Biomedical subjects

Jerry Pelletier

Publications and source records attributed to Jerry Pelletier.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2017

A New Natural Product Analog of Blasticidin S Reveals Cellular Uptake Facilitated by the NorA Multidrug Transporter.

The permeation of antibiotics through bacterial membranes to their target site is a crucial determinant of drug activity but in many cases remains poorly understood. During screening efforts to discover new broad-spectrum antibiotic compounds from marine sponge samples, we identified a new analog of the peptidyl nucleoside antibiotic blasticidin S that exhibited up to 16-fold-improved potency against a range of laboratory and clinical bacterial strains which we named P10. Whole-genome sequencing of laboratory-evolved strains of Staphylococcus aureus resistant to blasticidin S and P10, combined with genome-wide assessment of the fitness of barcoded Escherichia coli knockout strains in the presence of the antibiotics, revealed that restriction of cellular access was a key feature in the development of resistance to this class of drug. In particular, the gene encoding the well-characterized multidrug efflux pump NorA was found to be mutated in 69% of all S. aureus isolates resistant to blasticidin S or P10. Unexpectedly, resistance was associated with inactivation of norA, suggesting that the NorA transporter facilitates cellular entry of peptidyl nucleosides in addition to its known role in the efflux of diverse compounds, including fluoroquinolone antibiotics.

Bacterial Proteins↗

PubMed2006

her-2 upstream open reading frame effects on the use of downstream initiation codons.

The her-2 (neu, erbB-2) oncogene encodes a 185-kDa transmembrane receptor tyrosine kinase. HER2 overexpression occurs in numerous primary human tumors and contributes to 25-30% of breast and ovarian carcinomas. Synthesis of HER2 is controlled in part by an upstream open reading frame (uORF) present in the transcript. We used synthetic capped and polyadenylated mRNAs containing sequences derived from the 5' region of the her-2 transcript fused to a firefly luciferase (LUC) reporter to examine this uORF's effect on translation in cell-free systems derived from reticulocytes, wheat germ and Neurospora crassa, and in RNA-transfected HeLa cells. The uORF reduced translation of the downstream cistron in all systems. [(35)S]Met labeling of in vitro translation products obtained indicated that the uORF also affected downstream start-site selection. Primer extension inhibition (toeprint) assays of ribosomes loaded at initiation codons in reticulocyte lysates indicated that the uORF affected the interaction of ribosomes with the primary her-2 AUG codon.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

Competition of bacteriophage polypeptides with native replicase proteins for binding to the DNA sliding clamp reveals a novel mechanism for DNA replication arrest in Staphylococcus aureus.

Bacteriophages have evolved specific mechanisms that redirect bacterial metabolic pathways to the bacteriophage reproduction cycle. In this study, we characterized the bactericidal mechanism of two polypeptides from bacteriophages Twort and G1 that target the DNA sliding clamp of Staphylococcus aureus. The DNA sliding clamp, which tethers DNA polymerase to its template and thereby confers processivity upon the enzyme, was found to be essential for the viability of S. aureus. Expression of polypeptides TwortORF168 and G1ORF240 in S. aureus selectively inhibited DNA replication which in turn resulted in cell death. Both polypeptides specifically inhibited the S. aureus DNA replicase that was reconstituted in vitro but not the corresponding replicase of Streptococcus pyogenes. We demonstrated that inhibition of DNA synthesis is multifaceted and occurs via binding the DNA sliding clamp: TwortORF168 and G1ORF240 bound tightly to the DNA sliding clamp and prevented both its loading onto DNA and its interaction with DNA polymerase C. These results elucidate the impact of bacteriophage polypeptide expression upon DNA replication in the growing cell.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2006

Initiation of protein synthesis by hepatitis C virus is refractory to reduced eIF2.GTP.Met-tRNA(i)(Met) ternary complex availability.

A cornerstone of the antiviral interferon response is phosphorylation of eukaryotic initiation factor (eIF)2alpha. This limits the availability of eIF2.GTP.Met-tRNA(i)(Met) ternary complexes, reduces formation of 43S preinitiation complexes, and blocks viral (and most cellular) mRNA translation. However, many viruses have developed counterstrategies that circumvent this cellular response. Herein, we characterize a novel class of translation initiation inhibitors that block ternary complex formation and prevent the assembly of 43S preinitiation complexes. We find that translation driven by the HCV IRES is refractory to inhibition by these compounds at concentrations that effectively block cap-dependent translation in vitro and in vivo. Analysis of initiation complexes formed on the HCV IRES in the presence of inhibitor indicates that eIF2alpha and Met-tRNA(i)(Met) are present, defining a tactic used by HCV to evade part of the antiviral interferon response.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

Determinants of sensitivity and resistance to rapamycin-chemotherapy drug combinations in vivo.

The phosphatidylinositol-3-OH kinase [PI(3)K] pathway is frequently activated in human cancers and represents a rational target for therapeutic intervention. We have previously shown that enforced expression of Akt, which is a downstream effector of PI(3)K, could promote tumorigenesis and drug resistance in the Emu-myc mouse lymphoma model, and that these tumors were particularly sensitive to inhibition of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) with rapamycin when combined with conventional chemotherapy. We now show that reduced dosage of PTEN, a negative regulator of PI(3)K signaling, is sufficient to activate Akt, but has only a modest effect on lymphomagenesis in the same model. Nonetheless, loss of even one PTEN allele resulted in lymphomas that were resistant to conventional chemotherapy yet sensitive to rapamycin/chemotherapy combinations. These effects could be recapitulated by using RNA interference to suppress PTEN expression in lymphomas, which were previously established in the absence of PI(3)K lesions. Finally, the introduction of lesions that act downstream of mTOR (eIF4E) or disable apoptosis (Bcl-2 and loss of p53) into PTEN+/- lymphomas promoted resistance to rapamycin/chemotherapy combinations. Thus, whether activation of the PI(3)K pathway confers sensitivity or resistance to therapy depends on the therapy used as well as secondary genetic events. Understanding these genotype-response relationships in human tumors will be important for the effective use of rapamycin or other compounds targeting the PI(3)K pathway in the clinic.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

Inhibition of ribosome recruitment induces stress granule formation independently of eukaryotic initiation factor 2alpha phosphorylation.

Cytoplasmic aggregates known as stress granules (SGs) arise as a consequence of cellular stress and contain stalled translation preinitiation complexes. These foci are thought to serve as sites of mRNA storage or triage during the cell stress response. SG formation has been shown to require induction of eukaryotic initiation factor (eIF)2alpha phosphorylation. Herein, we investigate the potential role of other initiation factors in this process and demonstrate that interfering with eIF4A activity, an RNA helicase required for the ribosome recruitment phase of translation initiation, induces SG formation and that this event is not dependent on eIF2alpha phosphorylation. We also show that inhibition of eIF4A activity does not impair the ability of eIF2alpha to be phosphorylated under stress conditions. Furthermore, we observed SG assembly upon inhibition of cap-dependent translation after poliovirus infection. We propose that SG modeling can occur via both eIF2alpha phosphorylation-dependent and -independent pathways that target translation initiation.

Antigens, Surface↗

PubMed2006

Caliciviruses differ in their functional requirements for eIF4F components.

Two classes of viruses, namely members of the Potyviridae and Caliciviridae, use a novel mechanism for the initiation of protein synthesis that involves the interaction of translation initiation factors with a viral protein covalently linked to the viral RNA, known as VPg. The calicivirus VPg proteins can interact directly with the initiation factors eIF4E and eIF3. Translation initiation on feline calicivirus (FCV) RNA requires eIF4E because it is inhibited by recombinant 4E-BP1. However, to date, there have been no functional studies carried out with respect to norovirus translation initiation, because of a lack of a suitable source of VPg-linked viral RNA. We have now used the recently identified murine norovirus (MNV) as a model system for norovirus translation and have extended our previous studies with FCV RNA to examine the role of the other eIF4F components in translation initiation. We now demonstrate that, as with FCV, MNV VPg interacts directly with eIF4E, although, unlike FCV RNA, translation of MNV RNA is not sensitive to 4E-BP1, eIF4E depletion, or foot-and-mouth disease virus Lb protease-mediated cleavage of eIF4G. We also demonstrate that both FCV and MNV RNA translation require the RNA helicase component of the eIF4F complex, namely eIF4A, because translation was sensitive (albeit to different degrees) to a dominant negative form and to a small molecule inhibitor of eIF4A (hippuristanol). These results suggest that calicivirus RNAs differ with respect to their requirements for the components of the eIF4F translation initiation complex.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

A new class of small molecule RNA polymerase inhibitors with activity against rifampicin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

The RNA polymerase holoenzyme is a proven target for antibacterial agents. A high-throughput screening program based on this enzyme from Staphylococcus aureus had previously identified a 2-ureidothiophene-3-carboxylate as a low micromolar inhibitor. An investigation of the relationships between the structures of this class of compounds and their inhibitory- and antibacterial activities is described here, leading to a set of potent RNA polymerase inhibitors with antibacterial activity. Characterization of this bioactivity, including studies of the mechanism of action, is provided, highlighting the power of the reverse chemical genetics approach in providing tools to inhibit the bacterial RNA polymerase.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

PubMed2006

Chlorolissoclimides: new inhibitors of eukaryotic protein synthesis.

Lissoclimides are cytotoxic compounds produced by shell-less molluscs through chemical secretions to deter predators. Chlorinated lissoclimides were identified as the active component of a marine extract from Pleurobranchus forskalii found during a high-throughput screening campaign to characterize new protein synthesis inhibitors. It was demonstrated that these compounds inhibit protein synthesis in vitro, in extracts prepared from mammalian and plant cells, as well as in vivo against mammalian cells. Our results suggest that they block translation elongation by inhibiting translocation, leading to an accumulation of ribosomes on mRNA. These data provide a rationale for the cytotoxic nature of this class of small molecule natural products.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

Functional characterization of IRESes by an inhibitor of the RNA helicase eIF4A.

RNA helicases are molecular motors that are involved in virtually all aspects of RNA metabolism. Eukaryotic initiation factor (eIF) 4A is the prototypical member of the DEAD-box family of RNA helicases. It is thought to use energy from ATP hydrolysis to unwind mRNA structure and, in conjunction with other translation factors, it prepares mRNA templates for ribosome recruitment during translation initiation. In screening marine extracts for new eukaryotic translation initiation inhibitors, we identified the natural product hippuristanol. We show here that this compound is a selective and potent inhibitor of eIF4A RNA-binding activity that can be used to distinguish between eIF4A-dependent and -independent modes of translation initiation in vitro and in vivo. We also show that poliovirus replication is delayed when infected cells are exposed to hippuristanol. Our study demonstrates the feasibility of selectively targeting members of the DEAD-box helicase family with small-molecule inhibitors.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

PubMed2006

Short RNAs repress translation after initiation in mammalian cells.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are predicted to regulate 30% of mammalian protein-encoding genes by interactions with their 3' untranslated regions (UTRs). We use partially complementary siRNAs to investigate the mechanism by which miRNAs mediate translational repression in human cells. Repressed mRNAs are associated with polyribosomes that are engaged in translation elongation, as shown by puromycin sensitivity. The inhibition appears to be postinitiation because translation driven by the cap-independent processes of HCV IRES and CrPV IRES is repressed by short RNAs. Further, metabolic labeling suggests that silencing occurs before completion of the nascent polypeptide chain. In addition, silencing by short RNAs causes a decrease in translational readthrough at a stop codon, and ribosomes on repressed mRNAs dissociate more rapidly after a block of initiation of translation than those on control mRNAs. These results suggest that repression by short RNAs, and thus probably miRNAs, is primarily due to ribosome drop off during elongation of translation.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

The Tie2 5' untranslated region is inhibitory to 5' end-mediated translation initiation.

Tie2 is an endothelium-specific receptor tyrosine kinase required for normal blood vessel maturation, remodeling, and stability. Tie2 expression is also upregulated in various cancers implicating a role in tumor angiogenesis. Its mRNA transcript contains an unusually long (372 nucleotides) 5' untranslated region (UTR) with five upstream open reading frames (uORFs) and an internal ribosome entry site (IRES) that allows this mRNA to be translated under hypoxic conditions. This sets up an alternative initiation pathway with the potential to clash with 5' end-mediated initiation from the same template. Herein, we define experimental conditions under which the Tie2 IRES is not active, allowing us to assess the contribution of the 5' UTR to cap-dependent translation on the Tie2 transcript. We find that the Tie2 5' UTR is inhibitory to translation initiation with ribosome flow decreasing following encounters with each uORF. No single uORF was found to harbor significant cis-acting inhibitory activity. Our results suggest that the uORFs within the Tie2 5' UTR serve to decrease the percent of ribosomes competent for reinitiation as these traverse the mRNA 5' UTR, thus minimizing interference with the IRES.

5' Untranslated Regions↗

PubMed2006

RNA-mediated sequestration of the RNA helicase eIF4A by Pateamine A inhibits translation initiation.

Eukaryotic initiation factor 4A (eIF4A) is a member of the DEAD-box family of putative RNA helicases whose members are involved in many aspects of RNA metabolism. eIF4A is thought to facilitate binding of 43S preinitiation complexes to mRNAs by unwinding secondary structures present in the 5' untranslated region. Pateamine A, a small-molecule inhibitor of translation initiation, acts in an unusual manner by stimulating eIF4A activity. Herein, we report the elucidation of pateamine's mode of action. We demonstrate that Pateamine A is a chemical inducer of dimerization that forces an engagement between eIF4A and RNA and prevents eIF4A from participating in the ribosome-recruitment step of translation initiation.

Dimerization↗

PubMed2006

Statistical practice in high-throughput screening data analysis.

High-throughput screening is an early critical step in drug discovery. Its aim is to screen a large number of diverse chemical compounds to identify candidate 'hits' rapidly and accurately. Few statistical tools are currently available, however, to detect quality hits with a high degree of confidence. We examine statistical aspects of data preprocessing and hit identification for primary screens. We focus on concerns related to positional effects of wells within plates, choice of hit threshold and the importance of minimizing false-positive and false-negative rates. We argue that replicate measurements are needed to verify assumptions of current methods and to suggest data analysis strategies when assumptions are not met. The integration of replicates with robust statistical methods in primary screens will facilitate the discovery of reliable hits, ultimately improving the sensitivity and specificity of the screening process.

Biological Assay↗

PubMed2006

Hepatitis C virus-related internal ribosome entry sites are found in multiple genera of the family Picornaviridae.

The internal ribosome entry site (IRES) elements from porcine enterovirus 8 and simian virus 2, two members of a proposed new genus within the family Picornaviridae, were characterized. These IRES elements, in common with the porcine teschovirus 1 IRES, were found to be related functionally and structurally to the IRES element from Hepatitis C virus, a member of the family Flaviviridae. Partial secondary structure predictions were derived and functional assays demonstrated that these IRES elements continued to be active when eIF4G was cleaved and when the activity of eIF4A was blocked.

5' Untranslated Regions↗

PubMed2006

Comparative genomic analysis of 18 Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteriophages.

A genomic analysis of 18 P. aeruginosa phages, including nine newly sequenced DNA genomes, indicates a tremendous reservoir of proteome diversity, with 55% of open reading frames (ORFs) being novel. Comparative sequence analysis and ORF map organization revealed that most of the phages analyzed displayed little relationship to each other.

DNA, Viral↗

PubMed2005

PAX2 activates WNT4 expression during mammalian kidney development.

The transcription factor PAX2 is expressed during normal kidney development and is thought to influence outgrowth and branching of the ureteric bud. Mice with homozygous null Pax2 mutations have developmental defects of the midbrain-hindbrain region, optic nerve, and ear and are anephric. During nephrogenesis, PAX2 is also expressed by mesenchymal cells as they cluster and reorganize to form proximal elements of each nephron, but the function of PAX2 in these cells is unknown. In this study we hypothesized that PAX2 activates expression of WNT4, a secreted glycoprotein known to be critical for successful nephrogenesis. PAX2 protein was identified in distal portions of the "S-shaped" body, and the protein persists in the emerging proximal tubules of murine fetal kidney. PAX2 activated WNT4 promoter activity 5-fold in co-transfection assays with JTC12 cells derived from the proximal tubule. Inspection of the 5'-flanking sequence of the human WNT4 gene identified three novel PAX2 recognition motifs; each exhibited specific PAX2 protein binding in electromobility shift assays. Two motifs were contained within a completely duplicated 0.66-kb cassette. Transfection of JTC12 cells with a PAX2 expression vector was associated with a 7-fold increase in endogenous WNT4 mRNA. In contrast, Wnt4 mRNA was decreased by 60% in mesenchymal cell condensates of fetal kidney from mice with a heterozygous Pax2 mutation. We speculated that a key function of PAX2 is to activate WNT4 gene expression in metanephric mesenchymal cells as they differentiate to form elements of the renal tubules.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Triaminotriazine DNA helicase inhibitors with antibacterial activity.

Screening of a chemical library in a DNA helicase assay involving the Pseudomonas aeruginosa DnaB helicase provided a triaminotriazine inhibitor with good antibacterial activity but associated cytotoxicity toward mammalian cells. Synthesis of analogs provided a few inhibitors that retained antibacterial activity and demonstrated a significant reduction in cytotoxicity. The impact of serum and initial investigations toward a mode of action highlight several features of this class of compounds as antibacterials.

Amination↗