Allosteric Conversation in the Androgen Receptor Ligand-Binding Domain Surfaces

Androgen receptor (AR) is a major therapeutic target that plays pivotal roles in prostate cancer (PCa) and androgen insensitivity syndromes. Wepreviously proposed that compounds recruited to ligand-binding domain (LBD) surfaces could regulate AR activity in hormone-refractory PCa and discovered several surface modulators of AR function. Surprisingly, the most effective compounds bound preferentially to a surface of unknown function [binding function 3 (BF-3)] instead of the coactivator-binding site [activation function 2 (AF-2)]. Different BF-3 mutations have been identified in PCa or androgen insensitivity syndrome patients, and they can strongly affect AR activity. Further, comparison of AR x-ray structures with and without bound ligands at BF-3 and AF-2 showed structural coupling between both pockets. Here, we combine experimental evidence and molecular dynamic simulations to investigate whether BF-3 mutations affect AR LBD function and dynamics possibly via allosteric conversation between surface sites. Our data indicate that AF-2 conformation is indeed closely coupled to BF-3 and provide mechanistic proof of their structural interconnection. BF-3 mutations may function as allosteric elicitors, probably shifting the AR LBD conformational ensemble toward conformations that alter AF-2 propensity to reorganize into subpockets that accommodate N-terminal domain and coactivator peptides. The induced conformation may result in either increased or decreased AR activity. Activating BF-3 mutations also favor the formation of another pocket (BF-4) in the vicinity of AF-2 and BF-3, which we also previously identified as a hot spot for a small compound. We discuss the possibility that BF-3 may be a protein-docking site that binds to the N-terminal domain and corepressors. AR surface sites are attractive pharmacological targets to develop allosteric modulators that might be alternative lead compounds for drug design. © 2012 by The Endocrie Society

Antiplatelet agent and bleeding risk : role of CD40L

Le traitement des patients avec une coronarographie après un SCA est l'aspirine et les thiénopyridines. La réponse aux thiénopyridines est variable, cette variabilité, multifactorielle, a des répercutions cliniques. Leur efficacité a été évaluée sur la réduction de la survenue d'évènements cliniques et peu sur le risque d'hémorragie qui est un effet indésirable majeur. Les plaquettes, jouent un rôle dans l'athérosclérose et les SCA notamment par le CD40L.J'ai étudié les facteurs plaquettaires conditionnant le risque hémorragique chez ces patients et apporté un éclairage sur des fonctions plaquettaires peu connues comme l'inflammation. Les génotypes du cytochrome P450 CYP2C19*2 et *17 ont une influence sur la réponse plaquettaire aux thiénopyridines et il existe une relation entre les complications hémorragiques et la réactivité plaquettaire.Une très faible réactivité plaquettaire (VASP<10%) est un facteur prédictif du risque hémorragique et les valeurs de VASP < 10 % sont plus fréquentes chez les patients traités par prasugrel. Nous avons ensuite ciblé un marqueur de l'état inflammatoire plaquettaire, le CD40L. Sa libération plaquettaire dépend de la voie du P2Y12, son expression, elle, dépend moins de cette voie. Une faible expression du CD40L est associée à des évènements hémorragiques chez les patients traités par thiénopyridines.Ainsi le déterminisme génétique de l'efficacité du traitement par thiénopyridines a un impact sur le risque hémorragique et d'autres paramètres plaquettaires influencent ce risque indépendamment de l'inhibition de l'agrégation plaquettaire. Le CD40L, serait un lien entre l'inflammation et l'équilibre saignement/thrombose.Aspirin and thienopyridine are the therapy for patients with percutaneous coronary intervention after ACS. The level of platelet inhibition by thienopyridine varies between patients, this variability, multifactorial, is associated with adverse clinical outcomes. Treatment efficacy was evaluated mainly on the association between poor thienopyridine response and thrombotic events but less on the principal side effect: bleeding complications. Platelet play a key role in atherosclerosis and thrombosis, notably via CD40L.I studied platelet factors that influence the bleeding risk in these patients and brought a new highlight on platelet function less known such as inflammation.P450 cytochrome genetic variants (2C19*2 and 2C19*17) influence platelet response to thienopyridines. There is a relation between platelet reactivity and bleeding events. A very low on-treatment platelet reactivity (VASP<10 %) is a predictor of bleeding and is mainly observed with prasugrel treatment. We then focussed on a marker of platelet inflammatory status, CD40L. Its release by platelets depends on P2Y12 signalling, whereas its surface expression is less dependent on this signalling pathway. A low platelet-CD40L surface expression is associated with bleeding events in these patients We show that genetic background on thienopyridine treatment efficacy is related to bleeding risk and that other platelet parameters influence the bleeding risk independently of platelet aggregation inhibition. Thus, a molecule of inflammation, CD40L, would be a link between inflammation and bleeding/thrombosis equilibrium

Etude des mécanismes de régulation du clivage du cd40 ligand plaquettaire (rôle de la phosphoinositide 3-kinase)

AIX-MARSEILLE2-BU Pharmacie (130552105) / SudocSudocFranceF

Cwp84, a Surface-Associated Protein of Clostridium difficile, Is a Cysteine Protease with Degrading Activity on Extracellular Matrix Proteins▿

Clostridium difficile pathogenicity is mediated mainly by its A and B toxins, but the colonization process is thought to be a necessary preliminary step in the course of infection. The aim of this study was to characterize the Cwp84 protease of C. difficile, which is highly immunogenic in patients with C. difficile-associated disease and is potentially involved in the pathogenic process. Cwp84 was purified as a recombinant His-tagged protein, and specific antibodies were generated in rabbits. Treatment of multiple-band-containing eluted fractions with a reducing agent or with trypsin led to accumulation of a unique protein species with an estimated molecular mass of 61 kDa, corresponding most likely to mature autoprocessed Cwp84 (mCwp84). mCwp84 showed concentration-dependent caseinolytic activity, with maximum activity at pH 7.5. The Cwp84 activity was inhibited by various cysteine protease inhibitors, such as the specific inhibitor E64, and the anti-Cwp84-specific antibodies. Using fractionation experiments followed by immunoblot detection, the protease was found to be associated with the S-layer proteins, mostly as a nonmature species. Proteolytic assays were performed with extracellular matrix proteins to assess the putative role of Cwp84 in the pathogenicity of C. difficile. No degrading activity was detected with type IV collagen. In contrast, Cwp84 exhibited degrading activity with fibronectin, laminin, and vitronectin, which was neutralized by the E64 inhibitor and specific antibodies. In vivo, this proteolytic activity could contribute to the degradation of the host tissue integrity and to the dissemination of the infection

Enigma portal: Peritoneal effusion in a patient with a myeloproliferative neoplasm

International audienceNo abstract availabl

0010: Impact of thienopyridines on platelet CD40L biodisponibility after an acute coronary syndrome in relation with bleeding events

BackgroundCD40 Ligand (CD40L) is expressed on platelets upon ADP stimulation and is involved in haemostasis. CD40L deficient mice exhibit thrombus instability and increased bleeding time.MethodsWe investigated the relationships between plasma and platelet-associated CD40L, ADP signaling and bleeding event occurrence in patients receiving thienopyridines one month after a stented Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS). Basal platelet CD40L surface expression (pCD40L), pCD40L after PAR-1 agonist stimulation (TRAP pCD40L) and platelet released CD40L (rCD40L) were quantified. Results were compared to VASP as a measure of P2Y12 inhibition level.ResultsWe included 318 patients between November 2012 and June 2014. Thienopyridines treated patients exhibit low pCD40L, TRAP pCD40L and rCD40L in comparison with controls. pCD40L and rCD40L were correlated with PRI-VASP. Thienopyridine treatment strongly reduces rCD40L. Hyperesponder to thienopyridine status is associated with high levels of TRAP pCD40L. pCD40L and TRAP pCD40L levels are reduced in the bleeding cohort. In multivariate analysis pCD40L significantly contributes to bleeding risk independently of PRI-VASP.ConclusionpCD40L and rCD40L levels are reduced by thienopyridines. pCD40L associates with the bleeding risk independently of the VASP levels and may represent a novel target to assess bleeding risk in thienopyridine-treated ACS patients

Southeast asian ovalocytosis: the need for a carefull observation of red cell indices and blood smear

International audienc

PI3Kinase is a key regulator of CD40L surface expression and release from activated platelets

International audienc

Is platelet inhibition correlated with time from last intake on P2Y12 blockers after an acute coronary syndrome? A pilot study.

International audienceDelay from the last intake of drug could be an important and unexplored variable in the biological response to antiplatelet agents after acute coronary syndrome (ACS) discharge. The objective was to define the impact of the delay from P2Y12 blocker intake on the platelet inhibition level. We compared ticagrelor-, prasugrel-, and clopidogrel-treated patients. All consecutive patients, who had been addressed between 2013 and 2014 for ACS, treated with aspirin and a P2Y12 blocker as maintenance dose, were eligible. One month after discharge, blood sample and a questionnaire were proposed to the patient by a nurse blinded to the protocol. On this questionnaire, three questions about name of the drug, regularity of the intakes, and hour of the last intake were collected. The response to antiplatelet therapy was assessed using platelet reactivity index vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein (PRI VASP) and % of adenosine-5'-diphosphate-induced aggregation (%ADP).The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the correlation between platelet inhibition and delay from drug intake. We enrolled 474 ACS treated with clopidogrel 75 mg in 182 cases (38% patients), prasugrel in 190 cases (40%), or ticagrelor in 102 patients (22%). We observed a significant correlation between delay from intake and PRI VASP and %ADP for ticagrelor (r = 0.25, p = 0.01; r = 0.21, p = 0.03; respectively). On clopidogrel (r = 0.09, p = 0.24; r = 0.02, p = 0.80; respectively) and prasugrel (r = 0.02, p = 0.82; r = 0.11, p = 0.12 respectively), no correlation exists. In conclusion, ticagrelor, unlike thienopyridines, is associated with a significant correlation between delay from the last intake and platelet inhibition