Secretory TAT-peptide-mediated protein transduction of LIF receptor α-chain distal cytoplasmic motifs into human myeloid HL-60 cells

Braz J Med Biol Res. 2012 Oct;45(10):913-20. doi: 10.1590/s0100-879x2012007500101. Epub 2012 Jun 21.

Abstract

The distal cytoplasmic motifs of leukemia inhibitory factor receptor α-chain (LIFRα-CT3) can independently induce intracellular myeloid differentiation in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells by gene transfection; however, there are significant limitations in the potential clinical use of these motifs due to liposome-derived genetic modifications. To produce a potentially therapeutic LIFRα-CT3 with cell-permeable activity, we constructed a eukaryotic expression pcDNA3.0-TAT-CT3-cMyc plasmid with a signal peptide (ss) inserted into the N-terminal that codes for an ss-TAT-CT3-cMyc fusion protein. The stable transfection of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells via this vector and subsequent selection by Geneticin resulted in cell lines that express and secrete TAT-CT3-cMyc. The spent medium of pcDNA3.0-TAT-CT3-cMyc-transfected CHO cells could be purified using a cMyc-epitope-tag agarose affinity chromatography column and could be detected via SDS-PAGE, with antibodies against cMyc-tag. The direct administration of TAT-CT3-cMyc to HL-60 cell culture media caused the enrichment of CT3-cMyc in the cytoplasm and nucleus within 30 min and led to a significant reduction of viable cells (P < 0.05) 8 h after exposure. The advantages of using this mammalian expression system include the ease of generating TAT fusion proteins that are adequately transcripted and the potential for a sustained production of such proteins in vitro for future AML therapy.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Differentiation / genetics
  • Chromatography, Affinity
  • Cricetinae
  • Cytoplasm / genetics
  • Cytoplasm / metabolism*
  • Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel
  • Female
  • Gene Products, tat / genetics
  • Gene Products, tat / metabolism*
  • Genetic Vectors
  • HL-60 Cells
  • Humans
  • Leukemia Inhibitory Factor Receptor alpha Subunit / genetics
  • Leukemia Inhibitory Factor Receptor alpha Subunit / metabolism*
  • Transfection

Substances

  • Gene Products, tat
  • Leukemia Inhibitory Factor Receptor alpha Subunit