On the origin of leprosy.

International audienceLeprosy, a chronic human disease with potentially debilitating neurological consequences, results from infection with Mycobacterium leprae. This unculturable pathogen has undergone extensive reductive evolution, with half of its genome now occupied by pseudogenes. Using comparative genomics, we demonstrated that all extant cases of leprosy are attributable to a single clone whose dissemination worldwide can be retraced from analysis of very rare single-nucleotide polymorphisms. The disease seems to have originated in Eastern Africa or the Near East and spread with successive human migrations. Europeans or North Africans introduced leprosy into West Africa and the Americas within the past 500 years

Nouvelle méthodologie pour la détection de la liaison nAChRs-toxine animale par Spectrométrie de Masse MALDI-TOF

More than 50 thousands of venomous species are currently indexed in the world. Each of their venoms is composed of 200 to 1000 different toxins which potentially exhibit a high selectivity for membrane receptors such as G-protein coupled receptors or ion channels such nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). The latter have been a target for drug discovery efforts, primarily for central nervous system indications. Therefore, it appears of prime interest to design new pharmacological tools and potentially discover future drugs targeting this kind of ion channels. In 2015, our group published a new mass spectrometry-based methodology to screen peptide ligands for G protein coupled receptors1. The proof of concept of this methodology was built by studying the binding of [Arg8]-vasopressin (AVP) on type 2-vasopressin receptor (V2). We extended this methodology to another system ligand-receptor. As all Conus species venoms investigated so far contain at least one toxin antagonizing nAChRs: the alpha-conotoxins. Therefore, the ligand-receptor model couple that has been chosen is nAChRs-alpha-conotoxins. Experimentally, fragments of cellular membranes over-expressing nAChRs were incubated with Bovine Serum Albumine (BSA) tryptic digest (~100 peptide toxins) doped by a small amount of Alpha-conotoxins. After 2 hours incubation, free and bound fractions were purified with a combination of centrifugation and micro column purifications. Samples were finally analyzed with a MALDI-TOF/TOF mass spectrometer. By comparison of the intensity of Alpha-conotoxins in the free and in the bound fractions, we clearly detect an enrichment of nAChRs ligand in the latter. In order to transpose the methodology to natural mixture, we applied the workflow to crude conus venoms. We incubated membranes over-expressing nAChRs with Conus textile venom which is known to possess at least 5 different alpha-conotoxins. Thanks to our approach, we were able to detect an enrichment of these known ligands in the bound fraction. In order to validate the potential of our approach, the next step of this work will be the incubation of a Conus venom for which no alpha-conotoxins have been described

Methodology to fish peptide ligands of nAChRs from Cone snail venoms by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry

More than 50,000 of venomous species are currently indexed in the world. Each of their venom is composed of hundreds of toxins which potentially exhibit a high selectivity for membrane receptors such as GPCRs or ion channels. Among them, nAChRs are a target for drug discovery, primarily for treating central nervous system troubles. Therefore, the discovery of pharmacological tools and innovative drugs targeting nAChRs from animal venoms appears as an evidence. This study proposes the use a mass-spectrometry based methodology1 to discover new nAChRs ligands from cone snails venoms, and particularly -conotoxins (a-CTXs), known as potential antagonists of nAChRs2. in few words, Torpedo membranes, containing a high concentration of nAChRs, are incubated with BSA tryptic digests (>100 peptides) doped by small amounts of known a-CTXs. After two hours incubation, free (i.e. containing molecules remaining in solution) and bound (i.e. peptides bound to the membranes) fractions were analyzed with a MALDI-TOF/TOF mass spectrometer. The POC (positive and negative controls) as well as a real screening of Conus ermineus venom are presented

Marine Cyanotoxins Potentially Harmful to Human Health

International audienceMany people around the world depend on the marine environment, for its nutritional, recreational, and general economic value. For many years, a notable increase has been observed in the number of cases of severe intoxication, through the consumption of contaminated seafood and through external exposure. While dinoflagellates and diatoms are considered the main source of marine biotoxins, there is also growing evidence that certain groups of marine cyanobacteria are likely to produce various toxins with potential harmful effects on humans, especially in cases of massive proliferation. Some of the recent findings that support this hypothesis are summarized in this chapter

Pinnatoxin G is responsible for atypical toxicity in mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) and clams (Venerupis decussata) from Ingril, a French Mediterranean lagoon

Following a review of official control data on shellfish in France, Ingril Lagoon had been identified as a site where positive mouse bioassays for lipophilic toxins had been repeatedly observed. These unexplained mouse bioassays, also called atypical toxicity, coincided with an absence of regulated toxins and rapid death times in mice observed in the assay. The present study describes pinnatoxin G as the main compound responsible for the toxicity observed using the mouse bioassay for lipophilic toxins. Using a well-characterised standard for pinnatoxin G, LC-MS/MS analysis of mussel samples collected from 2009 to 2012 revealed regular occurrences of pinnatoxin G at levels sufficient to account for the toxicity in the mouse bioassays. Baseline levels of pinnatoxin G from May to October usually exceeded 40 μg kg−1 in whole flesh, with a maximum in September 2010 of around 1200 μg kg−1. These concentrations were much greater than those at the other 10 sites selected for vigilance testing, where concentrations did not exceed 10 μg kg−1 in a 3-month survey from April to July 2010, and where rapid mouse deaths were not typically observed. Mussels were always more contaminated than clams, confirming that mussel is a good sentinel species for pinnatoxins. Profiles in mussels and clams were similar, with the concentration of pinnatoxin A less than 2% that of pinnatoxin G, and pteriatoxins were only present in non-quantifiable traces. Esters of pinnatoxin G could not be detected by analysis of extracts before and after alkaline hydrolysis. Analysis with a receptor-binding assay showed that natural pinnatoxin G was similarly active on the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor as chemically synthesized pinnatoxin G. Culture of Vulcanodinium rugosum, previously isolated from Ingril lagoon, confirmed that this alga is a pinnatoxin G producer (4.7 pg cell−1). Absence of this organism from the water column during prolonged periods of shellfish contamination and the dominance of non-motile life stages of V. rugosum both suggest that further studies will be required to fully describe the ecology of this organism and the accumulation of pinnatoxins in shellfis

Identification de cibles d’insecticides spécifiques du puceron du pois <em>Acyrthosiphon pisum</em> par analyse des relations structure-fonction des récepteurs nicotiniques

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Metabolism of the lipophilic phycotoxin 13-Desmethylspirolide C using human and rat in vitro liver models

International audience13-Desmethylspirolide C (13-SPX-C) is a phycotoxin produced by dinoflagellates which can accumulate in shellfish. 13-SPX-C induces neurotoxic effects in rodents through blockade of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. As no human intoxication has been to date attributed to the consumption of 13-SPX-C-contaminated seafood, this toxin is not regulated according to the Codex Alimentarius. Nevertheless, shellfish consumers can be exposed to 13-SPX-C via shellfish consumption. In order to follow the fate of the toxin after ingestion and to verify whether metabolic detoxification could explain the lack of human intoxications, we assessed the metabolism of 13-SPX-C using several in vitro liver systems. First, both phase I and II reactions occurring with rat and human liver S9 fractions were screened. Our results indicated that 13-SPX-C was almost completely metabolized with both rat and human liver S9. Using a receptor binding assay towards nicotinic acetylcholine receptors we demonstrated that the resulting metabolites showed less affinity towards nicotinic acetylcholine receptors than 13-SPX-C. Finally, we showed that 13-SPX-C induced a pronounced increase of gene expression of the drug-metabolizing enzyme cytochrome P450 (CYP) CYP1A2. The role of this CYP in 13-SPX-C metabolism was clarified using an innovative in vitro tool, CYP1A2-Silensomes™. In summary, this study highlights that liver first-pass metabolism can contribute to the detoxification of 13-SPX-C

On the origin of leprosy

Leprosy, a chronic human disease with potentially debilitating neurological consequences, results from infection with Mycobacterium leprae. This unculturable pathogen has undergone extensive reductive evolution, with half of its genome now occupied by pseudogenes. Using comparative genomics, we demonstrated that all extant cases of leprosy are attributable to a single clone whose dissemination worldwide can be retraced from analysis of very rare single-nucleotide polymorphisms. The disease seems to have originated in Eastern Africa or the Near East and spread with successive human migrations. Europeans or North Africans introduced leprosy into West Africa and the Americas within the past 500 years