Immunophilins binding

Studies on the exact mode of action of the unmodified sanglifehrin A (1) by Liu et al. found that 1 inhibits the T cell cycle (G1 phase), mediated by activation of the tumor suppressor gene p53 [21]. Sanglifehrin A (1) is a novel immunosuppressant, which, in addition to CsA, FK506, and rapamycin, represents a fourth class of immunophilin-binding metabolites with a new, as yet undefined mechanism of action [22]. The structural variation now accessible through total and partial synthesis should contribute to understanding of its bio-... 

An immunophilin binding assay was developed for Siro measurement and an investigational microparticle enzyme immunoassay was used in two phase III clinical trials. Currently, there is no available automated immunoassay, although assays of this type are in development. 

FKBP12 is a member of immunophilin family that has prolyl isomerase activity and is related to the cyclophi-lins in function. FKBP12 binds immunosuppressant molecule FK506 (tacrolimus). The FBKP-FK506 complex inhibits calcineurin, a protein phosphatase, thus blocking signal transduction in the T-lymphocyte... 

Rapamycin is a macrocyclic lactone produced by Streptomyces hygroscopious. This bacterium was originally cultured from a soil sample collected on Easter Island (known locally as Rapa Nui hence the name rapamycin). Parenthetically, rapamycin shares an interesting mode of action with two other antifungal and immunosuppressive compounds, FK506and cyclosporin A. Inside cells, rapamycin first binds to FKBP12, a small protein receptor known as an immunophilin. FKBP12 is not an essential protein but is an important cofactor required for rapamycin to bind and inhibit TOR. 

Inhibitor 1, inhibitor 2 DARPP-32, NIPP1 Inhibitor 12A, inhibitor 22A Immunophilins Cyclosporin A-cyclophilin, FK06-FK506-binding protein... 

Immunophilin is the generic term for a binding protein for an immunosuppressive agent, and all currently known immunophilins belong to the cyclophilin or FKBP families. The two families of immunophilins— like the small molecules they bind—don t have any readily apparent relationship. FKBP12 and CyPA have no sequence similarity, CsA does not inhibit FKBP12, and FK506 does not inhibit CyPA. 

With another immunophilin, FK binding protein (FKBP), experiments were performed using isotope editing of the [U-13C]-labeled inhibitor ascomycin (bound to unlabeled FKBP) [34], as well as by isotope filtering with unlabeled ascomycin derivatives (bound to labeled FKBP) [35],... 

Pharmacology Sirolimus, a macrolide immunosuppressive agent, inhibits both T-lymphocyte activation and proliferation that occurs in response to antigenic and cytokine (interleukin-2, -4, and -15) stimulation and also inhibits antibody production. In cells, sirolimus binds to the immunophilin, FK binding protein-12 (FKBP-12), to generate an immunosuppressive complex. 

Another drug whose immunosuppressive action is mediated by the complexation with a cellular protein of the immunophilins is FK506. FK506 binds to proteins of the FKBP family. The complex formed is involved in the inhibition of the phosphatase calcineurin, similar to the mode of action of CsA after binding to cyclophilin. The ACE method was used to detect... 

Tacrolimus (FK 506) is an immunosuppressant macrolide antibiotic produced by Streptomyces tsukubaensis. It is not chemically related to cyclosporine, but their mechanisms of action are similar. Both drugs bind to cytoplasmic peptidyl-prolyl isomerases that are abundant in all tissues. While cyclosporine binds to cyclophilin, tacrolimus binds to the immunophilin FK-binding protein (FKBP). Both complexes inhibit calcineurin, which is necessary for the activation of the T-cell-specific transcription factor NF-AT. 

A new class of immunosuppressive agents called proliferation-signal inhibitors (PSIs) includes sirolimus (rapamycin) and its derivative everolimus. The mechanism of action of PSIs differs from that of the calcineurin inhibitors. PSIs bind the circulating immunophilin FK506-binding protein 12, resulting in an active complex that blocks the molecular target of rapamycin (mTOR). 

Binds to an immunophilin protein to form a complex which inhibits the activation ot the mammalian Target of Rapamycin (mTOR)ulatory kinase. This inhibits T lymphocyte activation and proliferation by IL-2. IL-4, and IL-5. 

Tacrolimus suppresses peptidyl-prolyl isomerase activity by binding to the immuno-philin FK506-binding protein-12 (FKBP-12), and the tacrolimus-FKBP-12 complex binds to calcineurin and inhibits calcineurin phosphatase activity. As a result, calcineurin is unable to dephosphorylate NFATc and thus its migration to nucleus is blocked where its association with NFATn is necessary for the activation of key cytokine genes. Therefore, its mechanism of action is similar to cyclosporine although tacrolimus binds to a separate set of immunophilins in the cytoplasm. Tacrolimus, like cyclosporine, inhibits the secretion of key cytokines and inhibits T-cell activation (Fig. 4.2). 

Fig. 4.2 Mechanism of action of tacrolimus. Tacrolimus readily diffuses into the cytoplasm of the target cell where it binds to immunophilins (FK506-BP). The tacrolimus-immunophilin complex stably associates with calcineurm and inhibits calcineurin activity. Calcineurin is a Ca2+-dependent enzyme—serine/threonine phosphatase—which after activation by Ca2+, dephos-phorylates a cytosolic component of NFAT (NFATc, cytosolic factor of activated T cells). After dephosphorylation, NFATc migrates from the cytoplasm to the nucleus where it associates with NFATn and induces transcription of several cytokine genes including IL-2. Tacrolimus inhibits calcineurin activity after associating with immunophilins, resulting in the inhibition of IL-2 production and other cytokines (see Color Insert)...

Fig. 4.3 Mechanism of action of sirolimus. Sirolimus readily diffuses into the cytoplasm of the target cells where it binds to immunophilins (FK506-BP). The sirolimus-immunophilin complex does not inhibit calcineurin activity instead it binds to the mTOR. The sirolimus-immunophilin-mTOR complex stops the cell cycle progression from G1 to S phase. The targets of sirolimus include the eukaryotic initiation factor (eIF-4F), 70-kDa S6 protein kinase (p70S6 K) and several cyclin-dependent kinases (cdk). As a consequence, it blocks downstream signaling pathway initiated after activation of IL-2 receptors, resulting in blockage of T-cell proliferation (see Color Insert)...

Wood MA, Bierer BE. Rapamycin biological and therapeutic effects, binding by immunophilins and molecular targets of action. Perspect Drug Discov Design 1994 2 163-184. 

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