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Thanaskody K, Natashah FN, Nordin F, Kamarul Zaman WSW, Tye GJ. Designing molecules: directing stem cell differentiation. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2024; 12:1396405. [PMID: 38803845 PMCID: PMC11129639 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2024.1396405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Stem cells have been widely applied in regenerative and therapeutic medicine for their unique regenerative properties. Although much research has shown their potential, it remains tricky in directing stem cell differentiation. The advancement of genetic and therapeutic technologies, however, has facilitated this issue through development of design molecules. These molecules are designed to overcome the drawbacks previously faced, such as unexpected differentiation outcomes and insufficient migration of endogenous or exogenous MSCs. Here, we introduced aptamer, bacteriophage, and biological vectors as design molecules and described their characteristics. The methods of designing/developing discussed include various Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment (SELEX) procedures, in silico approaches, and non-SELEX methods for aptamers, and genetic engineering methods such as homologous recombination, Bacteriophage Recombineering of Electroporated DNA (BRED), Bacteriophage Recombineering with Infectious Particles (BRIP), and genome rebooting for bacteriophage. For biological vectors, methods such as alternate splicing, multiple promoters, internal ribosomal entry site, CRISPR-Cas9 system and Cre recombinase mediated recombination were used to design viral vectors, while non-viral vectors like exosomes are generated through parental cell-based direct engineering. Besides that, we also discussed the pros and cons, and applications of each design molecule in directing stem cell differentiation to illustrate their great potential in stem cells research. Finally, we highlighted some safety and efficacy concerns to be considered for future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kalaiselvaan Thanaskody
- Centre for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine (CTERM), Faculty of Medicine, National University of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Fajriyah Nur Natashah
- Centre for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine (CTERM), Faculty of Medicine, National University of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Fazlina Nordin
- Centre for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine (CTERM), Faculty of Medicine, National University of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Wan Safwani Wan Kamarul Zaman
- Department of Pharmaceutical Life Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Centre for Innovation in Medical Engineering (CIME), Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Gee Jun Tye
- Institute for Research in Molecular Medicine (INFORMM), Universiti Sains Malaysia, Gelugor, Malaysia
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Xiao R, Chen Y, Hu Z, Tang Q, Wang P, Zhou M, Wu L, Liang D. Identification of the Efficient Enhancer Elements in FVIII-Padua for Gene Therapy Study of Hemophilia A. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:3635. [PMID: 38612447 PMCID: PMC11011560 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25073635] [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: 02/13/2024] [Revised: 03/13/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Hemophilia A (HA) is a common X-linked recessive hereditary bleeding disorder. Coagulation factor VIII (FVIII) is insufficient in patients with HA due to the mutations in the F8 gene. The restoration of plasma levels of FVIII via both recombinant B-domain-deleted FVIII (BDD-FVIII) and B-domain-deleted F8 (BDDF8) transgenes was proven to be helpful. FVIII-Padua is a 23.4 kb tandem repeat mutation in the F8 associated with a high F8 gene expression and thrombogenesis. Here we screened a core enhancer element in FVIII-Padua for improving the F8 expression. In detail, we identified a 400 bp efficient enhancer element, C400, in FVIII-Padua for the first time. The core enhancer C400 extensively improved the transcription of BDDF8 driven by human elongation factor-1 alpha in HepG2, HeLa, HEK-293T and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) with different genetic backgrounds, as well as iPSCs-derived endothelial progenitor cells (iEPCs) and iPSCs-derived mesenchymal stem cells (iMSCs). The expression of FVIII protein was increased by C400, especially in iEPCs. Our research provides a novel molecular target to enhance expression of FVIII protein, which has scientific value and application prospects in both viral and nonviral HA gene therapy strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Desheng Liang
- Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha 410078, China; (R.X.); (Y.C.); (Z.H.); (M.Z.)
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Dirkx N, Weuring WJ, De Vriendt E, Smal N, van de Vondervoort J, van 't Slot R, Koetsier M, Zonnekein N, De Pooter T, Weckhuysen S, Koeleman BPC. Increased prime edit rates in KCNQ2 and SCN1A via single nicking all-in-one plasmids. BMC Biol 2023; 21:156. [PMID: 37443005 PMCID: PMC10347817 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-023-01646-7] [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: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prime editing (PE) is the most recent gene editing technology able to introduce targeted alterations to the genome, including single base pair changes, small insertions, and deletions. Several improvements to the PE machinery have been made in the past few years, and these have been tested in a range of model systems including immortalized cell lines, stem cells, and animal models. While double nicking RNA (dncRNA) PE systems PE3 and PE5 currently show the highest editing rates, they come with reduced accuracy as undesired indels or SNVs arise at edited loci. Here, we aimed to improve single ncRNA (sncRNA) systems PE2 and PE4max by generating novel all-in-one (pAIO) plasmids driven by an EF-1α promoter, which is especially suitable for human-induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) models. RESULTS pAIO-EF1α-PE2 and pAIO-EF1α-PE4max were used to edit the voltage gated potassium channel gene KCNQ2 and voltage gated sodium channel gene SCN1A. Two clinically relevant mutations were corrected using pAIO-EF1α-PE2 including the homozygous truncating SCN1A R612* variant in HEK293T cells and the heterozygous gain-of-function KCNQ2 R201C variant in patient-derived hiPSC. We show that sncRNA PE yielded detectable editing rates in hiPSC ranging between 6.4% and 9.8%, which was further increased to 41% after a GFP-based fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) cell sorting step. Furthermore, we show that selecting the high GFP expressing population improved editing efficiencies up to 3.2-fold compared to the low GFP expressing population, demonstrating that not only delivery but also the number of copies of the PE enzyme and/or pegRNA per cell are important for efficient editing. Edit rates were not improved when an additional silent protospacer-adjacent motif (PAM)-removing alteration was introduced in hiPSC at the target locus. Finally, there were no genome-wide off-target effects using pAIO-EF1α-PE2 and no off-target editing activity near the edit locus highlighting the accuracy of snc prime editors. CONCLUSION Taken together, our study shows an improved efficacy of EF-1α driven sncRNA pAIO-PE plasmids in hiPSC reaching high editing rates, especially after FACS sorting. Optimizing these sncRNA PE systems is of high value when considering future therapeutic in vivo use, where accuracy will be extremely important.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Dirkx
- Applied & Translational Neurogenomics Group, VIB Center for Molecular Neurology, VIB, Antwerp, Belgium.
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
| | - Wout J Weuring
- Department of Genetics, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, 3584 CX, The Netherlands.
| | - E De Vriendt
- Applied & Translational Neurogenomics Group, VIB Center for Molecular Neurology, VIB, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - N Smal
- Applied & Translational Neurogenomics Group, VIB Center for Molecular Neurology, VIB, Antwerp, Belgium
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - J van de Vondervoort
- Department of Genetics, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, 3584 CX, The Netherlands
| | - Ruben van 't Slot
- Department of Genetics, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, 3584 CX, The Netherlands
| | - M Koetsier
- Department of Genetics, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, 3584 CX, The Netherlands
| | - N Zonnekein
- Applied & Translational Neurogenomics Group, VIB Center for Molecular Neurology, VIB, Antwerp, Belgium
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Tim De Pooter
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- Neuromics Support Facility, VIB Center for Molecular Neurology, VIB, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - S Weckhuysen
- Applied & Translational Neurogenomics Group, VIB Center for Molecular Neurology, VIB, Antwerp, Belgium
- Translational Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- Department of Neurology, Antwerp University Hospital, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - B P C Koeleman
- Department of Genetics, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, 3584 CX, The Netherlands
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Shi Y, Kopparapu N, Ohler L, Dickinson DJ. Efficient and rapid fluorescent protein knock-in with universal donors in mouse embryonic stem cells. Development 2023; 150:dev201367. [PMID: 37129004 PMCID: PMC10233722 DOI: 10.1242/dev.201367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Fluorescent protein (FP) tagging is a key method for observing protein distribution, dynamics and interaction with other proteins in living cells. However, the typical approach using overexpression of tagged proteins can perturb cell behavior and introduce localization artifacts. To preserve native expression, fluorescent proteins can be inserted directly into endogenous genes. This approach has been widely used in yeast for decades, and more recently in invertebrate model organisms with the advent of CRISPR/Cas9. However, endogenous FP tagging has not been widely used in mammalian cells due to inefficient homology-directed repair. Recently, the CRISPaint system used non-homologous end joining for efficient integration of FP tags into native loci, but it only allows C-terminal knock-ins. Here, we have enhanced the CRISPaint system by introducing new universal donors for N-terminal insertion and for multi-color tagging with orthogonal selection markers. We adapted the procedure for mouse embryonic stem cells, which can be differentiated into diverse cell types. Our protocol is rapid and efficient, enabling live imaging in less than 2 weeks post-transfection. These improvements increase the versatility and applicability of FP knock-in in mammalian cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Shi
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Nitya Kopparapu
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Lauren Ohler
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Daniel J. Dickinson
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
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Kuzmin AA, Tomilin AN. Building Blocks of Artificial CRISPR-Based Systems beyond Nucleases. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 24:ijms24010397. [PMID: 36613839 PMCID: PMC9820447 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24010397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Revised: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Tools developed in the fields of genome engineering, precise gene regulation, and synthetic gene networks have an increasing number of applications. When shared with the scientific community, these tools can be used to further unlock the potential of precision medicine and tissue engineering. A large number of different genetic elements, as well as modifications, have been used to create many different systems and to validate some technical concepts. New studies have tended to optimize or improve existing elements or approaches to create complex synthetic systems, especially those based on the relatively new CRISPR technology. In order to maximize the output of newly developed approaches and to move from proof-of-principle experiments to applications in regenerative medicine, it is important to navigate efficiently through the vast number of genetic elements to choose those most suitable for specific needs. In this review, we have collected information regarding the main genetic elements and their modifications, which can be useful in different synthetic systems with an emphasis of those based on CRISPR technology. We have indicated the most suitable elements and approaches to choose or combine in planning experiments, while providing their deeper understanding, and have also stated some pitfalls that should be avoided.
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Battulin N, Korablev A, Ryzhkova A, Smirnov A, Kabirova E, Khabarova A, Lagunov T, Serova I, Serov O. The human EF1a promoter does not provide expression of the transgene in mice. Transgenic Res 2022; 31:525-535. [PMID: 35960480 PMCID: PMC9372930 DOI: 10.1007/s11248-022-00319-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
In this work, we set out to create mice susceptible to the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. To ensure the ubiquitous expression of the human ACE2 gene we used the human EF1a promoter. Using pronuclear microinjection of the transgene construct, we obtained six founders with the insertion of the EF1a-hACE2 transgene, from which four independent mouse lines were established. Unfortunately, only one line had low levels of hACE2 expression in some organs. In addition, we did not detect the hACE2 protein in primary lung fibroblasts from any of the transgenic lines. Bisulfite sequencing analysis revealed that the EF1a promoter was hypermethylated in the genomes of transgenic animals. Extensive analysis of published works about transgenic animals indicated that EF1a transgenic constructs are frequently inactive. Thus, our case cautions against using the EF1a promoter to generate transgenic animals, as it is prone to epigenetic silencing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nariman Battulin
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, Institute of Cytology and Genetics SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia, 630090. .,Institute of Genetic Technologies, Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia, 630090.
| | - Alexey Korablev
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, Institute of Cytology and Genetics SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia, 630090
| | - Anastasia Ryzhkova
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, Institute of Cytology and Genetics SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia, 630090
| | - Alexander Smirnov
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, Institute of Cytology and Genetics SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia, 630090
| | - Evelyn Kabirova
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, Institute of Cytology and Genetics SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia, 630090
| | - Anna Khabarova
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, Institute of Cytology and Genetics SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia, 630090
| | - Timofey Lagunov
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, Institute of Cytology and Genetics SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia, 630090
| | - Irina Serova
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, Institute of Cytology and Genetics SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia, 630090
| | - Oleg Serov
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, Institute of Cytology and Genetics SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia, 630090
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Hale AE, Moorman NJ. The Ends Dictate the Means: Promoter Switching in Herpesvirus Gene Expression. Annu Rev Virol 2021; 8:201-218. [PMID: 34129370 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-virology-091919-072841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Herpesvirus gene expression is dynamic and complex, with distinct complements of viral genes expressed at specific times in different infection contexts. These complex patterns of viral gene expression arise in part from the integration of multiple cellular and viral signals that affect the transcription of viral genes. The use of alternative promoters provides an increased level of control, allowing different promoters to direct the transcription of the same gene in response to distinct temporal and contextual cues. While once considered rare, herpesvirus alternative promoter usage was recently found to be far more pervasive and impactful than previously thought. Here we review several examples of promoter switching in herpesviruses and discuss the functional consequences on the transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of viral gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew E Hale
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology and Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA;
| | - Nathaniel J Moorman
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology and Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA;
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Haellman V, Saxena P, Jiang Y, Fussenegger M. Rational design and optimization of synthetic gene switches for controlling cell-fate decisions in pluripotent stem cells. Metab Eng 2021; 65:99-110. [PMID: 33744461 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2021.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Revised: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Advances in synthetic biology have enabled robust control of cell behavior by using tunable genetic circuits to regulate gene expression in a ligand-dependent manner. Such circuits can be used to direct the differentiation of pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) towards desired cell types, but rational design of synthetic gene circuits in PSCs is challenging due to the variable intracellular environment. Here, we provide a framework for implementing synthetic gene switches in PSCs based on combinations of tunable transcriptional, structural, and posttranslational elements that can be engineered as required, using the vanillic acid-controlled transcriptional activator (VanA) as a model system. We further show that the VanA system can be multiplexed with the well-established reverse tetracycline-controlled transcriptional activator (rtTA) system to enable independent control of the expression of different transcription factors in human induced PSCs in order to enhance lineage specification towards early pancreatic progenitors. This work represents a first step towards standardizing the design and construction of synthetic gene switches for building robust gene-regulatory networks to guide stem cell differentiation towards a desired cell fate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viktor Haellman
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Mattenstrasse 26, CH, 4058, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Pratik Saxena
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Mattenstrasse 26, CH, 4058, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Yanrui Jiang
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Mattenstrasse 26, CH, 4058, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Martin Fussenegger
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Mattenstrasse 26, CH, 4058, Basel, Switzerland; Faculty of Science, University of Basel, Mattenstrasse 26, CH, 4058, Basel, Switzerland.
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Lan Q, Chen Y, Dai C, Li S, Fei X, Dong J, Shen Y, Dai X, Lu Z, Liu B, Wang Q, Wang H, Zhou Z, Ji X, Wang Z, Huang Q. Novel enhanced GFP-positive congenic inbred strain establishment and application of tumor-bearing nude mouse model. Cancer Sci 2020; 111:3626-3638. [PMID: 32589305 PMCID: PMC7540977 DOI: 10.1111/cas.14545] [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: 02/05/2020] [Revised: 06/04/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Transgenic GFP gene mice are widely used. Given the unique advantages of immunodeficient animals in the field of oncology research, we aim to establish a nude mouse inbred strain that stably expresses enhanced GFP (EGFP) for use in transplanted tumor microenvironment (TME) research. Female C57BL/6-Tg(CAG-EGFP) mice were backcrossed with male BALB/c nude mice for 11 generations. The genotype and phenotype of novel inbred strain Foxn1nu .B6-Tg(CAG-EGFP) were identified by biochemical loci detection, skin transplantation and flow cytometry. PCR and fluorescence spectrophotometry were performed to evaluate the relative expression of EGFP in different parts of the brain. Red fluorescence protein (RFP) gene was stably transfected into human glioma stem cells (GSC), SU3, which were then transplanted intracerebrally or ectopically into Foxn1nu .B6-Tg(CAG-EGFP) mice. Cell co-expression of EGFP and RFP in transplanted tissues was further analyzed with the Live Cell Imaging System (Cell'R, Olympus) and FISH. The inbred strain Foxn1nu .B6-Tg(CAG-EGFP) shows different levels of EGFP expression in brain tissue. The hematological and immune cells of the inbred strain mice were close to those of nude mice. EGFP was stably expressed in multiple sites of Foxn1nu .B6-Tg(CAG-EGFP) mice, including brain tissue. With the dual-fluorescence tracing transplanted tumor model, we found that SU3 induced host cell malignant transformation in TME, and tumor/host cell fusion. In conclusion, EGFP is differentially and widely expressed in brain tissue of Foxn1nu .B6-Tg(CAG-EGFP), which is an ideal model for TME investigation. With Foxn1nu .B6-Tg(CAG-EGFP) mice, our research demonstrated that host cell malignant transformation and tumor/host cell fusion play an important role in tumor progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing Lan
- Department of NeurosurgeryThe Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow UniversitySuzhouChina
| | - Yanming Chen
- Department of NeurosurgeryThe Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow UniversitySuzhouChina
| | - Chungang Dai
- Department of NeurosurgeryThe Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow UniversitySuzhouChina
| | - Shenggang Li
- Department of NeurosurgeryThe Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow UniversitySuzhouChina
| | - Xifeng Fei
- Department of NeurosurgerySuzhou Kowloon Hospital of Shanghai Jiaotong University School of MedicineSuzhouChina
| | - Jun Dong
- Department of NeurosurgeryThe Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow UniversitySuzhouChina
| | - Yanhua Shen
- Laboratory Animal CenterSoochow UniversitySuzhouChina
| | - Xingliang Dai
- Department of NeurosurgeryThe First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical UniversityHefeiChina
| | - Zhaohui Lu
- Department of NeurosurgeryThe Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow UniversitySuzhouChina
| | - Bing Liu
- Department of NeurosurgeryThe Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow UniversitySuzhouChina
| | - Qilong Wang
- Department of NeurosurgeryThe Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow UniversitySuzhouChina
| | - Haiyang Wang
- Department of NeurosurgeryThe Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow UniversitySuzhouChina
| | - Zhengyu Zhou
- Laboratory Animal CenterSoochow UniversitySuzhouChina
| | - Xiaoyan Ji
- Department of OphthalmologyThe Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow UniversitySuzhouChina
| | - Zhimin Wang
- Department of NeurosurgerySuzhou Kowloon Hospital of Shanghai Jiaotong University School of MedicineSuzhouChina
| | - Qiang Huang
- Department of NeurosurgeryThe Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow UniversitySuzhouChina
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Piras G, Montiel-Equihua C, Chan YKA, Wantuch S, Stuckey D, Burke D, Prunty H, Phadke R, Chambers D, Partida-Gaytan A, Leon-Rico D, Panchal N, Whitmore K, Calero M, Benedetti S, Santilli G, Thrasher AJ, Gaspar HB. Lentiviral Hematopoietic Stem Cell Gene Therapy Rescues Clinical Phenotypes in a Murine Model of Pompe Disease. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2020; 18:558-570. [PMID: 32775491 PMCID: PMC7396971 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2020.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2020] [Accepted: 07/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Pompe disease is a lysosomal storage disorder caused by malfunctions of the acid alpha-glucosidase (GAA) enzyme with a consequent toxic accumulation of glycogen in cells. Muscle wasting and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy are the most common clinical signs that can lead to cardiac and respiratory failure within the first year of age in the more severe infantile forms. Currently available treatments have significant limitations and are not curative, highlighting a need for the development of alternative therapies. In this study, we investigated the use of a clinically relevant lentiviral vector to deliver systemically GAA through genetic modification of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs). The overexpression of GAA in human HSPCs did not exert any toxic effect on this cell population, which conserved its stem cell capacity in xenograft experiments. In a murine model of Pompe disease treated at young age, we observed phenotypic correction of heart and muscle function with a significant reduction of glycogen accumulation in tissues after 6 months of treatment. These findings suggest that lentiviral-mediated HSPC gene therapy can be a safe alternative therapy for Pompe disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppa Piras
- Infection, Immunity and Inflammation Program, Molecular and Cellular Immunology Section, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Claudia Montiel-Equihua
- Infection, Immunity and Inflammation Program, Molecular and Cellular Immunology Section, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Yee-Ka Agnes Chan
- Infection, Immunity and Inflammation Program, Molecular and Cellular Immunology Section, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Slawomir Wantuch
- Infection, Immunity and Inflammation Program, Molecular and Cellular Immunology Section, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Daniel Stuckey
- Centre for Advanced Biomedical Imaging, University College London, London WC1E 6DD, UK
| | - Derek Burke
- Enzyme and Metabolic laboratory, Great Ormond Street Hospital, London WC1N 3JH, UK
| | - Helen Prunty
- Enzyme and Metabolic laboratory, Great Ormond Street Hospital, London WC1N 3JH, UK
| | - Rahul Phadke
- Dubowitz Neuromuscular Centre, MRC Centre for Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Darren Chambers
- Dubowitz Neuromuscular Centre, MRC Centre for Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Armando Partida-Gaytan
- Infection, Immunity and Inflammation Program, Molecular and Cellular Immunology Section, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Diego Leon-Rico
- Infection, Immunity and Inflammation Program, Molecular and Cellular Immunology Section, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Neelam Panchal
- Infection, Immunity and Inflammation Program, Molecular and Cellular Immunology Section, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Kathryn Whitmore
- Infection, Immunity and Inflammation Program, Molecular and Cellular Immunology Section, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Miguel Calero
- Infection, Immunity and Inflammation Program, Molecular and Cellular Immunology Section, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Sara Benedetti
- Infection, Immunity and Inflammation Program, Molecular and Cellular Immunology Section, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London WC1N 1EH, UK
- NIHR Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Giorgia Santilli
- Infection, Immunity and Inflammation Program, Molecular and Cellular Immunology Section, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London WC1N 1EH, UK
- NIHR Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Adrian J. Thrasher
- Infection, Immunity and Inflammation Program, Molecular and Cellular Immunology Section, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - H. Bobby Gaspar
- Infection, Immunity and Inflammation Program, Molecular and Cellular Immunology Section, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London WC1N 1EH, UK
- Orchard Therapeutics Ltd., London EC4N 6EU, UK
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11
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Claus C, Jung M, Hübschen JM. Pluripotent Stem Cell-Based Models: A Peephole into Virus Infections during Early Pregnancy. Cells 2020; 9:E542. [PMID: 32110999 PMCID: PMC7140399 DOI: 10.3390/cells9030542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Revised: 02/14/2020] [Accepted: 02/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The rubella virus (RV) was the first virus shown to be teratogenic in humans. The wealth of data on the clinical symptoms associated with congenital rubella syndrome is in stark contrast to an incomplete understanding of the forces leading to the teratogenic alterations in humans. This applies not only to RV, but also to congenital viral infections in general and includes (1) the mode of vertical transmission, even at early gestation, (2) the possible involvement of inflammation as a consequence of an activated innate immune response, and (3) the underlying molecular and cellular alterations. With the progress made in the development of pluripotent stem cell-based models including organoids and embryoids, it is now possible to assess congenital virus infections on a mechanistic level. Moreover, antiviral treatment options can be validated, and newly emerging viruses with a potential impact on human embryonal development, such as that recently reflected by the Zika virus (ZIKV), can be characterized. Here, we discuss human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) and ZIKV in comparison to RV as viruses with well-known congenital pathologies and highlight their analysis on current models for the early phase of human development. This includes the implications of their genetic variability and, as such, virus strain-specific properties for their use as archetype models for congenital virus infections. In this review, we will discuss the use of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) and derived organoid systems for the study of congenital virus infections with a focus on their prominent aetiologies, HCMV, ZIKV, and RV. Their assessment on these models will provide valuable information on how human development is impaired by virus infections; it will also add new insights into the normal progression of human development through the analysis of developmental pathways in the context of virus-induced alterations. These are exciting perspectives for both developmental biology and congenital virology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Claus
- Institute of Virology, University of Leipzig, Johannisallee 30, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Matthias Jung
- University Clinic and Outpatient Clinic for Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, Psychosomatic Medicine, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, 06112 Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Judith M Hübschen
- Infectious Diseases Research Unit, Department of Infection and Immunity, Luxembourg Institute of Health, 4354 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
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12
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Bakhmet EI, Nazarov IB, Gazizova AR, Vorobyeva NE, Kuzmin AA, Gordeev MN, Sinenko SA, Aksenov ND, Artamonova TO, Khodorkovskii MA, Alenina N, Onichtchouk D, Wu G, Schöler HR, Tomilin AN. hnRNP-K Targets Open Chromatin in Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells in Concert with Multiple Regulators. Stem Cells 2019; 37:1018-1029. [PMID: 31021473 DOI: 10.1002/stem.3025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2018] [Revised: 04/12/2019] [Accepted: 04/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
The transcription factor Oct4 plays a key regulatory role in the induction and maintenance of cellular pluripotency. In this article, we show that ubiquitous and multifunctional poly(C) DNA/RNA-binding protein hnRNP-K occupies Oct4 (Pou5f1) enhancers in embryonic stem cells (ESCs) but is dispensable for the initiation, maintenance, and downregulation of Oct4 gene expression. Nevertheless, hnRNP-K has an essential cell-autonomous function in ESCs to maintain their proliferation and viability. To better understand mechanisms of hnRNP-K action in ESCs, we have performed ChIP-seq analysis of genome-wide binding of hnRNP-K and identified several thousands of hnRNP-K target sites that are frequently co-occupied by pluripotency-related and common factors (Oct4, TATA-box binding protein, Sox2, Nanog, Otx2, etc.), as well as active histone marks. Furthermore, hnRNP-K localizes exclusively within open chromatin, implying its role in the onset and/or maintenance of this chromatin state. Stem Cells 2019;37:1018-1029.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evgeny I Bakhmet
- Laboratory of the Molecular Biology of Stem Cells, Institute of Cytology, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Igor B Nazarov
- Laboratory of the Molecular Biology of Stem Cells, Institute of Cytology, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Adel R Gazizova
- Laboratory of the Molecular Biology of Stem Cells, Institute of Cytology, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Nadezhda E Vorobyeva
- Group of transcriptional complexes dynamics, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Andrey A Kuzmin
- Laboratory of the Molecular Biology of Stem Cells, Institute of Cytology, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Mikhail N Gordeev
- Laboratory of the Molecular Biology of Stem Cells, Institute of Cytology, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Sergey A Sinenko
- Laboratory of the Molecular Biology of Stem Cells, Institute of Cytology, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Nikolai D Aksenov
- Laboratory of the Molecular Biology of Stem Cells, Institute of Cytology, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Tatyana O Artamonova
- Institute of Nanobiotechnologies, Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Mikhail A Khodorkovskii
- Institute of Nanobiotechnologies, Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Natalia Alenina
- Molecular Biology of Peptide Hormones, Max-Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin-Buch, Germany
| | - Daria Onichtchouk
- Signalling Research Centres BIOSS and CIBSS, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Guangming Wu
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Max-Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Münster, Germany
| | - Hans R Schöler
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Max-Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Münster, Germany
| | - Alexey N Tomilin
- Laboratory of the Molecular Biology of Stem Cells, Institute of Cytology, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia.,Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia
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13
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Sadłecki P, Grabiec M, Grzanka D, Jóźwicki J, Antosik P, Walentowicz-Sadłecka M. Expression of zinc finger transcription factors (ZNF143 and ZNF281) in serous borderline ovarian tumors and low-grade ovarian cancers. J Ovarian Res 2019; 12:23. [PMID: 30885238 PMCID: PMC6423742 DOI: 10.1186/s13048-019-0501-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2019] [Accepted: 03/08/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Low-grade ovarian cancers represent up to 8% of all epithelial ovarian carcinomas (EOCs). Recent studies demonstrated that epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is crucial for the progression of EOCs. EMT plays a key role in cancer invasion, metastasis formation and chemotherapy resistance. An array of novel EMT transcription factors from the zinc finger protein family have been described recently, among them zinc finger protein 143 (ZNF143) and zinc finger protein 281 (ZNF281). The study included tissue specimens from 42 patients. Based on histopathological examination of surgical specimens, eight lesions were classified as serous borderline ovarian tumors (sBOTs) and 34 as low-grade EOCs. The proportions of the ovarian tumors that tested positively for ZNF143 and ZNF281 were 90 and 57%, respectively. No statistically significant differences were found in the expressions of ZNF143 and ZNF281 transcription factors in SBOTs and low-grade EOCs. Considering the expression patterns for ZNF143 and ZNF281 identified in this study, both sBOTs and low-grade EOCs might undergo a dynamic epithelial-mesenchymal interconversion. The lack of statistically significant differences in the expressions of the zinc finger proteins in sBOTs and low-grade serous EOCs might constitute an evidence for common origin of these two tumor types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paweł Sadłecki
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, ul. Ujejskiego 75, 85-168, Bydgoszcz, Poland.
| | - Marek Grabiec
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, ul. Ujejskiego 75, 85-168, Bydgoszcz, Poland
| | - Dariusz Grzanka
- Department of Clinical Pathomorphology, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Bydgoszcz, Poland
| | - Jakub Jóźwicki
- Department of Clinical Pathomorphology, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Bydgoszcz, Poland
| | - Paulina Antosik
- Department of Clinical Pathomorphology, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Bydgoszcz, Poland
| | - Małgorzata Walentowicz-Sadłecka
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, ul. Ujejskiego 75, 85-168, Bydgoszcz, Poland
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14
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Weingarten-Gabbay S, Nir R, Lubliner S, Sharon E, Kalma Y, Weinberger A, Segal E. Systematic interrogation of human promoters. Genome Res 2019; 29:171-183. [PMID: 30622120 PMCID: PMC6360817 DOI: 10.1101/gr.236075.118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2018] [Accepted: 12/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Despite much research, our understanding of the architecture and cis-regulatory elements of human promoters is still lacking. Here, we devised a high-throughput assay to quantify the activity of approximately 15,000 fully designed sequences that we integrated and expressed from a fixed location within the human genome. We used this method to investigate thousands of native promoters and preinitiation complex (PIC) binding regions followed by in-depth characterization of the sequence motifs underlying promoter activity, including core promoter elements and TF binding sites. We find that core promoters drive transcription mostly unidirectionally and that sequences originating from promoters exhibit stronger activity than those originating from enhancers. By testing multiple synthetic configurations of core promoter elements, we dissect the motifs that positively and negatively regulate transcription as well as the effect of their combinations and distances, including a 10-bp periodicity in the optimal distance between the TATA and the initiator. By comprehensively screening 133 TF binding sites, we find that in contrast to core promoters, TF binding sites maintain similar activity levels in both orientations, supporting a model by which divergent transcription is driven by two distinct unidirectional core promoters sharing bidirectional TF binding sites. Finally, we find a striking agreement between the effect of binding site multiplicity of individual TFs in our assay and their tendency to appear in homotypic clusters throughout the genome. Overall, our study systematically assays the elements that drive expression in core and proximal promoter regions and sheds light on organization principles of regulatory regions in the human genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shira Weingarten-Gabbay
- Department of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel.,Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Ronit Nir
- Department of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel.,Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Shai Lubliner
- Department of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel.,Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Eilon Sharon
- Department of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel.,Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Yael Kalma
- Department of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel.,Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Adina Weinberger
- Department of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel.,Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Eran Segal
- Department of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel.,Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
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15
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Weis BL, Guth N, Fischer S, Wissing S, Fradin S, Holzmann KH, Handrick R, Otte K. Stable miRNA overexpression in human CAP cells: Engineering alternative production systems for advanced manufacturing of biologics using miR-136 and miR-3074. Biotechnol Bioeng 2018; 115:2027-2038. [PMID: 29665036 DOI: 10.1002/bit.26715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2017] [Revised: 03/15/2018] [Accepted: 04/09/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells still represent the major production host for therapeutic proteins. However, multiple limitations have been acknowledged leading to the search for alternative expression systems. CEVEC's amniocyte production (CAP) cells are human production cells demonstrated to enable efficient overexpression of recombinant proteins with human glycosylation pattern. However, CAP cells have not yet undergone any engineering approaches to optimize process parameters for a cheaper and more sustainable production of biopharmaceuticals. Thus, we assessed the possibility to enhance CAP cell production capacity via cell engineering using miRNA technology. Based on a previous high-content miRNA screen in CHO-SEAP cells, selected pro-productive miRNAs including, miR-99b-3p, 30a-5p, 329-3p, 483-3p, 370-3p, 219-1-3p, 3074-5p, 136-3p, 30e-5p, 1a-3p, and 484-5p, were shown to act pro-productive and product independent upon transient transfection in CAP and CHO antibody expressing cell lines. Stable expression of miRNAs established seven CAP cell pools with an overexpression of the pro-productive miRNA strand. Subsequent small-scale screening as well as upscaling batch experiments identified miR-136 and miR-3074 to significantly increase final mAb concentration in CAP-mAb cells. Transcriptomic changes analyzed by microarrays identified several lncRNAs as well as growth and apoptosis-related miRNAs to be differentially regulated in CAP-mAb-miR-136 and -miR-3074. This study presents the first engineering approach to optimize the alternative human expression system of CAP-cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin L Weis
- Institute of Applied Biotechnology, University of Applied Sciences Biberach, Biberach, Germany
| | - Nadine Guth
- Institute of Applied Biotechnology, University of Applied Sciences Biberach, Biberach, Germany
| | - Simon Fischer
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co KG, Cell Culture Development CMB, Biberach, Germany
| | | | | | | | - René Handrick
- Institute of Applied Biotechnology, University of Applied Sciences Biberach, Biberach, Germany
| | - Kerstin Otte
- Institute of Applied Biotechnology, University of Applied Sciences Biberach, Biberach, Germany
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16
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Wei C, Lin H, Cui S. The Forkhead Transcription Factor FOXC2 Is Required for Maintaining Murine Spermatogonial Stem Cells. Stem Cells Dev 2018; 27:624-636. [DOI: 10.1089/scd.2017.0233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Chao Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Hao Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Sheng Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
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17
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Spatiotemporal patterning of EpCAM is important for murine embryonic endo- and mesodermal differentiation. Sci Rep 2018; 8:1801. [PMID: 29379062 PMCID: PMC5789065 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-20131-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2017] [Accepted: 01/15/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Epithelial cell adhesion molecule EpCAM is expressed in pluripotent embryonic stem cells (ESC) in vitro, but is repressed in differentiated cells, except epithelia and carcinomas. Molecular functions of EpCAM, possibly imposing such repression, were primarily studied in malignant cells and might not apply to non-pathologic differentiation. Here, we comprehensively describe timing and rationale for EpCAM regulation in early murine gastrulation and ESC differentiation using single cell RNA-sequencing datasets, in vivo and in vitro models including CRISPR-Cas9-engineered ESC-mutants. We demonstrate expression of EpCAM in inner cell mass, epiblast, primitive/visceral endoderm, and strict repression in the most primitive, nascent Flk1+ mesoderm progenitors at E7.0. Selective expression of EpCAM was confirmed at mid-gestation and perinatal stages. The rationale for strict patterning was studied in ESC differentiation. Gain/loss-of-function demonstrated supportive functions of EpCAM in achieving full pluripotency and guided endodermal differentiation, but repressive functions in mesodermal differentiation as exemplified with cardiomyocyte formation. We further identified embryonic Ras (ERas) as novel EpCAM interactor of EpCAM and an EpCAM/ERas/AKT axis that is instrumental in differentiation regulation. Hence, spatiotemporal patterning of EpCAM at the onset of gastrulation, resulting in early segregation of interdependent EpCAM+ endodermal and EpCAM-/vimentin+ mesodermal clusters represents a novel regulatory feature during ESC differentiation.
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18
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Zhou J, Sharkey J, Shukla R, Plagge A, Murray P. Assessing the Effectiveness of a Far-Red Fluorescent Reporter for Tracking Stem Cells In Vivo. Int J Mol Sci 2017; 19:E19. [PMID: 29271879 PMCID: PMC5795970 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19010019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2017] [Revised: 12/15/2017] [Accepted: 12/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Far-red fluorescent reporter genes can be used for tracking cells non-invasively in vivo using fluorescence imaging. Here, we investigate the effectiveness of the far-red fluorescent protein, E2-Crimson (E2C), for tracking mouse embryonic cells (mESCs) in vivo following subcutaneous administration into mice. Using a knock-in strategy, we introduced E2C into the Rosa26 locus of an E14-Bra-GFP mESC line, and after confirming that the E2C had no obvious effect on the phenotype of the mESCs, we injected them into mice and imaged them over nine days. The results showed that fluorescence intensity was weak, and cells could only be detected when injected at high densities. Furthermore, intensity peaked on day 4 and then started to decrease, despite the fact that tumour volume continued to increase beyond day 4. Histopathological analysis showed that although E2C fluorescence could barely be detected in vivo at day 9, analysis of frozen sections indicated that all mESCs within the tumours continued to express E2C. We hypothesise that the decrease in fluorescence intensity in vivo was probably due to the fact that the mESC tumours became more vascular with time, thus leading to increased absorbance of E2C fluorescence by haemoglobin. We conclude that the E2C reporter has limited use for tracking cells in vivo, at least when introduced as a single copy into the Rosa26 locus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Zhou
- Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3BX, UK.
| | - Jack Sharkey
- Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3BX, UK.
- Centre for Preclinical Imaging, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3GE, UK.
| | - Rajeev Shukla
- Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool L12 2AP, UK.
| | - Antonius Plagge
- Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3BX, UK.
| | - Patricia Murray
- Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3BX, UK.
- Centre for Preclinical Imaging, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3GE, UK.
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19
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Ahmadi M, Mahboudi F, Ahmadi S, Ebadat S, Nematpour F, Akbari Eidgahi MR, Davami F. PhiC31 integrase can improve the efficiency of different construct designs for monoclonal antibody expression in CHO cells. Protein Expr Purif 2017; 134:89-95. [PMID: 28400295 DOI: 10.1016/j.pep.2017.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2016] [Revised: 04/03/2017] [Accepted: 04/07/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Several types of expression vectors have been used for recombinant protein expression in Chinese hamster ovary cells (CHO) which usually result in variable and unstable levels of expression. METHODS AND RESULTS In this study, we have compared the mAb0014 expression level of single ORF/IRES vector and dual ORF vector in the presence and absence of phiC31 integrase targeting system. Both expression vectors contain an elongation factor 1α (EF1α) promoter upstream of LC and harboring an attB site. CHO-S cells were co-transfected with single ORF/IRES or dual ORF vectors along with a phiC31 integrase expression vector which can catalyze recombination between attB site and pseudo-attP sites presented in the mammalian genome. Our results demonstrated that dual ORF vector in the presence of phiC31 integrase expression vectors (+FC31 2P) generated more recombinant antibody in comparison to its negative control (-FC31 2P). Moreover, both of +FC31 2P and -FC31 2P cell pools yield higher recombinant protein in comparison to single ORF/IRES vector (FC31 IRES) cell pools. Stability of expression in phiC31 co-transfected cell pools (+FC31 2P and +FC31 IRES) had no considerable changes. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicated that the dual ORF vector using integrase can support the generation of cell lines with stable transgene expression at an elevated mAb relative to single ORF/IRES vector.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Ahmadi
- Medical Biotechnology Department, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran; Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Samira Ahmadi
- Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Saeedeh Ebadat
- Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Nematpour
- Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Fatemeh Davami
- Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
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20
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García-Rúa V, Feijóo-Bandín S, García-Vence M, Aragón-Herrera A, Bravo SB, Rodríguez-Penas D, Mosquera-Leal A, Lear PV, Parrington J, Alonso J, Roselló-Lletí E, Portolés M, Rivera M, González-Juanatey JR, Lago F. Metabolic alterations derived from absence of Two-Pore Channel 1 at cardiac level. J Biosci 2016; 41:643-658. [DOI: 10.1007/s12038-016-9647-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
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21
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Lent-On-Plus Lentiviral vectors for conditional expression in human stem cells. Sci Rep 2016; 6:37289. [PMID: 27853296 PMCID: PMC5112523 DOI: 10.1038/srep37289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2015] [Accepted: 10/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Conditional transgene expression in human stem cells has been difficult to achieve due to the low efficiency of existing delivery methods, the strong silencing of the transgenes and the toxicity of the regulators. Most of the existing technologies are based on stem cells clones expressing appropriate levels of tTA or rtTA transactivators (based on the TetR-VP16 chimeras). In the present study, we aim the generation of Tet-On all-in-one lentiviral vectors (LVs) that tightly regulate transgene expression in human stem cells using the original TetR repressor. By using appropriate promoter combinations and shielding the LVs with the Is2 insulator, we have constructed the Lent-On-Plus Tet-On system that achieved efficient transgene regulation in human multipotent and pluripotent stem cells. The generation of inducible stem cell lines with the Lent-ON-Plus LVs did not require selection or cloning, and transgene regulation was maintained after long-term cultured and upon differentiation toward different lineages. To our knowledge, Lent-On-Plus is the first all-in-one vector system that tightly regulates transgene expression in bulk populations of human pluripotent stem cells and its progeny.
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22
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Yao J, Zhang L, Hu L, Guo B, Hu X, Borjigin U, Wei Z, Chen Y, Lv M, Lau JTY, Wang X, Li G, Hu YP. Tumorigenic potential is restored during differentiation in fusion-reprogrammed cancer cells. Cell Death Dis 2016; 7:e2314. [PMID: 27468690 PMCID: PMC4973342 DOI: 10.1038/cddis.2016.189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2016] [Revised: 05/27/2016] [Accepted: 06/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Detailed understanding of the mechanistic steps underlying tumor initiation and malignant progression is critical for insights of potentially novel therapeutic modalities. Cellular reprogramming is an approach of particular interest because it can provide a means to reset the differentiation state of the cancer cells and to revert these cells to a state of non-malignancy. Here, we investigated the relationship between cellular differentiation and malignant progression by the fusion of four independent mouse cancer cell lines from different tissues, each with differing developmental potentials, to pluripotent mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells. Fusion was accompanied by loss of differentiated properties of the four parental cancer cell lines and concomitant emergence of pluripotency, demonstrating the feasibility to reprogram the malignant and differentiative properties of cancer cells. However, the original malignant and differentiative phenotypes re-emerge upon withdrawal of the fused cells from the embryonic environment in which they were maintained. cDNA array analysis of the malignant hepatoma progression implicated a role for Foxa1, and silencing Foxa1 prevented the re-emergence of malignant and differentiation-associated gene expression. Our findings support the hypothesis that tumor progression results from deregulation of stem cells, and our approach provides a strategy to analyze possible mechanisms in the cancer initiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Yao
- Department of Cell Biology, Center for Stem Cells and Medicine, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, People's Republic of China.,Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xian 710061, People's Republic of China
| | - L Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, People's Republic of China
| | - L Hu
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xian 710061, People's Republic of China.,Basic Medical College, Shanxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanxi 030024, People's Republic of China
| | - B Guo
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xian 710061, People's Republic of China
| | - X Hu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, People's Republic of China
| | - U Borjigin
- Key Laboratory of National Education Ministry for Mammalian Reproductive Biology and Biotechnology, Inner Mongolia University, Huhhot 010021, People's Republic of China
| | - Z Wei
- Key Laboratory of National Education Ministry for Mammalian Reproductive Biology and Biotechnology, Inner Mongolia University, Huhhot 010021, People's Republic of China
| | - Y Chen
- Pearl Laboratory Animal Science and Technology Co. Ltd, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - M Lv
- Pearl Laboratory Animal Science and Technology Co. Ltd, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - J T Y Lau
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA
| | - X Wang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, People's Republic of China.,Key Laboratory of National Education Ministry for Mammalian Reproductive Biology and Biotechnology, Inner Mongolia University, Huhhot 010021, People's Republic of China.,Hepatoscience Inc., Sunnyvale, CA, USA
| | - G Li
- Key Laboratory of National Education Ministry for Mammalian Reproductive Biology and Biotechnology, Inner Mongolia University, Huhhot 010021, People's Republic of China
| | - Y-P Hu
- Department of Cell Biology, Center for Stem Cells and Medicine, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, People's Republic of China
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23
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Sladitschek HL, Neveu PA. Bidirectional Promoter Engineering for Single Cell MicroRNA Sensors in Embryonic Stem Cells. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0155177. [PMID: 27152616 PMCID: PMC4859538 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0155177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2016] [Accepted: 04/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
MicroRNAs have emerged as important markers and regulators of cell identity. Precise measurements of cellular miRNA levels rely traditionally on RNA extraction and thus do not allow to follow miRNA expression dynamics at the level of single cells. Non-invasive miRNA sensors present an ideal solution but they critically depend on the performance of suitable ubiquitous promoters that reliably drive expression both in pluripotent and differentiated cell types. Here we describe the engineering of bidirectional promoters that drive the expression of precise ratiometric fluorescent miRNA sensors in single mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) and their differentiated derivatives. These promoters are based on combinations of the widely used CAG, EF1α and PGK promoters as well as the CMV and PGK enhancers. miR-142-3p, which is known to be bimodally expressed in mESCs, served as a model miRNA to gauge the precision of the sensors. The performance of the resulting miRNA sensors was assessed by flow cytometry in single stable transgenic mESCs undergoing self-renewal or differentiation. EF1α promoters arranged back-to-back failed to drive the robustly correlated expression of two transgenes. Back-to-back PGK promoters were shut down during mESC differentiation. However, we found that a back-to-back arrangement of CAG promoters with four CMV enhancers provided both robust expression in mESCs undergoing differentiation and the best signal-to-noise for measurement of miRNA activity in single cells among all the sensors we tested. Such a bidirectional promoter is therefore particularly well suited to study the dynamics of miRNA expression during cell fate transitions at the single cell level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna L. Sladitschek
- Cell Biology and Biophysics Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
| | - Pierre A. Neveu
- Cell Biology and Biophysics Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
- * E-mail:
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Dorn T, Goedel A, Lam JT, Haas J, Tian Q, Herrmann F, Bundschu K, Dobreva G, Schiemann M, Dirschinger R, Guo Y, Kühl SJ, Sinnecker D, Lipp P, Laugwitz KL, Kühl M, Moretti A. Direct nkx2-5 transcriptional repression of isl1 controls cardiomyocyte subtype identity. Stem Cells 2016; 33:1113-29. [PMID: 25524439 PMCID: PMC6750130 DOI: 10.1002/stem.1923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2014] [Revised: 10/29/2014] [Accepted: 11/08/2014] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
During cardiogenesis, most myocytes arise from cardiac progenitors expressing the transcription factors Isl1 and Nkx2-5. Here, we show that a direct repression of Isl1 by Nkx2-5 is necessary for proper development of the ventricular myocardial lineage. Overexpression of Nkx2-5 in mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) delayed specification of cardiac progenitors and inhibited expression of Isl1 and its downstream targets in Isl1(+) precursors. Embryos deficient for Nkx2-5 in the Isl1(+) lineage failed to downregulate Isl1 protein in cardiomyocytes of the heart tube. We demonstrated that Nkx2-5 directly binds to an Isl1 enhancer and represses Isl1 transcriptional activity. Furthermore, we showed that overexpression of Isl1 does not prevent cardiac differentiation of ESCs and in Xenopus laevis embryos. Instead, it leads to enhanced specification of cardiac progenitors, earlier cardiac differentiation, and increased cardiomyocyte number. Functional and molecular characterization of Isl1-overexpressing cardiomyocytes revealed higher beating frequencies in both ESC-derived contracting areas and Xenopus Isl1-gain-of-function hearts, which associated with upregulation of nodal-specific genes and downregulation of transcripts of working myocardium. Immunocytochemistry of cardiomyocyte lineage-specific markers demonstrated a reduction of ventricular cells and an increase of cells expressing the pacemaker channel Hcn4. Finally, optical action potential imaging of single cardiomyocytes combined with pharmacological approaches proved that Isl1 overexpression in ESCs resulted in normally electrophysiologically functional cells, highly enriched in the nodal subtype at the expense of the ventricular lineage. Our findings provide an Isl1/Nkx2-5-mediated mechanism that coordinately regulates the specification of cardiac progenitors toward the different myocardial lineages and ensures proper acquisition of myocyte subtype identity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatjana Dorn
- I. Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik, Klinikum rechts der Isar der Technischen Universität München, Munich, Germany
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25
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Optimization of multimodal imaging of mesenchymal stem cells using the human sodium iodide symporter for PET and Cerenkov luminescence imaging. PLoS One 2014; 9:e94833. [PMID: 24747914 PMCID: PMC3991630 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0094833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2013] [Accepted: 03/19/2014] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose The use of stably integrated reporter gene imaging provides a manner to monitor the in vivo fate of engrafted cells over time in a non-invasive manner. Here, we optimized multimodal imaging (small-animal PET, Cerenkov luminescence imaging (CLI) and bioluminescence imaging (BLI)) of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), by means of the human sodium iodide symporter (hNIS) and firefly luciferase (Fluc) as reporters. Methods First, two multicistronic lentiviral vectors (LV) were generated for multimodal imaging: BLI, 124I PET/SPECT and CLI. Expression of the imaging reporter genes was validated in vitro using 99mTcO4− radioligand uptake experiments and BLI. Uptake kinetics, specificity and tracer elution were determined as well as the effect of the transduction process on the cell's differentiation capacity. MSCs expressing the LV were injected intravenously or subcutaneously and imaged using small-animal PET, CLI and BLI. Results The expression of both imaging reporter genes was functional and specific. An elution of 99mTcO4− from the cells was observed, with 31% retention after 3 h. After labeling cells with 124I in vitro, a significantly higher CLI signal was noted in hNIS expressing murine MSCs. Furthermore, it was possible to visualize cells injected intravenously using BLI or subcutaneously in mice, using 124I small-animal PET, CLI and BLI. Conclusions This study identifies hNIS as a suitable reporter gene for molecular imaging with PET and CLI, as confirmed with BLI through the expression of Fluc. It supports the potential for a wider application of hNIS reporter gene imaging and future clinical applications.
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26
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Wen S, Zhang H, Li Y, Wang N, Zhang W, Yang K, Wu N, Chen X, Deng F, Liao Z, Zhang J, Zhang Q, Yan Z, Liu W, Zhang Z, Ye J, Deng Y, Zhou G, Luu HH, Haydon RC, Shi LL, He TC, Wei G. Characterization of constitutive promoters for piggyBac transposon-mediated stable transgene expression in mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). PLoS One 2014; 9:e94397. [PMID: 24714676 PMCID: PMC3979777 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0094397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2014] [Accepted: 03/15/2014] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Multipotent mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can undergo self-renewal and give rise to multi-lineages under given differentiation cues. It is frequently desirable to achieve a stable and high level of transgene expression in MSCs in order to elucidate possible molecular mechanisms through which MSC self-renewal and lineage commitment are regulated. Retroviral or lentiviral vector-mediated gene expression in MSCs usually decreases over time. Here, we choose to use the piggyBac transposon system and conduct a systematic comparison of six commonly-used constitutive promoters for their abilities to drive RFP or firefly luciferase expression in somatic HEK-293 cells and MSC iMEF cells. The analyzed promoters include three viral promoters (CMV, CMV-IVS, and SV40), one housekeeping gene promoter (UbC), and two composite promoters of viral and housekeeping gene promoters (hEFH and CAG-hEFH). CMV-derived promoters are shown to drive the highest transgene expression in HEK-293 cells, which is however significantly reduced in MSCs. Conversely, the composite promoter hEFH exhibits the highest transgene expression in MSCs whereas its promoter activity is modest in HEK-293 cells. The reduced transgene expression driven by CMV promoters in MSCs may be at least in part caused by DNA methylation, or to a lesser extent histone deacetlyation. However, the hEFH promoter is not significantly affected by these epigenetic modifications. Taken together, our results demonstrate that the hEFH composite promoter may be an ideal promoter to drive long-term and high level transgene expression using the piggyBac transposon vector in progenitor cells such as MSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheng Wen
- Stem Cell Biology and Therapy Laboratory of Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Pediatrics, Chongqing Stem Cell Therapy and Engineering Center, and Department of Urology, The Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Hongmei Zhang
- Chongqing Key Laboratory for Oral Diseases and Biomedical Sciences, and the Affiliated Hospital of Stomatology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Yasha Li
- Stem Cell Biology and Therapy Laboratory of Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Pediatrics, Chongqing Stem Cell Therapy and Engineering Center, and Department of Urology, The Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Ning Wang
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
- Departments of Cell Biology and Oncology of the Affiliated Southwest Hospital, the Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Wenwen Zhang
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Diagnostic Medicine and School of Clinical Diagnostic Medicine, and the Affiliated Hospitals, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Ke Yang
- Stem Cell Biology and Therapy Laboratory of Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Pediatrics, Chongqing Stem Cell Therapy and Engineering Center, and Department of Urology, The Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Ningning Wu
- Stem Cell Biology and Therapy Laboratory of Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Pediatrics, Chongqing Stem Cell Therapy and Engineering Center, and Department of Urology, The Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Diagnostic Medicine and School of Clinical Diagnostic Medicine, and the Affiliated Hospitals, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xian Chen
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Diagnostic Medicine and School of Clinical Diagnostic Medicine, and the Affiliated Hospitals, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Fang Deng
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
- Departments of Cell Biology and Oncology of the Affiliated Southwest Hospital, the Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Zhan Liao
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, the Affiliated Xiang-Ya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Junhui Zhang
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Diagnostic Medicine and School of Clinical Diagnostic Medicine, and the Affiliated Hospitals, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Qian Zhang
- Stem Cell Biology and Therapy Laboratory of Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Pediatrics, Chongqing Stem Cell Therapy and Engineering Center, and Department of Urology, The Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Zhengjian Yan
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Diagnostic Medicine and School of Clinical Diagnostic Medicine, and the Affiliated Hospitals, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Wei Liu
- Stem Cell Biology and Therapy Laboratory of Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Pediatrics, Chongqing Stem Cell Therapy and Engineering Center, and Department of Urology, The Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Zhonglin Zhang
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
- Department of Surgery, the Affiliated Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Jixing Ye
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
- School of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Youlin Deng
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Diagnostic Medicine and School of Clinical Diagnostic Medicine, and the Affiliated Hospitals, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Guolin Zhou
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Hue H. Luu
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Rex C. Haydon
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Lewis L. Shi
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Tong-Chuan He
- Stem Cell Biology and Therapy Laboratory of Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Pediatrics, Chongqing Stem Cell Therapy and Engineering Center, and Department of Urology, The Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Diagnostic Medicine and School of Clinical Diagnostic Medicine, and the Affiliated Hospitals, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- * E-mail: (TCH); (GW)
| | - Guanghui Wei
- Stem Cell Biology and Therapy Laboratory of Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Pediatrics, Chongqing Stem Cell Therapy and Engineering Center, and Department of Urology, The Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- * E-mail: (TCH); (GW)
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Boehm-Sturm P, Aswendt M, Minassian A, Michalk S, Mengler L, Adamczak J, Mezzanotte L, Löwik C, Hoehn M. A multi-modality platform to image stem cell graft survival in the naïve and stroke-damaged mouse brain. Biomaterials 2013; 35:2218-26. [PMID: 24355489 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2013.11.085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2013] [Accepted: 11/27/2013] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Neural stem cell implantations have been extensively investigated for treatment of brain diseases such as stroke. In order to follow the localization and functional status of cells after implantation noninvasive imaging is essential. Therefore, we developed a comprehensive multi-modality platform for in vivo imaging of graft localization, density, and survival using 19F magnetic resonance imaging in combination with bioluminescence imaging. We quantitatively analyzed cell graft survival over the first 4 weeks after transplantation in both healthy and stroke-damaged mouse brain and correlated our findings of graft vitality with the host innate immune response. The multi-modality imaging platform will help to improve cell therapy also in context other than stroke and to gain indispensable information for clinical translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Boehm-Sturm
- In-Vivo-NMR Laboratory, Max-Planck-Institute for Neurological Research in Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Markus Aswendt
- In-Vivo-NMR Laboratory, Max-Planck-Institute for Neurological Research in Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Anuka Minassian
- In-Vivo-NMR Laboratory, Max-Planck-Institute for Neurological Research in Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Stefanie Michalk
- In-Vivo-NMR Laboratory, Max-Planck-Institute for Neurological Research in Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Luam Mengler
- In-Vivo-NMR Laboratory, Max-Planck-Institute for Neurological Research in Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Joanna Adamczak
- In-Vivo-NMR Laboratory, Max-Planck-Institute for Neurological Research in Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Laura Mezzanotte
- Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Clemens Löwik
- Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Mathias Hoehn
- In-Vivo-NMR Laboratory, Max-Planck-Institute for Neurological Research in Cologne, Cologne, Germany; Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
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28
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Hedegaard C, Kjaer-Sorensen K, Madsen LB, Henriksen C, Momeni J, Bendixen C, Oxvig C, Larsen K. Porcine synapsin 1: SYN1 gene analysis and functional characterization of the promoter. FEBS Open Bio 2013; 3:411-20. [PMID: 24251104 PMCID: PMC3821028 DOI: 10.1016/j.fob.2013.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2013] [Revised: 10/01/2013] [Accepted: 10/01/2013] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Synapsin 1 (SYN1) is a phosphoprotein involved in nerve signal transmission. The porcine SYN1 promoter orthologue was cloned and characterized to provide a means of expressing a transgene specifically in neurons. The nucleotide sequence of the promoter displayed a high degree of conservation of elements responsible for neuron-specific expression. Expression analysis of SYN1 demonstrated presence of transcript during embryonic development. Analysis of GFP expression in transgenic zebrafish embryos suggests that the pig SYN1 promoter directs expression in neuronal cells. Thus, the SYN1 promoter is a good candidate for use in the generation of pig models of human neurodegenerative disorders. The porcine synapsin1 (SYN1) promoter was cloned and characterized. SYN1 mRNA expression is detected in brain during embryo development. The SYN1 gene is mapped to pig chromosome X. Porcine SYN1 directs GFP expression in neuronal cells of transgenic zebrafish.
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Key Words
- Ab, antibody
- BSG, basal ganglia
- BST, brain stem
- CBE, cerebellum
- CMV, cytomegalovirus
- Chr, chromosome
- FB, forebrain
- FCO, frontal cortex
- GFP
- GFP, green fluorescent protein
- HB, hindbrain
- HIP, hippocampus
- LLG, lateral line ganglion
- MB, midbrain
- NRSE, neuron restrictive silencer element
- Neuron-specific promoter
- OC, optic chiasm
- ON, olfactory neuron
- Pig
- R, retina
- REST, RE1-silencing transcription factor
- TG, trigeminal ganglion
- TSS, transcription start site
- Transgenic
- WPRE, Woodchuck hepatitits virus Post-transcriptional Regulatory Element
- Zebrafish
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Affiliation(s)
- Claus Hedegaard
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Blichers Alle 20, Tjele DK-8830, Denmark
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Choi KH, Park JK, Kim HS, Uh KJ, Son DC, Lee CK. Epigenetic changes of lentiviral transgenes in porcine stem cells derived from embryonic origin. PLoS One 2013; 8:e72184. [PMID: 23977247 PMCID: PMC3747048 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0072184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2013] [Accepted: 07/05/2013] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Because of the physiological and immunological similarities that exist between pigs and humans, porcine pluripotent cell lines have been identified as important candidates for preliminary studies on human disease as well as a source for generating transgenic animals. Therefore, the establishment and characterization of porcine embryonic stem cells (pESCs), along with the generation of stable transgenic cell lines, is essential. In this study, we attempted to efficiently introduce transgenes into Epiblast stem cell (EpiSC)-like pESCs. Consequently, a pluripotent cell line could be derived from a porcine-hatched blastocyst. Enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) was successfully introduced into the cells via lentiviral vectors under various multiplicities of infection, with pluripotency and differentiation potential unaffected after transfection. However, EGFP expression gradually declined during extended culture. This silencing effect was recovered by in vitro differentiation and treatment with 5-azadeoxycytidine. This phenomenon was related to DNA methylation as determined by bisulfite sequencing. In conclusion, we were able to successfully derive EpiSC-like pESCs and introduce transgenes into these cells using lentiviral vectors. This cell line could potentially be used as a donor cell source for transgenic pigs and may be a useful tool for studies involving EpiSC-like pESCs as well as aid in the understanding of the epigenetic regulation of transgenes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kwang-Hwan Choi
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Animal Biotechnology Major, and Research Institute for Agriculture and Life Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jin-Kyu Park
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Animal Biotechnology Major, and Research Institute for Agriculture and Life Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Hye-Sun Kim
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Animal Biotechnology Major, and Research Institute for Agriculture and Life Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Kyung-Jun Uh
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Animal Biotechnology Major, and Research Institute for Agriculture and Life Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Dong-Chan Son
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Animal Biotechnology Major, and Research Institute for Agriculture and Life Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Chang-Kyu Lee
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Animal Biotechnology Major, and Research Institute for Agriculture and Life Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
- * E-mail:
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Efficient ROSA26-Based Conditional and/or Inducible Transgenesis Using RMCE-Compatible F1 Hybrid Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells. Stem Cell Rev Rep 2013; 9:774-85. [DOI: 10.1007/s12015-013-9458-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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31
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Gabanyi I, Lojudice FH, Kossugue PM, Rebelato E, Demasi MA, Sogayar MC. VP22 herpes simplex virus protein can transduce proteins into stem cells. Braz J Med Biol Res 2013; 46:121-7. [PMID: 23369972 PMCID: PMC3854363 DOI: 10.1590/1414-431x20122148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2012] [Accepted: 10/02/2012] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The type I herpes simplex virus VP22 tegument protein is abundant and well known
for its ability to translocate proteins from one cell to the other. In spite of
some reports questioning its ability to translocate proteins by attributing the
results observed to fixation artifacts or simple attachment to the cell
membrane, VP22 has been used to deliver several proteins into different cell
types, triggering the expected cell response. However, the question of the
ability of VP22 to enter stem cells has not been addressed. We investigated
whether VP22 could be used as a tool to be applied in stem cell research and
differentiation due to its capacity to internalize other proteins without
altering the cell genome. We generated a VP22.eGFP construct to evaluate whether
VP22 could be internalized and carry another protein with it into two different
types of stem cells, namely adult human dental pulp stem cells and mouse
embryonic stem cells. We generated a VP22.eGFP fusion protein and demonstrated
that, in fact, it enters stem cells. Therefore, this system may be used as a
tool to deliver various proteins into stem cells, allowing stem cell research,
differentiation and the generation of induced pluripotent stem cells in the
absence of genome alterations.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Gabanyi
- Universidade de São Paulo, Centro de Terapia Celular e Molecular, Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Química, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
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Krause CD, Izotova LS, Ren G, Yuan ZR, Shi Y, Chen CC, Ron Y, Pestka S. Efficient co-expression of bicistronic proteins in mesenchymal stem cells by development and optimization of a multifunctional plasmid. Stem Cell Res Ther 2011; 2:15. [PMID: 21401924 PMCID: PMC3226286 DOI: 10.1186/scrt56] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2010] [Accepted: 03/14/2011] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Local synthesis of interferon within B16 tumors mediates anti-tumor effects. Based on reports that stem cells are recruited to tumors, and because systemic administration of interferon causes dose-limiting undesirable side effects, we wanted to improve the anti-tumor effects of interferon while simultaneously minimizing its systemic side effects by employing mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) as tumor-localized ectopic producers of interferon. Many vectors exist to fulfill this purpose, but their transfection efficiency and resulting expression levels vary considerably. METHODS To follow both the recruitment to tumors and the synthesis of interferon by MSCs, we designed a bicistronic vector system that permits fluorescent visualization of vector-transfected and interferon-producing MSCs. We used Mu-IFNαA cDNA as the first cistron and the cherry fluorescent protein cDNA as the second cistron, whose translation requires the internal ribosome entry sequence (IRES) from the encephalomyocarditis virus 5' untranslated region. Observing inconsistent expression of these cistrons in various vectors and cell lines, especially compared with a control plasmid pmaxGFP, we optimized the expression of this bicistronic message by mutating pcDNA3 to facilitate exchange of the promoter and polyadenylation segments controlling both the gene of interest and the eukaryotic antibiotic resistance gene as well as the eukaryotic antibiotic resistance gene itself, and effectively compare the effects of these exchanges, creating plasmid pc3.5. RESULTS Murine MSCs stably and ectopically expressing Mu-IFNαA inhibited the establishment of tumors in homogeneic C57/BL6 mice. Mu-IFNαA expressed from the bicistronic message is fully biologically active, but is expressed at only two-thirds of the level observed from a monocistronic message. Cap-dependent translation is threefold more efficient than IRES-driven translation in 293T, B16, and MSC cell lines. Both efficient expression and good transfection efficiency require strong expression of the gene of interest and a chimeric intron. High doses of Mu-IFNαA within tumors inhibited tumor establishment but may not inhibit tumor growth. CONCLUSIONS Our modified vector and its derived plasmids will find use in stem cell therapeutics, gene expression, mRNA regulation, and transcription regulation. Local release of Mu-IFNαA within tumors may differently affect tumor establishment and tumor growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher D Krause
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Microbiology, and Immunology, RWJMS-UMDNJ, 675 Hoes Lane West, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
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Kawasaki H, Kosugi I, Arai Y, Iwashita T, Tsutsui Y. Mouse embryonic stem cells inhibit murine cytomegalovirus infection through a multi-step process. PLoS One 2011; 6:e17492. [PMID: 21407806 PMCID: PMC3047572 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0017492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2010] [Accepted: 02/07/2011] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
In humans, cytomegalovirus (CMV) is the most significant infectious cause of intrauterine infections that cause congenital anomalies of the central nervous system. Currently, it is not known how this process is affected by the timing of infection and the susceptibility of early-gestational-period cells. Embryonic stem (ES) cells are more resistant to CMV than most other cell types, although the mechanism responsible for this resistance is not well understood. Using a plaque assay and evaluation of immediate-early 1 mRNA and protein expression, we found that mouse ES cells were resistant to murine CMV (MCMV) at the point of transcription. In ES cells infected with MCMV, treatment with forskolin and trichostatin A did not confer full permissiveness to MCMV. In ES cultures infected with elongation factor-1α (EF-1α) promoter-green fluorescent protein (GFP) recombinant MCMV at a multiplicity of infection of 10, less than 5% of cells were GFP-positive, despite the fact that ES cells have relatively high EF-1α promoter activity. Quantitative PCR analysis of the MCMV genome showed that ES cells allow approximately 20-fold less MCMV DNA to enter the nucleus than mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) do, and that this inhibition occurs in a multi-step manner. In situ hybridization revealed that ES cell nuclei have significantly less MCMV DNA than MEF nuclei. This appears to be facilitated by the fact that ES cells express less heparan sulfate, β1 integrin, and vimentin, and have fewer nuclear pores, than MEF. This may reduce the ability of MCMV to attach to and enter through the cellular membrane, translocate to the nucleus, and cross the nuclear membrane in pluripotent stem cells (ES/induced pluripotent stem cells). The results presented here provide perspective on the relationship between CMV susceptibility and cell differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hideya Kawasaki
- Department of Second Pathology, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan.
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Norrman K, Fischer Y, Bonnamy B, Wolfhagen Sand F, Ravassard P, Semb H. Quantitative comparison of constitutive promoters in human ES cells. PLoS One 2010; 5:e12413. [PMID: 20865032 PMCID: PMC2928720 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0012413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2010] [Accepted: 07/26/2010] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Constitutive promoters that ensure sustained and high level gene expression are basic research tools that have a wide range of applications, including studies of human embryology and drug discovery in human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). Numerous cellular/viral promoters that ensure sustained gene expression in various cell types have been identified but systematic comparison of their activities in hESCs is still lacking. Methodology/Principal Findings We have quantitatively compared promoter activities of five commonly used constitutive promoters, including the human β-actin promoter (ACTB), cytomegalovirus (CMV), elongation factor-1α, (EF1α), phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK) and ubiquitinC (UbC) in hESCs. Lentiviral gene transfer was used to ensure stable integration of promoter-eGFP constructs into the hESCs genome. Promoter activities were quantitatively compared in long term culture of undifferentiated hESCs and in their differentiated progenies. Conclusion/Significance The ACTB, EF1α and PGK promoters showed stable activities during long term culture of undifferentiated hESCs. The ACTB promoter was superior by maintaining expression in 75–80% of the cells after 50 days in culture. During embryoid body (EB) differentiation, promoter activities of all five promoters decreased. Although the EF1α promoter was downregulated in approximately 50% of the cells, it was the most stable promoter during differentiation. Gene expression analysis of differentiated eGFP+ and eGFP- cells indicate that promoter activities might be restricted to specific cell lineages, suggesting the need to carefully select optimal promoters for constitutive gene expression in differentiated hESCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karin Norrman
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund Center for Stem Cell Biology and Cell Therapy, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Yvonne Fischer
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund Center for Stem Cell Biology and Cell Therapy, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Blandine Bonnamy
- Biotechnology and Biotherapy Laboratory, Centre de Recherche de l'Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle, CNRS UMR 7225, INSERM UMRS 975, University Pierre et Marie Curie, Hôpital Pitié Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Fredrik Wolfhagen Sand
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund Center for Stem Cell Biology and Cell Therapy, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Philippe Ravassard
- Biotechnology and Biotherapy Laboratory, Centre de Recherche de l'Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle, CNRS UMR 7225, INSERM UMRS 975, University Pierre et Marie Curie, Hôpital Pitié Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Henrik Semb
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund Center for Stem Cell Biology and Cell Therapy, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- * E-mail:
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Efficient, high-throughput transfection of human embryonic stem cells. Stem Cell Res Ther 2010; 1:23. [PMID: 20659329 PMCID: PMC2941115 DOI: 10.1186/scrt23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2010] [Accepted: 07/26/2010] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Genetic manipulation of human embryonic stem cells (hESC) has been limited by their general resistance to common methods used to introduce exogenous DNA or RNA. Efficient and high throughput transfection of nucleic acids into hESC would be a valuable experimental tool to manipulate these cells for research and clinical applications. Methods We investigated the ability of two commercially available electroporation systems, the Nucleofection® 96-well Shuttle® System from Lonza and the Neon™ Transfection System from Invitrogen to efficiently transfect hESC. Transfection efficiency was measured by flow cytometry for the expression of the green fluorescent protein and the viability of the transfected cells was determined by an ATP catalyzed luciferase reaction. The transfected cells were also analyzed by flow cytometry for common markers of pluripotency. Results Both systems are capable of transfecting hESC at high efficiencies with little loss of cell viability. However, the reproducibility and the ease of scaling for high throughput applications led us to perform more comprehensive tests on the Nucleofection® 96-well Shuttle® System. We demonstrate that this method yields a large fraction of transiently transfected cells with minimal loss of cell viability and pluripotency, producing protein expression from plasmid vectors in several different hESC lines. The method scales to a 96-well plate with similar transfection efficiencies at the start and end of the plate. We also investigated the efficiency with which stable transfectants can be generated and recovered under antibiotic selection. Finally, we found that this method is effective in the delivery of short synthetic RNA oligonucleotides (siRNA) into hESC for knockdown of translation activity via RNA interference. Conclusions Our results indicate that these electroporation methods provide a reliable, efficient, and high-throughput approach to the genetic manipulation of hESC.
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Jiang H, Lin X, Feng Y, Xie Y, Han J, Zhang Y, Wang ZZ, Chen T. Hemato-endothelial differentiation from lentiviral-transduced human embryonic stem cells retains durable reporter gene expression under the control of ubiquitin promoter. Cytotechnology 2010; 62:31-42. [PMID: 20237843 DOI: 10.1007/s10616-010-9258-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2009] [Accepted: 02/20/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Human embryonic stem (hES) cells are able to give rise to a variety of cell lineages under specific culture condition. An effective strategy for stable genetic modification in hES cells may provide a powerful tool for study of human embryogenesis and cell-based therapies. However, gene silences are documented in hES cells. In current study, we investigated whether genes controlled under ubiquitin promoter are expressed during hematopoietic-endothelial differentiation in hES cells. Undifferentiated hES cells (H1) were transduced by lentivirus encoding green fluorescent protein (GFP) gene under ubiquitin promoter. GFP-expressing hES cells (GFP-H1) were established after several rounds of mechanical selection under fluorescence microscope. GFP gene was stably expressed in hES cells throughout prolonged (> 50 passages) cultivation, and in differentiated embryo body (EB) and teratoma. Hematopoietic and endothelial markers, including KDR (VEGFR2), CD34, CD31, Tie-2, GATA-1 and GATA-2, were expressed at similar levels during hES cell differentiation in parent hES cells and GFP-H1 hES cells. CD34(+) cells isolated from GFP-H1 hES cells were capable to generate hematopoietic colony-forming cells and tubular structure-forming cells. Differentiated GFP-EB formed vasculature structures in a semi-solid sprouting EB model. These results indicated that a transgene under ubiquitin promoter in lentiviral transduced hES cells retained its expression in undifferentiated hES cells and in hES-derived hematopoietic and endothelial cells. With the view of embryonic mesodermal developing events in humans, genetic modification of hES cells by lentiviral vectors provides a powerful tool for study of hematopoiesis and vasculogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hua Jiang
- Gynecology & Obstetrics Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200011, China
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Chung S, Arrell DK, Faustino RS, Terzic A, Dzeja PP. Glycolytic network restructuring integral to the energetics of embryonic stem cell cardiac differentiation. J Mol Cell Cardiol 2010; 48:725-34. [PMID: 20045004 DOI: 10.1016/j.yjmcc.2009.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 126] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2009] [Revised: 12/15/2009] [Accepted: 12/16/2009] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Decoding of the bioenergetic signature underlying embryonic stem cell cardiac differentiation has revealed a mandatory transformation of the metabolic infrastructure with prominent mitochondrial network expansion and a distinctive switch from glycolysis to oxidative phosphorylation. Here, we demonstrate that despite reduction in total glycolytic capacity, stem cell cardiogenesis engages a significant transcriptome, proteome, as well as enzymatic and topological rearrangement in the proximal, medial, and distal modules of the glycolytic pathway. Glycolytic restructuring was manifested by a shift in hexokinase (Hk) isoforms from Hk-2 to cardiac Hk-1, with intracellular and intermyofibrillar localization mapping mitochondrial network arrangement. Moreover, upregulation of cardiac-specific enolase 3, phosphofructokinase, and phosphoglucomutase and a marked increase in glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) phosphotransfer activity, along with apparent post-translational modifications of GAPDH and phosphoglycerate kinase, were all distinctive for derived cardiomyocytes compared to the embryonic stem cell source. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) isoforms evolved towards LDH-2 and LDH-3, containing higher proportions of heart-specific subunits, and pyruvate dehydrogenase isoforms rearranged between E1alpha and E1beta, transitions favorable for substrate oxidation in mitochondria. Concomitantly, transcript levels of fetal pyruvate kinase isoform M2, aldolase 3, and transketolase, which shunt the glycolytic with pentose phosphate pathways, were reduced. Collectively, changes in glycolytic pathway modules indicate active redeployment, which would facilitate connectivity of the expanding mitochondrial network with ATP utilization sites. Thus, the delineated developmental dynamics of the glycolytic phosphotransfer network is integral to the remodeling of cellular energetic infrastructure underlying stem cell cardiogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan Chung
- Marriott Heart Disease Research Program, Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, Departments of Medicine, Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, and Medical Genetics, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, Stabile 5, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
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Zhao G, Karageorgos L, Hutchinson RG, Hopwood JJ, Hemsley K. Genetic manipulation of murine embryonic stem cells with enhanced green fluorescence protein and sulfatase-modifying factor I genes. Cytotherapy 2010; 12:400-7. [DOI: 10.3109/14653241003695026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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Karabekian Z, Gillum ND, Wong EWP, Sarvazyan N. Effects of N-cadherin overexpression on the adhesion properties of embryonic stem cells. Cell Adh Migr 2009; 3:305-10. [PMID: 19377287 DOI: 10.4161/cam.3.3.8399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Constitutive overexpression of N-cadherin in mouse embryonic stem cells led to marked changes in the phenotype and adhesion properties of these cells. The changes included the formation of smaller embryonic bodies, elevated mRNA and total protein levels of N-cadherin, and increased amounts of p120 catenin and connexin-43. N-cadherin cells exhibited decreased attachment to non-cell surfaces, while their adhesiveness to each other and to rat neonatal cardiomyocytes was significantly elevated. The findings suggest that N-cadherin overexpression can facilitate electromechanical integration of stem cells into excitable tissues with endogenously high levels of N-cadherin, such as the heart and brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zaruhi Karabekian
- Pharmacology and Physiology Department, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20037, USA
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Wu HT, Chou CK, Hung YC, Yu CK. Allotransplantation of Transgenic Mouse Ovaries Expressing Enhanced Green Fluorescent Protein under the Control of the Murine Phosphoglycerate Kinase 1 Promoter. Reprod Domest Anim 2009; 45:900-6. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0531.2009.01461.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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Transdifferentiation of stem cells: a critical view. ADVANCES IN BIOCHEMICAL ENGINEERING/BIOTECHNOLOGY 2009; 114:73-106. [PMID: 19343303 DOI: 10.1007/10_2008_49] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Recently a large amount of new data on the plasticity of stem cells of various lineages have emerged, providing new perspectives especially for the therapeutic application of adult stem cells. Previously unknown possibilities of cell differentiation beyond the known commitment of a given stem cell have been described using keywords such as "blood to liver," or "bone to brain." Controversies on the likelihood, as well as the biological significance, of these conversions almost immediately arose within this young field of stem cell biology. This chapter will concentrate on these controversies and focus on selected examples demonstrating the technical aspects of stem cell transdifferentiation and the evaluation of the tools used to analyze these events.
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