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El-Fateh M, Chatterjee A, Zhao X. A systematic review of peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) with antibacterial activities: Efficacy, potential and challenges. Int J Antimicrob Agents 2024; 63:107083. [PMID: 38185398 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2024.107083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
Peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) are synthetic molecules that are like DNA/RNA, but with different building blocks. PNAs target and bind to mRNAs and disrupt the function of a targeted gene, hence they have been studied as potential antibacterials. The aim of this systematic review was to provide an in-depth analysis of the current status of PNAs as antibacterial agents, define the characteristics of the effective PNA constructs, and address the gap in advancing PNAs to become clinically competent agents. Following the PRISMA model, four electronic databases were searched: Web of Science, PubMed, SciFinder and Scopus. A total of 627 articles published between 1994 and 2023 were found. After screening and a rigorous selection process using explicit inclusion and exclusion criteria, 65 scientific articles were selected, containing 656 minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) data. The antibacterial activity of PNAs was assessed against 20 bacterial species. The most studied Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria were Escherichia coli (n=266) and Staphylococcus aureus (n=53), respectively. In addition, the effect of PNA design, including construct length, binding location, and carrier agents, on antibacterial activity was shown. Finally, antibacterial test models to assess the inhibitory effects of PNAs were examined, emphasising gaps and prospects. This systematic review provides a comprehensive assessment of the potential of PNAs as antibacterial agents and offers valuable insights for researchers and clinicians seeking novel therapeutic strategies in the context of increasing rates of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed El-Fateh
- Department of Animal Science, McGill University, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC, Canada, H9X3V9; Department of Hygiene and Zoonoses, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mansoura University, 35516, El-Dakhelia, Egypt; Antimicrobial Regeneration Consortium Labs, Louisville, CO, 80027, USA
| | - Anushree Chatterjee
- Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, 80303, USA; Antimicrobial Regeneration Consortium Labs, Louisville, CO, 80027, USA
| | - Xin Zhao
- Department of Animal Science, McGill University, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC, Canada, H9X3V9; Antimicrobial Regeneration Consortium Labs, Louisville, CO, 80027, USA.
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Nazari MR, Mahmoodi MM, Kouhsari E, Shariati M, Maleki A. Investigating the Effectiveness of mqsR-Peptide Nucleic Acid as a Novel Solution for the Eradication of Persister Cells in Clinical Isolates of Escherichia coli. Clin Lab 2024; 70. [PMID: 38345980 DOI: 10.7754/clin.lab.2023.230406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/15/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bacterial persisters are non- or slow-growing phenotypic variants that may be responsible for recalcitrance and relapse of persistent infections and antibiotic failure. In Escherichia coli, mqsRA is a well-known type II toxin-antitoxin system associated with persister cell formation. This study aimed to investigate the efficiency of an antisense peptide nucleic acid (PNA) targeting mqsRA in eliminating E. coli persisters. METHODS The study included 600 non-duplicated urine samples from adult patients with suspected urinary tract infections. The isolates were subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility testing and bacterial persister cells assay. The presence of mqsRA in the isolates was evaluated by polymerase chain reaction. Finally, expression of the mqsR and mqsA genes was assessed after exposure to normal conditions, stress, and different concentrations of mqsR-PNA (1 - 35 μM). RESULTS The mqsR gene was significantly overexpressed under stress conditions, which was compensated by the PNA treatment. Complete inhibition of E. coli persister cells was achieved after overnight treatment with the anti-mqsR-PNA at concentrations ≥ 15 μM. CONCLUSIONS The growth of E. coli persister cells can be inhibited by the anti-mqsR-PNA. Further studies are required to evaluate the effectiveness of this antisense PNA in both preclinical and clinical settings.
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Polak A, Machnik G, Bułdak Ł, Ruczyński J, Prochera K, Bujak O, Mucha P, Rekowski P, Okopień B. The Application of Peptide Nucleic Acids (PNA) in the Inhibition of Proprotein Convertase Subtilisin/Kexin 9 ( PCSK9) Gene Expression in a Cell-Free Transcription/Translation System. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:1463. [PMID: 38338741 PMCID: PMC10855603 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25031463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin 9 (PCSK9) is a protein that plays a key role in the metabolism of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. The gain-of-function mutations of the PCSK9 gene lead to a reduced number of surface LDL receptors by binding to them, eventually leading to endosomal degradation. This, in turn, is the culprit of hypercholesterolemia, resulting in accelerated atherogenesis. The modern treatment for hypercholesterolemia encompasses the use of biological drugs against PCSK9, like monoclonal antibodies and gene expression modulators such as inclisiran-a short, interfering RNA (siRNA). Peptide nucleic acid (PNA) is a synthetic analog of nucleic acid that possesses a synthetic peptide skeleton instead of a phosphate-sugar one. This different structure determines the unique properties of PNA (e.g., neutral charge, enzymatic resistance, and an enormously high affinity with complementary DNA and RNA). Therefore, it might be possible to use PNA against PCSK9 in the treatment of hypercholesterolemia. We sought to explore the impact of three selected PNA oligomers on PCSK9 gene expression. Using a cell-free transcription/translation system, we showed that one of the tested PNA strands was able to reduce the PCSK9 gene expression down to 74%, 64%, and 68%, as measured by RT-real-time PCR, Western blot, and HPLC, respectively. This preliminary study shows the high applicability of a cell-free enzymatic environment as an efficient tool in the initial evaluation of biologically active PNA molecules in the field of hypercholesterolemia research. This cell-free approach allows for the omission of the hurdles associated with transmembrane PNA transportation at the early stage of PNA selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Polak
- Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Pharmacology, Faculty of Medical Science in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Medykow 18, 40-752 Katowice, Poland
| | - Grzegorz Machnik
- Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Pharmacology, Faculty of Medical Science in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Medykow 18, 40-752 Katowice, Poland
| | - Łukasz Bułdak
- Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Pharmacology, Faculty of Medical Science in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Medykow 18, 40-752 Katowice, Poland
| | - Jarosław Ruczyński
- Laboratory of Chemistry of Biologically Active Compounds, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland; (J.R.); (K.P.)
| | - Katarzyna Prochera
- Laboratory of Chemistry of Biologically Active Compounds, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland; (J.R.); (K.P.)
| | - Oliwia Bujak
- Laboratory of Chemistry of Biologically Active Compounds, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland; (J.R.); (K.P.)
| | - Piotr Mucha
- Laboratory of Chemistry of Biologically Active Compounds, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland; (J.R.); (K.P.)
| | - Piotr Rekowski
- Laboratory of Chemistry of Biologically Active Compounds, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland; (J.R.); (K.P.)
| | - Bogusław Okopień
- Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Pharmacology, Faculty of Medical Science in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Medykow 18, 40-752 Katowice, Poland
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Malik S, Pradeep SP, Kumar V, Xiao Y, Deng Y, Fan R, Vasquez JC, Singh V, Bahal R. Antitumor efficacy of a sequence-specific DNA-targeted γPNA-based c-Myc inhibitor. Cell Rep Med 2024; 5:101354. [PMID: 38183981 PMCID: PMC10829792 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2023.101354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Revised: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/08/2024]
Abstract
Targeting oncogenes at the genomic DNA level can open new avenues for precision medicine. Significant efforts are ongoing to target oncogenes using RNA-targeted and protein-targeted platforms, but no progress has been made to target genomic DNA for cancer therapy. Here, we introduce a gamma peptide nucleic acid (γPNA)-based genomic DNA-targeted platform to silence oncogenes in vivo. γPNAs efficiently invade the mixed sequences of genomic DNA with high affinity and specificity. As a proof of concept, we establish that γPNA can inhibit c-Myc transcription in multiple cell lines. We evaluate the in vivo efficacy and safety of genomic DNA targeting in three pre-clinical models. We also establish that anti-transcription γPNA in combination with histone deacetylase inhibitors and chemotherapeutic drugs results in robust antitumor activity in cell-line- and patient-derived xenografts. Overall, this strategy offers a unique therapeutic platform to target genomic DNA to inhibit oncogenes for cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shipra Malik
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
| | - Sai Pallavi Pradeep
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
| | - Vikas Kumar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
| | - Yong Xiao
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, Nanjing Brain Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yanxiang Deng
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Yale Stem Cell Center and Yale Cancer Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Rong Fan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Yale Stem Cell Center and Yale Cancer Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Human and Translational Immunology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Juan C Vasquez
- Department of Pediatrics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Vijender Singh
- Institute for Systems Genomics, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
| | - Raman Bahal
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA.
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Javanmard Z, Pourhajibagher M, Bahador A. Characteristics and Applications of Peptide Nucleic Acid in the Treatment of Infectious Diseases and the Effect of Antimicrobial Photodynamic Therapy on Treatment Effectiveness. Infect Disord Drug Targets 2024; 24:e240723219021. [PMID: 37723954 DOI: 10.2174/1871526523666230724120957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2022] [Revised: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023]
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance is a growing global problem, so there is an urgent need for new antimicrobial agents and strategies. Peptide nucleic acid (PNA) oligomers could be designed and utilized as gene-specific oligonucleotides to target any infectious agents. Selectivity and high-affinity binding are the main properties of PNA. However, in therapeutic applications, intracellular delivery of peptide nucleic acids is still a challenge. In photodynamic therapy (PDT), which could be a useful adjunct to mechanical and antibiotics in removing pathogenic agents, low-power lasers are used in appropriate wavelength for killing the microorganisms that have been treated with a photosensitizer drug. Antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) in combination with lipid-charged nanoparticles of PNA is a promising alternative therapy proposed to control infectious diseases. This review summarizes progress in the uptake of peptide nucleic acids at intracellular targets. In addition, we focus on recent nanoparticle- based strategies to efficiently deliver conventional and chemically modified peptide nucleic acids. The likely impact of using two treatment methods simultaneously, i.e., PNP and PDT, has already been discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahra Javanmard
- Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Maryam Pourhajibagher
- Dental Research Center, Dentistry Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Abbas Bahador
- Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Clinical Laboratory Sciences, BioHealth Lab, Tehran, Iran
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Kim SK, Lee JB, Lee HT, Yoon JW. Combined antimicrobial effect of two peptide nucleic acids against Staphylococcus aureus and S. pseudintermedius veterinary isolates. J Vet Sci 2024; 25:e12. [PMID: 38311325 PMCID: PMC10839180 DOI: 10.4142/jvs.23265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Staphylococcus aureus and S. pseudintermedius are the major etiological agents of staphylococcal infections in humans, livestock, and companion animals. The misuse of antimicrobial drugs has led to the emergence of antimicrobial-resistant Staphylococcus spp., including methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and methicillin-resistant S. pseudintermedius (MRSP). One novel therapeutic approach against MRSA and MRSP is a peptide nucleic acid (PNA) that can bind to the target nucleotide strands and block expression. Previously, two PNAs conjugated with cell-penetrating peptides (P-PNAs), antisense PNA (ASP)-cmk and ASP-deoD, targeting two essential genes in S. aureus, were constructed, and their antibacterial activities were analyzed. OBJECTIVES This study analyzed the combined antibacterial effects of P-PNAs on S. aureus and S. pseudintermedius clinical isolates. METHODS S. aureus ATCC 29740 cells were treated simultaneously with serially diluted ASP-cmk and ASP-deoD, and the minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were measured. The combined P-PNA mixture was then treated with S. aureus and S. pseudintermedius veterinary isolates at the determined MIC, and the antibacterial effect was examined. RESULTS The combined treatment of two P-PNAs showed higher antibacterial activity than the individual treatments. The MICs of two individual P-PNAs were 20 and 25 μM, whereas that of the combined treatment was 10 μM. The application of a combined treatment to clinical Staphylococcus spp. revealed S. aureus isolates to be resistant to P-PNAs and S. pseudintermedius isolates to be susceptible. CONCLUSIONS These observations highlight the complexity of designing ASPs with high efficacy for potential applications in treating staphylococcal infections in humans and animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Se Kye Kim
- College of Veterinary Medicine & Institute of Veterinary Science, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Korea
| | - Jun Bong Lee
- College of Veterinary Medicine & Institute of Veterinary Science, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Korea
| | | | - Jang Won Yoon
- College of Veterinary Medicine & Institute of Veterinary Science, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Korea.
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Shehzadi K, Yu M, Liang J. De Novo Potent Peptide Nucleic Acid Antisense Oligomer Inhibitors Targeting SARS-CoV-2 RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase via Structure-Guided Drug Design. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:17473. [PMID: 38139312 PMCID: PMC10744289 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242417473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Global reports of novel SARS-CoV-2 variants and recurrence cases continue despite substantial vaccination campaigns, raising severe concerns about COVID-19. While repurposed drugs offer some treatment options for COVID-19, notably, nucleoside inhibitors like Remdesivir stand out as curative therapies for COVID-19 that are approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The emergence of highly contagious SARS-CoV-2 variants underscores the imperative for antiviral drugs adaptable to evolving viral mutations. RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) plays a key role in viral genome replication. Currently, inhibiting viral RdRp function remains a pivotal strategy to tackle the notorious virus. Peptide nucleic acid (PNA) therapy shows promise by effectively targeting specific genome regions, reducing viral replication, and inhibiting infection. In our study, we designed PNA antisense oligomers conjugated with cell-penetrating peptides (CPP) aiming to evaluate their antiviral effects against RdRp target using structure-guided drug design, which involves molecular docking simulations, drug likeliness and pharmacokinetic evaluations, molecular dynamics simulations, and computing binding free energy. The in silico analysis predicts that chemically modified PNAs might act as antisense molecules in order to disrupt ribosome assembly at RdRp's translation start site, and their chemically stable and neutral backbone might enhance sequence-specific RNA binding interaction. Notably, our findings demonstrate that PNA-peptide conjugates might be the most promising inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 RdRp, with superior binding free energy compared to Remdesivir in the current COVID-19 medication. Specifically, PNA-CPP-1 could bind simultaneously to the active site residues of RdRp protein and sequence-specific RdRp-RNA target in order to control viral replication.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mingjia Yu
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecule Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100811, China;
| | - Jianhua Liang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecule Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100811, China;
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Zhu L, Liang J, Zheng Y, Chen S, Xu Q, Yin S, Hong Y, Cao W, Lai W, Gong Z. Combined mutations of the penA with ftsX genes contribute to ceftriaxone resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae and peptide nucleic acids targeting these genes reverse ceftriaxone resistance. J Glob Antimicrob Resist 2023; 35:19-25. [PMID: 37567469 DOI: 10.1016/j.jgar.2023.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2023] [Revised: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To investigate the gene mutations associated with ceftriaxone (CRO) resistance among gonococcal isolates, and to determine the effects of the mutated genes on CRO minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) with transformation assays and antisense peptide nucleic acids (asPNAs). METHODS Ceftriaxone-resistant (CROR) and ceftriaxone-susceptible (CROS) isolates were identified using EUCAST and paired according to similarity in their MICs to other antimicrobials. The two groups of gonococci were sequenced and analysed. Mutated genes that showed a statistical difference between the two groups were transformed into gonococcal reference strains to determine their functions. AsPNAs were designed and transformed into the former transformant to further confirm the effects of the mutated genes. RESULTS Twenty-two paired CROR and CROS isolates were obtained. The incidence of the penA-A501T and penA-G542S mutations individually, as well as combined mutations (penA-A501T and ftsX-R251H, penA-G542S and ftsX R251H), was statistically different between the two groups. The MIC of ATCC43069 (A43) increased 2 times following transformation with penA-A501T, and the MICs of A43 and ATCC49226 (A49) increased 32 times and 2 times following transformation with penA-A501T and ftsX-R251H, respectively. Antisense PNA-P3 reduced the MIC of the A43 transformant most significantly when transformed individually. PNA-P3 and PNA-F1 (asPNAs of the penA and ftsX) restored CRO susceptibility. CONCLUSIONS PenA-A501T and penA-G542S mutations are important in CRO resistance among gonococci isolates. The ftsX-R251H mutation is also related to CRO resistance, and combined mutations of ftsX-R251H and penA-A501T comediate a significant reduction in CRO susceptibility. The combined application of PNA-P3 and PNA-F1 could effectively reverse the resistance to CRO in N. gonorrhoeae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Zhu
- Department of Dermato-Venereology, Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jingyao Liang
- Department of Dermatology, Guangzhou Institute of Dermatology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yue Zheng
- Department of Dermato-Venereology, Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shaochun Chen
- Institute of Dermatology and Hospital for Skin Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Nanjing, China
| | - Qingfang Xu
- Department of Dermato-Venereology, Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Songchao Yin
- Department of Dermato-Venereology, Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yiyong Hong
- Department of Dermato-Venereology, Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wenling Cao
- Department of Dermatology, Guangzhou Institute of Dermatology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wei Lai
- Department of Dermato-Venereology, Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zijian Gong
- Department of Dermato-Venereology, Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.
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Singh G, Monga V. Peptide Nucleic Acids: Recent Developments in the Synthesis and Backbone Modifications. Bioorg Chem 2023; 141:106860. [PMID: 37748328 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2023.106860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Revised: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/09/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023]
Abstract
Nucleic acid represents the ideal drug candidate for protein targets that are hard to target or against which drug development is not easy. Peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) are synthesized by attaching modified peptide backbones generally derived from repetitive N-2-aminoethyl glycine units in place of the regular phosphodiester backbone and represent synthetic impersonator of nucleic acids that offers an exciting research field due to their fascinating spectrum of biotechnological, diagnostic and potential therapeutic applications. The semi-rigid peptide nucleic acid backbone serves as a nearly-perfect template for attaching complimentary base pairs on DNA or RNA in a sequence-dependent manner as described by Watson-Crick models. PNAs and their analogues are endowed with exceptionally high affinity and specificity for receptor sites, essentially due to their polyamide backbone's uncharged and flexible nature. The present review compiled various strategies to modify the polypeptide backbone for improving the target selectivity and stability of the PNAs in the body. The investigated biological activities carried out on PNAs have also been summarized in the present review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gurpreet Singh
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, ISF College of Pharmacy, GT Road, Ghal Kalan, Moga 142001, Punjab, India
| | - Vikramdeep Monga
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Natural Products, Central University of Punjab, VPO-Ghudda, Bathinda 151401, Punjab, India.
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Xing S, Lan X, Zhang J, Li M, Wang B. High-order framework nucleic acid for targeted-delivery of antisense peptide nucleic acids to overcome drug resistance. Chem Commun (Camb) 2023; 59:13223-13226. [PMID: 37855716 DOI: 10.1039/d3cc04298g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
A sophisticated high-order framework nucleic acid (FNA) was engineered for the targeted delivery and responsive release of environment tolerant antisense peptide nucleic acids (asPNAs). The dendritic FNA-asPNAs system was constructed via simple one-pot modular assembly and demonstrated a good synergistic effect with chemotherapy on drug resistant cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shu Xing
- Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201, China.
- Zhejiang International Scientific and Technological Cooperative Base of Biomedical Materials and Technology, Ningbo Cixi Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Ningbo 315300, China
| | - Xiaoqian Lan
- College of Science and Technology, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315300, China
| | - Jiaqian Zhang
- College of Science and Technology, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315300, China
| | - Meng Li
- Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201, China.
- Zhejiang International Scientific and Technological Cooperative Base of Biomedical Materials and Technology, Ningbo Cixi Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Ningbo 315300, China
| | - Bing Wang
- Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201, China.
- Zhejiang International Scientific and Technological Cooperative Base of Biomedical Materials and Technology, Ningbo Cixi Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Ningbo 315300, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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Tsylents U, Siekierska I, Trylska J. Peptide nucleic acid conjugates and their antimicrobial applications-a mini-review. Eur Biophys J 2023; 52:533-544. [PMID: 37610696 PMCID: PMC10618302 DOI: 10.1007/s00249-023-01673-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023]
Abstract
Peptide nucleic acid (PNA) is a nucleic acid mimic with high specificity and binding affinity to natural DNA or RNA, as well as resistance to enzymatic degradation. PNA sequences can be designed to selectively silence gene expression, which makes PNA a promising tool for antimicrobial applications. However, the poor membrane permeability of PNA remains the main limiting factor for its applications in cells. To overcome this obstacle, PNA conjugates with different molecules have been developed. This mini-review focuses on covalently linked conjugates of PNA with cell-penetrating peptides, aminosugars, aminoglycoside antibiotics, and non-peptidic molecules that were tested, primarily as PNA carriers, in antibacterial and antiviral applications. The chemistries of the conjugation and the applied linkers are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uladzislava Tsylents
- Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, Banacha 2C, 02-097, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Izabela Siekierska
- Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, Banacha 2C, 02-097, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Joanna Trylska
- Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, Banacha 2C, 02-097, Warsaw, Poland.
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Rastokina A, Cebrián J, Mozafari N, Mandel NH, Smith CI, Lopes M, Zain R, Mirkin S. Large-scale expansions of Friedreich's ataxia GAA•TTC repeats in an experimental human system: role of DNA replication and prevention by LNA-DNA oligonucleotides and PNA oligomers. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:8532-8549. [PMID: 37216608 PMCID: PMC10484681 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 05/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Friedreich's ataxia (FRDA) is caused by expansions of GAA•TTC repeats in the first intron of the human FXN gene that occur during both intergenerational transmissions and in somatic cells. Here we describe an experimental system to analyze large-scale repeat expansions in cultured human cells. It employs a shuttle plasmid that can replicate from the SV40 origin in human cells or be stably maintained in S. cerevisiae utilizing ARS4-CEN6. It also contains a selectable cassette allowing us to detect repeat expansions that accumulated in human cells upon plasmid transformation into yeast. We indeed observed massive expansions of GAA•TTC repeats, making it the first genetically tractable experimental system to study large-scale repeat expansions in human cells. Further, GAA•TTC repeats stall replication fork progression, while the frequency of repeat expansions appears to depend on proteins implicated in replication fork stalling, reversal, and restart. Locked nucleic acid (LNA)-DNA mixmer oligonucleotides and peptide nucleic acid (PNA) oligomers, which interfere with triplex formation at GAA•TTC repeats in vitro, prevented the expansion of these repeats in human cells. We hypothesize, therefore, that triplex formation by GAA•TTC repeats stall replication fork progression, ultimately leading to repeat expansions during replication fork restart.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jorge Cebrián
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA
| | - Negin Mozafari
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Translational Research Center Karolinska (TRACK), Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, SE-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - C I Edvard Smith
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Translational Research Center Karolinska (TRACK), Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, SE-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Massimo Lopes
- Institute of Molecular Cancer Research, University of Zurich, Zurich 8057, Switzerland
| | - Rula Zain
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Translational Research Center Karolinska (TRACK), Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, SE-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
- Center for Rare Diseases, Karolinska University Hospital, SE-17176 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Sergei M Mirkin
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA
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13
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Jung J, Popella L, Do PT, Pfau P, Vogel J, Barquist L. Design and off-target prediction for antisense oligomers targeting bacterial mRNAs with the MASON web server. RNA 2023; 29:570-583. [PMID: 36750372 PMCID: PMC10158992 DOI: 10.1261/rna.079263.122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Antisense oligomers (ASOs), such as peptide nucleic acids (PNAs), designed to inhibit the translation of essential bacterial genes, have emerged as attractive sequence- and species-specific programmable RNA antibiotics. Yet, potential drawbacks include unwanted side effects caused by their binding to transcripts other than the intended target. To facilitate the design of PNAs with minimal off-target effects, we developed MASON (make antisense oligomers now), a web server for the design of PNAs that target bacterial mRNAs. MASON generates PNA sequences complementary to the translational start site of a bacterial gene of interest and reports critical sequence attributes and potential off-target sites. We based MASON's off-target predictions on experiments in which we treated Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium with a series of 10-mer PNAs derived from a PNA targeting the essential gene acpP but carrying two serial mismatches. Growth inhibition and RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) data revealed that PNAs with terminal mismatches are still able to target acpP, suggesting wider off-target effects than anticipated. Comparison of these results to an RNA-seq data set from uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) treated with eleven different PNAs confirmed that our findings are not unique to Salmonella We believe that MASON's off-target assessment will improve the design of specific PNAs and other ASOs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakob Jung
- Institute for Molecular Infection Biology, University of Würzburg, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Linda Popella
- Institute for Molecular Infection Biology, University of Würzburg, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Phuong Thao Do
- Institute for Molecular Infection Biology, University of Würzburg, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), 97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Patrick Pfau
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Würzburg, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Jörg Vogel
- Institute for Molecular Infection Biology, University of Würzburg, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), 97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Lars Barquist
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), 97080 Würzburg, Germany
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Würzburg, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
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14
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Kumar V, Wahane A, Gupta A, Manautou JE, Bahal R. Multivalent Lactobionic Acid and N-Acetylgalactosamine-Conjugated Peptide Nucleic Acids for Efficient In Vivo Targeting of Hepatocytes. Adv Healthc Mater 2023; 12:e2202859. [PMID: 36636995 PMCID: PMC10175146 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202202859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2022] [Revised: 12/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) are used/applied in various studies to target genomic DNA and RNA to modulate gene expression. Non-specific targeting and rapid elimination always remain a challenge for PNA-based applications. Here, the synthesis, characterization, in vitro and in vivo study of di lactobionic acid (diLBA) and tris N-acetyl galactosamine (tGalNAc) conjugated PNAs for liver-targeted delivery are reported. For proof of concept, diLBA, and tGalNAc conjugated PNAs (anti-miR-122 PNAs) were synthesized to target microRNA-122 (miR-122) which is over-expressed in the hepatic tissue. Different lengths of anti-miR-122 PNAs conjugated with diLBA and tGalNAc are tested. Cell culture and in vivo analyses to determine biodistribution, efficacy, and toxicity profile are performed. This work indicates that diLBA conjugates show significant retention in hepatocytes in addition to tGalNAc conjugates after in vivo delivery. Full-length PNA conjugates show significant downregulation of miR-122 levels and subsequent de-repression of its downstream targets with no evidence of toxicity. The results provide a robust framework for ligand-conjugated delivery systems for PNAs that can be explored for broader biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vikas Kumar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA
| | - Aniket Wahane
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA
| | - Anisha Gupta
- School of Pharmacy, University of Saint Joseph, West Hartford, CT, 06117, USA
| | - José E Manautou
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA
| | - Raman Bahal
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA
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15
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Pradeep SP, Malik S, Slack FJ, Bahal R. Unlocking the potential of chemically modified peptide nucleic acids for RNA-based therapeutics. RNA 2023; 29:434-445. [PMID: 36653113 PMCID: PMC10019372 DOI: 10.1261/rna.079498.122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
RNA therapeutics have emerged as next-generation therapy for the treatment of many diseases. Unlike small molecules, RNA targeted drugs are not limited by the availability of binding pockets on the protein, but rather utilize Watson-Crick (WC) base-pairing rules to recognize the target RNA and modulate gene expression. Antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) present a powerful therapeutic approach to treat disorders triggered by genetic alterations. ASOs recognize the cognate site on the target RNA to alter gene expression. Nine single-stranded ASOs have been approved for clinical use and several candidates are in late-stage clinical trials for both rare and common diseases. Several chemical modifications, including phosphorothioates, locked nucleic acid, phosphorodiamidate, morpholino, and peptide nucleic acids (PNAs), have been investigated for efficient RNA targeting. PNAs are synthetic DNA mimics where the deoxyribose phosphate backbone is replaced by N-(2-aminoethyl)-glycine units. The neutral pseudopeptide backbone of PNAs contributes to enhanced binding affinity and high biological stability. PNAs hybridize with the complementary site in the target RNA and act by a steric hindrance--based mechanism. In the last three decades, various PNA designs, chemical modifications, and delivery strategies have been explored to demonstrate their potential as an effective and safe RNA-targeting platform. This review covers the advances in PNA-mediated targeting of coding and noncoding RNAs for a myriad of therapeutic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sai Pallavi Pradeep
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, USA
| | - Shipra Malik
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, USA
| | - Frank J Slack
- HMS Initiative for RNA Medicine, Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
| | - Raman Bahal
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, USA
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16
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Wang Y, Malik S, Suh HW, Xiao Y, Deng Y, Fan R, Huttner A, Bindra RS, Singh V, Saltzman WM, Bahal R. Anti-seed PNAs targeting multiple oncomiRs for brain tumor therapy. Sci Adv 2023; 9:eabq7459. [PMID: 36753549 PMCID: PMC9908025 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abq7459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Glioblastoma (GBM) is one of the most lethal malignancies with poor survival and high recurrence rates. Here, we aimed to simultaneously target oncomiRs 10b and 21, reported to drive GBM progression and invasiveness. We designed short (8-mer) γ-modified peptide nucleic acids (sγPNAs), targeting the seed region of oncomiRs 10b and 21. We entrapped these anti-miR sγPNAs in nanoparticles (NPs) formed from a block copolymer of poly(lactic acid) and hyperbranched polyglycerol (PLA-HPG). The surface of the NPs was functionalized with aldehydes to produce bioadhesive NPs (BNPs) with superior transfection efficiency and tropism for tumor cells. When combined with temozolomide, sγPNA BNPs administered via convection-enhanced delivery (CED) markedly increased the survival (>120 days) of two orthotopic (intracranial) mouse models of GBM. Hence, we established that BNPs loaded with anti-seed sγPNAs targeting multiple oncomiRs are a promising approach to improve the treatment of GBM, with a potential to personalize treatment based on tumor-specific oncomiRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yazhe Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Shipra Malik
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
| | - Hee-Won Suh
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Yong Xiao
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Yanxiang Deng
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Rong Fan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Anita Huttner
- Department of Pathology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Ranjit S. Bindra
- Department of Therapeutic Radiology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Vijender Singh
- Computational Biology Core, Institute for Systems Genomics, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
| | - W. Mark Saltzman
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Raman Bahal
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
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17
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Barkowsky G, Abt C, Pöhner I, Bieda A, Hammerschmidt S, Jacob A, Kreikemeyer B, Patenge N. Antimicrobial Activity of Peptide-Coupled Antisense Peptide Nucleic Acids in Streptococcus pneumoniae. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0049722. [PMID: 36321914 PMCID: PMC9784828 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00497-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus pneumoniae is the most common cause of community-acquired pneumonia and is responsible for multiple other infectious diseases, such as meningitis and otitis media, in children. Resistance to penicillins, macrolides, and fluoroquinolones is increasing and, since the introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs), vaccine serotypes have been replaced by non-vaccine serotypes. Antisense peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) have been shown to reduce the growth of several pathogenic bacteria in various infection models. PNAs are frequently coupled to cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) to improve spontaneous cellular PNA uptake. In this study, different CPPs were investigated for their capability to support translocation of antisense PNAs into S. pneumoniae. HIV-1 TAT- and (RXR)4XB-coupled antisense PNAs efficiently reduced the viability of S. pneumoniae strains TIGR4 and D39 in vitro. Two essential genes, gyrA and rpoB, were used as targets for antisense PNAs. Overall, the antimicrobial activity of anti-gyrA PNAs was higher than that of anti-rpoB PNAs. Target gene transcription levels in S. pneumoniae were reduced following antisense PNA treatment. The effect of HIV-1 TAT- and (RXR)4XB-anti-gyrA PNAs on pneumococcal survival was also studied in vivo using an insect infection model. Treatment increased the survival of infected Galleria mellonella larvae. Our results represent a proof of principle and may provide a basis for the development of efficient antisense molecules for treatment of S. pneumoniae infections. IMPORTANCE Streptococcus pneumoniae is the most common cause of community-acquired pneumonia and is responsible for the deaths of up to 2 million children each year. Antibiotic resistance and strain replacement by non-vaccine serotypes are growing problems. For this reason, S. pneumoniae has been added to the WHO "global priority list" of antibiotic-resistant bacteria for which novel antimicrobials are most urgently needed. In this study, we investigated whether CPP-coupled antisense PNAs show antibacterial activity in S. pneumoniae. We demonstrated that HIV-1 TAT- and (RXR)4XB-coupled antisense PNAs were able to kill S. pneumoniae in vitro. The specificity of the antimicrobial effect was verified by reduced target gene transcription levels in S. pneumoniae. Moreover, CPP-antisense PNA treatment increased the survival rate of infected Galleria mellonella larvae in vivo. Based on these results, we believe that efficient antisense PNAs can be developed for the treatment of S. pneumoniae infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gina Barkowsky
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, Virology and Hygiene, University Medicine Rostock, Rostock, Germany
| | - Corina Abt
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, Virology and Hygiene, University Medicine Rostock, Rostock, Germany
| | - Irina Pöhner
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, Virology and Hygiene, University Medicine Rostock, Rostock, Germany
| | - Adam Bieda
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, Virology and Hygiene, University Medicine Rostock, Rostock, Germany
| | - Sven Hammerschmidt
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Infection Biology, Interfaculty Institute for Genetics and Functional Genomics, Center for Functional Genomics of Microbes, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Anette Jacob
- Peps4LS GmbH, Heidelberg, Germany
- Functional Genome Analysis, Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Bernd Kreikemeyer
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, Virology and Hygiene, University Medicine Rostock, Rostock, Germany
| | - Nadja Patenge
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, Virology and Hygiene, University Medicine Rostock, Rostock, Germany
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18
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Abstract
An increasing number of bacterial pathogens are acquiring resistance to the commonly used antibiotics. This has spurred a global threat leading to a resistance era and has penetrated the consciousness of the common people and the clinicians alike. The delay in discovering new antibiotics has exacerbated the resistance problem, forcing researchers to focus on unconventional antimicrobial therapeutics that differ from conventional antibiotics. Alternative therapies have emerged in recent years, including antimicrobial peptides, phage therapy, efflux pump inhibitors, antibodies, and immunomodulatory agents, which have produced impressive results in both laboratory and in clinical trials. Additionally, ultra-narrow-spectrum therapeutics such as CRISPR-Cas system and peptide nucleic acids aided in the development of sequence-specific antimicrobials. Moreover, combinatorial therapies that combine these new approaches have been efficient enough to get approval for clinical use and have accelerated the discovery of novel combination approaches that enhance the performance of already in-use antibiotics. In this review, we provide an overview of these approaches along with studies that focus on the uncharted microbial territories that have been able to deliver some of the important new antibiotics of recent times. It is hoped that the information gathered in this article will provide an update on the current antibiotic resistance threat and encourage profound research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aditya Narayan Konwar
- Microbial Biotechnology Laboratory, Life Sciences Division, Institute of Advanced Studies in Science and Technology, Guwahati, Assam, 781035, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India
| | - Shabiha Nudrat Hazarika
- Microbial Biotechnology Laboratory, Life Sciences Division, Institute of Advanced Studies in Science and Technology, Guwahati, Assam, 781035, India
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Cotton University, Guwahati, Assam, 781001, India
| | - Pranami Bharadwaj
- Microbial Biotechnology Laboratory, Life Sciences Division, Institute of Advanced Studies in Science and Technology, Guwahati, Assam, 781035, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India
| | - Debajit Thakur
- Microbial Biotechnology Laboratory, Life Sciences Division, Institute of Advanced Studies in Science and Technology, Guwahati, Assam, 781035, India.
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Dhuri K, Pradeep SP, Shi J, Anastasiadou E, Slack FJ, Gupta A, Zhong XB, Bahal R. Simultaneous Targeting of Multiple oncomiRs with Phosphorothioate or PNA-Based Anti-miRs in Lymphoma Cell Lines. Pharm Res 2022; 39:2709-2720. [PMID: 36071352 PMCID: PMC9879158 DOI: 10.1007/s11095-022-03383-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 08/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short (~ 22 nts) RNAs that regulate gene expression via binding to mRNA. MiRNAs promoting cancer are known as oncomiRs. Targeting oncomiRs is an emerging area of cancer therapy. OncomiR-21 and oncomiR-155 are highly upregulated in lymphoma cells, which are dependent on these oncomiRs for survival. Targeting specific miRNAs and determining their effect on cancer cell progression and metastasis have been the focus of various studies. Inhibiting a single miRNA can have a limited effect, as there may be other overexpressed miRNAs present that may promote tumor proliferation. Herein, we target miR-21 and miR-155 simultaneously using nanoparticles delivered two different classes of antimiRs: phosphorothioates (PS) and peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) and compared their efficacy in lymphoma cell lines. METHODS Poly-Lactic-co-Glycolic acid (PLGA) nanoparticles (NPs) containing PS and PNA-based antimiR-21 and -155 were formulated, and comprehensive NP characterizations: morphology (scanning electron microscopy), size (differential light scattering), and surface charge (zeta potential) were performed. Cellular uptake analysis was performed using a confocal microscope and flow cytometry analysis. The oncomiR knockdown and the effect on downstream targets were confirmed by gene expression (real time-polymerase chain reaction) assay. RESULTS We demonstrated that simultaneous targeting with NP delivered PS and PNA-based antimiRs resulted in significant knockdown of miR-21 and miR-155, as well as their downstream target genes followed by reduced cell viability ex vivo. CONCLUSIONS This project demonstrated that targeting miRNA-155 and miR-21 simultaneously using nanotechnology and a diverse class of antisense oligomers can be used as an effective approach for lymphoma therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karishma Dhuri
- Department of Pharmaceutical Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA
| | - Sai Pallavi Pradeep
- Department of Pharmaceutical Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA
| | - Jason Shi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA
| | - Eleni Anastasiadou
- HMS Initiative for RNA Medicine, Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Frank J Slack
- HMS Initiative for RNA Medicine, Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Anisha Gupta
- School of Pharmacy, University of Saint Joseph, West Hartford, CT, 06117, USA
| | - Xiao-Bo Zhong
- Department of Pharmaceutical Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA
| | - Raman Bahal
- Department of Pharmaceutical Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA.
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20
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Economos NG, Quijano E, Carufe KEW, Perera J, Glazer P. Antispacer peptide nucleic acids for sequence-specific CRISPR-Cas9 modulation. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:e59. [PMID: 35235944 PMCID: PMC9177974 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Revised: 01/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the rapid and broad implementation of CRISPR-Cas9-based technologies, convenient tools to modulate dose, timing, and precision remain limited. Building on methods using synthetic peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) to bind RNA with unusually high affinity, we describe guide RNA (gRNA) spacer-targeted, or 'antispacer', PNAs as a tool to modulate Cas9 binding and activity in cells in a sequence-specific manner. We demonstrate that PNAs rapidly and efficiently target complexed gRNA spacer sequences at low doses and without design restriction for sequence-selective Cas9 inhibition. We further show that short PAM-proximal antispacer PNAs achieve potent cleavage inhibition (over 2000-fold reduction) and that PAM-distal PNAs modify gRNA affinity to promote on-target specificity. Finally, we apply antispacer PNAs for temporal regulation of two dCas9-fusion systems. These results present a novel rational approach to nucleoprotein engineering and describe a rapidly implementable antisense platform for CRISPR-Cas9 modulation to improve spatiotemporal versatility and safety across applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas G Economos
- Department of Therapeutic Radiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520 USA
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520 USA
| | - Elias Quijano
- Department of Therapeutic Radiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520 USA
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520 USA
| | - Kelly E W Carufe
- Department of Therapeutic Radiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520 USA
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520 USA
| | - J Dinithi R Perera
- Department of Therapeutic Radiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520 USA
| | - Peter M Glazer
- Department of Therapeutic Radiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520 USA
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520 USA
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21
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Gasparello J, Papi C, Zurlo M, Gambari L, Rozzi A, Manicardi A, Corradini R, Gambari R, Finotti A. Treatment of Human Glioblastoma U251 Cells with Sulforaphane and a Peptide Nucleic Acid (PNA) Targeting miR-15b-5p: Synergistic Effects on Induction of Apoptosis. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27041299. [PMID: 35209084 PMCID: PMC8875359 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27041299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Revised: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a lethal malignant tumor accounting for 42% of the tumors of the central nervous system, the median survival being 15 months. At present, no curative treatment is available for GBM and new drugs and therapeutic protocols are urgently needed. In this context, combined therapy appears to be a very interesting approach. The isothiocyanate sulforaphane (SFN) has been previously shown to induce apoptosis and inhibit the growth and invasion of GBM cells. On the other hand, the microRNA miR-15b is involved in invasiveness and proliferation in GBM and its inhibition is associated with the induction of apoptosis. On the basis of these observations, the objective of the present study was to determine whether a combined treatment using SFN and a peptide nucleic acid interfering with miR-15b-5p (PNA-a15b) might be proposed for increasing the pro-apoptotic effects of the single agents. To verify this hypothesis, we have treated GMB U251 cells with SFN alone, PNA-a15b alone or their combination. The cell viability, apoptosis and combination index were, respectively, analyzed by calcein staining, annexin-V and caspase-3/7 assays, and RT-qPCR for genes involved in apoptosis. The efficacy of the PNA-a15b determined the miR-15b-5p content analyzed by RT-qPCR. The results obtained indicate that SFN and PNA-a15b synergistically act in inducing the apoptosis of U251 cells. Therefore, the PNA-a15b might be proposed in a “combo-therapy” associated with SFN. Overall, this study suggests the feasibility of using combined treatments based on PNAs targeting miRNA involved in GBM and nutraceuticals able to stimulate apoptosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Gasparello
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy; (J.G.); (C.P.); (M.Z.)
| | - Chiara Papi
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy; (J.G.); (C.P.); (M.Z.)
| | - Matteo Zurlo
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy; (J.G.); (C.P.); (M.Z.)
| | - Laura Gambari
- Laboratorio RAMSES, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, 40136 Bologna, Italy;
| | - Andrea Rozzi
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, 43124 Parma, Italy; (A.R.); (A.M.); (R.C.)
| | - Alex Manicardi
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, 43124 Parma, Italy; (A.R.); (A.M.); (R.C.)
| | - Roberto Corradini
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, 43124 Parma, Italy; (A.R.); (A.M.); (R.C.)
| | - Roberto Gambari
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy; (J.G.); (C.P.); (M.Z.)
- Correspondence: (R.G.); (A.F.); Tel.: +39-0532-974443 (R.G.); +39-0532-974510 (A.F.); Fax: +39-0532-974500 (R.G. & A.F.)
| | - Alessia Finotti
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy; (J.G.); (C.P.); (M.Z.)
- Correspondence: (R.G.); (A.F.); Tel.: +39-0532-974443 (R.G.); +39-0532-974510 (A.F.); Fax: +39-0532-974500 (R.G. & A.F.)
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22
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Wahane A, Malik S, Shih KC, Gaddam RR, Chen C, Liu Y, Nieh MP, Vikram A, Bahal R. Dual-Modality Poly-l-histidine Nanoparticles to Deliver Peptide Nucleic Acids and Paclitaxel for In Vivo Cancer Therapy. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2021; 13:45244-45258. [PMID: 34524806 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c11981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Cationic polymeric nanoformulations have been explored to increase the transfection efficiency of small molecules and nucleic acid-based drugs. However, an excessive positive charge density often leads to severe cell and tissue-based toxicity that restricts the clinical translation of cationic polymeric nanoformulations. Herein, we investigate a series of cationic poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA)-histidine-based nanoformulations for enhanced cytoplasmic delivery with minimal toxicity. PLGA/poly-l-histidine nanoparticles show promising physico-biochemical features and transfection efficiency in a series of in vitro and cell culture-based studies. Further, the use of acetone/dichloromethane as a solvent mixture during the formulation process significantly improves the morphology and size distribution of PLGA/poly-l-histidine nanoparticles. PLGA/poly-l-histidine nanoformulations undergo clathrin-mediated endocytosis. A contrast-matched small-angle neutron scattering experiment confirmed poly-l-histidine's distribution on the PLGA nanoformulations. PLGA/poly-l-histidine formulations containing paclitaxel as a small molecule-based drug and peptide nucleic acids targeting microRNA-155 as nucleic acid analog are efficacious in in vitro and in vivo studies. PLGA/poly-l-histidine NPs significantly decrease tumor growth in PNA-155 (∼6 fold) and paclitaxel (∼6.5 fold) treatment groups in a lymphoma cell line derived xenograft mice model without inducing any toxicity. Hence, PLGA/poly-l-histidine nanoformulations exhibit substantial transfection efficiency and are safe to deliver reagents ranging from small molecules to synthetic nucleic acid analogs and can serve as a novel platform for drug delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aniket Wahane
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, United States
| | - Shipra Malik
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, United States
| | - Kuo-Chih Shih
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, United States
| | - Ravinder Reddy Gaddam
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, United States
| | - Chaohao Chen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, United States
| | - Yun Liu
- NIST Center for Neutron Research, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899, United States
| | - Mu-Ping Nieh
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, United States
- Polymer Program, Institute of Materials Science, University of Connecticut, 191 Auditorium Road, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, United States
| | - Ajit Vikram
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, United States
| | - Raman Bahal
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, United States
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23
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da Silva KE, Ribeiro SM, Rossato L, Dos Santos CP, Preza SE, Cardoso MH, Franco OL, Migliolo L, Simionatto S. Antisense peptide nucleic acid inhibits the growth of KPC-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae strain. Res Microbiol 2021; 172:103837. [PMID: 34029675 DOI: 10.1016/j.resmic.2021.103837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Revised: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Klebsiella pneumoniae causes common and severe hospital- and community-acquired infections with a high incidence of multidrug resistance (MDR) and mortality. In this study, we investigated the ability of the antisense peptide nucleic acids (PNA) conjugated to the (KFF)3K cell-penetrating peptide (CPP) to target the gyrA KPC-producing K. pneumoniae and inhibit bacterial growth in vitro. The inhibitory effect on gyrA gene was evaluated by measuring 16s gene amplification in KPC-producing K. pneumoniae treated with the antisense PNA conjugate. The hemolytic property of the antisense PNA conjugate was accessed toward mice red blood cells. Finally, molecular modeling and dynamics simulations analyses in aqueous solutions were performed to predict the PNA conformation alone in contact with DNA (gyrA gene sequence). PNA was capable of inhibiting bacterial growth at 50 μM, also reducing 16S gene amplification in 96.7%. Besides, PNA presented low hemolytic activity (21.1% hemolysis) at this same concentration. Bioinformatics analysis demonstrated that the structure of the PNA is stable in water without major changes in its secondary structure. The ability of PNA and its conjugated CPP ((KFF)3K) to inhibit bacterial growth demonstrates the potential of this new class of antibacterial agents, encouraging further in vivo studies to confirm its therapeutic efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kesia Esther da Silva
- Laboratório de Pesquisa em Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal da Grande Dourados - UFGD, Dourados, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.
| | - Suzana Meira Ribeiro
- Laboratório de Pesquisa em Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal da Grande Dourados - UFGD, Dourados, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.
| | - Luana Rossato
- Laboratório de Pesquisa em Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal da Grande Dourados - UFGD, Dourados, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.
| | - Caroline Paes Dos Santos
- Laboratório de Pesquisa em Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal da Grande Dourados - UFGD, Dourados, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.
| | - Sergio Espindola Preza
- S-inova Biotech, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Dom Bosco, 79117900, Brazil.
| | - Marlon Henrique Cardoso
- S-inova Biotech, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Dom Bosco, 79117900, Brazil.
| | - Octávio Luiz Franco
- S-inova Biotech, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Dom Bosco, 79117900, Brazil; Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Pós-Graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília, 70790160, Brazil.
| | - Ludovico Migliolo
- S-inova Biotech, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Dom Bosco, 79117900, Brazil.
| | - Simone Simionatto
- Laboratório de Pesquisa em Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal da Grande Dourados - UFGD, Dourados, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.
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24
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Barkowsky G, Kreikemeyer B, Patenge N. Validation of Suitable Carrier Molecules and Target Genes for Antisense Therapy Using Peptide-Coupled Peptide Nucleic Acids (PNAs) in Streptococci. Methods Mol Biol 2021; 2136:339-345. [PMID: 32430835 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-0467-0_27] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Antisense peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) targeting genes involved in metabolism or virulence are a possible means to treat infections or to investigate pathogenic bacteria. Potential targets include essential genes, virulence factor genes, or antibiotic resistance genes. For efficient cellular uptake, PNAs can be coupled to cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs). CPPs are peptides that serve as molecular transporters and are characterized by a comparably low cytotoxicity. So far, there is only limited information about CPPs that mediate PNA uptake by Gram-positive bacteria. Here, we describe two methods to identify suitable CPP-antisense PNA conjugates, novel carrier molecules, and efficient target genes for streptococcal species and to evaluate their antimicrobial efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gina Barkowsky
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, Virology and Hygiene, University Medicine Rostock, Rostock, Germany
| | - Bernd Kreikemeyer
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, Virology and Hygiene, University Medicine Rostock, Rostock, Germany
| | - Nadja Patenge
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, Virology and Hygiene, University Medicine Rostock, Rostock, Germany.
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25
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Lu Z, Paolella BR, Truex NL, Loftis AR, Liao X, Rabideau AE, Brown MS, Busanovich J, Beroukhim R, Pentelute BL. Targeting Cancer Gene Dependencies with Anthrax-Mediated Delivery of Peptide Nucleic Acids. ACS Chem Biol 2020; 15:1358-1369. [PMID: 32348107 PMCID: PMC7521945 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.9b01027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Antisense oligonucleotide therapies are important cancer treatments, which can suppress genes in cancer cells that are critical for cell survival. SF3B1 has recently emerged as a promising gene target that encodes a key splicing factor in the SF3B protein complex. Over 10% of cancers have lost one or more copies of the SF3B1 gene, rendering these cancers vulnerable after further suppression. SF3B1 is just one example of a CYCLOPS (Copy-number alterations Yielding Cancer Liabilities Owing to Partial losS) gene, but over 120 additional candidate CYCLOPS genes are known. Antisense oligonucleotide therapies for cancer offer the promise of effective suppression for CYCLOPS genes, but developing these treatments is difficult due to their limited permeability into cells and poor cytosolic stability. Here, we develop an effective approach to suppress CYCLOPS genes by delivering antisense peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) into the cytosol of cancer cells. We achieve efficient cytosolic PNA delivery with the two main nontoxic components of the anthrax toxin: protective antigen (PA) and the 263-residue N-terminal domain of lethal factor (LFN). Sortase-mediated ligation readily enables the conjugation of PNAs to the C terminus of the LFN protein. LFN and PA work together in concert to translocate PNAs into the cytosol of mammalian cells. Antisense SF3B1 PNAs delivered with the LFN/PA system suppress the SF3B1 gene and decrease cell viability, particularly of cancer cells with partial copy-number loss of SF3B1. Moreover, antisense SF3B1 PNAs delivered with a HER2-binding PA variant selectively target cancer cells that overexpress the HER2 cell receptor, demonstrating receptor-specific targeting of cancer cells. Taken together, our efforts illustrate how PA-mediated delivery of PNAs provides an effective and general approach for delivering antisense PNA therapeutics and for targeting gene dependencies in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeyu Lu
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - Brenton R. Paolella
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - Nicholas L. Truex
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - Alexander R. Loftis
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - Xiaoli Liao
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - Amy E. Rabideau
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - Meredith S. Brown
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - John Busanovich
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - Rameen Beroukhim
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - Bradley L. Pentelute
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
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26
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Mercurio S, Cauteruccio S, Manenti R, Candiani S, Scarì G, Licandro E, Pennati R. Exploring miR-9 Involvement in Ciona intestinalis Neural Development Using Peptide Nucleic Acids. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21062001. [PMID: 32183450 PMCID: PMC7139483 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21062001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2020] [Revised: 03/12/2020] [Accepted: 03/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The microRNAs are small RNAs that regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level and can be involved in the onset of neurodegenerative diseases and cancer. They are emerging as possible targets for antisense-based therapy, even though the in vivo stability of miRNA analogues is still questioned. We tested the ability of peptide nucleic acids, a novel class of nucleic acid mimics, to downregulate miR-9 in vivo in an invertebrate model organism, the ascidian Ciona intestinalis, by microinjection of antisense molecules in the eggs. It is known that miR-9 is a well-conserved microRNA in bilaterians and we found that it is expressed in epidermal sensory neurons of the tail in the larva of C. intestinalis. Larvae developed from injected eggs showed a reduced differentiation of tail neurons, confirming the possibility to use peptide nucleic acid PNA to downregulate miRNA in a whole organism. By identifying putative targets of miR-9, we discuss the role of this miRNA in the development of the peripheral nervous system of ascidians.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Mercurio
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milano, Italy; (S.M.); (R.M.); (R.P.)
| | - Silvia Cauteruccio
- Department of Chemistry, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milano, Italy;
- Correspondence: (S.C.); (S.C.); Tel.: +39-0250314147 (S.C.); +39-0103538051 (S.C.)
| | - Raoul Manenti
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milano, Italy; (S.M.); (R.M.); (R.P.)
| | - Simona Candiani
- Department of Earth Science, Environment and Life, Università degli Studi di Genova, 16132 Genova, Italy
- Correspondence: (S.C.); (S.C.); Tel.: +39-0250314147 (S.C.); +39-0103538051 (S.C.)
| | - Giorgio Scarì
- Department of Biosciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milano, Italy;
| | - Emanuela Licandro
- Department of Chemistry, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milano, Italy;
| | - Roberta Pennati
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milano, Italy; (S.M.); (R.M.); (R.P.)
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27
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Mercurio S, Cauteruccio S, Manenti R, Candiani S, Scarì G, Licandro E, Pennati R. miR-7 Knockdown by Peptide Nucleic Acids in the Ascidian Ciona intestinalis. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20205127. [PMID: 31623150 PMCID: PMC6829576 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20205127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2019] [Revised: 10/10/2019] [Accepted: 10/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Peptide Nucleic Acids (PNAs) are synthetic mimics of natural oligonucleotides, which bind complementary DNA/RNA strands with high sequence specificity. They display numerous advantages, but in vivo applications are still rare. One of the main drawbacks of PNAs application is the poor cellular uptake that could be overcome by using experimental models, in which microinjection techniques allow direct delivery of molecules into eggs. Thus, in this communication, we investigated PNAs efficiency in miR-7 downregulation and compared its effects with those obtained with the commercially available antisense molecule, Antagomir (Dharmacon) in the ascidian Ciona intestinalis. Ascidians are marine invertebrates closely related to vertebrates, in which PNA techniques have not been applied yet. Our results suggested that anti-miR-7 PNAs were able to reach their specific targets in the developing ascidian embryos with high efficiency, as the same effects were obtained with both PNA and Antagomir. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first evidence that unmodified PNAs can be applied in in vivo knockdown strategies when directly injected into eggs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Mercurio
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milano, Italy.
| | - Silvia Cauteruccio
- Department of Chemistry, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milano, Italy.
| | - Raoul Manenti
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milano, Italy.
| | - Simona Candiani
- Department of Earth Science, Environment and Life, Università degli Studi di Genova, 16126 Genova, Italy.
| | - Giorgio Scarì
- Department of Biosciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milano, Italy.
| | - Emanuela Licandro
- Department of Chemistry, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milano, Italy.
| | - Roberta Pennati
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milano, Italy.
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28
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Gasparello J, Papi C, Zurlo M, Corradini R, Gambari R, Finotti A. Demonstrating specificity of bioactive peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) targeting microRNAs for practical laboratory classes of applied biochemistry and pharmacology. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0221923. [PMID: 31509554 PMCID: PMC6738603 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0221923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2019] [Accepted: 08/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Practical laboratory classes teaching molecular pharmacology approaches employed in the development of therapeutic strategies are of great interest for students of courses in Biotechnology, Applied Biology, Pharmaceutic and Technology Chemistry, Translational Oncology. Unfortunately, in most cases the technology to be transferred to learning students is complex and requires multi-step approaches. In this respect, simple and straightforward experimental protocols might be of great interest. This study was aimed at presenting a laboratory exercise focusing (a) on a very challenging therapeutic strategy, i.e. microRNA therapeutics, and (b) on the employment of biomolecules of great interest in applied biology and pharmacology, i.e. peptide nucleic acids (PNAs). The aims of the practical laboratory were to determine: (a) the possible PNA-mediated arrest in RT-qPCR, to be eventually used to demonstrate PNA targeting of selected miRNAs; (b) the possible lack of activity on mutated PNA sequences; (c) the effects (if any) on the amplification of other unrelated miRNA sequences. The results which can be obtained support the following conclusions: PNA-mediated arrest in RT-qPCR can be analyzed in a easy way; mutated PNA sequences are completely inactive; the effects of the employed PNAs are specific and no inhibitory effect occurs on other unrelated miRNA sequences. This activity is simple (cell culture, RNA extraction, RT-qPCR are all well-established technologies), fast (starting from isolated and characterized RNA, few hours are just necessary), highly reproducible (therefore easily employed by even untrained students). On the other hand, these laboratory lessons require some facilities, the most critical being the availability of instruments for PCR. While this might be a problem in the case these instruments are not available, we would like to underline that determination of the presence or of a lack of amplified product can be also obtained using standard analytical approaches based on agarose gel electrophoresis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Gasparello
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Chiara Papi
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Matteo Zurlo
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Roberto Corradini
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Roberto Gambari
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
- Interuniversity Consortium for Biotechnology (CIB), Trieste, Italy
- * E-mail:
| | - Alessia Finotti
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
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Tahmasbi Rad A, Malik S, Yang L, Oberoi-Khanuja TK, Nieh MP, Bahal R. A universal discoidal nanoplatform for the intracellular delivery of PNAs. Nanoscale 2019; 11:12517-12529. [PMID: 31188378 DOI: 10.1039/c9nr03667a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) have gained considerable attention due to their remarkable potential in gene editing and targeting-based strategies. However, cellular delivery of PNAs remains a challenge in developing their broader therapeutic applications. Here, we investigated a novel complex made of lipid bicelles and PNA-based carriers for the efficient delivery of PNAs. For proof of concept, PNAs targeting microRNA (miR) 210 and 155 were tested. Comprehensive evaluation of positive as well as negative charge-containing bicelles with PNA : lipid ratios of 1 : 100, 1 : 1000, and 1 : 2500 was performed. The negatively charged bicelles with a PNA : lipid molar ratio of 1 : 2500 yielded a discoidal shape with a uniform diameter of ∼30 nm and a bilayer thickness of 5 nm, while the positively charged bicellar system contained irregular vesicles after the incorporation of PNA. Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) analysis was performed to provide insight into how the hydrophobic PNAs interact with bicelles. Further, flow cytometry followed by confocal microscopy analyses substantiate the superior transfection efficiency of bicelles containing dye-conjugated antimiR PNAs. Functional analysis also confirmed miR inhibition by PNA oligomers delivered by bicelles. The nanodiscoidal complex opens a new pathway to deliver PNAs, which, on their own, are a great challenge to be endocytosed into cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Armin Tahmasbi Rad
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA. and Polymer Program, Institute of Materials Sciences, University of Connecticut, 191 Auditorium Road, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
| | - Shipra Malik
- School of Pharmacy, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA.
| | - Lin Yang
- National Synchrotron Light Source - II, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY, USA
| | | | - Mu-Ping Nieh
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA. and Polymer Program, Institute of Materials Sciences, University of Connecticut, 191 Auditorium Road, Storrs, CT 06269, USA and Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
| | - Raman Bahal
- School of Pharmacy, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA.
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30
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Fitzpatrick CR, Lu-Irving P, Copeland J, Guttman DS, Wang PW, Baltrus DA, Dlugosch KM, Johnson MTJ. Chloroplast sequence variation and the efficacy of peptide nucleic acids for blocking host amplification in plant microbiome studies. Microbiome 2018; 6:144. [PMID: 30121081 PMCID: PMC6098832 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-018-0534-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2018] [Accepted: 08/14/2018] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The ability to efficiently characterize microbial communities from host individuals can be limited by co-amplification of host organellar sequences (mitochondrial and/or plastid), which share a common ancestor and thus sequence similarity with extant bacterial lineages. One promising approach is the use of sequence-specific peptide nucleic acid (PNA) clamps, which bind to, and block amplification of, host-derived DNA. Universal PNA clamps have been proposed to block host plant-derived mitochondrial (mPNA) and plastid (pPNA) sequences at the V4 16S rRNA locus, but their efficacy across a wide range of host plant species has not been experimentally tested. RESULTS Using the universal PNA clamps, we amplified and sequenced root microbial communities from replicate individuals of 32 plant species with a most recent common ancestor inferred at 140 MYA. We found the average rate of host plastid contamination across plant species was 23%, however, particular lineages exhibited much higher rates (62-94%), with the highest levels of contamination occurring in the Asteraceae. We investigated chloroplast sequence variation at the V4 locus across 500 land plant species (Embryophyta) and found six lineages with mismatches between plastid and the universal pPNA sequence, including all species within the Asteraceae. Using a modified pPNA for the Asteraceae sequence, we found (1) host contamination in Asteraceae species was reduced from 65 to 23%; and (2) host contamination in non-Asteraceae species was increased from 12 to 69%. These results demonstrate that even single nucleotide mismatches can lead to drastic reductions in pPNA efficacy in blocking host amplification. Importantly, we found that pPNA type (universal or modified) had no effect on the detection of individual bacterial taxa, or estimates of within and between sample bacterial diversity, suggesting that our modification did not introduce bias against particular bacterial lineages. CONCLUSIONS When high similarity exists between host organellar DNA and PCR target sequences, PNA clamps are an important molecular tool to reduce host contamination during amplification. Here, we provide a validated framework to modify universal PNA clamps to accommodate host variation in organellar sequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Connor R Fitzpatrick
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3B2, Canada.
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, L5L 1C6, Canada.
| | - Patricia Lu-Irving
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - Julia Copeland
- Centre for the Analysis of Genome Evolution & Function, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3B2, Canada
| | - David S Guttman
- Centre for the Analysis of Genome Evolution & Function, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3B2, Canada
- Department of Cell & Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3B2, Canada
| | - Pauline W Wang
- Centre for the Analysis of Genome Evolution & Function, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3B2, Canada
- Department of Cell & Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3B2, Canada
| | - David A Baltrus
- School of Plant Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - Katrina M Dlugosch
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - Marc T J Johnson
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3B2, Canada
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, L5L 1C6, Canada
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Fabbri E, Tamanini A, Jakova T, Gasparello J, Manicardi A, Corradini R, Sabbioni G, Finotti A, Borgatti M, Lampronti I, Munari S, Dechecchi MC, Cabrini G, Gambari R. A Peptide Nucleic Acid against MicroRNA miR-145-5p Enhances the Expression of the Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (CFTR) in Calu-3 Cells. Molecules 2017; 23:molecules23010071. [PMID: 29286300 PMCID: PMC6017273 DOI: 10.3390/molecules23010071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2017] [Revised: 12/05/2017] [Accepted: 12/14/2017] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) are very useful tools for gene regulation at different levels, but in particular in the last years their use for targeting microRNA (anti-miR PNAs) has provided impressive advancements. In this respect, microRNAs related to the repression of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene, which is defective in cystic fibrosis, are of great importance in the development of new type of treatments. In this paper we propose the use of an anti-miR PNA for targeting miR-145, a microRNA reported to suppress CFTR expression. Octaarginine-anti-miR PNA conjugates were delivered to Calu-3 cells, exerting sequence dependent targeting of miR-145-5p. This allowed to enhance expression of the miR-145 regulated CFTR gene, analyzed at mRNA (RT-qPCR, Reverse Transcription quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction) and CFTR protein (Western blotting) level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrica Fabbri
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy.
| | - Anna Tamanini
- Laboratory of Molecular Pathology, University-Hospital, 37126 Verona, Italy.
| | - Tiziana Jakova
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, 43124 Parma, Italy.
| | - Jessica Gasparello
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy.
| | - Alex Manicardi
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, 43124 Parma, Italy.
| | - Roberto Corradini
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, 43124 Parma, Italy.
| | - Giuseppe Sabbioni
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy.
| | - Alessia Finotti
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy.
| | - Monica Borgatti
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy.
| | - Ilaria Lampronti
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy.
| | - Silvia Munari
- Laboratory of Molecular Pathology, University-Hospital, 37126 Verona, Italy.
| | | | - Giulio Cabrini
- Laboratory of Molecular Pathology, University-Hospital, 37126 Verona, Italy.
| | - Roberto Gambari
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy.
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Kanokudom S, Vilaivan T, Wikan N, Thepparit C, Smith DR, Assavalapsakul W. miR-21 promotes dengue virus serotype 2 replication in HepG2 cells. Antiviral Res 2017; 142:169-177. [PMID: 28365456 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2017.03.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2016] [Revised: 02/09/2017] [Accepted: 03/27/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Infection with the mosquito transmitted dengue virus (DENV) remains a significant worldwide public health problem. While the majority of infections are asymptomatic, infection can result in a range of symptoms. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression through repression or degradation of mRNAs. To understand the contribution of miRNAs to DENV 2 replication, we screened a number of candidate miRNAs for variations in expression levels during DENV 2 infection of HepG2 (liver) cells. Seven miRNAs were identified as differentially expressed, and one, miR-21, was differentially expressed at all time points examined. Interestingly, miR-21 was also differentially regulated in DENV 2 infection under conditions of antibody dependent enhancement of infection, and in direct Zika virus infection, but not in DENV 4 infection. The role of miR-21 during DENV infection was further examined by treating HepG2 cells with an anti-miR-21 (AMO-21) before DENV infection. The results showed a significant reduction in DENV 2 production, clearly suggesting that miR-21 plays a key role in DENV 2 replication. To further confirm the role of miR-21 in DENV infection, a peptide nucleic acid-21 (PNA-21) construct with a nucleotide sequence complementary to AMO-21, was co-administered with AMO-21 as an AMO-21/PNA-21 complex followed by DENV 2 infection. The results showed that AMO-21 significantly reduced DENV 2 titer, PNA-21 significantly increased DENV 2 titer and the combined AMO-21/PNA-21 showed no difference from non-treated infection controls. Taken together, the results show that miR-21 promotes DENV 2 replication, and this mechanism could serve as a possible therapeutic intervention point.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sitthichai Kanokudom
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand
| | - Tirayut Vilaivan
- Organic Synthesis Research Unit, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330 Thailand
| | - Nitwara Wikan
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Mahidol University, Nakornpathom, 73170, Thailand
| | - Chutima Thepparit
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Mahidol University, Nakornpathom, 73170, Thailand
| | - Duncan R Smith
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Mahidol University, Nakornpathom, 73170, Thailand
| | - Wanchai Assavalapsakul
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand.
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Beavers KR, Werfel TA, Shen T, Kavanaugh TE, Kilchrist KV, Mares JW, Fain JS, Wiese CB, Vickers KC, Weiss SM, Duvall CL. Porous Silicon and Polymer Nanocomposites for Delivery of Peptide Nucleic Acids as Anti-MicroRNA Therapies. Adv Mater 2016; 28:7984-7992. [PMID: 27383910 PMCID: PMC5152671 DOI: 10.1002/adma.201601646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2016] [Revised: 06/01/2016] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Self-assembled polymer/porous silicon nanocomposites overcome intracellular and systemic barriers for in vivo application of peptide nucleic acid (PNA) anti-microRNA therapeutics. Porous silicon (PSi) is leveraged as a biodegradable scaffold with high drug-cargo-loading capacity. Functionalization with a diblock polymer improves PSi nanoparticle colloidal stability, in vivo pharmacokinetics, and intracellular bioavailability through endosomal escape, enabling PNA to inhibit miR-122 in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelsey R Beavers
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Materials Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37235, USA
| | - Thomas A Werfel
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37235, USA
| | - Tianwei Shen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37235, USA
| | - Taylor E Kavanaugh
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37235, USA
| | - Kameron V Kilchrist
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37235, USA
| | - Jeremy W Mares
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37235, USA
| | - Joshua S Fain
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37235, USA
| | - Carrie B Wiese
- Department of Molecular Physiology & Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37235, USA
| | - Kasey C Vickers
- Department of Medicine/Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37235, USA
| | - Sharon M Weiss
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37235, USA
| | - Craig L Duvall
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37235, USA.
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Bertucci A, Prasetyanto EA, Septiadi D, Manicardi A, Brognara E, Gambari R, Corradini R, De Cola L. Combined Delivery of Temozolomide and Anti-miR221 PNA Using Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles Induces Apoptosis in Resistant Glioma Cells. Small 2015; 11:5687-95. [PMID: 26395266 DOI: 10.1002/smll.201500540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2015] [Revised: 07/22/2015] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNPs), 100 nm in size, incorporating a Cy5 fluorophore within the silica framework, are synthesized and loaded with the anti-cancer drug temozolomide (TMZ), used in the treatment of gliomas. The surface of the particles is then decorated, using electrostatic interactions, with a polyarginine-peptide nucleic acid (R8-PNA) conjugate targeting the miR221 microRNA. The multi-functional nanosystem thus obtained is rapidly internalized into glioma C6 or T98G cells. The anti-miR activity of the PNA is retained, as confirmed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) measurements and induction of apoptosis is observed in temozolomide-resistant cell lines. The TMZ-loaded MSNPs show an enhanced pro-apoptotic effect, and the combined effect of TMZ and R8-PNA in the MSNPs shows the most effective induction of apoptosis (70.9% of apoptotic cells) thus far achieved in the temozolomide-resistant T98G cell line.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Bertucci
- Institut de science et d'ingénierie supramoléculaire (ISIS) & icFRC, Université de Strasbourg & CNRS, 8 Rue Gaspard Monge, Strasbourg, 67000, France
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Università di Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 17/A, Parma, 43124, Italy
| | - Eko Adi Prasetyanto
- Institut de science et d'ingénierie supramoléculaire (ISIS) & icFRC, Université de Strasbourg & CNRS, 8 Rue Gaspard Monge, Strasbourg, 67000, France
| | - Dedy Septiadi
- Institut de science et d'ingénierie supramoléculaire (ISIS) & icFRC, Université de Strasbourg & CNRS, 8 Rue Gaspard Monge, Strasbourg, 67000, France
| | - Alex Manicardi
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Università di Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 17/A, Parma, 43124, Italy
| | - Eleonora Brognara
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e Biotecnologie, Università di Ferrara, Via Luigi Borsari 46, Ferrara, 44121, Italy
| | - Roberto Gambari
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e Biotecnologie, Università di Ferrara, Via Luigi Borsari 46, Ferrara, 44121, Italy
| | - Roberto Corradini
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Università di Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 17/A, Parma, 43124, Italy
| | - Luisa De Cola
- Institut de science et d'ingénierie supramoléculaire (ISIS) & icFRC, Université de Strasbourg & CNRS, 8 Rue Gaspard Monge, Strasbourg, 67000, France
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35
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Amirkhanov RN, Mazurkova NA, Amirkhanov NV, Zarytova VF. [Composites of Peptide Nucleic Acids with Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles. IV+. Antiviral Activity of Nanocomposites Containing DNA/PNA Duplexes]. Bioorg Khim 2015; 41:162-9. [PMID: 26165123 DOI: 10.1134/s1068162015020028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Antiviral activity of TiO2 · PL · DNA/PNA nanobiocomposites was studied on the MDCK cell culture infected with influenza A virus (subtype H3N2). PNA fragment in nanocomposites as a DNA/PNA heteroduplex is electrostatically bound to titanium dioxide nanoparticles precovered with polylysine (TiO2 · PL). It was shown that TiO2 · PL · DNA1/PNA1 nanobiocomposit bearing PNA1 fragment targeted to the 3'-end of the noncoding region of segment 5 of viral RNA specifically inhibited the virus reproduction with the efficiency of 99.8%. It was determined that the 50% cytotoxic concentration (TC50) of the TiO2 · PL · DNA1/PNA1 nanocomposite is more than 1200 mg/mL. And 50% effective inhibitory concentration (IC50) is less than 0.003 mg/mL. Based on these data, the selectivity index (SI) for TiO2 · PL · DNA1/PNA1 nanobiocomposite defined as the ratio TC50/LC50, is more than 400. Thus TiO2 · PL · DNA/PNA nanobiocomposites can not only penatrate through cell membrane, but and are able to exhibit a high specific antisense activity, without causing toxic effects on the living cells.
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36
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Abstract
It is anticipated that nucleic acid medicines will be in widespread use in the future, since they have the potential to cure diseases based on molecular mechanisms at the level of gene expression. However, intelligent delivery systems are required to achieve nucleic acid therapy, since they can perform their function only when they reach the intracellular site of action. We have been developing a multifunctional envelope-type nanodevice abbreviated as MEND, which consists of functional nucleic acids as a core and lipid envelope, and can control not only biodistribution but also the intracellular trafficking of nucleic acids. In this chapter, we review the development and evolution of the MEND by providing several successful examples, including the R8-MEND, the KALA-MEND, the MITO-Porter, the YSK-MEND, and the PALM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yusuke Sato
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo City, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Takashi Nakamura
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo City, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Yuma Yamada
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo City, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Hidetaka Akita
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo City, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Hideyoshi Harashima
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo City, Hokkaido, Japan
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37
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Arayachukiat S, Seemork J, Pan-In P, Amornwachirabodee K, Sangphech N, Sansureerungsikul T, Sathornsantikun K, Vilaivan C, Shigyou K, Pienpinijtham P, Vilaivan T, Palaga T, Banlunara W, Hamada T, Wanichwecharungruang S. Bringing macromolecules into cells and evading endosomes by oxidized carbon nanoparticles. Nano Lett 2015; 15:3370-6. [PMID: 25849219 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.5b00696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
A great challenge exists in finding safe, simple, and effective delivery strategies to bring matters across cell membrane. Popular methods such as viral vectors, positively charged particles and cell penetrating peptides possess some of the following drawbacks: safety issues, lysosome trapping, limited loading capacity, and toxicity, whereas electroporation produces severe damages on both cargoes and cells. Here, we show that a serendipitously discovered, relatively nontoxic, water dispersible, stable, negatively charged, oxidized carbon nanoparticle, prepared from graphite, could deliver macromolecules into cells, without getting trapped in a lysosome. The ability of the particles to induce transient pores on lipid bilayer membranes of cell-sized liposomes was demonstrated. Delivering 12-base-long pyrrolidinyl peptide nucleic acids with d-prolyl-(1S,2S)-2-aminocyclopentanecarboxylic acid backbone (acpcPNA) complementary to the antisense strand of the NF-κB binding site in the promoter region of the Il6 gene into the macrophage cell line, RAW 264.7, by our particles resulted in an obvious accumulation of the acpcPNAs in the nucleus and decreased Il6 mRNA and IL-6 protein levels upon stimulation. We anticipate this work to be a starting point in a new drug delivery strategy, which involves the nanoparticle that can induce a transient pore on the lipid bilayer membrane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sunatda Arayachukiat
- †Macromolecular Science Program, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University (CU), ‡Program in Petrochemistry, Faculty of Science, CU, §Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, CU, ∥Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, and Interdisciplinary Program in Medical Microbiology, CU, ⊥School of Materials Science, Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST), ¶Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, CU, ∇Nanotec-CU Center of Excellence on Food and Agriculture, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Jiraporn Seemork
- †Macromolecular Science Program, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University (CU), ‡Program in Petrochemistry, Faculty of Science, CU, §Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, CU, ∥Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, and Interdisciplinary Program in Medical Microbiology, CU, ⊥School of Materials Science, Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST), ¶Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, CU, ∇Nanotec-CU Center of Excellence on Food and Agriculture, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Porntip Pan-In
- †Macromolecular Science Program, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University (CU), ‡Program in Petrochemistry, Faculty of Science, CU, §Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, CU, ∥Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, and Interdisciplinary Program in Medical Microbiology, CU, ⊥School of Materials Science, Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST), ¶Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, CU, ∇Nanotec-CU Center of Excellence on Food and Agriculture, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Kittima Amornwachirabodee
- †Macromolecular Science Program, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University (CU), ‡Program in Petrochemistry, Faculty of Science, CU, §Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, CU, ∥Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, and Interdisciplinary Program in Medical Microbiology, CU, ⊥School of Materials Science, Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST), ¶Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, CU, ∇Nanotec-CU Center of Excellence on Food and Agriculture, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Naunpun Sangphech
- †Macromolecular Science Program, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University (CU), ‡Program in Petrochemistry, Faculty of Science, CU, §Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, CU, ∥Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, and Interdisciplinary Program in Medical Microbiology, CU, ⊥School of Materials Science, Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST), ¶Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, CU, ∇Nanotec-CU Center of Excellence on Food and Agriculture, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Titiporn Sansureerungsikul
- †Macromolecular Science Program, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University (CU), ‡Program in Petrochemistry, Faculty of Science, CU, §Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, CU, ∥Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, and Interdisciplinary Program in Medical Microbiology, CU, ⊥School of Materials Science, Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST), ¶Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, CU, ∇Nanotec-CU Center of Excellence on Food and Agriculture, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Kamonluck Sathornsantikun
- †Macromolecular Science Program, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University (CU), ‡Program in Petrochemistry, Faculty of Science, CU, §Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, CU, ∥Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, and Interdisciplinary Program in Medical Microbiology, CU, ⊥School of Materials Science, Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST), ¶Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, CU, ∇Nanotec-CU Center of Excellence on Food and Agriculture, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Chotima Vilaivan
- †Macromolecular Science Program, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University (CU), ‡Program in Petrochemistry, Faculty of Science, CU, §Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, CU, ∥Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, and Interdisciplinary Program in Medical Microbiology, CU, ⊥School of Materials Science, Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST), ¶Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, CU, ∇Nanotec-CU Center of Excellence on Food and Agriculture, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Kazuki Shigyou
- †Macromolecular Science Program, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University (CU), ‡Program in Petrochemistry, Faculty of Science, CU, §Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, CU, ∥Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, and Interdisciplinary Program in Medical Microbiology, CU, ⊥School of Materials Science, Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST), ¶Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, CU, ∇Nanotec-CU Center of Excellence on Food and Agriculture, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Prompong Pienpinijtham
- †Macromolecular Science Program, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University (CU), ‡Program in Petrochemistry, Faculty of Science, CU, §Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, CU, ∥Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, and Interdisciplinary Program in Medical Microbiology, CU, ⊥School of Materials Science, Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST), ¶Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, CU, ∇Nanotec-CU Center of Excellence on Food and Agriculture, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Tirayut Vilaivan
- †Macromolecular Science Program, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University (CU), ‡Program in Petrochemistry, Faculty of Science, CU, §Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, CU, ∥Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, and Interdisciplinary Program in Medical Microbiology, CU, ⊥School of Materials Science, Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST), ¶Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, CU, ∇Nanotec-CU Center of Excellence on Food and Agriculture, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Tanapat Palaga
- †Macromolecular Science Program, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University (CU), ‡Program in Petrochemistry, Faculty of Science, CU, §Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, CU, ∥Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, and Interdisciplinary Program in Medical Microbiology, CU, ⊥School of Materials Science, Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST), ¶Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, CU, ∇Nanotec-CU Center of Excellence on Food and Agriculture, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Wijit Banlunara
- †Macromolecular Science Program, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University (CU), ‡Program in Petrochemistry, Faculty of Science, CU, §Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, CU, ∥Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, and Interdisciplinary Program in Medical Microbiology, CU, ⊥School of Materials Science, Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST), ¶Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, CU, ∇Nanotec-CU Center of Excellence on Food and Agriculture, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Tsutomu Hamada
- †Macromolecular Science Program, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University (CU), ‡Program in Petrochemistry, Faculty of Science, CU, §Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, CU, ∥Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, and Interdisciplinary Program in Medical Microbiology, CU, ⊥School of Materials Science, Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST), ¶Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, CU, ∇Nanotec-CU Center of Excellence on Food and Agriculture, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Supason Wanichwecharungruang
- †Macromolecular Science Program, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University (CU), ‡Program in Petrochemistry, Faculty of Science, CU, §Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, CU, ∥Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, and Interdisciplinary Program in Medical Microbiology, CU, ⊥School of Materials Science, Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST), ¶Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, CU, ∇Nanotec-CU Center of Excellence on Food and Agriculture, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
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38
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Abstract
Peptides are versatile and attractive biomolecules that can be applied to modulate genetic mechanisms like alternative splicing. In this process, a single transcript yields different mature RNAs leading to the production of protein isoforms with diverse or even antagonistic functions. During splicing events, errors can be caused either by mutations present in the genome or by defects or imbalances in regulatory protein factors. In any case, defects in alternative splicing have been related to several genetic diseases including muscular dystrophy, Alzheimer's disease and cancer from almost every origin. One of the most effective approaches to redirect alternative splicing events has been to attach cell-penetrating peptides to oligonucleotides that can modulate a single splicing event and restore correct gene expression. Here, we summarize how natural existing and bioengineered peptides have been applied over the last few years to regulate alternative splicing and genetic expression. Under different genetic and cellular backgrounds, peptides have been shown to function as potent vehicles for splice correction, and their therapeutic benefits have reached clinical trials and patenting stages, emphasizing the use of regulatory peptides as an exciting therapeutic tool for the treatment of different genetic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martínez-Montiel Nancy
- Laboratorio de Ecología Molecular Microbiana, Centro de Investigaciones en Ciencias Microbiológicas, Instituto de Ciencias, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Mexico
| | - Rosas-Murrieta Nora
- Laboratorio de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Instituto de Ciencias, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Mexico
| | - Martínez-Contreras Rebeca
- Laboratorio de Ecología Molecular Microbiana, Centro de Investigaciones en Ciencias Microbiológicas, Instituto de Ciencias, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Mexico.
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39
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Pelc RS, McClure JC, Kaur SJ, Sears KT, Rahman MS, Ceraul SM. Disrupting protein expression with Peptide Nucleic Acids reduces infection by obligate intracellular Rickettsia. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0119283. [PMID: 25781160 PMCID: PMC4363562 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0119283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2014] [Accepted: 01/16/2015] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Peptide Nucleic Acids (PNAs) are single-stranded synthetic nucleic acids with a pseudopeptide backbone in lieu of the phosphodiester linked sugar and phosphate found in traditional oligos. PNA designed complementary to the bacterial Shine-Dalgarno or start codon regions of mRNA disrupts translation resulting in the transient reduction in protein expression. This study examines the use of PNA technology to interrupt protein expression in obligate intracellular Rickettsia sp. Their historically intractable genetic system limits characterization of protein function. We designed PNA targeting mRNA for rOmpB from Rickettsia typhi and rickA from Rickettsia montanensis, ubiquitous factors important for infection. Using an in vitro translation system and competitive binding assays, we determined that our PNAs bind target regions. Electroporation of R. typhi and R. montanensis with PNA specific to rOmpB and rickA, respectively, reduced the bacteria’s ability to infect host cells. These studies open the possibility of using PNA to suppress protein synthesis in obligate intracellular bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca S Pelc
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Jennifer C McClure
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Simran J Kaur
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Khandra T Sears
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - M Sayeedur Rahman
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Shane M Ceraul
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
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Wang H, He Y, Xia Y, Wang L, Liang S. Inhibition of gene expression and growth of multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii by antisense peptide nucleic acids. Mol Biol Rep 2014; 41:7535-41. [PMID: 25091942 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-014-3643-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2013] [Accepted: 07/24/2014] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Acinetobacter baumannii causes common and severe community- and hospital-acquired infections. The increasing emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) and pan-drug resistant A. baumannii has limited the therapeutic options, highlighting the need for new therapeutic strategies. The goal of this study was to investigate whether antisense peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) could mediate gene-specific inhibition effects in MDR A. baumannii. We described a screening strategy based on computational prediction and dot hybridization for identifying potential inhibitory PNAs, and evaluated the in vitro growth inhibition potency of two PNAs conjugated to the (KFF)3K peptide (pPNA1 and pPNA2), both of which targeted the growth essential gene gyrA of A. baumannii. Both pPNAs showed strong inhibition effects on bacterial growth and gyrA mRNA expression in a dose-dependent manner. The lowest inhibitory and bactericidal concentration were 5 and 10 μM, respectively. Combination of the two pPNAs showed superimposed effect other than synergistic effect. Control PNAs without (KFF)3K peptide conjugation or with mismatched antisense sequence had no inhibition effects on bacterial growth or mRNA expression. Our study suggests that anti-gyrA pPNAs can efficiently inhibit gene expression and bacterial growth, and has the potential as a new therapeutic option for MDR A. baumannii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huijuan Wang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, No. 1 Youyi Road, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, 400016, People's Republic of China
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Mondhe M, Chessher A, Goh S, Good L, Stach JEM. Species-selective killing of bacteria by antimicrobial peptide-PNAs. PLoS One 2014; 9:e89082. [PMID: 24558473 PMCID: PMC3928365 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0089082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2012] [Accepted: 01/19/2014] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Broad-spectrum antimicrobials kill indiscriminately, a property that can lead to negative clinical consequences and an increase in the incidence of resistance. Species-specific antimicrobials that could selectively kill pathogenic bacteria without targeting other species in the microbiome could limit these problems. The pathogen genome presents an excellent target for the development of such antimicrobials. In this study we report the design and evaluation of species-selective peptide nucleic acid (PNA) antibacterials. Selective growth inhibition of B. subtilis, E. coli, K. pnuemoniae and S. enterica serovar Typhimurium in axenic or mixed culture could be achieved with PNAs that exploit species differences in the translation initiation region of essential genes. An S. Typhimurium-specific PNA targeting ftsZ resulted in elongated cells that were not observed in E. coli, providing phenotypic evidence of the selectivity of PNA-based antimicrobials. Analysis of the genomes of E. coli and S. Typhimurium gave a conservative estimate of >150 PNA targets that could potentially discriminate between these two closely related species. This work provides a basis for the development of a new class of antimicrobial with a tuneable spectrum of activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madhav Mondhe
- School of Biology, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Ashley Chessher
- School of Biology, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Shan Goh
- Department of Pathology and Infectious Diseases, Royal Veterinary College, University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - James E. M. Stach
- School of Biology, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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Lai H, Zheng J, Wu S, Sun X, Chen J. Effects of peptide nucleic acids against Ki-67 gene on the proliferation and apoptosis of human renal carcinoma cell line. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 26:703-5. [PMID: 17357494 DOI: 10.1007/s11596-006-0620-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
To investigate the effects of anti-sense peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) targeting Ki-67 gene on modulation of the proliferation and apoptosis of human renal carcinoma cell lines, human renal carcinoma cell line 786-0 cells were treated with anti-sense PNAs at different concentrations (1.0 micromol/L, 2.0 micromol/L, 10.0 micromol/L). The Ki-67 expression of 786-0 cells was detected by immunohistochemical technique and Western blot method respectively. The proliferation of 786-0 cells was studied by cell growth curves and 3H-thymidine incorporation. The apoptosis of 786-0 cells was detected by TUNEL assay. The control groups were treated with anti-sense oligonucleotide (ASODNs) targeting Ki-67 gene. Our results showed that the Ki-67 expression of 786-0 cells treated with anti-sense PNAs (16.9+/-0.7) was significantly inhibited as compared with that of the control groups (28.6+/-0.4) (P<0.01). The Ki-67 protein rate of 786-0 cells treated with anti-sense PNAs (42.1 +/-2.2) was significantly reduced when compared with that of the control groups (83.6+/- 1.4) (P<0.01). Proliferation of 786-0 cells treated with anti-sense PNAs (20.7+/- 1.5) was significantly inhibited as compared with that of the control groups (58.6+/- 1.4) (P<0.01). The apoptosis rate of 786-0 cells treated with anti-sense PNAs (28.7+/- 2.3) was significantly increased higher compared with that of the control groups (13.8 +/- 1.0) (P<0.01). From these finds we are led to conclude that anti-sense PNAs targeting Ki-67 gene have stronger effects on the inhibition of the proliferation and induction of apoptosis of human renal carcinoma cells than ASODNs targeting Ki-67 gene. The strategies using anti-sense PNAs targeting Ki-67 gene may be a promising approach for the treatment of renal cell carcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haibiao Lai
- Department of Urology, Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital of Guangzhou Traditional Chinese Medicine University, Zhongshan 528400, China
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Kazane SA, Axup JY, Kim CH, Ciobanu M, Wold ED, Barluenga S, Hutchins BA, Schultz PG, Winssinger N, Smider VV. Self-assembled antibody multimers through peptide nucleic acid conjugation. J Am Chem Soc 2013; 135:340-6. [PMID: 23210862 PMCID: PMC3951380 DOI: 10.1021/ja309505c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
With the recent clinical success of bispecific antibodies, a strategy to rapidly synthesize and evaluate bispecific or higher order multispecific molecules could facilitate the discovery of new therapeutic agents. Here, we show that unnatural amino acids (UAAs) with orthogonal chemical reactivity can be used to generate site-specific antibody-oligonucleotide conjugates. These constructs can then be self-assembled into multimeric complexes with defined composition, valency, and geometry. With this approach, we generated potent bispecific antibodies that recruit cytotoxic T lymphocytes to Her2 and CD20 positive cancer cells, as well as multimeric antibody fragments with enhanced activity. This strategy should accelerate the synthesis and in vitro characterization of antibody constructs with unique specificities and molecular architectures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie A. Kazane
- Department of Chemistry and the Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Jun Y Axup
- Department of Chemistry and the Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Chan Hyuk Kim
- Department of Chemistry and the Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Mihai Ciobanu
- Department of Chemistry, Institute for Science and Supramolecular Engineering, 8 allée Gaspard Monge, 67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Erik D. Wold
- Department of Chemistry and the Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Sofia Barluenga
- Department of Chemistry, Institute for Science and Supramolecular Engineering, 8 allée Gaspard Monge, 67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Benjamin A. Hutchins
- Department of Chemistry and the Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Peter G. Schultz
- Department of Chemistry and the Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Nicolas Winssinger
- Department of Chemistry, Institute for Science and Supramolecular Engineering, 8 allée Gaspard Monge, 67000 Strasbourg, France
- Department of Organic Chemistry, University of Geneva, Geneva CH-1211, Switzerland
| | - Vaughn V. Smider
- Department of Molecular Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
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Abstract
Despite the availability of antibiotics and vaccines, infectious diseases remain one of most dangerous threats to humans and animals. The overuse and misuse of antibacterial agents have led to the emergence of multidrug resistant bacterial pathogens. Bacterial cells are often resilient enough to survive in even the most extreme environments. To do so, the organisms have evolved different mechanisms, including a variety of two-component signal transduction systems, which allow the bacteria to sense the surrounding environment and regulate gene expression in order to adapt and respond to environmental stimuli. In addition, some bacteria evolve resistance to antibacterial agents while many bacterial cells are able to acquire resistance genes from other bacterial species to enable them to survive in the presence of toxic antimicrobial agents. The crisis of antimicrobial resistance is an unremitting menace to human health and a burden on public health. The rapid increase in antimicrobial resistant organisms and limited options for development of new classes of antibiotics heighten the urgent need to develop novel potent antibacterial therapeutics in order to combat multidrug resistant infections. In this review, we introduce the regulatory mechanisms of antisense RNA and significant applications of regulated antisense RNA interference technology in early drug discovery. This includes the identification and evaluation of drug targets in vitro and in vivo, the determination of mode of action for antibiotics and new antibacterial agents, as well as the development of peptide-nucleic acid conjugates as novel antibacterials.
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Parkash B, Ranjan A, Tiwari V, Gupta SK, Kaur N, Tandon V. Inhibition of 5'-UTR RNA conformational switching in HIV-1 using antisense PNAs. PLoS One 2012; 7:e49310. [PMID: 23152893 PMCID: PMC3495914 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0049310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2012] [Accepted: 10/08/2012] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The genome of retroviruses, including HIV-1, is packaged as two homologous (+) strand RNA molecules, noncovalently associated close to their 5'-end in a region called dimer linkage structure (DLS). Retroviral HIV-1 genomic RNAs dimerize through complex interactions between dimerization initiation sites (DIS) within the (5'-UTR). Dimer formation is prevented by so calledLong Distance Interaction (LDI) conformation, whereas Branched Multiple Hairpin (BMH) conformation leads to spontaneous dimerization. METHODS AND RESULTS We evaluated the role of SL1 (DIS), PolyA Hairpin signal and a long distance U5-AUG interaction by in-vitro dimerization, conformer assay and coupled dimerization and template-switching assays using antisense PNAs. Our data suggests evidence that PNAs targeted against SL1 produced severe inhibitory effect on dimerization and template-switching processes while PNAs targeted against U5 region do not show significant effect on dimerization and template switching, while PNAs targeted against AUG region showed strong inhibition of dimerization and template switching processes. CONCLUSIONS Our results demonstrate that PNA can be used successfully as an antisense to inhibit dimerization and template switching process in HIV -1 and both of the processes are closely linked to each other. Different PNA oligomers have ability of switching between two thermodynamically stable forms. PNA targeted against DIS and SL1 switch, LDI conformer to more dimerization friendly BMH form. PNAs targeted against PolyA haipin configuration did not show a significant change in dimerization and template switching process. The PNA oligomer directed against the AUG strand of U5-AUG duplex structure also showed a significant reduction in RNA dimerization as well as template- switching efficiency.The antisense PNA oligomers can be used to regulate the shift in the LDI/BMH equilibrium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Braham Parkash
- Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Center for Biomedical Research, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Atul Ranjan
- Department of Chemistry, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Vinod Tiwari
- Department of Chemistry, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Sharad Kumar Gupta
- Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Center for Biomedical Research, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Navrinder Kaur
- Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Center for Biomedical Research, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Vibha Tandon
- Department of Chemistry, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
- * E-mail:
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Rapireddy S, Nhon L, Meehan RE, Franks J, Stolz DB, Tran D, Selsted ME, Ly DH. RTD-1mimic containing γPNA scaffold exhibits broad-spectrum antibacterial activities. J Am Chem Soc 2012; 134:4041-4. [PMID: 22332599 PMCID: PMC4848027 DOI: 10.1021/ja211867j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Macrocyclic peptides with multiple disulfide cross-linkages, such as those produced by plants and those found in nonhuman primates, as components of the innate immunity, hold great promise for molecular therapy because of their broad biological activities and high chemical, thermal, and enzymatic stability. However, for some, because of their intricate spatial arrangement and elaborate interstrand cross-linkages, they are difficult to prepare de novo in large quantities and high purity, due to the nonselective nature of disulfide-bond formation. We show that the disulfide bridges of RTD-1, a member of the θ-defensin subfamily, could be replaced with noncovalent Watson-Crick hydrogen bonds without significantly affecting its biological activities. The work provides a general strategy for engineering conformationally rigid, cyclic peptides without the need for disulfide-bond reinforcement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Srinivas Rapireddy
- Department of Chemistry and Center for Nucleic Acids Science and Technology (CNAST), Carnegie Mellon University, 4400 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
| | - Linda Nhon
- Department of Chemistry and Center for Nucleic Acids Science and Technology (CNAST), Carnegie Mellon University, 4400 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
| | - Robert E. Meehan
- Department of Chemistry and Center for Nucleic Acids Science and Technology (CNAST), Carnegie Mellon University, 4400 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
| | - Jonathan Franks
- Department of Cell Biology & Physiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, S362 BST, 3500 Terrace Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15261
| | - Donna Beer Stolz
- Department of Cell Biology & Physiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, S362 BST, 3500 Terrace Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15261
| | - Dat Tran
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089
| | - Michael E. Selsted
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089
| | - Danith H. Ly
- Department of Chemistry and Center for Nucleic Acids Science and Technology (CNAST), Carnegie Mellon University, 4400 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
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Schleifman EB, Bindra R, Leif J, del Campo J, Rogers FA, Uchil P, Kutsch O, Shultz LD, Kumar P, Greiner DL, Glazer PM. Targeted disruption of the CCR5 gene in human hematopoietic stem cells stimulated by peptide nucleic acids. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012; 18:1189-98. [PMID: 21944757 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2011.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2010] [Revised: 07/06/2011] [Accepted: 07/08/2011] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) bind duplex DNA in a sequence-specific manner, creating triplex structures that can provoke DNA repair and produce genome modification. CCR5 encodes a chemokine receptor required for HIV-1 entry into human cells, and individuals carrying mutations in this gene are resistant to HIV-1 infection. Transfection of human cells with PNAs targeted to the CCR5 gene, plus donor DNAs designed to introduce stop codons mimicking the naturally occurring CCR5-delta32 mutation, produced 2.46% targeted gene modification. CCR5 modification was confirmed at the DNA, RNA, and protein levels and was shown to confer resistance to infection with HIV-1. Targeting of CCR5 was achieved in human CD34(+) hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) with subsequent engraftment into mice and persistence of the gene modification more than four months posttransplantation. This work suggests a therapeutic strategy for CCR5 knockout in HSCs from HIV-1-infected individuals, rendering cells resistant to HIV-1 and preserving immune system function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica B Schleifman
- Departments of Therapeutic Radiology and Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
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Balkin ER, Jia F, Miller WH, Lewis MR. In vitro evaluation of targeted antisense 177Lu radiotherapy. Anticancer Res 2011; 31:3143-3149. [PMID: 21965720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The BCL2 proto-oncogene in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is a dominant inhibitor of apoptosis. The goal of this work was to develop a (177)Lu-labeled anti-BCL2-peptide nucleic acid (PNA) conjugate designed for dual modality NHL therapy, i.e., simultaneous down-regulation of BCL2-mediated resistance to apoptosis and delivery of cytotoxic internally emitted radiation. MATERIALS AND METHODS The effect of 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-N,N',N",N"'-tetra-acetic acid (DOTA)-anti-BCL2-Tyr(3)-octreotate was evaluated by uptake, efflux, proliferation, and viability assays, using Mec-1 lymphoma cells. In vitro dosimetry was modeled with a Monte Carlo projection. RESULTS Cellular efflux indicated moderate retention of radioactivity in the Mec-1 cells. Viability studies using the (177)Lu-labeled PNA conjugate indicated a mass-dose dependence and strongly additive statistical effect in reducing cellular viability. CONCLUSION These studies demonstrate the ability of a BCL2 antisense PNA conjugate to specifically target, be retained in, and reduce cellular viability in Mec-1 NHL cells. The results also hold promise for the development of a therapeutic radiopharmaceutical with potential dual modality function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ethan R Balkin
- Area of Pathobiology, University of Missouri-Columbia, MO, U.S.A
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Hwang S, Kim M, Ryu S, Jeon B. Regulation of oxidative stress response by CosR, an essential response regulator in Campylobacter jejuni. PLoS One 2011; 6:e22300. [PMID: 21811584 PMCID: PMC3139631 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0022300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2011] [Accepted: 06/18/2011] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
CosR (Campylobacter oxidative stress regulator; Cj0355c) is an OmpR-type response regulator essential for the viability of Campylobacter jejuni, a leading foodborne pathogen causing human gastroenteritis worldwide. Despite importance, the function of CosR remains completely unknown mainly because of cell death caused by its knockout mutation. To overcome this technical limitation, in this study, antisense technology was used to investigate the regulatory function of CosR by modulating the level of CosR expression. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DGE) was performed to identify the CosR regulon either by suppressing CosR expression with antisense peptide nucleic acid (PNA) or by overexpressing CosR in C. jejuni. According to the results of 2DGE, CosR regulated 32 proteins involved in various cellular processes. Notably, CosR negatively regulated a few key proteins of the oxidative stress response of C. jejuni, such as SodB, Dps, Rrc and LuxS, whereas CosR positively controlled AhpC. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay showed that CosR directly bound to the promoter region of the oxidative stress genes. DNase I footprinting assays identified 21-bp CosR binding sequences in the sodB and ahpC promoters, suggesting CosR specifically recognizes and binds to the regulated genes. Interestingly, the level of CosR protein was significantly reduced by paraquat (a superoxide generator) but not by hydrogen peroxide. Consistent with the overall negative regulation of oxidative stress defense proteins by CosR, the CosR knockdown by antisense rendered C. jejuni more resistant to oxidative stress compared to the wild type. Overall, this study reveals the important role played by the essential response regulator CosR in the oxidative stress defense of C. jejuni.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sunyoung Hwang
- Department of Food and Animal Biotechnology, Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, and Center for Agricultural Biomaterials, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Minkyeong Kim
- Department of Food and Animal Biotechnology, Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, and Center for Agricultural Biomaterials, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Sangryeol Ryu
- Department of Food and Animal Biotechnology, Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, and Center for Agricultural Biomaterials, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Byeonghwa Jeon
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, Canada
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Chasen M, Hirschman SZ, Bhargava R. Phase II study of the novel peptide-nucleic acid OHR118 in the management of cancer-related anorexia/cachexia. J Am Med Dir Assoc 2010; 12:62-7. [PMID: 21194662 DOI: 10.1016/j.jamda.2010.02.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2010] [Accepted: 02/10/2010] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE OHR118 represents a new class of immunomodulatory and cytoprotective drugs in managing anorexia cachexia. Previously in patients with advanced HIV-AIDS, increases in appetite, strength, and alertness were noted. The objective was to determine the effect of OHR118 on appetite, early satiety, and nutritional intake in patients with advanced cancer. Secondary end points included changes in performance status, lean muscle mass, and quality of life (QOL). METHODS Eligible patients received 4.0 mL of OHR118 in subcutaneous daily injections. Patients underwent bi-monthly evaluations during the 28-day initial treatment (phase A). Evaluations included Karnofsky performance status, Edmonton Symptoms Assessment Scale (ESAS), Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA), Simmonds Functional Assessment (SFA), Dyspepsia Symptom Severity Index (DSSI), weight, lean body mass, skin fold thickness, and grip strength. Patients who benefited from phase A could elect to continue with therapy (phase B). RESULTS Of 21 enrolled patients, 11 completed phase A. Eight patients chose to continue with OHR118 treatment (phase B). Weight stabilization or gain was observed in 7 of 11 patients. Total PG-SGA scores improved significantly (P ≤ .01). Appetite (P ≤ .01) and depression (P = .05) scores improved on ESAS. Frequent burping/belching (P = .02), feeling full (P = .04), and stomach distention (P = .03) improved on the DSSI. A deterioration in the timed sit to stand was noted (P = .01). OHR118 was well tolerated with no serious side effects reported. CONCLUSIONS OHR118 again mediated statistically significant improvements in anorexia, dyspepsia, strength, and depression in this trial, consonant with the previous AIDS trial results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Chasen
- Division of Palliative Care, University of Ottawa, Canada.
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