High-Throughput Analysis of Promoter Occupancy Reveals New Targets for Arx, a Gene Mutated in Mental Retardation and Interneuronopathies

Genetic investigations of X-linked intellectual disabilities have implicated the ARX (Aristaless-related homeobox) gene in a wide spectrum of disorders extending from phenotypes characterised by severe neuronal migration defects such as lissencephaly, to mild or moderate forms of mental retardation without apparent brain abnormalities but with associated features of dystonia and epilepsy. Analysis of Arx spatio-temporal localisation profile in mouse revealed expression in telencephalic structures, mainly restricted to populations of GABAergic neurons at all stages of development. Furthermore, studies of the effects of ARX loss of function in humans and animal models revealed varying defects, suggesting multiple roles of this gene during brain development. However, to date, little is known about how ARX functions as a transcription factor and the nature of its targets. To better understand its role, we combined chromatin immunoprecipitation and mRNA expression with microarray analysis and identified a total of 1006 gene promoters bound by Arx in transfected neuroblastoma (N2a) cells and in mouse embryonic brain. Approximately 24% of Arx-bound genes were found to show expression changes following Arx overexpression or knock-down. Several of the Arx target genes we identified are known to be important for a variety of functions in brain development and some of them suggest new functions for Arx. Overall, these results identified multiple new candidate targets for Arx and should help to better understand the pathophysiological mechanisms of intellectual disability and epilepsy associated with ARX mutations

Contribution of Mad1 N-terminus domain to its functions in mitosis and interphasis in Drosophila melanogaster.

Mad1 est une protéine clé du point de contrôle du fuseau en mitose. Associée à Mad2,elle est recrutée aux kinétochores non-attachés où elle y catalyse la production du complexe inhibiteur d’anaphase. La protéine Mad1 a longtemps été décrite comme étant un simple récepteur de Mad2 aux kinétochores. Certaines études laissaient toutefois entrevoir des rôles additionnels de cette protéine en mitose comme en interphase.Afin d’explorer ces fonctions additionnelles de Mad1, j’ai étudié le phénotype mitotique associé à une déplétion de la protéine par ARN interférence dans des lignées cellulaires S2 de drosophile. J’ai également analysé des mutations et délétions du domaine N-terminal de Mad1, celui-ci présentant certaines particularités de structures primaires et secondaires tels que des sites de phosphorylation, un putatif NLS et des hélices amphipathiques. J’ai ainsi montré que le recrutement de Mad1 aux kinétochores en mitose nécessitait la phosphorylation de son domaine N-terminal. Mes analyses cytologiques ont de plus permis de déterminer que le NLS, situé dans ce même domaine N-terminal, est non seulement fonctionnel mais également essentiel à la localisation de Mad1 à l’enveloppe nucléaire et dans le nucléoplasme en interphase.J’ai finalement étudié une protéine Mad1 déplétée de son domaine N-terminal (Mad1Δ71) en spermatocytes de drosophile. Notre laboratoire a récemment montré que dans ces cellules, la protéine Mad1 fait partie d’un territoire nucléaire associé à la chromatine, appelé MINT (Mad1 containing Intranuclear Territory). Ce nouveau territoire, comportant au moins quatre autres protéines (Mad2, Mtor/Tpr, Ulp1 et Raf2), est impliqué dans la régulation de la conformation de la chromatine. Mes analyses ont révélé que la protéine Mad1 Δ71 se localisait anormalement dans le noyau, restant accolée à l’enveloppe nucléaire, et entraînait avec elle l’ensemble de ses partenaires. Ceci suggère que Mad1 est essentielle à l’organisation de ces protéines dans le nucléoplasme, mais également qu’elle pilote la mise en place du territoire MINT.Mad1 is a key component of the spindle assembly checkpoint in mitosis. Recruitedwith Mad2 to unattached kinetochores, they catalyze the formation of the anaphase inhibitor.Mad1 has long been described as a simple receptor for Mad2 at kinetochores. However,studies are pointing toward additional roles of this protein in mitosis as well as in interphase. To explore these additional functions of Mad1, I studied the mitotic phenotypeassociated with a depletion of the protein by RNA interference in Drosophia S2 cell lines. Ialso analyzed mutations and deletions of the N-terminal domain of Mad1, this one havinginteresting features in its primary and secondary structures, namely phosphorylation sites, aputative NLS and amphipathic helices. I have shown that Mad1 recruitment to kinetochore inmitosis depends on phosphorylations of its N-terminal domain. Moreover, my cytologicalanalyses allowed me to determine that the N-terminal NLS was not only functional but alsoessential for the localization of Mad1 into the nucleus in interphase. Finally, I studied a Mad1 mutant depleted for its N-terminal region (Mad1 Δ71) indrosophila spermatocytes. Our laboratory recently showed that in these cells, Mad1 is part ofa nuclear territory associated with chromatin, named MINT (Mad1 containg IntranuclearTerritory). This new territory, composed of at least four other proteins (Mad2, Mtor/Tpr,Ulp1, Raf2), is involved in chromatin conformation regulation. My studies revealed that inthese cells, Mad1 Δ71 is abnormally localized in the nucleus, staying closed to the nuclearenvelope, and carry with it all its partners. This suggests that Mad1 is essential for the nuclearorganization of these proteins, but also that it pilots the establishment of the MINT territory

A giant amphipathic helix from a perilipin that is adapted for coating lipid droplets

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