Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Landes Bioscience
Résumé : International audience
In 2008 we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, research on this topic has continued to accelerate, and many new scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Accordingly, it is important to update these guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Various reviews have described the range of assays that have been used for this purpose. Nevertheless, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to measure autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. A key point that needs to be emphasized is that there is a difference between measurements that monitor the numbers or volume of autophagic elements (e.g., autophagosomes or autolysosomes) at any stage of the autophagic process vs. those that measure flux through the autophagy pathway (i.e., the complete process); thus, a block in macroautophagy that results in autophagosome accumulation needs to be differentiated from stimuli that result in increased autophagic activity, defined as increased autophagy induction coupled with increased delivery to, and degradation within, lysosomes (in most higher eukaryotes and some protists such as Dictyostelium) or the vacuole (in plants and fungi). In other words, it is especially important that investigators new to the field understand that the appearance of more autophagosomes does not necessarily equate with more autophagy. In fact, in many cases, autophagosomes accumulate because of a block in trafficking to lysosomes without a concomitant change in autophagosome biogenesis, whereas an increase in autolysosomes may reflect a reduction in degradative activity. Here, we present a set of guidelines for the selection and interpretation of methods for use by investigators who aim to examine macroautophagy and related processes, as well as for reviewers who need to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of papers that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a formulaic set of rules, because the appropriate assays depend in part on the question being asked and the system being used. In addition, we emphasize that no individual assay is guaranteed to be the most appropriate one in every situation, and we strongly recommend the use of multiple assays to monitor autophagy. In these guidelines, we consider these various methods of assessing autophagy and what information can, or cannot, be obtained from them. Finally, by discussing the merits and limits of particular autophagy assays, we hope to encourage technical innovation in the field.
Autophagy

hal-00735751
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00735751
PUBMED : 22966490

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Elsevier
Résumé : International audience
: Until recently, synonymous mutations (which do not change amino acids) have been much neglected. Some evidence suggests that this kind of mutations could affect mRNA secondary structure or stability, translation kinetics and protein structure. To explore deeper the role of synonymous mutations, we studied their consequence on the functional activity of the estrogen receptor alpha (ERα). The ERα is a ligand-inducible transcription factor that orchestrates pleiotropic cellular effects, at both genomic and non-genomic levels in response to estrogens. In this work we analyzed in transient transfection experiments, the activity of ERα carrying the synonymous mutation Ala87, a polymorphism involving about 5-10% of the population. In comparison to the wild type receptor, our results show that ERαA87 mutation reduces the transactivation efficiency of ERα on an ERE reporter gene while its expression level remains similar. This mutation enhances 4-OHT-induced transactivation of ERα on an AP1 reporter gene. Finally, the mutation affects the subcellular localization of ERα in a cell type specific manner. It enhances the cytoplasmic location of ERα without significant changes in non-genomic effects of E2. The functional alteration of the ERαA87 determined in this work highlights the relevance of synonymous mutations for biomedical and pharmacological points of view.
Journal of steroid biochemistry and molecular biology

inserm-01015532
http://www.hal.inserm.fr/inserm-01015532
DOI : 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2014.02.016
PUBMED : 24607813

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Résumé : International audience
alpha- and beta-spectrins are components of molecular scaffolds located under the lipid bilayer and named membrane skeletons. Disruption of these scaffolds through mutations in spectrins demonstrated that they are involved in the membrane localization or the maintenance of proteins associated with them. The ubiquitous alphaII-spectrin chain bears in its central region a unique domain that is sensitive to several proteases such as calpains or caspases. The conservation of this region in vertebrates suggests that the proteolysis of alphaII-spectrin by these enzymes could be involved in important functions. To assess the role of alphaII-spectrin cleavage in vivo, we generated a murine model in which the exons encoding the region defining this cleavage sensitivity were disrupted by gene targeting. Surprisingly, homozygous mice expressing this mutant alphaII-spectrin appeared healthy, bred normally, and had no histological anomaly. Remarkably, the mutant alphaII-spectrin assembles correctly into the membrane skeleton, thus challenging the notion that this region is required for the stable biogenesis of the membrane skeleton in nonerythroid cells. Our finding also argues against a critical role of this particular alphaII-spectrin cleavage in either major cellular functions or in normal development.
ISSN: 0021-9258

inserm-00284621
http://www.hal.inserm.fr/inserm-00284621
http://www.hal.inserm.fr/inserm-00284621/document
http://www.hal.inserm.fr/inserm-00284621/file/Meary_-_JBC_2007.pdf
PUBMED : 17374614

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Résumé : International audience
The budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a major model organism for important biological processes such as mitotic growth and meiotic development, it can be a human pathogen, and it is widely used in the food-, and biotechnology industries. Consequently, the genomes of numerous strains have been sequenced and a very large amount of RNA profiling data is available. Moreover, it has recently become possible to quantitatively analyze the entire yeast proteome; however, efficient and cost-effective high-throughput protein profiling remains a challenge. We report here a new approach to direct and label-free large-scale yeast protein identification using a tandem buffer system for protein extraction, two-step protein prefractionation and enzymatic digestion, and detection of peptides by iterative mass spectrometry. Our profiling study of diploid cells undergoing rapid mitotic growth identified 86% of the known proteins and its output was found to be widely concordant with genome-wide mRNA concentrations and DNA variations between yeast strains. This paves the way for comprehensive and straightforward yeast proteome profiling across a wide variety of experimental conditions.
ISSN: 1535-9476

hal-00682837
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00682837
DOI : 10.1074/mcp.M111.012682
PUBMED : 21997732

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Wiley
Résumé : International audience
Neurogenesis initiates during early development and it continues through later developmental stages and in adult animals to enable expansion, remodeling, and homeostasis of the nervous system. The generation of nerve cells has been analyzed in detail in few bilaterian model organisms, leaving open many questions about the evolution of this process. As the sister group to bilaterians, cnidarians occupy an informative phylogenetic position to address the early evolution of cellular and molecular aspects of neurogenesis and to understand common principles of neural development. Here we review studies in several cnidarian model systems that have revealed significant similarities and interesting differences compared to neurogenesis in bilaterian species, and between different cnidarian taxa. Cnidarian neurogenesis is currently best understood in the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis, where it includes epithelial neural progenitor cells that express transcription factors of the soxB and atonal families. Notch signaling regulates the number of these neural progenitor cells, achaete-scute and dmrt genes are required for their further development and Wnt and BMP signaling appear to be involved in the patterning of the nervous system. In contrast to many vertebrates and Drosophila, cnidarians have a high capacity to generate neurons throughout their lifetime and during regeneration. Utilizing this feature of cnidarian biology will likely allow gaining new insights into the similarities and differences of embryonic and regenerative neurogenesis. The use of different cnidarian model systems and their expanding experimental toolkits will thus continue to provide a better understanding of evolutionary and developmental aspects of nervous system formation.
ISSN: 1759-7692

Droits : http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/
hal-01405097
http://hal.upmc.fr/hal-01405097
http://hal.upmc.fr/hal-01405097/document
http://hal.upmc.fr/hal-01405097/file/Rentzsch_et_al-2016-Wiley_Interdisciplinary_Reviews__Developmental_Biology.pdf
DOI : 10.1002/wdev.257

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Elsevier
Résumé : International audience
Cnidarians living in symbiosis with photosynthetic dinoflagellates (commonly named zooxanthellae) are exposed to high concentrations of reactive oxygen species (ROS) upon illumination. To quench ROS production, both the cnidarian host and zooxanthellae express a full suite of antioxidant enzymes. Studying antioxidative balance is therefore crucial to understanding how symbiotic cnidarians cope with ROS production. We characterized glutathione peroxidases (GPx) in the symbiotic cnidarian Anemonia viridis by analysis of their isoform diversity, their activity distribution in the three cellular compartments (ectoderm, endoderm and zooxanthellae) and their involvement in the response to thermal stress. We identified a GPx repertoire through a phylogenetic analysis showing 7 GPx transcripts belonging to the A. viridis host and 4 GPx transcripts strongly related to Symbiodinium sp. The biochemical approach, used for the first time with a cnidarian species, allowed the identification of GPx activity in the three cellular compartments and in the animal mitochondrial fraction, and revealed a high GPx electrophoretic diversity. The symbiotic lifestyle of zooxanthellae requires more GPx activity and diversity than that of free-living species. Heat stress induced no modification of GPx activities. We highlight a high GPx diversity in A. viridis tissues by genomic and biochemical approaches. GPx activities represent an overall constitutive enzymatic pattern inherent to symbiotic lifestyle adaptation. This work allows the characterization of the GPx family in a symbiotic cnidarian and establishes a foundation for future studies of GPx in symbiotic cnidarians.
ISSN: 0300-9084

hal-01404424
http://hal.upmc.fr/hal-01404424
http://hal.upmc.fr/hal-01404424/document
http://hal.upmc.fr/hal-01404424/file/Pey_Characterization_of.pdf
DOI : 10.1016/j.biochi.2016.10.016

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD
Résumé : Background and objectives.[br/] Dairy propionibacteria are isolated from various ecological niches, including soil, grass, silage, rumen, raw milk and dairy plants, showing great adaptability and robustness. Used as ripening starters in Swiss type cheeses, these food grade bacteria are described as nutraceutical producers and they release into the external medium short chain fatty acids (SCFA), folic acid, cobalamin and the bifidogenic 1,4- dihydroxy-2-naphthoic acid (DHNA). These compounds are known to play a pivotal role in the modulation of intestinal physiology through diet. Considering the pro-apoptotic potential of some of these metabolites, we investigated the potential of dairy products fermented by the main species, Propionibacterium freudenreichii, to prevent colon carcinogenesis. Methods.[br/] We developed a new fermented milk. Taking advantage of milk fractions, high and stable populations of P. freudenreichii were obtained in this product. It was tested in vitro on gastric HGT-1 and colic HT-29 cells with respect to the typical hallmarks of apoptosis. In vivo, the fermented milk was evaluated in piglets with respect to general health parameters and in human microbiota-associated rats, treated or not with dimethylhydrazine (DMH), with respect to intestinal proliferation and apoptosis. Results. Fermented milk induced cell death in both gastric and colon cancer cells. Cellular and molecular characterization of cells dying in response to SCFA treatment revealed cell cycle arrest, drop in intracellular ATP, depolarization of mitochondria, translocation of key apoptosis proteins, processing of caspases and fragmentation of the nucleus. Interestingly, the new fermented milk was shown to potentiate the cytotoxic effect of molecules used in cancer chemotherapy. In accordance, it modulated expression of key apoptotic proteins. In vivo, the fermented milk was evaluated in piglets. Daily oral gavage led to high colic P. freudenreichii populations, to modulation of the intestinal microbiota and modulation of intestinal cytokines. Promotion of piglets’ growth also revealed general probiotic effects of fermented milk. Considering that propionibacteria were metabolically active in the intestine, we further investigated their impact on colon carcinogenesis (induced by dimethylhydrazine, DMH) in human microbiota-associated rats. Consumption of selected strains of propionibacteria resulted in enhanced apoptotic depletion of DMH damaged epithelial cells, yet had no effect on neither proliferation nor apoptosis in healthy rats. Conclusions and perspectives.[br/] These results open new perspectives in the field of colon cancer cells prevention and/or treatment. The synergy with pro-apoptotic chemotherapy molecules suggests that such a fermented product may be proposed as a food supplement to enhance the effects of anticancer treatments.
colloque international « Nutrition and Cancer : Hot topics from biology to public health issues »
Paris, France

hal-01190452
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01190452
PRODINRA : 201853

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Taylor & Francis
Résumé : International audience
The retroviral genome consists of an intron-containing transcript that has essential cytoplasmic functions in the infected cell. This viral transcript can escape splicing, circumvent the nuclear checkpoint mechanisms and be transported to the cytoplasm by hijacking the host machinery. Once in the cytoplasm, viral unspliced RNA acts as mRNA to be translated and as genomic RNA to be packaged into nascent viruses. The murine leukemia virus (MLV) is among the first retroviruses discovered and is classified as simple Retroviridae due to its minimal encoding capacity. The oncogenic and transduction abilities of MLV are extensively studied, whereas surprisingly the crucial step of its nuclear export has remained unsolved until 2014. Recent work has revealed the recruitment by MLV of the cellular NXF1/Tap-dependent pathway for export. Unconventionally, MLV uses of Tap to export both spliced and unspliced viral RNAs. Unlike other retroviruses, MLV does not harbor a unique RNA signal for export. Indeed, multiple sequences throughout the MLV genome appear to promote export of the unspliced MLV RNA. We review here the current understanding of the export mechanism and highlight the determinants that influence MLV export. As the molecular mechanism of MLV export is elucidated, we will gain insight into the contribution of the export pathway to the cytoplasmic fate of the viral RNA
ISSN: 1547-6286

hal-01217990
https://hal-univ-rennes1.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01217990
https://hal-univ-rennes1.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01217990/document
https://hal-univ-rennes1.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01217990/file/Insights%20into%20the%20nuclear%20export%20of%20murine%20leukemia%20virus%20intron-containing%20RNA.pdf
DOI : 10.1080/15476286.2015.1065375

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Ferrata Storti Foundation
Résumé : International audience
BACKGROUND: Abnormal interactions between red blood cells, leukocytes and endothelial cells play a critical role in the occurrence of the painful vaso-occlusive crises associated with sickle cell disease. We investigated the interaction between circulating leukocytes and red blood cells which could lead to aggregate formation, enhancing the incidence of vaso-occlusive crises. DESIGN AND METHODS: Blood samples from patients with sickle cell disease (n=25) and healthy subjects (n=5) were analyzed by imaging and classical flow cytometry after density gradient separation. The identity of the cells in the peripheral blood mononuclear cell layer was determined using antibodies directed specifically against white (anti-CD45) or red (anti-glycophorin A) blood cells. RESULTS: Aggregates between red blood cells and peripheral blood mononuclear cells were visualized in whole blood from patients with sickle cell disease. The aggregation rate was 10-fold higher in these patients than in control subjects. Both mature red blood cells and reticulocytes were involved in these aggregates through their interaction with mononuclear cells, mainly with monocytes. The size of the aggregates was variable, with one mononuclear cell binding to one, two or several red blood cells. Erythroid Lu/basal cell adhesion molecule and α(4)β(1) integrin were involved in aggregate formation. The aggregation rate was lower in patients treated with hydroxycarbamide than in untreated patients. CONCLUSIONS: Our study gives visual evidence of the existence of circulating red blood cell-peripheral blood mononuclear cell aggregates in patients with sickle cell disease and shows that these aggregates are decreased during hydroxycarbamide treatment. Our results strongly suggest that erythroid Lu/basal cell adhesion molecule proteins are implicated in these aggregates through their interaction with α(4)β(1) integrin on peripheral blood mononuclear cells.
ISSN: 0390-6078

inserm-00821120
http://www.hal.inserm.fr/inserm-00821120
http://www.hal.inserm.fr/inserm-00821120/document
http://www.hal.inserm.fr/inserm-00821120/file/1841.full.pdf
DOI : 10.3324/haematol.2010.026294

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD
Résumé : International audience
Studies report that foetal exposure to paracetamol by maternal consumption can interfere with male reproductive development. Moreover, recent biomonitoring data report widespread presence of paracetamol in German and Danish populations, suggesting exposure via secondary (non-pharmaceutical) sources such as metabolic conversion from the ubiquitous industrial compound aniline. In this study we investigated the extent to which paracetamol and aniline can interfere with female reproductive development. Intrauterine exposure to paracetamol by gavage of pregnant dams resulted in shortening of the anogenital distance in adult offspring, suggesting that foetal hormone signalling had been disturbed. Female offspring of paracetamol-exposed mothers had ovaries with diminished follicle reserve and reduced fertility. Foetal gonads of exposed animals had also reduced gonocyte numbers, suggesting that the reduced follicle count in adults could be due to early disruption of germ cell development. However, ex vivo cultures of ovaries from 12.5 days post coitum foetuses showed no decrease in proliferation or expression following exposure to paracetamol. This suggests that the effect of paracetamol occurs prior to this developmental stage. Accordingly, using embryonic stem cells as a proxy for primordial germ cells we show that paracetamol is an inhibitor of cellular proliferation, but without cytotoxic effects. Collectively, our data show that intrauterine exposure to paracetamol at levels commonly observed in pregnant women, as well as its precursor aniline, may block primordial germ cell proliferation, ultimately leading to reduced follicle reserves and compromised reproductive capacity later in life
Toxicological Sciences

hal-01259211
https://hal-univ-rennes1.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01259211
DOI : 10.1093/toxsci/kfv332
PUBMED : 26732887

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Springer Verlag
Résumé : International audience
Bone Morphogenetic Protein 9 (BMP9) has been recently found to be the physiological ligand for the activin receptor-like kinase 1 (ALK1), and to be a major circulating vascular quiescence factor. Moreover, a soluble chimeric ALK1 protein (ALK1-Fc) has recently been developed and showed powerful anti-tumor growth and anti-angiogenic effects. However, not much is known concerning BMP9. This prompted us to investigate the human endogenous sources of this cytokine and to further characterize its circulating form(s) and its function. Analysis of BMP9 expression reveals that BMP9 is produced by hepatocytes and intrahepatic biliary epithelial cells. Gel filtration analysis combined with ELISA and biological assays demonstrate that BMP9 circulates in plasma (1) as an unprocessed inactive form that can be further activated by furin a serine endoprotease, and (2) as a mature and fully active form (composed of the mature form associated with its prodomain). Analysis of BMP9 circulating levels during mouse development demonstrates that BMP9 peaks during the first 3 weeks after birth and then decreases to 2 ng/mL in adulthood. We also show that circulating BMP9 physiologically induces a constitutive Smad1/5/8 phosphorylation in endothelial cells. Taken together, our results argue for the role of BMP9 as a hepatocyte-derived factor, circulating in inactive (40%) and active (60%) forms, the latter constantly activating endothelial cells to maintain them in a resting state.
ISSN: 1420-682X

hal-00681969
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00681969
DOI : 10.1007/s00018-011-0751-1
PUBMED : 21710321

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Elsevier
Résumé : International audience
Several epidemiologic studies have shown an interactive effect of heavy smoking and heavy alcohol drinking on the development of hepatocellular carcinoma. It has also been recently described that chronic hepatocyte death can trigger excessive compensatory proliferation resulting later in the formation of tumors in mouse liver. As we previously demonstrated that both benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), an environmental agent found in cigarette smoke, and ethanol possess similar targets, especially oxidative stress, to trigger death of liver cells, we decided to study here the cellular and molecular mechanisms of the effects of B[a]P/ethanol coexposure on cell death. After an 18-h incubation with 100nM B[a]P, primary rat hepatocytes were supplemented with 50mM ethanol for 5 or 8h. B[a]P/ethanol coexposure led to a greater apoptotic cell death that could be linked to an increase in lipid peroxidation. Plasma membrane remodeling, as depicted by membrane fluidity elevation and physicochemical alterations in lipid rafts, appeared to play a key role, because both toxicants acted with specific complementary effects. Membrane remodeling was shown to induce an accumulation of lysosomes leading to an important increase in low-molecular-weight iron cellular content. Finally, ethanol metabolism, but not that of B[a]P, by providing reactive oxygen species, induced the ultimate toxic process. Indeed, in lysosomes, ethanol promoted the Fenton reaction, lipid peroxidation, and membrane permeabilization, thereby triggering cell death. To conclude, B[a]P exposure, by depleting hepatocyte membrane cholesterol content, would constitute a favorable ground for a later toxic insult such as ethanol intoxication. Membrane stabilization of both plasma membrane and lysosomes might be a potential target for further investigation considering cytoprotective strategies.
ISSN: 0891-5849

hal-01018147
https://hal-univ-rennes1.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01018147
https://hal-univ-rennes1.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01018147/document
https://hal-univ-rennes1.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01018147/file/Cooperative-interaction_final.pdf
PUBMED : 24681337

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD
Résumé : The spectrin-based skeleton is an essential scaffold underlying different lipid bilayers in all animal cells. Spectrins (Sp), as giant extended flexible heterotetramers (αβ)2, constitute the filaments of this network, the nodes of which are cross-linked by actin filaments. The functions of the Sp-based skeleton, which are well defined in red blood cells (required for shape, resistance to shear stress and deformability) are less well understood in non-erythroid cells.The non-erythroid Sp might participate in the establishment and/or the maintenance of specialized membrane subdomains by accumulating integral membrane proteins (such as ionic channels, ionic pumps, receptors and cell adhesion molecules) as revealed by loss of the main non-erythroid β-Sp. However the effect of non-erythroid α-Sp are less well established. In mammals, α-Sp are encoded by two genes: one for αI-Sp mainly expressed in mature erythrocyte, the second one for αII-Sp which is expressed in all nucleated cells.In the pursuit of αII-Sp functions, we have checked the effect of αII-Sp knock down by siRNA melanoma human cell line. Our data revealed that spectrin depletion is associated with i) an arrest of cell cycle at G1 state ii) a loss of cell adhesion in spite of increase in some integrins iii) some modifications of actin organisation.
Le squelette dépendant de la spectrine, localisé sous la bicouche lipidique, est un échafaudage essentiel de toutes les cellules animales. La Spectrine (Sp), structure géante, robuste mais flexible d'hétéro tétramères (αβ)2, constitue les filaments de ce réseau, dont chaque nœud interagit avec des filaments d'actine. Les fonctions du squelette de Sp, qui sont bien définies dans le globule rouge (rôle dans sa forme, dans sa résistance aux forces de cisaillement et dans sa déformabilité) sont moins bien connues dans les cellules non-érythroïdes. La Sp non-érythroïde pourrait participer à l'établissement et/ou au maintien de sous-domaines membranaires spécialisés dans l'accumulation de protéines de membrane (telles que les canaux ioniques, les pompes ioniques, les récepteurs et les molécules d'adhérence) comme nous le font penser les invalidations de la Sp-β non-érythroïde. Cependant le rôle de la Sp-α non-érythroïde est moins bien établi. Chez les mammifères, la Sp-α est codée par deux gènes: un pour Sp-αI, principalement exprimée dans l'érythrocyte mature, le second pour Sp-αII qui est exprimée dans toutes les cellules nucléées. Pour étudier les fonctions de la Sp-αII, nous avons utilisé une approche de SiRNA sur des cellules de mélanome humain. Nos données montrent que la diminution de Sp-αII est associée à I) un arrêt en G1 du cycle cellulaire II) une perte d'adhérence des cellules malgré l'augmentation de quelques intégrines III) des modifications dans l'organisation du réseau d'actine.
https://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-00377569

Droits : info:eu-repo/semantics/OpenAccess
tel-00377569
https://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-00377569
https://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-00377569/document
https://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-00377569/file/these_210409_entiere.pdf
https://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-00377569/file/II-Spectrin_Is_Critical_for_Cell_Adhesion_and_Cell_Cycle.PDF

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Springer Verlag
Résumé : International audience
Acquiring information is indisputably energy-consuming and conversely, the availability of information permits greater efficiency. Strangely, the scientific community long remained reluctant to establish a physical equivalence between the abstract notion of information and sensible thermodynamics. However, certain physicists such as Szilard and Brillouin proposed: (i) to give to information the status of a genuine thermodynamic entity (k B T ln2 joules/bit) and (ii) to link the capacity of storing information inferred from correlated systems, to that of indefinitely increasing organization. This positive feedback coupled to the self-templating molecular potential could provide a universal basis for the spontaneous rise of highly organized structures, typified by the emergence of life from a prebiotic chemical soup. Once established, this mechanism ensures the longevity and robustness of life envisioned as a general system, by allowing it to accumulate and optimize microstate-reducing recipes, thereby giving rise to strong nonlinearity, decisional capacity and multistability. Mechanisms possibly involved in priming this cycle are proposed.
ISSN: 0169-6149

inserm-00826658
http://www.hal.inserm.fr/inserm-00826658
http://www.hal.inserm.fr/inserm-00826658/document
http://www.hal.inserm.fr/inserm-00826658/file/OLEB-2013.pdf
DOI : 10.1007/s11084-013-9329-2

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Elsevier
Résumé : International audience
The quasi-equilibrium approximation is acceptable when molecular interactions are fast enough compared to circuit dynamics, but is no longer allowed when cellular activities are governed by rare events. A typical example is the lactose operon (lac), one of the most famous paradigms of transcription regulation, for which several theories still coexist to describe its behaviors. The lac system is generally analyzed by using equilibrium constants, contradicting single-event hypotheses long suggested by Novick and Weiner (1957). Enzyme induction as an all-or-none phenomenon. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 43, 553-566) and recently refined in the study of (Choi et al., 2008. A stochastic single-molecule event triggers phenotype switching of a bacterial cell. Science 322, 442-446). In the present report, a lac repressor (LacI)-mediated DNA immunoprecipitation experiment reveals that the natural LacI-lac DNA complex built in vivo is extremely tight and long-lived compared to the time scale of lac expression dynamics, which could functionally disconnect the abortive expression bursts and forbid using the standard modes of lac bistability. As alternatives, purely kinetic mechanisms are examined for their capacity to restrict induction through: (i) widely scattered derepression related to the arrival time variance of a predominantly backward asymmetric random walk and (ii) an induction threshold arising in a single window of derepression without recourse to nonlinear multimeric binding and Hill functions. Considering the complete disengagement of the lac repressor from the lac promoter as the probabilistic consequence of a transient stepwise mechanism, is sufficient to explain the sigmoidal lac responses as functions of time and of inducer concentration. This sigmoidal shape can be misleadingly interpreted as a phenomenon of equilibrium cooperativity classically used to explain bistability, but which has been reported to be weak in this system.
ISSN: 0022-5193

inserm-00818506
http://www.hal.inserm.fr/inserm-00818506
http://www.hal.inserm.fr/inserm-00818506/document
http://www.hal.inserm.fr/inserm-00818506/file/LacI-TeX.pdf
ARXIV : 1312.5566

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution
Résumé : International audience
Although heterokaryons have been reported in nature, multicellular organisms are generally assumed genetically homogeneous. Here, we investigate the case of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) that form symbiosis with plant roots. The growth advantages they confer to their hosts are of great potential benefit to sustainable agricultural practices. However, measuring genetic diversity for these coenocytes is a major challenge: Within the same cytoplasm, AMF contain thousands of nuclei and show extremely high levels of genetic variation for some loci. The extent and physical location of polymorphism within and between AMF genomes is unclear. We used two complementary strategies to estimate genetic diversity in AMF, investigating polymorphism both on a genome scale and in putative single copy loci. First, we used data from whole-genome pyrosequencing of four AMF isolates to describe genetic diversity, based on a conservative network-based clustering approach. AMF isolates showed marked differences in genome-wide diversity patterns in comparison to a panel of control fungal genomes. This clustering approach further allowed us to provide conservative estimates of Rhizophagus spp. genomes sizes. Second, we designed new putative single copy genomic markers, which we investigated by massive parallel amplicon sequencing for two Rhizophagus irregularis and one Rhizophagus sp. isolates. Most loci showed high polymorphism, with up to 103 alleles per marker. This polymorphism could be distributed within or between nuclei. However, we argue that the Rhizophagus isolates under study might be heterokaryotic, at least for the putative single copy markers we studied. Considering that genetic information is the main resource for identification of AMF, we suggest that special attention is warranted for the study of these ecologically important organisms.
ISSN: 1759-6653

Droits : http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/
hal-01224215
http://hal.upmc.fr/hal-01224215
http://hal.upmc.fr/hal-01224215/document
http://hal.upmc.fr/hal-01224215/file/Genome%20Biol%20Evol-2015-Boon-505-21.pdf
DOI : 10.1093/gbe/evv002

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD American Society for Microbiology
Résumé : International audience
: Estradiol signaling is ideally suited for analyzing molecular and functional linkages between the different layers of information directing transcriptional regulations: DNA sequence, chromatin modifications and the spatial organization of the genome. Hence, estrogen receptor (ER) can bind at a distance from its target genes and engages timely and spatially coordinated processes to regulate their expression. In the context of the coordinated regulations of co-linear genes, identifying which ER binding sites (ERBSs) regulate a given gene still remains a challenging question. Here, we investigated the coordination of such regulatory events at a 2 Mb genomic locus containing the estrogen-sensitive TFF cluster of genes in breast cancer cells. We demonstrated that this locus exhibits a hormone and cohesin-dependent reduction in the plasticity of its three-dimensional organization that allows multiple ERBSs to be dynamically brought to the vicinity of estrogen-sensitive genes. Additionally, by using triplex forming oligonucleotides, we could precisely document the functional links between ER engagement at given ERBSs and the regulation of particular genes. Hence, our data evidence a formerly suggested cooperation of enhancers towards gene regulations, and also show that redundancy between ERBSs can occur.
ISSN: 0270-7306

hal-00984591
https://hal-univ-rennes1.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00984591
https://hal-univ-rennes1.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00984591/document
https://hal-univ-rennes1.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00984591/file/Mol._Cell._Biol.-2014-Quintin-MCB.00918-13.pdf
DOI : 10.1128/MCB.00918-13

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Elsevier
Résumé : International audience
Recently it has become clear that exposure to xenobiotics may result in various forms of cell death; not only passive cell deaths like necrosis, or programmed cell deaths such as apoptosis, but also regulated necrosis, autophagy, senescence, or mitotic catastrophe. Complex cell signaling networks influence the processing of cell death. Furthermore, recent research has revealed early complex molecular interactions between organelles prior to the final triggering of cell death. The plasma membrane may play an important role in the early cell death signaling events. Regarding this latter aspect, drugs and environmental pollutants have been reported to affect plasma membrane characteristics which may further affect cell fate. Changes in membrane fluidity or in composition and function of specialized membrane microdomains (plasma membrane remodeling) have been proven to be involved in the regulation of many important physiological signaling pathways, including cell death. Furthermore, it has been suggested that a crosstalk between chemical-induced cellular membrane effects and other organelles may be of vital importance to explain the final outcome of chemical exposure. Here, we review the effects of plasma membrane remodeling on cell survival and cell death; we describe how the cell signaling pathways activated by changes in plasma membrane characteristics may influence cell fate. Since plasma membrane function plays an important role in the regulation of a number of cellular responses, it has been implicated in the development or progress of several diseases. A better knowledge of the effects of various chemicals on plasma membrane remodeling may be important for understanding the pathogenesis of major diseases, and may assist in developing new therapeutic strategies.
ISSN: 0300-483X

inserm-00818916
http://www.hal.inserm.fr/inserm-00818916
DOI : 10.1016/j.tox.2012.12.014
PUBMED : 23287390

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD American Society for Cell Biology
Résumé : International audience
Based on its shedding and binding activities, the disintegrin and metalloprotease 12 (ADAM12) has been implicated in cell signaling. Here we investigate the intracellular protein interaction network of the transmembrane ADAM12L variant using an integrative approach. We identify the integrin-linked kinase (ILK) as a new partner for ADAM12L cellular functions. We demonstrate that ADAM12L coimmunoprecipitates with ILK in cells and that its cytoplasmic tail is required for this interaction. In human cultured hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), which express high levels of endogenous ADAM12L and ILK, the two proteins are redistributed to focal adhesions upon stimulation of a β1 integrin-dependent pathway. We show that down-regulation of ADAM12L in HSCs leads to cytoskeletal disorganization and loss of adhesion. Conversely, up-regulation of ADAM12L induces the Akt Ser-473 phosphorylation-dependent survival pathway via stimulation of β1 integrins and activation of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K). Depletion of ILK inhibits this effect, which is independent of ADAM12L proteolytic activity and involves its cytoplasmic domain. We further demonstrate that overexpression of ADAM12L promotes kinase activity from ILK immunoprecipitates. Our data suggest a new role for ADAM12L in mediating the functional association of ILK with β1 integrin to regulate cell adhesion/survival through a PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.
ISSN: 1059-1524

Droits : info:eu-repo/semantics/OpenAccess
inserm-00717429
http://www.hal.inserm.fr/inserm-00717429
http://www.hal.inserm.fr/inserm-00717429/document
http://www.hal.inserm.fr/inserm-00717429/file/MBoC_E11-11-0918R-A_LEYME_ET_AL.pdf
PUBMED : 22767580

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Wiley-Blackwell
Résumé : International audience
The first studies of the 16S rRNA gene diversity of the bacterial symbionts found in lucinid clams did not clarify how symbiotic associations had evolved in this group. Indeed, although species-specific associations deriving from a putative ancestral symbiotic association have been described (coevolution scenario), associations between the same bacterial species and various host species (opportunistic scenario) have also been described. Here, we carried out a comparative molecular analysis of hosts, based on 18S and 28S rRNA gene sequences, and of symbionts, based on 16S rRNA gene sequences, to determine as to which evolutionary scenario led to modern lucinid/symbiont associations. For all sequences analyzed, we found only three bacterial symbiont species, two of which are harbored by lucinids colonizing mangrove swamps. The last symbiont is the most common and was found to be independent of biotope or depth. Another interesting feature is the similarity of ctenidial organization of lucinids from the Philippines to those described previously, with the exception that two bacterial morphotypes were observed in two different species (Gloverina rectangularis and Myrtea flabelliformis). Thus, there is apparently no specific association between Lucinidae and their symbionts, the association taking place according to which bacterial species is present in the environment.
ISSN: 0168-6496

hal-00743766
https://hal.univ-antilles.fr/hal-00743766
DOI : 10.1111/j.1574-6941.2010.00989.x