1
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Egberink RO, van Asbeck AH, Boswinkel M, Muradjan G, Dieker J, Brock R. Deciphering Structural Determinants Distinguishing Active from Inactive Cell-Penetrating Peptides for Cytosolic mRNA Delivery. Bioconjug Chem 2023; 34:1822-1834. [PMID: 37733627 PMCID: PMC10587869 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.3c00346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Revised: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023]
Abstract
The formation of noncovalent complexes by mixing of positively charged polymers with negatively charged oligonucleotides (ONs) is a widely explored concept in nanomedicine to achieve cellular delivery of ONs. Uptake of ON complexes occurs through endocytosis, which then requires release of ON from endosomes. As one type of polymer, cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) are being used which are peptides of about 8-30 amino acids in length. However, only a few CPPs yield effective cytosolic ON delivery and activity. Several strategies have been devised to increase cellular uptake and enhance endosomal release, among which an increase of osmotic pressure through the so-called proton sponge effect, disruption of membrane integrity through membrane activity, and disulfide-mediated polymerization. Here, we address the relevance of these concepts for mRNA delivery by incorporating structural features into the human lactoferrin-derived CPP, which shows uptake but not delivery. The incorporation of histidines was explored to address osmotic pressure and structural motifs of the delivery-active CPP PepFect14 (PF14) to address membrane disturbance, and finally, the impact of polymerization was explored. Whereas oligomerization increased the stability of polyplexes against heparin-induced decomplexation, neither this approach nor the incorporation of histidine residues to promote a proton-sponge effect yielded activity. Also, the replacement of arginine residues with lysine or ornithine residues, as in PF14, was without effect, even though all polyplexes showed cellular uptake. Ultimately, sufficient activity could only be achieved by transferring amphipathic sequence motifs from PF14 into the hLF context with some benefit of oligomerization demonstrating overarching principles of delivery for CPPs, lipid nanoparticles, and other types of delivery polymers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rik Oude Egberink
- Department
of Medical BioSciences, Research Institute for Medical Innovation, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Alexander H. van Asbeck
- Department
of Medical BioSciences, Research Institute for Medical Innovation, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Milou Boswinkel
- Department
of Medical BioSciences, Research Institute for Medical Innovation, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Grigor Muradjan
- Department
of Medical BioSciences, Research Institute for Medical Innovation, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Jürgen Dieker
- Department
of Medical BioSciences, Research Institute for Medical Innovation, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Roland Brock
- Department
of Medical BioSciences, Research Institute for Medical Innovation, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department
of Medical Biochemistry, College of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Arabian Gulf University, Manama 329, Bahrain
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2
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Peptide-Based Nanoparticles for αvβ3 Integrin-Targeted DNA Delivery to Cancer and Uterine Leiomyoma Cells. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27238363. [PMID: 36500454 PMCID: PMC9741203 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27238363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Uterine leiomyoma is the most common benign tumor of the reproductive system. Current therapeutic options do not simultaneously meet the requirements of long-term efficiency and fertility preservation. Suicide gene delivery can be proposed as a novel approach to uterine leiomyoma therapy. Non-viral vehicles are an attractive approach to DNA delivery for gene therapy of both malignant and benign tumors. Peptide-based vectors are among the most promising candidates for the development of artificial viruses, being able to efficiently cross barriers of DNA transport to cells. Here we described nanoparticles composed of cysteine-crosslinked polymer and histidine-arginine-rich peptide modified with iRGD moiety and characterized them as vehicles for plasmid DNA delivery to pancreatic cancer PANC-1 cells and the uterine leiomyoma cell model. Several variants of nanoparticles were formulated with different targeting ligand content. The physicochemical properties that were studied included DNA binding and protection, interaction with polyanions and reducing agents, size, structure and zeta-potential of the peptide-based nanoparticles. Cytotoxicity, cell uptake and gene transfection efficiency were assessed in PANC-1 cells with GFP and LacZ-encoding plasmids. The specificity of gene transfection via αvβ3 integrin binding was proved in competitive transfection. The therapeutic potential was evaluated in a uterine leiomyoma cell model using the suicide gene therapy approach. The optimal formulation was found to be at the polyplex with the highest iRGD moiety content being able to transfect cells more efficiently than control PEI. Suicide gene therapy using the best formulation resulted in a significant decrease of uterine leiomyoma cells after ganciclovir treatment. It can be concluded that the application of iRGD-modified peptide-based nanoparticles has a high potential for cellular delivery of DNA therapeutics in favor of uterine leiomyoma gene therapy.
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D’haese S, Laeremans T, den Roover S, Allard SD, Vanham G, Aerts JL. Efficient Induction of Antigen-Specific CD8+ T-Cell Responses by Cationic Peptide-Based mRNA Nanoparticles. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14071387. [PMID: 35890284 PMCID: PMC9321026 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14071387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Revised: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
A major determinant for the success of mRNA-based vaccines is the composition of the nanoparticles (NPs) used for formulation and delivery. Cationic peptides represent interesting candidate carriers for mRNA, since they have been shown to efficiently deliver nucleic acids to eukaryotic cells. mRNA NPs based on arginine-rich peptides have previously been demonstrated to induce potent antigen-specific CD8+ T-cell responses. We therefore compared the histidine-rich amphipathic peptide LAH4-L1 (KKALLAHALHLLALLALHLAHALKKA) to the fully substituted arginine variant (LAH4-L1R) for their capacity to formulate mRNA and transfect dendritic cells (DCs). Although both peptides encapsulated mRNA to the same extent, and showed excellent uptake in DCs, the gene expression level was significantly higher for LAH4-L1. The LAH4-L1–mRNA NPs also resulted in enhanced antigen presentation in the context of MHC I compared to LAH4-L1R in primary murine CD103+ DCs. Both peptides induced DC maturation and inflammasome activation. Subsequent ex vivo stimulation of OT-I splenocytes with transfected CD103+ DCs resulted in a high proportion of polyfunctional CD8+ T cells for both peptides. In addition, in vivo immunization with LAH4-L1 or LAH4-L1R–mRNA NPs resulted in proliferation of antigen-specific T cells. In conclusion, although LAH4-L1 outperformed LAH4-L1R in terms of transfection efficiency, the immune stimulation ex vivo and in vivo was equally efficient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sigrid D’haese
- Laboratory for Neuro-Aging and Viro-Immunotherapy (NAVI), Faculty of Pharmacy and Medicine, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1090 Brussels, Belgium; (S.D.); (T.L.); (S.d.R.)
| | - Thessa Laeremans
- Laboratory for Neuro-Aging and Viro-Immunotherapy (NAVI), Faculty of Pharmacy and Medicine, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1090 Brussels, Belgium; (S.D.); (T.L.); (S.d.R.)
| | - Sabine den Roover
- Laboratory for Neuro-Aging and Viro-Immunotherapy (NAVI), Faculty of Pharmacy and Medicine, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1090 Brussels, Belgium; (S.D.); (T.L.); (S.d.R.)
| | - Sabine D. Allard
- Department of Internal Medicine (IRG), Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel, 1090 Brussels, Belgium;
| | - Guido Vanham
- Department of Virology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, University of Antwerp, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium;
| | - Joeri L. Aerts
- Laboratory for Neuro-Aging and Viro-Immunotherapy (NAVI), Faculty of Pharmacy and Medicine, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1090 Brussels, Belgium; (S.D.); (T.L.); (S.d.R.)
- Correspondence:
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4
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Chen M, Wang H, Guo H, Zhang Y, Chen L. Systematic Investigation of Biocompatible Cationic Polymeric Nucleic Acid Carriers for Immunotherapy of Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 14:85. [PMID: 35008249 PMCID: PMC8750096 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14010085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Revised: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third-largest cause of cancer death worldwide, while immunotherapy is rapidly being developed to fight HCC with great potential. Nucleic acid drugs are the most important modulators in HCC immunotherapy. To boost the efficacy of therapeutics and amplify the efficiency of genetic materials, biocompatible polymers are commonly used. However, under the strong need of a summary for current developments of biocompatible polymeric nucleic acid carriers for immunotherapy of HCC, there is rare review article specific to this topic to our best knowledge. In this article, we will discuss the current progress of immunotherapy for HCC, biocompatible cationic polymers (BCPs) as nucleic acid carriers used (or potential) to fight HCC, the roles of biocompatible polymeric carriers for nucleic acid delivery, and nucleic acid delivery by biocompatible polymers for immunotherapy. At the end, we will conclude the review and discuss future perspectives. This article discusses biocompatible polymeric nucleic acid carriers for immunotherapy of HCC from multidiscipline perspectives and provides a new insight in this domain. We believe this review will be interesting to polymer chemists, pharmacists, clinic doctors, and PhD students in related disciplines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingsheng Chen
- Shanghai Public Health Clinic Center, Fudan University, Shanghai 201508, China; (M.C.); (H.W.); (H.G.)
| | - Hao Wang
- Shanghai Public Health Clinic Center, Fudan University, Shanghai 201508, China; (M.C.); (H.W.); (H.G.)
| | - Hongying Guo
- Shanghai Public Health Clinic Center, Fudan University, Shanghai 201508, China; (M.C.); (H.W.); (H.G.)
| | - Ying Zhang
- School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang 212100, China
| | - Liang Chen
- Shanghai Public Health Clinic Center, Fudan University, Shanghai 201508, China; (M.C.); (H.W.); (H.G.)
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5
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Ali S, Dussouillez C, Padilla B, Frisch B, Mason AJ, Kichler A. Design of a new cell penetrating peptide for DNA, siRNA and mRNA delivery. J Gene Med 2021; 24:e3401. [PMID: 34856643 DOI: 10.1002/jgm.3401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Revised: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Delivery systems, including peptide-based ones, that destabilize endosomes in a pH-dependent manner are increasingly used to deliver cargoes of therapeutic interest, such as nucleic acids and proteins into mammalian cells. METHODS The negatively charged amphipathic alpha-helicoidal forming peptide named HELP (Helical Erythrocyte Lysing Peptide) is a derivative from the bee venom melittin and was shown to have a pH-dependent activity with the highest lytic activity at pH 5.0 at the same time as becoming inactive when the pH is increased. The present study aimed to determine whether replacement in the HELP peptide of the glutamic acid residues by histidines, for which the protonation state is sensitive to the pH changes that occur during endosomal acidification, can transform this fusogenic peptide into a carrier able to deliver different nucleic acids into mammalian cells. RESULTS The resulting HELP-4H peptide displays high plasmid DNA, small interfering RNA and mRNA delivery capabilities. Importantly, in contrast to other cationic peptides, its transfection activity was only marginally affected by the presence of serum. Using circular dichroism, we found that acidic pH did not induce significant conformational changes for HELP-4H. CONCLUSIONS In summary, we were able to develop a new cationic histidine rich peptide able to efficiently deliver various nucleic acids into cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salif Ali
- 3Bio Team, CAMB 7199 CNRS - University of Strasbourg, Faculté de Pharmacie, Illkirch, France
| | - Candice Dussouillez
- 3Bio Team, CAMB 7199 CNRS - University of Strasbourg, Faculté de Pharmacie, Illkirch, France
| | - Beatriz Padilla
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, School of Cancer & Pharmaceutical Science, King's College London, Franklin-Wilkins Building, London, UK
| | - Benoît Frisch
- 3Bio Team, CAMB 7199 CNRS - University of Strasbourg, Faculté de Pharmacie, Illkirch, France
| | - A James Mason
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, School of Cancer & Pharmaceutical Science, King's College London, Franklin-Wilkins Building, London, UK
| | - Antoine Kichler
- 3Bio Team, CAMB 7199 CNRS - University of Strasbourg, Faculté de Pharmacie, Illkirch, France
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6
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Liu Y, Wan HH, Tian DM, Xu XJ, Bi CL, Zhan XY, Huang BH, Xu YS, Yan LP. Development and Characterization of High Efficacy Cell-Penetrating Peptide via Modulation of the Histidine and Arginine Ratio for Gene Therapy. MATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2021; 14:4674. [PMID: 34443195 PMCID: PMC8399742 DOI: 10.3390/ma14164674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2021] [Revised: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs), as non-viral gene delivery vectors, are considered with lower immunogenic response, and safer and higher gene capacity than viral systems. In our previous study, a CPP peptide called RALA (arginine rich) presented desirable transfection efficacy and owns a potential clinic use. It is believed that histidine could enhance the endosome escaping ability of CPPs, yet RALA peptide contains only one histidine in each chain. In order to develop novel superior CPPs, by using RALA as a model, we designed a series of peptides named HALA (increased histidine ratio). Both plasmid DNA (pDNA) and siRNA transfection results on three cell lines revealed that the transfection efficacy is better when histidine replacements were on the C-terminal instead of on the N-terminal, and two histidine replacements are superior to three. By investigating the mechanism of endocytosis of the pDNA nanocomplexes, we discovered that there were multiple pathways that led to the process and caveolae played the main role. During the screening, we discovered a novel peptide-HALA2 of high cellular transfection efficacy, which may act as an exciting gene delivery vector for gene therapy. Our findings also bring new insights on the development of novel robust CPPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Liu
- Department of Dermatovenereology, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518107, China; (Y.L.); (H.-H.W.)
- Scientific Research Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518107, China; (D.-M.T.); (X.-Y.Z.); (B.-H.H.)
| | - Huan-Huan Wan
- Department of Dermatovenereology, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518107, China; (Y.L.); (H.-H.W.)
- Scientific Research Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518107, China; (D.-M.T.); (X.-Y.Z.); (B.-H.H.)
| | - Duo-Mei Tian
- Scientific Research Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518107, China; (D.-M.T.); (X.-Y.Z.); (B.-H.H.)
- Department of Emergency and Intensive Care Medicine, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518107, China
| | - Xiao-Jun Xu
- Department of Hematology, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518107, China;
| | - Chang-Long Bi
- Department of Endocrinology, The Eighth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518033, China;
| | - Xiao-Yong Zhan
- Scientific Research Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518107, China; (D.-M.T.); (X.-Y.Z.); (B.-H.H.)
| | - Bi-Hui Huang
- Scientific Research Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518107, China; (D.-M.T.); (X.-Y.Z.); (B.-H.H.)
| | - Yun-Sheng Xu
- Department of Dermatovenereology, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518107, China; (Y.L.); (H.-H.W.)
| | - Le-Ping Yan
- Scientific Research Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518107, China; (D.-M.T.); (X.-Y.Z.); (B.-H.H.)
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Digestive Cancer Research, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518107, China
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7
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Miyamoto T, Tsuchiya K, Numata K. Endosome-escaping micelle complexes dually equipped with cell-penetrating and endosome-disrupting peptides for efficient DNA delivery into intact plants. NANOSCALE 2021; 13:5679-5692. [PMID: 33595040 DOI: 10.1039/d0nr08183c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
The delivery of DNA to plants is crucial for enhancing their ability to produce valuable compounds and adapt to climate change. Peptides can provide a versatile tool for delivering DNA to a specific target organelle in various plant species without the use of specialized equipment. However, peptide-mediated DNA delivery suffers from endosomal entrapment and subsequent vacuolar degradation of the DNA cargo, which leads to poor transfection efficiency. To overcome the lack of a reliable approach for bypassing vacuolar degradation in plants, we herein present an endosome-escaping micelle. The micelle surface is dually modified with cell-penetrating (CPP) and endosome-disrupting peptides (EDP) and the core is composed of plasmid DNA condensed with cationic peptides. Due to the functions of CPP and EDP, the dual peptide-modified micelles efficiently undergo endocytic internalization and escape from endosomes to the cytosol, thereby achieving significantly enhanced transfection of intact plants with negligible cytotoxicity. The present study offers a robust strategy for efficient intracellular DNA delivery to plants without vacuolar degradation, and can facilitate plant bioengineering for diverse biotechnological applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takaaki Miyamoto
- Biomacromolecules Research Team, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako-shi, Saitama 351-0198, Japan.
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8
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McErlean EM, Ziminska M, McCrudden CM, McBride JW, Loughran SP, Cole G, Mulholland EJ, Kett V, Buckley NE, Robson T, Dunne NJ, McCarthy HO. Rational design and characterisation of a linear cell penetrating peptide for non-viral gene delivery. J Control Release 2020; 330:1288-1299. [PMID: 33227336 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2020.11.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2020] [Revised: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
The design of a non-viral gene delivery system that can release a functional nucleic acid at the intracellular destination site is an exciting but also challenging proposition. The ideal gene delivery vector must be non-toxic, non-immunogenic, overcome extra- and intra-cellular barriers, protect the nucleic acid cargo from degradation with stability over a range of temperatures. A new 15 amino acid linear peptide termed CHAT was designed in this study with the goal of delivering DNA with high efficiency into cells in vitro and tissues in vivo. Rational design involved incorporation of key amino acids including arginine for nucleic acid complexation and cellular uptake, tryptophan to enhance hydrophobic interaction with cell membranes, histidine to facilitate endosomal escape and cysteine for stability and controlled cargo release. Six linear peptides were synthesised with strategic sequences and amino acid substitutions. Data demonstrated that all six peptides complexed pDNA to produce cationic nanoparticles less than 200 nm in diameter, but not all peptides resulted in successful transfection; indicating the influence of peptide design for endosomal escape. Peptide 4, now termed CHAT, was non-cytotoxic, traversed the plasma membrane of breast and prostate cancer cell lines, and elicited reporter-gene expression following intra-tumoural and intravenous delivery in vivo. CHAT presents an exciting new peptide for the delivery of nucleic acid therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma M McErlean
- School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK
| | - Monika Ziminska
- School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK
| | - Cian M McCrudden
- School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK
| | - John W McBride
- School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK
| | - Stephen P Loughran
- School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK
| | - Grace Cole
- School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK
| | - Eoghan J Mulholland
- School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK
| | - Vicky Kett
- School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK
| | - Niamh E Buckley
- School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK
| | - Tracy Robson
- School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, Royal College of Surgeons Ireland, 111 St Stephen's Green, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Nicholas J Dunne
- School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Dublin City University, Dublin 9, Ireland; Centre for Medical Engineering Research, School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Dublin City University, Dublin 9, Ireland; Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, School of Engineering, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland; Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (I-Form), School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Dublin City University, Glasnevin, Dublin 9, Ireland; Advanced Materials and Bioengineering Research Centre (AMBER), Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland; Advanced Materials and Bioengineering Research Centre (AMBER), Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland; Trinity Centre for Biomedical Engineering, Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Helen O McCarthy
- School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; School of Chemical Sciences, Dublin City University, Dublin 9, Ireland.
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9
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Peptides as a material platform for gene delivery: Emerging concepts and converging technologies. Acta Biomater 2020; 117:40-59. [PMID: 32966922 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2020.09.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2020] [Revised: 08/27/2020] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Successful gene therapies rely on methods that safely introduce DNA into target cells and enable subsequent expression of proteins. To that end, peptides are an attractive materials platform for DNA delivery, facilitating condensation into nanoparticles, delivery into cells, and subcellular release to enable protein expression. Peptides are programmable materials that can be designed to address biocompatibility, stability, and subcellular barriers that limit efficiency of non-viral gene delivery systems. This review focuses on fundamental structure-function relationships regarding peptide design and their impact on nanoparticle physical properties, biologic activity, and biocompatibility. Recent peptide technologies utilize multi-dimensional structures, non-natural chemistries, and combinations of peptides with lipids to achieve desired properties and efficient transfection. Advances in DNA cargo design are also presented to highlight further opportunities for peptide-based gene delivery. Modern DNA designs enable prolonged expression compared to traditional plasmids, providing an additional component that can be synergized with peptide carriers for improved transfection. Peptide transfection systems are poised to become a flexible and efficient platform incorporating new chemistries, functionalities, and improved DNA cargos to usher in a new era of gene therapy.
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10
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Heitz M, Javor S, Darbre T, Reymond JL. Stereoselective pH Responsive Peptide Dendrimers for siRNA Transfection. Bioconjug Chem 2019; 30:2165-2182. [PMID: 31398014 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.9b00403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Transfecting nucleic acids into cells is an essential procedure in biological research usually performed using nonviral transfection reagents. Unfortunately, most transfection reagents have polymeric or undisclosed structures and require nonstandard synthetic procedures. Herein we report peptide dendrimers accessible as pure products from standard building blocks by solid-phase peptide synthesis and acting as nontoxic single component siRNA transfection reagents for a variety of cell lines with equal or better performance than the gold standard lipofectamine L2000. Structure-activity relationships and mechanistic studies illuminate their transfection mechanism in unprecedented detail. Stereoselective dendrimer aggregation via intermolecular β-sheets at neutral pH enables siRNA complexation to form nanoparticles which enter cells by endocytosis. Endosome acidification triggers protonation of amino termini and rearrangement to an α-helical conformation forming smaller dendrimer/siRNA nanoparticles, which escape the endosome and release their siRNA cargo in the cytosol. Two particularly efficient d-enantiomeric dendrimers are proposed as new reference reagents for siRNA transfection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc Heitz
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry , University of Bern , Freiestrasse 3 , 3012 Bern , Switzerland
| | - Sacha Javor
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry , University of Bern , Freiestrasse 3 , 3012 Bern , Switzerland
| | - Tamis Darbre
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry , University of Bern , Freiestrasse 3 , 3012 Bern , Switzerland
| | - Jean-Louis Reymond
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry , University of Bern , Freiestrasse 3 , 3012 Bern , Switzerland
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11
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Strategies in the design of endosomolytic agents for facilitating endosomal escape in nanoparticles. Biochimie 2019; 160:61-75. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2019.02.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2018] [Accepted: 02/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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12
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Abstract
Amphipathic, pH-responsive, membrane-active peptides such as LAH4 and derivatives thereof have the ability to effectively deliver genes and small interfering RNA (siRNA) into mammalian cells. Their ability to bind and protect nucleic acids and then disrupt membranes when activated at low pH enables them to harness the endocytic machinery to deliver cargo efficiently and with low associated toxicity. This chapter describes protocols for the chemical synthesis of transfection peptides of the LAH4 family, complex formation with nucleic acids, and their use for the in vitro delivery of either plasmid DNA or siRNA into mammalian cell lines.
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13
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Sun Y, Yang Z, Wang C, Yang T, Cai C, Zhao X, Yang L, Ding P. Exploring the role of peptides in polymer-based gene delivery. Acta Biomater 2017; 60:23-37. [PMID: 28778533 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2017.07.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2017] [Revised: 07/14/2017] [Accepted: 07/31/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Polymers are widely studied as non-viral gene vectors because of their strong DNA binding ability, capacity to carry large payload, flexibility of chemical modifications, low immunogenicity, and facile processes for manufacturing. However, high cytotoxicity and low transfection efficiency substantially restrict their application in clinical trials. Incorporating functional peptides is a promising approach to address these issues. Peptides demonstrate various functions in polymer-based gene delivery systems, such as targeting to specific cells, breaching membrane barriers, facilitating DNA condensation and release, and lowering cytotoxicity. In this review, we systematically summarize the role of peptides in polymer-based gene delivery, and elaborate how to rationally design polymer-peptide based gene delivery vectors. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE Polymers are widely studied as non-viral gene vectors, but suffer from high cytotoxicity and low transfection efficiency. Incorporating short, bioactive peptides into polymer-based gene delivery systems can address this issue. Peptides demonstrate various functions in polymer-based gene delivery systems, such as targeting to specific cells, breaching membrane barriers, facilitating DNA condensation and release, and lowering cytotoxicity. In this review, we highlight the peptides' roles in polymer-based gene delivery, and elaborate how to utilize various functional peptides to enhance the transfection efficiency of polymers. The optimized peptide-polymer vectors should be able to alter their structures and functions according to biological microenvironments and utilize inherent intracellular pathways of cells, and consequently overcome the barriers during gene delivery to enhance transfection efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanping Sun
- School of Pharmacy, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Zhen Yang
- School of Pharmacy, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Chunxi Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Tianzhi Yang
- Department of Basic Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Husson University, Bangor, ME, USA
| | - Cuifang Cai
- School of Pharmacy, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Xiaoyun Zhao
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, School of Life Science and Biopharmaceutics, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Li Yang
- School of Pharmacy, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China.
| | - Pingtian Ding
- School of Pharmacy, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China.
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14
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Liu N, Bechinger B, Süss R. The histidine-rich peptide LAH4-L1 strongly promotes PAMAM-mediated transfection at low nitrogen to phosphorus ratios in the presence of serum. Sci Rep 2017; 7:9585. [PMID: 28852016 PMCID: PMC5575053 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-10049-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2017] [Accepted: 08/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Non-viral vectors are widely used and investigated for the delivery of genetic material into cells. However, gene delivery barriers like lysosomal degradation, serum inhibition and transient gene expression so far still limit their clinical applications. Aiming to overcome these limitations, a pH-sensitive hybrid gene vector (PSL complex) was designed by self-assembly of poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers, the histidine-rich peptide LAH4-L1 and the sleeping beauty transposon system (SB transposon system, a plasmid system capable of efficient and precise genomic insertion). Transfection studies revealed that PSL complexes achieved excellent efficiency in all investigated cell lines (higher than 90% in HeLa cells and over 30% in MDCK cells, a difficult-to-transfect cell line). Additionally, the PSL complexes showed high serum tolerance and exhibited outstanding transfection efficiency even in medium containing 50% serum (higher than 90% in HeLa cells). Moreover, a high level of long-term gene expression (over 30% in HeLa cells) was observed. Furthermore, PSL complexes not only resulted in high endocytosis, but also showed enhanced ability of endosomal escape compared to PAMAM/DNA complexes. These results demonstrate that simple association of PAMAM dendrimers, LAH4-L1 peptides and the SB transposon system by self-assembly is a general and promising strategy for efficient and safe gene delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Liu
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmacy and Freiburger Materialforschungszentrum (FMF), Albert Ludwig University Freiburg, Sonnenstr. 5, 79104, Freiburg, Germany.
| | - Burkhard Bechinger
- University of Strasbourg/CNRS, Membrane Biophysics and NMR, Chemistry Institute UMR7177, rue Blaise Pascal 1, 67008, Strasbourg, France
| | - Regine Süss
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmacy and Freiburger Materialforschungszentrum (FMF), Albert Ludwig University Freiburg, Sonnenstr. 5, 79104, Freiburg, Germany.
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15
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Wilson KA, Wetmore SD. Combining crystallographic and quantum chemical data to understand DNA-protein π-interactions in nature. Struct Chem 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s11224-017-0954-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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16
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Moulay G, Leborgne C, Mason AJ, Aisenbrey C, Kichler A, Bechinger B. Histidine-rich designer peptides of the LAH4 family promote cell delivery of a multitude of cargo. J Pept Sci 2017; 23:320-328. [PMID: 28067008 DOI: 10.1002/psc.2955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2016] [Revised: 11/23/2016] [Accepted: 11/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The histidine-rich designer peptides of the LAH4 family exhibit potent antimicrobial, transfection, transduction and cell-penetrating properties. They form non-covalent complexes with their cargo, which often carry a negative overall charge at pH 7.4 and include a large range of molecules and structures such as oligonucleotides, including siRNA and DNA, peptides, proteins, nanodots and adeno-associated viruses. These complexes are thought to enter the cells through an endosomal pathway where the acidification of the organelle is essential for efficient endosomal escape. Biophysical measurements indicate that, upon acidification, almost half the peptides are released from DNA cargo, leading to the suggestion of a self-promoted uptake mechanism where the liberated peptides lyse the endosomal membranes. LAH4 derivatives also help in cellular transduction using lentiviruses. Here, we compare the DNA transfection activities of LAH4 derivatives, which vary in overall charge and/or the composition in the hydrophobic core region. In addition, LAH4 is shown to mediate the transport of functional β-galactosidase, a large tetrameric protein of about 0.5 MDa, into the cell interior. Interestingly, the LAH1 peptide efficiently imports this protein, while it is inefficient during DNA transfection assays. Copyright © 2017 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gilles Moulay
- Genethon, 1bis rue de l'Internationale, 91002, Evry, France
| | | | - A James Mason
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, UMR7177, Institut de Chimie, 4, Rue Blaise Pascal, 67070, Strasbourg, France.,Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King's College London, 150 Stamford Street, London, UK
| | - Christopher Aisenbrey
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, UMR7177, Institut de Chimie, 4, Rue Blaise Pascal, 67070, Strasbourg, France
| | - Antoine Kichler
- Genethon, 1bis rue de l'Internationale, 91002, Evry, France.,Faculté de Pharmacie, Laboratoire de Conception et Application de Molécules Bioactives UMR7199 CNRS - Université de Strasbourg, Labex Medalis, 67401, Illkirch, France
| | - Burkhard Bechinger
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, UMR7177, Institut de Chimie, 4, Rue Blaise Pascal, 67070, Strasbourg, France
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17
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Achieving high gene delivery performance with caveolae-mediated endocytosis pathway by (l)-arginine/(l)-histidine co-modified cationic gene carriers. Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces 2016; 148:73-84. [DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2016.08.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2016] [Revised: 08/02/2016] [Accepted: 08/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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18
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Hayden RM, Goldberg GK, Ferguson BM, Schoeneck MW, Libardo MDJ, Mayeux SE, Shrestha A, Bogardus KA, Hammer J, Pryshchep S, Lehman HK, McCormick ML, Blazyk J, Angeles-Boza AM, Fu R, Cotten ML. Complementary Effects of Host Defense Peptides Piscidin 1 and Piscidin 3 on DNA and Lipid Membranes: Biophysical Insights into Contrasting Biological Activities. J Phys Chem B 2015; 119:15235-46. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.5b09685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Robert M. Hayden
- Department
of Chemistry, Hamilton College, Clinton, New York 13323, United States
| | - Gina K. Goldberg
- Department
of Chemistry, Hamilton College, Clinton, New York 13323, United States
| | - Bryan M. Ferguson
- Department
of Chemistry, Hamilton College, Clinton, New York 13323, United States
| | - Mason W. Schoeneck
- Department
of Chemistry, Hamilton College, Clinton, New York 13323, United States
| | - M. Daben J. Libardo
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, United States
| | - Sophie E. Mayeux
- Department
of Chemistry, Hamilton College, Clinton, New York 13323, United States
| | - Akritee Shrestha
- Department
of Chemistry, Hamilton College, Clinton, New York 13323, United States
| | - Kimberly A. Bogardus
- Department
of Chemistry, Hamilton College, Clinton, New York 13323, United States
| | - Janet Hammer
- Department
of Biomedical Sciences, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio 45701, United States
| | - Sergey Pryshchep
- Center
for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York 12180, United States
| | - Herman K. Lehman
- Department
of Biology, Hamilton College, Clinton, New York 13323, United States
| | | | - Jack Blazyk
- Department
of Biomedical Sciences, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio 45701, United States
| | - Alfredo M. Angeles-Boza
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, United States
| | - Riqiang Fu
- National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Tallahassee, Florida 32310, United States
| | - Myriam L. Cotten
- Department
of Chemistry, Hamilton College, Clinton, New York 13323, United States
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19
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Bélières M, Déjugnat C, Chouini-Lalanne N. Histidine-Based Lipopeptides Enhance Cleavage of Nucleic Acids: Interactions with DNA and Hydrolytic Properties. Bioconjug Chem 2015; 26:2520-9. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.5b00542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- M. Bélières
- Laboratoire des Interactions Moléculaires et Réactivité Chimique et Photochimique (IMRCP), UMR 5623 (CNRS/Université Paul Sabatier), Toulouse 31062, France
| | - C. Déjugnat
- Laboratoire des Interactions Moléculaires et Réactivité Chimique et Photochimique (IMRCP), UMR 5623 (CNRS/Université Paul Sabatier), Toulouse 31062, France
| | - N. Chouini-Lalanne
- Laboratoire des Interactions Moléculaires et Réactivité Chimique et Photochimique (IMRCP), UMR 5623 (CNRS/Université Paul Sabatier), Toulouse 31062, France
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20
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Molecular dynamics methods to predict peptide locations in membranes: LAH4 as a stringent test case. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2015; 1848:581-92. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2014.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2014] [Revised: 10/22/2014] [Accepted: 11/05/2014] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
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21
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Zeller S, Choi CS, Uchil PD, Ban HS, Siefert A, Fahmy TM, Mothes W, Lee SK, Kumar P. Attachment of cell-binding ligands to arginine-rich cell-penetrating peptides enables cytosolic translocation of complexed siRNA. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 22:50-62. [PMID: 25544044 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2014.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2014] [Revised: 10/15/2014] [Accepted: 11/03/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs), such as nona-arginine (9R), poorly translocate siRNA into cells. Our studies demonstrate that attaching 9R to ligands that bind cell surface receptors quantitatively increases siRNA uptake and importantly, allows functional delivery of complexed siRNA. The mechanism involved accumulation of ligand-9R:siRNA microparticles on the cell membrane, which induced transient membrane inversion at the site of ligand-9R binding and rapid siRNA translocation into the cytoplasm. siRNA release also occurred late after endocytosis when the ligand was attached to the L isoform of 9R, but not the protease-resistant 9DR, prolonging mRNA knockdown. This critically depended on endosomal proteolytic activity, implying that partial CPP degradation is required for endosome-to-cytosol translocation. The data demonstrate that ligand attachment renders simple polycationic CPPs effective for siRNA delivery by restoring their intrinsic property of translocation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Skye Zeller
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Chang Seon Choi
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Department of Bioengineering and Institute of Nanoscience and Technology, Hanyang University, Seoul 133-791, South Korea
| | - Pradeep D Uchil
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Hong-Seok Ban
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Department of Bioengineering and Institute of Nanoscience and Technology, Hanyang University, Seoul 133-791, South Korea
| | - Alyssa Siefert
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Tarek M Fahmy
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Walther Mothes
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Sang-Kyung Lee
- Department of Bioengineering and Institute of Nanoscience and Technology, Hanyang University, Seoul 133-791, South Korea.
| | - Priti Kumar
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA.
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22
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Lipid interactions of LAH4, a peptide with antimicrobial and nucleic acid transfection activities. EUROPEAN BIOPHYSICS JOURNAL: EBJ 2014; 43:499-507. [DOI: 10.1007/s00249-014-0980-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2014] [Revised: 06/18/2014] [Accepted: 07/21/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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23
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Mann A, Shukla V, Khanduri R, Dabral S, Singh H, Ganguli M. Linear short histidine and cysteine modified arginine peptides constitute a potential class of DNA delivery agents. Mol Pharm 2014; 11:683-96. [PMID: 24476132 DOI: 10.1021/mp400353n] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The success of gene therapy relies on the development of safe and efficient multifunctional carriers of nucleic acids that can overcome extra- and intracellular barriers, protect the nucleic acid and mediate its release at the desired site allowing gene expression. Peptides bear unique properties that are indispensable for any carrier, e.g., they can mediate DNA condensation, cellular targeting, membrane translocation, endosomal escape and nuclear localization. In an effort to design a multifunctional peptide, we have modified an arginine homopeptide R16 by replacement of seven arginines with histidines and addition of one cysteine at each end respectively to impart endosomal escape property while maintaining the DNA condensation and release balance. Addition of histidines imparts endosomal escape property to arginine homopeptide, but their arrangement with respect to arginines is more critical in controlling DNA condensation, release and transfection efficiency. Intriguingly, R5H7R4 peptide where charge/arginine is distributed in blocks is preferred for strong condensation while more efficient transfection is seen in the variants R9H7 and H4R9H3, which exhibit weak condensation and strong release. Addition of cysteine to each of these peptides further fine-tuned the condensation-release balance without application of any oxidative procedure unlike other similar systems reported in the literature. This resulted in a large increase in the transfection efficiency in all of the histidine modified peptides irrespective of the arginine and histidine positions. This series of multifunctional peptides shows comparable transfection efficiency to commercially available transfection reagent Lipofectamine 2000 at low charge ratios, with simple preparative procedure and exhibits much less toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anita Mann
- CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology , Mall Road (near Jubilee Hall), Delhi 110 007, India
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24
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Manipulating the pH response of 2,3-diaminopropionic acid rich peptides to mediate highly effective gene silencing with low-toxicity. J Control Release 2013; 172:929-38. [PMID: 24144917 PMCID: PMC3858832 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2013.09.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2013] [Revised: 09/06/2013] [Accepted: 09/16/2013] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Cationic amphipathic pH responsive peptides possess high in vitro and in vivo nucleic acid delivery capabilities and function by forming a non-covalent complex with cargo, protecting it from nucleases, facilitating uptake via endocytosis and responding to endosomal acidification by being released from the complex and inserting into and disordering endosomal membranes. We have designed and synthesised peptides to show how Coulombic interactions between ionizable 2,3-diaminopropionic acid (Dap) side chains can be manipulated to tune the functional pH response of the peptides to afford optimal nucleic acid transfer and have modified the hydrogen bonding capabilities of the Dap side chains in order to reduce cytotoxicity. When compared with benchmark delivery compounds, the peptides are shown to have low toxicity and are highly effective at mediating gene silencing in adherent MCF-7 and A549 cell lines, primary human umbilical vein endothelial cells and both differentiated macrophage-like and suspension monocyte-like THP-1 cells.
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25
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Liang W, Kwok PCL, Chow MYT, Tang P, Mason AJ, Chan HK, Lam JKW. Formulation of pH responsive peptides as inhalable dry powders for pulmonary delivery of nucleic acids. Eur J Pharm Biopharm 2013; 86:64-73. [PMID: 23702276 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpb.2013.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2012] [Revised: 05/04/2013] [Accepted: 05/06/2013] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Nucleic acids have the potential to be used as therapies or vaccines for many different types of disease, but delivery remains the most significant challenge to their clinical adoption. pH responsive peptides containing either histidine or derivatives of 2,3-diaminopropionic acid (Dap) can mediate effective DNA transfection in lung epithelial cells with the latter remaining effective even in the presence of lung surfactant containing bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), making this class of peptides attractive candidates for delivering nucleic acids to lung tissues. To further assess the suitability of pH responsive peptides for pulmonary delivery by inhalation, dry powder formulations of pH responsive peptides and plasmid DNA, with mannitol as carrier, were produced by either spray drying (SD) or spray freeze drying (SFD). The properties of the two types of powders were characterised and compared using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), next generation impactor (NGI), gel retardation and in vitro transfection via a twin stage impinger (TSI) following aerosolisation by a dry powder inhaler (Osmohaler™). Although the aerodynamic performance and transfection efficacy of both powders were good, the overall performance revealed SD powders to have a number of advantages over SFD powders and are the more effective formulation with potential for efficient nucleic acid delivery through inhalation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanling Liang
- Department of Pharmacology & Pharmacy, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
| | - Philip C L Kwok
- Department of Pharmacology & Pharmacy, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; Faculty of Pharmacy, The University of Sydney, Australia
| | - Michael Y T Chow
- Department of Pharmacology & Pharmacy, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
| | - Patricia Tang
- Faculty of Pharmacy, The University of Sydney, Australia
| | - A James Mason
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King's College London, United Kingdom
| | - Hak-Kim Chan
- Faculty of Pharmacy, The University of Sydney, Australia
| | - Jenny K W Lam
- Department of Pharmacology & Pharmacy, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
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26
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Hong W, Zhang R, Di Z, He Y, Zhao Z, Hu J, Wu Y, Li W, Cao Z. Design of histidine-rich peptides with enhanced bioavailability and inhibitory activity against hepatitis C virus. Biomaterials 2013; 34:3511-22. [PMID: 23415044 PMCID: PMC7124613 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2013.01.075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2013] [Accepted: 01/22/2013] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Recently, peptide drugs have evolved into mainstream therapeutics, representing a significant portion of the pharmaceutical market. However, their bioavailability remains to be improved compared with that of chemical drugs. Here, we screened and identified a new peptide, Ctry2459, from a scorpion venom peptide library that was proven to inhibit hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection via inactivating infectious viral particles. However, Ctry2459 cannot suppress established infection of HCV because of the poor cellular uptake and restriction of endosomes. Based on the molecular template of the Ctry2459 peptide, we designed two histidine-rich peptides (Ctry2459-H2 and Ctry2459-H3) with significantly enhanced cellular uptake and improved intracellular distribution. Moreover, the two mutated peptides, as well as the wild-type peptide Ctry2459, exhibited virucidal activities against HCV. In distinct contrast to the Ctry2459 peptide, the mutated peptides significantly suppressed the established HCV infection at the cellular level but demonstrated lower cytotoxic and hemolytic activities. Our work presents an effective design strategy for optimizing natural antiviral peptides and opens a new avenue for enhancing the bioavailability of peptide drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Zhijian Cao
- Corresponding author. Tel.: +86 27 68752831; fax: +86 27 68756746.
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27
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Kichler A, Mason AJ, Marquette A, Bechinger B. Histidine-rich cationic amphipathic peptides for plasmid DNA and siRNA delivery. Methods Mol Biol 2013; 948:85-103. [PMID: 23070765 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-62703-140-0_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Amphipathic, pH-responsive, membrane-active peptides such as LAH4 and derivatives thereof have the ability to effectively deliver genes and small interfering RNA (siRNA) into mammalian cells. Their ability to bind and protect nucleic acids and then disrupt membranes when activated at low pH enables them to harness the endocytic machinery to deliver cargo efficiently and with low associated toxicity. This chapter describes protocols for the chemical synthesis of transfection peptides of the LAH4 family, complex formation with nucleic acids, and their use for the in vitro delivery of either plasmid DNA or siRNA into mammalian cell lines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Kichler
- Laboratoire de Pharmacologie Chimique et Génétique et d'Imagerie, U1022 INSERM, Paris, France.
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28
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Guo XD, Wiradharma N, Liu SQ, Zhang LJ, Khan M, Qian Y, Yang YY. Oligomerized alpha-helical KALA peptides with pendant arms bearing cell-adhesion, DNA-binding and endosome-buffering domains as efficient gene transfection vectors. Biomaterials 2012; 33:6284-91. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2012.05.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2012] [Accepted: 05/15/2012] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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29
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Iacobucci V, Di Giuseppe F, Bui TT, Vermeer LS, Patel J, Scherman D, Kichler A, Drake AF, Mason AJ. Control of pH responsive peptide self-association during endocytosis is required for effective gene transfer. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA 2012; 1818:1332-41. [PMID: 22226847 PMCID: PMC3378503 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2011.12.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2011] [Revised: 12/20/2011] [Accepted: 12/20/2011] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Cationic amphipathic histidine rich peptides demonstrate differential nucleic acid binding capabilities at neutral and acidic pH and adopt conformations at acidic pH that enable interaction with endosomal membranes, their subsequent disordering and facilitate entry of cargo to the cell cytosol. To better understand the relative contributions of each stage in the process and consequently the structural requirements of pH responsive peptides for optimal nucleic acid transfer, we used biophysical methods to dissect the series of events that occur during endosomal acidification. Far-UV circular dichroism was used to characterise the solution conformation of a series of peptides, containing either four or six histidine residues, designed to respond at differing pH while a novel application of near-UV circular dichroism was used to determine the binding affinities of the peptides for both DNA and siRNA. The peptide induced disordering of neutral and anionic membranes was investigated using (2)H solid-state NMR. While each of these parameters models key stages in the nucleic acid delivery process and all were affected by increasing the histidine content of the peptide, the effect of a more acidic pH response on peptide self-association was most notable and identified as the most important barrier to further enhancing nucleic acid delivery. Further, the results indicate that Coulombic interactions between the histidine residues modulate protonation and subsequent conformational transitions required for peptide mediated gene transfer activity and are an important factor to consider in future peptide design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Iacobucci
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King’s College London, Franklin-Wilkins Building, 150 Stamford Street, London SE1 9NH
| | - Francesca Di Giuseppe
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King’s College London, Franklin-Wilkins Building, 150 Stamford Street, London SE1 9NH
| | - Tam T. Bui
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King’s College London, Franklin-Wilkins Building, 150 Stamford Street, London SE1 9NH
| | - Louic S. Vermeer
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King’s College London, Franklin-Wilkins Building, 150 Stamford Street, London SE1 9NH
| | - Jayneil Patel
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King’s College London, Franklin-Wilkins Building, 150 Stamford Street, London SE1 9NH
| | - Daniel Scherman
- UMR 8151 CNRS -Inserm U1022, Université René Descartes, Chimie-Paristech, Paris, France
| | - Antoine Kichler
- UMR 8151 CNRS -Inserm U1022, Université René Descartes, Chimie-Paristech, Paris, France
- Généthon, 1bis rue de l’Internationale BP60, 91002 Evry, France
| | - Alex F. Drake
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King’s College London, Franklin-Wilkins Building, 150 Stamford Street, London SE1 9NH
| | - A. James Mason
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King’s College London, Franklin-Wilkins Building, 150 Stamford Street, London SE1 9NH
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30
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Cell penetrating peptides in the delivery of biopharmaceuticals. Biomolecules 2012; 2:187-202. [PMID: 24970133 PMCID: PMC4030843 DOI: 10.3390/biom2020187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2012] [Revised: 03/16/2012] [Accepted: 03/23/2012] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The cell membrane is a highly selective barrier. This limits the cellular uptake of molecules including DNA, oligonucleotides, peptides and proteins used as therapeutic agents. Different approaches have been employed to increase the membrane permeability and intracellular delivery of these therapeutic molecules. One such approach is the use of Cell Penetrating Peptides (CPPs). CPPs represent a new and innovative concept, which bypasses the problem of bioavailability of drugs. The success of CPPs lies in their ability to unlock intracellular and even intranuclear targets for the delivery of agents ranging from peptides to antibodies and drug-loaded nanoparticles. This review highlights the development of cell penetrating peptides for cell-specific delivery strategies involving biomolecules that can be triggered spatially and temporally within a cell transport pathway by change in physiological conditions. The review also discusses conjugations of therapeutic agents to CPPs for enhanced intracellular delivery and bioavailability that are at the clinical stage of development.
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Lam JK, Liang W, Lan Y, Chaudhuri P, Chow MY, Witt K, Kudsiova L, Mason AJ. Effective endogenous gene silencing mediated by pH responsive peptides proceeds via multiple pathways. J Control Release 2012; 158:293-303. [PMID: 22138072 PMCID: PMC3309421 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2011.11.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2011] [Revised: 11/15/2011] [Accepted: 11/19/2011] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Cationic amphipathic histidine rich peptides possess high plasmid DNA and siRNA delivery capabilities. To further understand the pH responsive siRNA delivery process and evaluate the capabilities of such peptides we have investigated their ability to mediate specific silencing of endogenous GAPDH gene activity in MCF-7 and A549 cells and compared this with plasmid DNA delivery. A substantial and selective reduction of both GAPDH activity and expression was achieved using pH responsive peptide vectors, which compared favourably with that mediated by commercially available non-viral vectors in terms of efficacy and toxicity. Furthermore, by comparing the efficacy of both gene delivery and silencing mediated by a series of such peptides, their sensitivities to known inhibitors of endocytotic processes, and their route of uptake via confocal live cell imaging, we show that both plasmid DNA and siRNA are internalised via endocytosis. However siRNA entry facilitated by LAH4-L1, proceeds via a cholesterol dependent mechanism, in contrast to DNA transfer which is associated with clathrin dependent endocytosis. Furthermore, using peptides that respond at increasingly acidic pH, we demonstrate that the route of entry for the siRNA that ultimately mediates silencing is peptide specific and whilst some pH responsive peptides promote the escape of labelled siRNA from endosomes, others may promote entry via alternative mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenny. K.W. Lam
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King’s College London, Franklin-Wilkins Building, 150 Stamford Street, London SE1 9NH
- Department of Pharmacology & Pharmacy, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, 21 Sassoon Road, Hong Kong
| | - Wanling Liang
- Department of Pharmacology & Pharmacy, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, 21 Sassoon Road, Hong Kong
| | - Yun Lan
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King’s College London, Franklin-Wilkins Building, 150 Stamford Street, London SE1 9NH
- Department of Pharmacology & Pharmacy, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, 21 Sassoon Road, Hong Kong
| | - Poulami Chaudhuri
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King’s College London, Franklin-Wilkins Building, 150 Stamford Street, London SE1 9NH
| | - Michael Y.T. Chow
- Department of Pharmacology & Pharmacy, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, 21 Sassoon Road, Hong Kong
| | - Katarzyna Witt
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King’s College London, Franklin-Wilkins Building, 150 Stamford Street, London SE1 9NH
| | - Laila Kudsiova
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King’s College London, Franklin-Wilkins Building, 150 Stamford Street, London SE1 9NH
| | - A. James Mason
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King’s College London, Franklin-Wilkins Building, 150 Stamford Street, London SE1 9NH
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Arnusch CJ, Albada HB, van Vaardegem M, Liskamp RMJ, Sahl HG, Shadkchan Y, Osherov N, Shai Y. Trivalent ultrashort lipopeptides are potent pH dependent antifungal agents. J Med Chem 2012; 55:1296-302. [PMID: 22243686 DOI: 10.1021/jm2014474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The activity of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) that contain a large proportion of histidine residues (pK(a) ∼ 6) depends on the physiological pH environment. Advantages of these AMPs include high activity in slightly acidic areas of the human body and relatively low toxicity in other areas. Also, many AMPs are highly active in a multivalent form, but this often increases toxicity. Here we designed pH dependent amphiphilic compounds consisting of multiple ultrashort histidine lipopeptides on a triazacyclophane scaffold, which showed high activity toward Aspergillus fumigatus and Cryptococcus neoformans at acidic pH, yet remained nontoxic. In vivo, treatment with a myristic acid conjugated trivalent histidine-histidine dipeptide resulted in 55% survival of mice (n = 9) in an otherwise lethal murine lung Aspergillus infection model. Fungal burden was assessed and showed completely sterile lungs in 80% of the mice (n = 5). At pH 5.5 and 7.5, differing peptide-membrane interactions and peptide nanostructures were observed. This study underscores the potential of unique AMPs to become the next generation of clinical antimicrobial therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J Arnusch
- Department of Biological Chemistry, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Ullman Building, Rehovot 76100, Israel
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33
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Preferential uptake of L- versus D-amino acid cell-penetrating peptides in a cell type-dependent manner. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2011; 18:1000-10. [PMID: 21867915 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2011.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 114] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2009] [Revised: 06/03/2011] [Accepted: 06/10/2011] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
The use of protease-resistant D-peptides is a prominent strategy for overcoming proteolytic sensitivity in the use of cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) as delivery vectors. So far, no major differences have been reported for the uptake of L- and D-peptides. Here we report that cationic L-CPPs are taken up more efficiently than their D-counterparts in MC57 fibrosarcoma and HeLa cells but not in Jurkat T leukemia cells. Reduced uptake of D-peptides co-occurred with persistent binding to heparan sulfates (HS) at the plasma membrane. In vitro binding studies of L- and D-peptides with HS indicated similar binding affinities. Our results identify two key events in the uptake of CPPs: binding to HS chains and the initiation of internalization. Only the second event depends on the chirality of the CPP. This knowledge may be exploited for a stereochemistry-dependent preferential targeting of cells.
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34
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Ouyang D, Zhang H, Parekh HS, Smith SC. The effect of pH on PAMAM dendrimer–siRNA complexation — Endosomal considerations as determined by molecular dynamics simulation. Biophys Chem 2011; 158:126-33. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bpc.2011.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2011] [Revised: 06/06/2011] [Accepted: 06/06/2011] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
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35
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Allen MH, Green MD, Getaneh HK, Miller KM, Long TE. Tailoring charge density and hydrogen bonding of imidazolium copolymers for efficient gene delivery. Biomacromolecules 2011; 12:2243-50. [PMID: 21557603 DOI: 10.1021/bm2003303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Conventional free radical polymerization with subsequent postpolymerization modification afforded imidazolium copolymers with controlled charge density and side chain hydroxyl number. Novel imidazolium-containing copolymers where each permanent cation contained one or two adjacent hydroxyls allowed precise structure-transfection efficiency studies. The degree of polymerization was identical for all copolymers to eliminate the influence of molecular weight on transfection efficiency. DNA binding, cytotoxicity, and in vitro gene transfection in African green monkey COS-7 cells revealed structure-property-transfection relationships for the copolymers. DNA gel shift assays indicated that higher charge densities and hydroxyl concentrations increased DNA binding. As the charge density of the copolymers increased, toxicity of the copolymers also increased; however, as hydroxyl concentration increased, cytotoxicity remained constant. Changing both charge density and hydroxyl levels in a systematic fashion revealed a dramatic influence on transfection efficiency. Dynamic light scattering of the polyplexes, which were composed of copolymer concentrations required for the highest luciferase expression, showed an intermediate DNA-copolymer binding affinity. Our studies supported the conclusion that cationic copolymer binding affinity significantly impacts overall transfection efficiency of DNA delivery vehicles, and the incorporation of hydroxyl sites offers a less toxic and effective alternative to more conventional highly charged copolymers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael H Allen
- Department of Chemistry,Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
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36
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Bechinger B. Insights into the mechanisms of action of host defence peptides from biophysical and structural investigations. J Pept Sci 2011; 17:306-14. [DOI: 10.1002/psc.1343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2010] [Revised: 11/12/2010] [Accepted: 11/15/2010] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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Georgescu J, Munhoz VHO, Bechinger B. NMR structures of the histidine-rich peptide LAH4 in micellar environments: membrane insertion, pH-dependent mode of antimicrobial action, and DNA transfection. Biophys J 2011; 99:2507-15. [PMID: 20959091 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2010.05.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2009] [Revised: 05/12/2010] [Accepted: 05/21/2010] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The LAH4 family of histidine-rich peptides exhibits potent antimicrobial and DNA transfection activities, both of which require interactions with cellular membranes. The bilayer association of the peptides has been shown to be strongly pH-dependent, with in-planar alignments under acidic conditions and transmembrane orientations when the histidines are discharged. Therefore, we investigated the pH- and temperature-dependent conformations of LAH4 in DPC micellar solutions and in a TFE/PBS solvent mixture. In the presence of detergent and at pH 4.1, LAH4 adopts helical conformations between residues 9 and 24 concomitantly with a high hydrophobic moment. At pH 6.1, a helix-loop-helix structure forms with a hinge encompassing residues His¹⁰-Ala¹³. The data suggest that the high density of histidine residues and the resulting electrostatic repulsion lead to both a decrease in the pK values of the histidines and a less stable α-helical conformation of this region. The hinged structure at pH 6.1 facilitates membrane anchoring and insertion. At pH 7.8, the histidines are uncharged and an extended helical conformation including residues 4-21 is again obtained. LAH4 thus exhibits a high degree of conformational plasticity. The structures provide a stroboscopic view of the conformational changes that occur during membrane insertion, and are discussed in the context of antimicrobial activity and DNA transfection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Georgescu
- Institut de Chimie, Université de Strasbourg/Centre National de Recherche Scientifique, France
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38
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Bechinger B, Vidovic V, Bertani P, Kichler A. A new family of peptide-nucleic acid nanostructures with potent transfection activities. J Pept Sci 2010; 17:88-93. [PMID: 21234979 DOI: 10.1002/psc.1318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2010] [Revised: 09/22/2010] [Accepted: 09/22/2010] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
A family of His-rich peptides has been shown to complex DNA and efficiently deliver these nucleic acids into eukaryotic cells. Therefore, these nanoscale complexes have potential applications in gene therapy. Here, we review a number of spectroscopic and biophysical investigations aimed at characterizing the supramolecular interactions of the peptides with the nucleic acids and when overcoming the membrane barriers of the cell. Furthermore, solid-state NMR distance measurements for the first time reveal close interatomic distances between the amino acid side chains and the DNA phosphates within the transfection complex. A recent study indicates that the peptides are also potent transfectants of siRNAs and they could thereby be of potential interest for gene silencing therapies using these compounds. Copyright © 2010 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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Affiliation(s)
- Burkhard Bechinger
- Université de Strasbourg/CNRS, UMR7177, Institut de Chimie, 4, rue Blaise Pascal, 67070 Strasbourg, France.
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Lan Y, Langlet-Bertin B, Abbate V, Vermeer LS, Kong X, Sullivan KE, Leborgne C, Scherman D, Hider RC, Drake AF, Bansal SS, Kichler A, Mason AJ. Incorporation of 2,3-diaminopropionic acid into linear cationic amphipathic peptides produces pH-sensitive vectors. Chembiochem 2010; 11:1266-72. [PMID: 20480482 PMCID: PMC3309271 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.201000073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2010] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Nonviral vectors that harness the change in pH in endosomes, are increasingly being used to deliver cargoes, including nucleic acids, into mammalian cells. Here we present evidence that the pK(a) of the beta-NH(2) in 2,3-diaminopropionic acid (Dap) is sufficiently lowered, when Dap is incorporated into peptides, that its protonation state is sensitive to the pH changes that occur during endosomal acidification. The lowered pK(a) of around 6.3 is stabilized by the increased electron-withdrawing effect of the peptide bonds, by intermolecular hydrogen bonding and from contributions arising from the peptide conformation. These include mixed polar/apolar environments, Coulombic interactions and intermolecular hydrogen bonding. Changes in the charged state are therefore expected between pH 5 and 7, and large-scale conformational changes are observed in Dap-rich peptides, in contrast to analogues containing lysine or ornithine, when the pH is altered through this range. These physical properties confer a robust gene-delivery capability on designed cationic amphipathic peptides that incorporate Dap.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Lan
- King’s College London, Pharmaceutical Science Division, 150 Stamford Street, London, SE1 9NH, UK
| | | | - Vincenzo Abbate
- King’s College London, Pharmaceutical Science Division, 150 Stamford Street, London, SE1 9NH, UK
| | - Louic S. Vermeer
- King’s College London, Pharmaceutical Science Division, 150 Stamford Street, London, SE1 9NH, UK
| | - Xiaole Kong
- King’s College London, Pharmaceutical Science Division, 150 Stamford Street, London, SE1 9NH, UK
| | - Kelly E. Sullivan
- King’s College London, Pharmaceutical Science Division, 150 Stamford Street, London, SE1 9NH, UK
| | - Christian Leborgne
- CNRS FRE 3087-Généthon, 1 rue de l’Internationale, F-91002, Evry, France
| | - Daniel Scherman
- CNRS FRE 3087-Généthon, 1 rue de l’Internationale, F-91002, Evry, France
| | - Robert C. Hider
- King’s College London, Pharmaceutical Science Division, 150 Stamford Street, London, SE1 9NH, UK
| | - Alex F. Drake
- King’s College London, Pharmaceutical Science Division, 150 Stamford Street, London, SE1 9NH, UK
| | - Sukhvinder S. Bansal
- King’s College London, Pharmaceutical Science Division, 150 Stamford Street, London, SE1 9NH, UK
| | - Antoine Kichler
- CNRS FRE 3087-Généthon, 1 rue de l’Internationale, F-91002, Evry, France
| | - A. James Mason
- King’s College London, Pharmaceutical Science Division, 150 Stamford Street, London, SE1 9NH, UK
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40
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Alimi-Guez D, Leborgne C, Pembouong G, Van Wittenberghe L, Mignet N, Scherman D, Kichler A. Evaluation of the muscle gene transfer activity of a series of amphiphilic triblock copolymers. J Gene Med 2010; 11:1114-24. [PMID: 19757455 DOI: 10.1002/jgm.1396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Amphiphilic triblock copolymers such as the polyethylene oxide-polypropylene oxide-polyethylene oxide L64 (PEO(13)-PPO(30)-PEO(13)) significantly increase transgene expression after injection of DNA/polymer mixtures into skeletal muscles. To better understand the way such copolymers act, we studied the behaviour of different poloxamers, including L64, both in vitro and in vivo. METHODS The in vitro and in vivo transfection activity of five copolymers that differ either by their molecular weight or by their hydrophilic/hydrophobic balance was evaluated. Furthermore, we also studied the membrane permeabilizing properties of the poloxamers. RESULTS The results obtained indicate that, after intramuscular administration of DNA/poloxamer formulations, all five compounds were able to significantly increase the expression levels of luciferase compared to an injection of naked DNA. Using a LacZ expression cassette, up to 30% of the muscle fibers expressed the reporter gene. Furthermore, we show that the effect can be obtained using different promoters. Finally, we document that, to some extent, all five poloxamers possess membrane permeabilizing properties. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, the results obtained in the present study show that there is a large flexibility in terms of molecular weight and EO/PO ratio for obtaining increased levels of transgene expression in vivo.
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41
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Bechinger B. Rationalizing the membrane interactions of cationic amphipathic antimicrobial peptides by their molecular shape. Curr Opin Colloid Interface Sci 2009. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cocis.2009.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
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42
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Midoux P, Pichon C, Yaouanc JJ, Jaffrès PA. Chemical vectors for gene delivery: a current review on polymers, peptides and lipids containing histidine or imidazole as nucleic acids carriers. Br J Pharmacol 2009; 157:166-78. [PMID: 19459843 DOI: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.2009.00288.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 408] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA/cationic lipid (lipoplexes), DNA/cationic polymer (polyplexes) and DNA/cationic polymer/cationic lipid (lipopolyplexes) electrostatic complexes are proposed as non-viral nucleic acids delivery systems. These DNA-nanoparticles are taken up by the cells through endocytosis processes, but the low capacity of DNA to escape from endosomes is regarded as the major limitations of their transfection efficiency. Here, we present a current report on a particular class of carriers including the polymers, peptides and lipids, which is based on the exploitation of the imidazole ring as an endosome destabilization device to favour the nucleic acids delivery in the cytosol. The imidazole ring of histidine is a weak base that has the ability to acquire a cationic charge when the pH of the environment drops bellow 6. As it has been demonstrated for poly(histidine), this phenomena can induce membrane fusion and/or membrane permeation in an acidic medium. Moreover, the accumulation of histidine residues inside acidic vesicles can induce a proton sponge effect, which increases their osmolarity and their swelling. The proof of concept has been shown with polylysine partially substituted with histidine residues that has caused a dramatic increase by 3-4.5 orders of magnitude of the transfection efficiency of DNA/polylysine polyplexes. Then, several histidine-rich polymers and peptides as well as lipids with imidazole, imidazolinium or imidazolium polar head have been reported to be efficient carriers to deliver nucleic acids including genes, mRNA or SiRNA in vitro and in vivo. More remarkable, histidylated carriers are often weakly cytotoxic, making them promising chemical vectors for nucleic acids delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Midoux
- Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire CNRS UPR 4301 affiliated to the University of Orléans and Inserm, rue Charles Sadron, F-45071 Orléans Cedex 2, France.
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43
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Salnikov ES, Mason AJ, Bechinger B. Membrane order perturbation in the presence of antimicrobial peptides by 2H solid-state NMR spectroscopy. Biochimie 2009; 91:734-43. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2009.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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44
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A comparison of synthetic oligodeoxynucleotides, DNA fragments and AAV-1 for targeted episomal and chromosomal gene repair. BMC Biotechnol 2009; 9:35. [PMID: 19379497 PMCID: PMC2676283 DOI: 10.1186/1472-6750-9-35] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2008] [Accepted: 04/20/2009] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Current strategies for gene therapy of inherited diseases consist in adding functional copies of the gene that is defective. An attractive alternative to these approaches would be to correct the endogenous mutated gene in the affected individual. This study presents a quantitative comparison of the repair efficiency using different forms of donor nucleic acids, including synthetic DNA oligonucleotides, double stranded DNA fragments with sizes ranging from 200 to 2200 bp and sequences carried by a recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV-1). Evaluation of each gene repair strategy was carried out using two different reporter systems, a mutated eGFP gene or a dual construct with a functional eGFP and an inactive luciferase gene, in several different cell systems. Gene targeting events were scored either following transient co-transfection of reporter plasmids and donor DNAs, or in a system where a reporter construct was stably integrated into the chromosome. Results In both episomal and chromosomal assays, DNA fragments were more efficient at gene repair than oligonucleotides or rAAV-1. Furthermore, the gene targeting frequency could be significantly increased by using DNA repair stimulating drugs such as doxorubicin and phleomycin. Conclusion Our results show that it is possible to obtain repair frequencies of 1% of the transfected cell population under optimized transfection protocols when cells were pretreated with phleomycin using rAAV-1 and dsDNA fragments.
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45
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King R, Surfraz MBU, Finucane C, Biagini SC, Blower PJ, Mather SJ. 99mTc-HYNIC-Gastrin Peptides: Assisted Coordination of 99mTc by Amino Acid Side Chains Results in Improved Performance Both In Vitro and In Vivo. J Nucl Med 2009; 50:591-8. [DOI: 10.2967/jnumed.108.058289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
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46
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Pomel C, Leborgne C, Cheradame H, Scherman D, Kichler A, Guegan P. Synthesis and Evaluation of Amphiphilic Poly(tetrahydrofuran-b-ethylene oxide) Copolymers for DNA Delivery into Skeletal Muscle. Pharm Res 2008; 25:2963-71. [DOI: 10.1007/s11095-008-9698-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2008] [Accepted: 07/24/2008] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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