cellulase and cellulose-sulfate

Gut microbiota in humans and animals play an important role in health, aiding in digestion, regulation of the immune system and protection against pathogens. Changes or imbalances in the gut microbiota (dysbiosis) have been linked to a variety of local and systemic diseases, and there is growing evidence that restoring the balance of the microbiota by delivery of probiotic microorganisms can improve health. However, orally delivered probiotic microorganisms must survive transit through lethal highly acid conditions of the stomach and bile salts in the small intestine. Current methods to protect probiotic microorganisms are still not effective enough.. We have developed a cell encapsulation technology based on the natural polymer, cellulose sulphate (CS), that protects members of the microbiota from stomach acid and bile. Here we show that six commonly used probiotic strains (5 bacteria and 1 yeast) can be encapsulated within CS microspheres. These encapsulated strains survive low pH in vitro for at least 4 h without appreciable loss in viability as compared to their respective non-encapsulated counterparts. They also survive subsequent exposure to bile. The CS microspheres can be digested by cellulase at concentrations found in the human intestine, indicating one mechanism of release. Studies in mice that were fed CS encapsulated autofluorescing, commensal E. coli demonstrated release and colonization of the intestinal tract.. Taken together, the data suggests that CS microencapsulation can protect bacteria and yeasts from viability losses due to stomach acid, allowing the use of lower oral doses of probiotics and microbiota, whilst ensuring good intestinal delivery and release.

Topics: Animals; Cell Encapsulation; Cellulase; Cellulose; Drug Compounding; Drug Delivery Systems; Escherichia coli; Gastric Juice; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Humans; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Intestines; Male; Mice; Mice, Nude; Microbial Viability; Microspheres; Probiotics

Technologies currently available for the controlled release of protein therapeutics involve either continuous or tissue-specific discharge from implants or engineered extracellular matrix mimetics. For some therapeutic applications the trigger-controlled release of protein cargo from a synthetic implant could be highly desirable. We have designed the CellEase technology, a two-component system consisting of cellulose sulfate (CS) poly-diallyldimethyl ammonium chloride (pDADMAC) capsules harboring mammalian sensor cells transgenic for trigger-inducible expression of an engineered secreted mammalian cellulase (SecCell). SecCell is a Bacillus subtilis-derived (1-4)-beta-glucanase, which was modified by replacing the N-terminal part of the bacterial enzyme with a murine Igkappa-chain V-12-C region-derived secretion signal. SecCell was engineered for doxycycline- or erythromycin-inducible expression to enable trigger-controlled secretion by mammalian cells. Detailed characterization of SecCell showed that it was glycosylated and efficiently secreted by a variety of mammalian sensor cells such that it could internally rupture CS-pDADMAC capsules within which the cells had been encapsulated. When SecCell was inducibly expressed in sender cells, that were co-encapsulated with producer cell lines expressing therapeutic proteins, the removal of relevant inducer molecules enabled the time-dependent discharge of these therapeutic proteins, the kinetics of which could be modified by varying the concentration of inducer molecules or the amount of encapsulated sender cells. SecCell's capacity to rupture CS-pDADMAC capsules exclusively internally also enabled the independent trigger-induced release of different proteins from two capsule populations harboring different inducible SecCell sensor cells. CellEase-based protein release was demonstrated in vivo using capsules implanted intraperitoneally into mice that enabled the doxycycline-controlled release of a model glycoprotein and accumulation in the bloodstream of treated animals. Trigger-induced breakdown of tissue-compatible implants which provide a timely controlled release of biologics may foster novel opportunities in human therapy.

Topics: Adenoviridae; Allyl Compounds; Animals; Antigens, Polyomavirus Transforming; Bacillus subtilis; Biocompatible Materials; Capsules; Cell Line; Cell Line, Tumor; Cellulase; Cellulose; CHO Cells; Cricetinae; Cricetulus; Delayed-Action Preparations; Glycosylation; HeLa Cells; Humans; Kidney; Polymers; Quaternary Ammonium Compounds

A water-soluble cellulose acetate sulfate (CAS) with a degree of acetylation (DS(Ac)) 2.4 and a degree of sulfation (DS(Sulf)) of 0.3 was obtained by direct acetylation of cellulose using sulfuric acid as catalyst. Using methylation analysis, IR and NMR spectroscopy, sulfate groups have been located on primary alcohol function of glucose residues. The distribution of the sulfate groups along the cellulose chain has been investigated using enzymatic hydrolysis. CAS was first de-acetylated under mild hydrolysis conditions (NaOH 0.25 mol/L at room temperature), and then cellulose sulfate was hydrolyzed by a cellulolytic complex (Celluclast 1.5L). Reaction products were separated by ion exchange chromatography on a DEAE Sepharose CL6B column into five fractions F(1), F(2), F(3), F(4) and F(5), which were analyzed for their chemical composition. F(1) was glucose and represented the main product of reaction (approximately 50% of the initial glucose), F(2) was a dimer (approximately 30%) with a ratio Sulfates-Glucose of 0.41 (about one sulfate group for two glucose units), F(3) a trimer (approximately 10%) with a ratio Sulfates-Glucose of 0.62 (about two sulfate groups for three glucose units), and F(4) a tetramer (approximately 5%) with a ratio Sulfates-Glucose of 0.69. The structure of the oligomers was established using 1H and 13C NMR. The observed proportion of the different blocks of sulfate groups was in good agreement with computed random distribution.

Topics: Acetates; Acetylation; Carbohydrate Conformation; Cellulase; Cellulose; Chromatography, Ion Exchange; Computer Simulation; Glucose; Hydrolysis; Methylation; Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular; Spectrophotometry, Infrared; Sulfates; Trichoderma; Viscosity