Helix-sheet interconversion in a synthetic pore lining peptide derived from a designed ion channel

We have designed a four-helix protein that is expected to tetramerize in the membrane to form an ion channel with a structurally well defined pore. A synthetic peptide corresponding to the channel lining helix facilitates ion transport across liposomal membranes and largely helical in membranes. Detailed circular dichroism studies of the peptide in methanol, water and methanal-water mixtures reveal that it is helical in methanol, beta-structured in 97.5% water and a combination of these two structures at intermediate compositions of methanol and water. A fluorescence resonance energy transfer study of the peptide shows that the peptide is monomeric in methanol but undergoes extensive anti-parallel aggregation in aqueous solution.

Effect of the headgroup variation on the gene transfer properties of cholesterol based cationic lipids possessing ether linkage

Eight cholesterol based cationic lipids differing in the headgroup have been synthesized based on the ether linkage between the cationic headgroup and the cholesterol backbone. All the lipids formed stable suspensions in water. Transfection efficacies were examined in the absence and presence of serum using their optimized liposomal (lipid:DOPE) formulations. Our results showed that the transfection activities depend on the nature of the headgroup. Lipid bearing 4-N,N′-dimethylaminopyridine (DMAP) as headgroup showed the maximum transfection efficacy in the presence of serum. Importantly, the optimized formulation for this cationic lipid does not require DOPE, which is being used by most commercially available formulations. Cytotoxicity studies showed that the introduction of the positive charge decreases the cell viability of the cationic lipid formulations. Gel electrophoresis and Ethidium bromide exclusion assay revealed the different DNA binding abilities of formulations depending upon the headgroup of the cholesteryl lipid.

Preparation and Characterization of Glycolipid-Bearing Multilamellar and Unilamellar Liposomes

The carbohydrate residues of glycosphingolipids were implicated in many biologic processes such as cell-to-cell interactions; and as receptors for some viruses, bacterial and plant toxins, hormones, and so forth, and invariably for all the lectins (1). However, their receptor functions remained poorly defined for a long time as they form micelles even at very low concentrations in aqueous medium. In micelles, the oligosaccharide chains are not expected to have a well defined orientation suitable for recognition by macromolecular ligands. This problem was overcome by incorporating them in model membranes, namely, the liposomes. The demonstration of lectin-glycolipid interaction using liposomal model membranes was a crucial development that established glycolipids as biological receptors. Moreover, glycolipid-bearing liposomes provide a convenient system for investigating the role of glycolipid density, orientation, and exposure of their oligosaccharide chains at the membrane interface relevant to their receptor function (2–4).

Investigations on the melting and bending modulus of polymer grafted bilayers using dissipative particle dynamics

Understanding the influence of polymer grafted bilayers on the physicomechanical properties of lipid membranes is important while developing liposomal based drug delivery systems. The melting characteristics and bending moduli of polymer grafted bilayers are investigated using dissipative particle dynamics simulations as a function of the amount of grafted polymer and lipid tail length. Simulations are carried out using a modified Andersen barostat, whereby the membrane is maintained in a tensionless state. For lipids made up of four to six tail beads, the transition from the low temperature L-beta phase to the L-alpha phase is lowered only above a grafting fraction of G(f)=0.12 for polymers made up of 20 beads. Below G(f)=0.12 small changes are observed only for the HT4 bilayer. The bending modulus of the bilayers is obtained as a function of G(f) from a Fourier analysis of the height fluctuations. Using the theory developed by Marsh Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1615, 33 (2003)] for polymer grafted membranes, the contributions to the bending modulus due to changes arising from the grafted polymer and bilayer thinning are partitioned. The contributions to the changes in kappa from bilayer thinning were found to lie within 11% for the lipids with four to six tail beads, increasing to 15% for the lipids containing nine tail beads. The changes in the area stretch modulus were also assessed and were found to have a small influence on the overall contribution from membrane thinning. The increase in the area per head group of the lipids was found to be consistent with the scalings predicted by self-consistent mean field results. (C) 2010 American Institute of Physics.

Co-liposomes comprising a lipidated multivalent RGD-peptide and a cationic gemini cholesterol induce selective gene transfection in alpha v beta 3 and alpha v beta 5 integrin receptor-rich cancer cells

The alpha v beta 3 and alpha v beta 5 integrins, transmembrane glycoprotein receptors, are over-expressed in numerous tumors and in endothelial cells that constitute tumor blood vessels. As this protein selectively binds to the Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) sequence containing peptides, it is an attractive way to target tumors. Herein we have developed novel formulations for integrin mediated selective gene delivery. These formulations are composed of a novel palmitoylated tetrameric RGD containing scaffold (named RAFT-RGD), cationic gemini cholesterol (GL5) and a natural helper lipid 1,2-dioleoyl-L-alpha-glycero-3-phosphatidylethanolamine (DOPE). We have optimized a co-liposomal formulation to introduce the multivalent RGD-containing macromolecule in GL5: DOPE (GL5D) mixture to produce GL5D-RGD. We have unambiguously shown the selectivity of these formulations towards cancer cells that over express alpha v beta 3 and alpha v beta 5 integrins. Two reporter plasmids, pEGFP-C3 and PGL-3, were employed for the transfection experiments and it was shown that GL5D-RGD Liposomes increased exclusively the transfection in alpha v beta 3 and alpha v beta 5 overexpressing HeLa cells.

alpha-Tocopherol derived lipid dimers as efficient gene transfection agents. Mechanistic insights into lipoplex internalization and therapeutic induction of apoptotic activity

In this report, we present cationic dimeric (gemini) lipids for significant plasmid DNA (pDNA) delivery to different cell lines without any marked toxicity in the presence of serum. Six gemini lipids based on alpha-tocopherol were synthesized, which differed in their spacer chain lengths. Each of these gemini lipids mixed with a helper lipid, 1,2-dioleoyl phosphatidyl ethanolamine (DOPE), was capable of forming stable aqueous suspensions. These co-liposomal systems were examined for their potential to transfect pEGFP-C3 plasmid DNA into nine cell lines of different origins. The transfection efficacies noticed in terms of EGFP expression levels using flow cytometry were well corroborated using independent fluorescence microscopy studies. Significant EGFP expression levels were reported using the gemini co-liposomes, which counted significantly better than one well known commercial formulation, Lipofectamine 2000 (L2 K). Transfection efficacies were also analyzed in terms of the degree of intracellular delivery of labeled plasmid DNA (pDNA) using confocal microscopy, which revealed an efficient internalization in the presence of serum. The cell viability assays performed using optimized formulations demonstrated no significant toxicity towards any of the cell lines used in the study. We also had a look at the lipoplex internalization pathway to profile the uptake characteristics. A caveolae/lipid raft route was attributed to their excellent gene transfection capabilities. The study was further advanced by using a therapeutic p53-EGFP-C3 plasmid and the apoptotic activity was observed using FACS and growth inhibition assay.

Efficacious redox-responsive gene delivery in serum by ferrocenylated monomeric and dimeric cationic cholesterols

Herein, we present the design and synthesis of new redox-active monomeric and dimeric (gemini) cationic lipids based on ferrocenylated cholesterol derivatives for gene delivery. The cationic cholesterols are shown to be transfection efficient after being formulated with the neutral helper lipid DOPE in the presence of serum (FBS). The redox activity of the resulting co-liposomes and their lipoplexes could be regulated using the alkanyl ferrocene moiety attached to the ammonium head groups of the cationic cholesterols. Atomic force microscopy (AFM), dynamic light scattering (DLS) and zeta potential measurements were performed to characterize the co-liposomal aggregates and their complexes with pDNA. The transfection efficiency of lipoplexes could be tuned by changing the oxidation state of the ferrocene moiety. The gene transfection capability was assayed in terms of green fluorescence protein (GFP) expression using pEGFP-C3 plasmid DNA in three cell lines of different origins, namely Caco-2, HEK293T and HeLa, in the presence of serum. The vesicles possessing ferrocene in the reduced state induced an efficient transfection, even better than a commercial reagent Lipofectamine 2000 (Lipo 2000) as evidenced by flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy. All the co-liposomes containing the oxidized ferrocene displayed diminished levels of gene expression. Gene transfection events from the oxidized co-liposomes were further potentiated by introducing ascorbic acid (AA) as a reducing agent during lipoplex incubation with cells, leading to the resumption of transfection activity. Assessment of transfection capability of both reduced and oxidized co-liposomes was also undertaken following cellular internalization of labelled pDNA using confocal microscopy and flow cytometry. Overall, we demonstrate here controlled gene transfection activities using redox-driven, transfection efficient cationic monomeric and dimeric cholesterol lipids. Such systems could be used in gene delivery applications where transfection needs to be performed spatially or temporally.