Cationic amphiphiles with fatty acyl chain asymmetry of coconut oil deliver genes selectively to mouse lung

Recent structure-activity studies have revealed a dramatic influence of hydrophobic chain asymmetry in enhancing gene delivery efficacies of synthetic cationic amphiphiles (Nantz, M. H. et al. Mol. Pharmaceutics2010, 7, 786-794; Koynova, R. et al. Mol. Pharmaceutics2009, 6, 951-958). The present findings demonstrate for the first time that such a transfection enhancing influence of asymmetric hydrocarbon chains observed in pure synthetic cationic amphiphiles also works for cationic amphiphiles designed with natural, asymmetric fatty acyl chains of a food-grade oil. Herein, we demonstrate that cationic amphiphiles designed with the natural fatty acyl chain asymmetry of food-grade coconut oil are less cytotoxic and deliver genes selectively to mouse lung. Despite lauroyl chains being the major fatty acyl chains of coconut oil, both the in vitro and In vivo gene transfer efficiencies of such cationic amphiphiles were found to be remarkably superior (>4-fold) to those of their pure dilauroyl analogue. Mechanistic studies involving the technique of fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) revealed higher biomembrane fusibility of the cationic liposomes of the coconut amphiphiles than that of the symmetric dilauroyl analogue. AFM study revealed pronounced fusogenic nonlamellar structures of the liposomes of coconut amphiphiles. Findings in the FRET and cellular uptake study, taken together, support the notion that the higher cellular uptake resulting from the more fusogenic nature of the liposomes of coconut amphiphiles 1 are likely to play a dominant role in making the coconut amphiphiles transfection competent.     

Synthesis and physicochemical properties of new tripodal amphiphiles bearing fatty acids as a hydrophobic group

Saturated fatty acids (FA) were grafted using tyrosine as a spacer group to the cyclotriphosphazene ring along with equimolar hydrophilic methoxy poly(ethylene glycol) (MPEG) in cis-nongeminal way. Seven new cyclotriphosphazene amphiphiles were prepared from combinations of hydrophilic MPEGs with different molecular weights of 350, 550, 750 and 1000 and four different fatty acids of different hydrophobicity including lauric, myristic, palmitic and stearic acids. These steric amphiphiles bearing fatty acids as a hydrophobic group were found to form more stable micelles with very low critical micelle concentrations (CMC) (2.95–7.80 mg/L) compared with oligopeptide analogues, and their highly hydrophobic core environment is unique and potentially useful for various biomedical applications.     

Raman spectroscopic studies of different forms of cholesterol and its derivatives in the crystalline state

A Raman spectroscopic study has been carried out on a number of cholesterols and cholesterol derivatives in the crystalline state, in order to obtain some empirical correlations between the Raman spectra and structure of each cholesterol form.Although the Raman spectra of the various cholesterols are highly complex it was found that three regions of the spectrum yield considerable information about the crystalline chain packing in each form. They are: (1) the low frequency region below 300 cm^?1, giving information on the inter- and intramolecular vibrations in the cholesteryl moiety; (2) the methylene rocking/deformation region between 1400 and 1500 cm^?1 giving information on chain packing in the crystalline state, and (3) the C–H stretching region between 2700 and 3100 cm^?1 which appears to indicate that there is a correlation between branching in the side chains of the cholesterols, polarity of the substituent groups in the various derivatives studied and relative chain order in the packing arrangements in the crystalline state.A study of two branched chain aerosol derivatives, bis(di-2-octyl)sodium sulphosuccinate and its isomer bis(di-2-ethylhexyl)sodium sulphosuccinate, indicate that branched chain amphiphiles are good Raman spectroscopic models for the cholesterols, similar to previous Raman spectroscopic studies which have found straight chain amphiphiles to be good models for more complex phospholipids.     

Morphological characterization of exovesicles and endovesicles released from human erythrocytes following treatment with amphiphiles.

In order to morphologically characterize exo- and endovesicles released during treatment of erythrocytes with amphiphiles and to look for possible amphiphile-specific effects on the vesiculation pattern, human erythrocytes were treated at 37 degrees C with amphiphiles at concentrations where they exhibit maximum protection against hypotonic haemolysis (cAHmax). Released exo-and endovesicles and treated cells were studied by means of transmission (TEM) and scanning (SEM) electron microscopy. All sphero-echinocytogenic amphiphiles induced a release of both spherical and tubular exovesicles. Dodecyl maltoside, a nonionic amphiphile with a bulky polar head, induced a release of predominantly tubular exovesicles, while all other sphero-echinocytogenic amphiphiles induced a release of predominantly spherical exovesicles. Some branched tubular exovesicles were released by a double-chained cationic amphiphile. Tail- and tongue-like structures were often seen on the exovesicles. Spherical exovesicles were frequently invaginated. Stomatocytogenic amphiphiles induced endovesiculation. In erythrocytes treated with most of the stomatocytogenic amphiphiles the endovesicles were clustered, but with some amphiphiles the endovesicles were randomly distributed. Large ringformed endovesicles (octaethyleneglycol alkyl ethers) and endovesicles in chains (octyl and decyl glucopyranoside) also occurred. The endovesicle membrane was often budding onto the lumen of the vesicle and in some cases this could ultimately lead to a vesicle inside the endovesicle. We conclude that amphiphiles do not only trigger vesiculation, but may also specifically affect the vesiculation processes.     

Polycationic amphiphiles based on triethylenetetramine and their transfection efficacy

Novel polycationic amphiphiles derived from triethylenetetramine, a spermine analogue, containing cholesterol or dialkylglycerol residues as hydrophilic domains were synthesized. The amphiphiles and a helper lipid 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine) served for the preparation of cationic liposomes, physicochemical properties of which were evaluated. A comparative study of cytotoxicity and transfection efficiency demonstrated that the replacement of spermine by triethylenetetramine decreased transfection activity of cationic liposomes.     

Regulation of Brain Glycosylphosphatidylinositol-Specific Phospholipase D by Natural Amphiphiles

Brain glycosylphosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase D (GPI-PLD)-catalyzed conversion of amphiphilic form of Zn²⁺-glycerophosphocholine cholinephosphodiesterase (Amp-GPC PDE) into hydrophilic form was investigated in the presence of natural amphiphiles. Monoacylglycerols enhanced considerably the conversion by GPI-PLD of Amp-GPC PDE to hydrophilic form, with the enhancing effect of monoacylglycerols being dependent on the size of acyl group (C₈–C₁₈). Whereas the maximal enhancement of GPI-PLD action was the greatest with monodecanoylglycerol, the concentration (EC₅₀) required to achieve 50% maximal effect was the smallest for monomyristoyl- or monopalmitoylglycerol. In addition, monolaurylglycerol or its alkyl analogue, monododecylglycerol, showed a remarkable decrease in enhancing effect at high concentrations (>1 mM). Presence of double bond in acyl chain, as exemplified by monooleoylglycerol or mono-11-eicosenoin, further enhanced the conversion by GPI-PLD. Meanwhile, lysophosphatidylcholine (IC₅₀, 25 M) and phosphatidic acid (IC₅₀, > 100 M), ionic amphiphiles, inhibited the GPI-PLD activity, which was determined in the presence of monooleoylglycerol as a detergent. From these results, it is suggested that the activity of GPI-PLD in vivo system may be regulated by natural amphiphiles.     

Partitioning of amphiphiles between coexisting ordered and disordered phases in two-phase lipid bilayer membranes

The partition coefficients (K(P)) of a series of single-chain and double-chain fluorescent amphiphiles, between solid ordered (P(beta') and L(beta)) and liquid disordered (L(alpha) of the type l(d)) lipid phases coexisting in the same lipid bilayer, was studied using steady-state fluorescence emission anisotropy. The single-chain amphiphiles were N-(7-nitrobenzoxa-2, 3-diazol-4-yl)-alkylamines, and the double-chain amphiphiles were N-(7-nitrobenzoxa-2, 3-diazol-4-yl)-phosphatidylethanolamines with chain lengths of 12-18 carbon atoms. Saturated 18-carbon alkyl/acyl chain compounds were also compared with Delta(9)-cis unsaturated chains of the same chain length. The fluorescence anisotropy of the probes was examined in lipid bilayers (multilamellar vesicles) prepared from an equimolar mixture of dilauroylphosphatidylcholine and distearoylphosphatidylcholine and studied as a function of temperature through the entire temperature range of coexistence of ordered gel phases and a disordered fluid phase in this system. The unsaturated chain amphiphiles partitioned exclusively into the fluid phase whenever this phase was present, as did the saturated chain amphiphiles with the shortest chains (C(12:0)), while K(P) ranges between 1 and 2, in favor of the L(beta) solid phase, for the amphiphiles with long saturated (C(18:0)) alkyl/acyl chains, with intermediate behavior for the intermediate chain lengths. All probes appeared to be totally excluded from P(beta') solid (gel) phases. The technique was also used to determine partitioning of some of the probes between coexisting liquid ordered (cholesterol-containing) (l(o)) and liquid disordered (l(d)) L(alpha) phases. In this case the ratio of signal amplitude to noise allowed us to obtain a qualitative, but not quantitative, measure of the phase partitioning of the probes. We conclude that the partitioning behavior of the probes examined between coexisting l(o) and l(d) phases is qualitatively similar to that observed between solid ordered and liquid disordered phases.     

脂肪族类两亲物对肌浆网膜蛋白结构的影响

本文观察和比较了六种C_(18)脂肪族类两亲物(fatty amphiphile,FA),包括硬脂酸(stearic acid)、硬脂胺(stearyl amine)、硬脂醇(stearyl alcohol)、油酸(oleic acid)、油胺(oleylamine)和油醇(oleyl alcohol),对肌浆网(sarcoplasmic reticulum,SR)钙泵蛋白结构的影响。当FA∶SR(μmol∶mg)的比例为2.67∶1—21.33∶1时,除油醇(oleyl alcohol)外,其余五种FA引起天然兔骨骼肌肌浆网蛋白内源荧光强度降低。随FA∶SR比例升高,降低幅度加大。五种FA的最大降低幅度在10—32％之间。其中带电荷FA比不带电荷FA的作用强,但均未见峰位位移。当FA∶SR的比例为2.67∶1时,除硬脂醇(stearyl alcohol)外,其余五种FA使N-(3-芘)-马来酰胺(N-(3-pyrene)maleimide,N-(3-p)-M)修饰的SR蛋白巯基荧光强度分别上升9％,40％,150％,193％和5％,但也未见峰位位移。ATP可减弱胺类FA引起的SR蛋白内源荧光降低和巯基荧光升高的幅度。油酸、油胺和硬脂胺既抑制SRCa~(2+),Mg~(2+)-ATPase活力和SR钙蓄积,又使SR钙泵蛋白的巯基修饰荧光显著上升。提示C_(18)脂肪族类两亲物使SR功能受损与其引起钙泵蛋白构象的显著变化有关。     

TMEDA-derived biscationic amphiphiles: An economical preparation of potent antibacterial agents

Bis-alkylated derivatives of N,N,N′,N′-tetramethylethylenediamine (TMEDA) represent a well-known class of versatile biscationic amphiphiles, owing to their low cost and ease of preparation. Asymmetric TMEDA derivatives, however, have been studied significantly less, particularly in regards to their antimicrobial properties. We have thus prepared a series of 36 mono- and bis-alkylated TMEDA derivatives to evaluate their inhibition of bacterial growth. This series of compounds showed low micromolar activity against a panel of four bacteria. Optimal inhibition was observed when the biscationic amphiphiles possessed modest asymmetry and were composed of between 20 and 24 total carbon atoms in the side chains. These amphiphiles were prepared in a simple two-step procedure, utilizing inexpensive materials and atom-economical reactions, making them practical for further development.     

Synthesis and antibacterial activity of new long-chain-alkyl bile acid-based amphiphiles

The efficient synthesis of some bile acid-derived cationic amphiphiles with a flexible long hydrocarbon tail was investigated. Firstly, the modification on the side-chain carboxyl of bile acids was carried out efficiently by one-pot amidation of bile acids and a long-chain aliphatic amine in the presence of HOBt and DCC to introduce a flexible long hydrocarbon tail. Then the hydrophilic concave side of bile acids with hydroxyl groups was further modified into cationic groups for strengthening hydrophilicity. This strategy offered a very straightforward and efficient method for access to the designed amphiphiles in good overall yields. The preliminary results showed that an increase both in the length of the hydrophobic tail and in the number of charged groups resulted in a decrease in the CMC of bile acid-derived cationic amphiphiles. And the bile acid-derived cationic amphiphiles with a flexible longer hydrocarbon tail and more positive charges had the highest antibacterial and antimicrobial activity.     

Thermoresponsive Aggregation Behavior of Triterpene-Poly(ethylene oxide) Conjugates in Water

Bioconjugate amphiphiles comprising triterpene and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) were studied according to their thermoresponsive aggregation behavior (LCST) in water. Cholesteryl-PEO (CE) and betulinyl-PEO (BE) comprising <70 wt% PEO precipitated from water upon heating. CE, but not BE, solutions contained nanoscopic aggregates at room temperature causing different thermoprecipitation behaviors. Solutions containing 5?wt% solutions of BE with short PEO chains demonstrated dual thermoresponsive behavior, precipitating at high temperature and forming hydrogel at low temperature. A BE multiblock copolymer was found to form large aggregates, presumably vesicles, in water. Results suggest that the solution properties of triterpene-PEO amphiphiles can be controlled by the chemical composition and structure.     

Preparation of gemini-type amphiphiles bearing cyclitol head groups and their application as high-performance modifiers for lipases

Five gemini-type amphiphiles bearing cyclitol head groups, which have abundance of axial hydroxy groups, are newly synthesized. The syntheses are based on a common mixed anhydride method utilizing N,N'-[iminobis(trimethylene)]bisquinamide, prepared from iminobispropylamine and quino-1,5-lactone, and dialkyl N-(3-carboxypropanoyl)-L-glutamates as polar and hydrophobic components, respectively. Candida rugosa lipase (CRL) and Pseudomonas cepacia lipase (PCL) are co-lyophilized with these synthesized gemini-type amphiphiles, and their transesterification activities in organic solvents are evaluated. The modified PCL and CRL prepared by using each amphiphile showed highly enhanced and moderately enhanced enzyme activity, respectively. These results are discussed in terms of the increased preferential exclusion of the hydrophilic heads of the amphiphile and of the topological view of the amphiphile.     

Introducing a new Element - Fluorine -Into the Liposomal Membrane

Abstract

Amphiphiles with fluorinated hydrophobic tails constitute new, distinctively different components for membranes, liposomes, tubules and other self-aggregated supramolecular systems. Fluorinated liposomes (F-liposomes) can also be obtained from combinations of standard phospholipids with mixed fluorocarbon-hydrocarbon amphiphiles. The fluorinated moieties are considerably more hydrophobic than their hydrocarbon counterparts; they have also a larger cross section, are more rigid, and are lipophobic as well. As a result, fluorinated amphiphiles show enhanced propensity to self-assemble, lead to increased membrane ordering and stability, and their stacking creates a teflon-like repellent film within the liposomal membrane, which can significantly increase drug encapsulation stability. The fluorinated chains also impact on behavior in biological media and particle recognition, as exemplified by reduced hemolytic and detergent activity, prolonged intravascular persistence, or slower enzymatic hydrolysis of phospholipids.     

In vitro gene transfer efficacies and serum compatibility profiles of novel mono-, di-, and tri-histidinylated cationic transfection lipids: a structure-activity investigation

Recently, we demonstrated that covalent grafting of an endosome-disrupting single histidine functionality in the headgroup region imparts high gene transfer properties to cationic amphiphiles (Kumar, V. V., et al. Gene Ther. 2003, 10, 1206-1215). However, whether covalent attachment of multiple histidine functionalities in the headgroup region are capable of further enhancing the gene transfer efficacies of cationic amphiphiles remains to be explored. To this end, herein, we report on the design, syntheses, physicochemical characterizations, in vitro gene transfer properties, and serum compatibilities of three novel nontoxic cationic transfection amphiphiles containing mono-, di-, and tri-histidine functionalities in their headgroup regions (lipids 1-3) in multiple cultured cells. Significantly, findings in both the reporter gene expression assay and the whole cell histochemical X-gal staining assay support the notion that there is no linear correlation between the in vitro transfection efficacies and the number of histidine functionalities in the polar headgroup regions for histidinylated cationic amphiphiles. The relative gene transfer efficiencies, as well as the serum compatibilities, of the present histidinylated cationic amphiphiles were found to be strikingly dependent on the medium of lipoplex formation. Most importantly, high serum compatibilities (up to 50% added serum) of the lipoplexes of lipids 1 and 3 make them promising nonviral transfection vectors for future systemic applications.     

Bilayer interfacial properties modulate the binding of amphipathic peptides

The free energy of transfer (DeltaG degrees ) from water to lipid bilayers was measured for two amphipathic peptides, the presequence of the mitochondrial peptide rhodanese (MPR) and melittin. Experiments were designed to determine the effects on peptide partitioning of the addition of lipids that produce structural modifications to the bilayer/water interface. In particular, the addition of cholesterol or the cholesterol analog 6-ketocholestanol increases the bilayer area compressibility modulus, indicating that these molecules modify lipid-lipid interactions in the plane of the bilayer. The addition of 6-ketocholestanol or lipids with attached polyethylene glycol chains (PEG-lipids) modify the effective thickness of the interfacial region; 6-ketocholestanol increases the width of hydrophilic headgroup region in the direction of the acyl chains whereas the protruding PEG chains of PEG-lipids increase the structural width of the headgroup region into the surrounding aqueous phase. The incorporation of PEG-lipids with PEG molecular weights of 2000 or 5000 had no appreciable effect on peptide partitioning that could not be accounted for by the presence of surface charge. However, for both MPR and melittin DeltaG degrees decreased linearly with increasing bilayer compressibility modulus, demonstrating the importance of bilayer mechanical properties in the binding of amphipathic peptides.     

Environmental Transition of Signal-Anchor Sequences during Membrane Insertion via the Endoplasmic Reticulum Translocon

In biogenesis of membrane proteins on the endoplasmic reticulum, a protein-conducting channel called the translocon functions in both the membrane translocation of lumenal domains and the integration of transmembrane segments. Here we analyzed the environments of polypeptide chains during the processes by water-dependent alkylation of N-ethylmaleimide at site-directed Cys residues. Using the technique, the region embedded in the hydrophobic portion of the membrane within a signal-anchor sequence and its shortening by insertion of a Pro residue could be detected. When translocation of the N-terminal domain of the signal-anchor was arrested by trapping an N-terminally fused affinity tag sequence, the signal-anchor was susceptible to alkylation, indicating that its migration into the hydrophobic environment was also arrested. Furthermore, when the tag sequence was separated from the signal-anchor by insertion of a hydrophilic sequence, the signal-anchor became inaccessible to alkylation even in the N-terminally trapped state. This suggests that membrane integration of the signal-anchor synchronizes with partial translocation of its N-terminal domain. Additionally, in an integration intermediate of a membrane protein, both of the two translocation-arrested hydrophilic chains were in an aqueous environment flanking the translocon, suggesting that the translocon provides the hydrophilic pathway capable of at least two translocating chains.     

Synthesis of novel glycolipids that bind HIV-1 Gp120.

As part of a research effort to design and prepare high affinity ligands for the galactosyl ceramide (GalCer) binding site on the HIV cell surface glycoprotein, gp120, several GalCer analogues have been prepared and characterized. The molecular design of analogues permits independent variations of the carbohydrate, the length of a hydrophilic spacer between the ligand and the lipid, and the composition of the hydrophobic lipid chains. Five different galactosyl analogues were synthesized having hydrophilic spacers of tri-, tetra-, and penta-ethylene glycol separating the carbohydrate from the lipid region which has either oleoyl or stearoyl lipid chains. The synthetic design allows for a convergent synthesis of the three components of the glycolipid conjugate. The structural characterization includes the proton and carbon chemical shifts, which were assigned after analysis of 1D and 2D NMR spectra.     

Maltose-neopentyl glycol (MNG) amphiphiles for solubilization, stabilization and crystallization of membrane proteins

The understanding of integral membrane protein (IMP) structure and function is hampered by the difficulty of handling these proteins. Aqueous solubilization, necessary for many types of biophysical analysis, generally requires a detergent to shield the large lipophilic surfaces of native IMPs. Many proteins remain difficult to study owing to a lack of suitable detergents. We introduce a class of amphiphiles, each built around a central quaternary carbon atom derived from neopentyl glycol, with hydrophilic groups derived from maltose. Representatives of this maltose-neopentyl glycol (MNG) amphiphile family show favorable behavior relative to conventional detergents, as manifested in multiple membrane protein systems, leading to enhanced structural stability and successful crystallization. MNG amphiphiles are promising tools for membrane protein science because of the ease with which they may be prepared and the facility with which their structures may be varied.     

Interaction of Nascent Chains with the Ribosomal Tunnel Proteins Rpl4, Rpl17, and Rpl39 of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

As translation proceeds, nascent polypeptides pass through an exit tunnel that traverses the large ribosomal subunit. Three ribosomal proteins, termed Rpl4, Rpl17, and Rpl39 expose domains to the interior of the exit tunnel of eukaryotic ribosomes. Here we generated ribosome-bound nascent chains in a homologous yeast translation system to analyze contacts between the tunnel proteins and nascent chains. As model proteins we employed Dap2, which contains a hydrophobic signal anchor (SA) segment, and the chimera Dap2α, in which the SA was replaced with a hydrophilic segment, with the propensity to form an α-helix. Employing a newly developed FLAG exposure assay, we find that the nascent SA segment but not the hydrophilic segment adopted a stable, α-helical structure within the tunnel when the most C-terminal SA residue was separated by 14 residues from the peptidyl transferase center. Using UV cross-linking, antibodies specifically recognizing Rpl17 or Rpl39, and a His₆-tagged version of Rpl4, we established that all three tunnel proteins of yeast contact the SA, whereas only Rpl4 and Rpl39 also contact the hydrophilic segment. Consistent with the localization of the tunnel exposed domains of Rpl17 and Rpl39, the SA was in contact with Rpl17 in the middle region and with Rpl39 in the exit region of the tunnel. In contrast, Rpl4 was in contact with nascent chain residues throughout the ribosomal tunnel.