Modular protein engineering is suited to recruit complex and multiple functionalities in single-chain polypeptides. Although still unexplored in a systematic way, it is anticipated that the positioning of functional d...Modular protein engineering is suited to recruit complex and multiple functionalities in single-chain polypeptides. Although still unexplored in a systematic way, it is anticipated that the positioning of functional domains would impact and refine these activities, including the ability to organize as supramolecular entities and to generate multifunctional protein materials. To explore this concept, we have repositioned functional segments in the modular protein T22-GFP-H6 and characterized the resulting alternative fusions. In T22-GFP-H6, the combination of T22 and H6 promotes selfassembling as regular nanoparticles and selective binding and internalization of this material in CXCR4-overexpressing tumor cells, making them appealing as vehicles for selective drug delivery. The results show that the pleiotropic activities are dramatically affected in module-swapped constructs, proving the need of a carboxy terminal positioning of H6 for protein self-assembling, and the accommodation of T22 at the amino terminus as a requisite for CXCR4^+ cell binding and internalization. Furthermore, the failure of self-assembling as regular oligomers reduces cellular penetrability of the fusions while keeping the specificity of the T22-CXCR4 interaction.All these data instruct how multifunctional nanoscale protein carriers can be designed for smart, protein-driven drug delivery, not only for the treatment of CXCR4^+ human neoplasias, but also for the development of anti-HIV drugs and other pathologies in which CXCR4 is a relevant homing marker.展开更多
基金Agencia Estatal de Investigación and to Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (grant BIO2016-76063-R, AEI/FEDER, UE) to Villaverde A, AGAUR (2017SGR-229) to Villaverde A and 2017SGR-865 GRC to Mangues R CIBER-BBN (project NANOPROTHER) +6 种基金granted to Villaverde A and CIBER-BBN project 4Nano Mets to Mangues R ISCIII (PI15/00272 cofounding FEDER) to Vázquez E and ISCIII (Co-founding FEDER) PIE15//00028 and PI18/00650 to Mangues R, and to EU COST Action CA 17140indebted to the Networking Research Center on Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN) that is an initiative funded by the VI National R&D&I Plan 2008–2011Iniciativa Ingenio 2010, Consolider ProgramCIBER Actions and financed by the Instituto de Salud Carlos Ⅲ, with assistance from the European Regional Development FundSánchez-García L and López-Laguna H were supported by a predoctoral fellowship from AGAUR (2018FI_B2_00051 and 2019FI_B_00352) respectivelyUnzueta U by PERIS program from the Health Department of la Generalitat de Catalunya
文摘Modular protein engineering is suited to recruit complex and multiple functionalities in single-chain polypeptides. Although still unexplored in a systematic way, it is anticipated that the positioning of functional domains would impact and refine these activities, including the ability to organize as supramolecular entities and to generate multifunctional protein materials. To explore this concept, we have repositioned functional segments in the modular protein T22-GFP-H6 and characterized the resulting alternative fusions. In T22-GFP-H6, the combination of T22 and H6 promotes selfassembling as regular nanoparticles and selective binding and internalization of this material in CXCR4-overexpressing tumor cells, making them appealing as vehicles for selective drug delivery. The results show that the pleiotropic activities are dramatically affected in module-swapped constructs, proving the need of a carboxy terminal positioning of H6 for protein self-assembling, and the accommodation of T22 at the amino terminus as a requisite for CXCR4^+ cell binding and internalization. Furthermore, the failure of self-assembling as regular oligomers reduces cellular penetrability of the fusions while keeping the specificity of the T22-CXCR4 interaction.All these data instruct how multifunctional nanoscale protein carriers can be designed for smart, protein-driven drug delivery, not only for the treatment of CXCR4^+ human neoplasias, but also for the development of anti-HIV drugs and other pathologies in which CXCR4 is a relevant homing marker.