Cellular uptake and subsequent intracellular trafficking of R8-liposomes introduced at low temperature

Intracellular trafficking is a determining factor in the transgene expression efficiency of gene vectors. In the present study, the mechanism of the cellular uptake of octaarginine (R8)-modified liposomes, when introduced at 37 °C and 4 °C, was investigated in living cells. Compared with 37 °C, the uptake of R8-liposomes was only slightly reduced at 4 °C. Dual imaging of liposomes and plasma membranes revealed that R8-liposomes were internalized by vesicular transport, and partially escaped to the cytosol at the perinuclear region at 37 °C. When introduced at 4 °C, intracellular liposomes were observed within a specific region close to the plasma membrane, and internalization of the plasma membrane was completely inhibited. Therefore, at 4 °C, R8-liposomes appear to enter cells via unique pathway, which is separate and distinct from energy-dependent vesicular transport. The subsequent nuclear delivery of encapsulated pDNA, when introduced at 4 °C, was less prominent compared with those introduced at 37 °C. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that a vesicular transport-independent pathway is responsible for the cellular uptake of liposomes. In addition, the uptake route is closely related to the subsequent nuclear delivery process; the operation of an endogenous vesicular sorting system is advantageous for the nuclear delivery of pDNA.     

Membrane-bound trypsin-like enzyme functioning in degradation of dynorphin in neuroblastoma cells. Purification and characterization

A trypsin-like enzyme has been purified to apparent homogeneity from neuroblastoma cell membranes by a procedure including extraction with Triton X-100, soybean trypsin inhibitor-immobilized Sepharose 4B affinity chromatography, and gel filtration. SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under reducing conditions of the purified enzyme gave a single band corresponding to a molecular weight of 28,000. The molecular weight of the enzyme was also estimated to be 32,000 by gel filtration. The pH optimum of the activity was 8.5-9.0. The purified enzyme was inhibited by diisopropylphosphorofluoridate, p-aminobenzamidine, and leupeptin, and moderately by chymostatin, but not, or only scarcely, by bestatin, phosphoramidon, p-chloromercuribenzoate, and N-ethylmaleimide. The substrate subsite specificity of the purified enzyme was broad toward various peptidyl-arginine (or lysine) 4-methylcoumaryl-7-amides, but it cleaved dynorphin(1-17) only at two sites, i.e., between the Arg6-Arg7 and Lys11-Leu12 bonds, both of which correspond to the initial cleavage sites of dynorphin with a membrane preparation of neuroblastoma cells. A trypsin-like enzyme was also purified from a synaptic membrane preparation of rat brain, which shows almost the same properties as those of the enzyme from the neuroblastoma cell membrane. Thus, the trypsin-like enzyme present in the synaptic membrane would participate in the degradation of dynorphin.     

Trypsin-like enzyme from eggs of the ascidian (protochordate), Halocynthia roretzi. Purification, properties, and physiological role

A trypsin-like enzyme has been purified to apparent homogeneity from eggs of the ascidian, Halocynthia roretzi, by a procedure including column chromatography on diethylaminoethyl-cellulose, phenyl-Sepharose, and soybean trypsin inhibitor-immobilized Sepharose 4B. The molecular weight of the enzyme was estimated to be 31,000 and 33,000 by gel electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulfate under the reducing and the nonreducing conditions, respectively. The isoelectric point of the enzyme was 4.8. The pH optimum of the activity was 8.4. The enzyme was stable between pH 6 and 9 in the presence of 0.005% Brij 35 as a stabilizer. Substrate specificity of the purified enzyme was broad toward various peptidyl-arginine (or -lysine) 4-methylcoumaryl-7-amides and was similar to that of a trypsin-like enzyme found in the fertilization product. The purified enzyme was inhibited by diisopropyl fluorophosphate and a variety of trypsin inhibitors including leupeptin, but not, or scarcely, inhibited by p-chloromercuribenzoic acid, pepstatin, chymostatin, bestatin, elastatinal, and tosyl-phenylalanyl-chloromethane. The rankings in the potencies of leupeptin and its six analogs as the inhibitors of the purified enzyme were well correlated with those found in their inhibitory effects on the expansion of perivitelline space. Thus, the trypsin-like enzyme possibly present in the fertilization product participates in the expansion of perivitelline space of the egg during fertilization of the ascidian.     

Cellular uptake and subsequent intracellular trafficking of R8-liposomes introduced at low temperature

Intracellular trafficking is a determining factor in the transgene expression efficiency of gene vectors. In the present study, the mechanism of the cellular uptake of octaarginine (R8)-modified liposomes, when introduced at 37 degrees C and 4 degrees C, was investigated in living cells. Compared with 37 degrees C, the uptake of R8-liposomes was only slightly reduced at 4 degrees C. Dual imaging of liposomes and plasma membranes revealed that R8-liposomes were internalized by vesicular transport, and partially escaped to the cytosol at the perinuclear region at 37 degrees C. When introduced at 4 degrees C, intracellular liposomes were observed within a specific region close to the plasma membrane, and internalization of the plasma membrane was completely inhibited. Therefore, at 4 degrees C, R8-liposomes appear to enter cells via unique pathway, which is separate and distinct from energy-dependent vesicular transport. The subsequent nuclear delivery of encapsulated pDNA, when introduced at 4 degrees C, was less prominent compared with those introduced at 37 degrees C. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that a vesicular transport-independent pathway is responsible for the cellular uptake of liposomes. In addition, the uptake route is closely related to the subsequent nuclear delivery process; the operation of an endogenous vesicular sorting system is advantageous for the nuclear delivery of pDNA.     

NUDT5 hydrolyzes oxidized deoxyribonucleoside diphosphates with broad substrate specificity

The human NUDT5 protein catalyzes the hydrolysis of 8-hydroxy-dGDP. To examine its substrate specificity, four oxidized deoxyribonucleotides (2-hydroxy-dADP, 8-hydroxy-dADP, 5-formyl-dUDP, and 5-hydroxy-dCDP) were incubated with the NUDT5 protein. Interestingly, all of the nucleotides, except for 5-hydroxy-dCDP, were hydrolyzed with various efficiencies. The kinetic parameters indicated that 8-hydroxy-dADP was hydrolyzed as efficiently as 8-hydroxy-dGDP. The hydrolyzing activities for their triphosphate counterparts were quite weak. These results suggest that the NUDT5 protein eliminates various oxidized deoxyribonucleoside diphosphates from the nucleotide pool and prevents their toxic effects.     

Transient expression of Drosophila melanogaster deoxynucleoside kinase gene enhances cytotoxicity of nucleoside analogs

The Drosophila melanogaster deoxynucleoside kinase gene was introduced into HeLa cells with cationic lipids to allow its transient expression, and cytotoxic effects of several nucleoside analogs in the transfected cells were examined. Of the analogs tested, cytotoxicities of 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine (araC), 5-fluorodeoxyuridine (FUdR), and 1-(2-deoxy-2-methylene-beta-D-erythro-pentofuranosyl)cytosine (DMDC) were increased by the deoxynucleoside kinase gene. These results suggest that the combination of the transient expression of the Drosophila deoxynucleoside kinase gene and these nucleoside analogs is a candidate for the suicide gene therapy.     

Quantitative analysis of condensation/decondensation status of pDNA in the nuclear sub-domains by QD-FRET

Recent studies indicate that controlling the nuclear decondensation and intra-nuclear localization of plasmid DNA (pDNA) would result in an increased transfection efficiency. In the present study, we established a technology for imaging the nuclear condensation/decondensation status of pDNA in nuclear subdomains using fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) between quantum dot (QD)-labeled pDNA as donor, and rhodamine-labeled polycations as acceptor. The FRET-occurring pDNA/polycation particle was encapsulated in a nuclear delivery system; a tetra-lamellar multifunctional envelope-type nano device (T-MEND), designed to overcome the endosomal membrane and nuclear membrane via step-wise fusion. Nuclear subdomains (i.e. heterochromatin and euchromatin) were distinguished by Hoechst33342 staining. Thereafter, Z-series of confocal images were captured by confocal laser scanning microscopy. pDNA in condensation/decondensation status in heterochromatin or euchromatin were quantified based on the pixel area of the signals derived from the QD and rhodamine. The results obtained indicate that modulation of the supra-molecular structure of polyrotaxane (DMAE-ss-PRX), a condenser that is cleaved in a reductive environment, conferred euchromatin-preferred decondensation. This represents the first demonstration of the successful control of condensation/decondensation in specific nuclear sub-domain via the use of an artificial DNA condenser.