Biology subjects

Devred, F.

Publications and source records attributed to Devred, F..

6 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

Every Piece of the Puzzle Matters: A Novel Zinc-Binding Site in the Luminal Domain of STIM1 Drives Clustering

STIM1 is pivotal in the tightly regulated mechanism controlling calcium homeostasis in the ER. It is activated by calcium dissociation from its EF-hand domain when ER calcium levels decrease, leading to its interaction with the ORAI channel to initiate calcium influx. Despite advancements in understanding the complex STIM1 machinery, including its domain organization and structural rearrangements upon activation, many aspects of this process remain poorly understood. In this study, we focused on a small conserved region situated upstream to the EF-hand, which has been previously shown to be involved in the modulation of STIM1 by ROS. Our findings reveal that this region binds zinc and plays a pivotal role in STIM1 activation by promoting its clustering, a process essential for the activation of calcium influx. These results revealed the functional importance of this domain and added a crucial piece to the puzzle of how calcium and zinc signaling are interconnected. Graphical abstract O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=110 SRC="FIGDIR/small/659323v1_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (45K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@16efeborg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1e15e96org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@108cad0org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@3b58b0_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG

biochemistry↗

bioRxiv2024

A new nanoDSF approach to anti-tubulin compounds screening revealed novel MTAs among approved drugs.

Microtubule Targeting Agents (MTAs) constitute a vital category of tubulin-binding compounds, deployed across anticancer therapies. Despite the array of MTA drugs developed by pharmaceutical entities, the quest for novel efficacious molecules continues unabated. We unveil an innovative in vitro MTA screening methodology employing nano differential scanning fluorimetry (nanoDSF), presenting distinct advantages over known assays. This novel approach not only assesses compound-tubulin binding but also quantitatively analyzes their impact on tubulin polymerization. Proposed nanoDSF assay was rigorously validated using the Prestwick Chemical Library, which encompasses 1,520 approved compounds, successfully identifying all previously known MTAs. Furthermore, this screening has unearthed potential anti-tubulin agents among drugs currently utilized for non-related medical conditions, offering insights into their mechanisms of action in inhibiting cancer cell proliferation and/or inducing cytotoxicity. These discoveries herald new opportunities for drug repositioning involving the newly identified MTAs and substantially streamline the process of screening extensive chemical libraries for MTAs featuring novel chemical structures.

cancer biology↗

bioRxiv2021

Sequential binding of zinc triggers tau aggregation

Tau protein has been extensively studied due to its key roles in microtubular cytoskeleton regulation and in the formation of aggregates found in some neurodegenerative diseases. Recently it has been shown that zinc is able to induce tau aggregation by interacting with several binding sites. However, the precise location of these sites and the molecular mechanism of zinc-induced aggregation remain unknown. Here we used Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) to identify zinc binding sites on hTau40 isoform. These experiments revealed three distinct zinc binding sites on tau, located in the N-terminal part (H14, H32, H94, and H121), the repeat region (H299, C322, H329 and H330) and the C-terminal part (H362, H374, H388 and H407). Further analysis enabled us to show that the C-terminal and the N-terminal sites are independent of each other. Using molecular simulations, we modeled the structure of each site in a complex with zinc. Given the clinical importance of zinc in tau aggregation, our findings pave the way for designing potential therapies for tauopathies. HighlightsO_LIZinc is known to induce tau aggregation in neurodegenerative diseases C_LIO_LIZinc binding locations and mechanism are not yet clear C_LIO_LIUsing NMR we localized 3 zinc binding site on tau C_LIO_LIBy molecular simulations, we proposed a modeled structure of each site C_LIO_LIOur findings pave the way for designing potential therapies for tauopathies C_LI

molecular biology↗

bioRxiv2021

The Alzheimer's disease risk factor APOE4 drives pro-inflammation in human astrocytes via HDAC-dependent repression of TAGLN3

The Apolipoprotein E4 (APOE4) is the major allelic risk factor for late-onset Alzheimers disease (AD). APOE4 associates with a pro-inflammatory phenotype increasingly considered as critical in AD initiation and progression. Yet, the mechanisms driving an APOE4-dependent neuroinflammation remain unelucidated. Leveraging patient specific human induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs) we demonstrate inflammatory chronicity and hyperactivated responses upon cytokines in human APOE4 astrocytes via a novel mechanism. We uncovered that APOE4 represses Transgelin 3 (TAGLN3), a new interacting partner of I{kappa}B, thus increasing the NF-kB activity. The transcriptional repression of TAGLN3 was shown to result from an APOE4-dependent histone deacetylase (HDAC) activity. The functional relevance of TAGLN3 was demonstrated by the attenuation of APOE4-driven neuroinflammation after TAGLN3 supplementation. Importantly, TAGLN3 downregulation was confirmed in the brain of AD patients. Our findings highlight the APOE4-TAGLN3 axis as a new pathogenic pathway that paves the way for the development of therapeutics to prevent maladaptive inflammatory responses in APOE4 carriers, while placing TAGLN3 downregulation as a potential biomarker of AD. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=98 HEIGHT=200 SRC="FIGDIR/small/440108v1_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (24K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1036557org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1f245bdorg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@c07c4aorg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1200396_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2020

An AI-powered blood test to detect cancer using nanoDSF

We describe a novel cancer diagnostic method based on plasma denaturation profiles obtained by a non-conventional use of Differential Scanning Fluorimetry. We show that 84 glioma patients and 63 healthy controls can be automatically classified using denaturation profiles with the help of machine learning algorithms with 92% accuracy. Proposed high throughput workflow can be applied to any type of cancer and could become a powerful pan-cancer diagnostic and monitoring tool from a simple blood test.

cancer biology↗

bioRxiv2020

In silico molecular target prediction unveils mebendazole as a potent MAPK14 inhibitor

The concept of polypharmacology involves the interaction of drug molecules with multiple molecular targets. It provides a unique opportunity for the repurposing of already-approved drugs to target key factors involved in human diseases. Herein, we used an in silico target prediction algorithm to investigate the mechanism of action of mebendazole, an anti-helminthic drug, currently repurposed in the treatment of brain tumors. First, we confirmed that mebendazole decreased the viability of glioblastoma cells in vitro. Our in silico approach unveiled 21 putative molecular targets for mebendazole, including 12 proteins significantly up-regulated at the gene level in glioblastoma as compared to normal brain tissue. Validation experiments were performed on three major kinases involved in cancer biology: ABL1, MAPK1/ERK2 and MAPK14/p38α. Mebendazole could inhibit the activity of these kinases in vitro in a dose-dependent manner, with a high potency against MAPK14. Its direct binding to MAPK14 was further validated in vitro and inhibition of MAPK14 kinase activity was confirmed in live glioblastoma cells. Consistent with biophysical data, molecular modeling suggested that mebendazole was able to bind to the catalytic site of MAPK14. Finally, gene silencing demonstrated that MAPK14 is involved in glioblastoma tumor spheroid growth and response to mebendazole treatment. This study thus highlighted the role of MAPK14 in the anticancer mechanism of action of mebendazole and provides further rationale for the pharmacological targeting of MAPK14 in brain tumors. It also opens new avenues for the development of novel MAPK14/p38α inhibitors to treat human diseases.Significance Statement This study provides a framework to investigate drug polypharmacology by rapidly identifying novel molecular targets of already-approved drugs. It unveils a new mechanism involved in the anticancer activity of anti-helminthic drug, mebendazole, which is currently being repurposed for the treatment of brain tumors. By helping to decipher the mechanism(s) of action of repurposed drugs in their new indications, this approach could contribute to the development of safer and more effective therapeutic strategies in oncology and beyond.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest.View Full Text

pharmacology and toxicology↗