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Philippe Jeanteur

Publications and source records attributed to Philippe Jeanteur.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Selective modification of alternative splicing by indole derivatives that target serine-arginine-rich protein splicing factors.

The prevalence of alternative splicing as a target for alterations leading to human genetic disorders makes it highly relevant for therapy. Here we have used in vitro splicing reactions with different splicing reporter constructs to screen 4,000 chemical compounds for their ability to selectively inhibit spliceosome assembly and splicing. We discovered indole derivatives as potent inhibitors of the splicing reaction. Importantly, compounds of this family specifically inhibit exonic splicing enhancer (ESE)-dependent splicing, because they interact directly and selectively with members of the serine-arginine-rich protein family. Treatment of cells expressing reporter constructs with ESE sequences demonstrated that selected indole derivatives mediate inhibition of ESE usage in vivo and prevent early splicing events required for HIV replication. This discovery opens the exciting possibility of a causal pharmacological treatment of aberrant splicing in human genetic disorders and development of new antiviral therapeutic approaches.

Alternative Splicing↗

The spliceosome: a novel multi-faceted target for therapy.

The spliceosome is a dynamic and flexible ribonucleoprotein enzyme that removes intronic sequences in a regulated manner. Spliceosome action enables one stretch of genomic DNA sequence to yield several mRNAs that encode different proteins. It depends on a flexible mechanism for selecting splice sites, which calls for regulatory sequences (splicing enhancers or silencers) recognized by cognate trans-acting protein factors and constitutive ribonucleoprotein devices to build up the catalytic core. The identification of both types of elements now offers a comprehensive insight into how the spliceosome is adapted to carry out the removal of different introns and suggests novel therapeutic targets to, ultimately, restore a physiological pattern of alternatively spliced variants in a large repertoire of pathologies.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

[Alternative splicing: a novel pharmacological target with wide therapeutic potential].

Alternative splicing is a process by which a single stretch of genomic DNA yields several mRNAs encoding different proteins. Once believed to be a marginal phenomenon, alternative splicing now appears to be widespread among higher organisms and to be behind a large repertoire of human diseases. It involves a flexible mechanism for selecting splice sites, based on regulatory sequences recognized by cognate trans-acting protein factors (stimulatory SR proteins, or their antagonists). This RNA-protein interaction provides two types of targets for therapeutic manipulation. Masking regulatory RNA sequences with an antisense strategy is the most obvious, and encouraging results are beginning to accrue. Our lab is currently developing an entirely new approach in which activating proteins are targeted by small chemical molecules. A large screening program has been conducted with the chemical library from the Curie Institute. Several molecules (all indole derivatives) were found to counter the stimulatory effects of individual activating proteins, and have been selected for further development.

Alternative Splicing↗

[From genomics to post-genomics: back to the origins?].

The purpose of this review is to emphasize the multiplicity and importance, physiological and pathological, of gene regulation levels which operate after the initiation step of transcription. Albeit crucial, this step is only the first one of a long cascade of events which eventually end up in the selection of functional messengers appropriate to the nature of the cells and to their immediate needs. Throughout this long pathway, of which only a few steps will be mentioned here, this review will attempt to address the central role played by RNA, not only as a substrate but as an actor of its own regulation. Emphasis will be put on the numerous connections with pathology up to the development of new therapeutics specifically targeting RNA. It highlights the perennity of basic questions, nearly half a century old, for which genomics, short of new concepts, will provide the databases and tools required to access to the immense field of functional genomics, the only one likely to bring relevant answers for therapeutics.

Animals↗