Surface-exposed Tyrosine Residues Research Articles

Interaction of Clostridium perfringens Epsilon Toxin with the Plasma Membrane: The Role of Amino Acids Y42, Y43 and H162.

Clostridium perfringens epsilon toxin (Etx) is a pore forming toxin that causes enterotoxaemia in ruminants and may be a cause of multiple sclerosis in humans. To date, most in vitro studies of Etx have used the Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cell line. However, studies using Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells engineered to express the putative Etx receptor, myelin and lymphocyte protein (MAL), suggest that amino acids important for Etx activity differ between species. In this study, we investigated the role of amino acids Y42, Y43 and H162, previously identified as important in Etx activity towards MDCK cells, in Etx activity towards CHO-human MAL (CHO-hMAL) cells, human red blood cells (hRBCs) and synthetic bilayers using site-directed mutants of Etx. We show that in CHO-hMAL cells Y42 is critical for Etx binding and not Y43 as in MDCK cells, indicating that surface exposed tyrosine residues in the receptor binding domain of Etx impact efficiency of cell binding to MAL-expressing cells in a species-specific manner. We also show that Etx mutant H162A was unable to lyse CHO-hMAL cells, lysed hRBCs, whilst it was able to form pores in synthetic bilayers, providing evidence of the complexity of Etx pore formation in different lipid environments.

In vivo imaging of astrocytes in the whole brain with engineered AAVs and diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging.

Astrocytes constitute a major part of the central nervous system and the delineation of their activity patterns is conducive to a better understanding of brain network dynamics. This study aimed to develop a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based method in order to monitor the brain-wide or region-specific astrocytes in live animals. Adeno-associated virus (AAVs) vectors carrying the human glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) promoter driving the EGFP-AQP1 (Aquaporin-1, an MRI reporter) fusion gene were employed. The following steps were included: constructing recombinant AAV vectors for astrocyte-specific expression, detecting MRI reporters in cell culture, brain regions, or whole brain following cell transduction, stereotactic injection, or tail vein injection. The astrocytes were detected by both fluorescent imaging and Diffusion-weighted MRI. The novel AAV mutation (Site-directed mutagenesis of surface-exposed tyrosine (Y) residues on the AAV5 capsid) significantly increased fluorescence intensity (p < 0.01) compared with the AAV5 wild type. Transduction of the rAAV2/5 carrying AQP1 induced the titer-dependent changes in MRI contrast in cell cultures (p < 0.05) and caudate-putamen (CPu) in the brain (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the MRI revealed a good brain-wide alignment between AQP1 levels and ADC signals, which increased over time in most of the transduced brain regions. In addition, the rAAV2/PHP.eB serotype efficiently introduced AOP1 expression in the whole brain via tail vein injection. This study provides an MRI-based approach to detect dynamic changes in astrocytes in live animals. The novel in vivo tool could help us to understand the complexity of neuronal and glial networks in different pathophysiological conditions.

Site-specific modifications to AAV8 capsid yields enhanced brain transduction in the neonatal MPS IIIB mouse

Mucopolysaccharidosis type IIIB (MPS IIIB) is an autosomal recessive lysosomal disease caused by defective production of the enzyme α-N-acetylglucosaminidase. It is characterized by severe and complex central nervous system degeneration. Effective therapies will likely target early onset disease and overcome the blood–brain barrier. Modifications of adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector capsids that enhance transduction efficiency have been described in the retina. Herein, we describe for the first time, a transduction assessment of two intracranially administered adeno-associated virus serotype 8 variants, in which specific surface-exposed tyrosine (Y) and threonine (T) residues were substituted with phenylalanine (F) and valine (V) residues, respectively. A double-mutant (Y447 + 733F) and a triple-mutant (Y447 + 733F + T494V) AAV8 were evaluated for their efficacy for the potential treatment of MPS IIIB in a neonatal setting. We evaluated biodistribution and transduction profiles of both variants compared to the unmodified parental AAV8, and assessed whether the method of vector administration would modulate their utility. Vectors were administered through four intracranial routes: six sites (IC6), thalamic (T), intracerebroventricular, and ventral tegmental area into neonatal mice. Overall, we conclude that the IC6 method resulted in the widest biodistribution within the brain. Noteworthy, we demonstrate that GFP intensity was significantly more robust with AAV8 (double Y–F + T–V) compared to AAV8 (double Y–F). This provides proof of concept for the enhanced utility of IC6 administration of the capsid modified AAV8 (double Y–F + T–V) as a valid therapeutic approach for the treatment of MPS IIIB, with further implications for other monogenic diseases.

Site-Selective Protein Chemical Modification of Exposed Tyrosine Residues Using Tyrosine Click Reaction.

Targeting less abundant amino acid residues on the protein surface may realize site-selective protein modification of natural proteins. The relative hydrophobicity of tyrosine combined with the π-π stacking tendency of the aromatic rings results in generally low accessibility. In this study, site-selective protein modification was achieved by targeting surface-exposed tyrosine residues without using a genetic encoding system. Tyrosine residues were modified with N-methylated luminol derivative under single-electron transfer (SET) reaction conditions. Horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-catalyzed SET and electrochemically activated SET modified surface-exposed tyrosine residues selectively. N-Methylated luminol derivative modified tyrosine residues more efficiently than 4-arylurazole under tyrosine click conditions using HRP and electrochemistry. Tyrosine residues that are evolutionarily exposed only in the complementarity-determining region (CDR) of an antibody were selectively modified by tyrosine click reactions. CDR-modified antibodies were applied to in vivo imaging and antibody-drug conjugated (ADC).

Site-Directed Mutagenesis Improves the Transduction Efficiency of Capsid Library-Derived Recombinant AAV Vectors

Recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) vectors selected from capsid libraries present enormous advantages in high selectivity of tissue tropism and their potential use in human gene therapy applications. For example, rAAV-LK03, was used in a gene therapy trial for hemophilia A (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03003533). However, high doses in patients resulted in severe adverse events and subsequent loss of factor VIII (FVIII) expression. Thus, additional strategies are needed to enhance the transduction efficiency of capsid library-derived rAAV vectors such that improved clinical efficacy can be achieved at low vector doses. In this study, we characterized two commonly used library-derived rAAV vectors, rAAV-DJ and rAAV-LK03. It was concluded that rAAV-DJ shared similar transport pathways (e.g., cell surface binding, endocytosis-dependent internalization, and cytoplasmic trafficking) with rAAV serotype 2, while rAAV-LK03 and rAAV serotype 3 shared similar transport pathways. We then performed site-directed mutagenesis of surface-exposed tyrosine (Y), serine (S), aspartic acid (D), and tryptophan (W) residues on rAAV-DJ and rAAV-LK03 capsids. Our results demonstrated that rAAV-DJ-S269T and rAAV-LK03-Y705+731F variants had significantly enhanced transduction efficiency compared to wild-type counterparts. Our studies suggest that the strategy of site-directed mutagenesis should be applicable to other non-natural AAV variants for their optimal use in human gene therapy.

Biocatalytically induced surface modification of the tobacco mosaic virus and the bacteriophage M13.

Engineered viruses are finding an increasing number of applications in basic, translational research and materials science. Genetic and chemical engineering of capsids represents a key point for tailoring the properties of viral particles, but the synthetic efforts and limits accompanying these processes still hinder their usability. Here, a single-step highly selective biocatalytic functionalization approach is described, providing a general platform for virus-acrylate hybrid particles. The tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) and the bacteriophage M13 have been successfully modified via laccase induced free radical formation on the tyrosine residues through single electron oxidation as the initiating step and the free radicals subsequently react with acrylate-based monomers. This new approach can be extended to other biomolecular assemblies with surface exposed tyrosine residues, when the introduction of new functionalities is desired.

Control of Hexamerization, Assembly, and Excluded Strand Specificity for the Sulfolobus solfataricus MCM Helicase.

A growing body of evidence supports a steric exclusion and wrapping model for DNA unwinding in which hexameric helicases interact with the excluded single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) in addition to the encircled strand. Interactions with the excluded ssDNA have been shown to be mediated primarily by electrostatic interactions, but base stacking with surface-exposed tyrosine residues is an alternative hypothesis. Here, we mutated several external tyrosine and positively charged residues from full-length Sulfolobus solfataricus MCM along the proposed path of excluded strand binding and assessed their impact on DNA unwinding. Four of the five tyrosine residues had significant decreases in their level of unwinding, and one, Y519A, located within the α/β-α linker region of the C-terminal domain, had the most severe perturbation attributed to the disruption of hexamerization. The Y519 mutant exhibits an enhanced and stabilized secondary structure that is modulated by temperature, binding DNA with a higher apparent affinity and suggesting a pathway for hexameric assembly. Hydrogen/deuterium exchange coupled to mass spectrometry was used to map deuterium uptake differences between wild-type and Y519A apo structures highlighting global differences in solvent accessible areas consistent with altered quaternary structure. Two of the five electrostatic mutants had significantly reduced levels of DNA unwinding and combined with previous mutations better define the exterior binding path. The importance of the electrostatic excluded strand interaction was confirmed by use of morpholino DNA substrates that showed analogous reduced unwinding rates. These results better define the hexameric assembly and influence of the excluded strand interactions in controlling DNA unwinding by the archaeal MCM complex.

High-Efficiency Transduction of Primary Human Hematopoietic Stem/Progenitor Cells By AAV6 Vectors: strategies for Overcoming Donor-Variation and Implications in Genome Editing

We have reported that of the 10 commonly used AAV serotype vectors, AAV6 is the most efficient in transducing primary human hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs). However, the transduction efficiency of the wild-type (WT) AAV6 vector varies greatly in HSPCs from different donors. Here we report two distinct strategies to further increase the transduction efficiency in HSPCs from donors that are transduced poorly with the WT AAV6 vectors. The first strategy involved modification of the viral capsid proteins where specific surface-exposed tyrosine (Y) and threonine (T) residues were mutagenized to generate a triple-mutant (Y705+Y731F+T492V) AAV6 vector. The second strategy involved the use of ex vivo transduction at high cell density, which revealed a novel mechanism, which we have termed, 'cross-transduction'. The combined use of these strategies resulted in transduction efficiency exceeding ~90% in HSPCs. Our studies have significant implications in the optimal use of capsid-optimized AAV6 vectors in genome editing in HSPCs. DisclosuresLeboulch:bluebird bio: Patents & Royalties. Payen:bluebird bio: Patents & Royalties. Srivastava:AGTC; Genzyme: Patents & Royalties.

High-Efficiency Transduction of Primary Human Hematopoietic Stem/Progenitor Cells by AAV6 Vectors: Strategies for Overcoming Donor-Variation and Implications in Genome Editing.

We have reported that of the 10 commonly used AAV serotype vectors, AAV6 is the most efficient in transducing primary human hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs). However, the transduction efficiency of the wild-type (WT) AAV6 vector varies greatly in HSPCs from different donors. Here we report two distinct strategies to further increase the transduction efficiency in HSPCs from donors that are transduced less efficiently with the WT AAV6 vectors. The first strategy involved modifications of the viral capsid proteins where specific surface-exposed tyrosine (Y) and threonine (T) residues were mutagenized to generate a triple-mutant (Y705 + Y731F + T492V) AAV6 vector. The second strategy involved the use of ex vivo transduction at high cell density. The combined use of these strategies resulted in transduction efficiency exceeding ~90% in HSPCs at significantly reduced vector doses. Our studies have significant implications in the optimal use of capsid-optimized AAV6 vectors in genome editing in HSPCs.

Development of Optimized AAV Serotype Vectors for High-Efficiency Transduction at Further Reduced Doses.

We have described the development of capsid-modified next-generation AAV vectors for both AAV2 and AAV3 serotypes, in which specific surface-exposed tyrosine (Y), serine (S), threonine (T), and lysine (K) residues on viral capsids were modified to achieve high-efficiency transduction at lower doses. We have also described the development of genome-modified AAV vectors, in which the transcriptionally inactive, single-stranded AAV genome was modified to achieve improved transgene expression. Here, we describe that combination of capsid modifications and genome modifications leads to the generation of optimized AAV serotype vectors, which transduce cells and tissues more efficiently, both in vitro and in vivo, at ∼20-30-fold reduced doses. These studies have significant implications in the potential use of the optimized AAV serotype vectors in human gene therapy.

91. Development of Optimized [“Opt”] AAV Vectors by Combining Capsid-Modified NextGen and Genome-Modified GenX AAV Vectors for High-Efficiency Transduction at Further Reduced Doses

There is little doubt that AAV did not evolve for the purposes of delivery of therapeutic genes. The use of first generation AAV vectors, albeit successful, is unlikely to reach its full potential. We have described the development of capsid-modified next generation [NextGen] AAV vectors for both AAV2 (Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 105: 7827-7832, 2008; Mol Ther., 18: 2048-2056, 2010; Vaccine, 30: 3908-3917, 2012; PLoS One, 8: e59142, 2013) and AAV3 (Gene Ther., 19: 375-384, 2012; Hum Gene Ther., 25: 1023-1034, 2014) serotypes, in which specific surface-exposed tyrosine (Y), serine (S), threonine (T), and lysine (K) residues on viral capsids were modified to achieve high-efficiency transduction at lower doses Fig. 1AFig. 1A). We have also described the development of genome-modified generation X [GenX] AAV vectors (J Virol., 89: 952-961, 2015), in which the transcriptionally-inactive, single-stranded AAV genome was modified to achieve improved transgene expression (Fig. 1BFig. 1B). Thus, we reasoned that encapsidation of GenX AAV genomes into NextGen AAV capsid might lead to further increased transduction at further reduced vector doses. To this end, the following sets of ssAAV2 as well as ssAAV3 serotype vectors containing the firefly luciferase (Fluc) reporter gene were generated: (i) wild-type (WT) genome and Y444+500+730F+T492V AAV2 quadruple-mutant (QM) capsid (WT-Fluc-AAV2/QM); (ii) two GenX genomes and AAV2 QM capsid (LC1-Fluc-AAV2/QM and LC2-Fluc-AAV2/QM); (iii) WT genome and S663V+T492V AAV3 double-mutant (DM) capsid (WT-Fluc-AAV3/DM); and (iv) two GenX genomes and AAV3 DM capsid (LC1-Fluc-AAV3/DM and LC2-Fluc-AAV3/DM). The combination of the modified-genomes with the capsid-mutants led to ~5-6-fold increase with both AAV2 and AAV3 serotype vectors following transduction of a human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell line, Huh7, at an MOI of 1,000 vgs/cell under identical conditions in vitro. When male C57BL/6 mice were injected via tail-vein with WT-Fluc-AAV2/QM, LC1-Fluc-AAV2/QM, and LC2-Fluc-AAV2/QM vectors at a relatively low dose of 5×109 vgs/mouse, the AAV2 QM capsid-mutant vectors led to ~6-10-fold increase in transgene expression in the liver. Similarly, when WT-Fluc-AAV3/DM, LC1-Fluc-AAV3/DM, and LC2-Fluc-AAV3/DM vectors were injected via tail-vein in NSG mice xenografted with human liver tumors at relatively low dose of 3×109 vgs/mouse, led to ~5-8-fold increase with the combination of modified-genomes with the AAV3 DM capsid-mutant vectors, which was restricted to human liver tumors. Taken together, these data document that the combination of NextGen capsids and GenX genomes leads to the generation of optimized [Opt] AAV serotype vectors (Fig. 1CFig. 1C), which transduce cells and tissues more efficiently, both in vitro and in vivo, at significantly reduced doses. These studies have significant implications in the potential use of the Opt AAV serotype vectors in human gene therapy.View Large Image | Download PowerPoint Slide

10. High-Efficiency Transduction of Primary Human CD34+ Hematopoietic Stem/Progenitor Cells by AAV6 Serotype Vectors: Strategies for Overcoming Donor Variation and Implications in Genome Editing

We first reported that of the 10 most commonly used AAV serotype vectors, AAV6 is the most efficient in transducing primary human bone marrow-derived CD34+ hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs), both in vitro and in murine xenograft models in vivo (Cytotherapy, 15: 986-998, 2013; PLoS One, 8(3): e58757, 2013). More recently, two independent groups also reported successful transduction of primary human CD34+ cells using the wild-type (WT) AAV6 vectors (Sci. Transl. Med., 7: 307ra156, 2015; Nat. Biotechnol., 33: 1256-1263, 2015), except that multiplicities of infection (MOIs) ranging from 100,000-200,000 vgs/cell were used to achieve ~40-55% transduction efficiency. Furthermore, the transduction efficiency of the WT AAV6 vector varies greatly in HSPCs from different donors, ranging between ~6-87%. Here we report two distinct strategies to further increase the transduction efficiency in HSPCs from donors that are transduced poorly with the WT AAV6 vectors. The first strategy involved modification of the viral capsid proteins where specific surface-exposed tyrosine (Y) and threonine (T) residues were mutagenized to generate a triple-mutant (Y705F+Y731F+T491V) AAV6 vector. The second strategy involved the use of ex vivo transduction at high cell density, which revealed a novel mechanism, which we have termed, ‘cross-transduction’. The combined use of these strategies resulted in transduction efficiency exceeding 90% at an MOI of 20,000 vgs/cell in primary human cord blood-derived HSPCs at day 4 (Fig. 1AFig. 1A). scAAV6 vectors were more efficient than ssAAV6 vectors, but at high cell density, there was a modest enhancement in EGFP-positivity even with ssAAV6 vectors. However, 14 days post-transduction, virtually no EGFP-positive cells could be detected (Fig. 1BFig. 1B), suggesting the loss of vector genomes, and hence, the lack of stable integration of vector genomes in HSPCs. Our studies have significant implications in the optimal use of capsid-optimized AAV6 vectors in genome editing in HSPCs. *These authors contributed equally to this work #Co-corresponding authorsView Large Image | Download PowerPoint Slide

Tyrosine Mutation in AAV9 Capsid Improves Gene Transfer to the Mouse Lung

Background/Aims: Adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors are being increasingly used as the vector of choice for in vivo gene delivery and gene therapy for many pulmonary diseases. Recently, it was shown that phosphorylation of surface-exposed tyrosine residues from AAV capsid targets the viral particles for ubiquitination and proteasome-mediated degradation, and mutations of these tyrosine residues lead to highly efficient vector transduction in vitro and in vivo in different organs. In this study, we evaluated the pulmonary transgene expression efficacy of AAV9 vectors containing point mutations in surface-exposed capsid tyrosine residues. Methods: Eighteen C57BL/6 mice were randomly assigned into three groups: (1) a control group (CTRL) animals underwent intratracheal (i.t.) instillation of saline, (2) the wild-type AAV9 group (WT-AAV9, 10¹⁰ vg), and (3) the tyrosine-mutant Y731F AAV9 group (M-AAV9, 10¹⁰ vg), which received (i.t.) self-complementary AAV9 vectors containing the DNA sequence of enhanced green fluorescence protein (eGFP). Four weeks after instillation, lung mechanics, morphometry, tissue cellularity, gene expression, inflammatory cytokines, and growth factor expression were analyzed. Results: No significant differences were observed in lung mechanics and morphometry among the experimental groups. However, the number of polymorphonuclear cells was higher in the WT-AAV9 group than in the CTRL and M-AAV9 groups, suggesting that the administration of tyrosine-mutant AAV9 vectors was better tolerated. Tyrosine-mutant AAV9 vectors significantly improved transgene delivery to the lung (30%) compared with their wild-type counterparts, without eliciting an inflammatory response. Conclusion: Our results provide the impetus for further studies to exploit the use of AAV9 vectors as a tool for pulmonary gene therapy.

Development of novel AAV serotype 6 based vectors with selective tropism for human cancer cells.

Viral vectors-based gene therapy is an attractive alternative to common anti-cancer treatments. In the present studies, AAV serotype 6 vectors were identified to be particularly effective in the transduction of human prostate (PC3), breast (T47D) and liver (Huh7) cancer cells. Next, we developed chimeric AAV vectors with Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) peptide incorporated into the viral capsid to enable specific targeting of integrin-overexpressing malignant cells. These AAV6-RGD vectors improved transduction efficiency approximately 3-fold compared with wild-type AAV6 vectors by enhancing the viral entry into the cells. We also observed that transduction efficiency significantly improved, up to approximately 5-fold, by the mutagenesis of surface-exposed tyrosine and threonine residues involved in the intracellular trafficking of AAV vectors. Therefore, in our study, the AAV6-Y705-731F+T492V vector was identified as the most efficient. The combination of RGD peptide, tyrosine and threonine mutations on the same AAV6 capsid further increased the transduction efficiency, approximately 8-fold in vitro. In addition, we mutated lysine (K531E) to impair the affinity of AAV6 vectors to heparan sulfate proteoglycan. Finally, we showed a significant increase in both specificity and efficiency of AAV6-RGD-Y705-731F+T492V+K531E vectors in a xenograft animal model in vivo. In summary, the approach described here can lead to the development of AAV vectors with selective tropism to human cancer cells.

Tyrosine-Specific Chemical Modification with in Situ Hemin-Activated Luminol Derivatives

Tyrosine-specific chemical modification was achieved using in situ hemin-activated luminol derivatives. Tyrosine residues in peptide and protein were modified effectively with N-methylated luminol derivatives under oxidative conditions in the presence of hemin and H2O2. Both single and double modifications of the tyrosine residue occurred in the reaction of angiotensin II with N-methylated luminol derivative 9. Tyrosine-specific chemical modification of the model protein bovine serum albumin (BSA) revealed that the surface-exposed tyrosine residues were selectively modified with 9. We succeeded in the functionalization of several proteins using azide-conjugated compound 18 using alkyne-conjugated probes by copper(I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) or dibenzocyclooctyne (DBCO)-mediated copper-free click chemistry. This tyrosine-specific modification was orthogonal to conventional lysine modification by N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) ester, and dual functionalization by fluorescence modification of tyrosine residues and PEG modification of lysine residues was achieved without affecting the modification efficiency.

Capsid Mutated Adeno-Associated Virus Delivered to the Anterior Chamber Results in Efficient Transduction of Trabecular Meshwork in Mouse and Rat.

BackgroundAdeno associated virus (AAV) is well known for its ability to deliver transgenes to retina and to mediate improvements in animal models and patients with inherited retinal disease. Although the field is less advanced, there is growing interest in AAV’s ability to target cells of the anterior segment. The purpose of our study was to fully articulate a reliable and reproducible method for injecting the anterior chamber (AC) of mice and rats and to investigate the transduction profiles of AAV2- and AAV8-based capsid mutants containing self-complementary (sc) genomes in the anterior segment of the eye.Methodology/Principle FindingsAC injections were performed in C57BL/6 mice and Sprague Dawley rats. The cornea was punctured anterior of the iridocorneal angle. To seal the puncture site and to prevent reflux an air bubble was created in the AC. scAAVs expressing GFP were injected and transduction was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. Both parent serotype and capsid modifications affected expression. scAAV2- based vectors mediated efficient GFP-signal in the corneal endothelium, ciliary non-pigmented epithelium (NPE), iris and chamber angle including trabecular meshwork, with scAAV2(Y444F) and scAAV2(triple) being the most efficient.Conclusions/SignificanceThis is the first study to semi quantitatively evaluate transduction of anterior segment tissues following injection of capsid-mutated AAV vectors. scAAV2- based vectors transduced corneal endothelium, ciliary NPE, iris and trabecular meshwork more effectively than scAAV8-based vectors. Mutagenesis of surface-exposed tyrosine residues greatly enhanced transduction efficiency of scAAV2 in these tissues. The number of Y-F mutations was not directly proportional to transduction efficiency, however, suggesting that proteosomal avoidance alone may not be sufficient. These results are applicable to the development of targeted, gene-based strategies to investigate pathological processes of the anterior segment and may be applied toward the development of gene-based therapies for glaucoma and acquired or inherited corneal anomalies.

318. Development of Optimized AAV Serotype Vectors for the Potential Gene Therapy of Cystic Fibrosis

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a single gene mutation that it is estimated to affect 30,000 children and adults in the US, and 70,000 patients worldwide. The lack of a functional gene leads to a defective ion conductance, and the associated water transport abnormalities produce increased viscosity of secretions in exocrine epithelial cells. In the respiratory airways, mucus plugging and retention produces severe lung diseases making this the main cause of mortality among CF patients. Several groups have tried to correct this defect using recombinant AAV as a vector to carry the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene to airway epithelial cells, but without success, mostly because of poor transduction efficiency of these cells.Although AAV vectors have been used successfully in animal models, and shown efficacy in several clinical trials, a number of steps in the life cycle of AAV, including intracellular trafficking, continue to appear to limit the effectiveness of these vectors in gene therapy. We have recently documented that the substitution of surface-exposed specific tyrosine (Y), serine (S), and threonine (T) residues on AAV capsids significantly increases the transduction efficiency of these vectors, both in vitro and in vivo, presumably by preventing phosphorylation, subsequent ubiquitination, and proteasome-mediated degradation. The current studies were undertaken to identify the optimal AAV serotype vectors with improved transduction efficiency in airway epithelial cells. First, we evaluated the transduction efficiency of several commonly used AAV serotype vectors in primary normal (CRL-40111) and CF donor-derived (CRL-4013) human airway epithelial cells. Our data indicated that AAV6 serotype vectors transduce both of these cell lines at high levels, followed by AAV2, AAV5, and AAV1. Interestingly, that transduction efficiency of AAV5 vectors, but not AAV1, 2, and 6, was higher in CRL-4013 cells compared with that in CRL-4011 cells. We have previously developed a number of single- and multiple-mutant capsid-optimized vectors for each serotype (18 for AAV1, 100 for AAV2, 15 for AAV5, and 35 for AAV6). Thus, we next evaluated the transduction efficiency of these capsid-optimized AAV serotype vectors in human airway epithelial cells. The result showed that mutations in a single serine (S) residue at position 663 for AAV1, 662 for AAV2, 651 for AAV5, and 663 for AAV6 to valine (V) increased the transduction efficiency 2-3-fold compared with the wild-type (WT) AAV vectors. Among the multiple-mutants, several beneficial combinations of Y and T residues were identified, such as AAV2-Y444-500-730F+T491V, AAV1-Y705-731F+T492V, AAV5-Y263+719F and AAV6-Y705-731F+T492V, which increased the transduction efficiency 3-5-fold compared with the WT-AAV vectors. Overall, the capsid-optimized AAV6 serotype was identified as the most efficient. Studies are currently underway to generate the optimized AAV6-CFTR vector for its use in the potential gene therapy for CF.

Differences in the roles of the two surface-exposed tyrosine residues, Y240 and Y481, of &lt;i&gt;Serratia marcescens&lt;/i&gt; chitinase B during processive degradation of crystalline chitin

Chitinase B from Serratia marcescens 2170 is one of the processive chitinases, and it has a linear path of aromatic amino acid residues on the surface and in the catalytic cleft. There are four surface-exposed residues lined-up towards the cleft, Y481, W479, W252, and Y240. The substitution of these residues with alanine causes a decrease in both the extent of the substrate binding and the hydrolytic activity (Katouno et al., 2004). Here, we examine the three mutants without losing the substrate-binding ability, Y240W, Y481W, and Y240W/Y481W. These mutants were prepared for a detailed analysis of the functions of Y240 and Y481, which showed a lower contribution to substrate binding than W479 and W252. The parameters for the binding of the three mutants to crystalline β-chitin were similar to those for the wild type. The hydrolytic activity of Y240W and Y240W/Y481W against crystalline β-chitin was significantly decreased. However, the hydrolytic activity of Y481W was similar to that of the wild type, indicating some differences in the roles of Y240 and Y481 during the processive degradation of crystalline β-chitin. Taken together with the previous results, it was suggested that while Y240 and Y481 were required for the substrate binding, Y240 had additional roles in the processive degradation of crystalline β-chitin, possibly in guiding a chitin chain into the catalytic cleft.

Single Tyrosine Mutation in AAV8 Vector Capsid Enhances Gene Lung Delivery and Does Not Alter Lung Morphofunction in Mice

Background/Aims: Vectors derived from adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) are important gene delivery tools for treating pulmonary diseases. Phosphorylation of surface-exposed tyrosine residues from AAV2 capsid targets the viral particles for ubiquitination and proteasome-mediated degradation, and mutations of these tyrosine residues lead to highly efficient vector transduction in vitro and in vivo in different organs. We evaluated the pulmonary transduction efficiency of AAV8 vectors containing point mutations in surface-exposed capsid tyrosine residues. Methods: Male C57BL/6 mice (20-25 g, n=24) were randomly assigned into three groups: control group animals received intratracheal (i.t.) instillation of saline (50 μl), wild-type AAV8 group, and capsid mutant Y733F AAV8 group, which received (i.t.) AAV8 vectors containing the DNA sequence of enhanced green fluorescence protein (eGFP). Four weeks after instillation, lung mechanics and morphometry, vector transduction (immunohistochemistry and mRNA expression of eGFP), and inflammatory cytokines and growth factor expression were analyzed. Results: Tyrosine-mutant AAV8 vectors displayed significantly increased transduction efficiency in the lung compared with their wild-type counterparts. No significant differences were observed in lung mechanics and morphometry between experimental groups. There was no evidence of inflammatory response in any group. Conclusion: AAV8 vectors may be useful for new therapeutic strategies for the treatment of pulmonary diseases.

Tyrosine capsid-mutant AAV vectors for gene delivery to the canine retina from a subretinal or intravitreal approach

Recombinant adeno-associated viruses are important vectors for retinal gene delivery. Currently utilized vectors have relatively slow onset and for efficient transduction it is necessary to deliver treatment subretinally, with the potential for damage to the retina. Amino-acid substitutions in the viral capsid improve efficiency in rodent eyes by evading host responses. As dogs are important large animal models for human retinitis pigmentosa, we evaluated the speed and efficiency of retinal transduction using capsid-mutant vectors injected both subretinally and intravitreally. We evaluated AAV serotypes 2 and 8 with amino-acid substitutions of surface exposed capsid tyrosine residues. The chicken beta-actin promoter was used to drive green fluorescent protein expression. Twelve normal adult beagles were injected, 4 dogs received intravitreal injections, 8 dogs received subretinal injections. Capsid-mutant viruses tested included AAV2(quad Y-F) (intravitreal and subretinal), and self-complementary scAAV8(Y733F) (subretinal only). Contralateral control eyes received injections of scAAV5 (subretinal) or scAAV2 (intravitreal). Subretinally delivered vectors had a faster expression onset than intravitreally delivered vectors. Subretinally delivered scAAV8(Y733F) had a faster onset of expression than scAAV5. All subretinally injected vector types transduced the outer retina with high efficiency, and the inner retina with moderate efficiency. Intravitreally delivered AAV2(quad Y-F) had a marginally higher efficiency of transduction of both outer retinal and inner retinal cells than scAAV2. Because of their rapid expression onset and efficient transduction, subretinally delivered capsid-mutant AAV8 vectors may increase the efficacy of gene therapy treatment for rapid photoreceptor degenerative diseases. With further refinement, capsid-mutant AAV2 vectors show promise for retinal gene delivery from an intravitreal approach.