Michel Seman

Characterization of an Extracellular Lipase Encoded by LIP2 in Yarrowia lipolytica

We isolated the LIP2 gene from the lipolytic yeast Yarrowia lipolytica. It was found to encode a 334-amino-acid precursor protein. The secreted lipase is a 301-amino-acid glycosylated polypeptide which is a member of the triacylglycerol hydrolase family (EC 3.1.1.3). The Lip2p precursor protein is processed by the KEX2-like endoprotease encoded by XPR6. Deletion of the XPR6 gene resulted in the secretion of an active but less stable proenzyme. Thus, the pro region does not inhibit lipase secretion and activity. However, it does play an essential role in the production of a stable enzyme. Processing was found to be correct in LIP2(A) (multiple LIP2 copy integrant)-overexpressing strains, which secreted 100 times more activity than the wild type, demonstrating that XPR6 maturation was not limiting. No extracellular lipase activity was detected with the lip2 knockout (KO) strain, strongly suggesting that extracellular lipase activity results from expression of the LIP2 gene. Nevertheless, the lip2 KO strain is still able to grow on triglycerides, suggesting an alternative pathway for triglyceride utilization in Y. lipolytica.

Autocloning and Amplification of LIP2 in Yarrowia lipolytica

ABSTRACT We synthesized a Yarrowia lipolytica strain overproducing lipase for industrial applications by using long terminal repeat (ζ) of the Y. lipolytica retrotransposon Ylt1 and an allele of URA3 with a promoter deletion to construct JMP3. JMP3 is a derivative of plasmid pHSS6 carrying aNotI-NotI cassette which contains a defectiveURA3 allele, a polylinker sequence, and the ζ region for targeting to multiple sites in the genome of the recipient. We inserted the LIP2 gene (encoding extracellular lipase) under the control of the strong POX2 promoter into JMP3 to generate JMP6. The pHSS6 region was removed by NotI digestion prior to transformation. Two Y. lipolytica strains transformed with the JMP6 LIP2 cassette had a mean of 10 integrated copies devoid of the Escherichia coli region, corresponding to an autocloning event. The copy number in the transformants was stable even after 120 generations in nonselective and lipase-inducing conditions. The resulting strains could produce 0.5 g of active lipase per liter in the supernatant, 40 times more than the single-copy strain with the LIP2 promoter. This work provides a new expression system in Y. lipolytica that results in strains devoid of bacterial DNA and in strains producing a high level of lipase for industrial uses, waste treatment, and pancreatic insufficiency therapy.

Pharmacological studies of a new derivative of amphotericin B, MS-8209, in mouse and hamster scrapie.

Transmissible subacute spongiform encephalopathies (TSSE) are neurodegenerative diseases characterized by the presence of a modified, partially proteinase-resistant host protein, PrPSc, which accumulates in the brains of infected individuals. Recently it has been reported that amphotericin B (AmB) treatment of hamsters infected with scrapie strain 263K prolongs the incubation period of the disease, and dissociates in vivo replication of the scrapie agent from PrPSc accumulation. We report here on data obtained after treatment with AmB and one of its derivatives, MS-8209, in experimental scrapie of mouse and hamster. Treatment was carried out by the intraperitoneal route 6 days per week, at three different dosages initiated at the time of infection. Two regimens were used: during the early time of infection or throughout the experimental infection. Results indicate that MS-8209 was as efficient as AmB in prolonging the incubation time and decreasing PrPSc accumulation in the hamster scrapie model. A dose-dependent response was observed in mice treated early after experimental infection. At a dose of 2.5 mg/kg, MS-8209 significantly prolonged the incubation period (by 11.9%). In long-term treatment of mice, MS-8209 and AmB markedly reduced PrPSc levels in the preclinical stage of the disease. These data demonstrate that the effect of AmB is not restricted to one model (hamster-263K). This regimen leads to an inversion of the PrPSc to proteinase-sensitive protein (PrPSens) ratio, suggesting PrPSens (presumably cellular PrPC) accumulation occurs before its conversion into PrPSc. As it has been shown that AmB does not modify the infectivity titre, we conclude that the drugs could act by inhibiting either the interaction of the scrapie agent with PrPSens during the early times of infection or the conversion of PrPSens into PrPSc.

Nonnucleoside Inhibitors of HIV-1 Reverse Transcriptase: from the Biology of Reverse Transcription to Molecular Design

Replication of human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) uses a viral reverse transcriptase (RT) to convert its positive-strand RNA into double stranded DNA, which is then integrated into host genome. Reverse transcription is a complex event involving p66 and p51 RT subunits but also several viral proteins including Nef, Tat, Vif, IN, NCp7 and p55gag. Viral RNA itself forms a primer/template complex by association with a cellular tRNA(Lys3) which is already present in mature virions. A RT initiation complex (RTIC) is thus formed which may also involve cellular protein upon viral entry. X rays diffraction and NMR studies of free or inhibitor-bound RT have led to the recognition of RT 3D structure, and allowed a thorough understanding of the mode of action of classical competitive nucleoside RT inhibitors (NRTIs) and of the binding of allosteric, non NRTIs (NNRTIs) inhibitors. This also opened an access to computer-aided drug design and modeling. Current NNRTIs represent, in terms of chemical structures, a heterogeneous class of inhibitors currently undergoing extensive development. By contrast with NRTIs, they seem to block initiation steps of reverse transcription. Molecular dynamics, detailed analysis of their interaction with RT as well as the incidence, in the series, of cases of non classical biological behavior, as illustrated here for a new family of compounds, suggest mechanisms of action which are not understandable without considering the involvement of the RTIC as a whole. This opens the exciting perspective of developing new compounds based on this integrated knowledge. Key Words: Nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs); Reverse transcriptase initiation complex (RTIC); Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV); Non classical nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors; Molecular modeling; Docking; QSAR; Natural endogenous reverse transcription (NERT).

Identification of the U-937 membrane-associated proteinase interacting with the V3 loop of HIV-1 gp12O as cathepsin G

We have purified a serine proteinase from the membrane of U‐937 cells that was inhibited in a tight‐binding manner by recombinant gp120 and by peptides mimicking the V3 loop of gp12O [(1993) FEBS Lett. 317, 167–172]. This proteinase has now been characterized, both structurally and functionally. It has a dual trypsin‐ and chymotrypsin‐like specificity, and N‐terminal sequence analysis of the first 32 residues indicates complete identity with leukocyte cathepsin G. Cathepsin G‐like material was located at the surface of U‐937 cells using a monoclonal antibody directed against leukocyte cathepsin G, and polyclonal anti‐cathepsin G antibodies precipitated the purified proteinase. However, the U‐937 enzyme differs slightly from commercial leukocyte cathepsin G in its apparent M r because of different glycosylation. No other protein structurally related to cathepsin G was found upon screening a U‐937 cDNA library using several oligonucleotide probes constructed from the membrane proteinase N‐terminal amino acid sequence. The possible interaction of a cathepsin G‐like proteinase at the surface of U‐937 cells with the V3 loop of HIV‐1 gp120 is discussed.

Differential effects of a new amphotericin B derivative, MS-8209, on mouse bse and scrapie: implications for the mechanism of action of polyene antibiotics

Mice were infected intracerebrally with the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) or the scrapie agent and treated during 8 weeks postinfection to test the protective effect of a new amphotericin B (AmB) derivative, MS-8209, in experimental transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. The results show that (i) the treatment prolonged the incubation period of both BSE-infected and scrapie-infected mice, (ii) MS-8209 and AmB were much more efficient in delaying the onset of scrapie than that of BSE, and (iii) a delay in Prp-res (proteinase K-resistant prion protein) and GFAP (glial fibrillary acidic protein) accumulation was observed in the brains of scrapie-infected mice, but was not significant in BSE-infected mice. The analysis of the molecular and clinical results strongly suggests a common mechanism of action of this category of drugs on the different transmissible spongiform encephalopathy strains. This could be due to an interaction with the PrP transconformation process leading to the formation of PrP-res.

Inhibiting scrapie neuroinvasion by polyene antibiotic treatment of SCID mice

The polyene antibiotic MS-8209 is currently one of the most effective drugs in the treatment of experimental scrapie. However, its mechanism of action and its site of intervention in the pathogenetical process of scrapie infection are largely unknown. It has been shown previously that the infection of immunodeficient SCID mice by the peripheral route provides a reliable model for direct scrapie neuroinvasion, bypassing the lymphoreticular system. Indeed, a proportion of SCID mice develop scrapie after a similar time to immunocompetent mice, despite their severe immune impairment. This model is now used to clarify the targets of MS-8209. In SCID mice, MS-8209 treatment protected against infection but did not prolong survival time. In SCID mice immunologically reconstituted prior to inoculation, the drug delayed the disease without an effect on the attack rate. These findings strongly suggest that MS-8209 acts by hampering the first step of the neuroinvasion process, i.e. the uptake of the infectious agent by peripheral nerve endings. The mechanism leading to the inhibition of agent propagation to nervous cells is discussed with regard to the properties of polyene antibiotics.

Interaction of amphotericin B and its N-fructosyl derivative with murine thymocytes: a comparative study using fluorescent membrane probes

The polyene antibiotics amphotericin B (AmB) and N-(1-deoxy-D-fructos-1-yl)amphotericin (N-Fru-AmB) have different activity towards murine thymocytes (N-Fru-AmB is less toxic but is a potent immunomodulator). The interactions of the drugs with these cells have been studied by fluorescence methods. Fluorescence energy transfer from 1-[4-(trimethylammonio) phenyl]-6-phenylhexa-1,3,5-triene, p-toluenesulfonate (TMA-DPH) to polyenes was used to follow the binding of the two drugs to the plasma membrane. The results, confirmed by circular dichroism measurements, indicate that at saturation the ratio AmB bound/plasma membrane lipid is low (less than 1 molecule of polyene for 170 lipids). The slightly higher binding of AmB as compared to N-Fru-AmB demonstrates that affinity of the antibiotic for plasma membrane does not account for the activity of the polyenes towards lymphocytes. The effect of the two polyenes on membrane fluidity was studied by steady-state fluorescence anisotropy. The results suggest that AmB strongly perturbs the structure of the membrane whereas only a slight decrease of the anisotropy is observed with N-Fru-AmB in the range of concentration where the biological activity has been demonstrated. Polyene location was further investigated by comparing the energy transfer efficiency obtained with TMA-DPH and with the parental compound 1,6-diphenylhexa-1,3,5-triene, p-toluene sulfonate (DPH). While AmB binds to plasma membrane, as well as to intracellular structures, N-Fru-AmB seems to accumulate into the cell and bind to intracellular membrane structures.

Genetic Control of IgG2a Production in the Response to Sheep Erythrocytes

A low IgG2a response in B10 mice during the primary response to sheep red blood cells (SRBC) is described. Analysis of the response in B10 × BALB/c hybrid progenies and in congenic strains indicates that this low response is a dominant phenotype placed under the control of a single Mendelian gene or a group of closely linked genes. This gene(s) is neither linked to CH allotypes orH2 haplotypes, nor is it sex-linked. It can be considered as an isotype- and antigenspecific regulatory gene of the immune response.

CD3 activation induces concentrative nucleoside transport in human T lymphocytes

Nucleoside transport, assessed by measuring deoxythymidine influx, was investigated in normal and CD3‐activated human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and in the CEM cell line. On both cell types, an equilibrative nitrobenzylmercaptopurine (NBMPR)‐sensitive (es) transporter encoded by the hENT1 gene was identified on resting cells, although the expression level was about 20‐fold higher on CEM cells than on resting peripheral T lymphocytes. After stimulation with anti‐CD3, a strong increase of nucleoside transport was observed in PBMC accompanied by a mild augmentation of NBMPR binding sites on the cell surface. Most of this improved transport capacity was NBMPR insensitive, dependent on Na+ concentration in the medium, and displayed the features of a concentrative process. Similar results were obtained with CEM cells despite their high basal es level, indicating that the induction of a concentrative process for nucleoside salvage is a specific metabolic response associated with antigen‐driven stimulation. In CEM cells, this induction did not affect the growth rate. The concentrative transporter involved does not correspond to any of those which have been cloned so far. Molecular characterization of this transporter should provide a new marker of antigen stimulation and will allow to define whether activation of the corresponding gene is under the control of TCR‐CD3‐induced second messengers.