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Hendriks D, Artegiani B, Hu H, Chuva de Sousa Lopes S, Clevers H. Establishment of human fetal hepatocyte organoids and CRISPR-Cas9-based gene knockin and knockout in organoid cultures from human liver. Nat Protoc 2020; 16:182-217. [PMID: 33247284 DOI: 10.1038/s41596-020-00411-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2020] [Accepted: 09/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The liver is composed of two epithelial cell types: hepatocytes and liver ductal cells. Culture conditions for expansion of human liver ductal cells in vitro as organoids were previously described in a protocol; however, primary human hepatocytes remained hard to expand, until recently. In this protocol, we provide full details of how we overcame this limitation, establishing culture conditions that facilitate long-term expansion of human fetal hepatocytes as organoids. In addition, we describe how to generate (multi) gene knockouts using CRISPR-Cas9 in both human fetal hepatocyte and adult liver ductal organoid systems. Using a CRISPR-Cas9 and homology-independent organoid transgenesis (CRISPR-HOT) approach, efficient gene knockin can be achieved in these systems. These gene knockin and knockout approaches, and their multiplexing, should be useful for a variety of applications, such as disease modeling, investigating gene functions and studying processes, such as cellular differentiation and cell division. The protocol to establish human fetal hepatocyte organoid cultures takes ~1-2 months. The protocols to genome engineer human liver ductal organoids and human fetal hepatocyte organoids take 2-3 months.
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Affiliation(s)
- Delilah Hendriks
- Hubrecht Institute, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Utrecht, the Netherlands. .,Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
| | - Benedetta Artegiani
- Hubrecht Institute, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Utrecht, the Netherlands. .,Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands. .,The Princess Maxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
| | - Huili Hu
- Hubrecht Institute, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | | | - Hans Clevers
- Hubrecht Institute, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Utrecht, the Netherlands. .,Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands. .,The Princess Maxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
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2
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Ramanathan R, Delvaux NA, Rice KG. Gene transfection of primary mouse hepatocytes in 384-well plates. Anal Biochem 2020; 644:113911. [PMID: 32910973 PMCID: PMC7936984 DOI: 10.1016/j.ab.2020.113911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2020] [Revised: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 08/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
We report the development of an improved in vitro transfection assay to test the efficiency of non-viral vector DNA nanoparticle transfection of primary hepatocytes. The protocol describes the isolation of viable hepatocytes from a mouse by collagenous perfusion. Primary mouse hepatocytes are plated in 384-well plates and cultured for 24 h prior to transfection with polyethylenimine (PEI) or peptide DNA nanoparticles. Luciferase expression is measured after 24 h following the addition of ONE-Glo substrate. The gene transfer assay for primary hepatocytes was optimized for cell plating number, DNA dose, and PEI to DNA ratio. The assay was applied to compare the expression mediated by mRNA relative to two plasmids possessing different promoters. The reported assay provides reliable in vitro expression results that allow direct comparison of the efficiency of different non-viral gene delivery vectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raghu Ramanathan
- Division of Medicinal and Natural Products Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
| | - Nathan A Delvaux
- Division of Medicinal and Natural Products Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
| | - Kevin G Rice
- Division of Medicinal and Natural Products Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA.
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3
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Beikmohammadi L, Bandehpour M, Hashemi SM, Kazemi B. Generation of insulin-producing hepatocyte-like cells from human Wharton's jelly mesenchymal stem cells as an alternative source of islet cells. J Cell Physiol 2019; 234:17326-17336. [PMID: 30790280 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.28352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2018] [Revised: 01/24/2019] [Accepted: 01/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Islet cell transplantation, as a treatment of type 1 diabetes, has a lot of complexity such as allograft rejections and an insufficient number of donors. The liver can be used as a replacement for endogenous insulin production. Hepatocytes can inherently respond to glucose levels and secrete proteins. Utilization of mesenchymal stem cells for curing diabetes represents a major focus of recent investigations. As a new choice for transplantation, we have proposed glucose-regulated insulin-producing hepatocyte-like cells, which produce insulin dependent on glucose levels. We have transfected human Wharton's jelly mesenchymal stem cells with the special construct, which included homology arms and glucose-responsive elements upstream of the minimum liver-type pyruvate kinase promoter-directed insulin gene. Then, we have differentiated these transfected cells to hepatocyte-like cells by using serial exposure of different inducing material and exogenous growth factors. Immunofluorescence analyses have demonstrated the expression of albumin, cytokeratin-18, Hep-Par1, α-fetoprotein, and insulin. The expression of hepatocyte marker genes in the differentiated cells was confirmed by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. Interestingly, flow cytometry results showed that approximately 60% of the insulin-producing hepatocyte-like cells were simultaneously cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) and insulin positive. CYP3A4 is a significant enzyme found in mature liver tissue. This confirmed that the differentiation and the transfection procedures were done correctly. They were functionally active by releasing insulin in response to elevated glucose concentrations in vitro. These applicable cells could be used in the liver for cell therapy of diabetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leila Beikmohammadi
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Cellular and Molecular Biology Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mojgan Bandehpour
- Cellular and Molecular Biology Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Seyed Mahmoud Hashemi
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Department of Tissue Engineering and Applied Cell Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Bahram Kazemi
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Cellular and Molecular Biology Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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VanLith C, Guthman R, Nicolas CT, Allen K, Du Z, Joo DJ, Nyberg SL, Lillegard JB, Hickey RD. Curative Ex Vivo Hepatocyte-Directed Gene Editing in a Mouse Model of Hereditary Tyrosinemia Type 1. Hum Gene Ther 2018; 29:1315-1326. [PMID: 29764210 DOI: 10.1089/hum.2017.252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Hereditary tyrosinemia type 1 (HT1) is an autosomal recessive disorder caused by deficiency of fumarylacetoacetate hydrolase (FAH). It has been previously shown that ex vivo hepatocyte-directed gene therapy using an integrating lentiviral vector to replace the defective Fah gene can cure liver disease in small- and large-animal models of HT1. This study hypothesized that ex vivo hepatocyte-directed gene editing using CRISPR/Cas9 could be used to correct a mouse model of HT1, in which a single point mutation results in loss of FAH function. To achieve high transduction efficiencies of primary hepatocytes, this study utilized a lentiviral vector (LV) to deliver both the Streptococcus pyogenes Cas9 nuclease and target guide RNA (LV-Cas9) and an adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector to deliver a 1.2 kb homology template (AAV-HT). Cells were isolated from Fah-/- mice and cultured in the presence of LV and AAV vectors. Transduction of cells with LV-Cas9 induced significant indels at the target locus, and correction of the point mutation in Fah-/- cells ex vivo using AAV-HT was completely dependent on LV-Cas9. Next, hepatocytes transduced ex vivo by LV-Cas9 and AAV-HT were transplanted into syngeneic Fah-/- mice that had undergone a two-thirds partial hepatectomy or sham hepatectomy. Mice were cycled on/off the protective drug 2-(2-nitro-4-trifluoromethylbenzoyl)-1,3-cyclohexanedione (NTBC) to stimulate expansion of corrected cells. All transplanted mice became weight stable off NTBC. However, a significant improvement was observed in weight stability off NTBC in animals that received partial hepatectomy. After 6 months, mice were euthanized, and thorough biochemical and histological examinations were performed. Biochemical markers of liver injury were significantly improved over non-transplanted controls. Histological examination of mice revealed normal tissue architecture, while immunohistochemistry showed robust repopulation of recipient animals with FAH+ cells. In summary, this is the first report of ex vivo hepatocyte-directed gene repair using CRISPR/Cas9 to demonstrate curative therapy in an animal model of liver disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin VanLith
- 1 Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic , Rochester, Minnesota.,2 Department of Molecular Medicine, Mayo Clinic , Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Rebekah Guthman
- 1 Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic , Rochester, Minnesota.,2 Department of Molecular Medicine, Mayo Clinic , Rochester, Minnesota
| | | | - Kari Allen
- 1 Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic , Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Zeji Du
- 1 Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic , Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Dong Jin Joo
- 1 Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic , Rochester, Minnesota.,3 Department of Surgery, Yonsei University College of Medicine , Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Scott L Nyberg
- 1 Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic , Rochester, Minnesota.,4 Department of William J. von Liebig Center for Transplantation and Clinical Regeneration, Mayo Clinic , Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Joseph B Lillegard
- 1 Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic , Rochester, Minnesota.,5 Midwest Fetal Care Center, Children's Hospital and Clinics of Minnesota , Minneapolis, Minnesota.,6 Pediatric Surgical Associates, Ltd., Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Raymond D Hickey
- 1 Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic , Rochester, Minnesota.,2 Department of Molecular Medicine, Mayo Clinic , Rochester, Minnesota
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5
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Petrov PD, Fernández-Murga ML, López-Riera M, Goméz-Lechón MJ, Castell JV, Jover R. Predicting drug-induced cholestasis: preclinical models. Expert Opin Drug Metab Toxicol 2018; 14:721-738. [PMID: 29888962 DOI: 10.1080/17425255.2018.1487399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION In almost 50% of patients with drug-induced liver injury (DILI), the bile flow from the liver to the duodenum is impaired, a condition known as cholestasis. However, this toxic response only appears in a small percentage of the treated patients (idiosyncrasy). Prediction of drug-induced cholestasis (DIC) is challenging and emerges as a safety issue that requires attention by professionals in clinical practice, regulatory authorities, pharmaceutical companies, and research institutions. Area covered: The current synopsis focuses on the state-of-the-art in preclinical models for cholestatic DILI prediction. These models differ in their goal, complexity, availability, and applicability, and can widely be classified in experimental animals and in vitro models. Expert opinion: Drugs are a growing cause of cholestasis, but the progress made in explaining mechanisms and differences in susceptibility is not growing at the same rate. We need reliable models able to recapitulate the features of DIC, particularly its idiosyncrasy. The homogeneity and the species-specific differences move animal models away from a fair predictability. However, in vitro human models are improving and getting closer to the real hepatocyte phenotype, and they will likely be the choice in the near future. Progress in this area will not only need reliable predictive models but also mechanistic insights.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petar D Petrov
- a Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Fe (IIS La Fe) , Unidad de Hepatología Experimental , Valencia , Spain.,b Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBEREHD) , Madrid , Spain
| | - M Leonor Fernández-Murga
- a Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Fe (IIS La Fe) , Unidad de Hepatología Experimental , Valencia , Spain
| | - Mireia López-Riera
- a Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Fe (IIS La Fe) , Unidad de Hepatología Experimental , Valencia , Spain
| | - M José Goméz-Lechón
- a Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Fe (IIS La Fe) , Unidad de Hepatología Experimental , Valencia , Spain.,b Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBEREHD) , Madrid , Spain
| | - Jose V Castell
- a Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Fe (IIS La Fe) , Unidad de Hepatología Experimental , Valencia , Spain.,b Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBEREHD) , Madrid , Spain.,c Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Medicina , Universidad de Valencia , Valencia , Spain
| | - Ramiro Jover
- a Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Fe (IIS La Fe) , Unidad de Hepatología Experimental , Valencia , Spain.,b Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBEREHD) , Madrid , Spain.,c Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Medicina , Universidad de Valencia , Valencia , Spain
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Ruiz de Galarreta M, Lujambio A. Therapeutic editing of hepatocyte genome in vivo. J Hepatol 2017; 67:818-828. [PMID: 28527665 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2017.05.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2017] [Revised: 04/21/2017] [Accepted: 05/08/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The recent development of gene editing platforms enables making precise changes in the genome of eukaryotic cells. Programmable nucleases, such as meganucleases, zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs), transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs), and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)-associated nucleases have revolutionized the way research is conducted as they facilitate the rapid production of mutant or knockout cellular and animal models. These same genetic tools can potentially be applied to cure or alleviate a variety of diseases, including genetic diseases that lack an efficient therapy. Thus, gene editing platforms could be used for correcting mutations that cause a disease, restoration of the expression of genes that are missing, or be used for the removal of deleterious genes or viral genomes. In the context of liver diseases, genome editing could be developed to treat not only hereditary monogenic liver diseases but also hepatitis B infection and diseases that have both genetic and non-genetic components. While the prospect of translating these therapeutic strategies to a clinical setting is highly appealing, there are numerous challenges that need to be addressed first. Safety, efficiency, specificity, and delivery are some of the obstacles that will need to be addressed before each specific gene treatment is safely used in patients. Here, we discuss the most used gene editing platforms, their mechanisms of action, their potential for liver disease treatment, the most pressing challenges, and future prospects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Ruiz de Galarreta
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA; Liver Cancer Program, Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA
| | - Amaia Lujambio
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA; Liver Cancer Program, Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA; Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA.
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7
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RNAi in murine hepatocytes: the agony of choice--a study of the influence of lipid-based transfection reagents on hepatocyte metabolism. Arch Toxicol 2015; 89:1579-88. [PMID: 26233687 DOI: 10.1007/s00204-015-1571-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2015] [Accepted: 07/15/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Primary hepatocyte cell cultures are widely used for studying hepatic diseases with alterations in hepatic glucose and lipid metabolism, such as diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Therefore, small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) provide a potent and specific tool to elucidate the signaling pathways and gene functions involved in these pathologies. Although RNA interference (RNAi) in vitro is frequently used in these investigations, the metabolic alterations elucidated by different siRNA delivery strategies have hardly been investigated in transfected hepatocytes. To elucidate the influence of the most commonly used lipid-based transfection reagents on cultured primary hepatocytes, we studied the cytotoxic effects and transfection efficiencies of INTERFERin(®), Lipofectamine(®)RNAiMAX, and HiPerFect(®). All of these transfection agents displayed low cytotoxicity (5.6-9.0 ± 1.3-3.4%), normal cell viability, and high transfection efficiency (fold change 0.08-0.13 ± 0.03-0.05), and they also favored the satisfactory down-regulation of target gene expression. However, when effects on the metabolome and lipidome were studied, considerable differences were observed among the transfection reagents. Cellular triacylglycerides levels were either up- or down-regulated [maximum fold change: INTERFERin(®) (48 h) 2.55 ± 0.34, HiPerFect(®) (24 h) 0.79 ± 0.08, Lipofectamine(®)RNAiMAX (48 h) 1.48 ± 0.21], and mRNA levels of genes associated with lipid metabolism were differentially affected. Likewise, metabolic functions such as amino acid utilization from were perturbed (alanine, arginine, glycine, ornithine, and pyruvate). In conclusion, these findings demonstrate that the choice of non-viral siRNA delivery agent is critical in hepatocytes. This should be remembered, especially if RNA silencing is used for studying hepatic lipid homeostasis and its regulation.
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8
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Suchanek AL, Salati LM. Construction and evaluation of an adenoviral vector for the liver-specific expression of the serine/arginine-rich splicing factor, SRSF3. Plasmid 2015; 82:1-9. [PMID: 26241824 DOI: 10.1016/j.plasmid.2015.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2015] [Revised: 07/24/2015] [Accepted: 07/27/2015] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Serine/arginine-rich splicing factor-3 (SRSF3), alternatively known as SRp20, is a member of the highly-conserved SR protein family of mRNA splicing factors. SRSF3 generally functions as an enhancer of mRNA splicing by binding to transcripts in a sequence-specific manner to both recruit and stabilize the binding of spliceosomal components to the mRNA. In liver, expression of SRSF3 is relatively low and its activity is increased in response to insulin and feeding a high carbohydrate diet. We sought to over-express SRSF3 in primary rat hepatocytes to identify regulatory targets. A standard adenoviral shuttle vector system containing an epitope-tagged SRSF3 under the transcriptional control of the CMV promoter could not be used to produce infectious adenoviral particles. SRSF3 over-expression in the packaging cell line prevented the production of infectious adenovirus particles by interfering with the viral splicing program. To circumvent this issue, SRSF3 expression from the shuttle vector was blocked by placing its expression under the control of the liver-specific albumin promoter. In this system, the FLAG-SRSF3 transgene is only expressed in the target cells (hepatocytes) but not in the packaging cell line. An additional benefit of the albumin promoter is that expression of the transgene does not require the addition of hormones or antibiotics to drive SRSF3 expression in the hepatocytes. Robust expression of FLAG-SRSF3 protein is detected in both HepG2 cells and primary rat hepatocytes infected with adenovirus prepared from this new shuttle vector. Furthermore, abundances of several known and suspected mRNA targets of SRSF3 action are increased in response to over-expression using this virus. This report details the construction of the albumin promoter-driven adenoviral shuttle vector, termed pmAlbAd5-FLAG.SRSF3, that can be used to generate functional adenovirus to express FLAG-SRSF3 specifically in liver. This vector would be suitable for over-expression of other splicing factors that could inhibit virus production. In addition, this vector would allow only liver-specific expression of other cargo genes when used in a whole-animal paradigm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda L Suchanek
- Department of Biochemistry, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown, WV 26506, United States
| | - Lisa M Salati
- Department of Biochemistry, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown, WV 26506, United States.
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Ahlemeyer B, Vogt JF, Michel V, Hahn-Kohlberger P, Baumgart-Vogt E. Microporation is an efficient method for siRNA-induced knockdown of PEX5 in HepG2 cells: evaluation of the transfection efficiency, the PEX5 mRNA and protein levels and induction of peroxisomal deficiency. Histochem Cell Biol 2014; 142:577-91. [PMID: 25224142 DOI: 10.1007/s00418-014-1254-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/14/2014] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The pathomechanism of peroxisomal biogenesis disorders (PBDs), a group of inherited autosomal recessive diseases with mutations of peroxin (PEX) genes, is not yet fully understood. Therefore, several knockout models, e.g., the PEX5 knockout mouse, have been generated exhibiting a complete loss of peroxisomal function. In this study, we wanted to knockdown PEX5 using the siRNA technology (1) to mimic milder forms of PBDs in which the mutated peroxin has some residual function and (2) to analyze the cellular consequences of a reduction of the PEX5 protein without adaption during the development as it is the case in a knockout animal. First, we tried to optimize the transfection of the hepatoma cell line HepG2 with PEX5 siRNA using different commercially available liposomal and non-liposomal transfection reagents (Lipofectamine(®) 2000, FuGENE 6, HiPerFect(®), INTERFERin™, RiboJuice™) as well as microporation using the Neon™ Transfection system. Microporation was found to be superior to the transfection reagents with respect to the transfection efficiency (100 vs. 0-70%), to the reduction of PEX5 mRNA (by 90 vs. 0-50%) and PEX5 protein levels (by 70 vs. 0-50%). Interestingly, we detected that a part of the cleaved PEX5 mRNA still existed as 3' fragment (15%) 24 h after microporation. Using microporation, we further analyzed whether the reduced PEX5 protein level impaired peroxisomal function. We indeed detected a reduced targeting of SKL-tagged proteins into peroxisomes as well as an increased oxidative stress as found in PBD patients and respective knockout mouse models. Knockdown of the PEX5 protein and functional consequences were at a maximum 48 h after microporation. Thereafter, the PEX5 protein was resynthesized, which may allow the temporal analysis of the loss as well as the reconstitution of peroxisomes in the future. In conclusion, we propose microporation as an efficient and reproducible method to transfect HepG2 cells with PEX5 siRNA. We succeeded to transiently knockdown PEX5 mRNA and its protein level leading to functional consequences similar as observed in peroxisome deficiencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Ahlemeyer
- Division of Medical Cell Biology, Institute for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Justus Liebig University, Aulweg 123, 35385, Giessen, Germany,
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Gebremedhin S, Singh A, Koons S, Bernt W, Konopka K, Duzgunes N. Gene delivery to carcinoma cells via novel non-viral vectors: nanoparticle tracking analysis and suicide gene therapy. Eur J Pharm Sci 2014; 60:72-9. [PMID: 24751674 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejps.2014.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2013] [Revised: 03/04/2014] [Accepted: 03/13/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Suicide gene therapy of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) may be a viable approach to the treatment of this cancer. However, human OSCC cells are relatively resistant to efficient transfection by non-viral vectors. To identify an optimal vector for gene delivery, we compared the transfection activities and efficiencies of Glycofect, Metafectene, Metafectene Pro, Metafectene Easy and FuGENE HD, using the OSCC cell line, HSC-3, and the cervical carcinoma cell line, HeLa. The size distribution and ζ-potential of the complexes of these vectors with plasmid DNA were assessed by nanoparticle tracking analysis and electrophoretic mobility measurements, respectively. Metafectene Easy and FuGENE HD mediated the highest transfection activity (measured as luciferase expression) and efficiency (measured as the percentage of cells transfected with ß-galactosidase). These vectors were used to deliver a plasmid encoding herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase, followed by ganciclovir treatment. By day 9, HeLa cell viability was 22±3% of controls with FuGENE HD and 26±3% with Metafectene Easy. The viability of HSC-3 cells was 42±25% with FuGENE HD, and 58±28% with Metafectene Easy. The reduction in viability was statistically significant in both cases (p⩽0.005; average of 3 independent experiments), although there was considerable variability between experiments with the HSC-3 cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Senait Gebremedhin
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, University of the Pacific, San Francisco, CA 94115, USA
| | - Aruna Singh
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, University of the Pacific, San Francisco, CA 94115, USA
| | - Stephen Koons
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, University of the Pacific, San Francisco, CA 94115, USA
| | - William Bernt
- Particle Characterization Laboratories, Novato, CA 94945, USA
| | - Krystyna Konopka
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, University of the Pacific, San Francisco, CA 94115, USA
| | - Nejat Duzgunes
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, University of the Pacific, San Francisco, CA 94115, USA.
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11
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Luo H, Chen R, Yang R, Liu Y, Chen Y, Shu Y, Chen H. Reprogramming of mice primary hepatocytes into insulin-producing cells by transfection with multicistronic vectors. J Diabetes Res 2014; 2014:716163. [PMID: 25006589 PMCID: PMC4070478 DOI: 10.1155/2014/716163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2013] [Accepted: 04/30/2014] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The neogenesis of insulin-producing cells (IPCs) from non-beta-cells has emerged as a potential method for treating diabetes mellitus (DM). Many groups have documented that activation of pancreatic transcription factor(s) in hepatocytes can improve the hyperglycemia in diabetic mice. In the present study, we explored a novel protocol that reprogrammed primary hepatocytes into functional IPCs by using multicistronic vectors carrying pancreatic and duodenal homeobox-1 (Pdx1), neurogenin 3 (Ngn3), and v-musculoaponeurotic fibrosarcoma oncogene homolog A (MafA). These triple-transfected cells activated multiple beta-cell genes, synthesized and stored considerable amounts of insulin, and released the hormone in a glucose-regulated manner in vitro. Furthermore, when transplanted into streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice, the cells markedly ameliorated glucose tolerance. Our results indicated that ectopic expression of Pdx1, Ngn3, and MafA facilitated hepatocytes-to-IPCs reprogramming. This approach may offer opportunities for treatment of DM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haizhao Luo
- Department of Endocrinology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, No. 253 Gong Ye Road, Guangzhou 510282, China
- Department of Endocrinology, Nanhai Hospital, Southern Medical University, No. 40 Foping Road, Foshan 528200, China
| | - Rongping Chen
- Department of Endocrinology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, No. 253 Gong Ye Road, Guangzhou 510282, China
| | - Rui Yang
- Department of Endocrinology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, No. 253 Gong Ye Road, Guangzhou 510282, China
| | - Yan Liu
- Department of Endocrinology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, No. 253 Gong Ye Road, Guangzhou 510282, China
| | - Youping Chen
- Department of Endocrinology, Nanhai Hospital, Southern Medical University, No. 40 Foping Road, Foshan 528200, China
| | - Yi Shu
- Department of Endocrinology, Nanhai Hospital, Southern Medical University, No. 40 Foping Road, Foshan 528200, China
| | - Hong Chen
- Department of Endocrinology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, No. 253 Gong Ye Road, Guangzhou 510282, China
- *Hong Chen:
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