新型核心蛋白聚糖靶向性重组腺相关病毒的制备与鉴定

核心蛋白聚糖(decorin, DCN)是广泛存在于细胞基质中的一种富含亮氨酸的蛋白多糖, 属于蛋白聚糖家族中的小分子类. DCN可作为多种细胞因子的配体, 发挥多种生物学功能. DCN在一些肿瘤组织中高水平表达,调控恶性肿瘤的生长和迁移. 腺相关病毒(AAV)是肿瘤基因治疗中常用的基因工程载体, 利用重组技术可以实现对病毒衣壳蛋白的改造, 使其感染具有靶向性. 而针对DCN高表达细胞的转导可能成为肿瘤基因治疗应用中定向导入治疗基因的有效策略. 本研究在对多种DCN结合蛋白序列保守区的分析基础上, 筛选出具有较高活性的DCN结合功能域(DB1), 并将其融合至AAV衣壳蛋白VP2编码序列的N端; 继而利用AAV的嵌合包装技术, 成功制备了衣壳展示DB1表位的重组AAV. 在过表达DCN细胞的感染实验中, 该病毒表现出针对DCN较强的靶向性. 本研究所制备的DCN靶向性腺相关病毒不仅为肿瘤治疗的应用提供了一种新型载体, 同时可作为一类特殊的基因导入工具为研究DCN在肿瘤发生发展中的作用提供帮助.     

重组腺相关病毒：很有潜力的基因治疗载体

腺相关病毒(AAV)是细小病毒家族的一员,为无包膜的线性单链DNA病毒.由于AAV具有长期潜伏于人体而不具有任何明显致病性等优点,人们对AAV作为一种理想的基因治疗载体给予了很大期望.但是,近来发现,这类载体在应用上有许多明显的缺陷,包括某些细胞膜上病毒受体数量极少,重组AAV载体位点特异性整合不足,AAV衣壳成分和转基因产物引起宿主的免疫反应等等.这些缺陷促使人们加大对AAV生物学特性和转染过程的研究,从而更好地对AAV载体进行改进,使新一代重组AAV载体具备基因治疗所必需的安全性、高效性和靶向性,以期更广泛地应用于临床.     

Nurr1基因、AAV载体在帕金森病基因治疗的可能应用

Nurr1属于孤儿核受体家族,目前认为它对中脑多巴胺能神经元的发育、存活和成熟后的表型维持发挥重要作用。Nurr1基因可以提高多巴胺转运体(DAT)基因和酪氨酸羟化酶(TH)基因的转录。在人类,与年龄相关的DA表型标志物TH的降低与黑质部位Nurr1表达的下调有关。Nurr1有望成为帕金森病基因治疗的候选基因。腺病毒伴随病毒(AAV)是目前公认的较有希望的病毒载体,它可以感染非分裂细胞,由AAV-Ⅱ型改造的重组AAV载体可以定点整合于宿主细胞染色体,可以特异性感染神经元,适合对中枢神经系统的治疗。重组AAV应该是能够良好携带Nurr1基因进行帕金森病基因治疗的载体。     

腺相关病毒的衣壳装配和DNA衣壳化机制

重组腺相关病毒载体 (rAAV) 是基因治疗临床应用载体的选择之一。在简述野生型AAV基因组结构和复制机制的基础上,阐述了AAV包装过程中两个主要事件：衣壳蛋白的装配和基因组DNA的衣壳化。虽然对AAV的包装机制总体上已有一定的认识,但其详细的分子机制、构效关系仍需完善和充实。AAV病毒本身相关机制的深入研究有助于改善rAAV载体的制备技术,促进rAAV基因药物研发。     

DMD基因治疗中AAV载体优化的研究进展

杜氏肌营养不良症(Duchenne muscular dystrophy, DMD)是一种由抗肌萎缩蛋白(dystrophin)编码基因突变引起的进行性肌肉萎缩疾病,机体无法产生正常功能的dystrophin,最后由呼吸肌或心肌衰竭引发成年早期死亡。全身系统性基因治疗是最大程度治疗DMD的最有效方法。腺相关病毒(adeno-associated virus vector, AAV)是当前极具应用前景的基因治疗载体,在多种遗传性疾病的临床治疗中取得了前所未有的成功。然而,针对DMD的AAV载体基因治疗仍面临巨大挑战,包括无法容纳dystrophin全长编码序列,载体的肌肉靶向性不足且大量滞留在肝脏,AAV在体内大幅降解严重降低转导效率,机体对AAV衣壳蛋白产生免疫反应,AAV规模化制备的实施难度,以及安全性风险等。AAV载体优化旨在利用基因工程技术改变其相关特性以定制适用于DMD基因治疗的最佳载体。本文综述了AAV载体优化的方向及策略,以期跨越DMD基因治疗的障碍。     

靶向肿瘤治疗的腺相关病毒载体

靶向性是肿瘤治疗取得成功的关键因素。病毒载体用于治疗肿瘤的过程中必须要求特异性作用于肿瘤细胞的同时降低对正常细胞的毒性。腺相关病毒(adeno-associated virus,AAV)较其他病毒载体具有免疫原性小、宿主范围广和介导基因可长期表达等优点,因此得到了广泛的应用。然而,AAV载体针对肿瘤的靶向性一直是近年研究的热点和难点。现就AAV载体治疗肿瘤的概况和靶向策略以及其安全性等方面作一综述。     

AAV载体的最新研究进展

腺相关病毒(AAV)是细小病毒家族一员,为无包膜的线形单链DNA病毒。由于AAV有长期潜伏于人体而不具有任何致病性等优点,人们对AAV作为基因治疗载体,基因打靶载体等方面的应用给予了很大的希望。AAV载体的安全性能已经用于帕金森病和囊性纤维病一期的治疗。目前通过不断的发展、改造病毒载体的基因结构,扩大其载体容量,提高病毒产率和转染效率,以使腺相关病毒载体更加符合实际需要。     

AAV衣壳蛋白基因工程的修饰研究进展

腺相关病毒(AAV)作为栽体进行基因治疗已经越来越受人们的青睐,其安全性在帕金森病、囊性纤维病和视网膜疾病等单基因突变疾病临床治疗中得到证明.利用AAV栽体进行临床治疗的应用在逐渐增多,提高AAV靶向性和转染效率是人们期盼解决的一道难题.而目前对AAV衣壳蛋白基因工程的修饰,可以明显提高其转导效率和靶向性,一定程度上扫除了其广泛应用AAV的障碍.阐述重组AAV( rAAV)衣壳蛋白在基因工程修饰方面的研究进展及其对基因治疗应用前景的综述.     

抗AAV2单克隆抗体的制备及特性研究

以纯化的重组AAV2病毒颗粒为抗原免疫小鼠,获得7株稳定分泌抗AAV2衣壳蛋白的单克隆抗体杂交瘤细胞株,其中B10和G4两株单克隆抗体具有中和活性,抗体亚型分别为IgG1和IgG2a型。对这两株单克隆抗体与rAAV病毒结合的特性进行了研究。单克隆抗体B10和G4对rAAV2病毒颗粒的结合均具有良好的血清型特异性,并且这种特异结合作用不被肝素阻断。这两株抗体都不阻断AAV2病毒与敏感细胞的结合,提示它们与病毒颗粒的结合位点都不处于AAV2病毒与主要受体结合的部位内。Western blotting检测结果显示,B10与AAV2的三种衣壳蛋白VP1、VP2和VP3均能结合,而G4不能与AAV2的这三种衣壳蛋白结合。这说明B10与AAV2结合的位点位于衣壳蛋白VP1、VP2和VP3的重叠部分处并且可能是线性表位,而G4则可能是针对AAV2病毒颗粒构象表位的抗体。这两种结合特性不同的单克隆抗体为研究AAV2病毒颗粒的表面特性和感染特性提供有用的工具。     

腺相关病毒作为基因治疗载体在生殖系统中的分布及影响的研究进展

腺相关病毒(adeno-associated virus,AAV)作为一种基因治疗载体被广泛应用于医学相关的各个领域。大量以AAV为载体的基因治疗被应用于药物研究,但目前国内外没有相关的基因药物应用于临床,原因在于其安全性问题有待进一步研究。AAV具有器官靶向性,易于分布在靶器官,但在非靶器官也会分布。AAV在生殖系统的短暂分布降低了对其功能的影响,但不排除潜在影响。就目前的研究结果来看,AAV不会整合在生殖细胞,从而不会对子代产生影响。本文将综述目前以腺相关病毒介导的基因治疗中对生殖系统安全性的研究进展,从载体在生殖系统的分布、对生殖系统功能的影响以及对子代影响的三个方面进行阐述。     

Characterization of tissue tropism determinants of adeno-associated virus type 1

Muscle is an attractive target for gene delivery because of its mass and because vectors can be delivered in a noninvasive fashion. Adeno-associated virus (AAV) has been shown to be effective for muscle-targeted gene transfer. Recent progress in characterization of AAV serotype 1 (AAV1) and AAV6 demonstrated that these two AAV serotypes are far more efficient in transducing muscle than is the traditionally used AAV2. Since all cis elements are identical in these vectors, the potential determinants for their differences in transducing muscle appear to be located within the AAV capsid proteins. In the present study, a series of AAV capsid mutants were generated to identify the major regions affecting AAV transduction efficiency in muscle. Replacement of amino acids 350 to 736 of AAV2 VP1 with the corresponding amino acids from VP1 of AAV1 resulted in a hybrid vector that behaved very similarly to AAV1 in vitro and in vivo in muscle. Characterization of additional mutants carrying smaller regions of the AAV1 VP1 amino acid sequence in the AAV2 capsid protein suggested that amino acids 350 to 430 of VP1 function as a major tissue tropism determinant. Further analysis showed that the heparin binding domain and the major antigenic determinants in the AAV capsid region were not necessary for the efficiency of AAV1 transduction of muscle.     

The 37/67-kilodalton laminin receptor is a receptor for adeno-associated virus serotypes 8, 2, 3, and 9

Adeno-associated virus serotype 8 (AAV8) is currently emerging as a powerful gene transfer vector, owing to its capability to efficiently transduce many different tissues in vivo. While this is believed to be in part due to its ability to uncoat more readily than other AAV serotypes such as AAV2, understanding all the processes behind AAV8 transduction is important for its application and optimal use in human gene therapy. Here, we provide the first report of a cellular receptor for AAV8, the 37/67-kDa laminin receptor (LamR). We document binding of LamR to AAV8 capsid proteins and intact virions in vitro and demonstrate its contribution to AAV8 transduction of cultured cells and mouse liver in vivo. We also show that LamR plays a role in transduction by three other closely related serotypes (AAV2, -3, and -9). Sequence and deletion analysis allowed us to map LamR binding to two protein subdomains predicted to be exposed on the AAV capsid exterior. Use of LamR, which is constitutively expressed in many clinically relevant tissues and is overexpressed in numerous cancers, provides a molecular explanation for AAV8's broad tissue tropism. Along with its robust transduction efficiency, our findings support the continued development of AAV8-based vectors for clinical applications in humans, especially for tumor gene therapy.     

Frustration and Direct-Coupling Analyses to Predict Formation and Function of Adeno-Associated Virus

Adeno-associated virus (AAV) is a promising gene therapy vector because of its efficient gene delivery and relatively mild immunogenicity. To improve delivery target specificity, researchers use combinatorial and rational library design strategies to generate novel AAV capsid variants. These approaches frequently propose high proportions of nonforming or noninfective capsid protein sequences that reduce the effective depth of synthesized vector DNA libraries, thereby raising the discovery cost of novel vectors. We evaluated two computational techniques for their ability to estimate the impact of residue mutations on AAV capsid protein-protein interactions and thus predict changes in vector fitness, reasoning that these approaches might inform the design of functionally enriched AAV libraries and accelerate therapeutic candidate identification. The Frustratometer computes an energy function derived from the energy landscape theory of protein folding. Direct-coupling analysis (DCA) is a statistical framework that captures residue coevolution within proteins. We applied the Frustratometer to select candidate protein residues predicted to favor assembled or disassembled capsid states, then predicted mutation effects at these sites using the Frustratometer and DCA. Capsid mutants were experimentally assessed for changes in virus formation, stability, and transduction ability. The Frustratometer-based metric showed a counterintuitive correlation with viral stability, whereas a DCA-derived metric was highly correlated with virus transduction ability in the small population of residues studied. Our results suggest that coevolutionary models may be able to elucidate complex capsid residue-residue interaction networks essential for viral function, but further study is needed to understand the relationship between protein energy simulations and viral capsid metastability.     

Structure of adeno-associated virus type 4

Adeno-associated virus (AAV) is a member of the Parvoviridae, belonging to the Dependovirus genus. Currently, several distinct isolates of AAV are in development for use in human gene therapy applications due to their ability to transduce different target cells. The need to manipulate AAV capsids for specific tissue delivery has generated interest in understanding their capsid structures. The structure of AAV type 4 (AAV4), one of the most antigenically distinct serotypes, was determined to 13-A resolution by cryo-electron microscopy and image reconstruction. A pseudoatomic model was built for the AAV4 capsid by use of a structure-based sequence alignment of its major capsid protein, VP3, with that of AAV2, to which AAV4 is 58% identical and constrained by its reconstructed density envelope. The model showed variations in the surface loops that may account for the differences in receptor binding and antigenicity between AAV2 and AAV4. The AAV4 capsid surface topology also shows an unpredicted structural similarity to that of Aleutian mink disease virus and human parvovirus B19, autonomous members of the genus, despite limited sequence homology.     

Adeno-associated virus type 2 (AAV2) capsid-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes eliminate only vector-transduced cells coexpressing the AAV2 capsid in vivo

A recent clinical trial has suggested that recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) vector transduction in humans induces a cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) response against the AAV2 capsid. To directly address the ability of AAV capsid-specific CTLs to eliminate rAAV-transduced cells in vitro and in vivo in mice, we first demonstrated that AAV2 capsid-specific CTLs could be induced by dendritic cells with endogenous AAV2 capsid expression or pulsed with AAV2 vectors. These CTLs were able to kill a cell line stable for capsid expression in vitro and also in a mouse tumor xenograft model in vivo. Parent colon carcinoma (CT26) cells transduced with a large amount of AAV2 vectors in vitro were also destroyed by these CTLs. To determine the effect of CTLs on the elimination of target cells transduced by AAV2 vectors in vivo, we carried out adoptive transfer experiments. CTLs eliminated liver cells with endogenous AAV2 capsid expression but not liver cells transduced by AAV2 vectors, regardless of the reporter genes. Similar results were obtained for rAAV2 transduction in muscle. Our data strongly suggest that AAV vector-transduced cells are rarely eliminated by AAV2 capsid-specific CTLs in vivo, even though the AAV capsid can induce a CTL response. In conclusion, AAV capsid-specific CTLs do not appear to play a role in elimination of rAAV-transduced cells in a mouse model. In addition, our data suggest that the mouse model may not mimic the immune response noted in humans and additional modification to AAV vectors may be required for further study in order to elicit a similar cellular immune response.     

E4Orf6-E1B-55k-dependent degradation of de novo-generated adeno-associated virus type 5 Rep52 and capsid proteins employs a cullin 5-containing E3 ligase complex

Degradation of de novo-generated adeno-associated virus type 5 (AAV5) Rep52 and capsid proteins is part of the limited target specificity displayed by adenovirus type 5 E4Orf6-E1B-55k as part of a cullin 5-containing E3 ligase complex. Both Rep and capsid proteins can be found in the ligase complex, and their presence is dependent on interaction between E4Orf6 and elongins B and C. Degradation of AAV5 proteins can be inhibited by a dominant-negative ubiquitin that prevents chain elongation or by small interfering RNA directed against cullin 5.     

Efficient mouse airway transduction following recombination between AAV vectors carrying parts of a larger gene

The small packaging capacity of adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors limits the utility of this promising vector system for transfer of large genes. We explored the possibility that larger genes could be reconstituted following homologous recombination between AAV vectors carrying overlapping gene fragments. An alkaline phosphatase (AP) gene was split between two such AAV vectors (rec vectors) and packaged using AAV2 or AAV6 capsid proteins. Rec vectors having either capsid protein recombined to express AP in cultured cells at about 1-2% of the rate observed for an intact vector. Surprisingly, the AAV6 rec vectors transduced lung cells in mice almost as efficiently as did an intact vector, with 10% of airway epithelial cells, the target for treatment of cystic fibrosis (CF), being positive. Thus AAV rec vectors may be useful for diseases such as CF that require transfer of large genes.     

Cell lines inducibly expressing the adeno-associated virus (AAV) rep gene: requirements for productive replication of rep-negative AAV mutants.

The adeno-associated virus (AAV) rep gene codes for a family of nonstructural proteins which are required for AAV gene regulation and DNA replication. In addition, rep has been implicated in a variety of activities outside the AAV life cycle which have been difficult to study, since attempts to achieve separate and constitutive expression of rep in stable cell lines have failed so far. Here we report the generation of two cell lines which inducibly express Rep78 under the control of the glucocorticoid-responsive mouse mammary tumor virus promoter. In addition, one of the cell lines constitutively expresses relatively high levels of Rep52. Both cell lines showed similar plating efficiencies with and without induction of Rep78 expression, which rules out cytotoxic effects of Rep78. The cell lines efficiently support DNA replication of a rep-negative AAV genome and initiate the formation of AAV particles. However, despite the correct sizes and stoichiometry of the three capsid proteins, the AAV particles were noninfectious. This was found to be due to a defect in the accumulation of single-stranded AAV DNA. Transient transfection of single expression constructs for constitutive, high-level expression of individual Rep proteins (either Rep78, Rep68, Rep52, or Rep40) complemented this defect. Infectious rep-negative AAV progeny was produced at varying efficiencies depending on the rep expression construct used. These data show that functional expression of full-length Rep in recombinant cell lines is possible and that the state of Rep expression is critical for the infectivity of AAV progeny produced.     

Adeno-associated virus type 2 VP2 capsid protein is nonessential and can tolerate large peptide insertions at its N terminus

Direct insertion of amino acid sequences into the adeno-associated virus type 2 (AAV) capsid open reading frame (cap ORF) is one strategy currently being developed for retargeting this prototypical gene therapy vector. While this approach has successfully resulted in the formation of AAV particles that have expanded or retargeted viral tropism, the inserted sequences have been relatively short, linear receptor binding ligands. Since many receptor-ligand interactions involve nonlinear, conformation-dependent binding domains, we investigated the insertion of full-length peptides into the AAV cap ORF. To minimize disruption of critical VP3 structural domains, we confined the insertions to residue 138 within the VP1-VP2 overlap, which has been shown to be on the surface of the particle following insertion of smaller epitopes. The insertion of coding sequences for the 8-kDa chemokine binding domain of rat fractalkine (CX3CL1), the 18-kDa human hormone leptin, and the 30-kDa green fluorescent protein (GFP) after residue 138 failed to lead to formation of particles due to the loss of VP3 expression. To test the ability to complement these insertions with the missing capsid proteins in trans, we designed a system for producing AAV vectors in which expression of one capsid protein is isolated and combined with the remaining two capsid proteins expressed separately. Such an approach allows for genetic modification of a specific capsid protein across its entire coding sequence leaving the remaining capsid proteins unaffected. An examination of particle formation from the individual components of the system revealed that genome-containing particles formed as long as the VP3 capsid protein was present and demonstrated that the VP2 capsid protein is nonessential for viral infectivity. Viable particles composed of all three capsid proteins were obtained from the capsid complementation groups regardless of which capsid proteins were supplied separately in trans. Significant overexpression of VP2 resulted in the formation of particles with altered capsid protein stoichiometry. The key finding was that by using this system we successfully obtained nearly wild-type levels of recombinant AAV-like particles with large ligands inserted after residue 138 in VP1 and VP2 or in VP2 exclusively. While insertions at residue 138 in VP1 significantly decreased infectivity, insertions at residue 138 that were exclusively in VP2 had a minimal effect on viral assembly or infectivity. Finally, insertion of GFP into VP1 and VP2 resulted in a particle whose trafficking could be temporally monitored by using confocal microscopy. Thus, we have demonstrated a method that can be used to insert large (up to 30-kDa) peptide ligands into the AAV particle. This system allows greater flexibility than current approaches in genetically manipulating the composition of the AAV particle and, in particular, may allow vector retargeting to alternative receptors requiring interaction with full-length conformation-dependent peptide ligands.