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Balder P, Jones C, Coward K, Yeste M. Sperm chromatin: Evaluation, epigenetic signatures and relevance for embryo development and assisted reproductive technology outcomes. Eur J Cell Biol 2024; 103:151429. [PMID: 38905808 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejcb.2024.151429] [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: 02/29/2024] [Revised: 06/07/2024] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Sperm chromatin is distinct from somatic cell chromatin, as a result of extensive remodeling during the final stages of spermatogenesis. In this process, the majority of histones is replaced with protamines. The chromatin is consequently highly condensed and inert, which facilitates protection of the DNA. The sperm epigenomic landscape is shaped by histone retention, histone and protamine modification, DNA methylation, and RNAs. In recent years, sperm chromatin integrity and its epigenetic marks have been increasingly studied, and the constitution of sperm chromatin is steadily being uncovered. This growing body of research prompts assessment of the frequently overlooked involvement of sperm in fertility and embryonic development. Moreover, numerous endogenous and exogenous factors are known to affect sperm chromatin, which may in turn impact the reproductive success. Concerns have been raised about the effects of assisted reproductive technology (ART) on the sperm epigenome, embryonic development and offspring health. This review examines the structure and epigenetic signatures of sperm chromatin in the context of fertility and early embryonic development. Additionally, sperm chromatin evaluation and causes of aberrant integrity are outlined. Building on the knowledge discussed in the current review, future research should aim to elucidate the intricate relationship between all aspects of sperm chromatin and embryo development. This could lead to the uncovering of new targets for treating infertility, as well as the acquisition of much needed insights into the possible reciprocal association between ART and sperm chromatin integrity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pauline Balder
- Nuffield Department of Women's and Reproductive Health, Level 3, Women's Centre, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK; The Ronald O. Perelman and Claudia Cohen Center for Reproductive Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Celine Jones
- Nuffield Department of Women's and Reproductive Health, Level 3, Women's Centre, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Kevin Coward
- Nuffield Department of Women's and Reproductive Health, Level 3, Women's Centre, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Marc Yeste
- Biotechnology of Animal and Human Reproduction (TechnoSperm), Institute of Food and Agricultural Technology, University of Girona, Girona ES-17003, Spain; Unit of Cell Biology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Girona, Girona ES-17003, Spain; Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), Barcelona ES-08010, Spain.
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Xie S, Yue C, Ye S, Li Z. Probing the hierarchical dynamics of DNA-sperm nuclear transition protein complexes through fuzzy interaction and mesoscale condensation. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2024; 26:10408-10418. [PMID: 38502252 DOI: 10.1039/d3cp05957j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
Nuclear transition protein TNP1 is a crucial player mediating histone-protamine exchange in condensing spermatids. A unique combination of intrinsic disorder and multivalent properties turns TNP1 into an ideal agent for orchestrating the formation of versatile TNP-DNA assemblies. Despite its significance, the physicochemical property and the molecular mechanism followed by TNP1 for histone replacement and DNA condensation are still poorly understood. This study reports the first-time in vitro expression and purification of human TNP1 and investigates the hierarchical dynamics of TNP1-DNA interaction using a combination of computational simulations, biochemical assays, fluorescence imaging, and atomic force microscopy. We explored three crucial facets of TNP1-DNA interactions. Initially, we delve into the molecular binding process that entails fuzzy interactions between TNP1 and DNA at the atomistic scale. Subsequently, we analyze how TNP1 binding affects the electrostatic and mechanical characteristics of DNA and influences its morphology. Finally, we study the biomolecular condensation of TNP1-DNA when subjected to high concentrations. The findings of our study set the foundation for comprehending the potential involvement of TNP1 in histone replacement and DNA condensation in spermatogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shangqiang Xie
- School of Life Science, Tianjin University, 92 Weijin Road, Tianjin 300072, China.
| | - Congran Yue
- School of Life Science, Tianjin University, 92 Weijin Road, Tianjin 300072, China.
| | - Sheng Ye
- School of Life Science, Tianjin University, 92 Weijin Road, Tianjin 300072, China.
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin Key Laboratory of Function and Application of Biological Macromolecular Structures, Tianjin University, 92 Weijin Road, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Zhenlu Li
- School of Life Science, Tianjin University, 92 Weijin Road, Tianjin 300072, China.
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin Key Laboratory of Function and Application of Biological Macromolecular Structures, Tianjin University, 92 Weijin Road, Tianjin 300072, China
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Katopodi T, Petanidis S, Grigoriadou E, Anestakis D, Charalampidis C, Chatziprodromidou I, Floros G, Eskitzis P, Zarogoulidis P, Koulouris C, Sevva C, Papadopoulos K, Roulia P, Mantalovas S, Dagher M, Karakousis AV, Varsamis N, Vlassopoulos K, Theodorou V, Mystakidou CM, Katsios NI, Farmakis K, Kosmidis C. Immune Specific and Tumor-Dependent mRNA Vaccines for Cancer Immunotherapy: Reprogramming Clinical Translation into Tumor Editing Therapy. Pharmaceutics 2024; 16:455. [PMID: 38675116 PMCID: PMC11053579 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics16040455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2024] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Extensive research into mRNA vaccines for cancer therapy in preclinical and clinical trials has prepared the ground for the quick development of immune-specific mRNA vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therapeutic cancer vaccines based on mRNA are well tolerated, and are an attractive choice for future cancer immunotherapy. Ideal personalized tumor-dependent mRNA vaccines could stimulate both humoral and cellular immunity by overcoming cancer-induced immune suppression and tumor relapse. The stability, structure, and distribution strategies of mRNA-based vaccines have been improved by technological innovations, and patients with diverse tumor types are now being enrolled in numerous clinical trials investigating mRNA vaccine therapy. Despite the fact that therapeutic mRNA-based cancer vaccines have not yet received clinical approval, early clinical trials with mRNA vaccines as monotherapy and in conjunction with checkpoint inhibitors have shown promising results. In this review, we analyze the most recent clinical developments in mRNA-based cancer vaccines and discuss the optimal platforms for the creation of mRNA vaccines. We also discuss the development of the cancer vaccines' clinical research, paying particular attention to their clinical use and therapeutic efficacy, which could facilitate the design of mRNA-based vaccines in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theodora Katopodi
- Laboratory of Medical Biology and Genetics, Department of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece; (T.K.); (E.G.)
| | - Savvas Petanidis
- Laboratory of Medical Biology and Genetics, Department of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece; (T.K.); (E.G.)
- Department of Pulmonology, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow 119992, Russia
| | - Eirini Grigoriadou
- Laboratory of Medical Biology and Genetics, Department of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece; (T.K.); (E.G.)
| | - Doxakis Anestakis
- Department of Anatomy, Medical School, University of Cyprus, Nicosia 1678, Cyprus; (D.A.); (C.C.)
| | | | | | - George Floros
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Thessaly, 38334 Volos, Greece;
| | - Panagiotis Eskitzis
- Department of Obstetrics, University of Western Macedonia, 50100 Kozani, Greece;
| | - Paul Zarogoulidis
- Third Department of Surgery, “AHEPA” University Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 55236 Thessaloniki, Greece; (P.Z.); (C.K.); (C.S.); (K.P.); (S.M.); (M.D.); (A.V.K.); (C.K.)
| | - Charilaos Koulouris
- Third Department of Surgery, “AHEPA” University Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 55236 Thessaloniki, Greece; (P.Z.); (C.K.); (C.S.); (K.P.); (S.M.); (M.D.); (A.V.K.); (C.K.)
| | - Christina Sevva
- Third Department of Surgery, “AHEPA” University Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 55236 Thessaloniki, Greece; (P.Z.); (C.K.); (C.S.); (K.P.); (S.M.); (M.D.); (A.V.K.); (C.K.)
| | - Konstantinos Papadopoulos
- Third Department of Surgery, “AHEPA” University Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 55236 Thessaloniki, Greece; (P.Z.); (C.K.); (C.S.); (K.P.); (S.M.); (M.D.); (A.V.K.); (C.K.)
| | - Panagiota Roulia
- Third Department of Surgery, “AHEPA” University Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 55236 Thessaloniki, Greece; (P.Z.); (C.K.); (C.S.); (K.P.); (S.M.); (M.D.); (A.V.K.); (C.K.)
| | - Stylianos Mantalovas
- Third Department of Surgery, “AHEPA” University Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 55236 Thessaloniki, Greece; (P.Z.); (C.K.); (C.S.); (K.P.); (S.M.); (M.D.); (A.V.K.); (C.K.)
| | - Marios Dagher
- Third Department of Surgery, “AHEPA” University Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 55236 Thessaloniki, Greece; (P.Z.); (C.K.); (C.S.); (K.P.); (S.M.); (M.D.); (A.V.K.); (C.K.)
| | - Alexandros Vasileios Karakousis
- Third Department of Surgery, “AHEPA” University Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 55236 Thessaloniki, Greece; (P.Z.); (C.K.); (C.S.); (K.P.); (S.M.); (M.D.); (A.V.K.); (C.K.)
| | | | - Konstantinos Vlassopoulos
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece; (K.V.); (V.T.); (C.M.M.)
| | - Vasiliki Theodorou
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece; (K.V.); (V.T.); (C.M.M.)
| | - Chrysi Maria Mystakidou
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece; (K.V.); (V.T.); (C.M.M.)
| | - Nikolaos Iason Katsios
- Medical School, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece;
| | - Konstantinos Farmakis
- Pediatric Surgery Clinic, General Hospital of Thessaloniki “G. Gennimatas”, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54635 Thessaloniki, Greece;
| | - Christoforos Kosmidis
- Third Department of Surgery, “AHEPA” University Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 55236 Thessaloniki, Greece; (P.Z.); (C.K.); (C.S.); (K.P.); (S.M.); (M.D.); (A.V.K.); (C.K.)
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Geng K, Rice-Boucher PJ, Kashentseva EA, Dmitriev IP, Lu ZH, Goedegebuure SP, Gillanders WE, Curiel DT. Engineering a Novel Modular Adenoviral mRNA Delivery Platform Based on Tag/Catcher Bioconjugation. Viruses 2023; 15:2277. [PMID: 38005953 PMCID: PMC10674448 DOI: 10.3390/v15112277] [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: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
mRNA vaccines have attracted widespread research attention with clear advantages in terms of molecular flexibility, rapid development, and potential for personalization. However, current mRNA vaccine platforms have not been optimized for induction of CD4/CD8 T cell responses. In addition, the mucosal administration of mRNA based on lipid nanoparticle technology faces challenges in clinical translation. In contrast, adenovirus-based vaccines induce strong T cell responses and have been approved for intranasal delivery. To leverage the inherent strengths of both the mRNA and adenovirus platforms, we developed a novel modular adenoviral mRNA delivery platform based on Tag/Catcher bioconjugation. Specifically, we engineered adenoviral vectors integrating Tag/Catcher proteins at specific locales on the Ad capsid proteins, allowing us to anchor mRNA to the surface of engineered Ad viruses. In proof-of-concept studies, the Ad-mRNA platform successfully mediated mRNA delivery and could be optimized via the highly flexible modular design of both the Ad-mRNA and protein bioconjugation systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kexin Geng
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Biologic Therapeutics Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; (K.G.); (P.J.R.-B.); (E.A.K.); (I.P.D.); (Z.H.L.)
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, McKelvey School of Engineering, Washington University in Saint Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130-4899, USA
| | - Paul J. Rice-Boucher
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Biologic Therapeutics Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; (K.G.); (P.J.R.-B.); (E.A.K.); (I.P.D.); (Z.H.L.)
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, McKelvey School of Engineering, Washington University in Saint Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130-4899, USA
| | - Elena A. Kashentseva
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Biologic Therapeutics Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; (K.G.); (P.J.R.-B.); (E.A.K.); (I.P.D.); (Z.H.L.)
| | - Igor P. Dmitriev
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Biologic Therapeutics Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; (K.G.); (P.J.R.-B.); (E.A.K.); (I.P.D.); (Z.H.L.)
| | - Zhi Hong Lu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Biologic Therapeutics Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; (K.G.); (P.J.R.-B.); (E.A.K.); (I.P.D.); (Z.H.L.)
| | - S. Peter Goedegebuure
- Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; (S.P.G.); (W.E.G.)
- Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - William E. Gillanders
- Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; (S.P.G.); (W.E.G.)
- Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - David T. Curiel
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Biologic Therapeutics Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; (K.G.); (P.J.R.-B.); (E.A.K.); (I.P.D.); (Z.H.L.)
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, McKelvey School of Engineering, Washington University in Saint Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130-4899, USA
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Jang YH, Raspaud E, Lansac Y. DNA-protamine condensates under low salt conditions: molecular dynamics simulation with a simple coarse-grained model focusing on electrostatic interactions. NANOSCALE ADVANCES 2023; 5:4798-4808. [PMID: 37705794 PMCID: PMC10496769 DOI: 10.1039/d2na00847e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023]
Abstract
Protamine, a small, strongly positively-charged protein, plays a key role in achieving chromatin condensation inside sperm cells and is also involved in the formulation of nanoparticles for gene therapy and packaging of mRNA-based vaccines against viral infection and cancer. The detailed mechanisms of such condensations are still poorly understood especially under low salt conditions where electrostatic interaction predominates. Our previous study, with a refined coarse-grained model in full consideration of the long-range electrostatic interactions, has demonstrated the crucial role of electrostatic interaction in protamine-controlled reversible DNA condensation. Therefore, we herein pay our attention only to the electrostatic interaction and devise a coarser-grained bead-spring model representing the right linear charge density on protamine and DNA chains but treating other short-range interactions as simply as possible, which would be suitable for real-scale simulations. Effective pair potential calculations and large-scale molecular dynamics simulations using this extremely simple model reproduce the phase behaviour of DNA in a wide range of protamine concentrations under low salt conditions, again revealing the importance of the electrostatic interaction in this process and providing a detailed nanoscale picture of bundle formation mediated by a charge disproportionation mechanism. Our simulations also show that protamine length alters DNA overcharging and in turn redissolution thresholds of DNA condensates, revealing the important role played by entropies and correlated fluctuations of condensing agents and thus offering an additional opportunity to design tailored nanoparticles for gene therapy. The control mechanism of DNA-protamine condensates will also provide a better microscopic picture of biomolecular condensates, i.e., membraneless organelles arising from liquid-liquid phase separation, that are emerging as key principles of intracellular organization. Such condensates controlled by post-translational modification of protamine, in particular phosphorylation, or by variations in protamine length from species to species may also be responsible for the chromatin-nucleoplasm patterning observed during spermatogenesis in several vertebrate and invertebrate species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Hee Jang
- GREMAN UMR 7347, Université de Tours, CNRS, INSA CVL 37200 Tours France
- Department of Energy Science and Engineering, DGIST Daegu 42988 Korea
- Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, CNRS UMR 8502, Université Paris-Saclay 91405 Orsay France
| | - Eric Raspaud
- Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, CNRS UMR 8502, Université Paris-Saclay 91405 Orsay France
| | - Yves Lansac
- GREMAN UMR 7347, Université de Tours, CNRS, INSA CVL 37200 Tours France
- Department of Energy Science and Engineering, DGIST Daegu 42988 Korea
- Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, CNRS UMR 8502, Université Paris-Saclay 91405 Orsay France
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Yuan R, Liu M, Cheng Y, Yan F, Zhu X, Zhou S, Dong M. Biomimetic Nanoparticle-Mediated Target Delivery of Hypoxia-Responsive Plasmid of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 to Reverse Hypoxic Pulmonary Hypertension. ACS NANO 2023; 17:8204-8222. [PMID: 37071566 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.2c12190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Hypoxic pulmonary hypertension (HPH) is characterized by pulmonary vascular sustained constriction and progressive remodeling, which are initiated by hypoxia then with hypoxia-induced additive factors including pulmonary vascular endothelium injury, intrapulmonary angiotension system imbalance, and inflammation. Now HPH is still an intractable disease lacking effective treatments. Gene therapy has a massive potential for HPH but is hindered by a lack of efficient targeted delivery and hypoxia-responsive regulation systems for transgenes. Herein, we constructed the hypoxia-responsive plasmid of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) with endothelial-specific promoter Tie2 and a hypoxia response element and next prepared its biomimetic nanoparticle delivery system, named ACE2-CS-PRT@PM, by encapsulating the plasmid of ACE2 with protamine and chondroitin sulfate as the core then coated it with a platelet membrane as a shell for targeting the injured pulmonary vascular endothelium. ACE2-CS-PRT@PM has a 194.3 nm diameter with a platelet membrane-coating core-shell structure and a negatively charged surface, and it exhibits higher delivery efficiency targeting to pulmonary vascular endothelium and hypoxia-responsive overexpression of ACE2 in endothelial cells in a hypoxia environment. In vitro, ACE2-CS-PRT@PM significantly inhibited the hypoxia-induced proliferation of pulmonary smooth muscle cells. In vivo, ACE2-CS-PRT@PM potently ameliorated the hemodynamic dysfunction and morphological abnormality and largely reversed HPH via inhibiting the hypoxic proliferation of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells, reducing pulmonary vascular remodeling, restoring balance to the intrapulmonary angiotension system, and improving the inflammatory microenvironment without any detectable toxicity. Therefore, ACE2-CS-PRT@PM is promising for the targeted gene therapy of HPH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Yuan
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, P.R. China
| | - Manling Liu
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, P.R. China
| | - Ying Cheng
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, P.R. China
| | - Fang Yan
- Geriatric Diseases Institute of Chengdu, Center for Medicine Research and Translation, Chengdu Fifth People's Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan Province 611137, P.R. China
| | - Xiaoquan Zhu
- Medical Research Department, Air Force Medical Center, Haidian District, Beijing 100142, P.R. China
| | - Siyuan Zhou
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, P.R. China
| | - Mingqing Dong
- Geriatric Diseases Institute of Chengdu, Center for Medicine Research and Translation, Chengdu Fifth People's Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan Province 611137, P.R. China
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Chhetri KB, Jang YH, Lansac Y, Maiti PK. Effect of phosphorylation of protamine-like cationic peptide on the binding affinity to DNA. Biophys J 2022; 121:4830-4839. [PMID: 36168289 PMCID: PMC9808561 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2022.09.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Revised: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Protamines are more arginine-rich and more basic than histones and are responsible for providing a highly compacted shape to the sperm heads in the testis. Phosphorylation and dephosphorylation are two events that occur in the late phase of spermatogenesis before the maturation of sperms. In this work, we have studied the effect of phosphorylation of protamine-like cationic peptides using all-atom molecular dynamics simulations. Through thermodynamic analyses, we found that phosphorylation reduces the binding efficiency of such cationic peptides on DNA duplexes. Peptide phosphorylation leads to a less efficient DNA condensation, due to a competition between DNA-peptide and peptide-peptide interactions. We hypothesize that the decrease of peptide bonds between DNA together with peptide self-assembly might allow an optimal re-organization of chromatin and an efficient condensation through subsequent peptide dephosphorylation. Based on the globular and compact conformations of phosphorylated peptides mediated by arginine-phosphoserine H-bonding, we furthermore postulate that phosphorylated protamines could more easily intrude into chromatin and participate to histone release through disruption of histone-histone and histone-DNA binding during spermatogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khadka B Chhetri
- Center for Condensed Matter Theory, Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India; Department of Physics, Prithvinarayan Campus, Tribhuvan University, Pokhara, Nepal
| | - Yun Hee Jang
- Department of Energy Science and Engineering, DGIST, Daegu 42988, Korea; GREMAN, CNRS UMR 7347, Université de Tours, 37200 Tours, France.
| | - Yves Lansac
- GREMAN, CNRS UMR 7347, Université de Tours, 37200 Tours, France; Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, CNRS UMR 8502, Université Paris Saclay, Orsay, France.
| | - Prabal K Maiti
- Center for Condensed Matter Theory, Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India.
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Aggarwal S, Tanwar N, Singh A, Munde M. Formation of Protamine and Zn-Insulin Assembly: Exploring Biophysical Consequences. ACS OMEGA 2022; 7:41044-41057. [PMID: 36406544 PMCID: PMC9670714 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.2c04419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The insulin-protamine interaction is at the core of the mode of action in many insulin formulations (Zn + insulin + protamine) and to treat diabetes, in which protamine is added to the stable form of hexameric insulin (Zn-insulin). However, due to the unavailability of quantitative data and a high-resolution structure, the binding mechanism of the insulin-protamine complex remains unknown. In this study, it was observed that Zn-insulin experiences destabilization as observed by the loss of secondary structure in circular dichroism (CD), and reduction in thermal stability in melting study, upon protamine binding. In isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), it was found that the interactions were mostly enthalpically driven. This is in line with the positive ΔC m value (+880 cal mol-1), indicating the role of hydrophilic interactions in the complex formation, with the exposure of hydrophobic residues to the solvent, which was firmly supported by the 8-anilino-1-naphthalene sulfonate (ANS) binding study. The stoichiometry (N) value in ITC suggests the multiple insulin molecules binding to the protamine chain, which is consistent with the picture of the condensation of insulin in the presence of protamine. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) suggested the formation of a heterogeneous Zn-insulin-protamine complex. In fluorescence, Zn-insulin experiences strong Tyr quenching, suggesting that the location of the protamine-binding site is near Tyr, which is also supported by the molecular docking study. Since Tyr is critical in the stabilization of insulin self-assembly, its interaction with protamine may impair insulin's self-association ability and thermodynamic stability while at the same time promoting its flexible conformation desired for better biological activity.
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Okada Y. Sperm chromatin structure: Insights from in vitro to in situ experiments. Curr Opin Cell Biol 2022; 75:102075. [PMID: 35344802 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceb.2022.102075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Revised: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The sperm genome is tightly packed into a minimal volume of sperm nuclei. Sperm chromatin is highly condensed by protamines (PRMs) after histone-protamine replacement, and the majority of the sperm genome forms a nucleo-protamine structure, namely, the PRM-DNA complex. The outline of sperm chromatin structure was proposed 30 years ago, and the details have been explored by approaches from several independent research fields including male reproduction and infertility, DNA biopolymer, and most recently, genome-wide sequence-based approaches. In this review, the history of research on sperm chromatin structure is briefly described, and the progress of recent related studies is summarized to obtain a more integrated view for the sperm chromatin, an extremely compacted "black box."
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuki Okada
- Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0032, Japan.
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