Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) is due to immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies, which bind platelet factor 4 (PF4) modified by polyanions, such as heparin (H). IgG/PF4/polyanion complexes directly activate platelets via Fc gamma type 2 receptor A (FcγRIIA) receptors. A bacterial protease, IgG-degrading enzyme of Streptococcus pyogenes (IdeS), cleaves the hinge region of heavy-chain IgG, abolishing its ability to bind FcγR, including FcγRIIA. We evaluated whether cleavage of anti-PF4/H IgG by IdeS could suppress the pathogenicity of HIT antibodies. IdeS quickly cleaved purified 5B9, a monoclonal chimeric anti-PF4/H IgG1, which led to the formation of single cleaved 5B9 (sc5B9), without any reduction in binding ability to the PF4/H complex. However, as compared with uncleaved 5B9, the affinity of sc5B9 for platelet FcγRIIA was greatly reduced, and sc5B9 was also unable to induce heparin-dependent platelet activation. In addition, incubating IdeS in whole blood containing 5B9 or HIT plasma samples led to cleavage of anti-PF4/H antibodies, which fully abolished the ability to induce heparin-dependent platelet aggregation and tissue factor messenger RNA synthesis by monocytes. Also, when whole blood was perfused in von Willebrand factor–coated microfluidic channels, platelet aggregation and fibrin formation induced by 5B9 with heparin was strongly reduced after IdeS treatment. Finally, IdeS prevented thrombocytopenia and hypercoagulability induced by 5B9 with heparin in transgenic mice expressing human PF4 and FcγRIIA receptors. In conclusion, cleavage of anti-PF4/H IgG by IdeS abolishes heparin-dependent cellular activation induced by HIT antibodies. IdeS injection could be a potential treatment of patients with severe HIT.
Toxoplasma gondii has a complex life cycle characterized by multiple differentiation steps that are essential for its survival in both human and definitive feline host. Several studies have demonstrated the importance of phosphorylations by protein kinases during the life cycle of T. gondii. However, very little is known about protein phosphatases and their regulators in the parasite. We report the molecular and functional characterization of the T. gondii ortholog of the inhibitor-2 protein, designated TgI2. We show that TgI2 encompasses conserved motifs involved in the interaction and modulation of the phosphatase activity of T. gondii protein phosphatase 1, named TgPP1. We show that a specific combination of motifs is involved in binding and/or inhibition of the TgPP1 activity. We show here that the TgI2 protein is a potent inhibitor of TgPP1 phosphatase activity. TgI2 SILK and RVxF motifs are critical for regulating the activity of TgPP1, a feature that is common with the higher eukaryotes inhibitor-2 protein.
Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) is a severe drug-adverse event due to platelet-activating antibodies (Abs) directed against platelet factor 4 (PF4)/heparin (H) complexes. In most patients, HIT Abs are IgG that directly activate platelets and monocytes in the presence of heparin via FcγRIIA receptors. The interaction between the Fc fragment of anti-PF4/H IgG and FcγRIIA is thus a key step for cellular activation in HIT. Several bacterial proteases such as IdeS (IgG-degrading enzyme of Streptococcus pyogenes) are cleaving IgG in the lower hinge region of heavy chain leading to the formation of single cleaved IgG (scIgG) and then of Fab'2. Importantly, cleavage of IgG by IdeS can abolish their ability to bind FcγR and suppress the cellular effects resulting from this interaction. The aim of this study was therefore to evaluate whether anti-PF4/H IgG cleavage by IdeS could inhibit cell activation induced by HIT antibodies, and their pathogenicity. To achieve this objective, we studied the effects of IdeS on platelet responses to 5B9, a monoclonal chimeric anti-PF4/H IgG1 recently developed in our laboratory, and which fully mimics the effects of human HIT antibodies (Kizlik-Masson et al, J Thromb Haemost, 2017). IdeS was demonstrated to quickly (6 minutes) cleave purified 5B9 IgG, leading to the formation of sc5B9, without any reduction in its binding ability to PF4/H complex. However, flow cytometry experiments showed that heparin-dependent binding of sc5B9 to platelets and FcγRIIA was dramatically reduced compared to those of uncleaved 5B9. In addition, functional assays (serotonin release assays and platelet aggregation tests) also confirmed that sc5B9 was unable to induce platelet activation and aggregation in the presence of heparin. Incubation of IdeS (0.02 U/µg of IgG; 6 minutes) in whole blood containing 5B9 IgG or HIT plasma samples also lead in every sample tested to the cleavage of anti-PF4/H Abs, which fully abolished their capacity to induce heparin-dependent platelet aggregation, as demonstrated by impedance aggregometry (Multiplate analyzer). As expected, no effect of IdeS was observed on platelet aggregation induced by collagen (1 µg/mL), or ADP (10 µM). Moreover, tissue factor (TF) gene expression induced in monocytes by 5B9 in the presence of heparin was also completely abolished after addition of IdeS (0.02 U/µg of IgG; 6 minutes) in whole blood, whereas no inhibitory effect of this protease on TF expression induced by LPS was evidenced. We also showed that platelet aggregation and fibrin formation induced by 5B9 with heparin was completely inhibited after IdeS treatment when whole blood was perfused in vWF-coated microfluidic channels with shear rates similar to those of venous flow (500s-1). Finally, IdeS was also showed to prevent efficiently thrombocytopenia and hypercoagulability (with no increase in thrombin/anti-thrombin plasma levels) induced by 5B9 in transgenic mice expressing human PF4 and FcγRIIA receptors, when previously treated by this protease (0.5 µg/g) before IV injection of heparin. In conclusion, the cleavage of anti-PF4/H IgG by IdeS prevents heparin-dependent cellular activation induced by HIT antibodies, thereby reducing their pathogenicity. Therefore, injection of IdeS could be considered as a potential treatment in patients with severe HIT, particularly in those who necessitate emergent cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass and thus anticoagulation with unfractionated heparin, which remains the safest and easiest anticoagulant to be used in this specific surgical procedure. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
La région charnière est une courte séquence des chaînes lourdes (H) d’anticorps liant le Fab (fragment antigen binding) au Fc (fragment crystallisable). Les propriétés fonctionnelles des quatre sous-classes d’immunoglobulines d’isotype G (IgG) résultent en partie des différences de séquence de leurs régions charnières. En effet, certains acides aminés de la partie C-terminale de ces régions charnières (« partie basse ») sont situés au sein ou à proximité des sites de liaison de la molécule C1q de la voie classique du complément et des récepteurs pour la région Fc des IgG (RFcγ) sur les chaînes H d’IgG. Les régions charnières sont également sensibles au clivage protéolytique par de nombreuses protéases du microenvironnement tumoral et/ou inflammatoire pouvant altérer les réponses fonctionnelles. Le format optimal de la charnière reste donc un défi majeur pour le développement de nouveaux anticorps thérapeutiques.
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