La cohésion des chromatides sœurs chez Escherichia coli

Chez les bactéries, la ségrégation du chromosome est initiée durant la phase de réplication. Des expériences de time lapse, utilisées pour observer que la dynamique des loci frères durant le cycle cellulaire, montrent que, chez Escherichia coli, les régions sœurs restent colocalisées pour une période significative dans les régions des macrodomaines du chromosome et pour une courte période dans les régions non-structurées. Nous nous sommes posés la question suivante: est ce que l étape de colocalisation révèle une réelle cohésion entre les chromatides sœurs ? Pour y répondre, nous avons développé un outil génétique, alternatif aux outils de biologie cellulaire, permettant de mesurer la distance entre les chromatides sœurs de manière directe. La fréquence de recombinaison intermoléculaire médiée par la recombinase Cre entre les sites loxP positionnés sur les chromatides sœurs est mesurée pour différentes positions. De cette fréquence, nous avons pu déduire la proximité entre les chromatides sœurs. Nous révélons que les loci frères restent proche l un de l autre pour une courte période après la réplication. Nous appelons cette étape la cohésion moléculaire, celle-ci est dépendante du locus considéré. Nous montrons que les facteurs qui favorisent la colocalisation des foci frères n augmentent pas nécessairement l habilité des loci frères à recombiner. En effet, la protéine MatP, un acteur de la colocalisation des macrodomaines Ter, n affecte pas la cohésion entre les deux copies de cette région. La Topoisomérase IV est un facteur essentiel à la ségrégation des chromosomes. En son absence, les chromosomes ne peuvent se ségréger et restent colocalisés dans la cellule. Nous révélons par le test de recombinaison que l absence de Topoisométase IV dans les cellules provoque une augmentation des interactions entre chromatides sœurs. Au final, nous avons montré que l étape de cohésion est différente de la colocalisation, que les mécanismes moléculaires diffèrent d une étape à l autre et que les liens de précaténation moduleraient la cohésion post-réplicative entre chromatides sœurs.In bacteria, the segregation of the chromosome is initiated during the replication phase. Time lapse experiments, used to watch the dynamic of loci during cell cycle, showed, in Escherichia coli, that the sister loci remain colocalized for a significant amount of time in the macrodomain regions of the chromosome and for shorter period in the Non Structured regions. We asked the following question: does this colocalization step reveal a real cohesion between the sister chromatids? To answer, we have developed a genetic tool, alternative to cell biology tools, to measure the distance between sister chromatids directly. The frequency of intermolecular recombination mediated by Cre recombinase loxP sites located on sister chromatids was measured for various loci. From this frequency we were able to deduce the proximity of sister chromatids. We revealed that sister loci remained in close proximity for a short period following replication. We called this step molecular cohesion, it is dependent on the considered locus. We showed that factors that promote colocalisation of sister foci do not necessarily increase the ability of sister loci to recombine. Indeed, the MatP protein, an actor of macrodomain Ter colocalisation, does not affect the cohesion between the two copies of this region. The TopoIV is essential for the segregation of chromosomes. In its absence, the chromosomes can not segregate and remain colocalized in the cell. We reveal by recombinaison assy that the absence of Topoisomerase IV revealed an increase of interactions between sister chromatids. To conclude, we have shown that the cohesion step is different from the colocalisation step, the molecular mechanisms differ from one stage to another and précaténation links take part in the post-replicative cohesion between sister chromatidsPARIS11-SCD-Bib. électronique (914719901) / SudocSudocFranceF

Exergy assessment and sustainability of a simple off-shore oscillating water column device

This work was funded by Andalusian Regional Government, Spain, projects P18-RT-3595 and B-RNM-346-UGR18. Research to be continued under grant TED2021-131717B-I00 funded by MCIN/AEI/ 10.13039/501100011033 and, as appropriate, by ERDF A way of making Europe, by he European Union and by the European Union NextGenerationEU/PRTR.This paper present a research on the performance efficiency and sustainability of an Oscillating Water Column (OWC) simple off-shore device, accounting for the influence of governing thermodynamic variables (moisture, temperature, pressure) in the compression/expansion polytropic process. The work proposes a simple off-shore OWC experimental set up as the basis of the study. The analysis takes into consideration both gas subsystems inside and outside the OWC, to achieve a better understanding of the conservative nature of entropy system variable, the net exchange balance, the effects on efficiency and exergy destruction, and the interpretation of the OWC as a thermodynamic engine. Results show that, within the context of the set up, moderate wave climate conditions contribute to a better efficiency of the device in terms of output power, providing with a low impact on exergy destruction and high sustainability in terms of renewability index.Andalusian Regional Government, Spain, projects P18-RT-3595 and B-RNM-346-UGR18Grant TED2021-131717B-I00 funded by MCIN/AEI/ 10.13039/501100011033ERDF A way of making Europe, by he European Union and by the European Union NextGenerationEU/PRT

Microsatellite Markers Confirm Self‐Pollination and Autogamy in Wild Populations of Vanilla mexicana Mill. (syn. V. inodora) (Orchidaceae) in the Island of Guadeloupe

The study aimed at evaluating the mating system of Vanilla mexicana (Orchidaceae) in natural populations in the island of Guadeloupe. A total of 132 V. mexicana samples were collected from 12 sites in Guadeloupe (Basse‐Terre). Five other samples coming from Martinique and Mexico completed our analyses. Reproductive biology experiments excluding pollinators with bagged flowers revealed 53.9% fruit set, a value identical to the natural fruit set measured in the populations. These results suggested that V. mexicana, unlike most Vanilla species, was reproducing by self‐pollination and autogamy. Due to lack of specific DNA markers for V. mexicana, microsatellite markers, previously developed in other Vanilla species, were used for the genetic analyses. Only 6 out of the 33 markers tested were transferable and polymorphic in V. mexicana. A panel of 51 V. mexicana samples genotyped with 3 polymorphic loci was finally retained for Guadeloupe population genetic analyses. A heterozygote deficiency was detected, and the selfing rate was estimated to 74%. These results confirmed the reproductive biology results as self‐pollination and autogamy were the most likely explanation for this deficit. Results were compared to those from allogamous wild Vanilla species and discussed in the light of suggested existence of a pollinator for V. mexicana in other areas (Mexico)

PlantRNA, a database for tRNAs of photosynthetic eukaryotes.

International audiencePlantRNA database (http://plantrna.ibmp.cnrs.fr/) compiles transfer RNA (tRNA) gene sequences retrieved from fully annotated plant nuclear, plastidial and mitochondrial genomes. The set of annotated tRNA gene sequences has been manually curated for maximum quality and confidence. The novelty of this database resides in the inclusion of biological information relevant to the function of all the tRNAs entered in the library. This includes 5'- and 3'-flanking sequences, A and B box sequences, region of transcription initiation and poly(T) transcription termination stretches, tRNA intron sequences, aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases and enzymes responsible for tRNA maturation and modification. Finally, data on mitochondrial import of nuclear-encoded tRNAs as well as the bibliome for the respective tRNAs and tRNA-binding proteins are also included. The current annotation concerns complete genomes from 11 organisms: five flowering plants (Arabidopsis thaliana, Oryza sativa, Populus trichocarpa, Medicago truncatula and Brachypodium distachyon), a moss (Physcomitrella patens), two green algae (Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and Ostreococcus tauri), one glaucophyte (Cyanophora paradoxa), one brown alga (Ectocarpus siliculosus) and a pennate diatom (Phaeodactylum tricornutum). The database will be regularly updated and implemented with new plant genome annotations so as to provide extensive information on tRNA biology to the research community

Regulation of Op18 during Spindle Assembly in Xenopus Egg Extracts

Oncoprotein 18 (Op18) is a microtubule-destabilizing protein that is negatively regulated by phosphorylation. To evaluate the role of the three Op18 phosphorylation sites in Xenopus (Ser 16, 25, and 39), we added wild-type Op18, a nonphosphorylatable triple Ser to Ala mutant (Op18-AAA), and to mimic phosphorylation, a triple Ser to Glu mutant (Op18-EEE) to egg extracts and monitored spindle assembly. Op18-AAA dramatically decreased microtubule length and density, while Op18-EEE did not significantly affect spindle microtubules. Affinity chromatography with these proteins revealed that the microtubule-destabilizing activity correlated with the ability of Op18 to bind tubulin. Since hyperphosphorylation of Op18 is observed upon addition of mitotic chromatin to extracts, we reasoned that chromatin-associated proteins might play a role in Op18 regulation. We have performed a preliminary characterization of the chromatin proteins recruited to DNA beads, and identified the Xenopus polo-like kinase Plx1 as a chromatin-associated kinase that regulates Op18 phosphorylation. Depletion of Plx1 inhibits chromatin-induced Op18 hyperphosphorylation and spindle assembly in extracts. Therefore, Plx1 may promote microtubule stabilization and spindle assembly by inhibiting Op18

Quick and Simple Detection Technique to Assess the Binding of Antimicrotubule Agents to the Colchicine-Binding Site

Development of antimitotic binding to the colchicine-binding site for the treatment of cancer is rapidly expanding. Numerous antimicrotubule agents are prepared every year, and the determination of their binding affinity to tubulin requires the use of purified tubulins and radiolabeled ligands. Such a procedure is costly and time-consuming and therefore is limited to the most promising candidates. Here, we report a quick and inexpensive method that requires only usual laboratory resources to assess the binding of antimicrotubules to colchicine-binding site. The method is based on the ability of N,N'-ethylene-bis(iodoacetamide) (EBI) to crosslink in living cells the cysteine residues at position 239 and 354 of β-tubulin, residues which are involved in the colchicine-binding site. The β-tubulin adduct formed by EBI is easily detectable by Western blot as a second immunoreacting band of β-tubulin that migrates faster than β-tubulin. The occupancy of colchicine-binding site by pertinent antimitotics inhibits the formation of the EBI: β-tubulin adduct, resulting in an assay that allows the screening of new molecules targeting this binding site

Expression Levels of a Kinesin-13 Microtubule Depolymerase Modulates the Effectiveness of Anti-Microtubule Agents

Chemotherapeutic drugs often target the microtubule cytoskeleton as a means to disrupt cancer cell mitosis and proliferation. Anti-microtubule drugs inhibit microtubule dynamics, thereby triggering apoptosis when dividing cells activate the mitotic checkpoint. Microtubule dynamics are regulated by microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs); however, we lack a comprehensive understanding about how anti-microtubule agents functionally interact with MAPs. In this report, we test the hypothesis that the cellular levels of microtubule depolymerases, in this case kinesin-13 s, modulate the effectiveness of the microtubule disrupting drug colchicine.We used a combination of RNA interference (RNAi), high-throughput microscopy, and time-lapse video microscopy in Drosophila S2 cells to identify a specific MAP, kinesin-like protein 10A (KLP10A), that contributes to the efficacy of the anti-microtubule drug colchicine. KLP10A is an essential microtubule depolymerase throughout the cell cycle. We find that depletion of KLP10A in S2 cells confers resistance to colchicine-induced microtubule depolymerization to a much greater extent than depletion of several other destabilizing MAPs. Using image-based assays, we determined that control cells retained 58% (+/-2%SEM) of microtubule polymer when after treatment with 2 microM colchicine for 1 hour, while cells depleted of KLP10A by RNAi retained 74% (+/-1%SEM). Likewise, overexpression of KLP10A-GFP results in increased susceptibility to microtubule depolymerization by colchicine.Our results demonstrate that the efficacy of microtubule destabilization by a pharmacological agent is dependent upon the cellular expression of a microtubule depolymerase. These findings suggest that expression levels of Kif2A, the human kinesin-13 family member, may be an attractive biomarker to assess the effectiveness of anti-microtubule chemotherapies. Knowledge of how MAP expression levels affect the action of anti-microtubule drugs may prove useful for evaluating possible modes of cancer treatment

Prime movers : mechanochemistry of mitotic kinesins

Mitotic spindles are self-organizing protein machines that harness teams of multiple force generators to drive chromosome segregation. Kinesins are key members of these force-generating teams. Different kinesins walk directionally along dynamic microtubules, anchor, crosslink, align and sort microtubules into polarized bundles, and influence microtubule dynamics by interacting with microtubule tips. The mechanochemical mechanisms of these kinesins are specialized to enable each type to make a specific contribution to spindle self-organization and chromosome segregation