Bioengineering Novel Floating Nanoparticles for Protein and Drug Delivery

Abstract

Gas vesicle nanoparticles (GVNPs) are hollow protein nanoparticles produced by Halobacterium sp. NRC-1 which are being engineered for protein delivery. To advance the bioengineering potential of GVNPs, a strain of NRC-1 deleted for the gvpC gene (ΔgvpC) was constructed and a synthetic gene coding for Gaussia princeps luciferase was fused to an abbreviated gvpC gene on an expression plasmid. When introduced into theΔgvpC strain, an active GvpC-luciferase fusion protein bound to GVNPs resulted. These results represent both a technical improvement in the GVNP display system and its expansion for the display of active enzymes.

Microneedle-Assisted Skin Permeation by Nontoxic Bioengineerable Gas Vesicle Nanoparticles

“…Gas vesicle nanoparticles (GVNPs) from Halobacterium sp . NRC-1 are unlike other currently available or existing nanocarriers. − The GVNP structure is made up purely of an extremely stable, rigid protein membrane and maintains its integrity for an extended period of time in dry form or as aqueous suspensions in the absence of refrigeration. ,− ,, The ability to express arrays of foreign proteins as a part of the GVNP membrane via GvpC fusion, and their biocompatibility and lack of toxicity are other desirable qualities. ,,, A number of studies have previously utilized GVNPs for therapeutics, antigen display, and vaccine development, ,− and the work described here extends the potential of these bioengineered nanoparticles for the delivery of displayed recombinant proteins using microneedles.…”

“…Gas vesicle nanoparticles (GVNPs) from Halobacterium sp. NRC-1, a well-characterized halophilic Archaeon growing in nearly saturated brine, are unlike other currently available or existing DDS (e.g., lipid vesicles, polymeric vesicles, colloidal nanoparticles, or ghost cells). − GVNPs are easily purified by flotation, have a spindle-shaped structure made up purely of an extremely stable and rigid protein membrane, and range from 75 to 500 nm in length. − GVNPs have been found to be biocompatible for antigen delivery in mice and are processed slowly by antigen presenting cells. − Moreover, GVNPs may be bioengineered to display a variety of peptides and proteins with the potential for use in pharmaceutical applications. ,− …”

Microbial gas vesicles as nanotechnology tools: exploiting intracellular organelles for translational utility in biotechnology, medicine and the environment

“…The BPI protein has anti-inflammatory properties, as it prevents the interaction between lipopolysaccharides of Gram-negative bacteria and Toll-like receptor 4 [41,72]. This study utilized a new GVNP expression system that allows for the expression of GvpC with the insert of interest on a much smaller plasmid that does not contain the entire Halobacterium gas vesicle cluster, and is expressed in a gvpC-negative strain rather than a strain deleted for the entire gas vesicle cluster [73,74]. The recombinant BPI-GVNPs displayed antibacterial activity, killing 50-75 % of E. coli and S. typhi cells when incubated together, and scanning electron microscopy showed evidence of bacterial cell lysis and membrane perturbations [41].…”