TY - JOUR
T1 - Strategy for treating motor neuron diseases using a fusion protein of botulinum toxin binding domain and streptavidin for viral vector access
T2 - Work in progress
AU - Drachman, B. Daniel
AU - Adams, Robert N.
AU - Balasubramanian, Uma
AU - Yang, Lu
PY - 2010/12
Y1 - 2010/12
N2 - Although advances in understanding of the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) have suggested attractive treatment strategies, delivery of agents to motor neurons embedded within the spinal cord is problematic. We have designed a strategy based on the specificity of botulinum toxin, to direct entry of viral vectors carrying candidate therapeutic genes into motor neurons. We have engineered and expressed fusion proteins consisting of the binding domain of botulinum toxin type A fused to streptavidin (SAv). This fusion protein will direct viral vectors carrying therapeutic genes into motor nerve terminals where they biotinylated can enter the acidified endosomal compartments, be released and undergo retrograde transport, to deliver the genes to motor neurons. Both ends of the fusion proteins are shown to be functionally intact. The binding domain end binds to mammalian nerve terminals at neuromuscular junctions, ganglioside GT1b (a target of botulinum toxin), and a variety of neuronal cells including primary chick embryo motor neurons, N2A neuroblastoma cells, NG108-15 cells, but not to NG CR72 cells, which lack complex gangliosides. The streptavidin end binds to biotin, and to a biotinylated Alexa 488 fluorescent tag. Further studies are in progress to evaluate the delivery of genes to motor neurons in vivo, by the use of biotinylated viral vectors.
AB - Although advances in understanding of the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) have suggested attractive treatment strategies, delivery of agents to motor neurons embedded within the spinal cord is problematic. We have designed a strategy based on the specificity of botulinum toxin, to direct entry of viral vectors carrying candidate therapeutic genes into motor neurons. We have engineered and expressed fusion proteins consisting of the binding domain of botulinum toxin type A fused to streptavidin (SAv). This fusion protein will direct viral vectors carrying therapeutic genes into motor nerve terminals where they biotinylated can enter the acidified endosomal compartments, be released and undergo retrograde transport, to deliver the genes to motor neurons. Both ends of the fusion proteins are shown to be functionally intact. The binding domain end binds to mammalian nerve terminals at neuromuscular junctions, ganglioside GT1b (a target of botulinum toxin), and a variety of neuronal cells including primary chick embryo motor neurons, N2A neuroblastoma cells, NG108-15 cells, but not to NG CR72 cells, which lack complex gangliosides. The streptavidin end binds to biotin, and to a biotinylated Alexa 488 fluorescent tag. Further studies are in progress to evaluate the delivery of genes to motor neurons in vivo, by the use of biotinylated viral vectors.
KW - Als
KW - Binding domain
KW - Botulinum toxin
KW - Gene transfer
KW - Motor neuron diseases
KW - Motor neurons
KW - Sma
KW - Therapeutic targeting
KW - Viral vectors
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=79952095001&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=79952095001&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/toxins2122872
DO - 10.3390/toxins2122872
M3 - Article
C2 - 22069580
AN - SCOPUS:79952095001
SN - 2072-6651
VL - 2
SP - 2872
EP - 2889
JO - Toxins
JF - Toxins
IS - 12
ER -