Etude de la voie de signalisation Hedgehog dans les cancers du côlon

La voie de signalisation Hedgehog (HH) est impliquée dans le développement du tractus gastro-intestinal chez de nombreuses espèces. Elle est importante chez l’adulte en participant au maintien de l’homéostasie de l’épithélium intestinal. Récemment la suractivation de la voie HH a été mise en évidence dans de nombreux cancers dont ceux du tractus gastro-intestinal tels que les cancers de l’estomac et du pancréas. Au cours de ce travail, nous nous sommes intéressés à la voie de signalisation HH dans les cancers du côlon. L’expression des membres principaux de la voie HH a d’abord été caractérisée dans sept lignées cellulaires de cancers du côlon (Colo205, Colo320, HCT116, HT29, WiDr, SW480, Caco-2). L’absence d’expression de certains membres clés de la voie indique que celle-ci n’est pas activée, de façon autocrine, dans les lignées cellulaires. Cette observation est également appuyée par des expériences réalisées en traitant les cellules à la cyclopamine, inhibiteur de la voie HH. Enfin GLI1, facteur de transcription mimant une activation de la voie HH, a été surexprimé stablement dans les cellules HCT116. Nous avons pu montrer que l’activation de la voie HH induisait l’expression du gène BMP4, gène cible de la voie HH lors de l’embryogenèse intestinale, ainsi que l’activité phosphatase alcaline, marqueur de différenciation du côlon.Ces résultats suggèrent que la voie de signalisation HH n’est pas activée de façon autocrine dans les cancers du côlon mais semble plutôt associée à la différenciation des cellules du côlon

Using rare genetic mutations to revisit structural brain asymmetry

Asymmetry between the left and right hemisphere is a key feature of brain organization. Hemispheric functional specialization underlies some of the most advanced human-defining cognitive operations, such as articulated language, perspective taking, or rapid detection of facial cues. Yet, genetic investigations into brain asymmetry have mostly relied on common variants, which typically exert small effects on brain-related phenotypes. Here, we leverage rare genomic deletions and duplications to study how genetic alterations reverberate in human brain and behavior. We designed a pattern-learning approach to dissect the impact of eight high-effect-size copy number variations (CNVs) on brain asymmetry in a multi-site cohort of 552 CNV carriers and 290 non-carriers. Isolated multivariate brain asymmetry patterns spotlighted regions typically thought to subserve lateralized functions, including language, hearing, as well as visual, face and word recognition. Planum temporale asymmetry emerged as especially susceptible to deletions and duplications of specific gene sets. Targeted analysis of common variants through genome-wide association study (GWAS) consolidated partly diverging genetic influences on the right versus left planum temporale structure. In conclusion, our gene-brain-behavior data fusion highlights the consequences of genetically controlled brain lateralization on uniquely human cognitive capacities

Chatel, P., & Besacier, G. (2017). Une approche hypermédia pour la valorisation auprès du grandpublic de données patrimoniales numériques. In 4th Hyperheritage International Seminar (HIS.4).

International audienc

Dynamics and diverse functions of nuclear pore complex proteins.

Nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) are best known for their central role in controlling the molecular trafficking between the cytoplasm and the nucleus. NPCs are assembled from about 30 different proteins and a growing body of evidence suggests that these nucleoporins are not only acting in the context of NPCs, but also in the nucleoplasm and cytoplasm. In this context it is well accepted that a set of nucleoporins are important regulators of a variety of mitotic processes, including kinetochore assembly, spindle checkpoint control and cytokinesis, whereas others associate with chromatin and administer gene expression. However, the functional importance of nucleoporins go far beyond these roles and this review will provide an overview of the latest insights into the versatility of metazoan nucleoporins with an emphasis on their roles in cell migration, cellular signaling and tissue-specific activities.Journal ArticleResearch Support, Non-U.S. Gov'tReviewSCOPUS: re.jSCOPUS: re.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Nucleoporins: leaving the nuclear pore complex for a successful mitosis.

The nuclear envelope (NE) separates the cytoplasm and the cell nucleus of interphase eukaryotic cells and nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) mediate the macromolecular exchange between these two compartments. The NE and the NPCs of vertebrate cells disassemble during prophase and the nuclear pore proteins (nucleoporins) are distributed within the mitotic cytoplasm. For an increasing number of them active mitotic functions have been assigned over the past few years. Nucleoporins are participating in spindle assembly, kinetochore organisation, and the spindle assembly checkpoint, all processes that control chromosome segregation and are important for maintenance of genome integrity. But nucleoporins are also engaged in early and late mitotic events, such as centrosome positioning and cytokinesis. Here we will highlight recent progress in deciphering the roles for nucleoporins in the distinct steps of mitosis.Journal ArticleResearch Support, Non-U.S. Gov'tReviewSCOPUS: re.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Un fragment distal du promoteur ERBB2 présente des activités transcriptionnelles et de liaison nucléaire spécifiques dans les cellules de cancer du sein surexprimant ERBB2

Overexpression of the ERBB2 gene occurs in 30% of human breast cancers and is correlated with poor prognosis. The deregulation is the consequence of an increased transcription level and gene amplification. Several laboratories, including our own, have identified, in the proximal promoter, enhancers implicated in the gene overexpression. However, our previous studies of a 6-kb ERBB2 promoter fragment revealed the presence of repressing fragments, which were able to overcome the effect of the proximal enhancers. These repressing elements were functional in all cell lines, regardless of their endogenous ERBB2 expression level. Here, we show that a distal ERBB2 promoter region restores high transcription rates specifically in ERBB2 overexpressing breast cancer cells. This distal promoter region thus contains enhancers essential for the overexpression of the gene. By EMSA, performed with nuclear extract of cells overexpressing (BT-474) or not (MDA-MB-231) the ERBB2 gene, we show that at least two sequences of the distal promoter region are bound exclusively by BT-474 extract. Further experiments reveal that AP-2 transcription factors contribute to this differential binding activity, by binding recognition sequences located 4500 bp and 4000 bp upstream of the transcription start site. These sites are occupied by AP2 in vivo, as demonstrated by ChIP assay. Inactivation of AP-2 proteins in ERBB2 overexpressing cells reduces the distal promoter activity up to 70%, indicating the AP-2 factors are implicated in the strong distal enhancing effect. Moreover, we identified a 54-bp fragment that is bound specifically by BT-474 nuclear extract. Further experiments did not lead to the identification of the protein responsible for this binding. Our results thus highlight the importance of ERBB2 distal promoter region and further implicate AP-2 in ERBB2 overexpression in breast cancer cells

Structural characterization of altered nucleoporin Nup153 expression in human cells by thin-section electron microscopy.

Nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) span the 2 membranes of the nuclear envelope (NE) and facilitate nucleocytoplasmic exchange of macromolecules. NPCs have a roughly tripartite structural organization with the so-called nuclear basket emanating from the NPC scaffold into the nucleoplasm. The nuclear basket is composed of the 3 nucleoporins Nup153, Nup50, and Tpr, but their specific role for the structural organization of this NPC substructure is, however, not well established. In this study, we have used thin-section transmission electron microscopy to determine the structural consequences of altering the expression of Nup153 in human cells. We show that the assembly and integrity of the nuclear basket is not affected by Nup153 depletion, whereas its integrity is perturbed in cells expressing high concentrations of the zinc-finger domain of Nup153. Moreover, even mild over-expression of Nup153 is coinciding with massive changes in nuclear organization and it is the excess of the zinc-finger domain of Nup153 that is sufficient to induce these rearrangements. Our data indicate a central function of Nup153 in the organization of the nucleus, not only at the periphery, but throughout the entire nuclear interior.SCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe