title: Adeno-associated virus type 2-mediated gene transfer: correlation of tyrosine phosphorylation of the cellular single-stranded D sequence-binding protein with transgene expression in human cells in vitro and murine tissues in vivo.
abstract: Although the adeno-associated virus type 2 (AAV)-based vector system has gained attention as a potentially useful alternative to the more commonly used retroviral and adenoviral vectors for human gene therapy, the single-stranded nature of the viral genome, and consequently the rate-limiting second-strand viral DNA synthesis, significantly affect its transduction efficiency. We have identified a cellular tyrosine phosphoprotein, designated the single-stranded D sequence-binding protein (ssD-BP), which interacts specifically with the D sequence at the 3' end of the AAV genome and may prevent viral second-strand DNA synthesis in HeLa cells (K. Y. Qing et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 94:10879-10884, 1997). In the present studies, we examined whether the phosphorylation state of the ssD-BP correlates with the ability of AAV to transduce various established and primary cells in vitro and murine tissues in vivo. The efficiencies of transduction of established human cells by a recombinant AAV vector containing the beta-galactosidase reporter gene were 293 > KB > HeLa, which did not correlate with the levels of AAV infectivity. However, the amounts of dephosphorylated ssD-BP which interacted with the minus-strand D probe were also as follows: 293 > KB > HeLa. Predominantly the phosphorylated form of the ssD-BP was detected in cells of the K562 line, a human erythroleukemia cell line, and in CD34+ primary human hematopoietic progenitor cells; consequently, the efficiencies of AAV-mediated transgene expression were significantly lower in these cells. Murine Sca-1+ lin- primary hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells contained predominantly the dephosphorylated form of the ssD-BP, and these cells could be efficiently transduced by AAV vectors. Dephosphorylation of the ssD-BP also correlated with expression of the adenovirus E4orf6 protein, known to induce AAV gene expression. A deletion mutation in the E4orf6 gene resulted in a failure to catalyze dephosphorylation of the ssD-BP. Extracts prepared from mouse brain, heart, liver, lung, and skeletal-muscle tissues, all of which are known to be highly permissive for AAV-mediated transgene expression, contained predominantly the dephosphorylated form of the ssD-BP. Thus, the efficiency of transduction by AAV vectors correlates well with the extent of the dephosphorylation state of the ssD-BP in vitro as well as in vivo. These data suggest that further studies on the cellular gene that encodes the ssD-BP may promote the successful use of AAV vectors in human gene therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Walther Oncology Center, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis 46202, USA.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Qing
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Khuntirat
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mah
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Kube
authors.forename: X S
authors.initials: XS
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ponnazhagan
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: V J
authors.initials: VJ
authors.lastname: Dwarki
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Yoder
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Srivastava
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D000229:Dependovirus; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D015316:Genetic Therapy; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009154:Mutation; D012261:Ribonucleoproteins / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D012261:Ribonucleoproteins; C484303:ssD-BP protein, human