Oxydes de phosphines secondaires P-chirogéniques : nouvelle synthèse stéréosélective et applications

A new stereoselective synthesis of phosphinous acid boranes is described by hydrolysis of aminophosphines boranes prepared by reaction of the oxazaphospholidine complex derived from ephedrine with organolithium reagents.By reaction with a strong acid, the phosphinous acid boranes lead to the corresponding P-chirogenic secondary phosphine oxides in very good yields (90%) and with complete retention of the configuration at the phosphorus atom. The secondary phosphine oxides have been used in asymmetric hydrogenation and intramolecular Heck cyclisation using rhodium and palladium complexes, respectively. In a second part, a new synthesis of P-chirogenic ortho-halogenophenyl phosphine oxides is described. The principle of this synthesis is based on the addition of secondary phosphine oxides to a benzyne, prepared in situ from dihalogenobenzene. The o-halogenophenylphosphine oxides were used to prepare many functionalized derivatives in ortho position by reactions such as homocoupling with copper or heterocoupling catalyzed by palladium complexes. In the last part, the synthesis of chiral copper clusters was performed using P-chirogenic monophosphines. The X-ray structure, circular dichroism, and the photophysical properties of the chiral clusters were presented.Une nouvelle synthèse stéréosélective d’acides phosphineux-borane est décrite par hydrolyse d’aminophosphines borane préparées par réaction d'organolithiens sur un complexe d'oxazaphospholidine-borane dérivé de l'éphédrine. Par réaction avec un acide fort, ces acides phosphineux-borane conduisent aux oxydes de phosphines secondaires P-chirogéniques correspondants avec de très bons rendements (90%) et rétention complète de la configuration sur l'atome de phosphore. Les oxydes de phosphines secondaires ont été utilisés en catalyses d'hydrogénation et de Heck asymétriques par des complexes de rhodium et de palladium. Dans une seconde partie, une nouvelle synthèse d’oxydes de phosphines P-chirogéniques substitués par des groupements ortho halogénophényles a été décrite. Le principe de cette synthèse repose sur l’addition d’un oxyde de phosphine secondaire sur un benzyne préparé in situ à partir de dihalogénobenzène. Ces oxydes de phosphines o-halogénés ont été utilisés en synthèse de nouveaux dérivés fonctionnalisés en position ortho par des réactions d’homocouplage par le cuivre ou d’hétérocouplage catalysée par des complexes de palladium. Dans une dernière partie, la préparation de clusters de cuivre chiraux a été réalisée en utilisant des monophosphines P-chirogéniques. La structure par rayons X, le dichroïsme circulaire, et les propriétés photophysiques des clusters chiraux sont présentés

Les histones déacétylases de type 2 dans le contrôle de la mort cellulaire induite par la cryptogéine, un éliciteur des réactions de défense chez le tabac

Cryptogein, which is secreted by the oomycete Phytophthora cryptogea, is a proteinaceous elicitor of plant defense reactions that activates a set of signaling events leading to the hypersensitive response and to systemic acquired resistance. Although the early cytosolic signaling events induced by cryptogein are well described, the only nuclear events characterized to date are the variations in free calcium concentrations and defense-related gene expression. The characterization of the activation of cytosolic protein kinases, including WIPK and SIPK, by phosphorylation in response to cryptogein highlights the key-role played by posttranslational modifications in cryptogein-induced signaling events in tobacco cells. In this context, purification/sequencing approaches revealed that two redundant isoforms of type-2 nuclear histone deacetylases, NtHD2a and NtHD2b, were rapidly phosphorylated in cryptogein-treated tobacco cells.This thesis work is part of a comprehensive study of the role of NtHD2a/b in the establishment of the cell death process in tobacco cells and of the hypersensitive response in planta, in response to cryptogein. By using a pharmacological approach and overexpression and RNA interference-based approaches, we confirmed the involvement of NtHD2a/b as negative regulators of elicitin-induced cell death and we achieved a better understanding of cell death signaling events. The molecular events that underly the cell death process appear particularly complex and seem to involve the modulation of defense-related gene expression, de novo protein synthesis and protein kinase activation such as WIPK and SIPK.The study of (de)/acetylation events in tobacco cells treated by cryptogein and invalidated in NtHD2a/b expression suggests a role for posttranslational modifications in cryptogein-induced cell death.La cryptogéine, sécrétée par l’oomycète Phytophthora cryptogea, est un éliciteur protéique des réactions de défense qui active chez le tabac un ensemble d’événements de signalisation conduisant à la mise en place d’une mort cellulaire de type réponse hypersensible et d’une résistance systémique acquise. La caractérisation de la modulation de l’activité de kinases cytosoliques, dont SIPK et WIPK, par des événements de phosphorylation en réponse à la cryptogéine, traduit la place majeure que tiennent les modifications post-traductionnelles dans la cascade de signalisation induite dans les cellules de tabac en réponse à la cryptogéine. Il s’avère que la signalisation cellulaire induite par la cryptogéine, et impliquant ces protéines kinases, converge entre autre vers le noyau à travers la modulation de l’activité d’éléments nucléaires par phosphorylation. Dans ce contexte, d’importants travaux de purification/séquencage, visant à identifier les protéines nucléaires cibles de ces activités kinases, ont permis d’identifier deux isoformes redondantes d’histones désacétylases de type 2 nommés NtHD2a et NtHD2b qui sont rapidement phosphorylées en réponse à la cryptogéine dans les cellules de tabac.Ce travail de thèse s’inscrit dans l’étude du rôle de NtHD2a/b dans l’établissement du processus de mort cellulaire des cellules de tabac et de la RH in planta en réponse à la cryptogéine. Par des approches de pharmacologie ainsi que des approches de surexpression ou d’invalidation de l’expression de NtHD2a/b chez le tabac, nous avons d’une part confirmé l’implication de NtHD2a/b en tant que régulateurs négatifs de la mort cellulaire induite par la cryptogéine ou d’autres élicitines, et d’autre part mieux appréhendé les événements de la cascade de signalisation prépondérants dans l’établissement de cette mort cellulaire. Les mécanismes moléculaires sous-jacents à la mise en place de la mort cellulaire apparaissent complexes et semblent notamment impliquer la modulation de l’expression de gènes de défense, la synthèse de novo de protéines ainsi que l’activation de protéines kinases, dont notamment WIPK et SIPK.Des travaux relatifs à l’étude des événements de (dé)/acétylation dans les cellules de tabac traitées par la cryptogéine et invalidées dans l’expression de NtHD2a/b suggèrent le concours de modifications post-traductionnelles de protéines nucléaires telles que l’acétylation dans la mise en place de la mort cellulaire induite par la cryptogéine chez le tabac

The modeled structure of the RNA dependent RNA polymerase of GBV-C Virus suggests a role for motif E in Flaviviridae RNA polymerases

BACKGROUND: The Flaviviridae virus family includes major human and animal pathogens. The RNA dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) plays a central role in the replication process, and thus is a validated target for antiviral drugs. Despite the increasing structural and enzymatic characterization of viral RdRps, detailed molecular replication mechanisms remain unclear. The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major human pathogen difficult to study in cultured cells. The bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) is often used as a surrogate model to screen antiviral drugs against HCV. The structure of BVDV RdRp has been recently published. It presents several differences relative to HCV RdRp. These differences raise questions about the relevance of BVDV as a surrogate model, and cast novel interest on the "GB" virus C (GBV-C). Indeed, GBV-C is genetically closer to HCV than BVDV, and can lead to productive infection of cultured cells. There is no structural data for the GBV-C RdRp yet. RESULTS: We show in this study that the GBV-C RdRp is closest to the HCV RdRp. We report a 3D model of the GBV-C RdRp, developed using sequence-to-structure threading and comparative modeling based on the atomic coordinates of the HCV RdRp structure. Analysis of the predicted structural features in the phylogenetic context of the RNA polymerase family allows rationalizing most of the experimental data available. Both available structures and our model are explored to examine the catalytic cleft, allosteric and substrate binding sites. CONCLUSION: Computational methods were used to infer evolutionary relationships and to predict the structure of a viral RNA polymerase. Docking a GTP molecule into the structure allows defining a GTP binding pocket in the GBV-C RdRp, such as that of BVDV. The resulting model suggests a new proposition for the mechanism of RNA synthesis, and may prove useful to design new experiments to implement our knowledge on the initiation mechanism of RNA polymerases

La pensée de Raymond Aron: essais et interpretations

Raymond Aron fut un homme de grand savoir, qui perfectionnait sans cesse sa maîtrise des sciences sociales, en ajoutant à la sociologie, à l’économie et à la stratégie, la science et la philosophie politiques. Tandis qu’il prenait plaisir à analyser les subtilités théoriques de ces sciences, à déterminer leurs relations et leurs limites respectives, contribuant ainsi à instruire et éclairer les publics variés de ses lecteurs et auditeurs, il ne perdait jamais de vue leur portée pratique et politique. Il fut cet oiseau rare, un homme théorique qui prenait très au sérieux le domaine de l’action. D’un côté, il ne se lassait pas d’interroger les limites de la connaissance historique, ou la relation entre l’économie et la politique, ou la possibilité d’une science des relations internationales ; de l’autre côté, non sans anxiété, il ne cessait de poser la question pratique par excellence : « que faire ? » Le but de sa plus profonde ambition était d’élaborer ce qu’il appelait une « praxéologie », soit une théorie de l’action, dont la théorie de la guerre de Clausewitz fournissait à la fois l’esquisse et le modèle. En des termes plus traditionnels, nous dirons que l’oeuvre multiforme d’Aron représente un des plus grands efforts conduits au XXe siècle pour élaborer une philosophie politique pratique.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Toward an objective perception of biological invasions

This short note is a summary of a session addressing the "ecological and socio-economical consequences of species introduction" which was run within the French Symposium "Ecologie 2010" (Montpellier, 2-4 September 2010). Scientists attending this session of the symposium recognized the necessity of more objective, more detailed and contextualized analyses of biological invasions. There is need for disentangling the effects from causal processes (e.g. disturbance, pollution) which can drive an invasion. We also have to consider that invasive species may have positive or negative effects, or even both, regardless of our immediate perception of them. The debate addressed the moral values attached to biological invasions and which have to be considered in an ecological as well as a societal perspective. More attention from human sciences is expected in this way

Editorial

Dans le vaste corpus d'informations disponibles sur les lacs et étangs métropolitains, les lacs alpins et jurassiens et les grandes régions d'étangs utilisées depuis des siècles pour diverses productions piscicoles, sont largement connus grâce aux nombreux travaux scientifiques dont tous ces milieux ont pu faire l'objet depuis un peu plus d'un siècle pour les plus anciennes publications. Plus récemment, divers travaux de recherche se sont portés sur des plans d'eau artificiels, souvent de gra..

Endophytes and epiphytes from the grapevine leaf microbiome as potential biocontrol agents against phytopathogens

Plants harbor diverse microbial communities that colonize both below-ground and above-ground organs. Some bacterial members of these rhizosphere and phyllosphere microbial communities have been shown to contribute to plant defenses against pathogens. In this study, we characterize the pathogen-inhibiting potential of 78 bacterial isolates retrieved from endophytic and epiphytic communities living in the leaves of three grapevine cultivars. We selected two economically relevant pathogens, the fungus Botrytis cinerea causing gray mold and the oomycete Phytophthora infestans, which we used as a surrogate for Plasmopara viticola causing downy mildew. Our results showed that epiphytic isolates were phylogenetically more diverse than endophytic isolates, the latter mostly consisting of Bacillus and Staphylococcus strains, but that mycelial inhibition of both pathogens through bacterial diffusible metabolites was more widespread among endophytes than among epiphytes. Six closely related Bacillus strains induced strong inhibition (<60%) of Botrytis cinerea mycelial growth. Among these, five led to significant perturbation in spore germination, ranging from full inhibition to reduction in germination rate and germ tube length. Different types of spore developmental anomalies were observed for different strains, suggesting multiple active compounds with different modes of action on this pathogen. Compared with B. cinerea, the oomycete P. infestans was inhibited in its mycelial growth by a higher number and more diverse group of isolates, including many Bacillus but also Variovorax, Pantoea, Staphylococcus, Herbaspirillum, or Sphingomonas strains. Beyond mycelial growth, both zoospore and sporangia germination were strongly perturbed upon exposure to cells or cell-free filtrates of selected isolates. Moreover, three strains (all epiphytes) inhibited the pathogen’s growth via the emission of volatile compounds. The comparison of the volatile profiles of two of these active strains with those of two phylogenetically closely related, inactive strains led to the identification of molecules possibly involved in the observed volatile-mediated pathogen growth inhibition, including trimethylpyrazine, dihydrochalcone, and L-dihydroxanthurenic acid. This work demonstrates that grapevine leaves are a rich source of bacterial antagonists with strong inhibition potential against two pathogens of high economical relevance. It further suggests that combining diffusible metabolite-secreting endophytes with volatile-emitting epiphytes might be a promising multi-layer strategy for biological control of above-ground pathogens

Alpha interferon restricts human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 and 2 De Novo infection through PKR activation

International audienceType I interferon (IFN-I) inhibits the replication of different viruses. However, the effect of IFN-I on the human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) viral cycle is controversial. Here, we investigated the consequences of IFN-α addition for different steps of HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 infection. We first show that alpha interferon (IFN-α) efficiently impairs HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 de novo infection in a T cell line and in primary lymphocytes. Using pseudotyped viruses expressing HTLV-1 envelope, we then show that cell-free infection is insensitive to IFN-α, demonstrating that the cytokine does not affect the early stages of the viral cycle. In contrast, intracellular levels of Gag, Env, or Tax protein are affected by IFN-α treatment in T cells, primary lymphocytes, or 293T cells transfected with HTLV-1 or HTLV-2 molecular clones, demonstrating that IFN-α acts during the late stages of infection. We show that IFN-α does not affect Tax-mediated transcription and acts at a posttranscriptional level. Using either small interfering RNA (siRNA) directed against PKR or a PKR inhibitor, we demonstrate that PKR, whose expression is induced by interferon, plays a major role in IFN-α-induced HTLV-1/2 inhibition. These results indicate that IFN-α has a strong repressive effect on the HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 viral cycle during de novo infection of cells that are natural targets of the viruses