GapmeR cellular internalization by macropinocytosis induces sequence-specific gene silencing in human primary T-cells

Sci Rep. 2016 Nov 24:6:37721. doi: 10.1038/srep37721.

Abstract

Post-transcriptional gene silencing holds great promise in discovery research for addressing intricate biological questions and as therapeutics. While various gene silencing approaches, such as siRNA and CRISPR-Cas9 techniques, are available, these cannot be effectively applied to "hard-to-transfect" primary T-lymphocytes. The locked nucleic acid-conjugated chimeric antisense oligonucleotide, called "GapmeR", is an emerging new class of gene silencing molecule. Here, we show that GapmeR internalizes into human primary T-cells through macropinocytosis. Internalized GapmeR molecules can associate with SNX5-positive macropinosomes in T-cells, as detected by super-resolution microscopy. Utilizing the intrinsic self-internalizing capability of GapmeR, we demonstrate significant and specific depletion (>70%) of the expression of 5 different endogenous proteins with varying molecular weights (18 kDa Stathmin, 80 kDa PKCε, 180 kDa CD11a, 220 kDa Talin1 and 450 kDa CG-NAP/AKAP450) in human primary and cultured T-cells. Further functional analysis confirms CG-NAP and Stathmin as regulators of T-cell motility. Thus, in addition to screening, identifying or verifying critical roles of various proteins in T-cell functioning, this study provides novel opportunities to silence individual or multiple genes in a subset of purified human primary T-cells that would be exploited as future therapeutics.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Biological Transport / genetics
  • Biological Transport / physiology*
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Cytoskeletal Proteins / genetics
  • Gene Silencing / physiology*
  • Humans
  • Oligonucleotides / genetics*
  • Oligonucleotides, Antisense / genetics*
  • Pinocytosis / genetics
  • Pinocytosis / physiology*
  • Sorting Nexins / genetics
  • Stathmin / genetics
  • T-Lymphocytes / physiology*
  • Transfection / methods

Substances

  • Cytoskeletal Proteins
  • Oligonucleotides
  • Oligonucleotides, Antisense
  • Sorting Nexins
  • Stathmin
  • locked nucleic acid