Diacylated Sulfoglycolipids Are Novel Mycobacterial Antigens Stimulating CD1-restricted T Cells during Infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Mycobacterial lipids comprise a heterogeneous group of molecules capable of inducing T cell responses in humans. To identify novel antigenic lipids and increase our understanding of lipid-mediated immune responses, we established a panel of T cell clones with different lipid specificities. Using this approach we characterized a novel lipid antigen belonging to the group of diacylated sulfoglycolipids purified from Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The structure of this sulfoglycolipid was identified as 2-palmitoyl or 2-stearoyl-3-hydroxyphthioceranoyl-2′-sulfate-α-α′-d-trehalose (Ac2SGL). Its immunogenicity is dependent on the presence of the sulfate group and of the two fatty acids. Ac2SGL is mainly presented by CD1b molecules after internalization in a cellular compartment with low pH. Ac2SGL-specific T cells release interferon γ, efficiently recognize M. tuberculosis–infected cells, and kill intracellular bacteria. The presence of Ac2SGL-responsive T cells in vivo is strictly dependent on previous contact with M. tuberculosis, but independent from the development of clinically overt disease. These properties identify Ac2SGL as a promising candidate to be tested in novel vaccines against tuberculosis

CD1b tetramers identify T cells that recognize natural and synthetic diacylated sulfoglycolipids from mycobacterium tuberculosis

Mycobacterial cell wall lipids bind the conserved CD1 family of antigen-presenting molecules and activate T cells via their T cell receptors (TCRs). Sulfoglycolipids (SGLs) are uniquely synthesized by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, but tools to study SGL-specific T cells in humans are lacking. We designed a novel hybrid synthesis of a naturally occurring SGL, generated CD1b tetramers loaded with natural or synthetic SGL analogs, and studied the molecular requirements for TCR binding and T cell activation. Two T cell lines derived using natural SGLs are activated by synthetic analogs independently of lipid chain length and hydroxylation, but differentially by saturation status. By contrast, two T cell lines derived using an unsaturated SGL synthetic analog were not activated by the natural antigen. Our data provide a bioequivalence hierarchy of synthetic SGL analogs and SGL-loaded CD1b tetramers. These reagents can now be applied to large-scale translational studies investigating the diagnostic potential of SGL-specific T cell responses or SGL-based vaccines

Synthèse d'oligoarabinofuranosides de l'enveloppe mycobactérienne via des orthoesters 1,2,5 du D-Arabinose (synthèse d'analogues modifiés du donner mycobactérien d'arabinose)

TOULOUSE3-BU Sciences (315552104) / SudocSudocFranceF

Synthèse d'antigènes présentés par la protéine CD1b, analogues des sulfoglycolipides diacylés mycobactériens (vers un nouveau vaccin contre la tuberculose)

TOULOUSE3-BU Sciences (315552104) / SudocSudocFranceF

1,4-additions using organolithium reagents : application to the synthesis of natural compounds

Mon projet de doctorat concerne principalement l'étude des additions d'oxa- et carba-Michael sur des composés carbonylés a,b-insaturés. Cette méthodologie a été étudiée pour la synthèse d'un fragment d'un produit naturel compliqué et de la verticipyrone. La thèse est répartie en deux volets. Une première partie correspond à la synthèse du fragment CD de l'azaspiracide I (une toxine que l'on retrouve dans certains crustacés) où quatre stratégies ont été appliquées afin d'obtenir cette structure. La deuxième partie du projet concerne la réactivité de l'a,a'-dimethoxy-y-pyrone. Nous avons donc développé une stratégie impliquant la désymmetrisation de a,a'-dimethoxy-y-pyrone par addition de Michael. Une synthèse en quatre étapes de la verticipyrone est présentée. Le passage clé comprend la désymmetrisation de a,a'-dimethoxy-y-pyrone 1 par l'addition conjuguée d'un agent allylant et la cross-métathèse de la pyrone allylé obtenue avec une oléfine appropriée. L'anion généré lors de l'addition de l'agent allylant sur 1 a été piégé avec divers électrophiles afin d'obtenir de manière régio- et stéréosélective de nouvelles molécules appartenant à la famille des a'-methoxy-y-pyrone. Leurs bioactivités ont été évaluées.My Ph.D. project was mainly focused on the oxa- and carba- Michael additions onto a,b-unsaturated carbonyl compounds. This methodology was investigated for the syntheses of a fragment of a complex natural target compound and natural products. This work has been divided in two parts. In the first part, the partial synthesis of the CD framework of the (-)-azaspiracid I (a dangerous neurotoxic molecule contained in shellfish) was investigated and four strategies were devised in order to synthesize this structure. Instead, the second part explores the reactivity of a,a'-dimethoxy-y-pyrone in order to obtain unsaturated a'-methoxy-y-pyrone plyketides derivatives. For that purpose, we have developed a strategy involving the desymmetrization of a,a'-dimethoxy-y-pyrone by Michael addition. A four-step verticipyrone synthesis is presented. The key steps included the desymmetrization of a,a'-dimethoxy-y-pyrone 1 by conjugated addition with an allylating agent and the cross-metathesis of the allylated pyrone with the proper olefin. Taking advantage of the strategy of the one-pot desymmetrization of pyrone 1 by the addition of an allylating agent, the anion generates during this addition was trapped with an electrophile in order to obtain, in a regio and stereoselective manner, new molecules belonging to the a'-methoxy-y-pyrone family. The bioactivities of these new molecules were also evaluated.ROUEN-BU Sciences (764512102) / SudocSudocFranceF

A concise route to α'-methoxy-γ-pyrones and verticipyrone based upon the desymmetrization of α,α'-dimethoxy-γ-pyrone.

International audienceTwo steps is the rule : A concise synthesis of versatile α′‐methoxy‐γ‐pyrones (see scheme) is described that uses an innovative desymmetrization of α,α′‐dimethoxy‐γ‐pyrone, relying upon conjugate addition of nucleophiles. This new strategy is applied to the preparation of α‐methyl‐ and α‐carboxaldehyde‐α′‐methoxy‐γ‐pyrones and to a short synthesis of verticipyrone

Detergent-induced quantitatively limited formation of diacyl phosphatidylinositol dimannoside in Mycobacterium smegmatis

Mycobacterial plasma membrane, together with the peptidoglycan-arabinogalactan cell wall and waxy outer membrane, creates a robust permeability barrier against xenobiotics. The fact that several antituberculosis drugs target plasma membrane-embedded enzymes underscores the importance of the plasma membrane in bacterial physiology and pathogenesis. Nevertheless, its accurate phospholipid composition remains undefined, with conflicting reports on the abundance of phosphatidylinositol mannosides (PIMs), physiologically important glycolipids evolutionarily conserved among mycobacteria and related bacteria. Some studies indicate cardiolipin, phosphatidylethanolamine, and phosphatidylinositol as dominant structural phospholipids. Conversely, some suggest PIMs dominate the plasma membrane. A striking example of the latter is the use of reverse micelle extraction, showing diacyl phosphatidylinositol dimannoside (Ac2PIM2) as the most abundant phospholipid in a model organism, Mycobacterium smegmatis. Our recent work reveals a rapid response mechanism to membrane-fluidizing stress in mycobacterial plasma membrane: monoacyl phosphatidylinositol dimannoside and hexamannoside (AcPIM2 and AcPIM6) are converted to diacyl forms (Ac2PIM2 and Ac2PIM6). Given the dynamic nature of PIMs, we aimed to resolve the conflicting data in the literature. We show that unstressed M. smegmatis lacks an Ac2PIM2-dominated plasma membrane. Ac2PIM2 accumulation is induced by experimental conditions involving sodium docusate, a component of the reverse micellar solution. Using chemically synthesized PIMs as standards, we accurately quantified phospholipid ratio in M. smegmatis through liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, revealing that mycobacterial plasma membrane is dominated by cardiolipin, phosphatidylethanolamine, and phosphatidylinositol. PIMs are quantitatively minor but responsive to environmental stresses in M. smegmatis. Our study paves the way for accurate modeling of mycobacterial plasma membrane