Biomedical subjects

Catherine Isel

Publications and source records attributed to Catherine Isel.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2025

Influenza A virus induces PI4P production at the endoplasmic reticulum in an ATG16L1-dependent manner to promote the egress of viral ribonucleoproteins.

The genomic RNAs of influenza A viruses (IAVs) are replicated in the nucleus of infected cells in the form of viral ribonucleoproteins (vRNPs) before being exported to the cytoplasm. The small GTPase RAB11A is involved in the transport of vRNPs to the sites of viral assembly at the plasma membrane, but the molecular mechanisms involved remain largely unknown. Here we show that IAV infection remodels the architecture of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) sheets, where vRNPs tend to accumulate in the absence of RAB11A. To decipher the interplay between RAB11A, vRNPs, and the ER, we investigated viral-induced perturbations of RAB11A proximity interactome. To this end, we generated cells stably expressing a TurboID-RAB11A fusion protein and performed biotin-based proximity labeling upon viral infection. We found that cellular regulators of phophatidylinositol-4-phosphate (PI4P) homeostasis, including the autophagic and stress response protein ATG16L1, are significantly enriched at the vicinity of RAB11A in infected cells. Infection induces an increase in cellular PI4P levels in an ATG16L1-dependent manner, while ATG16L1 relocalizes to ER membranes upon infection. Depletion of ATG16L1 decreases the co-distribution of vRNPs with PI4P punctae on ER membranes, and reduces the accumulation of vRNPs at the plasma membrane as well as the production of IAV infectious particles. Our data extend to IAVs the notion that viruses can modulate the metabolism and localization of phosphoinositides to control host membrane dynamics and point to the ER as an essential platform for vRNP transport. They provide evidence for a pivotal role of ATG16L1 in regulating the identity of endomembranes and coordinating RAB11A and PI4P-enriched membranes to ensure delivery of vRNPs to the plasma membrane.

Endoplasmic Reticulum↗

PubMed2006

Mg2+ dependency of HIV-1 reverse transcription, inhibition by nucleoside analogues and resistance.

Metal ions are essential for DNA polymerase and RNase H activities of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT). RT studies are routinely performed at 6-8 mM Mg2+, despite the fact that the in vivo concentration might be as low as 0.2 mM. We studied the influence of MgCl2 and ATP, which likely binds a significant fraction of the magnesium pool in vivo, on the DNA polymerase and RNase H activities of HIV-1 RT, its inhibition by nucleoside RT inhibitors (NRTIs) and primer unblocking by AZT-resistant RT. At low Mg2+ concentration, reverse transcription of a natural template strongly increased despite a dramatically reduced intrinsic polymerase activity under such conditions. Low Mg2+ concentrations affected the RNA stability and indirectly decreased its degradation by the RNase H activity. The reduced RNA degradation prevented premature dissociation of the template and primer strands that otherwise generated dead-end DNA products. In addition, low Mg2+ dramatically decreased the incorporation of NRTIs into DNA and increased nucleotide excision by AZT-resistant RT. The latter effect is also most likely owing to the diminished cleavage of the RNA template. Thus, differences in the free Mg2+ concentration between different cell types or during the cell cycle might strongly affect HIV-1 replication and its inhibition.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

PubMed2005

Inhibition of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 reverse transcriptase, RNase H, and integrase activities by hydroxytropolones.

Human immunodeficiency virus type I reverse transcriptase (RT) possesses distinct DNA polymerase and RNase H sites, whereas integrase (IN) uses the same active site to perform 3'-end processing and strand transfer of the proviral DNA. These four enzymatic activities are essential for viral replication and require metal ions. Two Mg2+ ions are present in the RT polymerase site, and one or two Mg2+ ions are required for the catalytic activities of RNase H and IN. We tested the possibility of inhibition of the RT polymerase and RNase H as well as the IN 3'-end processing and transfer activities of purified enzymes by a series of 3,7-dihydroxytropolones designed to target two Mg2+ ions separated by approximately 3.7 angstroms. The RT polymerase and IN 3' processing and strand transfer activities were inhibited at submicromolar concentrations, while the RNase H activity was inhibited in the low micromolar range. In all cases, the lack of inhibition by tropolones and O-methylated 3,7-dihydroxytropolones was consistent with the active molecules binding the metal ions in the active site. In addition, inhibition of the DNA polymerase activity was shown to depend on the Mg2+ concentration. Furthermore, selective inhibitors were identified for several of the activities tested, leaving some potential for design of improved inhibitors. However, all tested compounds exhibited cellular toxicity that presently limits their applications.

Enzyme Inhibitors↗

PubMed2004

Structure-based drug design targeting an inactive RNA conformation: exploiting the flexibility of HIV-1 TAR RNA.

The targeting of RNA for the design of novel anti-viral compounds represents an area of vast potential. We have used NMR and computational methods to model the interaction of a series of synthetic inhibitors of the in vitro RNA binding activities of a peptide derived from the transcriptional activator protein, Tat, from human immunodeficiency virus type 1. Inhibition has been measured through the monitering of fluorescence resonance energy transfer between fluorescently labeled peptide and RNA components. A series of compounds containing a bi-aryl heterocycle as one of the three substituents on a benzylic scaffold, induce a novel, inactive TAR conformation by stacking between base-pairs at the site of a three-base bulge within TAR. The development of this series resulted in an enhancement in potency (with Ki < 100 nM in an in vitro assay) and the removal of problematic guanidinium moieties. Ligands from this series can act as inhibitors of Tat-induced transcription in a cell-free system. This study validates the drug design strategy of using a ligand to target the RNA receptor in a non-functional conformation.

Anti-HIV Agents↗

PubMed2003

Structure, function and evolution of the signal recognition particle.

The signal recognition particle (SRP) is a ribonucleoprotein particle essential for the targeting of signal peptide-bearing proteins to the prokaryotic plasma membrane or the eukaryotic endoplasmic reticulum membrane for secretion or membrane insertion. SRP binds to the signal peptide emerging from the exit site of the ribosome and forms a ribosome nascent chain (RNC)-SRP complex. The RNC-SRP complex then docks in a GTP-dependent manner with a membrane-anchored SRP receptor and the protein is translocated across or integrated into the membrane through a channel called the translocon. Recently considerable progress has been made in understanding the architecture and function of SRP.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2002

Secondary structure of the 3' terminus of hepatitis C virus minus-strand RNA.

The 3'-terminal ends of both the positive and negative strands of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA, the latter being the replicative intermediate, are most likely the initiation sites for replication by the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, NS5B. The structural features of the very conserved 3' plus [(+)] strand untranslated region [3' (+) UTR] are well established (K. J. Blight and C. M. Rice, J. Virol. 71:7345-7352, 1997). However, little information is available concerning the 3' end of the minus [(-)] strand RNA. In the present work, we used chemical and enzymatic probing to investigate the conformation of that region, which is complementary to the 5' (+) UTR and the first 74 nucleotides of the HCV polyprotein coding sequence. By combining our experimental data with computer predictions, we have derived a secondary-structure model of this region. In our model, the last 220 nucleotides, where initiation of the (+) strand RNA synthesis presumably takes place, fold into five stable stem-loops, forming domain I. Domain I is linked to an overall less stable structure, named domain II, containing the sequences complementary to the pseudoknot of the internal ribosomal entry site in the 5' (+) UTR. Our results show that, even though the (-) strand 3'-terminal region has the antisense sequence of the 5' (+) UTR, it does not fold into its mirror image. Interestingly, comparison of the replication initiation sites on both strands reveals common structural features that may play key functions in the replication process.

Base Sequence↗

PubMed2002

Phosphorylation of the RNA polymerase II carboxyl-terminal domain by CDK9 is directly responsible for human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Tat-activated transcriptional elongation.

Stimulation of transcriptional elongation by the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Tat protein is mediated by CDK9, a kinase that phosphorylates the RNA polymerase II carboxyl-terminal domain (CTD). In order to obtain direct evidence that this phosphorylation event can alter RNA polymerase processivity, we prepared transcription elongation complexes that were arrested by the lac repressor. The CTD was then dephosphorylated by treatment with protein phosphatase 1. The dephosphorylated transcription complexes were able to resume the transcription elongation when IPTG (isopropyl-beta-D-thiogalactopyranoside) and nucleotides were added to the reaction. Under these chase conditions, efficient rephosphorylation of the CTD was observed in complexes containing the Tat protein but not in transcription complexes prepared in the absence of Tat protein. Immunoblots and kinase assays with synthetic peptides showed that Tat activated CDK9 directly since the enzyme and its cyclin partner, cyclin T1, were present at equivalent levels in transcription complexes prepared in the presence or absence of Tat. Chase experiments with the dephosphorylated elongation transcription complexes were performed in the presence of the CDK9 kinase inhibitor DRB (5,6-dichloro-1-beta-D-ribofuranosyl-benzimidazole). Under these conditions there was no rephosphorylation of the CTD during elongation, and transcription through either a stem-loop terminator or bent DNA arrest sequence was strongly inhibited. In experiments in which the CTD was phosphorylated prior to elongation, the amount of readthrough of the terminator sequences was proportional to the extent of the CTD modification. The change in processivity is due to CTD phosphorylation alone, since even after the removal of Spt5, the second substrate for CDK9, RNA polymerase elongation is enhanced by Tat-activated CDK9 activity. We conclude that phosphorylation of the RNA polymerase II CTD by CDK9 enhances transcription elongation directly.

Base Sequence↗