Lysine Addressability and Mammalian Cell Interactions of Bacteriophage λ Procapsids

Chemically or genetically modified virus particles, termed viral nanoparticles (VNPs), are being explored in applications such as drug delivery, vaccine development, and materials science. Each virus platform has inherent properties and advantages based on its structure, molecular composition, and biomolecular interactions. Bacteriophage λ was studied for its lysine addressability, stability, cellular uptake, and the ability to modify its cellular uptake. λ procapsids could be labeled primarily at a single residue on the gpE capsid protein as determined by tandem mass spectrometry, providing a unique attachment site for further capsid modification. Bioconjugation of transferrin to the procapsids mediated specific interaction with transferrin receptor-expressing cells. These studies demonstrate the utility of bacteriophage λ procapsids and their potential use as targeted drug delivery vehicles

Cuprizone Intoxication Induces Cell Intrinsic Alterations in Oligodendrocyte Metabolism Independent of Copper Chelation

Cuprizone intoxication is a common animal model used to test myelin regenerative therapies for the treatment of diseases such as multiple sclerosis. Mice fed this copper chelator develop reversible, region-specific oligodendrocyte loss and demyelination. While the cellular changes influencing the demyelinating process have been explored in this model, there is no consensus about the biochemical mechanisms of toxicity in oligodendrocytes and about whether this damage arises from the chelation of copper <i>in vivo</i>. Here we have identified an oligodendroglial cell line that displays sensitivity to cuprizone toxicity and performed global metabolomic profiling to determine biochemical pathways altered by this treatment. We link these changes with alterations in brain metabolism in mice fed cuprizone for 2 and 6 weeks. We find that cuprizone induces widespread changes in one-carbon and amino acid metabolism as well as alterations in small molecules that are important for energy generation. We used mass spectrometry to examine chemical interactions that are important for copper chelation and toxicity. Our results indicate that cuprizone induces global perturbations in cellular metabolism that may be independent of its copper chelating ability and potentially related to its interactions with pyridoxal 5′-phosphate, a coenzyme essential for amino acid metabolism