Identification of GPx8 as a novel cellular substrate of the hepatitis C virus NS3-4A protease

Background: The hepatitis C virus (HCV) NS3-4A protease is not only an essential component of the viral replication complex and a prime target for a ntiviral intervention but also a key player i n the persistence and pathogenesis of HCV. It cleaves and thereby inactivates two crucial adaptor proteins in viral RNA sensing and innate immunity (MAVS and TRIF) as well as a phosphatase involved in growth factor signaling (TCPTP). T he aim of this study was to identify novel cellular substrates o f the N S3-4A protease and to investigate their role in the replication and pathogenesis of HCV. Methods: Cell lines inducibly expressing t he NS3-4A protease were analyzed in basal as well as interferon-α-stimulated states by stable isotopic l abeling using amino acids in cell culture (SILAC) coupled with protein separation and mass spectrometry. Candidates fulfilling stringent criteria for potential substrates or products of the NS3-4A protease were further i nvestigated in different experimental systems as well a s in liver biopsies from patients with chronic hepatitis C. Results: SILAC coupled with protein separation and mass spectrometry yielded > 5000 proteins of which 18 candidates were selected for further analyses. These allowed us to identify GPx8, a membrane-associated peroxidase involved in disulfide bond formation in the endoplasmic reticulum, as a n ovel cellular substrate of the H CV NS3-4A protease. Cleavage occurs at cysteine in position 11, removing the cytosolic tip of GPx8, and was observed in different experimental systems as well as in liver biopsies from patients with chronic hepatitis C. Further functional studies, involving overexpression and RNA silencing, revealed that GPx8 is a p roviral factor involved in viral particle production but not in HCV entry or HCV RNA replication. Conclusions: GPx8 is a proviral host factor cleaved by the HCV NS3-4A protease. Studies investigating the consequences of GPx8 cleavage for protein function are underway. The identification of novel cellular substrates o f the HCV N S3-4A protease should yield new insights i nto the HCV life cycle and the pathogenesis of hepatitis C and may reveal novel targets for antiviral intervention.

Horae secundum usum romanum.

F. A-B. Bifolium contenant la fin de l’office du Saint Esprit ; cf. le même texte aux ff. 156-156v. XVe siècle. Copie inachevée dont les initialesont été laissées en blanc. Le f. B réglé est blanc. La justification est la même que celle du corps du manuscrit.F. 1-12v. Calendrier écrit à l’encre rouge et bleue et à l’or: nombreux saints méridionaux, en particulier de la vallée du Rhône et du Languedoc : « Fulcrani ep. [Lodevensis] » (13 févr.) ; « translatio s. Pauli » (20 février) ; « translatio s.Augustini » (28 février) ; « Pauli archi. Narbo[nensis] » (22 mars) ; « translatio b. Ferreoli [ ?] (1er avril) ; « Baudilii mart. [Nemausiensis] (20 mai) ; « Quiterie (21 mai) ; « Eutropii [ep. Arausicani] (27 mai) ; « translatio s. Saturnini » (22 juin) ; « Petri de Lucemburgo » (5 juillet) ; « Roqui mart. [Montispessulani] » (16 août) ; « Ludovici regis fratris [ep. Toletani]» (19 août) ; « Privati conf. [ep. Gabalitanus (Gévaudan)] » (21 août) ; « Fereoli mart. [Viennae] (18 sept.) ; « Apolinaris ep. [Valentinensis] » (10 oct.) ; « Firmini ep. [Ucetensis] » (11 oct.] ; « Florencii ep. [Arausicani] » (17 oct.] ; « Amancii ep. [Ruthenensis] » (5 nov.) ; « Restituti ep. [Tricastini] » (8 nov.) ; « Rufi ep. [Avenionensis] » (14 nov.) ; « Pauli ep. [Narbonensis] » (11 déc.) ; « Dominici conf. [de Silos] » (20 déc.). Mentions zodiacales et de comput, parmi lesquelles on note une « renovatio indicionum », le 24 septembre. F. 13-17. Extraits des quatre Evangiles : Io (13-14) ; Lc (14-15) ; Mt (15-16v) ; Mc (16v-17).F. 17v-71. [Horae beatae Mariae virginis secundum usum romanum]. [Ad matutinas], psaumes répartis selon les jours de la semaine (18-32v) ; — « In laudibus » (32v-42v) ; — « Ad primam » (43-46v) ; — « Ad tertiam » (46v-49) ; — « Ad sextam » (49v-52) ; « Ad IXa » (52-55) ; — « Ad vesperas » (55-60) ; — « Ad comple[c]torium » (60-64) ; — Antiennes, psaumes, leçons et répons pour les différents temps de l’année (64v-71) .F. 71-77v. Messe votive. « Missa beate Marie virginis ». « Salve sancta parens... » F. 78-85. Prières et hymnes. [Septem gaudia spiritualia b. Mariae virginis], incomplet des quatre premiers vers par lacune matérielle. « [Gaude flore virginali...] et sanctorum decoratum//...-... per eterna secula » (AH, XXXI, n° 198) ; « O sponsa Dei electa// Esto nobis via recta... » ; « ...Oratio. Domine Jhesu Christe qui beatissimam gloriosam virginem...-... pervenire mereamur » ; « Gaudia. Gaude virgo mater Christi// Que per aurem concepisti// ...-... perhemni gaudio. » (AH, XXIV, n° 57) ; cf. Leroquais, Livres d’heures, I, XXVI-XXVII ; « ... Oratio. Deus qui beatissimam virginem Mariam in consceptu... pervenire. Per... » ; « Gaudia beate Marie spiritualia. Gaude stirpe regis nata// Ab angelo saluta[ta]...-... et celorum mansio » (AH, XXXI, n° 182) ; « Oratio. Consolator mitissime Deus... sempiternis perfrui. Per... » ; « Alia oratio. Deus qui Gabrielem archangelum... mereamur habere. Qui... » ; « Devota oratio ad beatam virginem Mariam. Obsecro te domina... et michi famulo tuo pauperrimo N. ... » (Leroquais, Livres d’heures, II, 346-347).F. 85v blanc.F.86-91v. [Horae Trinitatis].F.91v-93v. Messe votive. « Missa de Trinitate ».F. 93v-97. « Devota oratio. Deus omnipotens propicius esto michi peccatori, custos mei omnibus diebus et horis vite mee, Deus Abraham... Omnes sancti angeli et archangeli Dei succurrite et subvenite michi peccatori... horis vite mee » ; cf. Leroquais, Livres d’heures, II, 396 ; — « O bone Jhesu illumina oculos meos ne unquam obdormiam... impietatem peccati mei » ; cf. Leroquais, Livres d’heures, I, XXX-XXXI ; — « Omnipotens, sempiterne et clementissime Deus qui Ezechie regi ... merear et optinere. Per... », à la forme masculine ; cf. Leroquais, Livres d’heures, II, 438 ; — « Oratio. Omnipotens sempiterne Deus te supplices exoramus ut celesti... consequantur. Per... » (Corpus orationum, VI, n° 4076).F. 97v blanc.F. 98-108. [Psaumes de la pénitence]. F. 108-117v. « Letania ». A noter parmi les confesseurs, la séquence inattendue de trois évêques de Toul honorés en Lorraine : « ... s. Mansuete, s. Gerarde, s. Aper ». Parmi les saintes : « ... s. Martha, s. Eulalia... s. Radegundis... ». — Oraisons diverses : « Propicius esto, parce nobis Domine... ut michi indigno famulo tuo N... exaudire digneris » ; — ... « Omnipotens sempiterne Deus miserere michi indigno famulo tuo N.... perficiat. Per... » ; — « Pie et exaudibilis domine Jhesu Christe Deus noster clementiam tuam... digneris eternam » ; cf. Leroquais, Psautiers, I, 25 ; — « Pietate tua quesumus Domine nostrorum solve vincula delictorum et intercedente pro nobis... virgine Dei genitrice Maria cum beatis apostolis tuis Petro et Paulo atque Andrea... eternam concede. Per... » (Corpus orationum, VI, n° 4227)...F. 118-145. [Officium mortuorum secundum usum romanum]F. 145-147v. Messe votive. « Missa pro omnibus fidelibus defunctis ». F. 148-151. [Horae sancti Spiritus].F. 151-153v. Messe votive. « Missa de sancto Spiritu », incomplet de la fin par lacune matérielle.F. 154-156v. [Horae omnium sanctorum], incomplet du premier feuillet.F. 156v-159v. Messe votive. « Missa de omnibus sanctis. F. 160-162v. [Horae sancti Sacramentis], incomplet du début par lacune matérielle. F. 162v-164v. Messe votive. « Missa de corpore Christi ».F. 164v-169v. Prières et hymnes. « ... salutatio sacratissimi corporis domini nostri Jhesu Christi. Ave Jhesu Christe verbum Patris filius [Virginis] agnus Dei...-... requies nostra vita perhemnis » ; cf. ms NAL 3211, 342 ; — « Alia oratio. Salve sancta caro Dei per quam salvi...-... da michi sedem justorum. Qui... » (ed. Leroquais, Livres d’heures, II, 348) ; — In elevatione corporis Christi. Anima Christi sanctifica me // Corpus Christi salva me... secula seculorum. Amen » ; (ed. Leroquais, Livres d’heures, II, 340 variantes) ; — « Alia. Ave verum corpus natum... o pia... ora pro nobis » (AH, LIV, n° 257) ; — « Alia devota oratio. Domine Jhesu Christe qui hanc sacratissimam carnem tuam... et periculis et in eternum » ; cf.ms NAL 3203, 26v ; — « Dum volueris communicare dic orationem. Omnipotens et misericors Deus ecce accedo ad sacratissimum accedo inquam infirmus ad medicum...-... tutela finalis in morte. Qui... » ; — « Alia oratio ante communionem. Domine sancte Pater, omnipotens eterne Deus, da mihi corpus et sanguinem... in infinita secula... » ; cf. Leroquais, Livres d’heures, II, 108 ; — « Post communionem. Gratias tibi ago Domine sancte pater omnipotens eterne Deus qui me peccatorem indignum famulum tuum saciare... et gaudium sempiternum... » ; cf. Leroquais, Livres d’heures, I, 51 ; — « Post communionem ad beatam Virginem. Serenissima Virgo et inclita mater nostri Jhesu Christi, sancta Maria regina celi et terre que eundem creatorem... hodie veracis [incomplet de la fin par lacune matérielle] ; cf. Leroquais, Livres d’heures, I, 156, 299.F. 170-173. [Horae sanctae Crucis], incomplet du début.F. 173-178. Messe votive. « Missa in honore sancte Crucis ». « Crucem tuam adoramus et veneramur domine Jhesu Christe, et per ipsam tuam sanctissimam recolimus passionem...-...defunctis vitam et gloriam sempiternam... » ; — « Alia oratio. Domine Jhesu Christe plasmator tocius creature, rex glorie obsecro miserere mei quia locutus sum... semper benedictus... » ; — « Alia oratio. Domine Jhesu Christe qui voluisti pro redemptione mundi nasci et circumcidi... ego miserrimus, vilissimus, nequissimus atque indignissimus peccator...-... latronem crucifixum. Qui... » ; — « Alia oratio. Precor te, piissime domine Jhesu Christe, per illam eximiam caritatem qua tu rex celestis... mihi tribuere digneris. Qui... » ; — « Alia oratio. Deus propicius esto michi peccatori. Quid est Jhesus nisi salvator ergo Jhesus per te ipsum redemptus sum... miserere michi Deus » ; — « Dic totum deinde dic oracionem. Tribulacionem nobis [sic], quesumus, Domine propicius respice... clementer averte. Per... ». F. 178-200. « ... suffragia sanctorum ». « ... de Trinitate » ; — « De sancto Michaele archangelo » ; — « De sancto Johanne Baptista » ; — « De sancto Petro et Paulo » ; — « De sancto Andrea apostolo » ; — « De sancto Johanne evangelista » ; — « De sancto Jacobo minori » ; — « Sanctorum Philippi et Jacobi » ; — « De innocentibus » ; — « De apostolis et evvangelistis » ; — « De sancto Stephano » ; — « De sancto Laurencio » ; — « De sancto Eutropio... Eutropium martyrem tuum (f. 183v)... » ; — « De sancto Georgio » ; — « De sancto Blasio » ; — « De sancto Dyonisio » ; — « De sancto Yppolito » ; — « De sancto Christophoro » ; — « De sancto Sebastiano. Omnipotens sempiterne Deus qui meritis beati Sebastiani martyris gloriosissimi quemdam pestem epydimie generalem hominibus mortiferam revocasti, presta supplicibus tuis ut qui hanc orationem super se portavit aut in domibus vel mansionibus scriptam aut alias de ea in tuo nomine memoriam habuerint sive in die aut in nocte legerint a simili a peste et morbo epydimie sub ejus confidencia ad te confugerint ipsius meritis et precibus ab ipsis peste et morbo epydimie et ab omnibus nocumentis venenosis necnon ab omnibus periculis corporis et anime atque a subitanea et improvisa morte et ab omnibus inimicis visibilibus et invisibilibus singulis diebus et noctibus horis atque momentis liberemur. Per Dominum. Pater noster. Ave Maria. Credo. Salva regina. Ave stella matutina, rosa sine spinis, cum reliquis ». — « Unius martyris communis » ; — « De martyribus communis » ; — « De sancto Martino » ; — « De sancto Nicholao » ; — « De sancto Anthonio » ; — « De sancto Lazaro » ; — « De sancto Restituto... Deus qui per merita beati Restituti confessoris atque pontificis a multorum oculis dolorem sanas, labem removes et visum clarificas... (189v-190) » ; — « Unius confessoris » ; — « De confessoribus communis » ; — « De beata Maria Magdalena prosa. Gaude pia Magdalena // Spes salutis // Vite vena // Lapsorum fiducia // Gaude dulcis advocata // ... » ; — « De beata Catherina. Gaude virgo Catherina /// Quam refecit lux divina // Ter quaternis noctibus //... » ; — « De beata Lucia » ; — « De beata Apollonia » ; — « De beata Agatha » ; — « De virginibus » ; — « De omnibus sanctis » ; — « De pace » ; — « De sancto Petro de Lucemburgo » ; le suffrage commence par la prière attribuée à s. Pierre de Luxembourg : « Deus pater qui creasti // Mundum et illuminasti // Suscipe...-... requiescant in pace. Amen » ; cf.ms NAL 3196, 152.F. 200v-204, feuillets réglés blancs.

Light-emitting diodes (LED) for domestic lighting: any risks for the eye?

Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are taking an increasing place in the market of domestic lighting because they produce light with low energy consumption. In the EU, by 2016, no traditional incandescent light sources will be available and LEDs may become the major domestic light sources. Due to specific spectral and energetic characteristics of white LEDs as compared to other domestic light sources, some concerns have been raised regarding their safety for human health and particularly potential harmful risks for the eye. To conduct a health risk assessment on systems using LEDs, the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES), a public body reporting to the French Ministers for ecology, for health and for employment, has organized a task group. This group consisted physicists, lighting and metrology specialists, retinal biologist and ophthalmologist who have worked together for a year. Part of this work has comprised the evaluation of group risks of different white LEDs commercialized on the French market, according to the standards and found that some of these lights belonged to the group risk 1 or 2. This paper gives a comprehensive analysis of the potential risks of white LEDs, taking into account pre-clinical knowledge as well as epidemiologic studies and reports the French Agency's recommendations to avoid potential retinal hazards.

Moyens de défense des bactéries.

Fifty years ago, the introduction of penicillin, followed by many other antibacterial agents, represented an often underestimated medical revolution. Indeed, until that time, bacterial infections were the prime cause of mortality, especially in children and elderly patients. The discovery of numerous new substances and their development on an industrial scale confronted us with the illusion that bacterial infections were all but vanquished. However, the widespread and sometimes uncontrolled usage of these agents has led to the selection of bacteria resistant to practically all available antibiotics. Bacteria utilize three main resistance strategies: (i) decrease in drug accumulation, (ii) modification of target, and (iii) modification of the antibiotic. Bacteria can decrease drug accumulation either by becoming impermeable to antibiotics, or by actively excreting the drug accumulated in the cell. As an alternative, they can modify the structure of the antibiotic's molecular target--usually an essential metabolic enzyme of the bacteria--and thus escape the drug's toxic effect. Lastly, they can produce enzymes capable of modifying and directly inactivating the antibiotics. In addition, bacteria have evolved extremely efficient genetic transfer systems capable of exchanging and accumulating resistance genes. Some pathogens, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and enterococci are now resistant to almost all available antibiotics. Vancomycin is the only non-experimental drug left to treat severe infections due to such organisms. However, vancomycin resistance has already appeared several years ago in enterococci, and was also recently described in staphylococci, in Japan, France and the United-States. Antibiotics are precious drugs which must be administered to patients who need them. On the other hand, the development of resistance must be kept under control by a better comprehension of its mechanisms and modes of transmission and by abiding by the fundamental rules of anti-infectious chemotherapy, i.e.: (i) choose the most efficient antibiotic according to clinical and local epidemiological data, (ii) target the bacteria according to the microbiological data at hand, and (iii) administer the antibiotic at an adequate dose which will leave the pathogen no chance to develop any resistance.

Aerosol immunization with NYVAC and MVA vectored vaccines is safe, simple, and immunogenic.

Each year, approximately five million people die worldwide from putatively vaccine-preventable mucosally transmitted diseases. With respect to mass vaccination campaigns, one strategy to cope with this formidable challenge is aerosol vaccine delivery, which offers potential safety, logistical, and cost-saving advantages over traditional vaccination routes. Additionally, aerosol vaccination may elicit pivotal mucosal immune responses that could contain or eliminate mucosally transmitted pathogens in a preventative or therapeutic vaccine context. In this current preclinical non-human primate investigation, we demonstrate the feasibility of aerosol vaccination with the recombinant poxvirus-based vaccine vectors NYVAC and MVA. Real-time in vivo scintigraphy experiments with radiolabeled, aerosol-administered NYVAC-C (Clade C, HIV-1 vaccine) and MVA-HPV vaccines revealed consistent mucosal delivery to the respiratory tract. Furthermore, aerosol delivery of the vaccines was safe, inducing no vaccine-associated pathology, in particular in the brain and lungs, and was immunogenic. Administration of a DNA-C/NYVAC-C prime/boost regime resulted in both systemic and anal-genital HIV-specific immune responses that were still detectable 5 months after immunization. Thus, aerosol vaccination with NYVAC and MVA vectored vaccines constitutes a tool for large-scale vaccine efforts against mucosally transmitted pathogens.

Optimal priming of poxvirus vector (NYVAC)-based HIV vaccine regimens requires 3 DNA injections. Results of the EV03/ANRS Vac20 Phase I/II Trial

Background: Two or three DNA primes have been used in previous smaller clinical trials, but the number required for optimal priming of viral vectors has never been assessed in adequately powered clinical trials. The EV03/ANRS Vac20 phase I/II trial investigated this issue using the DNA prime/poxvirus NYVAC boost combination, both expressing a common HIV-1 clade C immunogen consisting of Env and Gag-Pol-Nef polypeptide. Methods: 147 healthy volunteers were randomly allocated through 8 European centres to either 3xDNA plus 1xNYVAC (weeks 0, 4, 8 plus 24; n¼74) or to 2xDNA plus 2xNYVAC (weeks 0, 4 plus 20, 24; n¼73), stratified by geographical region and sex. T cell responses were quantified using the interferon g Elispot assay and 8 peptide pools; samples from weeks 0, 26 and 28 (time points for primary immunogenicity endpoint), 48 and 72 were considered for this analysis. Results: 140 of 147 participants were evaluable at weeks 26 and/ or 28. 64/70 (91%) in the 3xDNA arm compared to 56/70 (80%) in the 2xDNA arm developed a T cell response (P¼0.053). 26 (37%) participants of the 3xDNA arm developed a broader T cell response (Env plus at least to one of the Gag, Pol, Nef peptide pools) versus 15 (22%) in the 2xDNA arm (P¼0.047). At week 26, the overall magnitude of responses was also higher in the 3xDNA than in the 2xDNA arm (similar at week 28), with a median of 545 versus 328 SFUs/106 cells at week 26 (P<0.001). Preliminary overall evaluation showed that participants still developed T-cell response at weeks 48 (78%, n¼67) and 72 (70%, n¼66). Conclusion: This large clinical trial demonstrates that optimal priming of poxvirus-based vaccine regimens requires 3 DNA regimens and further confirms that the DNA/NYVAC prime boost vaccine combination is highly immunogenic and induced durable T-cell responses.

Immunization with HIV Gag targeted to dendritic cells followed by recombinant New York vaccinia virus induces robust T-cell immunity in nonhuman primates.

Protein vaccines, if rendered immunogenic, would facilitate vaccine development against HIV and other pathogens. We compared in nonhuman primates (NHPs) immune responses to HIV Gag p24 within 3G9 antibody to DEC205 ("DEC-HIV Gag p24"), an uptake receptor on dendritic cells, to nontargeted protein, with or without poly ICLC, a synthetic double stranded RNA, as adjuvant. Priming s.c. with 60 μg of both HIV Gag p24 vaccines elicited potent CD4(+) T cells secreting IL-2, IFN-γ, and TNF-α, which also proliferated. The responses increased with each of three immunizations and recognized multiple Gag peptides. DEC-HIV Gag p24 showed better cross-priming for CD8(+) T cells, whereas the avidity of anti-Gag antibodies was ∼10-fold higher with nontargeted Gag 24 protein. For both protein vaccines, poly ICLC was essential for T- and B-cell immunity. To determine whether adaptive responses could be further enhanced, animals were boosted with New York vaccinia virus (NYVAC)-HIV Gag/Pol/Nef. Gag-specific CD4(+) and CD8(+) T-cell responses increased markedly after priming with both protein vaccines and poly ICLC. These data reveal qualitative differences in antibody and T-cell responses to DEC-HIV Gag p24 and Gag p24 protein and show that prime boost with protein and adjuvant followed by NYVAC elicits potent cellular immunity.

Targeting Notch signaling in pancreatic cancer.

IMPORTANCE OF THE FIELD: With some 220,000 new cases/year in the world, pancreatic adenocarcinoma is the fourth highest cause of death by cancers. Among newly diagnosed patients about 210,000 will die within 9 months following diagnosis. Therefore, effective adjuncts to current treatment strategies are necessary. Because embryological signaling pathways are upregulated in pancreatic adenocarcinoma, they represent potential targets for future therapies. AREAS COVERED IN THIS REVIEW: Our aim is to present the Notch pathway, and to describe its involvement in pancreatic pathophysiology/carcinogenesis. This pathway appeared as a prime target for pancreatic cancer therapy. In the light of the crosstalk of Notch with other survival/embryologic pathways, drugs affecting more than one pathway may have to be combined. WHAT THE READER WILL GAIN: Drugs against gamma-secretases could thus serve in cancer treatment and can be combined with drugs targeting survival pathways interplaying with Notch such as Hedgehog. TAKE HOME MESSAGE: Downregulation of Notch contributes to the inhibition and apoptosis of pancreatic cancer cells whereas Hedgehog inhibition will allow for enhanced delivery of drugs to the tumor. Both pathway inhibitors appear to have synergistic effects for future therapeutics for pancreatic adenocarcinoma, once safety issues of compounds are overcome.

Systems analysis of MVA-C induced immune response reveals its significance as a vaccine candidate against HIV/AIDS of clade C.

Based on the partial efficacy of the HIV/AIDS Thai trial (RV144) with a canarypox vector prime and protein boost, attenuated poxvirus recombinants expressing HIV-1 antigens are increasingly sought as vaccine candidates against HIV/AIDS. Here we describe using systems analysis the biological and immunological characteristics of the attenuated vaccinia virus Ankara strain expressing the HIV-1 antigens Env/Gag-Pol-Nef of HIV-1 of clade C (referred as MVA-C). MVA-C infection of human monocyte derived dendritic cells (moDCs) induced the expression of HIV-1 antigens at high levels from 2 to 8 hpi and triggered moDCs maturation as revealed by enhanced expression of HLA-DR, CD86, CD40, HLA-A2, and CD80 molecules. Infection ex vivo of purified mDC and pDC with MVA-C induced the expression of immunoregulatory pathways associated with antiviral responses, antigen presentation, T cell and B cell responses. Similarly, human whole blood or primary macrophages infected with MVA-C express high levels of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines involved with T cell activation. The vector MVA-C has the ability to cross-present antigens to HIV-specific CD8 T cells in vitro and to increase CD8 T cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner. The immunogenic profiling in mice after DNA-C prime/MVA-C boost combination revealed activation of HIV-1-specific CD4 and CD8 T cell memory responses that are polyfunctional and with effector memory phenotype. Env-specific IgG binding antibodies were also produced in animals receiving DNA-C prime/MVA-C boost. Our systems analysis of profiling immune response to MVA-C infection highlights the potential benefit of MVA-C as vaccine candidate against HIV/AIDS for clade C, the prevalent subtype virus in the most affected areas of the world.

Deletion of the viral anti-apoptotic gene F1L in the HIV/AIDS vaccine candidate MVA-C enhances immune responses against HIV-1 antigens.

Vaccinia virus (VACV) encodes an anti-apoptotic Bcl-2-like protein F1 that acts as an inhibitor of caspase-9 and of the Bak/Bax checkpoint but the role of this gene in immune responses is not known. Because dendritic cells that have phagocytosed apoptotic infected cells cross-present viral antigens to cytotoxic T cells inducing an antigen-specific immunity, we hypothesized that deletion of the viral anti-apoptotic F1L gene might have a profound effect on the capacity of poxvirus vectors to activate specific immune responses to virus-expressed recombinant antigens. This has been tested in a mouse model with an F1L deletion mutant of the HIV/AIDS vaccine candidate MVA-C that expresses Env and Gag-Pol-Nef antigens (MVA-C-ΔF1L). The viral gene F1L is not required for virus replication in cultured cells and its deletion in MVA-C induces extensive apoptosis and expression of immunomodulatory genes in infected cells. Analysis of the immune responses induced in BALB/c mice after DNA prime/MVA boost revealed that, in comparison with parental MVA-C, the mutant MVA-C-ΔF1L improves the magnitude of the HIV-1-specific CD8 T cell adaptive immune responses and impacts on the CD8 T cell memory phase by enhancing the magnitude of the response, reducing the contraction phase and changing the memory differentiation pattern. These findings reveal the immunomodulatory role of F1L and that the loss of this gene is a valid strategy for the optimization of MVA as vaccine vector.

Deleterious Actions Of Vegf On The Blood Retinal Barrier And Photoreceptor Survival In The Light-damage Model

Purpose: The retinal balance between pro- and anti-angiogenic factors is critical for angiogenesis control, but is also involved in cell survival. We previously reported upregulation of VEGF and photoreceptor (PR) cell death in the Light-damage (LD) model. Preliminary results showed that anti-VEGF can rescue PR from cell death. Thus, we investigated the role of VEGF on the retina and we herein described the effect of anti-VEGF antibody delivered by lentiviral gene transfer in this model.Methods: To characterize the action of VEGF during the LD, we exposed Balb/c mice subretinally injected with LV-anti-VEGF, or not, to 5'000 lux for 1h. We next evaluated the retinal function, PR survival and protein expression (VEGF, VEGFR1/2, Src, PEDF, p38MAPK, Akt, Peripherin, SWL-opsin) after LD. We analyzed Blood retinal barrier (BRB) integrity on flat-mounted RPE and cryosections stained with β-catenin, ZO-1, N-cadherin and albumin.Results: Results indicate that the VEGF pathway is modulated after LD. LD leads to extravascular albumin leakage and BRB breakdown: β-catenin, ZO-1 and N-cadherin translocate to the cytoplasm of RPE cells showing loss of cell cohesion. This phenomenon is in adequacy with the VEGF time-course expression. Assessment of the retinal function reveals that PR rescue correlates with the level of LV-anti-VEGF expression. Rhodopsin content was higher in the LV-anti-VEGF group than in controls and measures of the ONL thickness indicate that LV-anti-VEGF preserves by 82% the outer nuclear layer from degeneration. Outer segments (OS) appeared well organized with an appropriate length in the LV-anti-VEGF group compared to controls, and the expression of SWL-opsin is maintained in the OS without being mislocalized as in the LV-GFP group. Finally, LV-anti-VEGF treatment prevents BRB breakdown and maintained RPE cell integrity.Conclusions: This study involves VEGF in LD and highlights the prime importance of the BRB integrity for PR survival. Taken together, these results show that anti-VEGF is neuroprotective in this model and maintains functional PR layer in LD-treated mice.

Identification of a pheromone regulating caste differentiation in termites.

The hallmark of social insects is their caste system: reproduction is primarily monopolized by queens, whereas workers specialize in the other tasks required for colony growth and survival. Pheromones produced by reining queens have long been believed to be the prime factor inhibiting the differentiation of new reproductive individuals. However, there has been very little progress in the chemical identification of such inhibitory pheromones. Here we report the identification of a volatile inhibitory pheromone produced by female neotenics (secondary queens) that acts directly on target individuals to suppress the differentiation of new female neotenics and identify n-butyl-n-butyrate and 2-methyl-1-butanol as the active components of the inhibitory pheromone. An artificial pheromone blend consisting of these two compounds had a strong inhibitory effect similar to live neotenics. Surprisingly, the same two volatiles are also emitted by eggs, playing a role both as an attractant to workers and an inhibitor of reproductive differentiation. This dual production of an inhibitory pheromone by female reproductives and eggs probably reflects the recruitment of an attractant pheromone as an inhibitory pheromone and may provide a mechanism ensuring honest signaling of reproductive status with a tight coupling between fertility and inhibitory power. Identification of a volatile pheromone regulating caste differentiation in a termite provides insights into the functioning of social insect colonies and opens important avenues for elucidating the developmental pathways leading to reproductive and nonreproductive castes.

Diagnosis and management of blunt great vessel trauma.

Traditionally, thoracic aortic rupture, suspected after blunt thoracic trauma, is characterized by a chest radiograph showing a widened mediastinum. The diagnostic machinery consecutively activated still depends heavily on the pressure as additional traumatic lesions. A patient with additional cranio-cerebral trauma would typically undergo contrast-enhanced computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging of head, chest, and other regions. In a number of patients these analyses would confirm the presence of blood in the mediastinum without formal proof of an aortic disruption. This is because mediastinal hematomas may be caused not only by an aortic rupture, but also by numerous other blood sources including fractures of the spine and other macro- and microvascular lesions providing similar images. Therefore, aortic angiography became our preferred diagnostic tool to identify or rule out acute traumatic lesions of not only the aorta but with great vessels. However recently, a number of traumatic aortic transsections have been identified by transoesophageal echocardiography (TEE). TEE has the additional advantage of being a bed-side procedure providing additional information about cardiac function. The latter analysis allows for identification and quantification of cardiac contusions, post-traumatic myocardial infarctions, and valvar lesions which are of prime importance to develop an adequate surgical strategy and to assess the risk of the numerous emergency procedures required in patients with polytrauma. The standard approach for repair of isthmic aortic rupture is through a lateral thoracotomy. Distal and proximal control of the aorta can be achieved in a substantial number of cases before complete aortic rupture occurs and a higher proportion of direct suture repair can be achieved under such circumstances. Most proximal descending aortic procedures are performed without cardiopulmonary bypass (clamp and go) but paraplegia may occur before, during, or after the procedure. Ascending aortic lesions and disruption of the aortic arch, the supra-aortic vessels, the main pulmonary arteries, the great veins as well as cardiac lesions are best approached through a sternotomy, which may have to be extended. Cardiopulmonary bypass allowing for deep hypothermia and circulatory arrest is often required and carries its own complications. It is not clear whether the increasing proportion of ascending aortic and cardiac lesions which are observed nowadays are due to a change in trauma mechanics (i.e., speed limits, seat belts, air-bags), an improvement of the diagnostic tools or both.