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Jain SS, Singh VK, Kante RK, Jana SK, Patil RH. Current trends in development and manufacturing of higher-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide conjugate vaccine and its challenges. Biologicals 2024; 87:101784. [PMID: 39053122 DOI: 10.1016/j.biologicals.2024.101784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2024] [Revised: 06/05/2024] [Accepted: 07/16/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) have been developed to protect against pneumococcal diseases caused by the more than 100 serotypes of the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae. PCVs primarily prevent pneumococcal infections such as sepsis, bacteraemia, meningitis, otitis media, pneumonia, septicaemia, and sinusitis among infants, adults, elderly, and immunocompromised individuals. The current available PCVs only cover a limited number of serotypes, and there is an immense need for developing higher-valent PCVs that can protect against non-vaccine serotypes to overcome challenges like serotype replacement and antibiotic resistance. The main challenges for developing higher valent PCVs are the complexity of the manufacturing process comprising polysaccharide fermentation, purification, modification or sizing of multiple polysaccharides and conjugation between polysaccharides and carrier proteins, the stability of the conjugates, and the immunogenicity of the vaccine. Different manufacturing processes have been explored to produce higher valent PCVs using different serotypes of S. pneumoniae and conjugation with different carrier proteins. The global coverage of higher valent PCVs are still low, mainly due to the high cost and limited supply of the vaccine. This review focuses on the existing and emerging manufacturing processes and challenges associated with higher-valent pneumococcal PCV development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shital S Jain
- Savitribai Phule Pune University, Department of Biotechnology, Pune, Maharashtra, 411007, India; Serum Institute of India Pvt. Ltd., Hadapsar, Pune, Maharashtra, 411028, India.
| | - Vikas K Singh
- Serum Institute of India Pvt. Ltd., Hadapsar, Pune, Maharashtra, 411028, India.
| | - Rajesh Kumar Kante
- Serum Institute of India Pvt. Ltd., Hadapsar, Pune, Maharashtra, 411028, India.
| | - Swapan Kumar Jana
- Serum Institute of India Pvt. Ltd., Hadapsar, Pune, Maharashtra, 411028, India.
| | - Rajendra H Patil
- Savitribai Phule Pune University, Department of Biotechnology, Pune, Maharashtra, 411007, India.
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Tsuge H, Habuka N, Yoshida T. General ADP-Ribosylation Mechanism Based on the Structure of ADP-Ribosyltransferase-Substrate Complexes. Toxins (Basel) 2024; 16:313. [PMID: 39057953 PMCID: PMC11281641 DOI: 10.3390/toxins16070313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2024] [Revised: 07/06/2024] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
ADP-ribosylation is a ubiquitous modification of proteins and other targets, such as nucleic acids, that regulates various cellular functions in all kingdoms of life. Furthermore, these ADP-ribosyltransferases (ARTs) modify a variety of substrates and atoms. It has been almost 60 years since ADP-ribosylation was discovered. Various ART structures have been revealed with cofactors (NAD+ or NAD+ analog). However, we still do not know the molecular mechanisms of ART. It needs to be better understood how ART specifies the target amino acids or bases. For this purpose, more information is needed about the tripartite complex structures of ART, the cofactors, and the substrates. The tripartite complex is essential to understand the mechanism of ADP-ribosyltransferase. This review updates the general ADP-ribosylation mechanism based on ART tripartite complex structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hideaki Tsuge
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Kyoto Sangyo University, Kyoto 6038555, Japan
| | - Noriyuki Habuka
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Kyoto Sangyo University, Kyoto 6038555, Japan
| | - Toru Yoshida
- Faculty of Sciences, Japan Women’s University, Tokyo 1120015, Japan
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Zafar H, Saier MHH. An Insider's Perspective about the Pathogenic Relevance of Gut Bacterial Transportomes. Microb Physiol 2024; 34:133-141. [PMID: 38636461 PMCID: PMC11283328 DOI: 10.1159/000538779] [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: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The gut microbiome is integral to host health, hosting complex interactions between the host and numerous microbial species in the gastrointestinal tract. Key among the molecular mechanisms employed by gut bacteria are transportomes, consisting of diverse transport proteins crucial for bacterial adaptation to the dynamic, nutrient-rich environment of the mammalian gut. These transportomes facilitate the movement of a wide array of molecules, impacting both the host and the microbial community. SUMMARY This communication explores the significance of transportomes in gut bacteria, focusing on their role in nutrient acquisition, competitive interactions among microbes, and potential pathogenicity. It delves into the transportomes of key gut bacterial species like E. coli, Salmonella, Bacteroides, Lactobacillus, Clostridia, and Bifidobacterium, examining the functions of predicted transport proteins. The overview synthesizes recent research efforts, highlighting how these transportomes influence host-microbe interactions and contribute to the microbial ecology of the gut. KEY MESSAGES Transportomes are vital for the survival and adaptation of bacteria in the gut, enabling the import and export of various nutrients and molecules. The complex interplay of transport proteins not only supports bacterial growth and competition but also has implications for host health, potentially contributing to pathogenic processes. Understanding the pathogenic potential of transportomes in major gut bacterial species provides insights into gut health and disease, offering avenues for future research and therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hassan Zafar
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Milton H. Herman Saier
- Department of Molecular Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California, 92093-0116, USA
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4
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Ma X, Li M, Liu Y, Zhang X, Yang X, Wang Y, Li Y, Wang J, Liu X, Yan Z, Yu X, Wu C. ARTC1-mediated VAPB ADP-ribosylation regulates calcium homeostasis. J Mol Cell Biol 2024; 15:mjad043. [PMID: 37381178 PMCID: PMC10928986 DOI: 10.1093/jmcb/mjad043] [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: 07/26/2022] [Revised: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Mono-ADP-ribosylation (MARylation) is a post-translational modification that regulates a variety of biological processes, including DNA damage repair, cell proliferation, metabolism, and stress and immune responses. In mammals, MARylation is mainly catalyzed by ADP-ribosyltransferases (ARTs), which consist of two groups: ART cholera toxin-like (ARTCs) and ART diphtheria toxin-like (ARTDs, also known as PARPs). The human ARTC (hARTC) family is composed of four members: two active mono-ADP-ARTs (hARTC1 and hARTC5) and two enzymatically inactive enzymes (hARTC3 and hARTC4). In this study, we systematically examined the homology, expression, and localization pattern of the hARTC family, with a particular focus on hARTC1. Our results showed that hARTC3 interacted with hARTC1 and promoted the enzymatic activity of hARTC1 by stabilizing hARTC1. We also identified vesicle-associated membrane protein-associated protein B (VAPB) as a new target of hARTC1 and pinpointed Arg50 of VAPB as the ADP-ribosylation site. Furthermore, we demonstrated that knockdown of hARTC1 impaired intracellular calcium homeostasis, highlighting the functional importance of hARTC1-mediated VAPB Arg50 ADP-ribosylation in regulating calcium homeostasis. In summary, our study identified a new target of hARTC1 in the endoplasmic reticulum and suggested that ARTC1 plays a role in regulating calcium signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueyao Ma
- College of Life Sciences, Institute of Life Sciences and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China
| | - Mengyuan Li
- College of Life Sciences, Institute of Life Sciences and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China
| | - Yi Liu
- College of Life Sciences, Institute of Life Sciences and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China
| | - Xuefang Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Institute of Life Sciences and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China
| | - Xiaoyun Yang
- College of Life Sciences, Institute of Life Sciences and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China
| | - Yun Wang
- Department of Public Health, Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University, Baoding 071000, China
| | - Yipeng Li
- College of Life Sciences, Institute of Life Sciences and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China
| | - Jiayue Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Institute of Life Sciences and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China
| | - Xiuhua Liu
- College of Life Sciences, Institute of Life Sciences and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China
| | - Zhenzhen Yan
- College of Life Sciences, Institute of Life Sciences and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China
| | - Xiaochun Yu
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou 310024, China
- School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou 310024, China
- Institute of Biology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou 310024, China
| | - Chen Wu
- College of Life Sciences, Institute of Life Sciences and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China
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5
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Has C, Das SL. The Functionality of Membrane-Inserting Proteins and Peptides: Curvature Sensing, Generation, and Pore Formation. J Membr Biol 2023; 256:343-372. [PMID: 37650909 DOI: 10.1007/s00232-023-00289-7] [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: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
Proteins and peptides with hydrophobic and amphiphilic segments are responsible for many biological functions. The sensing and generation of membrane curvature are the functions of several protein domains or motifs. While some specific membrane proteins play an essential role in controlling the curvature of distinct intracellular membranes, others participate in various cellular processes such as clathrin-mediated endocytosis, where several proteins sort themselves at the neck of the membrane bud. A few membrane-inserting proteins form nanopores that permeate selective ions and water to cross the membrane. In addition, many natural and synthetic small peptides and protein toxins disrupt the membrane by inducing nonspecific pores in the membrane. The pore formation causes cell death through the uncontrolled exchange between interior and exterior cellular contents. In this article, we discuss the insertion depth and orientation of protein/peptide helices, and their role as a sensor and inducer of membrane curvature as well as a pore former in the membrane. We anticipate that this extensive review will assist biophysicists to gain insight into curvature sensing, generation, and pore formation by membrane insertion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chandra Has
- Department of Chemical Engineering, GSFC University, Vadodara, 391750, Gujarat, India.
| | - Sovan Lal Das
- Physical and Chemical Biology Laboratory and Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Palakkad, 678623, Kerala, India
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Lisboa J, Pereira C, Pinto RD, Rodrigues IS, Pereira LMG, Pinheiro B, Oliveira P, Pereira PJB, Azevedo JE, Durand D, Benz R, do Vale A, Dos Santos NMS. Unconventional structure and mechanisms for membrane interaction and translocation of the NF-κB-targeting toxin AIP56. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7431. [PMID: 37973928 PMCID: PMC10654918 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43054-z] [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: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacterial AB toxins are secreted key virulence factors that are internalized by target cells through receptor-mediated endocytosis, translocating their enzymatic domain to the cytosol from endosomes (short-trip) or the endoplasmic reticulum (long-trip). To accomplish this, bacterial AB toxins evolved a multidomain structure organized into either a single polypeptide chain or non-covalently associated polypeptide chains. The prototypical short-trip single-chain toxin is characterized by a receptor-binding domain that confers cellular specificity and a translocation domain responsible for pore formation whereby the catalytic domain translocates to the cytosol in an endosomal acidification-dependent way. In this work, the determination of the three-dimensional structure of AIP56 shows that, instead of a two-domain organization suggested by previous studies, AIP56 has three-domains: a non-LEE encoded effector C (NleC)-like catalytic domain associated with a small middle domain that contains the linker-peptide, followed by the receptor-binding domain. In contrast to prototypical single-chain AB toxins, AIP56 does not comprise a typical structurally complex translocation domain; instead, the elements involved in translocation are scattered across its domains. Thus, the catalytic domain contains a helical hairpin that serves as a molecular switch for triggering the conformational changes necessary for membrane insertion only upon endosomal acidification, whereas the middle and receptor-binding domains are required for pore formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johnny Lisboa
- Fish Immunology and Vaccinology Group, IBMC-Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal.
- Fish Immunology and Vaccinology Group, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal.
| | - Cassilda Pereira
- Fish Immunology and Vaccinology Group, IBMC-Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal
- Fish Immunology and Vaccinology Group, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal
| | - Rute D Pinto
- Fish Immunology and Vaccinology Group, IBMC-Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal
| | - Inês S Rodrigues
- Fish Immunology and Vaccinology Group, IBMC-Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal
- Fish Immunology and Vaccinology Group, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal
| | - Liliana M G Pereira
- Fish Immunology and Vaccinology Group, IBMC-Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal
| | - Bruno Pinheiro
- Fish Immunology and Vaccinology Group, IBMC-Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal
- Fish Immunology and Vaccinology Group, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal
- Doctoral Program in Molecular and Cell Biology (MCbiology), Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar - Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Pedro Oliveira
- EPIUnit, ICBAS-Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Pedro José Barbosa Pereira
- Biomolecular Structure Group, IBMC-Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal
- Macromolecular Structure Group, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal
| | - Jorge E Azevedo
- ICBAS-Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Organelle Biogenesis and Function, IBMC-Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal
- Organelle Biogenesis and Function, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal
| | - Dominique Durand
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), 91198, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Roland Benz
- Science Faculty, Constructor University, Bremen, Germany
| | - Ana do Vale
- Fish Immunology and Vaccinology Group, IBMC-Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal
- Fish Immunology and Vaccinology Group, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal
| | - Nuno M S Dos Santos
- Fish Immunology and Vaccinology Group, IBMC-Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal.
- Fish Immunology and Vaccinology Group, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal.
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Khodak YA. Heterologous Expression of Recombinant Proteins and Their Derivatives Used as Carriers for Conjugate Vaccines. BIOCHEMISTRY. BIOKHIMIIA 2023; 88:1248-1266. [PMID: 37770392 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297923090055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Revised: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/30/2023]
Abstract
Carrier proteins that provide an effective and long-term immune response to weak antigens has become a real breakthrough in the disease prevention, making it available to a wider range of patients and making it possible to obtain reliable vaccines against a variety of pathogens. Currently, research is continuing both to identify new peptides, proteins, and their complexes potentially suitable for use as carriers, and to develop new methods for isolation, purification, and conjugation of already known and well-established proteins. The use of recombinant proteins has a number of advantages over isolation from natural sources, such as simpler cultivation of the host organism, the possibility of modifying genetic constructs, use of numerous promoter variants, signal sequences, and other regulatory elements. This review is devoted to the methods of obtaining both traditional and new recombinant proteins and their derivatives already being used or potentially suitable for use as carrier proteins in conjugate vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuliya A Khodak
- Institute of Bioengineering, Federal Research Centre of Biotechnology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 117312, Russia.
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8
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Gao P, Zhang Z, Wang R, Huang L, Wu H, Qiao Z, Wang X, Jin H, Peng J, Liu L, Chen Q, Lin J. Structure-destabilizing mutations unleash an intrinsic perforation activity of antiapoptotic Bcl-2 in the mitochondrial membrane enabling apoptotic cell death. MITOCHONDRIAL COMMUNICATIONS 2023; 1:48-61. [PMID: 39239250 PMCID: PMC11375749 DOI: 10.1016/j.mitoco.2023.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/07/2024]
Abstract
Bcl-2 and Bax share a similar structural fold in solution, yet function oppositely in the mitochondrial outer membrane (MOM) during apoptosis. The proapoptotic Bax forms pores in the MOM to trigger cell death, whereas Bcl-2 inhibits the Bax pore formation to prevent cell death. Intriguingly both proteins can switch to a similar conformation after activation by BH3-only proteins, with multiple regions embedded in the MOM. Here we tested a hypothesis that destabilization of the Bcl-2 structure might convert Bcl-2 to a Bax-like perforator. We discovered that mutations of glutamate 152 which eliminate hydrogen bonds in the protein core and thereby reduce the Bcl-2 structural stability. These Bcl-2 mutants induced apoptosis by releasing cytochrome c from the mitochondria in the cells that lack Bax and Bak, the other proapoptotic perforator. Using liposomal membranes made with typical mitochondrial lipids and reconstituted with purified proteins we revealed this perforation activity was intrinsic to Bcl-2 and could be unleashed by a BH3-only protein, similar to the perforation activity of Bax. Our study thus demonstrated a structural conversion of antiapoptotic Bcl-2 to a proapoptotic perforator through a simple molecular manipulation or interaction that is worthy to explore further for eradicating cancer cells that are resistant to a current Bcl-2-targeting drug.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping Gao
- The State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Zhi Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73126, USA
| | - Rui Wang
- The State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Li Huang
- The State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Hao Wu
- The State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Zhenzhen Qiao
- College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Xiaohui Wang
- The State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Haijing Jin
- The State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Jun Peng
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73126, USA
| | - Lei Liu
- The State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Quan Chen
- The State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Jialing Lin
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73126, USA
- Stephenson Cancer Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA
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9
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Yin L, Thaker H. Cancer Drug Delivery Systems Using Bacterial Toxin Translocation Mechanisms. Bioengineering (Basel) 2023; 10:813. [PMID: 37508840 PMCID: PMC10376142 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering10070813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent advances in targeted cancer therapy hold great promise for both research and clinical applications and push the boundaries in finding new treatments for various currently incurable cancers. However, these therapies require specific cell-targeting mechanisms for the efficient delivery of drug cargo across the cell membrane to reach intracellular targets and avoid diffusion to unwanted tissues. Traditional drug delivery systems suffer from a limited ability to travel across the barriers posed by cell membranes and, therefore, there is a need for high doses, which are associated with adverse reactions and safety concerns. Bacterial toxins have evolved naturally to specifically target cell subtypes via their receptor binding module, penetrating the cell membrane efficiently through the membrane translocation process and then successfully delivering the toxic cargo into the host cytosol. They have, thus, been harnessed for the delivery of various drugs. In this review, we focus on bacterial toxin translocation mechanisms and recent progress in the targeted delivery systems of cancer therapy drugs that have been inspired by the receptor binding and membrane translocation processes of the anthrax toxin protective antigen, diphtheria toxin, and Pseudomonas exotoxin A. We also discuss the challenges and limitations of these studies that should be addressed before bacterial toxin-based drug delivery systems can become a viable new generation of drug delivery approaches in clinical translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linxiang Yin
- Department of Urology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Hatim Thaker
- Department of Urology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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10
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Ok Baik Y, Lee Y, Lee C, Kyung Kim S, Park J, Sun M, Jung D, Young Jang J, Jun Yong T, Woo Park J, Jeong S, Lim S, Hyun Han S, Keun Choi S. A Phase II/III, Multicenter, Observer-blinded, Randomized, Non-inferiority and Safety, study of typhoid conjugate vaccine (EuTCV) compared to Typbar-TCV® in healthy 6 Months-45 years aged participants. Vaccine 2023; 41:1753-1759. [PMID: 36774331 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2022.12.007] [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: 09/14/2022] [Revised: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
Abstract
The typhoid conjugate vaccine (TCV) ensures a long-lasting protective immune response, requires fewer doses and is fit for children under 2 years of age. From Phase I study, EuTCV displayed considerable immunogenicity and reliable safety, thus endorsing further examination in Phase II/III trials. Therefore, a clinical Phase II/III study (NCT04830371) was conducted to evaluate its efficacy in healthy Filipino participants aged 6 months to 45 years through administration of the test vaccine (Arm A, B, and C) or comparator vaccine Typbar-TCV® (Arm D). Sera samples were collected pre-vaccination (Visit 1) and post-vaccination (Visit 4, Day 28) to assess the immunogenicity of EuTCV and Typbar-TCV®. During the study, participants were regularly monitored through scheduled visits to the clinic to report any adverse events associated with the vaccine. For vaccine safety, the proportion of solicited and unsolicited Treatment-Emergent Adverse Events was all comparable between EuTCV and Typbar-TCV® groups. A single dose of EuTCV produced seroconversion in 99.4% of treated participants, with seroconversion rates non-inferior to that of Typbar-TCV®. Batch-to-batch consistency was concluded based on the 90% Confidence Interval of the geometric mean ratio (EuTCV Arm A, B, and C) at Week 4, lying within the equivalence margin of 0.5 to 2.0 for all batches. Results from this Phase II/III clinical trial of EuTCV in healthy volunteers show comparable safety and considerable immunogenicity, compared to Typbar-TCV®, meeting the objectives of this pivotal study. ClinicalTrials.gov registration number: NCT04830371.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Chankyu Lee
- R&D Center, EuBiologics Co., Ltd., Chuncheon, Republic of Korea
| | - Soo Kyung Kim
- R&D Center, EuBiologics Co., Ltd., Chuncheon, Republic of Korea
| | | | - Meixiang Sun
- R&D Center, EuBiologics Co., Ltd., Chuncheon, Republic of Korea
| | - DaYe Jung
- EuBiologics Co., Ltd., Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jin Young Jang
- R&D Center, EuBiologics Co., Ltd., Chuncheon, Republic of Korea
| | - Tae Jun Yong
- R&D Center, EuBiologics Co., Ltd., Chuncheon, Republic of Korea
| | - Jeong Woo Park
- Department of Oral Microbiology and Immunology, and Dental Research Institute, School of Dentistry, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sungho Jeong
- Department of Oral Microbiology and Immunology, and Dental Research Institute, School of Dentistry, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Suwon Lim
- Department of Oral Microbiology and Immunology, and Dental Research Institute, School of Dentistry, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung Hyun Han
- Department of Oral Microbiology and Immunology, and Dental Research Institute, School of Dentistry, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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Prygiel M, Polak M, Mosiej E, Wdowiak K, Formińska K, Zasada AA. New Corynebacterium Species with the Potential to Produce Diphtheria Toxin. Pathogens 2022; 11:1264. [PMID: 36365015 PMCID: PMC9693595 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11111264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Only three Corynebacterium species are known to produce a lethal exotoxin called diphtheria toxin. These are C. diphtheriae, C. ulcerans and C. pseudotuberculosis. The diphtheria toxin gene (tox) is carried in a family of closely related corynebacteriophages and therefore the toxin can be produced only through lysogenisation, in which the corynephage encoding tox is stably inserted into the chromosome. However, 'nontoxigenic tox gene-bearing' (NTTB) strains, which are genotypically tox-positive but do not express the protein, have been described. The emergence of NTTB strains was first observed during the 1990s diphtheria epidemic in Eastern Europe and nowadays such isolates have been detected in many countries in the world. Recently, novel species of Corynebacterium genus have been described which might have the potential of producing the diphtheria toxin due to the possession of the diphtheria toxin gene but it has not produced toxin in laboratory tests. The circulation of NTTB strains could be related to the increased risk for diphtheria disease arising from the risk of re-emerging toxin expression. The article presents the mechanism of diphtheria toxin expression and action, recently described novel species of NTTB corynebacteria as well as the taxonomic changes within the C. diphtheriae group.
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12
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Traugott MT, Pleininger S, Inschlag-Tisch S, Eder B, Seitz T, Merrelaar A, Reiß-Kornfehl J, Fussi J, Schindler S, Blaschitz M, Heger F, Indra A, Karolyi M, Staudacher M, Oelschlaegel T, Hoepler W, Neuhold S, Wenisch C. A case of fulminant respiratory diphtheria in a 24-year-old Afghan refugee in Austria in May 2022: a case report. Infection 2022; 51:489-495. [PMID: 36178603 PMCID: PMC10042955 DOI: 10.1007/s15010-022-01926-4] [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: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Raising awareness of respiratory diphtheria and for the importance of early antitoxin administration. METHODS Report of a case of fulminant, imported respiratory diphtheria in an otherwise healthy 24-year-old Afghan refugee in Austria in May 2022. RESULT This was the first case of respiratory diphtheria in Austria since 1993. Diphtheria antitoxin was administered at an already progressed disease stage. This delay contributed to a fulminant disease course with multiorgan failure and death. CONCLUSION In high-income countries with low case numbers, awareness of respiratory diphtheria and for the importance of early antitoxin administration must be raised.
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Affiliation(s)
- M T Traugott
- IV Medical Department with Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Clinic Favoriten, Kundratstraße 3, 1100, Vienna, Austria.
| | - S Pleininger
- Austrian Reference Centre for Diphtheria, Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, Vienna, Austria
| | - S Inschlag-Tisch
- Department of Internal Medicine, Cardiology and Nephrology, Hospital of Wiener Neustadt, Wiener Neustadt, Austria
| | - B Eder
- IV Medical Department with Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Clinic Favoriten, Kundratstraße 3, 1100, Vienna, Austria
| | - T Seitz
- IV Medical Department with Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Clinic Favoriten, Kundratstraße 3, 1100, Vienna, Austria
| | - A Merrelaar
- IV Medical Department with Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Clinic Favoriten, Kundratstraße 3, 1100, Vienna, Austria
| | - J Reiß-Kornfehl
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Hospital of Wiener Neustadt, Wiener Neustadt, Austria
| | - J Fussi
- Department of Internal Medicine, Cardiology and Nephrology, Hospital of Wiener Neustadt, Wiener Neustadt, Austria
| | - S Schindler
- Austrian Reference Centre for Diphtheria, Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, Vienna, Austria
| | - M Blaschitz
- Austrian Reference Centre for Diphtheria, Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, Vienna, Austria
| | - F Heger
- Austrian Reference Centre for Diphtheria, Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, Vienna, Austria
| | - A Indra
- Austrian Reference Centre for Diphtheria, Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, Vienna, Austria
| | - M Karolyi
- IV Medical Department with Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Clinic Favoriten, Kundratstraße 3, 1100, Vienna, Austria
| | - M Staudacher
- IV Medical Department with Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Clinic Favoriten, Kundratstraße 3, 1100, Vienna, Austria
| | - T Oelschlaegel
- IV Medical Department with Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Clinic Favoriten, Kundratstraße 3, 1100, Vienna, Austria
| | - W Hoepler
- IV Medical Department with Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Clinic Favoriten, Kundratstraße 3, 1100, Vienna, Austria
| | - S Neuhold
- IV Medical Department with Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Clinic Favoriten, Kundratstraße 3, 1100, Vienna, Austria
| | - C Wenisch
- IV Medical Department with Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Clinic Favoriten, Kundratstraße 3, 1100, Vienna, Austria
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13
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Ernst K. Requirement of Peptidyl-Prolyl Cis/Trans isomerases and chaperones for cellular uptake of bacterial AB-type toxins. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:938015. [PMID: 35992160 PMCID: PMC9387773 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.938015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial AB-type toxins are proteins released by the producing bacteria and are the causative agents for several severe diseases including cholera, whooping cough, diphtheria or enteric diseases. Their unique AB-type structure enables their uptake into mammalian cells via sophisticated mechanisms exploiting cellular uptake and transport pathways. The binding/translocation B-subunit facilitates binding of the toxin to a specific receptor on the cell surface. This is followed by receptor-mediated endocytosis. Then the enzymatically active A-subunit either escapes from endosomes in a pH-dependent manner or the toxin is further transported through the Golgi to the endoplasmic reticulum from where the A-subunit translocates into the cytosol. In the cytosol, the A-subunits enzymatically modify a specific substrate which leads to cellular reactions resulting in clinical symptoms that can be life-threatening. Both intracellular uptake routes require the A-subunit to unfold to either fit through a pore formed by the B-subunit into the endosomal membrane or to be recognized by the ER-associated degradation pathway. This led to the hypothesis that folding helper enzymes such as chaperones and peptidyl-prolyl cis/trans isomerases are required to assist the translocation of the A-subunit into the cytosol and/or facilitate their refolding into an enzymatically active conformation. This review article gives an overview about the role of heat shock proteins Hsp90 and Hsp70 as well as of peptidyl-prolyl cis/trans isomerases of the cyclophilin and FK506 binding protein families during uptake of bacterial AB-type toxins with a focus on clostridial binary toxins Clostridium botulinum C2 toxin, Clostridium perfringens iota toxin, Clostridioides difficile CDT toxin, as well as diphtheria toxin, pertussis toxin and cholera toxin.
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14
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Advances on Delivery of Cytotoxic Enzymes as Anticancer Agents. MOLECULES (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 27:molecules27123836. [PMID: 35744957 PMCID: PMC9230553 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27123836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2022] [Revised: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Cancer is one of the most serious human diseases, causing millions of deaths worldwide annually, and, therefore, it is one of the most investigated research disciplines. Developing efficient anticancer tools includes studying the effects of different natural enzymes of plant and microbial origin on tumor cells. The development of various smart delivery systems based on enzyme drugs has been conducted for more than two decades. Some of these delivery systems have been developed to the point that they have reached clinical stages, and a few have even found application in selected cancer treatments. Various biological, chemical, and physical approaches have been utilized to enhance their efficiencies by improving their delivery and targeting. In this paper, we review advanced delivery systems for enzyme drugs for use in cancer therapy. Their structure-based functions, mechanisms of action, fused forms with other peptides in terms of targeting and penetration, and other main results from in vivo and clinical studies of these advanced delivery systems are highlighted.
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15
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Green DR. The Mitochondrial Pathway of Apoptosis Part II: The BCL-2 Protein Family. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2022; 14:a041046. [PMID: 35701220 PMCID: PMC9248827 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a041046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Douglas R Green
- St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee 38105, USA
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16
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Structures of distant diphtheria toxin homologs reveal functional determinants of an evolutionarily conserved toxin scaffold. Commun Biol 2022; 5:375. [PMID: 35440624 PMCID: PMC9018708 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03333-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Diphtheria toxin (DT) is the archetype for bacterial exotoxins implicated in human diseases and has played a central role in defining the field of toxinology since its discovery in 1888. Despite being one of the most extensively characterized bacterial toxins, the origins and evolutionary adaptation of DT to human hosts remain unknown. Here, we determined the first high-resolution structures of DT homologs outside of the Corynebacterium genus. DT homologs from Streptomyces albireticuli (17% identity to DT) and Seinonella peptonophila (20% identity to DT), despite showing no toxicity toward human cells, display significant structural similarities to DT sharing both the overall Y-shaped architecture of DT as well as the individual folds of each domain. Through a systematic investigation of individual domains, we show that the functional determinants of host range extend beyond an inability to bind cellular receptors; major differences in pH-induced pore-formation and cytosolic release further dictate the delivery of toxic catalytic moieties into cells, thus providing multiple mechanisms for a conserved structural fold to adapt to different hosts. Our work provides structural insights into the expanding DT family of toxins, and highlights key transitions required for host adaptation. Toxic proteins are responsible for the disease symptoms accompanying bacterial infections. Sugiman-Marangos et al. report crystal structures of two diphtheria toxin homologs, therefore providing structural insights into this family of toxins and the evolutionary adaptation of these toxins to human hosts.
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17
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Ott L, Möller J, Burkovski A. Interactions between the Re-Emerging Pathogen Corynebacterium diphtheriae and Host Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:3298. [PMID: 35328715 PMCID: PMC8952647 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23063298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Revised: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Corynebacterium diphtheriae, the etiological agent of diphtheria, is a re-emerging pathogen, responsible for several thousand deaths per year. In addition to diphtheria, systemic infections, often by non-toxigenic strains, are increasingly observed. This indicates that besides the well-studied and highly potent diphtheria toxin, various other virulence factors may influence the progression of the infection. This review focuses on the known components of C. diphtheriae responsible for adhesion, invasion, inflammation, and cell death, as well as on the cellular signaling pathways activated upon infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Ott
- Department of Biology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Staudtstr. 5, 91058 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Jens Möller
- Microbiology Division, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Staudtstr. 5, 91058 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Andreas Burkovski
- Microbiology Division, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Staudtstr. 5, 91058 Erlangen, Germany
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18
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Carboni F, Kitowski A, Sorieul C, Veggi D, Marques MC, Oldrini D, Balducci E, Brogioni B, Del Bino L, Corrado A, Angiolini F, Dello Iacono L, Margarit I, Romano MR, Bernardes GJL, Adamo R. Retaining the structural integrity of disulfide bonds in diphtheria toxoid carrier protein is crucial for the effectiveness of glycoconjugate vaccine candidates. Chem Sci 2022; 13:2440-2449. [PMID: 35310500 PMCID: PMC8864718 DOI: 10.1039/d1sc01928g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The introduction of glycoconjugate vaccines marks an important point in the fight against various infectious diseases. The covalent conjugation of relevant polysaccharide antigens to immunogenic carrier proteins enables the induction of a long-lasting and robust IgG antibody response, which is not observed for pure polysaccharide vaccines. Although there has been remarkable progress in the development of glycoconjugate vaccines, many crucial parameters remain poorly understood. In particular, the influence of the conjugation site and strategy on the immunogenic properties of the final glycoconjugate vaccine is the focus of intense research. Here, we present a comparison of two cysteine selective conjugation strategies, elucidating the impact of both modifications on the structural integrity of the carrier protein, as well as on the immunogenic properties of the resulting glycoconjugate vaccine candidates. Our work suggests that conjugation chemistries impairing structurally relevant elements of the protein carrier, such as disulfide bonds, can have a dramatic effect on protein immunogenicity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Annabel Kitowski
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa Lisboa Portugal
| | | | | | - Marta C Marques
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa Lisboa Portugal
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Gonçalo J L Bernardes
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa Lisboa Portugal
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge Lensfield Road Cambridge CB2 1EW UK
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19
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Aminzadeh A, Larsen CE, Boesen T, Jørgensen R. High-resolution structure of native toxin A from Clostridioides difficile. EMBO Rep 2022; 23:e53597. [PMID: 34817920 PMCID: PMC8728606 DOI: 10.15252/embr.202153597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Revised: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Clostridioides difficile infections have emerged as the leading cause of healthcare-associated infectious diarrhea. Disease symptoms are mainly caused by the virulence factors, TcdA and TcdB, which are large homologous multidomain proteins. Here, we report a 2.8 Å resolution cryo-EM structure of native TcdA, unveiling its conformation at neutral pH. The structure uncovers the dynamic movement of the CROPs domain which is induced in response to environmental acidification. Furthermore, the structure reveals detailed information about the interaction area between the CROPs domain and the tip of the delivery and receptor-binding domain, which likely serves to shield the C-terminal part of the hydrophobic pore-forming region from solvent exposure. Similarly, extensive interactions between the globular subdomain and the N-terminal part of the pore-forming region suggest that the globular subdomain shields the upper part of the pore-forming region from exposure to the surrounding solvent. Hence, the TcdA structure provides insights into the mechanism of preventing premature unfolding of the pore-forming region at neutral pH, as well as the pH-induced inter-domain dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aria Aminzadeh
- Department of Bacteria, Parasites and FungiStatens Serum InstitutCopenhagenDenmark
| | - Christian Engelbrecht Larsen
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO)Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
- Department of Molecular Biology and GeneticsAarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
| | - Thomas Boesen
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO)Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
- Department of Molecular Biology and GeneticsAarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
| | - René Jørgensen
- Department of Bacteria, Parasites and FungiStatens Serum InstitutCopenhagenDenmark
- Department of Science and EnvironmentUniversity of RoskildeRoskildeDenmark
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20
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Mondal T, Mandal B. Proteolytic functional amyloid digests pathogenic amyloid. J Mater Chem B 2022; 10:4216-4225. [DOI: 10.1039/d2tb00640e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Although amyloids are a well-known pathological structure, functional amyloids are beneficial. Functional amyloids can be engineered to cultivate desired functionality that can destroy malicious amyloids. However, not much is known...
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21
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López-Vidal EM, Schissel CK, Mohapatra S, Bellovoda K, Wu CL, Wood JA, Malmberg AB, Loas A, Gómez-Bombarelli R, Pentelute BL. Deep Learning Enables Discovery of a Short Nuclear Targeting Peptide for Efficient Delivery of Antisense Oligomers. JACS AU 2021; 1:2009-2020. [PMID: 34841414 PMCID: PMC8611673 DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.1c00327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Therapeutic macromolecules such as proteins and oligonucleotides can be highly efficacious but are often limited to extracellular targets due to the cell's impermeable membrane. Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) are able to deliver such macromolecules into cells, but limited structure-activity relationships and inconsistent literature reports make it difficult to design effective CPPs for a given cargo. For example, polyarginine motifs are common in CPPs, promoting cell uptake at the expense of systemic toxicity. Machine learning may be able to address this challenge by bridging gaps between experimental data in order to discern sequence-activity relationships that evade our intuition. Our earlier data set and deep learning model led to the design of miniproteins (>40 amino acids) for antisense delivery. Here, we leveraged and expanded our model with data augmentation in the short CPP sequence space of the data set to extrapolate and discover short, low-arginine-content CPPs that would be easier to synthesize and amenable to rapid conjugation to desired cargo, and with minimal in vivo toxicity. The lead predicted peptide, termed P6, is as active as a polyarginine CPP for the delivery of an antisense oligomer, while having only one arginine side chain and 18 total residues. We determined the pentalysine motif and the C-terminal cysteine of P6 to be the main drivers of activity. The antisense conjugate was able to enhance corrective splicing in an animal model to produce functional eGFP in heart tissue in vivo while remaining nontoxic up to a dose of 60 mg/kg. In addition, P6 was able to deliver an enzyme to the cytosol of cells. Our findings suggest that, given a data set of long CPPs, we can discover by extrapolation short, active sequences that deliver antisense oligomers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva M. López-Vidal
- Department
of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Carly K. Schissel
- Department
of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Somesh Mohapatra
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Kamela Bellovoda
- Sarepta
Therapeutics, 215 First Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Chia-Ling Wu
- Sarepta
Therapeutics, 215 First Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Jenna A. Wood
- Sarepta
Therapeutics, 215 First Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Annika B. Malmberg
- Sarepta
Therapeutics, 215 First Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Andrei Loas
- Department
of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Rafael Gómez-Bombarelli
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Bradley L. Pentelute
- Department
of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
- The
Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 500 Main Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
- Center
for Environmental Health Sciences, Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
- Broad Institute
of MIT and Harvard, 415
Main Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
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22
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Haywood EE, Handy NB, Lopez JW, Ho M, Wilson BA. Insertion-trigger residues differentially modulate endosomal escape by cytotoxic necrotizing factor toxins. J Biol Chem 2021; 297:101347. [PMID: 34715130 PMCID: PMC8592880 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.101347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Revised: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The cellular specificity, potency, and modular nature of bacterial protein toxins enable their application for targeted cytosolic delivery of therapeutic cargo. Efficient endosomal escape is a critical step in the design of bacterial toxin-inspired drug delivery (BTIDD) vehicles to avoid lysosomal degradation and promote optimal cargo delivery. The cytotoxic necrotizing factor (CNF) family of modular toxins represents a useful model for investigating cargo-delivery mechanisms due to the availability of many homologs with high sequence identity, their flexibility in swapping domains, and their differential activity profiles. Previously, we found that CNFy is more sensitive to endosomal acidification inhibitors than CNF1 and CNF2. Here, we report that CNF3 is even less sensitive than CNF1/2. We identified two amino acid residues within the putative translocation domain (E374 and E412 in CNFy, Q373 and S411 in CNF3) that differentiate between these two toxins. Swapping these corresponding residues in each toxin changed the sensitivity to endosomal acidification and efficiency of cargo-delivery to be more similar to the other toxin. Results suggested that trafficking to the more acidic late endosome is required for cargo delivery by CNFy but not CNF3. This model was supported by results from toxin treatment of cells in the presence of NH4Cl, which blocks endosomal acidification, and of small-molecule inhibitors EGA, which blocks trafficking to late endosomes, and ABMA, which blocks endosomal escape and trafficking to the lysosomal degradative pathway. These findings suggest that it is possible to fine-tune endosomal escape and cytosolic cargo delivery efficiency in designing BTIDD platforms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth E Haywood
- Department of Microbiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Nicholas B Handy
- Department of Microbiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - James W Lopez
- Department of Microbiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Mengfei Ho
- Department of Microbiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Brenda A Wilson
- Department of Microbiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA.
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23
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Sannigrahi A, Chattopadhyay K. Pore formation by pore forming membrane proteins towards infections. ADVANCES IN PROTEIN CHEMISTRY AND STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY 2021; 128:79-111. [PMID: 35034727 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apcsb.2021.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Over the last 25 years, the biology of membrane proteins, including the PFPs-membranes interactions is seeking attention for the development of successful drug molecules against a number of infectious diseases. Pore forming toxins (PFTs), the largest family of PFPs are considered as a group of virulence factors produced in a large number of pathogenic systems which include streptococcus, pneumonia, Staphylococcus aureus, E. coli, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, group A and B streptococci, Corynebacterium diphtheria and many more. PFTs are generally utilized by the disease causing pathogens to disrupt the host first line of defense i.e. host cell membranes through pore formation strategy. Although, pore formation is the principal mode of action of the PFTs but they can have additional adverse effects on the hosts including immune evasion. Recently, structural investigation of different PFTs have imparted the molecular mechanistic insights into how PFTs get transformed from its inactive state to active toxic state. On the basis of their structural entity, PFTs have been classified in different types and their mode of actions alters in terms of pore formation and corresponding cellular toxicity. Although pathogen genome analysis can identify the probable PFTs depending upon their structural diversity, there are so many PFTs which utilize the local environmental conditions to generate their pore forming ability using a novel strategy which is known as "conformational switch" of a protein. This conformational switch is considered as characteristics of the phase shifting proteins which were often utilized by many pathogenic systems to protect them from the invaders through allosteric communication between distant regions of the protein. In this chapter, we discuss the structure function relationships of PFTs and how activity of PFTs varies with the change in the environmental conditions has been explored. Finally, we demonstrate these structural insights to develop therapeutic potential to treat the infections caused by multidrug resistant pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Achinta Sannigrahi
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
| | - Krishnananda Chattopadhyay
- Structural Biology and Bioinformatics Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
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24
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Schissel CK, Mohapatra S, Wolfe JM, Fadzen CM, Bellovoda K, Wu CL, Wood JA, Malmberg AB, Loas A, Gómez-Bombarelli R, Pentelute BL. Deep learning to design nuclear-targeting abiotic miniproteins. Nat Chem 2021; 13:992-1000. [PMID: 34373596 PMCID: PMC8819921 DOI: 10.1038/s41557-021-00766-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
There are more amino acid permutations within a 40-residue sequence than atoms on Earth. This vast chemical search space hinders the use of human learning to design functional polymers. Here we show how machine learning enables the de novo design of abiotic nuclear-targeting miniproteins to traffic antisense oligomers to the nucleus of cells. We combined high-throughput experimentation with a directed evolution-inspired deep-learning approach in which the molecular structures of natural and unnatural residues are represented as topological fingerprints. The model is able to predict activities beyond the training dataset, and simultaneously deciphers and visualizes sequence-activity predictions. The predicted miniproteins, termed 'Mach', reach an average mass of 10 kDa, are more effective than any previously known variant in cells and can also deliver proteins into the cytosol. The Mach miniproteins are non-toxic and efficiently deliver antisense cargo in mice. These results demonstrate that deep learning can decipher design principles to generate highly active biomolecules that are unlikely to be discovered by empirical approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carly K. Schissel
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Chemistry, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Somesh Mohapatra
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Justin M. Wolfe
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Chemistry, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Colin M. Fadzen
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Chemistry, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Kamela Bellovoda
- Sarepta Therapeutics, 215 First Street, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Chia-Ling Wu
- Sarepta Therapeutics, 215 First Street, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Jenna A. Wood
- Sarepta Therapeutics, 215 First Street, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | | | - Andrei Loas
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Chemistry, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Rafael Gómez-Bombarelli
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA,Correspondence to: ,
| | - Bradley L. Pentelute
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Chemistry, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA,The Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 500 Main Street, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA,Center for Environmental Health Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, 415 Main Street, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA,Correspondence to: ,
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Mondal AK, Chattopadhyay K. Structures and functions of the membrane-damaging pore-forming proteins. ADVANCES IN PROTEIN CHEMISTRY AND STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY 2021; 128:241-288. [PMID: 35034720 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apcsb.2021.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Pore-forming proteins (PFPs) of the diverse life forms have emerged as the potent cell-killing entities owing to their specialized membrane-damaging properties. PFPs have the unique ability to perforate the plasma membranes of their target cells, and they exert this functionality by creating oligomeric pores in the membrane lipid bilayer. Pathogenic bacteria employ PFPs as toxins to execute their virulence mechanisms, whereas in the higher vertebrates PFPs are deployed as the part of the immune system and to generate inflammatory responses. PFPs are the unique dimorphic proteins that are generally synthesized as water-soluble molecules, and transform into membrane-inserted oligomeric pore assemblies upon interacting with the target membranes. In spite of sharing very little sequence similarity, PFPs from diverse organisms display incredible structural similarity. Yet, at the same time, structure-function mechanisms of the PFPs document remarkable versatility. Such notions establish PFPs as the fascinating model system to explore variety of unsolved issues pertaining to the structure-function paradigm of the proteins that interact and act in the membrane environment. In this article, we discuss our current understanding regarding the structural basis of the pore-forming functions of the diverse class of PFPs. We attempt to highlight the similarities and differences in their structures, membrane pore-formation mechanisms, and their implications for the various biological processes, ranging from the bacterial virulence mechanisms to the inflammatory immune response generation in the higher animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anish Kumar Mondal
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Mohali, Mohali, Punjab, India
| | - Kausik Chattopadhyay
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Mohali, Mohali, Punjab, India.
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Rocha FG, Berges A, Sedra A, Ghods S, Kapoor N, Pill L, Davey ME, Fairman J, Gibson FC. A Porphyromonas gingivalis Capsule-Conjugate Vaccine Protects From Experimental Oral Bone Loss. FRONTIERS IN ORAL HEALTH 2021; 2:686402. [PMID: 35048031 PMCID: PMC8757777 DOI: 10.3389/froh.2021.686402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Periodontal diseases are chronic inflammatory diseases of the periodontium that result in progressive destruction of the soft and hard tissues supporting the teeth, and it is the most common cause of tooth loss among adults. In the US alone, over 100 million individuals are estimated to have periodontal disease. Subgingival bacteria initiate and sustain inflammation, and, although several bacteria have been associated with periodontitis, Porphyromonas gingivalis has emerged as the key etiological organism significantly contributing to the disease. Currently, intensive clinical maintenance strategies are deployed to mitigate the further progression of disease in afflicted individuals; however, these treatments often fail to stop disease progression, and, as such, the development of an effective vaccine for periodontal disease is highly desirable. We generated a conjugate vaccine, comprising of the purified capsular polysaccharide of P. gingivalis conjugated to eCRM®, a proprietary and enhanced version of the CRM197 carrier protein with predetermined conjugation sites (Pg-CV). Mice immunized with alum adjuvanted Pg-CV developed robust serum levels of whole organism-specific IgG in comparison to animals immunized with unconjugated capsular polysaccharide alone. Using the murine oral bone loss model, we observed that mice immunized with the capsule-conjugate vaccine were significantly protected from the effects of P. gingivalis-elicited oral bone loss. Employing a preclinical model of infection-elicited oral bone loss, our data support that a conjugate vaccine incorporating capsular polysaccharide antigen is effective in reducing the main clinical endpoint of periodontal disease-oral bone destruction. Further development of a P. gingivalis capsule-based conjugate vaccine for preventing periodontal diseases is supported.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernanda G. Rocha
- Department of Oral Biology, University of Florida College of Dentistry, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Aym Berges
- Vaxcyte Inc., Foster City, CA, United States
| | - Angie Sedra
- Vaxcyte Inc., Foster City, CA, United States
| | - Shirin Ghods
- Department of Oral Biology, University of Florida College of Dentistry, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | | | - Lucy Pill
- Vaxcyte Inc., Foster City, CA, United States
| | - Mary Ellen Davey
- Department of Oral Biology, University of Florida College of Dentistry, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | | | - Frank C. Gibson
- Department of Oral Biology, University of Florida College of Dentistry, Gainesville, FL, United States
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Fairman J, Agarwal P, Barbanel S, Behrens C, Berges A, Burky J, Davey P, Fernsten P, Grainger C, Guo S, Iki S, Iverson M, Kane M, Kapoor N, Marcq O, Migone TS, Sauer P, Wassil J. Non-clinical immunological comparison of a Next-Generation 24-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (VAX-24) using site-specific carrier protein conjugation to the current standard of care (PCV13 and PPV23). Vaccine 2021; 39:3197-3206. [PMID: 33965258 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2021.03.070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2020] [Revised: 03/16/2021] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Despite widespread utilization of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) and the resultant disease reduction, the development of PCVs containing additional serotypes remains a public health priority due to serotype replacement and the resultant shift to non-vaccine containing serotypes. However, incorporating additional serotypes to existing PCVs using conventional technologies has proven problematic. Immune responses to individual serotypes have consistently decreased as more polysaccharide-conjugates are added due to carrier suppression. Using our proprietary cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) platform, we have successfully produced eCRM® based on the CRM197 sequence for use as an enhanced carrier protein to develop a 24-valent PCV. The eCRM carrier protein contains multiple non-native amino acids (nnAAs) located outside of the primary T-cell epitope regions, thereby enabling site-specific covalent conjugation of the pneumococcal polysaccharides to the nnAAs to consistently expose the critical T-cell epitopes. eCRM also serves to reduce structural heterogeneity associated with classic reductive-amination conjugation while promoting formation of the conjugate matrix structures, the hallmark of PCVs. This process serves to increase the overall polysaccharide:protein ratio, enabling the inclusion of more serotypes while minimizing carrier-mediated immunological interference. The aim of this non-clinical study was to construct a 24-valent PCV and evaluate its immunogenicity. Using the XPressCF® CFPS platform, the eCRM carrier protein was separately conjugated through nnAAs to each of the 24 pneumococcal polysaccharides through click chemistry and mixed with aluminum phosphate to produce VAX-24, Vaxcyte's proprietary PCV preclinical candidate. VAX-24, Prevnar13® and Pneumovax®23 were administered to New Zealand White rabbits to compare the resulting opsonophagocytic activity (OPA) and anti-capsular IgG antibodies. VAX-24 showed conjugate-like immune responses to all 24 serotypes based on comparable OPA and IgG responses to Prevnar13 and higher responses than Pneumovax 23. This study demonstrates the utility of site-specific conjugation technology in a preclinical setting and the potential for a PCV with improved serotype coverage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeff Fairman
- Vaxcyte, Inc., 353 Hatch Drive, Foster City, CA 94404, United States
| | - Paresh Agarwal
- Vaxcyte, Inc., 353 Hatch Drive, Foster City, CA 94404, United States
| | - Sandrine Barbanel
- Vaxcyte, Inc., 353 Hatch Drive, Foster City, CA 94404, United States
| | | | - Aym Berges
- Vaxcyte, Inc., 353 Hatch Drive, Foster City, CA 94404, United States
| | - John Burky
- Vaxcyte, Inc., 353 Hatch Drive, Foster City, CA 94404, United States
| | - Peter Davey
- Vaxcyte, Inc., 353 Hatch Drive, Foster City, CA 94404, United States
| | - Phil Fernsten
- VBT Laboratories, 1424 Gertrude Avenue, Phoenixville, PA 19460, United States
| | - Chris Grainger
- Vaxcyte, Inc., 353 Hatch Drive, Foster City, CA 94404, United States
| | - Sherry Guo
- Vaxcyte, Inc., 353 Hatch Drive, Foster City, CA 94404, United States
| | - Sam Iki
- Vaxcyte, Inc., 353 Hatch Drive, Foster City, CA 94404, United States
| | - Mark Iverson
- Vaxcyte, Inc., 353 Hatch Drive, Foster City, CA 94404, United States
| | - Martin Kane
- Exponent, 149 Commonwealth Drive, Menlo Park, CA 94025, United States
| | - Neeraj Kapoor
- Vaxcyte, Inc., 353 Hatch Drive, Foster City, CA 94404, United States
| | - Olivier Marcq
- Vaxcyte, Inc., 353 Hatch Drive, Foster City, CA 94404, United States
| | - Thi-Sau Migone
- Vaxcyte, Inc., 353 Hatch Drive, Foster City, CA 94404, United States
| | - Paul Sauer
- Vaxcyte, Inc., 353 Hatch Drive, Foster City, CA 94404, United States
| | - James Wassil
- Vaxcyte, Inc., 353 Hatch Drive, Foster City, CA 94404, United States.
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De-Simone SG, Gomes LR, Napoleão-Pêgo P, Lechuga GC, de Pina JS, da Silva FR. Epitope Mapping of the Diphtheria Toxin and Development of an ELISA-Specific Diagnostic Assay. Vaccines (Basel) 2021; 9:313. [PMID: 33810325 PMCID: PMC8066203 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines9040313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2021] [Revised: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: The diphtheria toxoid antigen is a major component in pediatric and booster combination vaccines and is known to raise a protective humoral immune response upon vaccination. Although antibodies are considered critical for diphtheria protection, little is known about the antigenic determinants that maintain humoral immunity. Methods: One-hundred and twelve 15 mer peptides covering the entire sequence of diphtheria toxin (DTx) protein were prepared by SPOT synthesis. The immunoreactivity of membrane-bound peptides with sera from mice immunized with a triple DTP vaccine allowed mapping of continuous B-cell epitopes, topological studies, multiantigen peptide (MAP) synthesis, and Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) development. Results: Twenty epitopes were identified, with two being in the signal peptide, five in the catalytic domain (CD), seven in the HBFT domain, and five in the receptor-binding domain (RBD). Two 17 mer (CB/Tx-2/12 and CB/DTx-4-13) derived biepitope peptides linked by a Gly-Gly spacer were chemically synthesized. The peptides were used as antigens to coat ELISA plates and assayed with human (huVS) and mice vaccinated sera (miVS) for in vitro diagnosis of diphtheria. The assay proved to be highly sensitive (99.96%) and specific (100%) for huVS and miVS and, when compared with a commercial ELISA test, demonstrated a high performance. Conclusions: Our work displayed the complete picture of the linear B cell IgG response epitope of the DTx responsible for the protective effect and demonstrated sufficient specificity and eligibility for phase IIB studies of some epitopes to develop new and fast diagnostic assays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salvatore Giovanni De-Simone
- Center for Technological Development in Health (CDTS), Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), National Institute of Science and Technology for Innovation in Neglected Diseases Populations (INCT-IDNP), Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Brazil; (L.R.G.); (P.N.-P.); (G.C.L.); (J.S.d.P.); (F.R.d.S.)
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Department, Biology Institute, Federal Fluminense University, Niterói 24020-141, Brazil
| | - Larissa Rodrigues Gomes
- Center for Technological Development in Health (CDTS), Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), National Institute of Science and Technology for Innovation in Neglected Diseases Populations (INCT-IDNP), Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Brazil; (L.R.G.); (P.N.-P.); (G.C.L.); (J.S.d.P.); (F.R.d.S.)
| | - Paloma Napoleão-Pêgo
- Center for Technological Development in Health (CDTS), Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), National Institute of Science and Technology for Innovation in Neglected Diseases Populations (INCT-IDNP), Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Brazil; (L.R.G.); (P.N.-P.); (G.C.L.); (J.S.d.P.); (F.R.d.S.)
| | - Guilherme Curty Lechuga
- Center for Technological Development in Health (CDTS), Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), National Institute of Science and Technology for Innovation in Neglected Diseases Populations (INCT-IDNP), Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Brazil; (L.R.G.); (P.N.-P.); (G.C.L.); (J.S.d.P.); (F.R.d.S.)
| | - Jorge Soares de Pina
- Center for Technological Development in Health (CDTS), Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), National Institute of Science and Technology for Innovation in Neglected Diseases Populations (INCT-IDNP), Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Brazil; (L.R.G.); (P.N.-P.); (G.C.L.); (J.S.d.P.); (F.R.d.S.)
| | - Flavio Rocha da Silva
- Center for Technological Development in Health (CDTS), Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), National Institute of Science and Technology for Innovation in Neglected Diseases Populations (INCT-IDNP), Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Brazil; (L.R.G.); (P.N.-P.); (G.C.L.); (J.S.d.P.); (F.R.d.S.)
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Zuverink M, Barbieri JT. Resolving the Molecular Steps in Clostridial Neurotoxin Light Chain Translocation. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL NEUROLOGY 2021; 1:123-134. [PMID: 33615314 PMCID: PMC7894615 DOI: 10.33696/neurol.1.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The clostridial neurotoxins (CNTs), botulinum toxin and tetanus toxin, are the most toxic proteins for humans. Neurotoxicity is based upon the specificity of the CNTs for neural host receptors and substrates. CNTs are organized into three domains, a Light Chain (LC) that is a metalloprotease and a Heavy Chain (HC) that has two domains, an N-terminal LC translocation domain (HCN) and a C-terminal receptor binding domain (HCC). While catalysis and receptor binding functions of the CNTs have been developed, our understanding of LC translocation is limited. This is due to the intrinsic complexity of the translocation process and limited tools to assess the step-by-step events in LC translocation. Recently, we developed a novel, cell-based TT-reporter to measure LC translocation as the translocation of a β-lactamase reporter across a vesicle membrane in neurons. Using this approach, we identified a role for a cis-Loop, located within the HCN, in LC translocation. In this commentary, we describe our current understanding of how CNTs mediate LC translocation and place the role of the cis-Loop in the LC translocation process relative to other independent functions that have been implicated in LC translocation. Understanding the basis for LC translocation will enhance the use of CNTs in vaccine development and as human therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madison Zuverink
- Dalhousie University, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Joseph T Barbieri
- Medical College of Wisconsin, 8701 Watertown Plank Road, BSB2 Rm. 2830, Microbiology and Immunology, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
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Johnstone BA, Christie MP, Morton CJ, Parker MW. X-ray crystallography shines a light on pore-forming toxins. Methods Enzymol 2021; 649:1-46. [PMID: 33712183 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2021.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
A common form of cellular attack by pathogenic bacteria is to secrete pore-forming toxins (PFTs). Capable of forming transmembrane pores in various biological membranes, PFTs have also been identified in a diverse range of other organisms such as sea anemones, earthworms and even mushrooms and trees. The mechanism of pore formation by PFTs is associated with substantial conformational changes in going from the water-soluble to transmembrane states of the protein. The determination of the crystal structures for numerous PFTs has shed much light on our understanding of these proteins. Other than elucidating the atomic structural details of PFTs and the conformational changes that must occur for pore formation, crystal structures have revealed structural homology that has led to the discovery of new PFTs and new PFT families. Here we review some key crystallographic results together with complimentary approaches for studying PFTs. We discuss how these studies have impacted our understanding of PFT function and guided research into biotechnical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bronte A Johnstone
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Michelle P Christie
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Craig J Morton
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Michael W Parker
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia; St. Vincent's Institute of Medical Research, Fitzroy, VIC, Australia.
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31
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Voltà-Durán E, Serna N, Sánchez-García L, Aviñó A, Sánchez JM, López-Laguna H, Cano-Garrido O, Casanova I, Mangues R, Eritja R, Vázquez E, Villaverde A, Unzueta U. Design and engineering of tumor-targeted, dual-acting cytotoxic nanoparticles. Acta Biomater 2021; 119:312-322. [PMID: 33189955 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2020.11.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Revised: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The possibility to conjugate tumor-targeted cytotoxic nanoparticles and conventional antitumoral drugs in single pharmacological entities would open a wide spectrum of opportunities in nanomedical oncology. This principle has been explored here by using CXCR4-targeted self-assembling protein nanoparticles based on two potent microbial toxins, the exotoxin A from Pseudomonas aeruginosa and the diphtheria toxin from Corynebacterium diphtheriae, to which oligo-floxuridine and monomethyl auristatin E respectively have been chemically coupled. The resulting multifunctional hybrid nanoconjugates, with a hydrodynamic size of around 50 nm, are stable and internalize target cells with a biological impact. Although the chemical conjugation minimizes the cytotoxic activity of the protein partner in the complexes, the concept of drug combination proposed here is fully feasible and highly promising when considering multiple drug treatments aimed to higher effectiveness or when facing the therapy of cancers with acquired resistance to classical drugs.
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32
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Morris DL, Johnson S, Bleck CKE, Lee DY, Tjandra N. Humanin selectively prevents the activation of pro-apoptotic protein BID by sequestering it into fibers. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:18226-18238. [PMID: 33106313 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra120.013023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2020] [Revised: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 03/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Members of the B-cell lymphoma (BCL-2) protein family regulate mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization (MOMP), a phenomenon in which mitochondria become porous and release death-propagating complexes during the early stages of apoptosis. Pro-apoptotic BCL-2 proteins oligomerize at the mitochondrial outer membrane during MOMP, inducing pore formation. Of current interest are endogenous factors that can inhibit pro-apoptotic BCL-2 mitochondrial outer membrane translocation and oligomerization. A mitochondrial-derived peptide, Humanin (HN), was reported being expressed from an alternate ORF in the mitochondrial genome and inhibiting apoptosis through interactions with the pro-apoptotic BCL-2 proteins. Specifically, it is known to complex with BAX and BID. We recently reported the fibrillation of HN and BAX into β-sheets. Here, we detail the fibrillation between HN and BID. These fibers were characterized using several spectroscopic techniques, protease fragmentation with mass analysis, and EM. Enhanced fibrillation rates were detected with rising temperatures or pH values and the presence of a detergent. BID fibers are similar to those produced using BAX; however, the structures differ in final conformations of the BCL-2 proteins. BID fibers display both types of secondary structure in the fiber, whereas BAX was converted entirely to β-sheets. The data show that two distinct segments of BID are incorporated into the fiber structure, whereas other portions of BID remain solvent-exposed and retain helical structure. Similar analyses show that anti-apoptotic BCL-xL does not form fibers with humanin. These results support a general mechanism of sequestration of pro-apoptotic BCL-2 proteins into fibers by HN to inhibit MOMP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel L Morris
- Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Biochemistry and Biophysics Center, NHLBI, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Sabrina Johnson
- Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Biochemistry and Biophysics Center, NHLBI, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Christopher K E Bleck
- Electron Microscopy Core Facility, NHLBI, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Duck-Yeon Lee
- Biochemistry Core Facility, NHLBI, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Nico Tjandra
- Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Biochemistry and Biophysics Center, NHLBI, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
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Duprez J, Kalbfleisch K, Deshmukh S, Payne J, Haer M, Williams W, Durowoju I, Kirkitadze M. Structure and compositional analysis of aluminum oxyhydroxide adsorbed pertussis vaccine. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2020; 19:439-447. [PMID: 33489011 PMCID: PMC7804342 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2020.12.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Revised: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE The goal of this study was to characterize an acellular pertussis vaccine (Tdap) containing genetically modified pertussis toxin (gdPT) and TLR agonist adsorbed to AlOOH adjuvant. METHODS Several analytical tools including nanoDSF, FTIR, and LD were used to examine the conformation of novel gdPT and the composition of AlOOH adjuvant formulations adsorbed to pertussis vaccine. RESULTS DLS particle size results were 9.3 nm and 320 nm for gdPT. For pertussis toxoid (PT), the DLS particle size results were larger at ~440 nm. After adsorption to AlOOH, which was driven by the protein antigen, the size distribution ranged from 3.5 to 22 µm. Two thermal transitions were observed by DSC for gdPT at 70 °C and 102 °C. The main thermal transition was confirmed to be at 72 °C by nanoDSF. All three vaccine formulations showed one thermal transition: Tdap-AlOOH had a thermal transition of 74.6 °C, Tdap-E6020-AlOOH had a thermal transition at 74.2 °C, and Tdap-CpG-AlOOH had a thermal transition at 77.0 °C. Analysis of pertussis toxin (PTx) and gdPT was also performed by FTIR spectroscopy for the purpose of comparison. The second derivative of the FTIR spectra showed an additional feature for PTx at 1685 cm-1 compared to gdPT. The antigen's amide I and II regions were largely unchanged after adsorption to AlOOH adjuvant as shown by FTIR, suggesting that there were no significant changes in the secondary structure. CONCLUSION gdPT conformation was successfully characterized using an array of analytical methods. All three Tdap formulations have similar thermal stability as shown by nanoDSF, similar size distribution as shown by LD, and similar overall secondary structure as shown by FTIR. In-line particle sizing and IR can be used as in-process characterization tools to monitor consistency of adsorbed vaccine and to confirm product identity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Duprez
- Analytical Sciences, Sanofi Pasteur Canada, 1755 Steeles Avenue West, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Biology, York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kristen Kalbfleisch
- Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, and Paediatrics, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Sasmit Deshmukh
- SGS Canada, Biopharmaceutical Services, 6490 Vipond Drive, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jessie Payne
- Analytical Sciences, Sanofi Pasteur Canada, 1755 Steeles Avenue West, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Manjit Haer
- Analytical Sciences, Sanofi Pasteur Canada, 1755 Steeles Avenue West, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Wayne Williams
- Analytical Sciences, Sanofi Pasteur Canada, 1755 Steeles Avenue West, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ibrahim Durowoju
- Analytical Sciences, Sanofi Pasteur Canada, 1755 Steeles Avenue West, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Marina Kirkitadze
- Analytical Sciences, Sanofi Pasteur Canada, 1755 Steeles Avenue West, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Tremblay O, Thow Z, Merrill AR. Several New Putative Bacterial ADP-Ribosyltransferase Toxins Are Revealed from In Silico Data Mining, Including the Novel Toxin Vorin, Encoded by the Fire Blight Pathogen Erwinia amylovora. Toxins (Basel) 2020; 12:E792. [PMID: 33322547 PMCID: PMC7764402 DOI: 10.3390/toxins12120792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Revised: 11/28/2020] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Mono-ADP-ribosyltransferase (mART) toxins are secreted by several pathogenic bacteria that disrupt vital host cell processes in deadly diseases like cholera and whooping cough. In the last two decades, the discovery of mART toxins has helped uncover the mechanisms of disease employed by pathogens impacting agriculture, aquaculture, and human health. Due to the current abundance of mARTs in bacterial genomes, and an unprecedented availability of genomic sequence data, mART toxins are amenable to discovery using an in silico strategy involving a series of sequence pattern filters and structural predictions. In this work, a bioinformatics approach was used to discover six bacterial mART sequences, one of which was a functional mART toxin encoded by the plant pathogen, Erwinia amylovora, called Vorin. Using a yeast growth-deficiency assay, we show that wild-type Vorin inhibited yeast cell growth, while catalytic variants reversed the growth-defective phenotype. Quantitative mass spectrometry analysis revealed that Vorin may cause eukaryotic host cell death by suppressing the initiation of autophagic processes. The genomic neighbourhood of Vorin indicated that it is a Type-VI-secreted effector, and co-expression experiments showed that Vorin is neutralized by binding of a cognate immunity protein, VorinI. We demonstrate that Vorin may also act as an antibacterial effector, since bacterial expression of Vorin was not achieved in the absence of VorinI. Vorin is the newest member of the mART family; further characterization of the Vorin/VorinI complex may help refine inhibitor design for mART toxins from other deadly pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - A. Rod Merrill
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada; (O.T.); (Z.T.)
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Abstract
Chemical inactivation is a clinically effective mechanism to detoxify protein toxins to produce vaccines against microbial infections and to serve as a platform for production of conjugate polysaccharide vaccines. This method is widely used for the production of protein toxin vaccines, including tetanus toxoid. However, chemical modification alters the protein structure with unknown effects on antigenicity. Here, a recombinant full-length tetanus toxin (TT) is engineered with 8 mutations (8MTT) that inactivate three toxin functions: catalysis, translocation, and receptor binding. 8MTT is nontoxic and elicits a potent immune response in outbred mice. 8MTT also represents a malleable platform for the production of conjugate vaccines, which can facilitate a rapid vaccine response against emerging microbial pathogens. Chemically inactivated tetanus toxoid (CITT) is clinically effective and widely used. However, CITT is a crude nonmalleable vaccine that contains hundreds of Clostridium tetani proteins, and the active component is present in variable and sometimes minor percentages of vaccine mass. Recombinant production of a genetically inactivated tetanus vaccine offers an opportunity to replace and improve the current tetanus vaccine. Previous studies showed the feasibility of engineering full-length tetanus toxin (TT) in Escherichia coli. In the present study, full-length TT was engineered with eight individual amino acid mutations (8MTT) to inactivate catalysis, translocation, and host receptor-binding functions, retaining 99.4% amino acid identity to native tetanus toxin. 8MTT purified as a 150-kDa single-chain protein, which trypsin nicked to a 100-kDa heavy chain and 50-kDa light chain. The 8MTT was not toxic for outbred mice and was >50 million-fold less toxic than native TT. Relative to CITT, 8MTT vaccination elicited a strong immune response and showed good vaccine potency against TT challenge. The strength of the immune response to both vaccines varied among individual outbred mice. These data support 8MTT as a candidate vaccine against tetanus and a malleable candidate conjugate vaccine platform to enhance the immune response to polysaccharides and other macromolecular molecules to facilitate a rapid response to emerging microbial pathogens.
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36
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Schaub C, Verdi J, Lee P, Terra N, Limon G, Raper J, Thomson R. Cation channel conductance and pH gating of the innate immunity factor APOL1 are governed by pore-lining residues within the C-terminal domain. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:13138-13149. [PMID: 32727852 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra120.014201] [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: 05/04/2020] [Revised: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The human innate immunity factor apolipoprotein L-I (APOL1) protects against infection by several protozoan parasites, including Trypanosoma brucei brucei Endocytosis and acidification of high-density lipoprotein-associated APOL1 in trypanosome endosomes leads to eventual lysis of the parasite due to increased plasma membrane cation permeability, followed by colloid-osmotic swelling. It was previously shown that recombinant APOL1 inserts into planar lipid bilayers at acidic pH to form pH-gated nonselective cation channels that are opened upon pH neutralization. This corresponds to the pH changes encountered during endocytic recycling, suggesting APOL1 forms a cytotoxic cation channel in the parasite plasma membrane. Currently, the mechanism and domains required for channel formation have yet to be elucidated, although a predicted helix-loop-helix (H-L-H) was suggested to form pores by virtue of its similarity to bacterial pore-forming colicins. Here, we compare recombinant human and baboon APOL1 orthologs, along with interspecies chimeras and individual amino acid substitutions, to identify regions required for channel formation and pH gating in planar lipid bilayers. We found that whereas neutralization of glutamates within the H-L-H may be important for pH-dependent channel formation, there was no evidence of H-L-H involvement in either pH gating or ion selectivity. In contrast, we found two residues in the C-terminal domain, tyrosine 351 and glutamate 355, that influence pH gating properties, as well as a single residue, aspartate 348, that determines both cation selectivity and pH gating. These data point to the predicted transmembrane region closest to the APOL1 C terminus as the pore-lining segment of this novel channel-forming protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles Schaub
- Department of Biological Sciences, Hunter College, CUNY, New York, USA; Program in Biochemistry, The Graduate Center, CUNY, New York, USA
| | - Joseph Verdi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Hunter College, CUNY, New York, USA; Program in Biology, The Graduate Center, CUNY, New York, USA; German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Penny Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Hunter College, CUNY, New York, USA
| | - Nada Terra
- Department of Biological Sciences, Hunter College, CUNY, New York, USA
| | - Gina Limon
- Department of Biological Sciences, Hunter College, CUNY, New York, USA; NYU School of Medicine, New York, USA
| | - Jayne Raper
- Department of Biological Sciences, Hunter College, CUNY, New York, USA
| | - Russell Thomson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Hunter College, CUNY, New York, USA.
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37
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Sehnert B, Burkhardt H, Dübel S, Voll RE. Cell-Type Targeted NF-kappaB Inhibition for the Treatment of Inflammatory Diseases. Cells 2020; 9:E1627. [PMID: 32640727 PMCID: PMC7407293 DOI: 10.3390/cells9071627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2020] [Revised: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 07/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Deregulated NF-k activation is not only involved in cancer but also contributes to the pathogenesis of chronic inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and multiple sclerosis (MS). Ideally, therapeutic NF-KappaB inhibition should only take place in those cell types that are involved in disease pathogenesis to maintain physiological cell functions in all other cells. In contrast, unselective NF-kappaB inhibition in all cells results in multiple adverse effects, a major hindrance in drug development. Hitherto, various substances exist to inhibit different steps of NF-kappaB signaling. However, powerful tools for cell-type specific NF-kappaB inhibition are not yet established. Here, we review the role of NF-kappaB in inflammatory diseases, current strategies for drug delivery and NF-kappaB inhibition and point out the "sneaking ligand" approach. Sneaking ligand fusion proteins (SLFPs) are recombinant proteins with modular architecture consisting of three domains. The prototype SLC1 binds specifically to the activated endothelium and blocks canonical NF-kappaB activation. In vivo, SLC1 attenuated clinical and histological signs of experimental arthritides. The SLFP architecture allows an easy exchange of binding and effector domains and represents an attractive approach to study disease-relevant biological targets in a broad range of diseases. In vivo, SLFP treatment might increase therapeutic efficacy while minimizing adverse effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bettina Sehnert
- Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Medical Center—University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79098 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Harald Burkhardt
- Division of Rheumatology, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, and Branch for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology TMP, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany;
| | - Stefan Dübel
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Technical University Braunschweig, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany;
| | - Reinhard E. Voll
- Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Medical Center—University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79098 Freiburg, Germany
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38
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Abstract
AB toxins with built-in cell targeting and endosomal escape mechanisms are attractive intracellular delivery vehicles. However, their compatibility with nucleic-acid-based therapeutics is not fully explored. Arnold et al. demonstrated the first functional siRNA delivery by diphtheria toxin (DT) in vitro, marking an important step in expanding the utility of AB toxins for nucleic acid delivery.
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39
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Fellermann M, Wondany F, Carle S, Nemeth J, Sadhanasatish T, Frick M, Barth H, Michaelis J. Super-resolution microscopy unveils transmembrane domain-mediated internalization of cross-reacting material 197 into diphtheria toxin-resistant mouse J774A.1 cells and primary rat fibroblasts in vitro. Arch Toxicol 2020; 94:1753-1761. [PMID: 32266418 PMCID: PMC7261736 DOI: 10.1007/s00204-020-02731-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2020] [Accepted: 03/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Diphtheria toxin (DT) efficiently inhibits protein synthesis in human cells, resulting in severe disease diphtheria. The sensitivity towards DT varies between mammalian species. Mice and rats are resistant to DT. However, the reason underlying this insensitivity is controversially discussed and not well understood. Therefore, we investigated the steps of DT uptake, i.e. receptor binding and internalization into mouse J774A.1 macrophages and primary rat fibroblasts. We exploited the non-toxic DT-mutant cross-reacting material 197 (CRM197) and three additional receptor binding-deficient mutants (250 nM each) to investigate binding to cell surface and internalization into murine cells via flow cytometry and stimulated emission depletion (STED) super-resolution optical microscopy. Dual-color STED imaging unveiled CRM197 interacting with the murine precursor of the heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor (HB-EGF). Moreover, we identified CRM197’s transmembrane domain as an additional HB-EGF binding site, which is also involved in the receptor-mediated internalization into murine cells. However, we do not find evidence for translocation of the catalytically active subunit (DTA) into the cytosol when 250 nM DT were applied. In conclusion, we provide evidence that the resistance of murine cells to DT is caused by an insufficiency of DTA to escape from endosomes and reach the cytosol. Possibly, a higher affinity interaction of DT and the HB-EGF is required for translocation, which highlights the role of the receptor in the endosomes during the translocation step. We extend the current knowledge about cellular uptake of the medically relevant DT and CRM197.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maximilian Fellermann
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Ulm University Medical Center, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Fanny Wondany
- Institute of Biophysics, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Stefan Carle
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Ulm University Medical Center, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Julia Nemeth
- Institute of General Physiology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Tanmay Sadhanasatish
- Institute of Biophysics, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Manfred Frick
- Institute of General Physiology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Holger Barth
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Ulm University Medical Center, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Germany.
| | - Jens Michaelis
- Institute of Biophysics, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Germany.
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40
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Huang X, Townley HE. An Assessment of Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticle Architectures as Antigen Carriers. Pharmaceutics 2020; 12:E294. [PMID: 32213995 PMCID: PMC7151194 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics12030294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2020] [Revised: 03/19/2020] [Accepted: 03/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNPs) have the potential to be used as antigen carriers due to their high surface areas and highly ordered pore network. We investigated the adsorption and desorption of diphtheria toxoid as a proof-of-concept. Two series of nanoparticles were prepared-(i) small pores (SP) (<10 nm) and (ii) large pores (LP) (>10 nm). SBA-15 was included as a comparison since this is commercially available and has been used in a large number of studies. External diameters of the particles ranged from 138 to 1509 nm, surface area from 632 to 1110 m2/g and pore size from 2.59 to 16.48 nm. Antigen loading was assessed at a number of different ratios of silica-to-antigen and at 4 °C, 20 °C and 37 °C. Our data showed that protein adsorption by the SP series was in general consistently lower than that shown by the large pore series. Unloading was then examined at 4 °C, 20 °C and 37 °C and a pH 1.2, 4.5, 6.8 and 7.4. There was a trend amongst the LP particles towards the smallest pores showing the lowest release of antigen. The stability of the MSNP: antigen complex was tested at two different storage temperatures, and storage in solution or after lyophilization. After 6 months there was negligible release from any of the particles under any of the storage conditions. The particles were also shown not to cause hemolysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyue Huang
- Nuffield Department of Women’s and Reproductive Health, Oxford University, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK;
| | - Helen E Townley
- Nuffield Department of Women’s and Reproductive Health, Oxford University, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK;
- Department of Engineering Science, Oxford University, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PJ, UK
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41
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Mondal T, Mandal B. Total degradation of extracellular amyloids by miniature artificial proteases. Chem Commun (Camb) 2020; 56:2348-2351. [PMID: 31993621 DOI: 10.1039/c9cc09409a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
A miniaturized mimic of the active site of a protease, chymotrypsin, was linked to a target recognition unit to generate "Miniature Artificial Proteases" (mAPs). Time-resolved MALDI-TOF data analyses indicated that mAPs cleaved every amide bond between Lys16-Phe20 of the amyloid β fragment (Aβ12-21) and Aβ1-40, resulting in inhibition of fibrillization and disruption of the preformed amyloid. Such a platform may offer not only new therapeutic options against various amyloidoses but also novel routes for the selective knockdown of specific proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanmay Mondal
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Assam 781039, India.
| | - Bhubaneswar Mandal
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Assam 781039, India.
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42
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Wenzel EV, Bosnak M, Tierney R, Schubert M, Brown J, Dübel S, Efstratiou A, Sesardic D, Stickings P, Hust M. Human antibodies neutralizing diphtheria toxin in vitro and in vivo. Sci Rep 2020; 10:571. [PMID: 31953428 PMCID: PMC6969050 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-57103-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2019] [Accepted: 12/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Diphtheria is an infectious disease caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae. The bacterium primarily infects the throat and upper airways and the produced diphtheria toxin (DT), which binds to the elongation factor 2 and blocks protein synthesis, can spread through the bloodstream and affect organs, such as the heart and kidneys. For more than 125 years, the therapy against diphtheria has been based on polyclonal horse sera directed against DT (diphtheria antitoxin; DAT). Animal sera have many disadvantages including serum sickness, batch-to-batch variation in quality and the use of animals for production. In this work, 400 human recombinant antibodies were generated against DT from two different phage display panning strategies using a human immune library. A panning in microtiter plates resulted in 22 unique in vitro neutralizing antibodies and a panning in solution combined with a functional neutralization screening resulted in 268 in vitro neutralizing antibodies. 61 unique antibodies were further characterized as scFv-Fc with 35 produced as fully human IgG1. The best in vitro neutralizing antibody showed an estimated relative potency of 454 IU/mg and minimal effective dose 50% (MED50%) of 3.0 pM at a constant amount of DT (4x minimal cytopathic dose) in the IgG format. The targeted domains of the 35 antibodies were analyzed by immunoblot and by epitope mapping using phage display. All three DT domains (enzymatic domain, translocation domain and receptor binding domain) are targets for neutralizing antibodies. When toxin neutralization assays were performed at higher toxin dose levels, the neutralizing capacity of individual antibodies was markedly reduced but this was largely compensated for by using two or more antibodies in combination, resulting in a potency of 79.4 IU/mg in the in vivo intradermal challenge assay. These recombinant antibody combinations are candidates for further clinical and regulatory development to replace equine DAT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esther Veronika Wenzel
- Technische Universität Braunschweig, Institute for Biochemistry, Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Department of Biotechnology, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Margarita Bosnak
- Technische Universität Braunschweig, Institute for Biochemistry, Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Department of Biotechnology, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Robert Tierney
- National Institute for Biological Standards and Control (NIBSC), Division of Bacteriology, Potters Bar, United Kingdom
| | - Maren Schubert
- Technische Universität Braunschweig, Institute for Biochemistry, Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Department of Biotechnology, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Jeffrey Brown
- PETA International Science Consortium Ltd, London, United Kingdom
| | - Stefan Dübel
- Technische Universität Braunschweig, Institute for Biochemistry, Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Department of Biotechnology, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Androulla Efstratiou
- WHO Collaborating Centre for Diphtheria and Streptococcal Infections, London, UK
| | - Dorothea Sesardic
- National Institute for Biological Standards and Control (NIBSC), Division of Bacteriology, Potters Bar, United Kingdom
| | - Paul Stickings
- National Institute for Biological Standards and Control (NIBSC), Division of Bacteriology, Potters Bar, United Kingdom
| | - Michael Hust
- Technische Universität Braunschweig, Institute for Biochemistry, Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Department of Biotechnology, Braunschweig, Germany.
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43
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Xu J, He M, Hou X, Wang Y, Shou C, Cai X, Yuan Z, Yin Y, Lan M, Lou K, Zhao Y, Yang Y, Chen X, Gao F. Safe and Efficacious Diphtheria Toxin-Based Treatment for Melanoma: Combination of a Light-On Gene-Expression System and Nanotechnology. Mol Pharm 2019; 17:301-315. [PMID: 31765570 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.9b01038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The controversy surrounding the use of diphtheria toxin (DT) as a therapeutic agent against tumor cells arises mainly from its unexpected harmfulness to healthy tissues. We encoded the cytotoxic fragment A of DT (DTA) as an objective gene in the Light-On gene-expression system to construct plasmids pGAVPO (pG) and pU5-DTA (pDTA). Meanwhile, a cRGD-modified ternary complex comprising plasmids, chitosan, and liposome (pG&pDTA@cRGD-CL) was prepared as a nanocarrier to ensure transfection efficiency. Benefiting from spatiotemporal control of this light-switchable transgene system and the superior tumor targeting of the carrier, toxins were designed to be expressed selectively in illuminated lesions. In vitro studies suggested that pG&pDTA@cRGD-CL exerted arrest of the S phase in B16F10 cells upon blue light irradiation and, ultimately, induced the apoptosis and necrosis of tumor cells. Such DTA-based treatment exerted enhanced antitumor activity in mice bearing B16F10 xenografts and displayed prolonged survival time with minimal side effects. Hence, we described novel DTA-based therapy combined with nanotechnology and the Light-On gene-expression system: such treatment could be a promising strategy against melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiajun Xu
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy , East China University of Science and Technology , Shanghai 200237 , China
| | - Muye He
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy , East China University of Science and Technology , Shanghai 200237 , China
| | - Xinyu Hou
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy , East China University of Science and Technology , Shanghai 200237 , China
| | - Yan Wang
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy , East China University of Science and Technology , Shanghai 200237 , China
| | - Chenting Shou
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy , East China University of Science and Technology , Shanghai 200237 , China
| | - Xiaoran Cai
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy , East China University of Science and Technology , Shanghai 200237 , China
| | - Zeting Yuan
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy , East China University of Science and Technology , Shanghai 200237 , China.,Interventional Cancer Institute of Chinese Integrative Medicine, Putuo Hospital , Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine , Shanghai 200062 , China
| | - Yu Yin
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy , East China University of Science and Technology , Shanghai 200237 , China
| | - Minbo Lan
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Functional Materials Chemistry , East China University of Science and Technology , Shanghai 200237 , China
| | - Kaiyan Lou
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy , East China University of Science and Technology , Shanghai 200237 , China.,State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology , East China University of Science and Technology , Shanghai 200237 , China
| | - Yuzheng Zhao
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design , East China University of Science and Technology , Shanghai 200237 , China.,Synthetic Biology and Biotechnology Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomanufacturing Technology , East China University of Science and Technology , Shanghai 200237 , China.,Optogenetics & Molecular Imaging Interdisciplinary Research Center, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science , East China University of Science and Technology , Shanghai 200237 , China
| | - Yi Yang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design , East China University of Science and Technology , Shanghai 200237 , China.,Synthetic Biology and Biotechnology Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomanufacturing Technology , East China University of Science and Technology , Shanghai 200237 , China.,Optogenetics & Molecular Imaging Interdisciplinary Research Center, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science , East China University of Science and Technology , Shanghai 200237 , China
| | - Xianjun Chen
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design , East China University of Science and Technology , Shanghai 200237 , China.,Synthetic Biology and Biotechnology Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomanufacturing Technology , East China University of Science and Technology , Shanghai 200237 , China.,Optogenetics & Molecular Imaging Interdisciplinary Research Center, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science , East China University of Science and Technology , Shanghai 200237 , China
| | - Feng Gao
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy , East China University of Science and Technology , Shanghai 200237 , China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Functional Materials Chemistry , East China University of Science and Technology , Shanghai 200237 , China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design , East China University of Science and Technology , Shanghai 200237 , China.,Engineering Research Center of Pharmaceutical Process Chemistry, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy , East China University of Science and Technology , Shanghai 200237 , China
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44
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Identification of Formaldehyde-Induced Modifications in Diphtheria Toxin. J Pharm Sci 2019; 109:543-557. [PMID: 31678246 DOI: 10.1016/j.xphs.2019.10.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2019] [Revised: 10/17/2019] [Accepted: 10/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Diphtheria toxoid is produced by detoxification of diphtheria toxin with formaldehyde. This study was performed to elucidate the chemical nature and location of formaldehyde-induced modifications in diphtheria toxoid. Diphtheria toxin was chemically modified using 4 different reactions with the following reagents: (1) formaldehyde and NaCNBH3, (2) formaldehyde, (3) formaldehyde and NaCNBH3 followed by formaldehyde and glycine, and (4) formaldehyde and glycine. The modifications were studied by SDS-PAGE, primary amino group determination, and liquid chromatography-electrospray mass spectrometry of chymotryptic digests. Reaction 1 resulted in quantitative dimethylation of all lysine residues. Reaction 2 caused intramolecular cross-links, including the NAD+-binding cavity and the receptor-binding site. Moreover, A fragments and B fragments were cross-linked by formaldehyde on part of the diphtheria toxoid molecules. Reaction 3 resulted in formaldehyde-glycine attachments, including in shielded areas of the protein. The detoxification reaction typically used for vaccine preparation (reaction 4) resulted in a combination of intramolecular cross-links and formaldehyde-glycine attachments. Both the NAD+-binding cavity and the receptor-binding site of diphtheria toxin were chemically modified. Although CD4+ T-cell epitopes were affected to some extent, one universal CD4+ T-cell epitope remained almost completely unaltered by the treatment with formaldehyde and glycine.
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45
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Shafiee F, Aucoin MG, Jahanian-Najafabadi A. Targeted Diphtheria Toxin-Based Therapy: A Review Article. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:2340. [PMID: 31681205 PMCID: PMC6813239 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.02340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2019] [Accepted: 09/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Conventional therapeutic strategies usually offer limited specificity, resulting in severe side effects and toxicity to normal tissues. Targeted cancer therapy, on the other hand, can improve the therapeutic potential of anti-cancer agents and decrease unwanted side effects. Targeted applications of cytolethal bacterial toxins have been found to be especially useful for the specific eradication of cancer cells. Targeting is either mediated by peptides or by protein-targeting moieties, such as antibodies, antibody fragments, cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs), growth factors, or cytokines. Together with a toxin domain, these molecules are more commonly referred to as immunotoxins. Targeting can also be achieved through gene delivery and cell-specific expression of a toxin. Of the available cytolethal toxins, diphtheria toxin (DT) is one of the most frequently used for these strategies. Of the many DT-based therapeutic strategies investigated to date, two immunotoxins, OntakTM and TagraxofuspTM, have gained FDA approval for clinical application. Despite some success with immunotoxins, suicide-gene therapy strategies, whereby controlled tumor-specific expression of DT is used for the eradication of malignant cells, are gaining prominence. The first part of this review focuses on DT-based immunotoxins, and it then discusses recent developments in tumor-specific expression of DT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatemeh Shafiee
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Marc G Aucoin
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
| | - Ali Jahanian-Najafabadi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
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46
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Zarkar N, Nasiri Khalili MA, Khodadadi S, Zeinoddini M, Ahmadpour F. Expression and purification of soluble and functional fusion protein DAB 389 IL-2 into the E. coli strain Rosetta-gami (DE3). Biotechnol Appl Biochem 2019; 67:206-212. [PMID: 31600001 DOI: 10.1002/bab.1833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2019] [Accepted: 09/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
DAB389 IL-2 (Denileukin diftitox) is considered an immunotoxin, and it is the first immunotoxin approved by Food and Drug Administration. It is used for the treatment of a cutaneous form of T-cell lymphoma. This fusion protein has two disulfide bonds in its structure that play an essential role in toxicity and functionality of the immunotoxin. Escherichia coli (E. coli) strain BL21 (DE3) is not capable of making disulfide bonds in its reductive cytoplasm, but the E. coli strain Rosetta-gami (DE3) is a proper strain for the correct expression of the protein due to mutations in glutaredoxin reductase and thioredoxin reductase. In this study, a pET21a vector with the His6-tag fused at the N-terminus of DAB389 IL-2 was used to express the soluble immunotoxin in E. coli Rosetta-gami (DE3). After the purification of the soluble protein by two-step column chromatographies, the structure of DAB389 IL-2 was analyzed using the Native-PAGE and circular dichroism methods. In the following, the nuclease activity of soluble DAB389 IL-2 and its cytotoxicity activity were determined. It is concluded that the soluble recombinant protein expressed in the E. coli Rosetta-gami (DE3) has an intact structure and also functional; hence, this form of immunotoxin could be competitive with its commercial counterparts.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Fathollah Ahmadpour
- Trauma Research Centre, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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47
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Amoozadeh S, Hemmati M, Farajollahi MM, Akbari N, Tarighi P. Preparation of Diphtheria and Pseudomonas Exotoxin A Immunotoxins and Evaluation of Their Cytotoxicity Effect on SK-BR-3, BT-474, and MDA-MB-231 Breast Cancer Cell Lines. Cancer Invest 2019; 37:546-557. [PMID: 31597492 DOI: 10.1080/07357907.2019.1655761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2019] [Accepted: 08/10/2019] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Immunotoxin targeted therapy is a promising way of cancer therapy that is made from a toxin attached to an antibody which target a specific protein presented on cancer cells. In this study, we introduce immunotoxins comprising of truncated pseudomonas exotoxin A (PEA) and diphtheria toxin (DT) conjugated to trastuzumab. The effectiveness of 20 and 30 μg/ml immunotoxins and trastuzumab were studied on SK-BR-3 and BT-474 HER2/neu positive breast cancer cell lines by a cell death assay test. The produced immunotoxins have the potential to reduce the therapeutic dose of the trastuzumab and in the same time achieve higher efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sahel Amoozadeh
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Allied Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Maryam Hemmati
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Allied Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Morad Farajollahi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Allied Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Neda Akbari
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Islamic Azad University, Arak, Iran
| | - Parastoo Tarighi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Allied Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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48
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Economides MP, McCue D, Lane AA, Pemmaraju N. Tagraxofusp, the first CD123-targeted therapy and first targeted treatment for blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm. Expert Rev Clin Pharmacol 2019; 12:941-946. [DOI: 10.1080/17512433.2019.1662297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Minas P. Economides
- Department of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas School of Health Sciences at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Deborah McCue
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Andrew A. Lane
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Naveen Pemmaraju
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
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49
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Agarwal M, Mondal T, Bose B. Peptides derived from a short stretch of diphtheria toxin bind to heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor. Toxicon 2019; 169:109-116. [PMID: 31494209 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2019.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2019] [Revised: 08/23/2019] [Accepted: 09/01/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Membrane-anchored heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor (HB-EGF) is the receptor for diphtheria toxin (DT). Mutated or truncated, non-toxic DT has been used earlier for HB-EGF-targeted drug delivery and to modulate HB-EGF signaling. In the present work, we have synthesized a peptide corresponding to a 26 amino acid long stretch of the receptor-binding domain of DT. This region of DT makes multiple contacts with HB-EGF and has residues critical for binding to HB-EGF. We show that this peptide and two of its mutants bind to HB-EGF. We have also created recombinant proteins by fusing Maltose-binding Protein (MBP) with these peptides. These recombinant MBP-tagged peptides bind to HB-EGF with affinities in the range of 10-7 to 10-8 M. We have observed that these MBP-tagged peptides can modulate molecular signaling of HB-EGF. Therefore, this 26 amino acid long stretch of DT can be considered as an independent functional segment for binding to HB-EGF. Peptides corresponding to this region may be used for HB-EGF targeted cellular delivery of molecular cargo or to modulate HB-EGF signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahesh Agarwal
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati, 781039, India; Current Address: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA
| | - Tanmay Mondal
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati, 781039, India
| | - Biplab Bose
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati, 781039, India.
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50
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Roderer D, Raunser S. Tc Toxin Complexes: Assembly, Membrane Permeation, and Protein Translocation. Annu Rev Microbiol 2019; 73:247-265. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-micro-102215-095531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Tc toxin complexes are virulence factors of many bacteria, including insect and human pathogens. Tc toxins are composed of three subunits that act together to perforate the host membrane, similar to a syringe, and translocate toxic enzymes into the host cell. The reactions of the toxic enzymes lead to deterioration and ultimately death of the cell. We review recent high-resolution structural and functional data that explain the mechanism of action of this type of bacterial toxin at an unprecedented level of molecular detail. We focus on the steps that are necessary for toxin activation and membrane permeation. This is where the largest conformational transitions appear. Furthermore, we compare the architecture and function of Tc toxins with those of anthrax toxin and vertebrate teneurin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Roderer
- Department of Structural Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, 44227 Dortmund, Germany;,
| | - Stefan Raunser
- Department of Structural Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, 44227 Dortmund, Germany;,
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