title: Post-translational regulated and hypoxia-responsible VEGF plasmid for efficient secretion.
abstract: Gene therapy using angiogenic genes has emerged as a potentially viable alternative treatment strategy for myocardial ischemia. Non-specific expression of angiogenic genes, however, may result in side effects, including the growth of occult tumors. Regulation of gene expression may help to avoid the occurrence of these side effects. In this study, a plasmid expressing vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was constructed with an oxygen dependent degradation (ODD) domain and a secretion signal peptide (SP) in order to stabilize the VEGF protein and facilitate the secretion of VEGF protein, specifically under hypoxic conditions. We found that this plasmid, pβ-SP-ODD-VEGF, expresses the SP-ODD-VEGF protein at increased levels under hypoxic conditions compared to normoxic conditions. Since the size of the ODD domain is almost the same as that of VEGF, the ODD-VEGF fusion protein may have lower secretion efficiency. To address this issue, a furin recognition site was located between the ODD domain and the VEGF site to facilitate elimination of the SP-ODD domain from the fusion protein before its secretion. This optimizes the likelihood that the VEGF secreted from the target cells will be wild-type VEGF. Treatment with a furin inhibitor reduced the secretion efficiency of the VEGF, indicating that furin digestion increases the secretion of VEGF. The secreted wild-type VEGF facilitated the growth of endothelial cells more efficiently under hypoxic conditions than normoxic conditions. These results suggest that this plasmid, pβ-SP-ODD-VEGF, warrants further study as a more efficient form of hypoxia-inducible gene therapy for the treatment of myocardial ischemia.
authors.affiliation: Center for Controlled Chemical Delivery, Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.
authors.forename: Young-Wook
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Won
authors.forename: Minhyung
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Hyun Ah
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Bull
authors.forename: Sung Wan
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003035:Cobalt; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D000077270:Exenatide; D045683:Furin / Q000737:chemistry; D061307:Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism*; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry; D010957:Plasmids; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational; D021382:Protein Sorting Signals / Q000235:genetics; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D051381:Rats; D014162:Transfection / Q000379:methods*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000502:physiology*; D014688:Venoms / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D010455:Peptides; D021382:Protein Sorting Signals; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D014688:Venoms; D003035:Cobalt; D000077270:Exenatide; D045683:Furin; C018021:cobaltous chloride