Viral degradation of marine bacterial exopolysaccharides.

The identification of the mechanisms by which marine dissolved organic matter (DOM) is produced and regenerated is critical to develop robust prediction of ocean carbon cycling. Polysaccharides represent one of the main constituents of marine DOM and their degradation is mainly attributed to polysaccharidases derived from bacteria. Here, we report that marine viruses can depolymerize the exopolysaccharides (EPS) excreted by their hosts using five bacteriophages that infect the notable EPS producer, Cobetia marina DSMZ 4741. Degradation monitorings as assessed by gel electrophoresis and size exclusion chromatography showed that four out of five phages carry structural enzymes that depolymerize purified solution of Cobetia marina EPS. The depolymerization patterns suggest that these putative polysaccharidases are constitutive, endo-acting and functionally diverse. Viral adsorption kinetics indicate that the presence of these enzymes provides a significant advantage for phages to adsorb onto their hosts upon intense EPS production conditions. The experimental demonstration that marine phages can display polysaccharidases active on bacterial EPS lead us to question whether viruses could also contribute to the degradation of marine DOM and modify its bioavailability. Considering the prominence of phages in the ocean, such studies may unveil an important microbial process that affects the marine carbon cycle.

Enriching a cellulose hydrogel with a biologically active marine exopolysaccharide for cell-based cartilage engineering.

The development of biologically and mechanically competent hydrogels is a prerequisite in cartilage engineering. We recently demonstrated that a marine exopolysaccharide, GY785, stimulates the in vitro chondrogenesis of adipose stromal cells. In the present study, we thus hypothesized that enriching our silated hydroxypropyl methylcellulose hydrogel (Si-HPMC) with GY785 might offer new prospects in the development of scaffolds for cartilage regeneration. The interaction properties of GY785 with growth factors was tested by surface plasmon resonance (SPR). The biocompatibility of Si-HPMC/GY785 towards rabbit articular chondrocytes (RACs) and its ability to maintain and recover a chondrocytic phenotype were then evaluated in vitro by MTS assay, cell counting and qRT-PCR. Finally, we evaluated the potential of Si-HPMC/GY785 associated with RACs to form cartilaginous tissue in vivo by transplantation into the subcutis of nude mice for 3 weeks. Our SPR data indicated that GY785 was able to physically interact with BMP-2 and TGFß. Our analyses also showed that three-dimensionally (3D)-cultured RACs into Si-HPMC/GY785 strongly expressed type II collagen (COL2) and aggrecan transcripts when compared to Si-HPMC alone. In addition, RACs also produced large amounts of extracellular matrix (ECM) containing glycosaminoglycans (GAG) and COL2. When dedifferentiated RACs were replaced in 3D in Si-HPMC/GY785, the expressions of COL2 and aggrecan transcripts were recovered and that of type I collagen decreased. Immunohistological analyses of Si-HPMC/GY785 constructs transplanted into nude mice revealed the production of a cartilage-like extracellular matrix (ECM) containing high amounts of GAG and COL2. These results indicate that GY785-enriched Si-HPMC appears to be a promising hydrogel for cartilage tissue engineering. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Heparin-like entities from marine organisms.

Polysaccharides are ubiquitous in animals and plant cells where they play a significant role in a number of physiological situations e.g. hydration, mechanical properties of cell walls and ionic regulation. This review concentrates on heparin-like entities from marine procaryotes and eukaryotes. Carbohydrates from marine prokaryotes offer a significant structural chemodiversity with novel material and biological properties. Cyanobacteria are Gram-negative photosynthetic prokaryotes considered as a rich source of novel molecules, and marine bacteria are a rich source of polysaccharides with novel structures, which may be a good starting point from which to synthesise heparinoid molecules. For example, some sulphated polysaccharides have been isolated from gamma-proteobacteria such as Alteromonas and Pseudoalteromonas sp. In contrast to marine bacteria, all marine algae contain sulphated wall polysaccharides, whereas such polymers are not found in terrestrial plants. In their native form, or after chemical modifications, a range of polysaccharides isolated from marine organisms have been described that have anticoagulant, anti-thrombotic, anti-tumour, anti-proliferative, anti-viral or anti-inflammatory activities.In spite of the enormous potential of sulphated oligosaccharides from marine sources, their technical and pharmaceutical usage is still limited because of the high complexity of these molecules. Thus, the production of tailor-made oligo- and polysaccharidic structures by biocatalysis is also a growing field of interest in biotechnology.

Therapeutic effect of fucoidan-stimulated endothelial colony-forming cells in peripheral ischemia.

BACKGROUND: Fucoidan, an antithrombotic polysaccharide, can induce endothelial colony-forming cells (ECFC) to adopt an angiogenic phenotype in vitro. OBJECTIVES: We evaluated the effect of fucoidan on vasculogenesis induced by ECFC in vivo. METHODS: We used a murine hindlimb ischemia model to probe the synergic role of fucoidan-treatment and ECFC infusion during tissue repair. RESULTS: We found that exposure of ECFC to fucoidan prior to their intravenous injection improved residual muscle blood flow and increased collateral vessel formation. Necrosis of ischemic tissue was significantly reduced on day 14, to 12.1% of the gastronecmius cross-sectional surface area compared with 40.1% in animals injected with untreated-ECFC. ECFC stimulation with fucoidan caused a rapid increase in cell adhesion to activated endothelium in flow conditions, and enhanced transendothelial extravasation. Fucoidan-stimulated ECFC were resistant to shear stresses of up to 21 dyn cm(-2). Direct binding assays showed strong interaction of fucoidan with displaceable binding sites on the ECFC membrane. Bolus intramuscular administration of fucoidan 1 day after surgery reduces rhabdomyolysis. Mice injected with fucoidan (15 mg kg(-1)) had significantly lower mean serum creatine phosphokinase (CPK) activity than control animals. This CPK reduction was correlated with muscle preservation against necrosis (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Fucoidan greatly increases ECFC-mediated angiogenesis in vivo. Its angiogenic effect would be due in part to its transportation to the ischemic site and its release after displacement by proteoglycans present in the extracellular matrix. The use of ECFC and fucoidan together, will be an efficient angiogenesis strategy to provide therapeutic neovascularization.

Structural data on a bacterial exopolysaccharide produced by a deep-sea Alteromonas macleodii strain.

Some marine bacteria collected around deep-sea hydrothermal vents are able to produce, in laboratory conditions, complex and innovative exopolysaccharides. In a previous study, the mesophilic strain Alteromonas macleodii subsp. fijiensis biovar deepsane was collected on the East Pacific Rise at 2600 m depth. It was isolated from a polychaete annelid Alvinella pompejana and is able to synthesise and excrete the exopolysaccharide deepsane. Biological activities have been screened and some protective properties have been established. Deepsane is commercially available in cosmetics under the name of Abyssine(®) for soothing and reducing irritation of sensitive skin against chemical, mechanical and UVB aggression. This study presents structural data for this original and complex bacterial exopolysaccharide and highlights some structural similarities with other known EPS produced by marine Alteromonas strains.

Effects of a sulfated exopolysaccharide produced by Altermonas infernus on bone biology.

The growth and differentiation of bone cells is controlled by various factors, which can be modulated by heparan sulfates. Here, we investigated the effects of an oversulfated exopolysaccharide (OS-EPS) on the bone. We compared the effect of this compound with that of a native EPS. Long-term administration of OS-EPS causes cancellous bone loss in mice due, in part, to an increase in the number of osteoclasts lining the trabecular bone surface. No significant difference in cancellous bone volume was found between EPS-treated mice and age-matched control mice, underlying the importance of sulfation in trabecular bone loss. However, the mechanism sustaining this osteoporosis was unclear. To clarify OS-EPS activities, we investigated the effect of OS-EPS on osteogenesis. Our results demonstrated that OS-EPS inhibited osteoclastogenesis in two cell models. Using the surface plasmon resonance technique, we revealed that OS-EPS can form a hetero-molecular complex OS-EPS/receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL)/RANK and that RANK had a higher affinity for RANKL pre-incubated with OS-EPS than for RANKL alone, which would be in favor of an increase in bone resorption. However, in vitro, OS-EPS inhibited the early steps of osteoclast precursor adhesion and therefore inhibited the cell fusion step. In addition, we showed that OS-EPS reduced proliferation and accelerated osteoblastic differentiation, leading to strong inhibition of mineralized nodule formation, which would be in favor of an increase in bone resorption. Taken together, these data show different levels of bone resorption regulation by EPSs, most of them leading to proresorptive effects.

An in vitro study of two GAG-like marine polysaccharides incorporated into injectable hydrogels for bone and cartilage tissue engineering.

Natural polysaccharides are attractive compounds with which to build scaffolds for bone and cartilage tissue engineering. Here we tested two non-standard ones, HE800 and GY785, for the two-dimensional (2-D) and three-dimensional (3-D) culture of osteoblasts (MC3T3-E1) and chondrocytes (C28/I2). These two glycosaminoglycan-like marine exopolysaccharides were incorporated into an injectable silylated hydroxypropylmethylcellulose-based hydrogel (Si-HPMC) that has already shown its suitability for bone and cartilage tissue engineering. Results showed that, similarly to hyaluronic acid (HA) (the control), HE800 and GY785 significantly improved the mechanical properties of the Si-HPMC hydrogel and induced the attachment of MC3T3-E1 and C28/I2 cells when these were cultured on top of the scaffolds. Si-HPMC hydrogel containing 0.67% HE800 exhibited the highest compressive modulus (11kPa) and allowed the best cell dispersion, especially of MC3T3-E1 cells. However, these cells did not survive when cultured in 3-D within hydrogels containing HE800, in contrast to C28/I2 cells. The latter proliferated in the microenvironment or concentrically depending on the nature of the hydrogel. Among all the constructs tested the Si-HPMC hydrogels containing 0.34% HE800 or 0.67% GY785 or 0.67% HA presented the most interesting features for cartilage tissue engineering applications, since they offered the highest compressive modulus (9.5-11kPa) while supporting the proliferation of chondrocytes.

Osteoprotegerin, a new actor in vasculogenesis, stimulates endothelial colony-forming cells properties.

BACKGROUND: Osteoprotegerin (OPG), a soluble receptor of the tumour necrosis factor family, and its ligand, the receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL), are emerging as important regulators of vascular pathophysiology. OBJECTIVES: We evaluated their effects on vasculogenesis induced by endothelial colony-forming cells (ECFC) and on neovessel formation in vivo. METHODS: Effects of OPG and RANKL on in vitro angiogenesis were evaluated after ECFC incubation with OPG or RANKL (0-50 ng mL(-1)). Effects on microvessel formation were evaluated with an in vivo murin Matrigel plug assay. Vascularization was evaluated by measuring plug hemoglobin and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-R2 content 14 days after implantation. RESULTS: We found that ECFC expressed OPG and RANK but not RANKL mRNA. Treatment of ECFC with VEGF or stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1) upregulated OPG mRNA expression. OPG stimulated ECFC migration (P < 0.05), chemotaxis (P < 0.05) and vascular cord formation on Matrigel(®) (P < 0.01). These effects were correlated with SDF-1 mRNA overexpression, which was 30-fold higher after 4 h of OPG stimulation (P < 0.01). OPG-mediated angiogenesis involved the MAPK signaling pathway as well as Akt or mTOR cascades. RANKL also showed pro-vasculogenic effects in vitro. OPG combined with FGF-2 promoted neovessel formation in vivo, whereas RANKL had no effect. CONCLUSIONS: OPG induces ECFC activation and is a positive regulator of microvessel formation in vivo. Our results suggest that the OPG/RANK/RANKL axis may be involved in vasculogenesis and strongly support a modulatory role in tissue revascularization.

Potential effects of a low-molecular-weight fucoidan extracted from brown algae on bone biomaterial osteoconductive properties.

In this work, we first tested the influence of low-molecular-weight (LMW) fucoidan extracted from pheophicae cell wall on bidimensional cultured normal human osteoblasts' behaviors. Second, by impregnation procedure with LMW fucoidan of bone biomaterial (Lubboc), we explored in this bone extracellular matrix context its capabilities to support human osteoblastic behavior in 3D culture. In bidimensionnal cultures, we evidenced that LMW fucoidan promotes human osteoblast proliferation and collagen type I expression and favors precocious alkaline phosphatase activity. Furthermore, with LMW fucoidan, von Kossa's staining was positive at 30 days and positive only at 45 days in the absence of LMW fucoidan. In our three-dimensional culture models with the biomaterial pretreated with LMW fucoidan, osteoblasts promptly overgrew the pretreated biomaterial. We also evidenced that osteoblasts increased proliferation with pretreated biomaterial when compared with untreated biomaterial. Osteoblasts secreted osteocalcin and expressed BMP2 receptor on control material as well as with LMW fucoidan impregnated biomaterial. In conclusion, in our experimental conditions, LMW fucoidan stimulated expression of osteoblastic markers differentiation such as alkaline phosphatase activity, collagen type I expression, and mineral deposition; furthermore, cell proliferation was favored. These findings suggest that fucoidan could be clinically useful for bone regeneration and bone substitute design.

Neoangiogenesis induced by progenitor endothelial cells: effect of fucoidan from marine algae.

Fucoidans--sulphated polysaccharides extracted from brown algae--could be beneficial in patients with ischemic diseases. Their antithrombotic and proangiogenic properties promote in animals, neovascularization and angiogenesis which prevent necrosis of ischemic tissue. In 1997, endothelial progenitor cells were first identified in human peripheral blood. They are recruited from bone marrow and contribute to neovascularization after ischemic injury. Mobilization of these cells in ischemic sites is an important step in new vessel formation. It is thought that the progenitors interact with endothelial cells, then extravasate and reach ischemic sites, where they proliferate and differentiate into new blood vessels. Although chemokines, cytokines and adhesion molecules are thought to be involved, the precise mechanism of progenitor mobilization is not fully understood. Recent studies suggest that stromal-derived factor 1 plays a critical role at several steps of progenitor mobilization. Given the role of proteoglycans within bone marrow, at the endothelium surface, and in growth factor and chemokine binding, fucoidans might influence the mobilization of endothelial progenitor cells and their incorporation in ischemic tissue. This review provides an update on circulating endothelial progenitors and their role in neovascularization. It focuses on recent advances in our understanding of interactions between these progenitor cells and exogenous sulphated polysaccharides, and their implications for understanding the fucoidan mechanism of action.

Ultrasonic depolymerization of an exopolysaccharide produced by a bacterium isolated from a deep-sea hydrothermal vent polychaete annelid.

Low frequency ultrasound was used to depolymerize a high-molecular-weight exopolysaccharide (EPS) produced by a deep-sea hydrothermal bacterium Alteromonas macleodii subsp. fijiensis biovar deepsane. The influence of several parameters was examined including the duration of ultrasonic irradiation, EPS concentration, reaction temperature and volume of the sonicated solution. With the aim of optimizing the depolymerization, the native EPS was simultaneously treated with hydrogen peroxide and ultrasound. This study identified the sonication conditions that produce low-molecular-weight derivatives from the native EPS (>10(6)Da) with good reproducibility.

[Microbial polysaccharides of marine origin and their potential in human therapeutics]. / Les polysaccharides microbiens d'origine marine et leur potentiel en thérapeutique humaine.

Bacterial polysaccharides offer fascinating potential applications for the pharmaceutical industry. Although many known marine bacteria produce exopolysaccharides (EPS), continuation in looking for new polysaccharide-producing micro-organisms is promising. Marine bacteria, isolated from deep-sea hydrothermal vents, have demonstrated their ability to produce in aerobic conditions, unusual EPS. With the aim of discovering biological activities, EPS presenting different structural features were studied. An EPS secreted by Vibrio diabolicus was evaluated on the restoration of bone integrity in experimental model and was demonstrated to be a strong bone-healing material. Another EPS produced by Alteromonas infernus was modified in order to obtain new heparin-like compounds. Unlike the native EPS, the resulting EPS presented anticoagulant properties as heparin. These EPS could provide biochemical entities with suitable functions for obtaining new drugs. They present original structural feature that can be modified to design compounds and improve their specificity.

Capillary electrophoresis determination of the binding affinity of bioactive sulfated polysaccharides to proteins: study of the binding properties of fucoidan to antithrombin.

The interaction of proteins with polysaccharides represents a major and challenging topic in glycobiology, since such complexes mediate fundamental biological mechanisms. An affinity capillary electrophoresis method has been developed to evidence the complex formation and to determine the binding properties between an anticoagulant polysaccharide of marine origin, fucoidan, and a potential target protein, antithrombin. This method is a variant of zonal electrophoresis in the mobility shift format. A fixed amount of protein was injected into a capillary filled with a background electrolyte containing the polysaccharide in varying concentrations. The effective mobility data of the protein were processed according to classical linearization treatments to obtain the binding constant for the polysaccharide/antithrombin complex. The results indicate that fucoidan binds to antithrombin in a 1:1 stoichiometry and with an affinity depending on the molecular weight of the polysaccharide. For heparin, the binding constant obtained similarly is in accordance with the literature. This is the first report showing the implementation of a capillary electrophoresis method contributing to the mechanistic understanding of the biological activities of fucoidan and providing evidence for the complex formation between fucoidan and the protein inhibitor of the coagulation antithrombin.

Characterization, chemical modifications and in vitro anticoagulant properties of an exopolysaccharide produced by Alteromonas infernus.

A new low-molecular-weight 'heparin-like' component was obtained from an exopolysaccharide produced by a mesophilic strain found in deep-sea hydrothermal vents. Data concerning the structure of the native high-molecular-weight exopolysaccharide (10(6) g/mol, 10% sulfate content) are reported for the first time. Two depolymerization processes were used to obtain low-molecular-weight (24-35x10(3) g/mol) oversulfated fractions (sulfate content 20 or 40%). Nuclear magnetic resonance studies indicated that after sulfation (40%), the low-molecular-weight fraction obtained by free radical depolymerization was less sulfated in the 6-O-position than the fraction depolymerized by acid hydrolysis. The free radical depolymerized product also had sulfated residues in the 4-O-position and disulfated ones in the 2,3-O-positions. Moreover, the compounds generated by the free radical process were more homogeneous with respect to molecular mass. Also for the first time, the anticoagulant activity of the low-molecular-weight exopolysaccharide fractions is reported. When the fractions obtained after sulfation and depolymerization were compared with heparins, anticoagulant activity was detected in oversulfated fractions, but not in native exopolysaccharide. The free radical depolymerized fraction inhibited thrombin generation in both contact-activated and thromboplastin-activated plasma, showing a prolonged lag phase only in the contact-activated assay. Affinity co-electrophoresis studies suggested that a single population of polysaccharide chains binds to antithrombin and that only a subpopulation strongly interacts with heparin cofactor II.

A disaccharide repeat unit is the major structure in fucoidans from two species of brown algae.

The predominant repeating structure of a fraction of the fucoidan from Ascophyllum nodosum prepared by acid hydrolysis and centrifugal partition chromatography (LMWF) was established as: [-->3)-alpha-L-Fuc(2SO3-)-(1-->4)-alpha-L-Fuc(2,3diSO3-)-(1]n by NMR spectroscopy and methylation analysis. The proton and carbon NMR spectra of this unit have been assigned and found to correspond with features in the spectra of the whole purified fucan from A. nodosum which account for most of the integrated intensity. The same structure has also been recognised in the fucoidan of Fucus vesiculosus. The fraction LMWF has in vitro anticoagulant activity, indicating that the above structure may be partly responsible for biological activity in the native fucoidan.

Improvement purification of sulfated oligofucan by ion-exchange displacement centrifugal partition chromatography.

Centrifugal partition chromatography in ion-exchange displacement mode was used to fractionate mixtures of sulfated oligofucans obtained by partial depolymerization of brown seaweed fucoidans. Diluted (10%, v/v) protonated LA2 (a lipophilic secondary amine) is used as a weak exchanger. In an attempt to improve this method, several solvents (methyl isobutyl ketone, methyl tert.-butyl ether, BuOH) were tested to dissolve LA2H+. MtBE produced less bleeding than MiBK, whereas BuOH proved unsuitable. The sample injected needs to be highly diluted in water to ensure participation in the chromatographic process. A comparison of data (NMR, composition, molecular mass) indicated the homogeneity of the fractions obtained as well as the differences between them.

Preliminary report on fractionation of fucans by ion-exchange displacement centrifugal partition chromatography.

A new method combining ion-exchange displacement chromatography with centrifugal partition chromatography (CPC) was used for the fractionation of partially depolymerized fucans (polysulphated polysaccharides). The ion-exchanger was Amberlite LA2, a high-molecular-mass liquid secondary amine miscible with most common organic solvents and immiscible with aqueous solutions. Ion-exchange displacement centrifugal partition chromatography was performed with LA2 in methyl isobutyl ketone (MiBK) as the stationary phase, water as the mobile phase, Cl- as the carrier and OH- as the displacer. A complex mixture of partially depolymerized fucans was resolved into adjacent families characterized by their peak molecular mass and polydispersity. The Dubois test (sugar) and the azur A test (SO3-) confirmed the displacement mode of the process, and size-exclusion chromatographic controls confirmed its efficiency.

Antitumor and antiproliferative effects of a fucan extracted from ascophyllum nodosum against a non-small-cell bronchopulmonary carcinoma line.

Fucans, sulfated polysaccharides extracted from brown seaweeds, have been shown to be endowed with inhibitory effects cell growth in various experimental models. We studied both the antiproliferative and antitumor properties of a fucoidan extract (HF) obtained from the brown seaweed Ascophyllum nodosum on a cell line derived from a non-small-cell human bronchopulmonary carcinoma (NSCLC-N6), this type of carcinoma is particularly chemo-resistant. HF exerts in vitro a reversible antiproliferative activity with a block observed in the G1 phase the cell cycle. Studies performed with the NSCLC-bearing nude mice show antitumor activity at subtoxic doses. These preliminary results indicate that HF exhibits inhibitory effect both in vitro and in vivo and is very potent antitumor agent in cancer therapy.

Pathway-specific regulation of the synthesis of anticoagulantly active heparan sulfate.

L cells and endothelial cells synthesize a heparan sulfate (HS) subpopulation, HSact, that exhibits anticoagulant activity due to a specific monosaccharide sequence; the remaining heparan sulfate, HSinact, lacks this region of defined structure and is anticoagulantly inactive. HSact biosynthesis was examined in these two cell types by stably expressing epitope-tagged rat ryudocan (ryudocan12CA5), which possesses three glycosaminoglycan (GAG) acceptor sites. Both HSact and HSinact were present on ryudocan12CA5 isolated from L cells and endothelial cells; thus, a core protein with a unique primary sequence initiates the synthesis of both GAGs. The expression in L cells of ryudocan12CA5 variants containing a single functional GAG acceptor site demonstrated that each of the three acceptor regions initiates the synthesis of both types of GAGs to a similar extent. Most importantly, in both cell types total HSact generation declined as a function of ryudocan12CA5 overexpression even though HSinact production increased linearly as a function of this variable. This discordant relationship is a general property of the biosynthetic machinery since in both cell types HSact production was reduced to an equal extent on protein cores of either exogenous or endogenous origins. The suppression of HSact generation was also observed with a secreted form of core protein lacking transmembrane and cytoplasmic domains or by a GAG acceptor site mutated form of core protein incapable of augmenting GAG synthesis. These results suggest that elevated intracellular levels of core protein saturate the capacity of a critical component of the HSact biosynthetic machinery. This critical component is not a member of the common set of biosynthetic enzymes involved in the production of HSact and HSinact since no structural changes were observed in either GAG during overexpression of core protein. Based upon the above data, we conclude that increased intracellular levels of ryudocan probably act by saturating the capacity of components which regulate HSact production by coordinating the function of biosynthetic enzymes.