Calf Intestinal Alkaline Phosphatase Research Articles

Effect of Terminal Phosphate Groups on Collisional Dissociation of RNA Oligonucleotide Anions.

The increasing need for mass spectrometric analysis of RNA molecules calls for a better understanding of their gas-phase fragmentation behaviors. In this study, we investigate the effect of terminal phosphate groups on the fragmentation spectra of RNA oligonucleotides (oligos) using high-resolution mass spectrometry (MS). Negative-ion mode collision-induced dissociation (CID) and higher-energy collisional dissociation (HCD) were carried out on RNA oligos containing a terminal phosphate group on either end, both ends, or neither end. We find that terminal phosphate groups affect the fragmentation behavior of RNA oligos in a way that is dependent on the precursor charge state and the oligo length. Specifically, for precursor ions of RNA oligos of the same sequence, those with 5'- or 3'-phosphate, or both, have a higher charge state distribution and lose the phosphate group(s) in the form of a neutral (H3PO4 or HPO3) or an anion ([H2PO4]- or [PO3]-) upon CID or HCD. Such a neutral or charged loss is most conspicuous for precursor ions of an intermediate charge state, e.g., 3- for 4-nt oligos or 4- and 5- for 8-nt oligos. This decreases the intensity of sequencing ions (a-, a-B, b-, c-, d-, w-, x-, y-, z-ions) and hence is unfavorable for sequencing by CID or HCD. Removal of terminal phosphate groups by calf intestinal alkaline phosphatase improved MS analysis of RNA oligos. Additionally, the intensity of a fragment ion at m/z 158.925, which we identified as a dehydrated pyrophosphate anion ([HP2O6]-), is markedly increased by the presence of a terminal phosphate group. These findings expand the knowledge base necessary for software development for MS analysis of RNA.

Adapting recombinant bacterial alkaline phosphatase for nucleotide exchange of small GTPases

The small GTPase Rat sarcoma virus proteins (RAS) are key regulators of cell growth and involved in 20–30% of cancers. RAS switches between its active state and inactive state via exchange of GTP (active) and GDP (inactive). Therefore, to study active protein, it needs to undergo nucleotide exchange to a non-hydrolysable GTP analog. Calf intestine alkaline phosphatase bound to agarose beads (CIP-agarose) is regularly used in a nucleotide exchange protocol to replace GDP with a non-hydrolysable analog. Due to pandemic supply problems and product shortages, we found the need for an alternative to this commercially available product. Here we describe how we generated a bacterial alkaline phosphatase (BAP) with an affinity tag bound to an agarose bead. This BAP completely exchanges the nucleotide in our samples, thereby demonstrating an alternative to the commercially available product using generally available laboratory equipment.

Turning Zr(IV) into a phosphate ester mimetic enzyme via de novo synthesis for hydrolyzing organophosphorus warfare agents and rapid activity prediction by near-infrared spectroscopy

Chemical warfare agents, especially organophosphorus warfare agents are a variety of various chemical substances employed in warfare that can massively cause damage to the organism even death. The partial catalytic function of Universitetet i Oslo-66 (UiO-66, a zirconium-based metal–organic framework) produced via de novo synthesis is similar to calf intestinal alkaline phosphatase (CIAP, EC 3.1.3.1) and has a lower usage cost, is expected to be a mimetic enzyme for hydrolyzing organophosphorus warfare agents due to the fact that it has lattice defects. 0.1–5.6 mL of acetic acid was added as a regulator to form different lattice defects. Typically, mimetic enzyme activity tests often require expensive reagents as substrates, and the experiment processes are time-consuming and inconvenient. As a result, a novel approach based on near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRs) was developed in this research for predicting UiO-66 mimetic enzyme activity. p-Nitrophenyl phosphate disodium salt (pNPP) was selected as a lower toxic organophosphorus warfare agent to conduct the subsequent simulant research. The absorbance of the mimetic enzyme catalytic system was evaluated using Ultraviolet–Visible (UV–Vis) spectroscopy to investigate the amount of its activity and compare it with CIAP activity. The synthesized samples’ enzyme activities ranged from 1.91 to 6.67 U/g and their catalytic costs ranged from 0.65 to 2.26 CNY. The powdered samples' near-infrared spectra were obtained. The sample’s enzyme activity data were linked with each sample’s original NIR spectra to establish the NIR model. A partial least squares (PLS) model of mimetic enzyme activity was developed by coupling spectral preprocessing with a variable screening technique. The root-mean-square error of cross-validation (RMSECV), the correlation coefficient of validation set (R) value, and the ratio of prediction to deviation (RPD) value were employed as assessment model indicators. The near-infrared spectrum model was developed by merging the best 2nd derivative spectral preprocessing with the Competitive Adaptive Reweighted Sampling (CARS) variable screening method. This model's RMSECV was 0.41 U/g, the correlation coefficient of calibration set (R_cv) value was 0.916, the root-mean-square error of prediction (RMSEP) set was 0.52 U/g, R was 0.948, and RPD was 2.51. As a result, the established model could be implemented to quantify the activity of UiO-66 quickly by including more variations of de novo-synthesized samples. The prediction method is simple, rapid, low cost and adaptable to be the theoretical and practical basis for further studying other interdisciplinary research work in biomimetic enzymology and spectroscopy.

Steady-state kinetic analysis of reversible enzyme inhibitors: A case study on calf intestine alkaline phosphatase.

Enzymes are important drug targets and inhibition of enzymatic activity is an important therapeutic strategy. Enzyme assays measuring catalytic activity are utilized in both the discovery and development of new drugs. Colorimetric assays based on the release of 4-nitrophenol from substrates are commonly used. 4-Nitrophenol is only partly ionized to 4-nitrophenolate under typical assay conditions (pH 7-9) leading to under-estimation of product formation rates due to the much lower extinction coefficient of 4-nitrophenol compared to 4-nitrophenolate. Determination of 4-nitrophenol pKa values based on absorbance at 405nm as a function of experimental pH values is reported, allowing for calculation of a corrected extinction coefficient at the assay pH. Characterization of inhibitor properties using steady-state enzyme kinetics is demonstrated using calf intestine alkaline phosphatase and 4-nitrophenyl phosphate as substrate at pH ∼8.2. The following kinetic parameters were determined: Km=40±3µM; Vmax=72.8±1.2µmolmin-1mg protein-1; kcat=9.70±0.16s-1; kcat/Km=2.44±0.16 × 105 M-1s-1 (mean±SEM, N=4). Sodium orthovanadate and EDTA were used as model inhibitors and the following pIC50 values were measured using dose-response curves: 6.61±0.08 and 3.07±0.03 (mean±SEM, N=4). Rapid dilution experiments determined that inhibition was reversible for sodium orthovanadate and irreversible for EDTA. A Ki value for orthovanadate of 51±8nM (mean±SEM, N=3) was determined. Finally, data analysis and statistical design of experiments are discussed.

Gut dysbiosis induces the development of mastitis through a reduction in host anti-inflammatory enzyme activity by endotoxemia

BackgroundMounting experimental evidence has shown that the gut microbiota plays a significant role in the pathogenesis of mastitis, and clinical investigations have found that the occurrence of mastitis is correlated with ruminal dysbiosis. However, the underlying mechanism by which the ruminal microbiota participates in the development of mastitis remains unknown.ResultsIn the present study, we found that cows with clinical mastitis had marked systemic inflammation, which was associated with significant ruminal dysbiosis, especially enriched Proteobacteria in the rumen. Ruminal microbiota transplantation from mastitis cows (M-RMT) to mice induced mastitis symptoms in recipient mice along with increased mammary proinflammatory signature activation of the TLR4-cGAS-STING-NF-κB/NLRP3 pathways. M-RMT also induced mucosal inflammation and impaired intestinal barrier integrity, leading to increased endotoxemia and systemic inflammation. Moreover, we showed that M-RMT mirrored ruminal microbiota disruption in the gut of recipient mice, as evidenced by enriched Proteobacteria and similar bacterial functions, which were correlated with most proinflammatory parameters and serum lipopolysaccharide (LPS) levels in mice. Recurrent low-grade LPS treatment mirrored gut dysbiosis-induced endotoxemia and caused severe mastitis in mice. Furthermore, we found that gut dysbiosis-derived LPS reduced host alkaline phosphatase activity by activating neuraminidase (Neu), which facilitates low-grade LPS exposure and E. coli-induced mastitis in mice. Conversely, treatment with calf intestinal alkaline phosphatase or the Neu inhibitor zanamivir alleviated low-grade LPS exposure and E. coli-induced mastitis in mice.ConclusionsOur results suggest that ruminal dysbiosis-derived low-grade endotoxemia can cause mastitis and aggravate pathogen-induced mastitis by impairing host anti-inflammatory enzymes, which implies that regulating the ruminal or gut microbiota to prevent low-grade systemic inflammation is a potential strategy for mastitis intervention.F8E2W2ZseYxr6TzxhA5jTLVideo

Adsorption and catalytic properties of enzymes on the surface of silicalite-1

Microporous hydrophobic silicalite-1 was used as a carrier for immobilization of different enzymes, such as horseradish peroxidase, calf intestinal alkaline phosphatase and two β-galactosidases of different origin, to create heterogeneous biocatalytic systems. The peculiarities of enzyme adsorption on the surface of silicalite-1, as well as catalytic properties of the obtained systems compared to enzyme activity in solution and on the surface of other carriers, are discussed.

Magnetic multi-enzyme cascade combined with liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry for fast DNA digestion and quantitative analysis of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine in genome of human bladder cancer T24 cells induced by tetrachlorobenzoquinone

Long-term exposure to halobenzoquinones (HBQs) can induce genomic damages and abnormal epigenetic modifications. High-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) has shown unique advantages in identification and sensitive analysis of these structurally modified DNA lesions. Prior to MS analysis, genomic DNA needs to be fully digested into mono-nucleosides. Here, we prepared Supernuclease (SN)-, snake venom phosphodiesterase (SVP)- and calf intestinal alkaline phosphatase (CIP)- individually immobilized magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs), and combined them according to certain formula to construct a recyclable SN-SVP-CIP magnetic nanoparticles (SNSC-MNPs) cascade for rapid and efficient DNA digestion. The SNSC-MNPs cascade can fully digest genomic DNA into mono-nucleosides within 30 min. The SNSC-MNPs cascade coupled with HPLC-MS/MS method can accurately and sensitively detect 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) changes in genome of human bladder cancer T24 cells induced by tetrachlorobenzoquinone. The immobilization of enzymes on MNPs can enhance the stability and enzymatic activity of the three enzymes, which guarantees the reusability and longtime preservation of the cascades. The relative digestive efficiencies are among 86% -106% up to ten times of reuse. The newly synthesized SNSC-MNPs cascade coupled with HPLC-MS/MS method is promising for fast identification and analysis of structural modifications in genomic DNA.

Biocompatible Chemically Fueled Transient Polymer Nanoparticles for Temporally Programmable in Vivo Imaging

Biocompatible Chemically Fueled Transient Polymer Nanoparticles for Temporally Programmable in Vivo Imaging

Polyphosphate expression by cancer cell extracellular vesicles mediates binding of factor XII and contact activation

AbstractExtracellular vesicles (EV) have been implicated in diverse biological processes, including intracellular communication, transport of nucleic acids, and regulation of vascular function. Levels of EVs are elevated in cancer, and studies suggest that EV may stimulate thrombosis in patients with cancer through expression of tissue factor. However, limited data also implicate EV in the activation of the contact pathway of coagulation through activation of factor XII (FXII) to FXIIa. To better define the ability of EV to initiate contact activation, we compared the ability of EV derived from different cancer cell lines to activate FXII. EV from all cell lines activated FXII, with those derived from pancreatic and lung cancer cell lines demonstrating the most potent activity. Concordant with the activation of FXII, EV induced the cleavage of high molecular weight kininogen (HK) to cleaved kininogen. We also observed that EVs from patients with cancer stimulated FXII activation and HK cleavage. To define the mechanisms of FXII activation by EV, EV were treated with calf intestinal alkaline phosphatase or Escherichia coli exopolyphosphatase to degrade polyphosphate; this treatment blocked binding of FXII to EVs and the ability of EV to mediate FXII activation. In vivo, EV induced pulmonary thrombosis in wild-type mice, with protection conferred by a deficiency in FXII, HK, or prekallikrein. Moreover, pretreatment of EVs with calf intestinal alkaline phosphatase inhibited their prothrombotic effect. These results indicate that polyphosphate mediates the binding of contact factors to EV and that EV-associated polyphosphate may contribute to the prothrombotic effects of EV in cancer.

Cosolutes Modify Alkaline Phosphatase Catalysis through Osmotic Stress and Crowding Mechanisms.

Examining the effects of different cosolutes on in vitro enzyme kinetics yielded glimpses into their potential behavior when functioning in their natural, complex, in vivo milieu. Viewing cosolute in vitro influences on a model enzyme, calf intestinal alkaline phosphatase, as a combination of competitive and uncompetitive behaviors provided quantitative insights into their effects on catalysis. Observed decreases in the apparent specificity constant, Kasp, caused by the presence of polyethylene glycols or betaine in the reaction solution, indicated interference with enzyme–substrate complex formation. This competitive inhibition appeared to be driven by osmotic stress. Dextran 6 K and sucrose strongly impeded the subsequent conversion of the bound substrate into a free product, which was marked by sharp reductions in Vmax, uncompetitive inhibition. For the same step, smaller noncarbohydrate cosolutes, triethylene glycol, polyethylene glycol 400, and betaine, also behaved as uncompetitive inhibitors but to a lesser extent. However, polyethylene glycol 8000 and 20,000 were uncompetitive activators, increasing Vmax. Polyethylene glycol of molecular weight 1000 displayed intermediate effects between these two groups of noncarbohydrate cosolutes. These results suggested that crowding has a strong influence on free product formation. The combination of competitive and uncompetitive effects and mixed behaviors, caused by the cosolutes on calf intestinal alkaline phosphatase kinetics, was consistent with the trends seen in similar enzyme–cosolute studies. It is proposed that the double-displacement mechanism of alkaline phosphatases, shared by many other enzymes, could be the root of this general observation.

Understanding the enzymatic inhibition of intestinal alkaline phosphatase by aminophenazone-derived aryl thioureas with aided computational molecular dynamics simulations: synthesis, characterization, SAR and kinetic profiling.

The work presented in this paper aims toward the synthesis of aryl thiourea derivatives 4a-l of pyrazole based nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug named 4-aminophenazone, as potential inhibitors of intestinal alkaline phosphatase enzyme. The screening of synthesized target compounds 4a-l for unraveling the anti-inflammatory potential against calf intestinal alkaline phosphatase gives rise to lead member 4c possessing IC50 value 0.420 ± 0.012µM, many folds better than reference standard used (KH2PO4 IC50 = 2.8 ± 0.06µM and L-phenylalanine IC50 = 100 ± 3.1µM). SAR for unfolding the active site binding pocket interaction along with the mode of enzyme inhibition based on kinetic studies is carried out which showed non-competitive binding mode. The enzyme inhibition studies were further supplemented by molecular dynamic simulations for predicting the protein behavior against active inhibitors 4c and 4g during docking analysis. The preliminary toxicity of the synthesized compounds was determined by using brine shrimp assay. This work also includes detailed biochemical analysis along with RO5 parameters for all the newly synthesized drug derivatives 4a-l.

Two farnesyl pyrophosphate synthases, GhFPS1–2, in Gossypium hirsutum are involved in the biosynthesis of farnesol to attract parasitoid wasps

Sesquiterpenoids play an import role in the direct or indirect defense of plants. Farnesyl pyrophosphate synthases (FPSs) catalyze the biosynthesis of farnesyl pyrophosphate, which is a key precursor of farnesol and (E)-β-farnesene. In the current study, two FPS genes in Gossypium hirsutum, GhFPS1 and GhFPS2, were heterologously cloned and functionally characterized in a greenhouse setting. The open reading frames for full-length GhFPS1 and GhFPS2 were each 1 029 nucleotides, and encoded two proteins of 342 amino acids with molecular weights of 39.4 kDa. The deduced amino acid sequences of GhFPS1–2 showed high identity to FPSs of other plants. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis revealed that GhFPS1 and GhFPS2 were highly expressed in G. hirsutum leaves, and were upregulated in methyl jasmonate (MeJA)-, methyl salicylate (MeSA)- and aphid infestation-treated cotton plants. The recombinant proteins of either GhFPS1 or GhFPS2 plus calf intestinal alkaline phosphatase could convert geranyl diphosphate (GPP) or isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP) to one major product, farnesol. Moreover, in electrophysiological response and Y-tube olfactometer assays, farnesol showed obvious attractiveness to female Aphidius gifuensis, which is an important parasitic wasp of aphids. Our findings suggest that two GhFPSs are involved in farnesol biosynthesis and they play a crucial role in indirect defense of cotton against aphid infestation.

Dephosphorylation of DNA Fragments with Alkaline Phosphatase.

The removal of 5' phosphates from nucleic acids is used to enhance subsequent labeling with [γ-32P]-ATP, reduce the circularization of plasmid vectors in ligation reactions, and render DNA susceptible or resistant to other enzymes that act on nucleic acids (e.g., λ exonuclease). Essentially, any nucleotide phosphatase (e.g., bacterial alkaline phosphatase, calf intestinal alkaline phosphatase [CIP], placental alkaline phosphatase, shrimp alkaline phosphatase [SAP], or several acid phosphatases such as sweet potato and prostate acid phosphatase) will catalyze the removal of 5' phosphates from nucleic acid templates. In fact, these enzymes prefer small substrates such as p-nitrophenyl phosphate (PNPP) and the exposed 5' phosphates of nucleic acids to bulky globular protein substrates.

Alkaline Phosphatase.

Several types of alkaline phosphatases (or alkaline phosphomonoesterase) are commonly used in molecular cloning, including bacterial alkaline phosphatase (BAP) and calf intestinal alkaline phosphatase (CIP, CIAP, or CAP). Similar enzymes isolated from more esoteric cold-blooded organisms (e.g., SAP from shrimp) have become available in recent years and have the advantage of being easier to inactivate than BAP or CIP at the end of dephosphorylation reactions. The uses and properties of these enzymes are introduced here.

Development of a highly thermostable immunoassay based on a nanobody-alkaline phosphatase fusion protein for carcinoembryonic antigen detection.

Carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecule 5 (CEACAM-5) assays are employed in routine clinical settings to diagnose tumor. We selected two nanobodies with high-affinity to CEACAM-5, termed Nb11C12 and Nb2D5, using phage-display technology. The Nb2D5 fused with calf intestinal alkaline phosphatase (CAP), human placental alkaline phosphatase (HAP), or Pyrococcus abyssi alkaline phosphatase (PAP) were expressed in human embryonic kidney (HEK293) cells. The enzymatic activity of Nb2D5-HAP fusion protein was the best and remained stable at 60°C for 7days. The affinity of Nb2D5-HAP fusion protein to CEACAM-5 reached 42 pM. A chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay (CLEIA) based on Nb2D5-HAP fusion protein was established for quantitative CEACAM-5 assay in clinical settings. The CLEIA exhibited a wide linear range of 0.31-640ng/mL toward CEACAM-5, with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.85ng/mL. No cross-reactivity occurred with CEACAM-1, CEACAM-3, CEACAM-6, or CEACAM-8, and no interference was observed with rheumatoid factors. The CLEIA based on Nb2D5-HAP fusion protein was stable for 8weeks at 37°C and 50% relative humidity. The CLEIA developed from Nb2D5-HAP fusion protein had much better stability and linearity with similar reproducibility compared with the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay developed from conventional monoclonal antibodies, which have been widely used in clinics over the past several decades. Graphical abstract.

Substrate structure-activity relationship reveals a limited lipopolysaccharide chemotype range for intestinal alkaline phosphatase

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from the Gram-negative bacterial outer membrane potently activates the human innate immune system. LPS is recognized by the Toll-like receptor 4/myeloid differentiation factor-2 (TLR4/MD2) complex, leading to the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Alkaline phosphatase (AP) is currently being investigated as an anti-inflammatory agent for detoxifying LPS through dephosphorylating lipid A, thus providing a potential treatment for managing both acute (sepsis) and chronic (metabolic endotoxemia) pathologies wherein aberrant TLR4/MD2 activation has been implicated. Endogenous LPS preparations are chemically heterogeneous, and little is known regarding the LPS chemotype substrate range of AP. Here, we investigated the activity of AP on a panel of structurally defined LPS chemotypes isolated from Escherichia coli and demonstrate that calf intestinal AP (cIAP) has only minimal activity against unmodified enteric LPS chemotypes. Pi was only released from a subset of LPS chemotypes harboring spontaneously labile phosphoethanolamine (PEtN) modifications connected through phosphoanhydride bonds. We demonstrate that the spontaneously hydrolyzed O-phosphorylethanolamine is the actual substrate for AP. We found that the 1- and 4'-lipid A phosphate groups critical in TLR4/MD2 signaling become susceptible to hydrolysis only after de-O-acylation of ester linked primary acyl chains on lipid A. Furthermore, PEtN modifications on lipid A specifically enhanced hTLR4 agonist activity of underacylated LPS preparations. Computational binding models are proposed to explain the limitation of AP substrate specificity imposed by the acylation state of lipid A, and the mechanism of PEtN in enhancing hTLR4/MD2 signaling.

Facile Comparison of Nonspecific Adsorptions of Proteins on Magnetic Submicron Particles with Alkaline Phosphatases as the Probes

The soluble form of Escherichia coli alkaline phosphatase (ECAP), commercialized calf intestinal alkaline phosphatase (CIAP) and biotinylated CIAP (Biotin-AP) were tested as probes for nonspecific adsorptions of proteins on micro/nano materials represented by magnetic submicron particles (MSP). The nonspecific adsorptions of three candidate probes were evaluated by directly measuring the activities of the adsorbed probes with 4-nitrophenylphosphate. The activities of those three candidate probes exhibited reasonable resistance to detergents, but the presences of > 0.1% glycerol in the adsorption systems greatly reduced their nonspecific adsorptions on MSPs. The nonspecific adsorptions of ECAP and Biotin-AP on some MSPs were significant and saturable but became negligible after such MSPs were coated with small zwitterions, bovine serum albumin and/or streptavidin. Only MSPs applicable to chemiluminescence immunoassays showed negligible nonspecific adsorptions of Biotin-AP and ECAP, but all of the tested MSPs exhibited negligible nonspecific adsorptions of CIAP. Therefore, Biotin-AP and ECAP were suitable probes for nonspecific adsorptions of proteins on micro/nano materials.

Developing a phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor assay to detect counterfeit drugs containing phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors using spectrophotometry

Background: Phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors (PDE5i) are the first line of drugs used for the treatment of erectile dysfunction. PDE5i inhibits the activities of phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE5) found in corpus cavernosum reducing production of guanosine monophosphate (GMP) that results in vasodilation of blood vessels thereby prolonging penile erection. Various counterfeit drugs adulterated with unknown levels of PDE5i pose a danger with reported undesirable adverse effects on patients. Methods: We developed an assay to detect counterfeit drugs containing PDE5i using spectrophotometry based on a colour change of malachite green from blue to green when exposed to inorganic phosphate (Pi) measured at 630 nm. Initially, a standard graph of a known Pi concentration was established ranging from 0 to 20 µM followed by a dual biochemical reaction system of converting GMP from cGMP by PDE5, generating Pi from the first reaction’s product by calf intestinal alkaline phosphatase (CIAP), and then measuring Pi using an equation derived from the generated standard curve. Dilutions of CX1A, a counterfeit drug sample adulterated with the PDE5i sildenafil, were prepared via ultrasonication and filtration for assay testing and evaluation. Results: Sil was detected from the two separate samples comprised of low and high dilutions of CX1A quantified as 0.673% and 0.407%, respectively, based on a standard curve of pure sildenafil established from 0.1 nM to 300 µM. Conclusions: This PDE5i assay that we developed has the potential to become an alternative analytical method for detecting PDE5i showing comparable results when evaluated using HPLC.

Aptamers in Education: Undergraduates Make Aptamers and Acquire 21st Century Skills Along the Way.

Aptamers have a well-earned place in therapeutic, diagnostic, and sensor applications, and we now show that they provide an excellent foundation for education, as well. Within the context of the Freshman Research Initiative (FRI) at The University of Texas at Austin, students have used aptamer selection and development technologies in a teaching laboratory to build technical and 21st century skills appropriate for research scientists. One of the unique aspects of this course-based undergraduate research experience is that students develop and execute their own projects, taking ownership of their experience in what would otherwise be a traditional teaching lab setting. Of the many successes, this work includes the isolation and characterization of novel calf intestinal alkaline phosphatase (anti-CIAP) RNA aptamers by an undergraduate researcher. Further, preliminary survey data suggest that students who participate in the aptamer research experience express significant gains in their self-efficacy to conduct research, and their perceived ability to communicate scientific results, as well as organize and interpret data. This work describes, for the first time, the use of aptamers in an educational setting, highlights the positive student outcomes of the aptamer research experience, and presents the research findings relative to the novel anti-CIAP aptamer.

Exosome Polyphosphate Mediates the Activation of FXII By Cancer Cell-Derived Exosomes

IntroductionCancer-associated thrombosis (CAT) affects up to 20% of patients with cancer, and causes substantial morbidity and mortality. Although tissue factor has been most studied, several other mechanisms contribute to the development of CAT. Recently, a role for the contact activation pathway in pathologic thrombosis and in CAT has been recognized. We have observed that the cleaved form of high molecular weight kininogen (cHK), an a priori demonstration of contact activation, circulates in plasma in many patients with active cancer. Contact activation is initiated by the activation of factor XII (FXII) to FXIIa, and our studies as well as those of others suggest that circulating extracellular vesicles (EV) in cancer patients may mediate FXII activation. Polyphosphate (PP) is a known FXII activator, although other biological material such as RNA and DNA may also stimulate contact activation. Therefore, to better define the mechanisms of cancer EV-mediated FXII activation, we characterized the ability of exosomes, defined as EV of < 150 nm in size, to stimulate FXII activation in normal human plasma.MethodsExosomes were isolated using a multistep ultrafiltration method from HDF (human dermal fibroblast), LC3.6 (pancreatic cancer), HT29 (colorectal cancer), H1975 (non-small cell lung cancer), and U937 (monocytic lymphoma) cell lines. The quality of the exosome preparation was assessed using electron microscopy (Fig. A). Exosomes were quantified by measuring protein concentration (DC™ Protein Assay Kit II, Bio-Rad 5000112), and equal amounts of exosome, as judged by protein content, were added to citrated normal human plasma. FXIIa generation in plasma was quantified colorimetrically using the substrate H-D-prolyl-L-phenylalanyl-L-arginine-p-nitroaniline dihydrochloride (S-2302). Dextran sulfate was used as a positive control to induce FXII activation. Briefly, different amounts of exosomes, as determined by protein content (100 ng to 1 microgram), were added normal human plasma containing S-2302, after which the A405 was recorded. A standard curve was prepared by adding known amounts of FXIIa to the same plasma in parallel. Formed FXIIa activity induced by the exosomes was characterized by the relative purified FXIIa activity in the standard curve. Additionally, the generation of cHK also was assessed in exosome-activated plasma.ResultExosomes derived from cancer cell lines activated FXII in a manner concordant with the relative prothrombotic risk of these tumors, i.e. LC3.6 > HT-29 > H1975 > U937 = HDF (Fig. B). Coincident with the activation of FXII to FXIIa, exosomes induced the cleavage of high molecular weight kininogen to cHK in a dose-dependent manner (Fig. C). Since the mechanisms by which exosomes induce FXII activation have not been characterized, we assessed the roles of polyphosphate (PP), RNA and DNA expressed on the exosome surface. Pretreatment of exosomes from cancer cells with calf intestinal alkaline phosphatase (CIP), but not RNase or DNase, inhibited the ability of these exosomes to initiate FXII activation in a dose-dependent manner (Fig D). The maximal effect occurred at a concentration of CIP of 20 U/ml, and the relative reduction in FXII activating activity by exosomes from a specific cellular source was proportional to the maximal activity of the exosome preparation before treatment. A decrease in exosome PP content lead to a parallel reduction in FXII activating ability. (Fig.E).ConclusionThese studies demonstrate that exosomes derived from both primary, non-transformed cells (HDF), as well as cancer cell lines have the ability to support FXII autoactivation in human plasma. Their ability to do is proportional to the relative risk of thrombosis associated with cancers derived from their parental cell lines. Treatment of exosomes with CIP substantially reduces the FXII activating capacity of those derived from the tested cancer cell lines and HDF. Human plasma exosomal PP is a constitutive potential source for contact activation that may be increased in cancer patients. Its relative contribution to thrombin generation via FXII activation versus that of tissue factor remains to be determined in individuals and in cancer types. However, neutralization of exosomal PP provides an additional pathway for prevention of cancer-associated thrombosis. [Display omitted] DisclosuresSchmaier:Biomotiv: Consultancy; Alnylam: Research Funding; Enzyme Research Laboratories: Honoraria; Shire: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Temple University: Patents & Royalties; Cleveland Clinic Foundation: Research Funding. Khorana:Pfizer: Consultancy; Sanofi: Consultancy; Janssen: Consultancy; Bayer: Consultancy.