Search results for "molecular mimicry"

Structural Characterization of Isomeric Dimers from the Oxidative Oligomerization of Catechol with a Biomimetic Catalyst

2007

In a previous paper, it has been reported about the formation of catechol di-, tri- and tetramers within an oxidative polymerization catalyzed by synthetic water-soluble iron-porphyrin as an efficient alternative to bio-labile natural peroxidase. It has also been demonstrated the occurrence of both C-C and C-O-C coupling mechanisms. However, since the coupling products were determined by mass spectroscopy, the exact bonding position could not have been precisely ascertained for the C-C bonded isomeric dimers that are the dominant products of catechol oligomerization. Therefore, here isolation and characterization of catechol isomeric dimers, obtained by oxidative coupling under the catalysi…

Unexpected tumor reduction in metastatic colorectal cancer patients during SARS-Cov-2 infection: effect of ACE-2 expression on tumor cells or molecul…

2021

The Role of Molecular Chaperones in Virus Infection and Implications for Understanding and Treating COVID-19

2020

The COVID-19 pandemic made imperative the search for means to end it, which requires a knowledge of the mechanisms underpinning the multiplication and spread of its cause, the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Many viruses use members of the hosts’ chaperoning system to infect the target cells, replicate, and spread, and here we present illustrative examples. Unfortunately, the role of chaperones in the SARS-CoV-2 cycle is still poorly understood. In this review, we examine the interactions of various coronaviruses during their infectious cycle with chaperones in search of information useful for future research on SARS-CoV-2. We also call attention to the possible role of molecular mimicry in the dev…

Expression of the Acetylcholine Receptor α-Subunit Gene is Associated with Paraneoplastic Myasthenia Gravis in Mixed Thymoma

2000

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disease caused by autoantibodies against the acetylcholine receptor (AChR) at the neuromuscular junction [1]. The muscular AChR has been extensively characterized [2], but the etiology of MG is still obscure. Whether the muscular AChR or another (auto)antigen plays a role during the initiation of MG is unknown [3]. The muscular AChR is a pentameric ion channel composed of four different subunits. The α-subunit contains the acetylcholine binding site and the main epitopes recognized by MG autoantibodies [2]. The human muscle AChR α-subunit exists as two isoforms, P3A- and P3A+ [4]. This is a result of alternative splicing of the P3A exon located betwee…

Interaction of iron(II)-heme and artemisinin with a peptide mimic of Plasmodium falciparum HRP-II

2007

Abstract The interaction of heme or heme-artemisinin adducts (heme-art) with different peptides mimicking repeat sequences of the Histidine-Rich-Protein-II of Plasmodium falciparum (PfHRP-II) was investigated. The pseudo-first order rate constants of the coordination of heme or heme-art onto a histidine rich peptide, used as a mimic of PfHRP-II putative heme binding sequence, are of the same order of magnitude, namely 42 and 14 s −1 , respectively. Despite the intrinsic reactivity of the carbonyl at C10 of heme-art toward a hydroxyl function, a peptide containing a serine or threonine residue does not readily react with heme-art adducts. Therefore, a much higher affinity of heme-art compare…

Inhibition of ubiquitin-dependent proteolysis by a synthetic glycine-alanine repeat peptide that mimics an inhibitory viral sequence.

2002

AbstractThe glycine–alanine repeat (GAr) of the Epstein–Barr virus nuclear antigen-1 is a cis-acting transferable element that inhibits ubiquitin/proteasome-dependent proteolysis in vitro and in vivo. We have here examined the effect of a synthetic 20-mer GAr oligopeptide on the degradation of iodinated or biotin labeled lysozyme in a rabbit reticulocyte lysates in vitro assay. Micromolar concentrations of the GA-20 peptide inhibited the hydrolysis of lysozyme without significant effect on ubiquitination. Addition of the peptide did not inhibit the hydrolysis of fluorogenic substrate by purified proteasomes and did not affect the ubiquitination of lysozyme. An excess of the peptide failed t…

SARS-CoV-2 in patients with cancer: possible role of mimicry of human molecules by viral proteins and the resulting anti-cancer immunity

2021

AbstractA few reports suggest that molecular mimicry can have a role in determining the more severe and deadly forms of COVID-19, inducing endothelial damage, disseminated intravascular coagulation, and multiorgan failure. Heat shock proteins/molecular chaperones can be involved in these molecular mimicry phenomena. However, tumor cells can display on their surface heat shock proteins/molecular chaperones that are mimicked by SARS-CoV-2 molecules (including the Spike protein), similarly to what happens in other bacterial or viral infections. Since molecular mimicry between SARS-CoV-2 and tumoral proteins can elicit an immune reaction in which antibodies or cytotoxic cells produced against t…

Molecular mimicry may explain multi-organ damage in COVID-19

2020

International audience

Significant in vivo anti-inflammatory activity of Pytren4Q-Mn a superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2) mimetic scorpiand-like Mn (II) complex.

2015

Background The clinical use of purified SOD enzymes has strong limitations due to their large molecular size, high production cost and immunogenicity. These limitations could be compensated by using instead synthetic SOD mimetic compounds of low molecular weight. Background/Methodology We have recently reported that two SOD mimetic compounds, the MnII complexes of the polyamines Pytren2Q and Pytren4Q, displayed high antioxidant activity in bacteria and yeast. Since frequently molecules with antioxidant properties or free-radical scavengers also have anti-inflammatory properties we have assessed the anti-inflammatory potential of Pytren2Q and Pytren4Q MnII complexes, in cultured macrophages …

Are antiphospholipid antibodies an essential requirement for an effective immune response to infections?

2007

Antiphospholipid antibodies show a close association to a variety of infections. Recent data implicate that parvovirus B19 may be used as a model-system for studying the interaction of viral infection and the development of these autoantibodies. B19-related diseases commonly associated with the acute infection show flu-like symptoms, transient arthralgias, leukopenia and thrombocytopenia, and, in pregnant women, spontaneous abortion and hydrops fetalis. Hepatitis, myocarditis, meningitis, encephalitis, as well as pure red cell anemia may occur occasionally. In addition, parvovirus B19 infections have been frequently described as the cause or trigger of various forms of autoimmune diseases a…