Showing papers by "David Communi published in 2003"
TL;DR: Chemerin appears as a potent chemoattractant protein of a novel class, which requires proteolytic activation and is specific for APCs, and was shown to promote calcium mobilization and chemotaxis of immature DCs and macrophages in a ChemR23-dependent manner.
Abstract: Dendritic cells (DCs) and macrophages are professional antigen-presenting cells (APCs) that play key roles in both innate and adaptive immunity. ChemR23 is an orphan G protein-coupled receptor related to chemokine receptors, which is expressed specifically in these cell types. Here we present the characterization of chemerin, a novel chemoattractant protein, which acts through ChemR23 and is abundant in a diverse set of human inflammatory fluids. Chemerin is secreted as a precursor of low biological activity, which upon proteolytic cleavage of its COOH-terminal domain, is converted into a potent and highly specific agonist of ChemR23, the chemerin receptor. Activation of chemerin receptor results in intracellular calcium release, inhibition of cAMP accumulation, and phosphorylation of p42-p44 MAP kinases, through the Gi class of heterotrimeric G proteins. Chemerin is structurally and evolutionary related to the cathelicidin precursors (antibacterial peptides), cystatins (cysteine protease inhibitors), and kininogens. Chemerin was shown to promote calcium mobilization and chemotaxis of immature DCs and macrophages in a ChemR23-dependent manner. Therefore, chemerin appears as a potent chemoattractant protein of a novel class, which requires proteolytic activation and is specific for APCs.
833 citations
TL;DR: It is reported that placental growth factor (PGF) regulates inter- and intramolecular cross talk between the VEGF RTKs Flt1 and Flk1, which is likely to have therapeutic implications, as treatment with VegF/PGF heterodimer or a combination of VEGf plus PGF increased ischemic myocardial angiogenesis in a mouse model that was refractory to V EGF alone.
Abstract: Therapeutic angiogenesis is likely to require the administration of factors that complement each other. Activation of the receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) Flk1 by vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is crucial, but molecular interactions of other factors with VEGF and Flk1 have been studied to a limited extent. Here we report that placental growth factor (PGF, also known as PlGF) regulates inter- and intramolecular cross talk between the VEGF RTKs Flt1 and Flk1. Activation of Flt1 by PGF resulted in intermolecular transphosphorylation of Flk1, thereby amplifying VEGF-driven angiogenesis through Flk1. Even though VEGF and PGF both bind Flt1, PGF uniquely stimulated the phosphorylation of specific Flt1 tyrosine residues and the expression of distinct downstream target genes. Furthermore, the VEGF/PGF heterodimer activated intramolecular VEGF receptor cross talk through formation of Flk1/Flt1 heterodimers. The inter- and intramolecular VEGF receptor cross talk is likely to have therapeutic implications, as treatment with VEGF/PGF heterodimer or a combination of VEGF plus PGF increased ischemic myocardial angiogenesis in a mouse model that was refractory to VEGF alone.
766 citations
TL;DR: 2MeSADP was more potent than ADP in displacing [33P]2-methylthio-ADP bound to 1321N1 cells and increasing GTPgamma[35S] binding to membranes prepared from the same cells, which cannot be explained by differences in degradation rate.
Abstract: The P2Y13 receptor has recently been identified as a new P2Y receptor sharing a high sequence homology with the P2Y12 receptor as well as similar functional properties: coupling to Gi and responsiveness to ADP (Communi et al., 2001). In the present study, the pharmacology of the P2Y13 receptor and its differences with that of the P2Y12 receptor have been further characterized in 1321N1 cells (binding of [33P]2-methylthio-ADP (2MeSADP) and of GTPgamma[35S]), 1321N1 cells coexpressing Galpha16 [AG32 cells: inositol trisphosphate (IP3) measurement, binding of GTPgamma[35S]) and Chinese hamster ovary (CHO)-K1 cells (cAMP assay)]. 2MeSADP was more potent than ADP in displacing [33P]2MeSADP bound to 1321N1 cells and increasing GTPgamma[35S] binding to membranes prepared from the same cells. Similarly, 2MeSADP was more potent than ADP in stimulating IP3 accumulation after 10 min in AG32 cells and increasing cAMP in pertussis toxin-treated CHO-K1 cells stimulated by forskolin. On the other hand, ADP and 2MeSADP were equipotent at stimulating IP3 formation in AG32 cells after 30 s and inhibiting forskolininduced cAMP accumulation in CHO-K1 cells. These differences in potency cannot be explained by differences in degradation rate, which in AG32 cells was similar for the two nucleotides. When contaminating diphosphates were enzymatically removed and assay of IP3 was performed after 30 s, ATP and 2MeSATP seemed to be weak partial agonists of the P2Y13 receptor expressed in AG32 cells. The stimulatory effect of ADP on the P2Y13 receptor in AG32 cells was antagonized by reactive blue 2, suramin, pyridoxal-phosphate-6-azophenyl-2',4'disulfonic acid, diadenosine tetraphosphate, and 2-(propylthio)-5'-adenylic acid, monoanhydride with dichloromethylenebis (phosphonic acid) (AR-C67085MX), but not by N6-methyl 2'-deoxyadenosine 3',5'-bisphosphate (MRS-2179) (up to 100 microM). The most potent antagonist was N6-(2-methylthioethyl)-2-(3,3,3-trifluoropropylthio)-5'-adenylic acid, monoanhydride with dichloromethylenebis (phosphonic acid) (ARC69931MX) (IC50 = 4 nM), which behaved in a noncompetitive way. The active metabolite of clopidogrel was unable to displace bound 2MeSADP at concentrations up to 2 microM.
215 citations
Patent•
25 Jun 2003
TL;DR: In this article, a G-protein coupled receptor and a novel ligand were proposed for the diagnosis and treatment of a disease or disorder related to the dysregulation of Gprotein-coupled receptor signaling.
Abstract: The present invention relates to a G-protein coupled receptor and a novel ligand therefor. The invention provides screeing assays for the identification of candidate compounds which modulate the activity of the G-protein coupled receptor, as well as assays useful for the diagnosis and treatment of a disease or disorder related to the dysregulation of G-protein coupled receptor signaling.