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Graceffa V. Intracellular protein delivery: New insights into the therapeutic applications and emerging technologies. Biochimie 2023; 213:82-99. [PMID: 37209808 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2023.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Revised: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
The inability to cross the plasma membranes traditionally limited the therapeutic use of recombinant proteins. However, in the last two decades, novel technologies made delivering proteins inside the cells possible. This allowed researchers to unlock intracellular targets, once considered 'undruggable', bringing a new research area to emerge. Protein transfection systems display a large potential in a plethora of applications. However, their modality of action is often unclear, and cytotoxic effects are elevated, whereas experimental conditions to increase transfection efficacy and cell viability still need to be identified. Furthermore, technical complexity often limits in vivo experimentation, while challenging industrial and clinical translation. This review highlights the applications of protein transfection technologies, and then critically discuss the current methodologies and their limitations. Physical membrane perforation systems are compared to systems exploiting cellular endocytosis. Research evidence of the existence of either extracellular vesicles (EVs) or cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs)- based systems, that circumvent the endosomal systems is critically analysed. Commercial systems, novel solid-phase reverse protein transfection systems, and engineered living intracellular bacteria-based mechanisms are finally described. This review ultimately aims at finding new methodologies and possible applications of protein transfection systems, while helping the development of an evidence-based research approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Graceffa
- Cellular Health and Toxicology Research Group (CHAT), Centre for Mathematical Modelling and Intelligent Systems for Health and Environment (MISHE), Atlantic Technological University (ATU), Sligo, Ireland.
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2
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Tian S, Liu Y, Appleton E, Wang H, Church GM, Dong M. Targeted intracellular delivery of Cas13 and Cas9 nucleases using bacterial toxin-based platforms. Cell Rep 2022; 38:110476. [PMID: 35263584 PMCID: PMC8958846 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2021] [Revised: 12/26/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Targeted delivery of therapeutic proteins toward specific cells and across cell membranes remains major challenges. Here, we develop protein-based delivery systems utilizing detoxified single-chain bacterial toxins such as diphtheria toxin (DT) and botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT)-like toxin, BoNT/X, as carriers. The system can deliver large protein cargoes including Cas13a, CasRx, Cas9, and Cre recombinase into cells in a receptor-dependent manner, although delivery of ribonucleoproteins containing guide RNAs is not successful. Delivery of Cas13a and CasRx, together with guide RNA expression, reduces mRNAs encoding GFP, SARS-CoV-2 fragments, and endogenous proteins PPIB, KRAS, and CXCR4 in multiple cell lines. Delivery of Cre recombinase modifies the reporter loci in cells. Delivery of Cas9, together with guide RNA expression, generates mutations at the targeted genomic sites in cell lines and induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived human neurons. These findings establish modular delivery systems based on single-chain bacterial toxins for delivery of membrane-impermeable therapeutics into targeted cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Songhai Tian
- Department of Urology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Microbiology and Department of Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | - Yang Liu
- Department of Urology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Microbiology and Department of Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Nephrology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, China
| | - Evan Appleton
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Huan Wang
- Department of Urology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Microbiology and Department of Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - George M Church
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Min Dong
- Department of Urology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Microbiology and Department of Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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3
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Park SG, Choi B, Bae Y, Lee YG, Park SA, Chae YC, Kang S. Selective and Effective Cancer Treatments using Target‐Switchable Intracellular Bacterial Toxin Delivery Systems. ADVANCED THERAPEUTICS 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/adtp.202000043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Seong Guk Park
- Department of Biological Sciences School of Life Sciences Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) Ulsan 44919 South Korea
| | - Bongseo Choi
- Department of Biological Sciences School of Life Sciences Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) Ulsan 44919 South Korea
- Department of Radiology Feinberg School of Medicine Northwestern University Chicago IL 60611 USA
| | - Yoonji Bae
- Department of Biological Sciences School of Life Sciences Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) Ulsan 44919 South Korea
| | - Yu Geon Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences School of Life Sciences Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) Ulsan 44919 South Korea
| | - Soo Ah Park
- In Vivo Research Center UNIST Central Research Facilities Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) Ulsan 44919 South Korea
| | - Young Chan Chae
- Department of Biological Sciences School of Life Sciences Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) Ulsan 44919 South Korea
| | - Sebyung Kang
- Department of Biological Sciences School of Life Sciences Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) Ulsan 44919 South Korea
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Park M, Xu X, Min W, Sugiman-Marangos SN, Beilhartz GL, Adams JJ, Sidhu SS, Grunebaum E, Melnyk RA. Intracellular Delivery of Human Purine Nucleoside Phosphorylase by Engineered Diphtheria Toxin Rescues Function in Target Cells. Mol Pharm 2018; 15:5217-5226. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.8b00735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Jarret J. Adams
- Banting and Best Department of Medical Research, Terrence Donnelly Center for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3E1, Canada
| | - Sachdev S. Sidhu
- Banting and Best Department of Medical Research, Terrence Donnelly Center for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3E1, Canada
| | - Eyal Grunebaum
- Division of Immunology and Allergy, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
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Evaluation of the non-toxic mutant of the diphtheria toxin K51E/E148K as carrier protein for meningococcal vaccines. Vaccine 2016; 34:1405-11. [PMID: 26845738 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2016.01.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2015] [Revised: 12/14/2015] [Accepted: 01/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Diphtheria toxin mutant CRM197 is a common carrier protein for glycoconjugate vaccines, which has been proven an effective protein vector for, among others, meningococcal carbohydrates. The wide-range use of this protein in massive vaccine production requires constant increase of production yields and adaptability to an ever-growing market. Here we compare CRM197 with the alternative diphtheria non-toxic variant DT-K51E/E148K, an inactive mutant that can be produced in the periplasm of Escherichia coli. Biophysical characterization of DT-K51E/E148K suggested high similarity with CRM197, with main differences in their alpha-helical content, and a suitable purity for conjugation and vaccine preparation. Meningococcal serogroup A (MenA) glycoconjugates were synthesized using CRM197 and DT-K51E/E148K as carrier proteins, obtaining the same conjugation yields and comparable biophysical profiles. Mice were then immunized with these CRM197 and DT-K51E/E148K conjugates, and essentially identical immunogenic and protective effects were observed. Overall, our data indicate that DT-K51E/E148K is a readily produced protein that now allows the added flexibility of E. coli production in vaccine development and that can be effectively used as protein carrier for a meningococcal conjugate vaccine.
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Auger A, Park M, Nitschke F, Minassian LM, Beilhartz GL, Minassian BA, Melnyk RA. Efficient Delivery of Structurally Diverse Protein Cargo into Mammalian Cells by a Bacterial Toxin. Mol Pharm 2015; 12:2962-71. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.5b00233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Anick Auger
- Program in Molecular Structure & Function, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Minyoung Park
- Program in Molecular Structure & Function, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department
of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Felix Nitschke
- Program in Genetics & Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Lori M. Minassian
- Program in Molecular Structure & Function, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Greg L. Beilhartz
- Program in Molecular Structure & Function, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Berge A. Minassian
- Program in Genetics & Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department
of Paediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Roman A. Melnyk
- Program in Molecular Structure & Function, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department
of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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Turgeon Z, White D, Jørgensen R, Visschedyk D, Fieldhouse RJ, Mangroo D, Merrill AR. Yeast as a tool for characterizing mono-ADP-ribosyltransferase toxins. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2009; 300:97-106. [PMID: 19793133 DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-6968.2009.01777.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The emergence of bacterial antibiotic resistance poses a significant challenge in the pursuit of novel therapeutics, making new strategies for drug discovery imperative. We have developed a yeast growth-defect phenotypic screen to help solve this current dilemma. This approach facilitates the identification and characterization of a new diphtheria toxin (DT) group, ADP-ribosyltransferase toxins from pathogenic bacteria. In addition, this assay utilizes Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a reliable model for bacterial toxin expression, to streamline the identification and characterization of new inhibitors against this group of bacterial toxins that may be useful for antimicrobial therapies. We show that a mutant of the elongation factor 2 target protein in yeast, G701R, confers resistance to all DT group toxins and recovers the growth-defect phenotype in yeast. We also demonstrate the ability of a potent small-molecule toxin inhibitor, 1,8-naphthalimide (NAP), to alleviate the growth defect caused by toxin expression in yeast. Moreover, we determined the crystal structure of the NAP inhibitor-toxin complex at near-atomic resolution to provide insight into the inhibitory mechanism. Finally, the NAP inhibitor shows therapeutic protective effects against toxin invasion of mammalian cells, including human lung cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachari Turgeon
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
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Shaw CA, Starnbach MN. Stimulation of CD8+ T cells following diphtheria toxin-mediated antigen delivery into dendritic cells. Infect Immun 2006; 74:1001-8. [PMID: 16428746 PMCID: PMC1360329 DOI: 10.1128/iai.74.2.1001-1008.2006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Recognition and clearance of many intracellular pathogens requires the activation and subsequent effector functions of CD8+ T lymphocytes. To stimulate CD8+ T cells by immunization, the target antigens must be delivered into the cytosol of host cells. There they can be processed into peptides and presented in the context of major histocompatibility complex class I molecules to antigen-specific CD8+ T cells. One method of delivering antigens into the cytosol is to fuse them to modified bacterial toxins that are able to enter mammalian cells. The expression pattern of the toxin receptors in the host will determine the cell population that the toxin fusion protein targets and will thus restrict antigen-specific T-cell recognition to the same population. In this study we describe the development and characterization of a diphtheria toxin (DT)-based antigen delivery system. Using CD11c-DTR transgenic mice that express the DT receptor in dendritic cells (DC), this system allows for targeted delivery of CD8+ T-cell antigen to DC. We show that antigen-specific CD8+ T cells proliferate in CD11c-DTR mice following immunization with catalytically inactive DT-antigen fusion proteins. We also show that a toxin-based system that restricts antigen delivery to DC results in more robust antigen-specific CD8+ T-cell proliferation than a toxin-based system that does not restrict delivery to a particular cell type. These results have implications for vaccine design, and they suggest that use of a toxin-based vector to target antigen to DC may be an effective way to induce a CD8+ T-cell response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine A Shaw
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Harvard Medical School, 200 Longwood Ave., Boston, MA 02115, USA
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Maira-Litrán T, Kropec A, Goldmann DA, Pier GB. Comparative opsonic and protective activities of Staphylococcus aureus conjugate vaccines containing native or deacetylated Staphylococcal Poly-N-acetyl-beta-(1-6)-glucosamine. Infect Immun 2005; 73:6752-62. [PMID: 16177353 PMCID: PMC1230901 DOI: 10.1128/iai.73.10.6752-6762.2005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 142] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2005] [Revised: 03/30/2005] [Accepted: 05/18/2005] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis both synthesize the surface polysaccharide poly-N-acetyl-beta-(1-6)-glucosamine (PNAG), which is produced in vitro with a high level (>90%) of the amino groups substituted by acetate. Here, we examined the role of the acetate substituents of PNAG in generating opsonic and protective antibodies. PNAG and a deacetylated form of the antigen (dPNAG; 15% acetylation) were conjugated to the carrier protein diphtheria toxoid (DT) and used to immunize animals. Mice responded in a dose-dependent fashion to both conjugate vaccines, with maximum antibody titers observed at the highest dose and 4 weeks after the last of three weekly immunizations. PNAG-DT and dPNAG-DT vaccines were also very immunogenic in rabbits. Antibodies raised to the conjugate vaccines in rabbits mediated the opsonic killing of various staphylococcal strains, but the specificity of the opsonic killing was primarily to dPNAG, as this antigen inhibited the killing of S. aureus strains by both PNAG- and dPNAG-specific antibodies. Passive immunization of mice with anti-dPNAG-DT rabbit sera showed significant levels of clearance of S. aureus from the blood (54 to 91%) compared to control mice immunized with normal rabbit sera, whereas PNAG-specific antibodies were ineffective at clearing S. aureus. Passive immunization of mice with a goat antiserum raised to the dPNAG-DT vaccine protected against a lethal dose of three different S. aureus strains. Overall, these data show that immunization of animals with a conjugate vaccine of dPNAG elicit antibodies that mediated opsonic killing and protected against S. aureus infection, including capsular polysaccharide types 5 and 8 and an untypable strain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomás Maira-Litrán
- Channing Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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Paoletti LC, Peterson DL, Legmann R, Collier RJ. Preclinical evaluation of group B streptococcal polysaccharide conjugate vaccines prepared with a modified diphtheria toxin and a recombinant duck hepatitis B core antigen. Vaccine 2001; 20:370-6. [PMID: 11672899 DOI: 10.1016/s0264-410x(01)00364-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
An effective vaccine against group B streptococcal (GBS) disease will undoubtedly include capsular polysaccharides (CPSs) from each of the five serotypes prevalent in the United States individually coupled to immunogenic proteins. This formulation may require the use of two or more different protein carriers. We preclinically examined the potential of two proteins to serve as effective carriers for GBS type III CPS. Recombinant duck hepatitis B core antigen (rdHBcAg), a particulate protein of viral origin, and a newly mutated form of diphtheria toxin (DTm) were covalently and directly coupled to purified type III CPS by reductive amination. Seventy-seven of 79 (97%) newborn pups born to mouse dams actively vaccinated with type III CPS-rdHBcAg conjugate survived GBS type III challenge, whereas none of the pups born to dams that received an uncoupled mixture of type III CPS and rdHBcAg or saline survived. Likewise, 64 (98%) of 65 pups born to dams vaccinated with type III CPS-DTm conjugate survived challenge, in sharp contrast to no survivors among the pups born to dams vaccinated with an uncoupled mixture of type III CPS and DTm. The presence of type III CPS-specific IgG in serum from dams correlated with pup survival in groups that received a conjugate vaccine, and this serum was opsonically active in vitro against GBS type III. In addition, carrier-specific IgG was also measured in serum from vaccinated mice. These data suggest that the rdHBcAg and DTm may be effective carriers for GBS CPSs.
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Affiliation(s)
- L C Paoletti
- Channing Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 181 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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Keyvani K, Baur I, Paulus W. Tetracycline-controlled expression but not toxicity of an attenuated diphtheria toxin mutant. Life Sci 1999; 64:1719-24. [PMID: 10353625 DOI: 10.1016/s0024-3205(99)00109-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Tight transcriptional regulation of transferred bacterial toxin genes represents a potential approach for gene therapy of cancer. We have previously shown that the gene for wild type diphtheria toxin A chain (DT-A) placed under transcriptional control of a tetracycline-responsive promoter cannot be silenced due to its extreme toxicity. We now have explored a tetracycline-regulated DT-A mutant involving the histidine-21 catalytic domain (H21A) which shows 120-fold reduced ADP-ribosylation activity. Cellular toxicity was determined in NIH 3T3 fibroblasts and C6 glioma cells after triple transfections with the DT-A construct, the Tet transactivator gene and a luciferase plasmid as the reporter. Marked toxicity, i.e. reduced luciferase expression by more than 98%, was observed both in the absence and in the presence of tetracycline, suggesting leakiness of the Tet system, and absence of regulation, possibly due to inhibition of DT-A synthesis by activated DT-A itself. In contrast, the lacZ gene which was driven by the same promoter could be regulated by up to 49-fold. We conclude that (1) expression but not toxicity of the DT-A mutant can be sufficiently controlled by a tetracycline-responsive promoter, and (2) tight regulation of transferred genes encoding toxins remains a challenge for gene therapy of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Keyvani
- Department of Neuropathology, University of Erlangen, Germany
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