Androgen-dependent stimulation of brain dopaminergic systems in the female European eel (Anguilla anguilla).

Dopamine (DA), a neurotransmitter present in all vertebrates, is involved in processes such as motor function, learning and behavior, sensory activities, and neuroendocrine control of pituitary hormone release. In the female eel, we analyzed how gonadal steroids regulate brain expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), the rate-limiting enzyme in the biosynthesis of DA. TH mRNA levels were assayed by quantitative real-time RT-PCR. TH-positive nuclei were also localized by in situ hybridization (ISH) and immunohistochemistry, and the location of TH nuclei that project to the pituitary was determined using 1,1'-dioctadecyl-3,3,3',3'-tetramethylindicarbocyanine perchlorate retrograde tracing. Chronic in vivo treatment with testosterone increased TH mRNA specifically in the periglomerular area of the olfactory bulbs and in the nucleus preopticus anteroventralis (NPOav). NPOav was labeled with 1,1'-dioctadecyl-3,3,3',3'-tetramethylindicarbocyanine perchlorate, showing that this nucleus is hypophysiotropic in the eel. The nonaromatizable 5alpha-dihydrotestosterone gave identical results in both areas, whereas 17beta-estradiol had no stimulatory effect, showing that the observed stimulatory effects of testosterone were androgen dependent. In teleosts, DA neurons originating from the NPOav directly inhibit gonadotropic function, and our results indicate an androgen-dependent, positive feedback on this neuroendocrine control in the eel. In mammals, DA interneurons in the olfactory bulbs are involved in the enhancement of olfactory sensitivity and discrimination. Our results in the European eel suggest an androgen-dependent stimulation of olfactory processing, a sensory function believed to be important in eel navigation during its reproductive migration toward the oceanic spawning grounds. To our knowledge, this is the first evidence from any vertebrate of an androgen-dependent effect on DAergic activity in the olfactory bulbs, providing a new basis for understanding the regulation by gonadal steroids of central DAergic systems in vertebrates

Allogeneic transplantation in acute myelogenous leukemia: a comprehensive single institution's experience

Debates on the role and timing of allogeneic hemtopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) in acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) have persisted for decades. Time to transplant introduces an immortal time and current treatment algorithm mainly relies on the European LeukemiaNet disease risk classification. Previous studies are also limited to age groups, remission status and other ill-defined parameters. We studied all patients at diagnosis irrespective of age and comorbidities to estimate the cumulative incidence and potential benefit or disadvantage of HSCT in a single center. As a time-dependent covariate, HSCT improved overall survival in intermediate- and poor-risk patients (hazard ratio =0.51; P=0.004). In goodrisk patients only eight were transplanted in first complete remission. Overall, the 4-year cumulative incidence of HSCT was only 21.9% but was higher (52.1%) for patients in the first age quartile (16-57 years old) and 26.4% in older patients (57-70 years old) (P<0.001). It was negligible in patients older than 70 years reflecting our own transplant policy but also barriers to transplantation (comorbidities and remission status). However, HSCT patients need to survive, be considered eligible both by the referring and the HSCT physicians and have a suitable donor to get transplantation. We, thus, comprehensively analyzed the complete decision-making and outcome of all our AML patients from diagnosis to last followup to decipher how patient allocation and therapy inform the value of HSCT. The role of HSCT in AML is shifting with broad access to different donors including haploidentical ones. Thus, it may (or may not) lead to increased numbers of allogeneic HSCT in AML in adults

Genomic landscape and clonal evolution of inherited bone marrow failure syndromes

Les syndromes d’insuffisance médullaire sont liés à des mutations constitutionnelles à l’origine d’une hématopoïèse déficiente chez les patients atteints. Ils représentent un groupe hétérogène de maladies syndromiques, et impliquent plusieurs familles de gènes avec des mécanismes biologiques différents conduisant à l’insuffisance médullaire. Ces maladies prédisposent à une évolution clonale somatique, avec un risque accru de développer un syndrome myélodysplasique (SMD) ou une leucémie aigüe myéloïde (LAM) au cours du temps. Nous avons séquencé et analysé l’exome d’ADN fibroblastique d’une cohorte de 179 patients ayant des insuffisances médullaires, des SMD ou des LAM, supposés d’origine constitutionnelle mais sans diagnostic établi. Ce travail a permis de porter un diagnostic moléculaire chez 86 (48%) patients, et de participer à la description de nouveaux syndromes impliquant les gènes SAMD9/SAMD9L (N=16/86, 18,6%), MECOM/EVI1 (N=6, 7%) et ERCC6L2 (N=7, 8,1%). Le suivi longitudinal des patients nous a permis de décrire un modèle d’évolution clonale particulier chez les patients ayant des mutations SAMD9/SAMD9L. Le syndrome d’insuffisance médullaire le plus fréquent est la maladie de Fanconi (AF ou FA), causée par une mutation germinale dans un des gènes de la voie de réparation FA/BRCA. Les cellules des patients FA ont une instabilité chromosomique liée à un défaut de réparation, avec une pression de sélection conduisant à une évolution clonale prototypique. Nous avons étudié une cohorte de 335 patients FA et confirmé de façon statistiquement significative l’ordre d’apparition des évènements cytogénétiques de ces patients au cours de l’évolution clonale et de la leucémogenèse : 1q+, 3q+, -7/del7q, délétion ou mutation RUNX1. L’étude moléculaire longitudinale des patients (NGS panel, WES, WGS) a confirmé un mécanisme oncogénique en rapport avec une instabilité chromosomique plus que génomique. En nous intéressant à l’anomalie cytogénétique la plus fréquente et la plus précoce : le 1q+, nous avons observé que le point de cassure péricentromérique sur ce chromosome correspondait à un site fragile, réparé ensuite par une voie de réparation alt NHEJ. La zone minimale dupliquée contenait le gène MDM4, un inhibiteur des fonctions transactivatrices de p53, qui constituait ainsi un bon candidat pour conférer aux cellules un avantage clonal et initier la leucémogenèse. Nous avons d’abord confirmé que les cellules des patients 1q+ avaient une surexpression de MDM4 et une inactivation de la voie p53 en aval (RNAseq). Puis, nous avons montré que cette surexpression permettait de restaurer les capacités fonctionnelles des progéniteurs hématopoïétiques humains FA, de façon réversible avec l’inhibition de MDM4, constituant ainsi une éventuelle cible thérapeutique. Les syndromes d’insuffisance médullaire sont des maladies rares, et nos travaux, en parallèle de ceux d’autres équipes, ont participé à la description de nouveaux gènes impliqués. L’étude de l’évolution clonale de ces syndromes représente une évolution dans la compréhension de la physiopathologie des SMD/LAM, et peut conduire à l’identification de cibles thérapeutiques chez ces patients.Inherited bone marrow failure (IBMF) syndromes are heterogeneous diseases related to germ line mutations causing deficient hematopoiesis in mutated patients. Mutations involve several families of genes with different biological pathways driving the bone marrow failure. Most germ line genetic BMF disorders are characterized by a high propensity to clonal evolution and to develop MDS or AML. We used a whole-exome sequencing (WES) comprehensive analysis on fibroblast DNA samples from 179 patients with BMF/MDS of unresolved inherited origin. We provided a molecular diagnosis for 86/179 BMF patients (48%) including several seldom-reported IBMF/MDS entities like SAMD9/SAMD9L, MECOM/EVI1, and ERCC6L2. In particular, we described a specific clonal evolution in patients having mutations in SAMD9 and SAMD9L.Fanconi anemia (FA) is the most common IBMF syndrome, caused by a germ line mutation in one gene of the FA pathway. DNA repair deficiency in patient’s FA cells leads to chromosomal instability, which sets the stage for clonal evolution with a specific pattern of chromosomal abnormalities. We used integrated clinical, next-generation genomic and functional studies on primary cells from a National cohort of 335 FA patients, including 98 with clonal evolution, to decipher the mechanisms of BM progression. While relatively few somatic point mutations were found, unbalanced translocations leading to gross chromosomal copy-number abnormalities were most prominent. Whole genome sequencing revealed an FA-specific signature in which microhomology-mediated end joining (MMEJ) or non homologous end joining (NHEJ) repair had mediated genome rearrangements, consistent with the constitutive homologous repair defect. Longitudinal studies confirmed the order of chromosomal events during FA patients oncogenesis: 1q+, 3q+, -7/del7q, del or RUNX1 mutations. A major initial step was duplication of chromosome 1q, resulting in strong expression of MDM4, a negative regulator of p53, which can be targeted by MDM4-inhibitors.IBMF are rare diseases and our study participated to describe new genetic and clinical entities. Studying the clonal evolution of IBMF syndromes can help to understand MDS and AML pathophysiology and lead to therapeutic target identification

Effects of high hydrostatic pressure on the pituitary-gonad axis in the European eel, Anguilla anguilla (L.).

European silver eels are thought to undergo sexual maturation during their oceanic reproductive migration from the European continent to their spawning area in the Sargasso Sea. Tracking data and various anatomical and physiological features suggest that silver eels migrate in deep sea, leading us to hypothesise that high hydrostatic pressure (HP) influences the induction of eel reproduction. We subjected female and male silver eels to 101ATA for 3 and 7 weeks, respectively, in a hyperbaric chamber equipped with a freshwater recirculation system. In comparison with control eels kept at 1 ATA, HP effects were tested against the messenger RNA levels of pituitary gonadotropins (LHbeta, FSHbeta) using quantitative real-time RT-PCR. The effects of HP on gonadal activity were estimated by measuring gonadosomatic index, oocyte diameter and plasma levels of vitellogenin (Vtg) and sex steroids (E(2), 11-KT). At the pituitary level, LHbeta expression tended to increase while FSHbeta expression decreased in both sex, leading to an increase in the LHbeta/FSHbeta ratio. This suggests a differential effect of HP on the expression of the two gonadotropins. In females submitted to HP, we observed a significant increase in oocyte diameter and plasma levels of 11-KT and E(2). A similar trend was observed for 11-KT plasma levels in males. In females, Vtg plasma levels also significantly increased, reflecting the stimulatory effect of sex steroids on hepatic vitellogenesis. Our results suggest that HP plays a specific and positive role in eel reproduction but additional environmental and internal factors are necessary to ensure complete sexual maturation

Kisspeptins and the seasonal control of reproduction in sheep

International audienc

Dopaminergic systems in the European eel: characterization, brain distribution, and potential role in migration and reproduction.

In fish like in mammals, dopamine (DA) is a major catecholaminergic neurotransmitter that contributes to many functions of the nervous system like sensory perception, tuning of sensori-motor cues, and hypothalamic and pituitary functions. In the eel, DA inhibits gonadal development, and juvenile silver eels remain blocked at a prepubertal stage if their reproductive migration does not occur. From data in other teleosts and vertebrates, it is suggested that DA would be involved also in the last steps of eel reproduction (oocyte maturation, ovulation, and spermiation) as well as in eel reproductive migration (locomotion and olfaction). Investigating dopaminergic systems in the eel may help in understanding the mechanisms of its complex life cycle and provide new data for its conservation and reproduction. In this article we review the biosynthesis and catabolism of catecholamines and discuss available methods to investigate brain dopaminergic systems in vertebrates and their application to the eel. Immunocytochemistry, in situ hybridization, and different tracing methods are used to map dopaminergic neurons and projections in the brain and pituitary and infer their potential functions. Moreover, variations in dopaminergic activity may be approached by means of quantitative methods like quantitative real-time RT-PCR and HPLC. These tools are currently used to study dopaminergic systems in the eel brain, their anatomy, regulation, and potential roles with special emphasis on the regulation of reproduction and reproductive migration

Induction de l'ovulation chez la brebis en anoestrus par administration de kisspeptide : mécanismes impliqués?

National audienc

GnRH release into the hypophyseal portal blood of the ewe mirrors both pulsatile and continuous intravenous infusion of kisspeptin: Insight into kisspeptin mechanism of action

International audienc

Propriétés histologiques et métaboliques du muscle squelettique chez le mini-porc obèse et insulino-résistant

National audienc

Gonadotrophin-releasing hormone release into the hypophyseal portal blood of the ewe mirrors both pulsatile and continuous intravenous infusion of kisspeptin: an insight into kisspeptin's mechanism of action

Recent studies have demonstrated that kisspeptin (Kp) administration, given as a slow constant infusion of Kp10 (the shortest endogenous form of the Kp molecules which carries biological activity), is able to stimulate gonadotrophin secretion and induce ovulation in anoestrus acyclic ewes. Detailed analysis of peripheral luteinising hormone (LH) concentrations, obtained at 10-min intervals, suggested that this Kp10 treatment induced the continuous release of gonadotrophins. Whether this apparent constant secretion of LH resulted from a continuous elevation of GnRH or discrete high-frequency pulses could not be determined. In the present study, we monitored the patterns of gonadotrophin-releasing homrone (GnRH) secreted into hypophyseal portal blood (HPB) and LH in the peripheral circulation when Kp10 was administered either as discrete pulses or by means of a continuous infusion. Samples of HPB and peripheral blood were obtained at 2 and 10-min intervals, respectively, over a 6-h period, from anoestrous acyclic ewes that received an i.v. bolus injection of Kp10 at 1 h and an infusion of Kp10 between hours 2 and 6. GnRH release following Kp10 administration appeared to be dose-dependent, with larger responses being seen to the 20 μg bolus and 20 μg/h infusion than to the 10 μg bolus and 10 μg/h infusion, with the latter being marginally effective in inducing LH release. Bolus injections of Kp10 (either 20 or 10 μg) induced a sharp GnRH pulse in HPB and a discrete LH pulse in peripheral blood. By contrast, constant infusion of Kp10 (either 20 or 10 μg/h for 4 h) induced a sustained increase in baseline GnRH secretion with no convincing evidence of strictly episodic release. Values remained continuously elevated in HPB. No sign of pituitary desensitisation was observed at either concentration. Finally, i.v. injection of a large bolus (500 μg) of Kp10 produced immediate pharmacological concentrations of Kp10 in the peripheral circulation but were not associated with detectable levels of the peptide in the cerebrospinal fluid. In summary, our results demonstrate that the mode of Kp10 administration (pulsatile versus continuous) is important in shaping the pattern of GnRH secretion and suggests that this regulatory effect is most likely exerted at the level of the terminals of GnRH neurones. Moreover our data also suggest that Kp is involved in, rather than having a permissive role in, the control of endogenous GnRH pulsatility