutic lentiviral vector for hemoglobin disorders

Hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) gene therapy is being evaluated for hemoglobin disorders including sickle cell disease (SCD). Therapeutic globin vectors have demanding requirements including high-efficiency transduction at the HSC level and high-level, erythroid-specific expression with long-term persistence. The requirement of intron 2 for high-level β-globin expression dictates a reverse-oriented globin-expression cassette to prevent its loss from RNA splicing. Current reverse-oriented globin vectors can drive phenotypic correction, but they are limited by low vector titers and low transduction efficiencies. Here we report a clinically relevant forward-oriented β-globin-expressing vector, which has sixfold higher vector titers and four to tenfold higher transduction efficiency for long-term hematopoietic repopulating cells in humanized mice and rhesus macaques. Insertion of Rev response element (RRE) allows intron 2 to be retained, and β-globin production is observed in transplanted macaques and human SCD CD34+ cells. These findings bring us closer to a widely applicable gene therapy for hemoglobin disorders.

Improved GaLV-TR Glycoproteins to Pseudotype Lentiviral Vectors: Impact of Viral Protease Activity in the Production of LV Pseudotypes

Lentiviral vectors (LVs) are excellent tools for gene transfer into mammalian cells. It is noteworthy that the first gene therapy treatment using LVs was approved for commercialization in 2017. The G glycoprotein from rhabdovirus vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV-G) is the glycoprotein most used to pseudotype LVs, due to its high efficiency in transducing several cell types and its resistance to viral vector purification and storage conditions. However, VSV-G expression induces cytotoxicity, which limits LV production to short periods. As alternative to VSV-G, γ-retrovirus glycoproteins (4070A derived, GaLV derived, and RD114 derived) have been used to pseudotype both γ-retroviral vectors (RVs) and LVs. These glycoproteins do not induce cytotoxicity, allowing the development of stable LV producer cells. Additionally, these LV pseudotypes present higher transduction efficiencies of hematopoietic stem cells when compared to VSV-G. Here, new 4070A-, RD114-TR-, and GaLV-TR-derived glycoproteins were developed with the aim of improving its cytoplasmic tail R-peptide cleavage and thus increase LV infectious titers. The new glycoproteins were tested in transient LV production using the wild-type or the less active T26S HIV-1 protease. The GaLV-TR-derived glycoproteins were able to overcome titer differences observed between LV production using wild-type and T26S protease. Additionally, these glycoproteins were even able to increase LV titers, evidencing its potential as an alternative glycoprotein to pseudotype LVs.

High-Efficiency Lentiviral Transduction of Human CD34+ Cells in High-Density Culture with Poloxamer and Prostaglandin E2

Hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) gene therapy is curative for various hereditary diseases; however, high-efficiency transduction in HSCs remains crucial to improve the prospects for hemoglobinopathies. We previously optimized lentiviral transduction in human CD34⁺ cells with serum-free medium containing minimal cytokines, allowing efficient transduction (∼50%) and robust xenograft engraftment. In this study, we further improved lentiviral transduction in human CD34⁺ cells. High-density culture conditions (4e6/mL) resulted in ∼5-fold more efficient transduction in CD34⁺ cells (p < 0.01) compared with standard cell density (1e5/mL). After co-culturing vector-exposed CD34⁺ cells with non-transduced CD34⁺ cells, high-density culture conditions enhanced lentiviral gene marking in the non-transduced population (p < 0.01) compared with low-density conditions, suggesting that increasing cell-to-cell contact allows more efficient transduction. Two adjuvants, poloxamer 407 (100 μg/mL) and prostaglandin E2 (10 μM), were added to high-density CD34⁺ cells, resulting in ∼4-fold more efficient transduction (p < 0.01) without significant toxicity compared with no adjuvant control. In summary, we developed a highly efficient lentiviral transduction method in high-density CD34⁺ cell culture with poloxamer 407 and prostaglandin E2, allowing overall ∼10-fold improvement in transduction efficiency and consistently achieving more than 90% transduction and an average vector copy number of ∼10. Our optimized transduction method should improve gene therapy approaches using lentiviral vectors targeting HSCs.

Enhancement of the transduction efficiency of a lentiviral vector for neuron-specific retrograde gene delivery through the point mutation of fusion glycoprotein type E

BACKGROUND

Pseudotyping of a lentiviral vector with fusion glycoproteins composed of rabies virus glycoprotein (RVG) and vesicular stomatitis virus glycoprotein (VSVG) segments achieves high gene transfer efficiency through retrograde transport in the nervous system. In our previous study, we determined the junction of RVG/VSVG segments of glycoproteins that enhances the transduction efficiency of the neuron-specific retrograde gene transfer (NeuRet) vector (termed fusion glycoprotein type E or FuG-E).

NEW METHOD

We aimed to optimize the amino acid residue at position 440 in the membrane-proximal region of FuG-E to improve the efficiency of retrograde gene transfer in the brain.

RESULTS

We constructed variants of FuG-E with 18 kinds of single amino acid substitutions at residue 440 to generate lentiviral vectors pseudotyped with these variants, and tested in vivo gene transfer of the vectors in the mouse brain. The FuG-E (P440E) variant, in which proline was substituted by glutamate at residue 440 in FuG-E, showed the greatest retrograde gene transfer efficiency in the brain, bearing the property of the NeuRet vector. The FuG-E (P440E) pseudotype also displayed efficient retrograde gene transfer in the common marmoset brain.

COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHODS

The NeuRet vector with the FuG-E (P440E) variant demonstrated higher retrograde gene transfer efficiency into different neural pathways compared with the parental FuG-E vector.

CONCLUSIONS

The FuG-E (P440E) pseudotype provides a powerful tool to investigate neural circuit mechanisms underlying various brain functions and for gene therapy trials of neurological and neurodegenerative diseases.

Endothelial cell α-globin and its molecular chaperone α-hemoglobin-stabilizing protein regulate arteriolar contractility

Arteriolar endothelial cell-expressed (EC-expressed) α-globin binds endothelial NOS (eNOS) and degrades its enzymatic product, NO, via dioxygenation, thereby lessening the vasodilatory effects of NO on nearby vascular smooth muscle. Although this reaction potentially affects vascular physiology, the mechanisms that regulate α-globin expression and dioxygenase activity in ECs are unknown. Without β-globin, α-globin is unstable and cytotoxic, particularly in its oxidized form, which is generated by dioxygenation and recycled via endogenous reductases. We show that the molecular chaperone α-hemoglobin-stabilizing protein (AHSP) promotes arteriolar α-globin expression in vivo and facilitates its reduction by eNOS. In Ahsp-/- mice, EC α-globin was decreased by 70%. Ahsp-/- and Hba1-/- mice exhibited similar evidence of increased vascular NO signaling, including arteriolar dilation, blunted α1-adrenergic vasoconstriction, and reduced blood pressure. Purified α-globin bound eNOS or AHSP, but not both together. In ECs in culture, eNOS or AHSP enhanced α-globin expression posttranscriptionally. However, only AHSP prevented oxidized α-globin precipitation in solution. Finally, eNOS reduced AHSP-bound α-globin approximately 6-fold faster than did the major erythrocyte hemoglobin reductases (cytochrome B5 reductase plus cytochrome B5). Our data support a model whereby redox-sensitive shuttling of EC α-globin between AHSP and eNOS regulates EC NO degradation and vascular tone.

Serum-free Erythroid Differentiation for Efficient Genetic Modification and High-Level Adult Hemoglobin Production

In vitro erythroid differentiation from primary human cells is valuable to develop genetic strategies for hemoglobin disorders. However, current erythroid differentiation methods are encumbered by modest transduction rates and high baseline fetal hemoglobin production. In this study, we sought to improve both genetic modification and hemoglobin production among human erythroid cells in vitro. To model therapeutic strategies, we transduced human CD34⁺ cells and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) with lentiviral vectors and compared erythropoietin-based erythroid differentiation using fetal-bovine-serum-containing media and serum-free media. We observed more efficient transduction (85%-93%) in serum-free media than serum-containing media (20%-69%), whereas the addition of knockout serum replacement (KSR) was required for serum-free media to promote efficient erythroid differentiation (96%). High-level adult hemoglobin production detectable by electrophoresis was achieved using serum-free media similar to serum-containing media. Importantly, low fetal hemoglobin production was observed in the optimized serum-free media. Using KSR-containing, serum-free erythroid differentiation media, therapeutic adult hemoglobin production was detected at protein levels with β-globin lentiviral transduction in both CD34⁺ cells and PBMCs from sickle cell disease subjects. Our in vitro erythroid differentiation system provides a practical evaluation platform for adult hemoglobin production among human erythroid cells following genetic manipulation.

Neuroligin-induced presynaptic differentiation through SLM2-mediated splicing modifications of neurexin in cerebellar cultures

Neurexins (NRXs) and neuroligins (NLs) play important roles in synapse specification. The alternatively spliced segment 4 (AS4) of NRX genes (Nrxn) is a critical element in selective trans-synaptic interactions. However, the role of splicing of NRXs and NLs in synapse specification is not fully understood. To investigate the exact role of splice-dependent NRX-NL interaction in the specification of glutamatergic and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-ergic synapses in the cerebellum, we evaluated the synaptogenic receptor activity of NL1/2/3 isoforms in a neuron-fibroblast co-culture system, in which the Nrxn AS4 segments are manipulated using SLM2, a selective and dominant regulator of AS4 splicing. We show that ectopic SLM2 expression (SLM2 E/E) causes marked skipping of exon 20 of AS4 in cerebellar neuron culture. Whereas NLs can induce VAMP2⁺ presynaptic contacts from mainly glutamatergic neurons in both uninfected (control) and SLM2 E/E co-cultures, they induce VGAT⁺ GABAergic contacts in the control culture, but not properly in the SLM2 E/E culture. Furthermore, Nrxn3 is responsible for the NL-induced assembly of GABAergic synapses in co-culture. Importantly, lentivirus-based expression of Nrxn3 containing exon 20 restores the reduced NL-induced GABAergic contacts in the SLM2 E/E co-culture. Therefore, our findings may provide further insights into NRX-NL mediated synapse specification.

Spatio-temporal and dynamic regulation of neurofascin alternative splicing in mouse cerebellar neurons

Alternative splicing is crucial for molecular diversification, which greatly contributes to the complexity and specificity of neural functions in the central nervous system (CNS). Neurofascin (NF) is a polymorphic cell surface protein that has a number of splicing isoforms. As the alternative splicing of the neurofascin gene (Nfasc) is developmentally regulated, NF isoforms have distinct functions in immature and mature brains. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the alternative splicing of Nfasc in neurons are not yet understood. Here, we demonstrate that, alongside developmental regulation, Nfasc alternative splicing is spatially controlled in the mouse brain. We then identified distinct Nfasc splicing patterns at the cell-type level in the cerebellum, with Nfasc186 being expressed in Purkinje cells and absent from granule cells (GCs). Furthermore, we show that high K⁺-induced depolarization triggers a shift in splicing from Nfasc140 to Nfasc186 in cerebellar GCs. Finally, we identified a neural RNA-binding protein, Rbfox, as a key player in neural NF isoform selection, specifically controlling splicing at exons 26−29. Together, our results show that Nfasc alternative splicing is spatio-temporally and dynamically regulated in cerebellar neurons. Our findings provide profound insight into the mechanisms underlying the functional diversity of neuronal cell-adhesive proteins in the mammalian CNS.

Retrograde BDNF to TrkB signaling promotes synapse elimination in the developing cerebellum

Elimination of early-formed redundant synapses during postnatal development is essential for functional neural circuit formation. Purkinje cells (PCs) in the neonatal cerebellum are innervated by multiple climbing fibers (CFs). A single CF is strengthened whereas the other CFs are eliminated in each PC dependent on postsynaptic activity in PC, but the underlying mechanisms are largely unknown. Here, we report that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) from PC facilitates CF synapse elimination. By PC-specific deletion of BDNF combined with knockdown of BDNF receptors in CF, we show that BDNF acts retrogradely on TrkB in CFs, and facilitates elimination of CF synapses from PC somata during the third postnatal week. We also show that BDNF shares signaling pathway with metabotropic glutamate receptor 1, a key molecule that triggers a canonical pathway for CF synapse elimination. These results indicate that unlike other synapses, BDNF mediates punishment signal for synapse elimination in the developing cerebellum.

During development, synapses are selectively strengthened or eliminated by activity-dependent competition. Here, the authors show that BDNF-TrkB retrograde signaling is a “punishment” signal that leads to elimination of climbing fiber-onto-Purkinje cell synapses in the developing cerebellum.

IGF2BP1 overexpression causes fetal-like hemoglobin expression patterns in cultured human adult erythroblasts

Here we investigated in primary human erythroid tissues a downstream element of the heterochronic let-7 miRNA pathway, the insulin-like growth factor 2 mRNA-binding protein 1 (IGF2BP1), for its potential to affect the hemoglobin profiles in human erythroblasts. Comparison of adult bone marrow to fetal liver lysates demonstrated developmental silencing in IGF2BP1. Erythroid-specific overexpression of IGF2BP1 caused a nearly complete and pancellular reversal of the adult pattern of hemoglobin expression toward a more fetal-like phenotype. The reprogramming of hemoglobin expression was achieved at the transcriptional level by increased gamma-globin combined with decreased beta-globin transcripts resulting in gamma-globin rising to 90% of total beta-like mRNA. Delta-globin mRNA was reduced to barely detectable levels. Alpha-globin levels were not significantly changed. Fetal hemoglobin achieved levels of 68.6 ± 3.9% in the IGF2BP1 overexpression samples compared with 5.0 ± 1.8% in donor matched transduction controls. In part, these changes were mediated by reduced protein expression of the transcription factor BCL11A. mRNA stability and polysome studies suggest IGF2BP1 mediates posttranscriptional loss of BCL11A. These results suggest a mechanism for chronoregulation of fetal and adult hemoglobin expression in humans.

CRISPR-Mediated Knockout of Cybb in NSG Mice Establishes a Model of Chronic Granulomatous Disease for Human Stem-Cell Gene Therapy Transplants

Chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) is characterized by defects in the production of microbicidal reactive oxygen species (ROS) by phagocytes. Testing of gene and cell therapies for the treatment of CGD in human hematopoietic cells requires preclinical transplant models. The use of the lymphocyte-deficient NOD.Cg-Prkdc^scid Il2rg^tm1Wjl/SzJ (NSG) mouse strain for human hematopoietic cell xenografts to test CGD therapies is complicated by the presence of functional mouse granulocytes capable of producing ROS for subsequent bacterial and fungal killing. To establish a phagocyte-defective mouse model of X-linked CGD (X-CGD) in NSG mice, clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9 was utilized for targeted knockout of mouse Cybb on the X-chromosome by microinjection of NSG mouse zygotes with Cas9 mRNA and CRISPR single-guide RNA targeting Cybb exon 1 or exon 3. This resulted in a high incidence of indel formation at the CRISPR target site, with all mice exhibiting deletions in at least one Cybb allele based on sequence analysis of tail snip DNA. A female mouse heterozygous for a 235-bp deletion in Cybb exon 1 was bred to an NSG male to establish the X-CGD NSG mouse strain, NSG.Cybb[KO]. Resulting male offspring with the 235 bp deletion were found to be defective for production of ROS by neutrophils and other phagocytes, and demonstrated increased susceptibility to spontaneous bacterial and fungal infections with granulomatous inflammation. The establishment of the phagocyte-defective NSG.Cybb[KO] mouse model enables the in vivo assessment of gene and cell therapy strategies for treating CGD in human hematopoietic cell transplants without obfuscation by functional mouse phagocytes, and may also be useful for modeling other phagocyte disorders in humanized NSG mouse xenografts.

The use of an optimized chimeric envelope glycoprotein enhances the efficiency of retrograde gene transfer of a pseudotyped lentiviral vector in the primate brain

Lentiviral vectors have been used not only for various basic research experiments, but also for a wide range of gene therapy trials in animal models. The development of a pseudotyped lentiviral vector with the property of retrograde infection allows us to introduce foreign genes into neurons that are localized in regions innervating the site of vector injection. Here, we report the efficiency of retrograde gene transfer of a recently developed FuG-E pseudotyped lentiviral vector in the primate brain by comparing its transduction pattern with that of the parental FuG-C pseudotyped vector. After injection of the FuG-E vector encoding green fluorescent protein (GFP) into the striatum of macaque monkeys, many GFP-immunoreactive neurons were found in regions projecting to the striatum, such as the cerebral cortex, thalamus, and substantia nigra. Quantitative analysis revealed that in all regions, the number of neurons retrogradely transduced with the FuG-E vector was larger than in the FuG-C vector injection case. It was also confirmed that the FuG-E vector displayed explicit neuronal specificity to the same extent as the FuG-C vector. This vector might promote approaches to pathway-selective gene manipulation and provide a powerful tool for effective gene therapy trials against neurological disorders through enhanced retrograde delivery.

RNA Trans-Splicing Targeting Endogenous β-Globin Pre-Messenger RNA in Human Erythroid Cells

Sickle cell disease results from a point mutation in exon 1 of the β-globin gene (total 3 exons). Replacing sickle β-globin exon 1 (and exon 2) with a normal sequence by trans-splicing is a potential therapeutic strategy. Therefore, this study sought to develop trans-splicing targeting β-globin pre-messenger RNA among human erythroid cells. Binding domains from random β-globin sequences were comprehensively screened. Six candidates had optimal binding, and all targeted intron 2. Next, lentiviral vectors encoding RNA trans-splicing molecules were constructed incorporating a unique binding domain from these candidates, artificial 5' splice site, and γ-globin cDNA, and trans-splicing was evaluated in CD34⁺ cell-derived erythroid cells from healthy individuals. Lentiviral transduction was efficient, with vector copy numbers of 9.7 to 15.3. The intended trans-spliced RNA product, including exon 3 of endogenous β-globin and γ-globin, was detected at the molecular level. Trans-splicing efficiency was improved to 0.07-0.09% by longer binding domains, including the 5' splice site of intron 2. In summary, screening was performed to select efficient binding domains for trans-splicing. Detectable levels of trans-splicing were obtained for endogenous β-globin RNA in human erythroid cells. These methods provide the basis for future trans-splicing directed gene therapy.

Safe and Effective Gene Therapy for Murine Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome Using an Insulated Lentiviral Vector

Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome (WAS) is a life-threatening immunodeficiency caused by mutations within the WAS gene. Viral gene therapy to restore WAS protein (WASp) expression in hematopoietic cells of patients with WAS has the potential to improve outcomes relative to the current standard of care, allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. However, the development of viral vectors that are both safe and effective has been problematic. While use of viral transcriptional promoters may increase the risk of insertional mutagenesis, cellular promoters may not achieve WASp expression levels necessary for optimal therapeutic effect. Here we evaluate a self-inactivating (SIN) lentiviral vector combining a chromatin insulator upstream of a viral MND (MPSV LTR, NCR deleted, dl587 PBS) promoter driving WASp expression. Used as a gene therapeutic in Was^−/− mice, this vector resulted in stable WASp⁺ cells in all hematopoietic lineages and rescue of T and B cell defects with a low number of viral integrations per cell, without evidence of insertional mutagenesis in serial bone marrow transplants. In a gene transfer experiment in non-human primates, the insulated MND promoter (driving GFP expression) demonstrated long-term polyclonal engraftment of GFP⁺ cells. These observations demonstrate that the insulated MND promoter safely and efficiently reconstitutes clinically effective WASp expression and should be considered for future WAS therapy.

A quantitative proteomics approach identifies ETV6 and IKZF1 as new regulators of an ERG-driven transcriptional network

Aberrant stem cell-like gene regulatory networks are a feature of leukaemogenesis. The ETS-related gene (ERG), an important regulator of normal haematopoiesis, is also highly expressed in T-ALL and acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). However, the transcriptional regulation of ERG in leukaemic cells remains poorly understood. In order to discover transcriptional regulators of ERG, we employed a quantitative mass spectrometry-based method to identify factors binding the 321 bp ERG +85 stem cell enhancer region in MOLT-4 T-ALL and KG-1 AML cells. Using this approach, we identified a number of known binders of the +85 enhancer in leukaemic cells along with previously unknown binders, including ETV6 and IKZF1. We confirmed that ETV6 and IKZF1 were also bound at the +85 enhancer in both leukaemic cells and in healthy human CD34+ haematopoietic stem and progenitor cells. Knockdown experiments confirmed that ETV6 and IKZF1 are transcriptional regulators not just of ERG, but also of a number of genes regulated by a densely interconnected network of seven transcription factors. At last, we show that ETV6 and IKZF1 expression levels are positively correlated with expression of a number of heptad genes in AML and high expression of all nine genes confers poorer overall prognosis.

HMGA2 Moderately Increases Fetal Hemoglobin Expression in Human Adult Erythroblasts

Induction of fetal hemoglobin (HbF) has therapeutic importance for patients with beta-hemoglobin disorders. Previous studies showed that let-7 microRNAs (miRNAs) are highly regulated in erythroid cells during the fetal-to-adult developmental transition, and that targeting let-7 mediated the up-regulation of HbF to greater than 30% of the total globin levels in human adult cultured erythroblasts. HMGA2 is a member of the high-mobility group A family of proteins and a validated target of the let-7 family of miRNAs. Here we investigate whether expression of HMGA2 directly regulates fetal hemoglobin in adult erythroblasts. Let-7 resistant HMGA2 expression was studied after lentiviral transduction of CD34(+) cells. The transgene was regulated by the erythroid-specific gene promoter region of the human SPTA1 gene (HMGA2-OE). HMGA2-OE caused significant increases in gamma-globin mRNA expression and HbF to around 16% of the total hemoglobin levels compared to matched control transductions. Interestingly, no significant changes in KLF1, SOX6, GATA1, ZBTB7A and BCL11A mRNA levels were observed. Overall, our data suggest that expression of HMGA2, a downstream target of let-7 miRNAs, causes moderately increased gamma-globin gene and protein expression in adult human erythroblasts.

Generation of transgenic marmosets expressing genetically encoded calcium indicators

Chronic monitoring of neuronal activity in the living brain with optical imaging techniques became feasible owing to the continued development of genetically encoded calcium indicators (GECIs). Here we report for the first time the successful generation of transgenic marmosets (Callithrix jacchus), an important nonhuman primate model in neurophysiological research, which were engineered to express the green fluorescent protein (GFP)-based family of GECIs, GCaMP, under control of either the CMV or the hSyn promoter. High titer lentiviral vectors were produced, and injected into embryos collected from donor females. The infected embryos were then transferred to recipient females. Eight transgenic animals were born and shown to have stable and functional GCaMP expression in several different tissues. Germline transmission of the transgene was confirmed in embryos generated from two of the founder transgenic marmosets that reached sexual maturity. These embryos were implanted into six recipient females, three of which became pregnant and are in advanced stages of gestation. We believe these transgenic marmosets will be invaluable non-human primate models in neuroscience, allowing chronic in vivo monitoring of neural activity with functional confocal and multi-photon optical microscopy imaging of intracellular calcium dynamics.

Distribution and Structure of Synapses on Medial Vestibular Nuclear Neurons Targeted by Cerebellar Flocculus Purkinje Cells and Vestibular Nerve in Mice: Light and Electron Microscopy Studies

Adaptations of vestibulo-ocular and optokinetic response eye movements have been studied as an experimental model of cerebellum-dependent motor learning. Several previous physiological and pharmacological studies have consistently suggested that the cerebellar flocculus (FL) Purkinje cells (P-cells) and the medial vestibular nucleus (MVN) neurons targeted by FL (FL-targeted MVN neurons) may respectively maintain the memory traces of short- and long-term adaptation. To study the basic structures of the FL-MVN synapses by light microscopy (LM) and electron microscopy (EM), we injected green florescence protein (GFP)-expressing lentivirus into FL to anterogradely label the FL P-cell axons in C57BL/6J mice. The FL P-cell axonal boutons were distributed in the magnocellular MVN and in the border region of parvocellular MVN and prepositus hypoglossi (PrH). In the magnocellular MVN, the FL-P cell axons mainly terminated on somata and proximal dendrites. On the other hand, in the parvocellular MVN/PrH, the FL P-cell axonal synaptic boutons mainly terminated on the relatively small-diameter (< 1 μm) distal dendrites of MVN neurons, forming symmetrical synapses. The majority of such parvocellular MVN/PrH neurons were determined to be glutamatergic by immunocytochemistry and in-situ hybridization of GFP expressing transgenic mice. To further examine the spatial relationship between the synapses of FL P-cells and those of vestibular nerve on the neurons of the parvocellular MVN/PrH, we added injections of biotinylated dextran amine into the semicircular canal and anterogradely labeled vestibular nerve axons in some mice. The MVN dendrites receiving the FL P-cell axonal synaptic boutons often closely apposed vestibular nerve synaptic boutons in both LM and EM studies. Such a partial overlap of synaptic boutons of FL P-cell axons with those of vestibular nerve axons in the distal dendrites of MVN neurons suggests that inhibitory synapses of FL P-cells may influence the function of neighboring excitatory synapses of vestibular nerve in the parvocellular MVN/PrH neurons.

Survival of corticostriatal neurons by Rho/Rho-kinase signaling pathway

Developing cortical neurons undergo a number of sequential developmental events including neuronal survival/apoptosis, and the molecular mechanism underlying each characteristic process has been studied in detail. However, the survival pathway of cortical neurons at mature stages remains largely uninvestigated. We herein focused on mature corticostriatal neurons because of their important roles in various higher brain functions and the spectrum of neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders. The small GTPase Rho is known to control diverse and essential cellular functions through some effector molecules, including Rho-kinase, during neural development. In the present study, we investigated the role of Rho signaling through Rho-kinase in the survival of corticostriatal neurons. We performed the conditional expression of Clostridium botulinum C3 ADP-ribosyltransferase (C3 transferase) or dominant-negative form for Rho-kinase (Rho-K DN), a well-known inhibitor of Rho or Rho-kinase, respectively, in corticostriatal neurons using a dual viral vector approach combining a neuron-specific retrograde gene transfer lentiviral vector and an adeno-associated virus vector. C3 transferase markedly decreased the number of corticostriatal neurons, which was attributed to caspase-3-dependent enhanced apoptosis. In addition, Rho-K DN produced phenotypic defects similar to those caused by C3 transferase. These results indicate that the Rho/Rho-kinase signaling pathway plays a crucial role in the survival of corticostriatal neurons.

Production and purification of high-titer foamy virus vector for the treatment of leukocyte adhesion deficiency

Compared to other integrating viral vectors, foamy virus (FV) vectors have distinct advantages as a gene transfer tool, including their nonpathogenicity, the ability to carry larger transgene cassettes, and increased stability of virus particles due to DNA genome formation within the virions. Proof of principle of its therapeutic utility was provided with the correction of canine leukocyte adhesion deficiency using autologous CD34+ cells transduced with FV vector carrying the canine CD18 gene, demonstrating its long-term safety and efficacy. However, infectious titers of FV-human(h)CD18 were low and not suitable for manufacturing of clinical-grade product. Herein, we developed a scalable production and purification process that resulted in 60-fold higher FV-hCD18 titers from ~1.7 × 104 to 1.0 × 106 infectious units (IU)/ml. Process development improvements included use of polyethylenimine-based transfection, use of a codon-optimized gag, heparin affinity chromatography, tangential flow filtration, and ultracentrifugation, which reproducibly resulted in 5,000-fold concentrated and purified virus, an overall yield of 19 ± 3%, and final titers of 1-2 × 109 IU/ml. Highly concentrated vector allowed reduction of final dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) concentration, thereby avoiding DMSO-induced toxicity to CD34+ cells while maintaining high transduction efficiencies. This process development results in clinically relevant, high titer FV which can be scaled up for clinical grade production.

Evaluating the Safety of Retroviral Vectors Based on Insertional Oncogene Activation and Blocked Differentiation in Cultured Thymocytes

Insertional oncogenesis due to retroviral (RV) vector integration has caused recurrent leukemia in multiple gene therapy trials, predominantly due to vector integration effects at the LMO2 locus. While currently available preclinical safety models have been used for evaluating vector safety, none have predicted or reproduced the recurrent LMO2 integrations seen in previous X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency (X-SCID) and Wiskott–Aldrich clinical gene therapy trials. We now describe a new assay for assessing vector safety that recapitulates naturally occurring insertions into Lmo2 and other T-cell proto-oncogenes leading to a preleukemic developmental arrest in primary murine thymocytes cultured in vitro. This assay was used to compare the relative oncogenic potential of a variety of gamma-RV and lentiviral vectors and to assess the risk conferred by various transcriptional elements contained in these genomes. Gamma-RV vectors that contained full viral long-terminal repeats were most prone to causing double negative 2 (DN2) arrest and led to repeated cases of Lmo2 pathway activation, while lentiviral vectors containing these same elements were significantly less prone to activate proto-oncogenes or cause DN2 arrest. This work provides a new preclinical assay that is especially relevant for assessing safety in SCID disorders and provides a new tool for designing safer RV vectors.

Fas-antisense long noncoding RNA is differentially expressed during maturation of human erythrocytes and confers resistance to Fas-mediated cell death

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) interact with other RNAs, DNA and/or proteins to regulate gene expression during development. Erythropoiesis is one developmental process that is tightly controlled throughout life to ensure accurate red blood cell production and oxygen transport to tissues. Thus, homeostasis is critical and maintained by competitive outcomes of pro- and anti-apoptotic pathways. LncRNAs are expressed during blood development; however, specific functions are largely undefined. Here, a culture model of human erythropoiesis revealed that lncRNA Fas-antisense 1 (Fas-AS1 or Saf) was induced during differentiation through the activity of essential erythroid transcription factors GATA-1 and KLF1. Saf was also negatively regulated by NF-κB, where decreasing NF-κB activity levels tracked with increasing transcription of Saf. Furthermore, Saf over-expression in erythroblasts derived from CD34(+) hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells of healthy donors reduced surface levels of Fas and conferred protection against Fas-mediated cell death signals. These studies reveal a novel lncRNA-regulated mechanism that modulates a critical cell death program during human erythropoiesis.

Functional and Physical Interaction of Diacylglycerol Kinase ζ with Protein Kinase Cα Is Required for Cerebellar Long-Term Depression

The balance between positive and negative regulators required for synaptic plasticity must be well organized at synapses. Protein kinase Cα (PKCα) is a major mediator that triggers long-term depression (LTD) at synapses between parallel fibers and Purkinje cells in the cerebellum. However, the precise mechanisms involved in PKCα regulation are not clearly understood. Here, we analyzed the role of diacylglycerol kinase ζ (DGKζ), a kinase that physically interacts with PKCα as well as postsynaptic density protein 95 (PSD-95) family proteins and functionally suppresses PKCα by metabolizing diacylglycerol (DAG), in the regulation of cerebellar LTD. In Purkinje cells of DGKζ-deficient mice, LTD was impaired and PKCα was less localized in dendrites and synapses. This impaired LTD was rescued by virus-driven expression of wild-type DGKζ, but not by a kinase-dead mutant DGKζ or a mutant lacking the ability to localize at synapses, indicating that both the kinase activity and synaptic anchoring functions of DGKζ are necessary for LTD. In addition, experiments using another DGKζ mutant and immunoprecipitation analysis revealed an inverse regulatory mechanism, in which PKCα phosphorylates, inactivates, and then is released from DGKζ, is required for LTD. These results indicate that DGKζ is localized to synapses, through its interaction with PSD-95 family proteins, to promote synaptic localization of PKCα, but maintains PKCα in a minimally activated state by suppressing local DAG until its activation and release from DGKζ during LTD. Such local and reciprocal regulation of positive and negative regulators may contribute to the fine-tuning of synaptic signaling.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT

Many studies have identified signaling molecules that mediate long-term synaptic plasticity. In the basal state, the activities and concentrations of these signaling molecules must be maintained at low levels, yet be ready to be boosted, so that synapses can undergo synaptic plasticity only when they are stimulated. However, the mechanisms involved in creating such conditions are not well understood. Here, we show that diacylglycerol kinase ζ (DGKζ) creates optimal conditions for the induction of cerebellar long-term depression (LTD). DGKζ works by regulating localization and activity of protein kinase Cα (PKCα), an important mediator of LTD, so that PKCα effectively responds to the stimulation that triggers LTD.

Increased Engraftment of Human Short Term Repopulating Hematopoietic Cells in NOD/SCID/IL2rγnull Mice by Lentiviral Expression of NUP98-HOXA10HD

Techniques to expand human hematopoietic stem cells ex-vivo could be beneficial to the fields of clinical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and gene therapy targeted at hematopoietic stem cells. NUP98-HOXA10HD is a relatively newly discovered fusion gene that in mouse transplant experiments has been shown to increase numbers of hematopoietic stem cells. We evaluated whether this fusion gene could be used to expand engrafting human primitive CD34+ cells in an immunodeficient mouse model. Gene transfer was achieved using a lentiviral based vector. The engraftment of mobilized peripheral blood human CD34+ cells grown in culture for one week after gene transfer was evaluated 3–4 months after transplant and found to be 2–3 fold higher in the NUP98-HOXA10HD groups as compared to controls. These data suggest an expansive effect at least at the short term human repopulating cell level. Further evaluation in long term repopulating models and investment in a NUP98-HOXA10HD protein seems worthy of consideration. Additionally, the results here provide strong impetus to utilize NUP98-HOXA10HD as a tool to search for underlying genes and pathways involved in hematopoietic stem cell expansion that can be enhanced and have an even more potent expansive effect.

Altering Entry Site Preference of Lentiviral Vectors into Neuronal Cells by Pseudotyping with Envelope Glycoproteins

A lentiviral vector system provides a powerful strategy for gene therapy trials against a variety of neurological and neurodegenerative disorders. Pseudotyping of lentiviral vectors with different envelope glycoproteins not only confers the neurotropism to the vectors, but also alters the preference of sites of vector entry into neuronal cells. One major group of lentiviral vectors is a pseudotype with vesicular stomatitis virus glycoprotein (VSV-G) that enters preferentially cell body areas (somata/dendrites) of neurons and transduces them. Another group contains lentiviral vectors pseudotyped with fusion envelope glycoproteins composed of different sets of rabies virus glycoprotein and VSV-G segments that enter predominantly axon terminals of neurons and are transported through axons retrogradely to their cell bodies, resulting in enhanced retrograde gene transfer. This retrograde gene transfer takes a considerable advantage of delivering the transgene into neuronal cell bodies situated in regions distant from the injection site of the vectors. The rational use of these two vector groups characterized by different entry mechanisms will further extend the strategy for gene therapy of neurological and neurodegenerative disorders.

Erythroid-Specific Expression of LIN28A Is Sufficient for Robust Gamma-Globin Gene and Protein Expression in Adult Erythroblasts

Increasing fetal hemoglobin (HbF) levels in adult humans remains an active area in hematologic research. Here we explored erythroid-specific LIN28A expression for its effect in regulating gamma-globin gene expression and HbF levels in cultured adult erythroblasts. For this purpose, lentiviral transduction vectors were produced with LIN28A expression driven by erythroid-specific gene promoter regions of the human KLF1 or SPTA1 genes. Transgene expression of LIN28A with a linked puromycin resistance marker was restricted to the erythroid lineage as demonstrated by selective survival of erythroid colonies (greater than 95% of all colonies). Erythroblast LIN28A over-expression (LIN28A-OE) did not significantly affect proliferation or inhibit differentiation. Greater than 70% suppression of total let-7 microRNA levels was confirmed in LIN28A-OE cells. Increases in gamma-globin mRNA and protein expression with HbF levels reaching 30-40% were achieved. These data suggest that erythroblast targeting of LIN28A expression is sufficient for increasing fetal hemoglobin expression in adult human erythroblasts.

Amelioration of murine sickle cell disease by nonablative conditioning and γ-globin gene-corrected bone marrow cells

Patients with severe sickle cell disease (SCD) are candidates for gene therapy using autologous hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), but concomitant multi-organ disease may contraindicate pretransplant conditioning with full myeloablation. We tested whether nonmyeloablative conditioning, a regimen used successfully for allogeneic bone marrow transplantation of adult SCD patients, allows engraftment of γ-globin gene-corrected cells to a therapeutic level in the Berkeley mouse model of SCD. Animals transplanted according to this regimen averaged 35% engraftment of transduced hematopoietic stem cells with an average vector copy < 2.0. Fetal hemoglobin (HbF) levels ranged from 20 to 44% of total hemoglobin and approximately two-thirds of circulating red blood cells expressed HbF detected by immunofluorescence (F-cells). Gene therapy treatment of SCD mice ameliorated anemia, reduced hyperleukocytosis, improved renal function, and reduced iron accumulation in liver, spleen, and kidneys. Thus, modest levels of chimerism with donor cells expressing high levels of HbF from an insulated γ-globin lentiviral vector can improve the pathology of SCD in mice, thereby illustrating a potentially safe and effective strategy for gene therapy in humans.

Regulated lysosomal exocytosis mediates cancer progression

Understanding how tumor cells transition to an invasive and drug-resistant phenotype is central to cancer biology, but the mechanisms underlying this transition remain unclear. We show that sarcomas gain these malignant traits by inducing lysosomal exocytosis, a ubiquitous physiological process. During lysosomal exocytosis, the movement of exocytic lysosomes along the cytoskeleton and their docking at the plasma membrane involve LAMP1, a sialylated membrane glycoprotein and target of the sialidase NEU1. Cleavage of LAMP1 sialic acids by NEU1 limits the extent of lysosomal exocytosis. We found that by down-regulation of NEU1 and accumulation of oversialylated LAMP1, tumor cells exacerbate lysosomal exocytosis of soluble hydrolases and exosomes. This facilitates matrix invasion and propagation of invasive signals, and purging of lysosomotropic chemotherapeutics. In Arf (-⁄-) mice, Neu1 haploinsufficiency fostered the development of invasive, pleomorphic sarcomas, expressing epithelial and mesenchymal markers, and lysosomal exocytosis effectors, LAMP1 and Myosin-11. These features are analogous to those of metastatic, pleomorphic human sarcomas, where low NEU1 levels correlate with high expression of lysosomal exocytosis markers. In a therapeutic proof of principle, we demonstrate that inhibiting lysosomal exocytosis reversed invasiveness and chemoresistance in aggressive sarcoma cells. Thus, we reveal that this unconventional, lysosome-regulated pathway plays a primary role in tumor progression and chemoresistance.

Kinetics of lentiviral vector transduction in human CD34(+) cells

Unlike cell lines, human hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are less efficiently transduced with HIV-1 vectors, potentially limiting this approach. To investigate which step (internalization, reverse transcription, nuclear transport, and integration) limits lentiviral transduction, we evaluated the kinetics of lentiviral transduction in human CD34(+) cells. We transduced HeLa and CD34(+) cells with self-inactivating HIV-1 vector at low and tenfold higher multiplicity of infection (MOI) and evaluated vector amounts at various time points based on the rationale that if a given step was not limiting, tenfold greater vector amounts would be obtained at the tenfold higher MOI. We observed slower internalization (>60 min), a peak in reverse transcription at 24 hours, and completion of integration at 3 days in CD34(+) cells. In HeLa cells, there were approximately tenfold greater amounts at high MOI at all time points. When compared with HeLa cells, CD34(+) cells exhibited larger differences in vector amounts between high and low MOIs at 2-6 hours and a smaller difference at 12 hours to 10 days, revealing a limitation in human CD34(+) cell transduction around 12 hours, which corresponds to reverse transcription. In serial measurements of reverse transcription at 24 hours, vector amounts did not decrease once detected among CD34(+) cells. When using an HSC expansion medium, we observed less limitation for starting reverse transcription and more efficient transduction among CD34(+) cells in vitro and in xenografted mice. These data suggest that it is the initiation of reverse transcription that limits lentiviral transduction of human CD34(+) cells. Our findings provide an avenue for optimizing human CD34(+) cell transduction.

Low-level GATA2 overexpression promotes myeloid progenitor self-renewal and blocks lymphoid differentiation in mice

The transcription factor GATA2 is highly expressed in hematopoietic stem cells and is downregulated during lineage maturation. Gain of function mutations, loss of function mutations, and overexpression of GATA2 have been reported in acute myeloid leukemia. In previous studies, we and others showed that GATA2 overexpression at high levels, similar to that seen in hematopoietic stem cells, blocked differentiation of hematopoietic stem cells and progenitors. To better understand the effects of GATA2, we designed a Tamoxifen-inducible GATA2-estrogen receptor (ERT) vector. In the absence of Tamoxifen, small amounts of GATA2-ERT were still able to enter the nucleus in mouse bone marrow (BM) cells, providing us with a tool to test the effects of low-level GATA2 overexpression. We observed that this low-level GATA2 overexpression enhanced self-renewal of myeloid progenitors in vitro and resulted in immortalization of BM cells to myeloid cell lines. Continuous GATA2-ERT expression was required for the proliferation of these immortalized lines. Myeloid expansion and a block in T and B lineage differentiation were observed in mice transplanted with GATA2-ERT-expressing BM cells. Myeloid expansion occurred after the granulocyte monocyte progenitor stage, and lymphoid block was distal to the common lymphoid progenitor in transgenic mice. GATA2 appeared to induce growth via downstream activation of Nmyc and Hoxa9. Our results demonstrate that GATA2 overexpression at low level confers self-renewal capacity to myeloid progenitors and is relevant to myeloid leukemia development.