Development of a non-viral gene delivery vector based on the dynein light chain Rp3 and the TAT peptide

FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO - FAPESPCONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICO - CNPQGene therapy and DNA vaccination trials are limited by the lack of gene delivery vectors that combine efficiency and safety. Hence, the development of modular recombinant proteins able to mimic mechanisms used by viruses for intracellular trafficking and nuclear delivery is an important strategy. We designed a modular protein (named T-Rp3) composed of the recombinant human dynein light chain Rp3 fused to an N-terminal DNA-binding domain and a C-terminal membrane active peptide, TAT. The T-Rp3 protein was successfully expressed in Escherichia coli and interacted with the dynein intermediate chain in vitro. It was also proven to efficiently interact and condense plasmid DNA, forming a stable, small (similar to 100 nm) and positively charged (+28.6 mV) complex. Transfection of HeLa cells using T-Rp3 revealed that the vector is highly dependent on microtubule polarization, being 400 times more efficient than protamine, and only 13 times less efficient than Lipofectamine 2000 (TM), but with a lower cytotoxicity. Confocal laser scanning microcopy studies revealed perinuclear accumulation of the vector, most likely as a result of transport via microtubules. This study contributes to the development of more efficient and less cytotoxic proteins for non-viral gene delivery. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.Gene therapy and DNA vaccination trials are limited by the lack of gene delivery vectors that combine efficiency and safety. Hence, the development of modular recombinant proteins able to mimic mechanisms used by viruses for intracellular trafficking and nuclear delivery is an important strategy. We designed a modular protein (named T-Rp3) composed of the recombinant human dynein light chain Rp3 fused to an N-terminal DNA-binding domain and a C-terminal membrane active peptide, TAT. The T-Rp3 protein was successfully expressed in Escherichia coli and interacted with the dynein intermediate chain in vitro. It was also proven to efficiently interact and condense plasmid DNA, forming a stable, small (similar to 100 nm) and positively charged (+28.6 mV) complex. Transfection of HeLa cells using T-Rp3 revealed that the vector is highly dependent on microtubule polarization, being 400 times more efficient than protamine, and only 13 times less efficient than Lipofectamine 2000 (TM), but with a lower cytotoxicity. Confocal laser scanning microcopy studies revealed perinuclear accumulation of the vector, most likely as a result of transport via microtubules. This study contributes to the development of more efficient and less cytotoxic proteins for non-viral gene delivery.17311018FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO - FAPESPCONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICO - CNPQFUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO - FAPESPCONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICO - CNPQFAPESP [2007/58323-9]CNPq [471971/2011-1]2007/58323-9471971/2011-1The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo - FAPESP (Sao Paulo, Brazil, Grant 2007/58323-9) and Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico - CNPq (Brazil, Grant 471971/2011-1). We also thank the Laboratorio de Espectroscopia e Calorimetria (LEC), Laboratorio Nacional de Biociencias - LNBio (Campinas, Brazil), and the National Institute of Science and Technology on Photonics Applied to Cell Biology (INFABIC), UNICAMP, for the support for the analysis of recombinant T-Rp3. Finally, we thank Professor Maricilda Palandi de Mello, CBMEG, UNICAMP (Campinas, Brazil), for support for the HeLa cell culture