Biology subjects

Ponraj, J.

Publications and source records attributed to Ponraj, J..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

Anti-tumor effects of a novel cell penetrating peptide-based therapeutic approach to target Lactate Dehydrogenase C (LDHC) in triple negative breast cancer.

BackgroundLactate Dehydrogenase C (LDHC) is a promising candidate for therapeutic targeting thanks to its highly tumor-specific expression, immunogenicity, and pro-tumorigenic functions. Aberrant LDHC expression is associated with poor clinical outcomes in multiple cancers, including breast cancer. However, no specific LDHC inhibitors are currently available, highlighting the need for novel strategies to selectively target LDHC in tumor cells. This study explores the anti-tumor potential of cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) to target LDHC in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). MethodsFour CPPs were evaluated for their ability to deliver LDHC siRNA to tumor cells, including the positively charged 10R peptide (10R) and three bifunctional peptides containing the integrin v{beta}3 recognition motif Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD): 10R-RGD, cyclicRGD-10R (cRGD-10R), and internalizing RGD-10R (iRGD-10R). We characterized the physicochemical properties of all CPP:siRNA complexes, and determined their serum stability, cytotoxicity, cellular uptake, and LDHC silencing efficiency in vitro. The anti-tumor effects and cytotoxicity of cRGD-10R:siRNA and iRGD-10R:siRNA complexes were further assessed in a TNBC xenograft zebrafish model. ResultsAll four CPPs formed stable nanocomplexes with favorable safety profiles. The 10R-RGD and cRGD-10R peptides demonstrated the most efficient LDHC knockdown, reduced the clonogenic ability of TNBC cells and enhanced their treatment response to the chemotherapeutic drug olaparib in vitro. Treatment of TNBC xenograft zebrafish with 10R-RGD:siRNA and cRGD-10R:siRNA complexes significantly reduced tumor burden without inducing major toxicity. Conclusion Our findings demonstrate that CPP-based siRNA delivery provides a novel and safe approach to target LDHC, either as a monotherapy or in combination with common anti-cancer drugs, to enhance treatment outcomes.

cancer biology↗

bioRxiv2024

Seed-competent alpha-synuclein pathology in metachromatic leukodystrophy: the expanding spectrum of alpha-synucleinopathy in sphingolipidoses

Metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD) is a rare - typically paediatric - sphingolipid storage disorder resulting from bi-allelic pathogenic variants in the ARSA gene, encoding the lysosomal arylsulphatase A (ASA). Heterozygous variants in ARSA are associated with risk of Lewy body diseases (LBD), a group of age-associated neurodegenerative disorders characterised by the accumulation of the protein -synuclein; however, no study has yet determined whether -synuclein with putative pathological features is observed in MLD brain tissue. We examined post-mortem brain tissue from MLD cases (N=5, age 2-33) compared to matched control cases using histological approaches and -synuclein seeding amplification assay (SAA). Juvenile-onset MLD cases exhibited granular -synuclein deposits in neurons of regions prone to neuronal pathology in MLD, and seed-competent conformers that generated atypical short, twisted fibrils on SAA. In contrast, infantile-onset MLD cases gave only variably positive reactions on SAA. In summary, this study suggests MLD cases manifest -synuclein pathology reminiscent of that observed in LBD, even in juvenile populations, further expanding the spectrum of sphingolipid storage disorders associated with the aggregation of -synuclein. These findings have important implications for understanding the disease process of both LBD and MLD, potentially highlighting novel pathways for therapeutic interventions in both conditions.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2023

PIP2 electrostatically triggers vesicle fusion: arresting full SNARE assembly and vesicle fusion by PIP2-masking

SNARE proteins drive vesicle fusion and neurotransmitters release. Given that exocytosis is fast, and vesicle docking is tight, SNARE proteins are likely pre-assembled before fusion. However, the molecular mechanisms of the partially-assembled SNARE complex remain controversial. We use amperometry and the reconstitution of native vesicle fusion to show that MARCKS arrests basal fusion by masking PIP2 in a vesicle docking state where the SNARE complex is partially assembled. Ca2+/CaM or PKC-epsilon unmask PIP2 through the MARCKS dissociation, and thus rescue basal fusion and potentiates synaptotagmin-1-mediated Ca2+-dependent vesicle fusion. Our data provide the novel model that PIP2 electrostatically triggers vesicle fusion by lowering the hydration energy, and that masking PIP2 arrests vesicle fusion in a state of the partial SNARE assembly. Vesicle-mimicking liposomes fail to arrest vesicle fusion by masking PIP2, indicating that native vesicles are essential for the reconstitution of physiological vesicle fusion. One Sentence SummaryMasking PIP2 by MARCKS arrests the full SNARE assembly and vesicle fusion.

neuroscience↗