Hiroko Kawakami

Effect of Polyethylene Glycol Linker Chain Length of Folate-Linked Microemulsions Loading Aclacinomycin A on Targeting Ability and Antitumor Effect In vitro and In vivo

Purpose: To establish a novel formulation tumor-targeted drug carrier of lipophilic antitumor antibiotics, aclacinomycin A (ACM), folate-linked microemulsions were prepared and investigated both in vitro and in vivo. Experimental Design: Three kinds of folate-linked microemulsions with different polyethylene glycol (PEG) chain lengths loading ACM were formulated with 0.24 mol% folate-PEG2000-distearoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DSPE), folate-PEG5000-DSPE, and folate-lipid (without PEG linker) in microemulsions. In vitro studies were done in a human nasopharyngeal cell line, KB, which overexpresses the folate receptor (FR), and a human hepatoblastoma cell line, [FR(−)] HepG2. In vivo experiments were done in a KB xenograft by systemic administration of folate-linked microemulsions loading ACM. Results: The association of folate-linked microemulsions to KB cells could be blocked by 2 mmol/L free folic acid. Selective FR-mediated cytotoxicity of folate-linked microemulsions loading ACM was obtained in KB but not in HepG2 cells. The association of the folate-PEG5000-linked microemulsion and folate-PEG2000-linked microemulsion with the cells was 200- and 4-fold higher, whereas their cytotoxicity was 90- and 3.5-fold higher than those of nonfolate microemulsion, respectively. The folate-PEG5000-linked microemulsions showed 2.6-fold higher accumulation in solid tumors 24 hours after i.v. injection and greater tumor growth inhibition than free ACM. Conclusion: These findings suggest that a folate-linked microemulsion is feasible for tumor-targeted ACM delivery. This study shows that folate modification with a sufficiently long PEG chain on emulsions is an effective way of targeting emulsion to tumor cells.

Identification of a Post-translational Modification with Ribitol-Phosphate and Its Defect in Muscular Dystrophy

Glycosylation is an essential post-translational modification that underlies many biological processes and diseases. α-dystroglycan (α-DG) is a receptor for matrix and synaptic proteins that causes muscular dystrophy and lissencephaly upon its abnormal glycosylation (α-dystroglycanopathies). Here we identify the glycan unit ribitol 5-phosphate (Rbo5P), a phosphoric ester of pentose alcohol, in α-DG. Rbo5P forms a tandem repeat and functions as a scaffold for the formation of the ligand-binding moiety. We show that enzyme activities of three major α-dystroglycanopathy-causing proteins are involved in the synthesis of tandem Rbo5P. Isoprenoid synthase domain-containing (ISPD) is cytidine diphosphate ribitol (CDP-Rbo) synthase. Fukutin and fukutin-related protein are sequentially acting Rbo5P transferases that use CDP-Rbo. Consequently, Rbo5P glycosylation is defective in α-dystroglycanopathy models. Supplementation of CDP-Rbo to ISPD-deficient cells restored α-DG glycosylation. These findings establish the molecular basis of mammalian Rbo5P glycosylation and provide insight into pathogenesis and therapeutic strategies in α-DG-associated diseases.

Fullerene nanowires: self-assembled structures of a low-molecular-weight organogelator fabricated by the Langmuir-Blodgett method.

Fullerene derivative C60TT, which is substituted with the low-molecular-weight organogelator tris(dodecyloxy)benzamide, formed nanowire structures on application of the Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) method. The surface morphology of the C60TT LB film was dependent on the holding time before deposition at a surface pressure of 5 mN m(-1); it changed from a homogeneous monolayer to a bilayer fibrous structure via a fibrous monolayer structure, which was estimated to have dimensions of 1.2 nm in height, 8 nm in width, and 5-10 microm in length. From the structural and spectroscopic data, it is inferred that close packing of the fullerene moiety occurs along with intermolecular hydrogen bonding within the monolayer fibrous structure. The morphological changes in the LB film are explained kinetically by the Avrami theory, based on the decrease in the surface area of the monolayer at the air/water interface. The growth of the quasi-one-dimensional fibrous monolayer structures at holding times from 0 to 0.2 h is considered to be an interface-controlled process, whereas the growth of the quasi-one-dimensional bilayer fibrous structures from 0.2 to 18 h is thought to be a diffusion-controlled process.

High gene delivery in tumor by intratumoral injection of tetraarginine-PEG lipid-coated protamine/DNA

One obstacle to effective gene therapy lies in low transfection efficiency by non-viral vectors. To meet this challenge, we developed cell-penetrating peptide-based gene delivery vectors. A novel oligoarginine lipid ((Arg)n-B, n=4, 10) conjugated to 3,5-bis(dodecyloxy)benzamide (BDB) lipid with a poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) spacer was synthesized. Oligoarginine lipid-coated vector was prepared by the addition of (Arg)n-B to DNA/protamine complex (PD) ((Arg)n-B-PD). Transfection efficiency of (Arg)n-B-PD was compared with that of (Arg)n-B/DNA complex ((Arg)n-B/D) for in vitro and in xenograft tumor of human cervical carcinoma HeLa by intratumoral injection. Transfection efficiency in tumors and in vitro greatly depended on the charge ratios of (Arg)n-B to DNA and the length of Arg residues. In vitro, positively charged Arg10-B-PD showed the highest transfection efficiency. In contrast, in tumor transfection, negatively charged Arg4-B-PD showed the highest transfection efficiency, about 2-, 16- and 23-fold higher than PD alone, Arg10-B-PD and a commercial gene transfection reagent, respectively. This result suggests that negatively charged tetraarginine-conjugated-PEG lipid-coated PD is a promising gene delivery vector for intratumoral injection.

Calcium enhanced delivery of tetraarginine-PEG-lipid-coated DNA/protamine complexes

As we have previously reported the delivery of plasmid DNA (DNA) complexed with oligoarginine-PEG artificial lipids (oligoarginine/DNA complexes), we focused on tetra- and decaarginine (Arg4, Arg10) to improve transfection efficiency by both the formation of oligoarginine-coated DNA complexed with protamine (PD), and the addition of Ca(2+) after formation of complexes. The efficiency of DNA condensation was determined by gel electrophoresis. Cellular uptake and transfection efficiency were evaluated in human cervical carcinoma HeLa cells using flow cytometry and luciferase assay. Oligoarginine-coated PD enhanced transfection efficiency significantly more than complexes where Arg10 in both vectors exhibited higher transfection efficiency than Arg4. As assessed by gel retardation assay, high gene expression by Arg10 may be explained by Arg4 binding DNA more strongly than Arg10. The addition of Ca(2+) to incubation medium increased transfection efficiency of Arg4-coated PD 70-fold, similar to that of Arg10-coated PD alone without an increase of cellular uptake, suggesting that Ca(2+) induced the release of DNA from complexes in endosomes. Only Arg4 with low cytotoxicity could gain an advantage from Ca(2+) in transfection, but Arg10 with relatively high cytotoxicity could not. The present results demonstrate that Arg4-coated PD with Ca(2+) has great potential as an efficient non-viral vector with low toxicity.

Decaarginine-PEG-liposome enhanced transfection efficiency and function of arginine length and PEG

Oligoarginine-conjugated lipids ((Arg)n-PEG-lipid) (n=4, 6, 8, and 10: number of arginine residues) are novel gene delivery vectors. We prepared two oligoarginine-modified liposomes using (Arg)n-lipid without and with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) spacer ((Arg)n-L and (Arg)n-PEG-L), and investigated the effect of PEG spacer and oligoarginine length of liposomes on cellular uptake, gene transfection, and its mechanism in HeLa cells, using complexes with plasmid DNA (DNA) or oligodeoxynucleotide. Transfection efficiency increased as the number of arginine residues increased and Arg10-PEG-L/DNA complexes (lipoplexes) showed the highest gene transfection efficiency among (Arg)n- and (Arg)n-PEG-lipoplexes. Arg4- and Arg4-PEG-lipoplexes were taken up greatly into cells, but showed lower transfection efficiency than Arg10- and Arg10-PEG-lipoplexes, respectively. The different gene expression by Arg4-L to Arg10-L with or without PEG spacer may be explained by the different intracellular uptake mechanism. The main cellular uptake mechanism of Arg10-L and Arg10-PEG-L was the macropinocytosis pathway, whereas that of Arg4-L and Arg4-PEG-L was not. PEG spacer was more effective for intracellular trafficking than Arg length and surface charge of lipoplex which depends on Arg length at the almost same size of lipoplexes. The findings suggested that Arg10-PEG-L was a superior vector since Arg10 induced the macropinocytosis uptake pathway.

Surface plasmon resonance and NMR analyses of anti Tn-antigen MLS128 monoclonal antibody binding to two or three consecutive Tn-antigen clusters

Tn-antigens are tumour-associated carbohydrate antigens that are involved in metastatic processes and are associated with a poor prognosis. MLS128 monoclonal antibody recognizes the structures of two or three consecutive Tn-antigens (Tn2 or Tn3). Since MLS128 treatment inhibits colon and breast cancer cell growth [Morita, N., Yajima, Y., Asanuma, H., Nakada, H., and Fujita-Yamaguchi, Y. (2009) Inhibition of cancer cell growth by anti-Tn monoclonal antibody MLS128. Biosci. Trends 3, 32-37.], understanding the interaction between MLS128 and Tn-clusters may allow us to the development of novel cancer therapeutics. Although MLS128 was previously reported to have specificity for Tn3 rather than Tn2, similar levels of Tn2/Tn3 binding were unexpectedly observed at 37°C. Thus, thermodynamic analyses were performed via surface plasmon resonance (SPR) using synthetic Tn2- and Tn3-peptides at 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30°C. SPR results revealed that MLS128s association constants for both antigens were highly temperature dependent. Below 25°C MLS128s association constant for Tn3-peptide was clearly higher than that for Tn2-peptide. At 30°C, however, the association constant for Tn2-peptide was higher than that for Tn3-peptide. This reversal of affinity is due to the sharp increase in K(d) for Tn3. These results were confirmed by NMR, which directly measured MLS128-Tn binding in solution. This study suggested that thermodynamic control plays a critical role in the interaction between MLS128/Tn2 and MLS128/Tn3.

The Muscular Dystrophy Gene TMEM5 Encodes a Ribitol β1,4-Xylosyltransferase Required for the Functional Glycosylation of Dystroglycan

A defect in O-mannosyl glycan is the cause of α-dystroglycanopathy, a group of congenital muscular dystrophies caused by aberrant α-dystroglycan (α-DG) glycosylation. Recently, the entire structure of O-mannosyl glycan, [3GlcAβ1-3Xylα1]n-3GlcAβ1-4Xyl-Rbo5P-1Rbo5P-3GalNAcβ1-3GlcNAcβ1-4 (phospho-6)Manα1-, which is required for the binding of α-DG to extracellular matrix ligands, has been proposed. However, the linkage of the first Xyl residue to ribitol 5-phosphate (Rbo5P) is not clear. TMEM5 is a gene product responsible for α-dystroglycanopathy and was reported as a potential enzyme involved in this linkage formation, although the experimental evidence is still incomplete. Here, we report that TMEM5 is a xylosyltransferase that forms the Xylβ1-4Rbo5P linkage on O-mannosyl glycan. The anomeric configuration and linkage position of the product (β1,4 linkage) was determined by NMR analysis. The introduction of two missense mutations in TMEM5 found in α-dystroglycanopathy patients impaired xylosyltransferase activity. Furthermore, the disruption of the TMEM5 gene by CRISPR/Cas9 abrogated the elongation of the (-3GlcAβ1-3Xylα1-) unit on O-mannosyl glycan. Based on these results, we concluded that TMEM5 acts as a UDP-d-xylose:ribitol-5-phosphate β1,4-xylosyltransferase in the biosynthetic pathway of O-mannosyl glycan.

Production of interferon-β by NB1-RGB cells cultured on peptide-lipid membranes

Cell growth and production of interferon-β (IFN-β) were investigated for normal human skin fibroblast cells (NB1-RGB) cultured on membranes prepared from peptide-lipids containing the arginine-glycine-aspartic acid [Arg-Gly-Asp] (RGD), tyrosine-isoleucine-glycine-serine-arginine [Tyr-Ile-Gly-Ser-Arg] (YIGSR) and arginine-glutamic acid-aspartic acid-valine [Arg-Glu-Asp-Val] (REDV) peptides. Cell density was found to be approximately the same on various peptide-lipid membranes, whereas production of IFN-β depended significantly on the peptide-lipid membranes on which NB1-RGB cells were cultured. The highest production of IFN-β was observed for NB1-RGB cells on REDV-lipid membranes prepared by a casting method (REDV-cast membranes) after 24 hr of cultivation. Specific binding between REDV of REDV-cast membranes and the receptor on the NB1-RGB cells may have caused the specific cell response for the production of IFN-β.