A cytoplasmic protein-protein interaction detection method based on reporter translation

One approach to drug discovery involves the targeting of abnormal protein-protein interactions that lead to pathology. We present a new technology allowing the detection of such interactions within the cytoplasm in a yeast-based system. The interaction detection is based on the sequestration of a translation termination factor involved in stop codon recognition. This sequestration inhibits the activity of the factor, thereby permitting the translation of a reporter gene harboring a premature stop codon. This novel cytoplasmic protein-protein interaction (CPPI) detection system should prove to be useful in the characterization of proteins as well as in partner identification, interaction mapping, and drug discovery applications.     

Investigating the Function of Three Non-Synonymous SNPs in EGFR Gene: Structural Modelling and Association With Breast Cancer

Non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms (nsSNPs) represent common genomic variations that alter protein sequence and function. Some nsSNPs affecting conserved amino acids have been reported to be associated with cancer susceptibility. Interestingly, Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) is commonly overexpressed and mutated in many cancers. In this study, we investigated the structural effect of three deleterious nsSNPs: rs17337451 (R962G), rs1140476 (R977C) and rs17290699 (H988P) within EGFR using computational tools. The modelled mutant dimers showed less stability than wild type EGFR dimer. Furthermore, we showed the important role of R962 and H988 residues in the EGFR dimer formation. We also report preliminary experimental data for SNP R977C suggesting that the variant C977 might confer greater risk for breast cancer. These results contribute to an improved understanding of the EGFR dimer stability and provide new elements for understanding the relationship between EGFR and cancer.     

Werner protein protects nonproliferating cells from oxidative DNA damage

Werner syndrome, caused by mutations of the WRN gene, mimics many changes of normal aging. Although roles for WRN protein in DNA replication, recombination, and telomere maintenance have been suggested, the pathology of rapidly dividing cells is not a feature of Werner syndrome. To identify cellular events that are specifically vulnerable to WRN deficiency, we used RNA interference (RNAi) to knockdown WRN or BLM (the RecQ helicase mutated in Bloom syndrome) expression in primary human fibroblasts. Withdrawal of WRN or BLM produced accelerated cellular senescence phenotype and DNA damage response in normal fibroblasts, as evidenced by induction of gammaH2AX and 53BP1 nuclear foci. After WRN depletion, the induction of these foci was seen most prominently in nondividing cells. Growth in physiological (3%) oxygen or in the presence of an antioxidant prevented the development of the DNA damage foci in WRN-depleted cells, whereas acute oxidative stress led to inefficient repair of the lesions. Furthermore, WRN RNAi-induced DNA damage was suppressed by overexpression of the telomere-binding protein TRF2. These conditions, however, did not prevent the DNA damage response in BLM-ablated cells, suggesting a distinct role for WRN in DNA homeostasis in vivo. Thus, manifestations of Werner syndrome may reflect an impaired ability of slowly dividing cells to limit oxidative DNA damage.     

Study of the protective capacity of scorpion venom Buthus occitanus tunetanus polymerised to glutaraldehyde in mice strains with different haplotypes

The immune response obtained against the toxic fraction of the scorpion venom Buthus occitanus tunetanus detoxified by polymerisation with glutaraldehyde, was analysed for low inbred mice having different haplotypes: C57BL/6 (H-2b) et BALB/c (H-2d) and the SWISS outbred mouse. This three strains of mice, immunized with the polymeric form of Bot-G50 are able to induce an immune response with bumoral mediation. The anti-polymers antibodies obtained from immunized mice, cross-react with the native Bot-G50 fraction. Indeed, in vitro protection experiments demonstrated that immune sera were neutralizing (between 150 and 235 micrograms of Bot-G50 ml). The in vivo protection assays showed that immunized mice could resist the challenge by high amount of toxic fraction (between 70 and 80 micrograms of Bot-G50). This protection was found to be long-lived, since immunized SWISS mice could resist the challenge by 4 DL50 of the toxic fraction (80 micrograms) six month after the start of the immunized program.     

New Intraclass Helitrons Classification Using DNA-Image Sequences and Machine Learning Approaches

Helitrons, eukaryotic transposable elements (TEs) transposed by rolling-circle mechanism, have been found in various species with highly variable copy numbers and sometimes with a large portion of their genomes. The impact of helitrons sequences in the genome is to frequently capture host genes during their transposition. Since their discovery, 18 years ago, by computational analysis of whole genome sequences of Arabidopsis thaliana plant and Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) nematode, the identification and classification of these mobile genetic elements remain a challenge due to the fact that the wide majority of their families are non-autonomous. In C. elegans genome, DNA helitrons sequences possess great variability in terms of length that varies between 11 and 8965 base pairs (bps) from one sequence to another. In this work, we develop a new method to predict helitrons DNA-sequences, which is particularly based on Frequency Chaos Game Representation (FCGR) DNA-images. Thus, we introduce an automatic system in order to classify helitrons families in C. elegans genome, based on a combination between machine learning approaches and features extracted from DNA-sequences. Consequently, the new set of helitrons features (the FCGR images and K-mers) are extracted from DNA sequences. These helitrons features consist of the frequency apparition number of K nucleotides pairs (Tandem Repeat) in the DNA sequences. Indeed, three different classifiers are used for the classification of all existing helitrons families. The results have shown potential global score equal to 72.7% due to FCGR images which constitute helitrons features and the pre-trained neural network as a classifier. The two other classifiers demonstrate that their efficiency reaches 68.7% for Support Vector Machine (SVM) and 91.45% for Random Forest (RF) algorithms using the K-mers features corresponding to the genomic sequences.     

An alkaloid, two conjugate sesquiterpenes and a phenylpropanoid from Pachypodanthium confine Engl. and Diels

Two sesquiterpene-trimethoxystyrene conjugates (E)-1-[3'-(4',8'-dimethylnona-3',7'-dienyl)cyclohex-3'-enyl]-2,4,5-trimethoxybenzene (1) and (Z)-1-[3'-(4',8'-dimethylnona-3',7'-dienyl)cyclohex-3'-enyl]-2,4,5-trimethoxybenzene (2), a phenylpropanoid 1,2,4-trimethoxy-5-(1-methoxy-ethyl)-benzene (3), and an aporphine alkaloid N-acetylpachypodanthine (4), were isolated in addition to several known compounds from cyclohexane, dichloromethane and alkaloid extracts from bark of Pachypodanthium confine. The structures of these compounds were established based on the interpretation of their high resolution NMR (HSQC, HMBC, COSY and NOESY) spectral data.     

Acridone derivatives: design, synthesis, and inhibition of breast cancer resistance protein ABCG2

The breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP, ABCG2) is among the latest discovered ABC proteins to be involved in MDR phenotype and for which only few inhibitors are known. In continuing our program aimed at discovering efficient multidrug resistance modulators, we conceived and synthesized new acridones as ABCG2 inhibitors. The design of target molecules was based on earlier results dealing with ABCG2 inhibition with flavone and chromone derivatives. The human wild-type (R482) ABCG2-transfected cells were used for rational screening of inhibitory acridones. The synthesis of target compounds, the inhibitory activity against ABCG2, and structure-activity relationships are described. One of the acridones was even more potent than the reference inhibitor, GF120918, as shown by its ability to inhibit mitoxantrone efflux.