Magnetic resonance imaging of tumors colonized with bacterial ferritin-expressing Escherichia coli.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have shown that human ferritin can be used as a reporter of gene expression for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Bacteria also encode three classes of ferritin-type molecules with iron accumulation properties. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Here, we investigated whether these bact...

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Main Authors: Philip J Hill, Jochen Stritzker, Miriam Scadeng, Ulrike Geissinger, Daniel Haddad, Thomas C Basse-Lüsebrink, Uwe Gbureck, Peter Jakob, Aladar A Szalay
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2011-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3184983?pdf=render
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author Philip J Hill
Jochen Stritzker
Miriam Scadeng
Ulrike Geissinger
Daniel Haddad
Thomas C Basse-Lüsebrink
Uwe Gbureck
Peter Jakob
Aladar A Szalay
author_facet Philip J Hill
Jochen Stritzker
Miriam Scadeng
Ulrike Geissinger
Daniel Haddad
Thomas C Basse-Lüsebrink
Uwe Gbureck
Peter Jakob
Aladar A Szalay
author_sort Philip J Hill
collection DOAJ
description BACKGROUND: Recent studies have shown that human ferritin can be used as a reporter of gene expression for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Bacteria also encode three classes of ferritin-type molecules with iron accumulation properties. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Here, we investigated whether these bacterial ferritins can also be used as MRI reporter genes and which of the bacterial ferritins is the most suitable reporter. Bacterial ferritins were overexpressed in probiotic E. coli Nissle 1917. Cultures of these bacteria were analyzed and those generating highest MRI contrast were further investigated in tumor bearing mice. Among members of three classes of bacterial ferritin tested, bacterioferritin showed the most promise as a reporter gene. Although all three proteins accumulated similar amounts of iron when overexpressed individually, bacterioferritin showed the highest contrast change. By site-directed mutagenesis we also show that the heme iron, a unique part of the bacterioferritin molecule, is not critical for MRI contrast change. Tumor-specific induction of bacterioferritin-expression in colonized tumors resulted in contrast changes within the bacteria-colonized tumors. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that colonization and gene expression by live vectors expressing bacterioferritin can be monitored by MRI due to contrast changes.
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spelling doaj.art-812a012375e34dc095521081313fc6d72022-12-21T22:32:48ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032011-01-01610e2540910.1371/journal.pone.0025409Magnetic resonance imaging of tumors colonized with bacterial ferritin-expressing Escherichia coli.Philip J HillJochen StritzkerMiriam ScadengUlrike GeissingerDaniel HaddadThomas C Basse-LüsebrinkUwe GbureckPeter JakobAladar A SzalayBACKGROUND: Recent studies have shown that human ferritin can be used as a reporter of gene expression for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Bacteria also encode three classes of ferritin-type molecules with iron accumulation properties. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Here, we investigated whether these bacterial ferritins can also be used as MRI reporter genes and which of the bacterial ferritins is the most suitable reporter. Bacterial ferritins were overexpressed in probiotic E. coli Nissle 1917. Cultures of these bacteria were analyzed and those generating highest MRI contrast were further investigated in tumor bearing mice. Among members of three classes of bacterial ferritin tested, bacterioferritin showed the most promise as a reporter gene. Although all three proteins accumulated similar amounts of iron when overexpressed individually, bacterioferritin showed the highest contrast change. By site-directed mutagenesis we also show that the heme iron, a unique part of the bacterioferritin molecule, is not critical for MRI contrast change. Tumor-specific induction of bacterioferritin-expression in colonized tumors resulted in contrast changes within the bacteria-colonized tumors. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that colonization and gene expression by live vectors expressing bacterioferritin can be monitored by MRI due to contrast changes.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3184983?pdf=render
spellingShingle Philip J Hill
Jochen Stritzker
Miriam Scadeng
Ulrike Geissinger
Daniel Haddad
Thomas C Basse-Lüsebrink
Uwe Gbureck
Peter Jakob
Aladar A Szalay
Magnetic resonance imaging of tumors colonized with bacterial ferritin-expressing Escherichia coli.
PLoS ONE
title Magnetic resonance imaging of tumors colonized with bacterial ferritin-expressing Escherichia coli.
title_full Magnetic resonance imaging of tumors colonized with bacterial ferritin-expressing Escherichia coli.
title_fullStr Magnetic resonance imaging of tumors colonized with bacterial ferritin-expressing Escherichia coli.
title_full_unstemmed Magnetic resonance imaging of tumors colonized with bacterial ferritin-expressing Escherichia coli.
title_short Magnetic resonance imaging of tumors colonized with bacterial ferritin-expressing Escherichia coli.
title_sort magnetic resonance imaging of tumors colonized with bacterial ferritin expressing escherichia coli
url http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3184983?pdf=render
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