[NSCLC and new oncogenic mutations: Diagnosis and perspectives]. / Carcinome bronchique non à petites cellules : nouvelles addictions oncogéniques, diagnostic et perspectives.

The development of new targeted therapies in non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) depends on a better understanding of the molecular basis of carcinogenesis, a knowledge of the role of molecular aberrations in disease progression and the development of molecular biology platforms with the capacity to identify new biomarkers. In the current article, we review the techniques routinely used in cancer molecular biology platforms as well as new techniques under development. These new NSCLC biomarkers have been made available to clinicians and biologists in parallel with the development of targeted drugs. New molecular abnormalities of EGFR exon 20, HER2, MET, RET, BRAF, ROS1 and NTRK have been identified and there have been clinical trials of the most innovative targeted drugs.

RADIORYTHMIC: Phase III, Opened, Randomized Study of Postoperative Radiotherapy Versus Surveillance in Stage IIb/III of Masaoka Koga Thymoma after Complete Surgical Resection.

INTRODUCTION: Thymomas are rare intrathoracic malignancies that may be aggressive and difficult to treat. Knowledge and level of evidence for treatment strategies are mainly based on retrospective studies or expert opinion. Currently there is no strong evidence that postoperative radiotherapy after complete resection of localized thymoma is associated with survival benefit in patients. RADIORYTHMIC is a phase III, randomized trial aiming at comparing postoperative radiotherapy versus surveillance after complete resection of Masaoka-Koga stage IIb/III thymoma. Systematic central pathologic review will be performed before patient enrollment as per the RYTHMIC network pathway. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Three hundred fourteen patients will be included; randomization 1:1 will attribute either postoperative radiotherapy (50-54 Gy to the mediastinum using intensity-modulated radiation therapy or proton beam therapy) or surveillance. Stratification criteria include histologic grading (thymoma type A, AB, B1 vs B2, B3), stage, and delivery of preoperative chemotherapy. Patient recruitment will be mainly made through the French RYTHMIC network of 15 expert centers participating in a nationwide multidisciplinary tumor board. Follow-up will last 7 years. The primary endpoint is recurrence-free survival. Secondary objectives include overall survival, assessment of acute and late toxicities, and analysis of prognostic and predictive biomarkers. RESULTS: The first patient will be enrolled in January 2021, with results expected in 2028.

[Efficacy and tolerance of tenofovir-lamivudine-efavirenz combination in HIV-1 patients in Fann Teaching Hospital in Dakar]. / Efficacité et tolérance de l'association ténofovir-lamivudine-éfavirenz chez les patients VIH-1 à la clinique des maladies infectieuses du CHNU de Fann à Dakar.

We conducted a study to evaluate the efficacy and tolerance of the tenofovir (TDF), lamivudine (3TC) and efavirenz (EFV) combination regimen in HIV-1 patients by a descriptive analytical retrospective study of all HIV-1 patients receiving TDF-3TC-EFV combination between 2007 and 2011. Collected data was analysed using EpiInfo™ version 6.04. One hundred patients were included, with an average follow-up duration of 27 months and 19 days (± 21 months and 14 days).We observed an average increase in body weight of about 8 kg per annum, with an average rise in CD4 count of 100/mm(3) by the end of the second year. A reduction in viral load with 71% of patients in therapeutic success at 24 month of treatment was noted. Ninety-two patients presented with at least one side effect, mostly being Grade 1 or 2 (96.36%). Neurological (24 patients) and digestive (20 patients) complaints comprised the commonest reported side effects. Four patients had adverse effects severe enough to warrant a change in treatment regimen, principally due to renal insufficiency. Thirteen subjects died. Patients receiving TDF-3TC-EVF combination therapy need rigorous surveillance because this combination, although efficient, is not without significant adverse effects.

Fungal gene expression during pathogenesis-related development and host plant colonization.

To successfully infect plants, pathogenic fungi must recognize and communicate with their host during different stages of the disease cycle. In past years, techniques such as insertional mutagenesis, sensitive GFP-based reporter systems and microarray techniques have been developed to analyze these processes at the molecular level, and now novel insights into this fascinating aspect of pathogen-plant communication are beginning to emerge. This is exemplified by a number of pathogenicity genes functioning in distinct stages of pathogenic development in Magnaporthe grisea.

Characterization of a Ustilago maydis gene specifically induced during the biotrophic phase: evidence for negative as well as positive regulation.

The phytopathogenic basidiomycete Ustilago maydis requires its host plant, maize, for completion of its sexual cycle. To investigate the molecular events during infection, we used differential display to identify plant-induced U. maydis genes. We describe the U. maydis gene mig1 (for "maize-induced gene"), which is not expressed during yeast-like growth of the fungus, is weakly expressed during filamentous growth in axenic culture, but is extensively upregulated during plant infection. mig1 encodes a small, highly charged protein of unknown function which contains a functional N-terminal secretion sequence and is not essential for pathogenic development. Adjacent to mig1 is a second gene (mdu1) related to mig1, which appears to result from a gene duplication. mig1 gene expression during the infection cycle was assessed by fusing the promoter to eGFP. Expression of mig1 was absent in hyphae growing on the leaf surface but was detected after penetration and remained high during subsequent proliferation of the fungus until teliospore formation. Successive deletions as well as certain internal deletions in the mig1 promoter conferred elevated levels of reporter gene expression during growth in axenic culture, indicative of negative regulation. During fungal growth in planta, sequence elements between positions -148 and -519 in the mig1 promoter were specifically required for high levels of induction, illustrating additional positive control. We discuss the potential applications of mig1 for the identification of inducing compounds and the respective regulatory genes.

Fungal-plant signalling in the Ustilago maydis-maize pathosystem.

The smut fungus Ustilago maydis needs the host plant maize for completion of its sexual life cycle. Recent experiments highlight the importance of cAMP and mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase signalling for cell fusion as well as for subsequent stages of plant colonisation and induction of disease symptoms. During these distinct developmental stages the same signalling cascades must be differentially regulated and accommodate multiple inputs and outputs.

Two potential indole-3-acetaldehyde dehydrogenases in the phytopathogenic fungus Ustilago maydis.

The phytopathogenic basidiomycetc Ustilago maydis produces indole-3-acetic acid (IndCH2COOH) and indole-3-pyruvic acid (Ind-Prv) from tryptophan. Indole-3-acetaldehyde (IndCH2CH2O) is the common intermediate in the conversion of Ind-Prv and tryptamine to IndCH2COOH. We purified an enzyme (Iad1) from U. maydis that catalyzes the NAD(+)-dependent conversion of IndCH2CH2O to IndCH2COOH and isolated corresponding cDNA and genomic clones. The identity of the cDNA clone was confirmed by expression in Escherichia coli and demonstration of enzymatic activity. In U. maydis, iad1-null mutants were generated by gene replacement. The ability to convert IndCH2CH2O to IndCH2COOH was at least 100-fold reduced in U. maydis iad1-null mutants grown in medium with glucose as carbon source. However, the iad1-null mutants were not diminished in their capacity to produce IndCH2COOH from tryptophan, indicating that IndCH2COOH formation from tryptophan apparently proceeds in the absence of IndCH2CH2O dehydrogenase activity under these conditions. Iad1 expression was strongly induced during growth on ethanol while under these conditions iad1-null mutants were unable to grow. This reveals that iad1 is primarily engaged in the conversion of ethanol to acetate. In iad1-null mutants we detected an additional NAD(+)-dependent IndCH2CH2O dehydrogenase activity that was induced during growth on L-arabinose but repressed in the presence of D-glucose. In arabinose-containing medium the conversion of tryptophan to IndCH2COOH was approximately 5-fold reduced in wild-type strains but 10-15-fold reduced in iad1-null mutant strains compared to IndCH2COOH formation in glucose-containing medium. In addition, the formation of Ind-Prv from tryptophan was abolished in wild-type and iad1-null mutant strains. During growth on arabinose, the conversion of tryptamine to IndCH2COOH was strongly favored suggesting that the glucose-repressible IndCH2CH2O dehydrogenase is required to convert IndCH2CH2O derived from tryptamine to IndCH2COOH.

High affinity binding of a glycopeptide elicitor to tomato cells and microsomal membranes and displacement by specific glycan suppressors.

We have previously isolated glycopeptides derived from yeast invertase that acted as highly potent elicitors in suspension-cultured tomato cells, inducing ethylene biosynthesis and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase activity, and we have found that the high mannose oligosaccharides released from the pure glycopeptide elicitors by endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase H acted as suppressors of elicitor activity (Basse, C. W., Bock, K., and Boller, T. (1992) J. Biol. Chem. 267, 10258-10265). One of the elicitor-active glycopeptides (gp 8c) was labeled with t-butoxycarbonyl-L-[35S]methionine and purified by reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography resulting in a specific radioactivity of the derivative of about 900 Ci/mmol. This radiolabeled glycopeptide showed specific, saturable, and reversible binding to whole tomato cells under conditions in which cells are responsive to elicitors as well as to microsomal membranes derived from these cells. Ligand saturation experiments, performed with microsomal membranes, gave a dissociation constant (Kd) of 3.3 nM as determined by Scatchard analysis. Various glycopeptide elicitors and preparations from yeast invertase were compared with respect to their abilities to compete for binding of 35S-labeled gp 8c to tomato membranes and to induce ethylene biosynthesis in tomato cells. These studies revealed a high degree of correlation between elicitor activities in vivo and displacement activities in vitro. In both tests, a high activity depended on the presence of glycan side chains consisting of more than 8 mannosyl residues. The high mannose oligosaccharides that acted as suppressors of elicitor activity in vivo competed for binding of the labeled elicitor also. The suppressor-active glycan Man11GlcNAc and the elicitor-active gp 8c exhibited very similar displacement activities, and the inhibitory constant (Ki) of the glycan Man11GlcNAc was very similar to the Kd value calculated for 35S-labeled gp 8c, indicating that the glycopeptide elicitors and the glycan suppressors derived from these elicitors competed with similar affinities for the same binding site. The suppressor-inactive glycan Man8GlcNAc had a 200-fold lower capacity to compete for binding of 35S-labeled gp 8c to tomato membranes compared with the suppressor-active glycan Man11GlcNAc. Our results demonstrate the existence of a specific elicitor binding site in tomato cell membranes and suggest that glycopeptides and glycans act as agonists and antagonists for induction of the stress response, respectively, by competing for this binding site.

Elicitors and suppressors of the defense response in tomato cells. Purification and characterization of glycopeptide elicitors and glycan suppressors generated by enzymatic cleavage of yeast invertase.

Cleavage of yeast invertase by alpha-chymotrypsin produced a number of small glycopeptides that were highly active as elicitors of ethylene biosynthesis and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase in suspension-cultured tomato cells. Five of these elicitors were purified and their amino acid sequence determined. They all had sequences corresponding to known sequences of yeast invertase, and all contained an asparagine known to carry a N-linked small high mannose glycan. The most active glycopeptide elicitor induced ethylene biosynthesis and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase half-maximally at a concentration of 5-10 nM. Structure-activity relationships of the peptide part were analyzed by further cleavage of a defined glycopeptide elicitor with various proteolytic enzymes. Removal of the C-terminal phenylalanine enhanced the elicitor activity, whereas removal of N-terminal arginine impaired it. A glycopeptide with the peptide part trimmed to the dipeptide arginine-asparagine was still fully active as elicitor. Glycopeptides with identical amino acid sequences were further separated into fractions differing in the oligosaccharide side chain. A given peptide had high elicitor activity when carrying a glycan with 10-12 mannosyl residues (Man10-12GlcNAc2), a 3-fold lower activity when carrying Man9GlcNAc2 and a 100-fold lower activity when carrying Man8GlcNAc2. The oligosaccharides, released by endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase H from the pure glycopeptide elicitors, acted as suppressors of elicitor-induced ethylene biosynthesis and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase activity. A series of such oligosaccharides in the size range of Man8-13GlcNAc was purified. The structure and composition of the purified oligosaccharides corresponded to the known small high mannose glycans of yeast invertase as verified by 1H NMR spectroscopy at 600 MHz. The highest suppressor activities were obtained with the oligosaccharides containing 10-12 mannosyl residues (Man10-12GlcNAc). The oligosaccharide Man8 GlcNAc was ineffective as a suppressor. Thus, the structural requirements for the free oligosaccharides to act as efficient suppressors were the same as for the oligosaccharide side chains of the glycopeptides for high elicitor activity. We propose that the glycan suppressors bind to the same recognition site as the glycopeptide elicitors without inducing a response.

Glycopeptide elicitors of stress responses in tomato cells: N-linked glycans are essential for activity but act as suppressors of the same activity when released from the glycopeptides.

Induction of ethylene, an early symptom of the stress response in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum [L.] Mill) cells, was used as a bioassay to purify elicitor activity from yeast extract. The purified elicitor preparation consisted of small glycopeptides (mean relative molecular weight of approximately 2500) and induced ethylene biosynthesis and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase activity half-maximally at 15 nanograms per milliliter. Elicitor activity was partially abolished by pronase and almost completely by endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase H, alpha-mannosidase, or periodate. The oligosaccharides released upon treatment with endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase H competitively inhibited the elicitor activity of the glycopeptides. This suppressor activity was abolished by periodate oxidation and alpha-mannosidase treatment. The suppressors were chromatographically separated into four active fractions with sizes corresponding to 7 to 10 monosaccharides. They consisted predominantly of mannose and contained also N-acetylglucosamine and glucose. The suppressors had no effect on the response of the tomato cells to a different elicitor, derived from cell walls of Phytophthora megasperma f. sp. glycinea. This strongly suggests that different recognition sites exist for different elicitors in tomato cells, and that the oligosaccharide suppressors act specifically on the perception of just one elicitor. The hypothesis is put forward that the suppressors bind to one of the elicitor recognition sites nonproductively, i.e. without producing a signal, thereby preventing induction of the stress responses by the corresponding elicitor.

Elicitor-induced ethylene biosynthesis in tomato cells: characterization and use as a bioassay for elicitor action.

The induction of ethylene biosynthesis by an elicitor partially purified from yeast extract was studied in suspension-cultured tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) cells. Unstimulated cells produced little ethylene during exponential growth and even less in stationary phase. Treatment with elicitor stimulated ethylene biosynthesis 10-fold to 20-fold in the exponentially growing cells and more than 100-fold in stationary cells. Activities of both 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) synthase, measured in vitro, and ethylene-forming enzyme (EFE), measured in vivo, increased strongly in response to elicitor treatments. During exponential growth, cells contained large pools of ACC, and the elicitor stimulated ethylene biosynthesis primarily through induction of EFE. In the stationary phase, cells contained almost no ACC, and the elicitor stimulated ethylene biosynthesis primarily through its effect on ACC synthase activity. Cordycepin did not affect the increase in activity of ACC synthase but blocked that of EFE, indicating that the former was posttranscriptionally regulated, the latter transcriptionally regulated. Removal of elicitor by washing or inactivation of a biotinylated derivative of the elicitor by complexation with avidin caused a rapid cessation of the increase in ACC synthase activity, suggesting that continuous presence of stimulus is necessary for the response. Using induction of ethylene production to measure amounts of elicitor, it was found that the elicitor disappeared from the incubation medium during the course of the treatment.

Intrachromosomal recombination in plants.

Molecular evidence for intrachromosomal recombination between closely linked DNA repeats within the plant genome is presented. The non-overlapping complementary deletion derivatives of the selectable neomycin phosphotransferase gene (nptII), when intact conferring kanamycin resistance, were inserted into the genome of Nicotiana tabacum. The functional marker gene was restored with frequencies between 10(-4) and 10(-6) per proliferating cell clone. Prolonged tissue culture prior to kanamycin selection did not increase the number of recombinant kanamycin-resistant (KanR) cell clones. DNA analysis of KanR clones derived from cells carrying multiple tandem recombination units suggested that these units have a tendency to undergo concerted recombination. Recovery and analysis of kanamycin-sensitive seedlings with patches of KanR cells provided direct evidence for mitotic recombination in plant tissue.