Human Foamy Virus Integrase Fails to Catalyse the Integration of a Circular DNA Molecule Containing an LTR Junction Sequence
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Gene Therapy (2002) 9, 1326–1332 2002 Nature Publishing Group All rights reserved 0969-7128/02 $25.00 www.nature.com/gt BRIEF COMMUNICATION Human foamy virus integrase fails to catalyse the integration of a circular DNA molecule containing an LTR junction sequence RA Russell1, R Critchley2, G Vassaux2 and MO McClure1 1Jefferiss Research Trust Laboratories, Wright-Fleming Institute, Imperial College School of Medicine at St Mary’s Hospital, London, UK; and 2Molecular Therapy Laboratory, ICRF Molecular Oncology Unit, ICSM at Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK The presence of closed circular forms of the linear DNA gen- ing transfection of both 293 and 293T cells indicated that the ome of human foamy virus (HFV) has not been established. level of integration was not significantly increased by the The ability of the HFV integrase (IN) to catalyse the inte- HFV IN. Moreover, correctly integrated provirus-like forms gration of these circular forms (termed 2 long terminal repeat of the input plasmid could not be detected by PCR. Taken (LTR) circles) was investigated, with a view to producing a together, these results show that the HFV IN is not able to novel hybrid vector. To this end, a construct was made con- integrate a circular molecule containing an LTR junction and, taining, in addition to the enhanced green fluorescent protein hence, the technique is not exploitable as a tool to produce (eGFP) marker gene, the last 27 bp of the 3’ U5 LTR region hybrid vectors for gene therapy. of HFV fused to the first 28 bp of the 5’ U3 LTR, the latter Gene Therapy (2002) 9, 1326–1332. doi:10.1038/sj.gt.3301795 representing a 2LTR circle. Marker gene expression follow- Keywords: human foamy virus; 2LTR circles; integration; gene therapy; Cre recombinase Production of terminally redundant DNA from the RNA vitro,11,12 however, they appear to be entirely non-patho- genome and the subsequent integration of this DNA into genic in vivo.13–15 The apparent lack of associated disease, the host chromosome are key stages in the retroviral in conjunction with their integrative element,16 has led to lifecycle. Early in infection in most retroviruses virally interest in the use of foamy viruses as vectors for the encoded reverse transcriptase (RT) copies the RNA into delivery of therapeutic genes in vivo. Most work has been the DNA form, adding terminal redundancies in the pro- carried out with the prototype human foamy virus (HFV) cess, termed long terminal repeat (LTR) sequences.1 This which is now known to be of chimpanzee origin.17,18 Dur- linear molecule then enters the nucleus where it inte- ing HFV integration, the presence of closed circular forms grates randomly into the host genome by means of the of the proviral DNA has not been established. We con- retroviral integrase (IN), in a precise mechanism involv- sidered whether the HFV IN could efficiently integrate a ing the removal of the terminal two base pairs (bp) of closed circular molecule containing a 5’–3’ LTR junction each LTR.2–5 In a number of retroviruses, for example sequence: the long-term aim being to exploit this in the murine leukaemia virus (MLV), spleen necrosis virus design of a hybrid vector combining HFV with an aden- (SNV), Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) and avian sarcoma and ovirus (Ad) by means of the bacteriophage P1 cre/loxP leukosis viruses (ASV,ALV), circularised forms of the lin- system.19–23 ear DNA molecule (2LTR circles) have been ident- Ad vectors have been developed extensively due to the ified.3,4,6–9 In the case of MLV, these closed circular forms large packaging capacity and broad host-range of the par- are unnecessary for integration and the direct precursor ent virus. Furthermore, they can infect both dividing and to integration of the MLV provirus is the linear mol- non-dividing cells, are produced to high titres with com- ecule.3,4,10 However, in SNV, RSV, ASV and ALV, closed parative ease and have a high in vivo transduction circular forms were shown to act as targets for efficiency. However, following infection, the genome integration,7–9 although these reports have not been remains episomal and is lost during cell division. Retrovi- substantiated. ral vectors, on the other hand, are of value because of Foamy viruses are classified as one of the seven genera their ability to integrate a transgene into the host genome of retroviruses. They infect a wide variety of cell types, allowing long-term expression. However, unlike Ad vec- producing a characteristic ‘foamy’ cytopathology in tors, they are limited by production difficulties, restricted packaging capacity, reduced ability to infect non-divid- ing cells and low in vitro transduction efficiency. The respective disadvantages of either vector are best over- Correspondence: Jefferiss Research Trust Laboratories, Wright-Fleming, Institute, Imperial College School of Medicine at St Mary’s Hospital, Nor- come by producing hybrid vectors incorporating the inte- folk Place, London, W2 1PG, UK gration ability of retroviruses with the high titre, broad Received 30 January 2002; accepted 29 April 2002 host-range of Ad vectors. This has already been achieved Circular DNA with LTR junction is not integrated by HFV integrase RA Russell et al 1327 Figure 1 DNA constructs. (a) Plasmid pLTRI contains the CMV-IE pro- moter linked to the eGFP gene and the SV-40 poly A, followed by an HFV LTR junction sequence, all flanked by two loxP sites, cloned into pCRII (Invitrogen Life Technologies, UK). The first loxP site, generated by the annealing of complementary oligonucleotides, was inserted into pCRII using the TA cloning technique (Invitrogen Life Technologies, Pais- ley, UK). The LTR junction sequence and the second loxP site, also gener- ated by annealing complementary oligonucleotides, were inserted via the NotI and XhoI sites. The CMV-IE promoter, eGFP gene and poly A cas- sette were amplified from pEGFP-N1 (Clontech, Cowley, UK) by PCR, and cloned between the first loxP site and the LTR junction sequence via the EcoRV site. The HFV LTR junction sequence consists of the last 27 bases of the 3’ U5 region (underlined), followed by the first 28 bases of the 5’ U3 region (bold), the sequence of which is as follows: 5’AATCAAT ATACAAAATTCCATGACAATTGTGGTGGAATGCCACTAGAAAC TAGGG3’. The sequence of each loxP site is: 5’ATAACTTCGTAT AGCATACATTATACGAAGTTAT3’. (b) Plasmid pLTRII was created Figure 2 Western blot to confirm IN expression. 293T cells were seeded × 5 from pLTRI by cloning the puroR gene linked to the encephalomyocarditis at 4 10 cells/well in a six-well plate 1 day prior to transfection, which virus IRES and a synthetic intron from pIRESpuro (Clontech), down- was carried out using the Calcium Phosphate Profection Mammalian stream of eGFP, by restriction digestion. Transfection kit (Promega, Southampton, UK). The cells were transfected in duplicate with pRR2 and pcIN1 (a total of 5 g plasmid DNA per well), and incubated in the transfection mixture for 8 h. At 40 h post- with MLV and first generation Ad vectors by a number transfection, the cells were harvested into SDS-protein sample buffer (62.5 of groups that have generated Ad vectors expressing mM Tris-HCl, pH 6.8 buffer containing 1% glycerol, 5% 2-mercaptoe- thanol, 2% SDS, 1 mM EDTA, 0.025% bromophenol blue) at a concen- either the retroviral packaging components or the retrovi- tration of 1 × 106 cells/50 l buffer. The lysates were incubated at 95°C ral vector genome. In vitro and iv vivo transduction with for 3–4 min, centrifuged at 16 000 g for 5 min and 20 l applied to a these vectors leads to the production of transient MLV 10% polyacrylamide gel for PAGE analysis.43 A Western blot was carried vector producing cells which, in turn, result in inte- out44 using an IN-specific antibody.39 The 127 kDa Pol precursor and the gration and long-term transgene expression.24–30 40 kDa IN are shown. The smaller bands are assumed to be the results An alternative strategy developed by Murphy et al31 of protein degradation. relies on the ability of the MLV IN to integrate a 2LTR circle. Although in natural infection only the linear gen- protein (eGFP) gene driven by the cytomegalovirus ome is integrated,3,4,10 Murphy et al31 have clearly demon- immediate–early (CMV-IE) promoter, with the simian strated that if only 2LTR circles are available in an virus 40 (SV-40) late polyadenylation (polyA) site, fol- infected cell they can be integrated in a provirus-specific lowed by the LTR junction sequence (see Figure 1 manner by the MLV IN. The MLV vector was then incor- legend). This junction sequence consists of the last 27 bp porated into an Ad vector and, in conjunction with the of the 3’ U5 region fused to the first 28 bp of the 5’ U3 MLV IN and the cre/loxP system,19–21 was integrated in a region of the HFV LTR.35 The plasmid pLTRII was provirus-like manner allowing prolonged transgene derived from pLTRI by inserting the puromycin resist- expression. Zheng et al32 have also shown that an MLV ance (puroR) gene linked to the encephalomyocarditis vector genome cloned into an Ad vector can be integrated virus internal ribosome entry site (IRES) and a synthetic in a provirus-like manner. However, an IN protein was intron downstream of the eGFP gene (Figure 1b). The loxP not included and the mechanism by which integration sites, flanking the HFV cassette will allow Cre recombi- occurred has not been established.33 IN proteins are also nase directed excision of the intervening DNA.19,36–38 In encoded by bacteriophages and the bacteriophage IN, the context of a linear DNA genome, such as that of an is able to excise circular molecules containing its recog- Ad, Cre recombinase will excise a circular proviral-like nition attP and attB sites.34 Although, not directly compa- molecule.