Precise mapping of the CD95 pre-ligand assembly domain.

International audiencePre-association of CD95 at the plasma membrane is mandatory for efficient death receptor signaling. This homotrimerization occurs through self-association of an extracellular domain called the pre-ligand assembly domain (PLAD). Using novel molecular and cellular tools, we confirmed that CD95-PLAD is necessary to promote CD95 multimerization and plays a pivotal role in the transmission of apoptotic signals. However, while a human CD95 mutant deleted of the previously described PLAD domain (amino acids 1 to 66) fails to interact with its wild-type counterpart and trigger autonomous cell death, deletion of amino acids 1 to 42 does not prevent homo- or hetero (human/mouse)-oligomerization of CD95, and thus does not alter transmission of the apoptotic signal. Overall, these findings indicate that the region between amino acids 43 to 66 corresponds to the minimal motif involved in CD95 homotypic interaction and is necessary to convey an efficient apoptotic signal. Interfering with this PLAD may represent a new therapeutic strategy for altering CD95-induced apoptotic and non-apoptotic signals

Room temperature Suzuki coupling of aryl iodides, bromides, and chlorides using a heterogeneous carbon nanotube-palladium nanohybrid catalyst

International audiencePalladium nanoparticles were immobilized on multi-walled carbon nanotubes by a layer-by-layer approach, resulting in a well-defined assembly. The nanohybrid was found effective in promoting Suzuki cross couplings of various halogenated aromatics, including chlorinated ones, with arylboronic acids under sustainable conditions. The heterogeneous catalyst could also easily be recovered from the reaction mixture and reused with no loss of activity over several cycles

Selective conversion of nitroarenes using a carbon nanotube-ruthenium nanohybrid

International audienceRuthenium nanoparticles were assembled on carbon nanotubes and the resulting nanohybrid was used in the hydrazine-mediated catalytic hydrogenation of various nitroarenes, at room temperature. Depending on the solvent, a selective transformation occurred, giving either access to the corresponding aniline or hydroxylamine derivative

Anticoagulation With an Inhibitor of Factors XIa and XIIa During Cardiopulmonary Bypass

peer reviewedBackground: Exposure of blood to polyanionic artificial surfaces, for example, during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), induces a highly procoagulant condition requiring strong anticoagulation. Unfractionated heparin (UFH) is currently used during CPB but can lead to serious bleeding complications or development of a hypercoagulable state culminating in life-threatening thrombosis, highlighting the need for safer antithrombotics. Ixodes ricinus contact phase inhibitor (Ir-CPI) is a protein expressed by I. ricinus ticks, which specifically inhibits both factors XIIa and XIa, 2 factors contributing to thrombotic disease while playing a limited role in hemostasis. Objectives: This study assessed the antithrombotic activity of Ir-CPI in animal contact phase-initiated thrombosis models, including CPB. The safety of Ir-CPI also was evaluated. Methods: The authors evaluated the antithrombotic activity of Ir-CPI by using in vitro catheter-induced clotting assays and rabbit experimental models of catheter occlusion and arteriovenous shunt. During CPB with cardiac surgery in sheep, the clinical applicability of Ir-CPI was investigated and its efficacy compared to that of UFH using an uncoated system suitable for adult therapy. Taking advantage of the similar hemostatic properties of pigs and humans, the authors performed pig liver bleeding assays to evaluate the safety of Ir-CPI. Results: Ir-CPI prevented clotting in catheter and arteriovenous shunt rabbit models. During CPB, Ir-CPI was as efficient as UFH in preventing clot formation within the extracorporeal circuit and maintained physiological parameters during and post-surgery. Unlike UFH, Ir-CPI did not promote bleeding. Conclusions: Preclinical animal models used in this study showed that Ir-CPI is an effective and safe antithrombotic agent that provides a clinically relevant approach to thrombosis prevention in bypass systems, including highly thrombogenic CPB. © 2019 The Author

Variability and Action Mechanism of a Family of Anticomplement Proteins in Ixodes ricinus

Background: Ticks are blood feeding arachnids that characteristically take a long blood meal. They must therefore counteract host defence mechanisms such as hemostasis, inflammation and the immune response. This is achieved by expressing batteries of salivary proteins coded by multigene families. Methodology/Principal Findings: We report the in-depth analysis of a tick multigene family and describe five new anticomplement proteins in ixodes ricinus. Compared to previously described Ixodes anticomplement proteins, these segregated into a new phylogenetic group or subfamily. These proteins have a novel action mechanism as they specifically bind to properdin, leading to the inhibition of C3 convertase and the alternative complement pathway. An excess of non-synonymous over synonymous changes indicated that coding sequences had undergone diversifying selection. Diversification was not associated with structural, biochemical o, functional diversity, adaptation to host species or stage specificity but rather to differences in antigenicity. Conclusion/Significance: Anticomplement proteins from I. ricinus are the first inhibitors that specifically target a positive regulator of complement, properdin. They may provide new tools for the investigation of role of properdin in physiological and pathophysiological mechanisms. They may also be useful in disorders affecting the alternative complement pathway, Looking for and detecting the different selection pressures involved will help in understanding the evolution of multigene families and hematophagy in arthropods. © 2008 Couveur et al.Journal ArticleResearch Support, Non-U.S. Gov'tSCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

IPCC, 2023: Climate Change 2023: Synthesis Report, Summary for Policymakers. Contribution of Working Groups I, II and III to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Core Writing Team, H. Lee and J. Romero (eds.)]. IPCC, Geneva, Switzerland.

This Synthesis Report (SYR) of the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) summarises the state of knowledge of climate change, its widespread impacts and risks, and climate change mitigation and adaptation. It integrates the main findings of the Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) based on contributions from the three Working Groups1 , and the three Special Reports. The summary for Policymakers (SPM) is structured in three parts: SPM.A Current Status and Trends, SPM.B Future Climate Change, Risks, and Long-Term Responses, and SPM.C Responses in the Near Term.This report recognizes the interdependence of climate, ecosystems and biodiversity, and human societies; the value of diverse forms of knowledge; and the close linkages between climate change adaptation, mitigation, ecosystem health, human well-being and sustainable development, and reflects the increasing diversity of actors involved in climate action. Based on scientific understanding, key findings can be formulated as statements of fact or associated with an assessed level of confidence using the IPCC calibrated language

Caractérisation de nouvelles fonctions biologiques et modifications post-traductionnelles du facteur d'épissage SC35 dans des modèles cellulaires de carcinomes pulmonaires

The protein SC35 belongs to the SR (Ser/Arg-rich) proteins family known to be key regulators of alternative and constitutive splicing. The activity of these proteins is largely controlled by phosphorylation. While some data have provided evidence that expression of SR proteins is deregulated during the carcinogenesis process, little is known about the cellular signaling networks that control SR proteins expression and/or activity in cancer cells. For the first time, we demonstrate that SC35 is an acetylated protein. This post-translational modification involves the acetyltransferase Tip60 and the deacetylase HDAC6. We also provide evidence that phosphorylation/acetylation signaling networks are closely connected to control SC35 expression level and activity. Finally, we demonstrate that these post-translational modifications of SC35 are critical to induce apoptosis in response to genotoxic stresses as well as to trigger senescence in response to sodium butyrate, a histone deacetylase inhibitor, in various human lung carcinoma cell lines. The protein E2F1 is a transcription factor involved in the control of cellular proliferation through its requirement for G1/S phase transition and S phase progression and also for the apoptotic process. In the laboratory, we previously identified the protein SC35 as a new direct transcriptional target of E2F1 and demonstrated that both E2F1 and SC35 proteins cooperate to mediate apoptosis in response to genotoxic stresses. Here, we demonstrate that SC35 also governs the entry and progression into S phase by controlling some E2F1-target genes involved in this setting, such as cyclin E. We provide evidence that the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway is involved in the control of cyclin E expression mediated by both E2F1 and SC35 proteins, notably through the phosphorylation of SC35. We finally describe a direct correlation between cyclin E and P-SC35 protein expression in a series of neuroendocrine lung tumors. Taken together, these results unravel new cellular signaling pathways to control functions of SC35 and open new prospects for the biological consequences of the deregulation of SC35 expression in lung cancer.La protéine SC35 appartient à la famille des protéines SR (Ser/Arg-rich) connues pour être des régulateurs cruciaux de l'épissage alternatif et constitutif. L'activité de ces protéines est largement régulée par phosphorylation. Alors que plusieurs études ont mis en évidence une dérégulation de l'expression des protéines SR au cours du processus de carcinogenèse, peu de données existent à ce jour concernant les voies de signalisation cellulaire qui contrôlent l'expression et/ou l'activité de ces protéines dans les cellules cancéreuses. Pour la première fois, nous démontrons que SC35 est une protéine acétylée. Cette modification post-traductionnelle met en jeu l'acétyltransférase Tip60 et la déacétylase HDAC6. Nos données mettent aussi en évidence une connexion étroite entre la phosphorylation et l'acétylation de SC35 pour le contrôle de son niveau d'expression et de son activité. Nous démontrons enfin que ces modifications post-traductionnelles de SC35 sont critiques pour l'induction de l'apoptose en réponse aux agents génotoxiques et pour la mise en place d'un phénomène de sénescence en réponse au sodium butyrate, un inhibiteur d'histones déacétylases, dans différentes lignées cellulaires dérivées de carcinomes pulmonaires humains. La protéine E2F1 est un facteur de transcription qui participe au contrôle de la prolifération cellulaire en stimulant le passage des cellules en phase S du cycle cellulaire et est aussi capable d'induire l'apoptose. Au laboratoire, nous avons identifié la protéine SC35 comme une nouvelle cible transcriptionnelle directe de E2F1 et montré que les deux protéines coopèrent pour induire l'apoptose en réponse aux agents génotoxiques. Nous démontrons dans ce travail que SC35 gouverne aussi l'entrée et la progression en phase S en contrôlant certains gènes cibles de E2F1 impliqués dans ce contexte, tels que la cycline E. Nous mettons en évidence que la voie de signalisation cellulaire PI3K/AKT est impliquée dans le contrôle de l'expression de la cycline E médié par les deux protéines E2F1 et SC35, notamment via la phosphorylation de SC35. Finalement, nous décrivons une corrélation directe entre le niveau d'expression protéique de la cycline E et de P-SC35 dans une série de tumeurs pulmonaires neuroendocrines. L'ensemble de ces travaux identifie donc de nouvelles voies de signalisation contrôlant les fonctions cellulaires de SC35 et ouvre des perspectives quant aux conséquences biologiques découlant de la dérégulation de l'expression de SC35 dans les cancers bronchiques