Use of Cationic Lipids to Enhance the Biological Activity of Antisense Oligonucleotides

Abstract

Antisense oligonucleotides bind to specific mRNA or pre-mRNA sequences through Watson-Crick base pairing, resulting in decreased expression of the targeted protein. The use of cationic lipids to enhance cellular uptake of antisense oligonucleotides is reviewed herein. Cationic lipids such as N[1-(2,3-dioleyloxy)propyl]-N, N, N-trimethylammonium chloride (DOTMA) were found to enhance the biological activity of phosphorothioate oligonucleotides by at least 1000-fold in cell culture. Cationic lipid preparations enhanced both the rate and amount of oligonucleotide which associated with cells. In addition, DOTMA markedly changed the subcellular distribution of the oligonucleotide. In the absence of lipid, fluorescein labelled phosphorothioate oligonucleotides accumulated in discrete cytoplasmic structures. In the presence of cationic lipids, the oligonucleotides concentrated within the nucleus, were excluded from nucleoli, and localized in punctate cytoplasmic structures. The accumulation of the oligonucleotide in the nucleus was inhibited by incubation of the cells at 4°C and by monensin, but not by chloroquine, ammonium chloride, or nocodazole. Cell lines, both primary and transformed, differ markedly in their sensitivity to inhibition of gene expression with antisense oligonucleotides in the presence of cationic lipids. The differential sensitivity of the cells correlates with the amount of 35S-labelled oligonucleotide associated with the cells and the number of cells in the population which take up the oligonucleotide. Our studies have demonstrated that several types of cationic lipids markedly enhance the activity of phosphorothioate oligonucleotides in cell culture models. We are currently investigating the ability of cationic lipids to enhance activity of antisense oligonucleotides in more complex systems such as organ cultures and in animals.