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Mixed-ligand modification of polyamidoamine dendrimers to develop an effective scaffold for maintenance of hepatocyte spheroids.

Compared with a monolayer culture, hepatocyte spheroids are known to maintain liver function for long periods. We found that hepatocytes formed spheroids when cultured on polyamidoamine dendrimers modified with fructose. Because galactose is a ligand for the asialoglycoprotein receptor on the hepatocyte cytoplasmic membrane, it was chosen as another ligand for modification in order to maintain adhesion of spheroids for long periods. Simultaneous modification of dendrimers with fructose and galactose had a marked effect on the time length of spheroid adhesion. Suppression of apoptosis and necrosis was observed in hepatocyte spheroids cultured on a dendrimer modified with fructose and galactose (F/G dendrimer). Moreover, the hepatocyte spheroids cultured on the F/G dendrimer had higher activities of liver-specific functions, such as urea synthesis and albumin gene expression, than did those cultured on single-ligand-modified dendrimers. The expression of heat shock protein (HSP) genes was examined to evaluate the stress response of cells to scaffolds. The hepatocytes cultured on the F/G dendrimer had very low expression levels of both HSP60 and HSP70 mRNAs. Thus immobilization of mixed-ligand-modified dendrimers could generate a suitable surface for hepatocyte spheroid formation. These dendrimers could be a powerful tool for generating custom-made scaffolds for cells other than hepatocytes by selecting the ligands suitable for each cell type.

Animals↗

Transfection efficiency and uptake process of polyplexes in human lung endothelial cells: a comparative study in non-polarized and polarized cells.

BACKGROUND: Following systemic administration, polyplexes must cross the endothelium barrier to deliver genes to the target cells underneath. To design an efficient gene delivery system into lung epithelium, we evaluated capture and transfection efficiencies of DNA complexed with either Jet-PEI (PEI-polyplexes) or histidylated polylysine (His-polyplexes) in human lung microvascular endothelial cells (HLMEC) and tracheal epithelial cells. METHODS: After optimizing growth conditions to obtain a tight HLMEC monolayer, we characterized uptake of polyplexes by flow cytometry and evaluated their transfection efficiency. Polyplexes were formulated as small particles. YOYO-labelled plasmid fluorescence intensity and luciferase activity were used as readouts for uptake and gene expression, respectively. RESULTS: PEI-polyplexes were more efficiently taken up than His-polyplexes by both non-polarized (2-fold) and polarized HLMEC (10-fold). They were mainly internalized by a clathrin-dependent pathway whatever the cell state. In non-polarized cells, His-polyplexes entered also mainly via a clathrin-dependent pathway but with an involvement of cholesterol. The cell polarization decreased this way and a clathrin-independent pathway became predominant. PEI-polyplexes transfected more efficiently HLMEC than His-polyplexes (10(7) vs. 10(5) relative light units (RLU)/mg of proteins) with a more pronounced difference in polarized cells. In contrast, no negative effect of the cell polarization was observed with tracheal epithelial cells in which both polyplexes had comparable efficiency. CONCLUSIONS: We show that the efficiency of polyplex uptake by HLMEC and their internalization mechanism are polymer-dependent. By contrast with His-polyplexes, the HLMEC polarization has little influence on the uptake process and on the transfection efficiency of PEI-polyplexes.

Benzoxazoles↗

Inhibition of neutrophil and eosinophil chemotactic responses to PAF by the PAF-antagonists WEB-2086, L-652,731, and SRI-63441.

The influence of the three PAF-antagonists WEB-2086, L-652,731, and SRI-63441 on the chemotactic response of neutrophil and eosinophil granulocytes to PAF was investigated. When the PAF-antagonists were added to the cell suspension that was exposed to a gradient of PAF, WEB-2086 and SRI-63441 at the concentration of 10(-6) mol/litre inhibited (P less than .01) the neutrophil and eosinophil chemotactic response to 10(-8) and 10(-9) mol PAF per litre; at the concentration of 5 x 10(-6) mol/litre, WEB-2086 and SRI-63441 also inhibited (P less than .02) the response to 10(-7) mol PAF per litre. Under the same conditions L-652,731 at the concentration of 5 x 10(-6) mol/litre inhibited (P less than .01) the eosinophil chemotactic response to 10(-8) and 10(-9) mol PAF per litre. The inhibition of the chemotactic response to PAF by the three PAF-antagonists was specific, since the chemotactic response to C5f, f-MLP, and LTB4 was not affected by WEB-2086, L-652,731, or SRI-63441, neither was the chemokinetic migration induced by albumin.

Azepines↗

Binding of mono- and bis-N-substituted benzoquinolinium halides to butyrylcholinesterase: fluorescence measurements.

The dissociation constants (Kdiss) of mono-and bis-N-substituted benzoquinolinium salts from butyrylcholinesterase were determined by the disappearance of the fluorescence of the free ligand. The Kdiss value determined by this method agreed closely with the dissociation constants (KI,s) of the free enzyme obtained by steady-state kinetic studies. The results indicate that the N-substituted benzoquinolinium salts with a strong binding ability to butyrylcholinesterase also are potent inhibitors of the esterolytic properties of the enzyme. Enzyme binding is favored by the coplanar structure and does not require a high concentration of charge on the onium function. The shape of the hydrophobic structures markedly influences binding.

Animals↗

Myosin Va and kinesin II motor proteins are concentrated in ribosomal domains (periaxoplasmic ribosomal plaques) of myelinated axons.

Periaxoplasmic ribosomal plaques (PARPs) are discrete ribosome-containing domains distributed intermittently along the periphery of axoplasm in myelinated fibers. Thus, they are structural formations in which translational machinery is spatially organized to serve as centers of protein synthesis for local metabolic requirements and perhaps repair as well. Because of evidence that RNA is transported to putative PARP domains, involving both microtubule- and actin-based mechanisms, it was of interest to investigate whether cytoskeletal motor proteins exhibit a nonrandom localization within PARP domains. Axoplasm, from large Mauthner fibers and rat or rabbit spinal ventral nerve root fibers, removed from the myelin sheath in the form of an "axoplasmic whole-mount" was used for this analysis. PARP domains were identified either by specific immunofluorescence of rRNA, ribosomal P antigen, or by nonspecific RNA fluorescence using RNA binding dyes YOYO-1 or POPO-1. A polyclonal antibody (pAb) against the motor domain of myosin Va showed prominent nonrandom immunofluorescence labeling in PARP domains. Similarly, monoclonal antibodies (mAb) against kinesin KIF3A and a pan-specific antikinesin (mAb IBII) also showed a preponderant immunofluorescence in PARP domains. On the other hand, H2, a mAb antikinesin KIF5A, exhibited only random immunofluorescence labeling in axoplasm, as was also the case with pAb antidynein heavy chain immunofluorescence. Several possible explanations for these findings are considered, primary among which is targeted trafficking of translational machinery that results in local accumulation of motor proteins. Additional possibilities are trafficking functions intrinsic to the domain, and/or functions that govern dynamic organizational properties of PARPs.

Animals↗

Global proteomic approach unmasks involvement of keratins 8 and 18 in the delivery of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR)/deltaF508-CFTR to the plasma membrane.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disease caused by mutations in the CF gene (cftr). Physiologically, CF is characterized by an abnormal chloride secretion in epithelia due to a dysfunction of a mutated cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR). CFTR is a cAMP-dependent chloride channel whose most frequent mutation, deltaF508, leads to an aberrantly folded protein which causes a dysfunction of the channel. However, a growing number of reports suggest that modifier genes and environmental factors are involved in the physiology of CF. To identify proteins whose expression depends on wild-type WT-CFTR or deltaF508-CFTR, we chose a global proteomic approach based on the use of two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) and mass spectrometry. The experiments were carried out with HeLa cells stably transfected with WT-CFTR (pTCFWT) or deltaF508-CFTR (pTCFdeltaF508). These experiments unmasked keratin 8 (K8) and 18 (K18) which were differentially expressed in pTCFWT vs. pTCFdeltaF508. An immunoblot of K18 confirmed the 2-DE results. Intracellular localization experiments of WT-CFTR, deltaF508-CFTR, K8, and K18 suggest that the expression of these proteins are linked, and that the concentrations of K8 and K18 and/or their distribution may be involved in the traffic of WT-CFTR/deltaF508-CFTR. A functional assay for CFTR revealed that specifically lowering K18 expression or changing its distribution leads to the delivery of functional deltaF508-CFTR to the plasma membrane. This work suggests a novel function of K18 in CF.

Cell Membrane↗

Fluorometric assay using dimeric dyes for double- and single-stranded DNA and RNA with picogram sensitivity.

Thiazole orange homodimer (TOTO; 1,1'-(4,4,7,7-tetramethyl-4,7-diazaundecamethylene)-bis-4-[3-methy l-2,3- dihydro-(benzo-1,3-thiazole)-2-methylidene]-quinolinium tetraiodide) and oxazole yellow homodimer (YOYO; an analogue of TOTO with a benzo-1,3-oxazole in place of the benzo-1,3-thiazole) bind with very high affinity to nucleic acids with more than a 1000-fold fluorescence enhancement upon binding. A linear dependence of fluorescence intensity on DNA concentration over a range from 0.5 to 100 ng/ml in the presence of 2 x 10(-7) M TOTO or YOYO in 4 mM Tris-acetate/0.1 mM EDTA/50 mM NaCl, pH 8.2 allows sensitive quantitation of double-stranded DNA in a conventional fluorometer. With nucleic acid-dye mixtures in an array of 25-microliters wells in a block of low autofluorescence plastic and detection with a laser-excited confocal fluorescence scanner, as little as 20 pg of double-stranded DNA can be detected per well. The array scanning method is rapid, has high throughput, and requires small amounts of sample. It also allows quantitation of single-stranded DNA and RNA.

Animals↗

A sensitive new fluorescence assay for measuring proton transport across liposomal membranes.

6-Methoxy-N-(3-sulfopropyl)-quinolinium (SPQ) is a fluorophore that is collisionally quenched by halide anions and is widely used to measure chloride ion transport across cellular and liposomal membranes. We report a new finding that SPQ fluorescence is also quenched by the zwitterionic hydrogen ion buffers introduced by Good et al. [(1966) Biochemistry 5, 467-477]. Although buffer quenching interferes with chloride ion measurements using SPQ, it can be turned to good advantage for measurements of proton flux. The basis for this application is that, for most buffers, the anion quenches and the zwitterion does not. Accordingly, buffer quenching of SPQ can be used to assay proton transport across liposomal membranes. We describe application of the technique to liposomes in which proton transport was mediated by ionophores and by the purified, reconstituted uncoupling protein of brown adipose tissue mitochondria. Because SPQ detects changes in buffer anion concentration, it can be used to measure changes in total acidity, which is the parameter desired when measuring net proton transport. Furthermore, this technique can be used to measure proton transport under conditions in which pH changes are minimized with buffers, and, consequently, effects of pH on proton transport can be dissociated from the transport itself.

Anions↗

In situ screening assay for cell viability using a dimeric cyanine nucleic acid stain.

A rapid and sensitive assay is described for the determination of cell viability of adherent and nonadherent cells that can be performed in situ in 96-well microtiter plates using fluorescence plate scanners. The assay, based on dye exclusion, utilizes a plasma membrane-impermeable, dimeric cyanine dye (YOYO-1). YOYO-1 fluoresces brightly only when bound to nucleic acids. Cells are incubated with YOYO-1, and fluorescence is measured before and after the addition of detergent, which allows the dye to enter the cells. The fluorescence before detergent treatment originates from nonviable cells that have membrane damage and take up YOYO-1. The fluorescence after detergent treatment originates from all cells in the sample. The ratio of the two fluorescence values is used as an indicator of cell viability. The cell viability results of this microplate assay closely resemble those of dye exclusion studies by flow cytometry and are similar but not identical to those of the thiazolyl blue assay, which uses a metabolic indicator of cell death. Because the assay can be performed in situ, without removing the medium, disintegrated cells, cell aggregates, and cells that stick to culture vessel walls are all included in the measurement.

Benzoxazoles↗

Chloride-bicarbonate exchange through the human red cell ghost membrane monitored by the fluorescent probe 6-methoxy-N-(3-sulfopropyl)quinolinium.

The exchange of chloride and bicarbonate across the human red cell membrane has been characterized by quenching of an intracellular fluorophore, 6-methoxy-N-(3-sulfopropyl)quinolinium (SPQ). In 20 mM Hepes, pH 7.4, and varying concentrations of chloride and bicarbonate with total anion concentration of 150 mM, SPQ is quenched dynamically by chloride with an apparent Stern-Volmer quenching constant 0.071 +/- 0.016 mM-1 at 25 degrees C. Hepes alone quenched SPQ fluorescence with a quenching constant of 0.030 +/- 0.003 mM-1. Stopped-flow kinetic experiments give fluorescence time courses that, when corrected for Stern-Volmer quenching, are first order. Disulfonic stilbenes (inhibitors of anion exchange) decrease the rate of fluorescence equilibration. Transport of bicarbonate via hydration-dehydration of CO2 does not contribute to the observed kinetics. The chloride-bicarbonate exchange rate is independent of the anion concentration gradient, but increases at 25 degrees C from 1 to 4 s-1 as equilibrium chloride concentration increases from 20 to 130 mM (with concomitant decrease in bicarbonate concentration from 130 to 20 mM). The data indicate that the translocation rate of the chloride-loaded transport protein is greater than that of bicarbonate-loaded transport protein and that bicarbonate has a higher affinity for the transport protein than chloride. Our results validate the use of SPQ to measure quantitatively chloride-bicarbonate exchange in red cell ghosts. The methods we describe should be applicable to other systems exhibiting chloride-bicarbonate exchange.

Anions↗

Analysis of double-stranded DNA by capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence detection using the monomeric dye SYBR green I.

The monomeric fluorescent dye, SYBR Green I, was investigated and compared with the dyes YO-PRO-1 and thiazole orange (TO) for their application in capillary electrophoresis (CE) with laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) detection of double-stranded DNA (dsDNA). DNA fragments were injected by hydrodynamic pressure and separated in a replaceable matrix of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose. For all 3 dyes, optimal concentrations were established and efficient separations of DNA fragments ranging in size from 75 to 12216 bp were obtained. The most promising results in terms of linear detection range were achieved with SYBR Green I. At the optimal dye concentration, fluorescence intensity versus DNA concentration was linear over more than three orders of magnitude (4 pg/microliters to 30 ng/microliters). Limit of detection (LOD) with SYBR Green I was approximately 80 fg of dsDNA (240 zmol of a 200-bp fragment). Similar LOD was obtained with YO-PRO-1, whereas TO resulted in lower sensitivity. Precision in both fluorescence intensity and migration time was high (relative standard deviation, RSD < 3.6%; n = 10) for dsDNA fragments complexed with SYBR Green I. In conclusion, SYBR Green I is fluorescent dye well suited for efficient separation and quantitative, sensitive, and precise determination of dsDNA by CE-LIF.

Benzothiazoles↗

Direct visualization of individual DNA molecules by fluorescence microscopy: characterization of the factors affecting signal/background and optimization of imaging conditions using YOYO.

A new series of high-affinity cyanine dyes was tested for the visualization of the dynamics of single DNA molecules through a fluorescence microscope. In particular, YOYO-1 (1,1'-(4,4,7,7-tetramethyl-4,7-diazaundecamethylene)- bis-4-[3-methyl-2,3-dihydro-(benzo-1,3-oxazole)- 2-methylidene]-quinolinium tetraiodide) forms a very stable, highly fluorescent complex with double-stranded DNA and dramatically improves the quality of the images. We have characterized the factors affecting the signal/background in the imaging of single DNA molecules by fluorescence microscopy and compared the results obtained using YOYO-1 with those obtained using standard fluorescent dyes like ethidium bromide or acridine orange.

Acridine Orange↗

Measurement of oxidized glutathione by enzymatic recycling coupled to bioluminescent detection.

A new method is described for the quantification of oxidized glutathione (GSSG) in tissues by enzymatic recycling coupled to NADPH bioluminescent detection. Tissue samples are treated with metaphosphoric acid. In a first step, after derivatization of GSH with 4-chloro-7-trifluoromethyl-1-methylquinolinium (CFQ), GSSG is recycled in the presence of dithionitrobenzoic acid (DTNB) and NADPH by glutathione reductase. In a second step, the GSSG-dependent NADPH consumption is measured by luminescence with NADPH:FMN oxidoreductase-bacterial luciferase. The coefficient of variation for GSSG measurements on repeated assays (n = 5) is 2 and 3% for standards and tissue samples, respectively. The sensitivity of this method is at the picomole level and is convenient for determination of GSSG physiological concentrations in tissues: GSSG levels measured in rat liver and kidney ranged from 76 to 215 and 52 to 170 nmol/g wet weight, respectively.

Animals↗

Chloride-sensitive fluorescent indicators.

Three fluorescent halide-sensitive quinolinium dyes have been produced by the reaction of the 6-methylquinoline heterocyclic nitrogen base with methyl bromide, methyl iodide, and 3-bromo-1-propanol. The quaternary salts, unlike the precursor molecule, are readily water soluble and the fluorescence intensity of these salts is reduced in the presence of aqueous chloride, bromide, and iodide ions, allowing halide solution concentrations to be determined using well-known Stern-Volmer kinetics. One of the dyes, dye 1, has a chloride Stern-Volmer constant of 255 mol(-1) dm(3) which is more than twice that of SPQ [6-methoxy-N-(3-sulfopropyl)quinolinium] used in recent physiological measurements to measure intracellular chloride levels. The dyes have been characterized using steady-state fluorescence spectroscopy and are compared to three similar dyes based on the 6-methoxyquinoline nucleus, reported earlier by the authors, and also to dyes reported by Krapf et al. (Anal. Biochem. 169, 142-150, 1988). The interference of aqueous anions and the potential for using these dyes in biological halide-sensing applications are discussed.

Chlorides↗