Microtubules are centrally involved in cell division, being the principal components of mitotic spindle. Tubulin, the constituent of microtubules, can be cyclically modified on its α-subunit by enzymatic removal of the COOH-terminal tyrosine residue by an ill-defined tubulin carboxypeptidase (TCP) and its readdition by tubulin tyrosine ligase (TTL). We and others have previously shown that suppression of TTL and resulting accumulation of detyrosinated tubulin are frequent in human cancers of poor prognosis. Explanations for the involvement of TTL and detyrosinated tubulin in tumor progression arise from the recent discovery that tubulin detyrosination leads to CAP-Gly protein mislocalization, which correlates with defects in spindle positioning during mitosis. Impaired control of spindle positioning is one factor favoring tumor invasiveness. Thus, TCP could be a target for developing novel therapeutic strategies against advanced stages of cancers. Inhibitors of TCP, by reversing abnormal detyrosinated tubulin accumulation in tumor cells, could impair tumor progression. TCP has never been isolated and this has hampered search of specific inhibitors. In this article, we describe a cell-based assay of TCP activity and its use to screen a library of natural extracts for their inhibitory potency. This led to the isolation of two sesquiterpene lactones. We subsequently found that parthenolide, a structurally related compound, can efficiently inhibit TCP. This inhibitory activity is a new specific property of parthenolide independent of its action on the nuclear factor-κB pathway. Parthenolide is also known for its anticancer properties. Thus, TCP inhibition could be one of the underlying mechanisms of these anticancer properties. [Cancer Res 2007;67(7):3371–8]

Intracellular transport of recombinant adeno-associated virus (AAV) is still incompletely understood. In particular, the trafficking steps preceding the release of incoming AAV particles from the endosomal system into the cytoplasm, allowing subsequent nuclear import and the initiation of gene expression, remain to be elucidated fully. Others and we previously showed that a significant proportion of viral particles are transported to the Golgi apparatus and that Golgi apparatus disruption caused by the drug brefeldin A efficiently blocks AAV serotype 2 (AAV2) transduction. However, because brefeldin A is known to exert pleiotropic effects on the entire endosomal system, the functional relevance of transport to the Golgi apparatus for AAV transduction remains to be established definitively. Here, we show that AAV2 trafficking toward the trans -Golgi network (TGN) and the Golgi apparatus correlates with transduction efficiency and relies on a nonclassical retrograde transport pathway that is independent of the retromer complex, late endosomes, and recycling endosomes. AAV2 transduction is unaffected by the knockdown of syntaxins 6 and 16, which are two major effectors in the retrograde transport of both exogenous and endogenous cargo. On the other hand, inhibition of syntaxin 5 function by small interfering RNA silencing or treatment with cyclized Retro-2 strongly decreases AAV2 transduction and transport to the Golgi apparatus. This inhibition of transduction is observed with several AAV serotypes and a number of primary and immortalized cells. Together, our data strongly suggest that syntaxin 5-mediated retrograde transport to the Golgi apparatus is a broadly conserved feature of AAV trafficking that appears to be independent of the identity of the receptors used for viral attachment. IMPORTANCE Gene therapy constitutes a promising approach for the treatment of life-threatening conditions refractory to any other form of remedy. Adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors are currently being evaluated for the treatment of diseases such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy, hemophilia, heart failure, Parkinson's disease, and others. Despite their promise as gene delivery vehicles, a better understanding of the biology of AAV-based vectors is necessary to improve further their efficacy. AAV vectors must reach the nucleus in order to deliver their genome, and their intracellular transport is not fully understood. Here, we dissect an important step of the intracellular journey of AAV by showing that retrograde transport of capsids to the trans -Golgi network is necessary for gene delivery. We show that the AAV trafficking route differs from that of known Golgi apparatus-targeted cargos, and we raise the possibility that this nonclassical pathway is shared by most AAV variants, regardless of their attachment receptors.

Gemcitabine (2′,2′-difluorodeoxyribofuranosylcytosine; dFdC) is an anticancer nucleoside analog active against wide variety of solid tumors. However, this compound is rapidly inactivated by enzymatic deamination and can also induce drug resistance. To overcome the above drawbacks, we recently designed a new squalenoyl nanomedicine of dFdC [4-(N)-trisnorsqualenoyl-gemcitabine (SQdFdC)] by covalently coupling gemcitabine with the 1,1′,2-trisnorsqualenic acid; the resultant nanomedicine displayed impressively greater anticancer activity compared with the parent drug in an experimental murine model. In the present study, we report that SQdFdC nanoassemblies triggered controlled and prolonged release of dFdC and displayed considerably greater t_1/2 (∼3.9-fold), mean residence time (∼7.5-fold) compared with the dFdC administered as a free drug in mice. It was also observed that the linkage of gemcitabine to the 1,1′,2-trisnorsqualenic acid noticeably delayed the metabolism of dFdC into its inactive difluorodeoxyuridine (dFdU) metabolite, compared with dFdC. Additionally, the elimination of SQdFdC nanoassemblies was considerably lower compared with free dFdC, as indicated by lower radioactivity found in urine and kidneys, in accordance with the plasmatic concentrations of dFdU. SQdFdC nanoassemblies also underwent considerably higher distribution to the organs of the reticuloendothelial system, such as spleen and liver (p < 0.05), both after single- or multiple-dose administration schedule. Herein, this paper brings comprehensive pharmacokinetic and biodistribution insights that may explain the previously observed greater efficacy of SQdFdC nanoassemblies against experimental leukemia.