Les cellules souches de glioblastomes (GSC) sont sensibles aux propriétés mécaniques de leur microenvironnement et utilisent la rigidité pour favoriser leur invasion.Dans ce contexte, nous avons développé une matrice 3D fibrillaire artificielle permettant de récapituler in vitro les comportements migratoires observés in vivo. Cette matrice étant hautement plastique, nous avons pu moduler la rigidité, la chimie de surface ou encore l'alignement des fibres.Dans un premier temps nous avons modifié leur chimie de surface grâce à l’ajout de protéines de la matrice extracellulaire (MEC) puis déposé des neurosphères (NS) de GSC sur ce tissu artificiel. L’ajout de laminine nous a permis d’observer le passage d’un comportement migratoire collectif à individuel.Dans un deuxième temps nous avons modulé la rigidité des fibres. Après cinq jours de migration des GSC dans différentes conditions de rigidités, nous avons constaté une augmentation de la vitesse de migration à la rigidité intermédiaire de 166kPa par rapport à la condition plus souple de 3,2 kPa et à la condition plus rigides de 1260kPa. Cette capacité migratoire maximale dans nos conditions est associée à des changements de morphologie des GSC, à une augmentation de l'expression des protéines associée à la transition épithélio-mésenchymateuse (EMT) et à une modification de la régulation des protéines des adhérences focales.La surexpression de Mannoside acetyl glucosaminyltransférase 5 (MGAT5) est associée aux tumeurs malignes et est impliquée dans la formation de regroupement de protéines membranaires grâce à la formation d’un treillis. Elle favorise également la maturation des adhérences focales, la migration cellulaire, l'invasion et l’EMT, entraînant ainsi des avantages fonctionnels pour les cellules tumorales. Au vu des résultats précédents sur l'expression des protéines EMT et des modifications de la régulation des protéines des adhérences focales, nous avons généré des GSC n’exprimant plus la MGAT5 grâce à la technique CRISPR Cas9 et les avons placées en NS sur les matrices 3D présentant différentes rigidité. Nous avons alors observé une diminution de la vitesse de migration à 166kPa par rapport aux GSC contrôles, associée à une diminution de l'EMT et de la maturation des adhérences focales. Par conséquent, cette étude démontre l'implication de la glycosylation et plus particulièrement de la glycosylation médiée par la MGAT5 sur la mécanotransduction des GSC. / Glioblastoma stem cells (CSC) have been reported to be sensitive to the mechanical properties of the surrounding tissue/microenvironment and to use the microenvironment stiffness to enhance invasion.In this context, we developed a 3D artificial fibrillary tissue which can allow in vitro recapitulation of the migration behavior observed in vivo. This 3D matrix is highly plastic which allows for modulation of stiffness, surface chemistry and fibers alignment.On the first hand, we functionalized the fibers with extracellular matrix proteins and then we plated GSCs neurospheres (NS) on the developed 3D artificial tissue. The addition of laminin modulates the migration behaviour from single cell to collective mode.On the second hand we have modified stiffness of the fibers. After five days of GSCs NS migration on 3D electrospun fibers of different stiffnesses, we have seen an increase in migration velocity for an intermediate stiffness of 166kPa in comparison with our softest 3.2 kPa and stiffest stiffnesses (1260 kPa). This maximum migration rate is associated with changes in cell shape, increase of EMT proteins expressions and modifications of focal adhesion proteins regulation.Mannoside acetyl glucosaminyltransferase 5 (MGAT5) overexpression is associated with malignant tumors and it is implicated in the clustering of membrane proteins through lattice formation, focal adhesions, cell migration, invasion, and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), resulting in functional advantages for tumor cells.In light of previous results about of EMT proteins expressions and modifications of focal adhesion proteins regulation, we generated MGAT5 CRISPR Cas9 GSCs and placed it on 3D matrix with different stiffnesses. We observe a decrease in migration velocity at the intermediate stiffness in comparison with GSCs WT associated with a decrease in focal adhesion maturation and EMT. This study demonstrates the implication of glycosylation and more particularly MGAT5-mediated glycosylation on GSCs mechanotransduction.

Collective cell migration is ubiquitous in biology, from development to cancer; it is influenced by heterogeneous cell types, signals and matrix properties, and requires large scale regulation in space and time. Understanding how cells achieve organized collective motility is crucial to addressing cellular and tissue function and disease progression. While current two-dimensional model systems recapitulate the dynamic properties of collective cell migration, quantitative three-dimensional equivalent model systems have proved elusive. The overarching hypothesis of this work is that cell collectives are heterogeneous in nature; and that the influence of biochemical, physical, and mechanical factors combined leads to diverse physical behaviors. The central goal of this work is to establish standard tools for the understanding of 3D collective cell motility by treating individual cell-collectives as independent entities. An experimental model studies cell collectives by tracking individual cells within cell cohorts embedded in three dimensional collagen scaffolding. A computational model of 3-dimensional multi-scale self-propelled particles recreates experimental data and accounts for intercellular adhesion dynamics. A custom algorithm identifies cellular cohorts from experimental and simulated data so these may be treated as independent entities. A second custom algorithm quantifies the temporal and spatial heterogeneity of motion in cell cohorts during ‘motility events’ observed in experiments and simulations. The results show that cell-cohorts in 3D are dynamic with spatial and temporal heterogeneity; cohesive motility events can emerge without an external driving agent. Simulated cohorts are able to recreate experimental motility event signatures. Together these model systems and analytical techniques are some of the first to address collective motility of adhesive cellular cohorts in 3-dimensions.

Abstract While most of the in vitro cultures are carried out on bi-dimensional (2D) substrates, most of the in vivo extracellular matrices are threedimensional (3D). Consequently cells behave differently on 2D substrates as a way to self-adaptation to a non-physiological environment. This fact has encouraged the development of more relevant culture conditions seeking to provide more representative models for biomedicine (e.g. cancer, drug discovery and tissue engineering) and further insights into any dimension-dependent biological mechanism. Different 3D culture systems have been established though their variability and complexity hinder their standardisation in common cell culture procedures. So, this thesis deals with the dimensionality issue in cell/material interactions and introduces sandwich-like microenvironments as a versatile tool to study cell behaviour. Cells cultured within this system use both dorsal and ventral receptors to adhere and spread, undergoing important changes with respect to the 2D cultures and approaching to 3D conditions. Stimulation of dorsal receptors has been previously addressed by overlaying a protein gel on cells already attached on a 2D surface. Here we propose a sandwich-like system that consists of two 2D surfaces so that wider spectra of conditions can be investigated by changing the nature of the substrate (material, topography…) and the protein coatings of both ventral and dorsal sides. Since sandwich culture provides an altered cellular adhesion compared to the traditional 2D substrates by the excitation of the dorsal receptors, changes in the intracellular signalling are expected, which might alter important processes such as proliferation, morphology, migration and differentiation. Hence this thesis evaluates the effect of different sandwich culture parameters in cell behaviour. First, cell fate upon adhesion was evaluated in terms of morphology, proliferation and adhesion. Different conditions were studied such as materials with different properties or protein coatings (dorsal and ventral substrates), as well as the effect of sandwiching cells just after seeding or after been allowed to adhere to the ventral substrate. Interesting results were obtained such as the relationship between the ability of cells to reorganise the ECM with cell morphology, proliferation and adhesion, similarly as observed in 3D hydrogels (degradable vs nondegradable systems). Then, cell migration within sandwich culture was studied by live imaging of a wound healing assay. Results revealed the key effect of both ventral and dorsal substrates in determining the migration rate as well as the migration mode used by cells. Moreover cells within the sandwich culture migrating in the wound healing assay adopted an elongated cell morphology that resembled cells migrating in other 3D systems. Beyond differences in cell morphology and migration, dorsal stimulation promoted cell remodelling of the extra-cellular matrix (ECM) over simple ventral receptor activation in traditional 2D cultures. Finally the effect of sandwich culture on cell differentiation was evaluated. First we showed an increase in C2C12 myogenic differentiation when cultured within the sandwich system. This enhancement was shown to be dorsal stimulation dependent and related to an alteration of the signalling pathway and the growth factor release. To determine if sandwich culture leads only to myogenic differentiation or whether it allows differentiation to other lineages, 4 different human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) lines were cultured under the same conditions. Results showed the same sandwich environment triggered different cell differentiation. This points out the importance of the microenvironment cell niche in vivo, which highly influence cell fate, and thus the need of mimicking it properly in vitro. Overall, sandwich-like microenvironments switch cell behaviour towards 3D-like patterns, demonstrating the importance of this versatile, simple and robust approach to mimic cell microenvironments in vivo. / Ballester Beltrán, J. (2014). Sandwich-like systems to engineer the cellular microenvironment [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/48166 / TESIS

The hydraulic and removal efficiencies of a Horizontal Flow Treatment Wetlands (HF TW) were investigated through an internal three dimensional grid of sampling ports. Tracer tests and regular monitoring of water quality parameters were performed. Results demonstrated that the HF TW has generally good hydraulic and volumetric efficiencies, with relatively low dead zones. The application of models developed by chemical engineering provided the number of tanks in series and the calculated detention times which were input as parameters in the multi flow with dispersion hydraulic model. This second model identified that water fluxes were not homogeneous with depth inside the TW and 60% of the flow was along the bottom layer of the bed. It also indicated the water flow velocities, which were faster on the bottom of the bed, and the axial dispersion, which was higher where flow velocity was lower. The reviewed inflow rate distribution allowed review for all layers of the nominal detention time and of the hydraulic indexes, which are developed by the chemical engineering theory, and based on the incorrect assumption of homogeneous systems. The P-k-C* degradation model was applied in order to define degradation k-rate values of BOD and COD and the frequency distribution profiles were developed. The degradation rate coefficients for BOD ranked from less than 10 m/yr to more than 300 m/yr. Significant higher degradation rates were observed for all the bottom layers and for the closest sampling line from the inlet. The results of COD were similar to those observed for BOD. Finally, the specific pollutants of nitrogen and phosphorus were analysed for total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP). The global trend of the TN degradation coefficient values was a slow and regular decrease over length, having systematically higher degradation coefficients for the bottom layers. The saturation of the media sites for sorption capacity of TP was demonstrated being in progress. Les efficacités hydraulique et épuratoire du filtre planté à écoulement horizontal ont été mesurées grâce à un dispositif de prélèvement tridimensionnel dans un filtre en fonctionnement. Des essais de traçage ont été réalisés ainsi que des analyses régulières de la qualité de leau en tous les points déchantillonnage. Les résultats ont démontré que le filtre présente des efficacités hydraulique et volumétrique généralement bonnes, avec relativement peu de zones mortes. Lapplication des modèles mathématiques issus du génie chimique ont permis la détermination du nombre N de réservoirs en série et de calculer les temps de séjour ; ceux-ci ont ensuite été introduit dans le modèle hydraulique de dispersion multi-couches. Ce second modèle a identifié que les flux en eau nétaient pas homogènes avec la profondeur à lintérieur du système et que 60 % de lécoulement se concentraient dans la couche de fond du filtre. Il a également fournit les vitesses découlement par couche, qui se présentent comme plus rapides dans le fond du filtre, et la dispersion axiale, dont la valeur augmente en corrélation avec une diminution de la vitesse. La distribution du débit par horizon a pu être revue comme non homogène avec la profondeur et a permis de recalculer les index hydrauliques et les temps de séjour par horizon en évitant lhypothèse erronée des modèles du génie chimique de lhomogénéité du système. Le modèle de dégradation des polluants P-k-C* a été appliqué pour définir les valeurs des coefficients de dégradation de la DBO, la DCO et lazote total. Les profils de distribution de fréquence ont été dressés. Les différences de coefficients de dégradation de la DBO sont très hautement significatives avec la profondeur et la longueur, en ayant des valeurs plus importantes pour la couche de fond et pour la première ligne de prélèvement la plus proche de la zone de distribution de leffluent dans le filtre. Les résultats obtenus pour la DCO ont été semblables. Les coefficients de dégradation de lazote total ont montré une décroissance lente et régulière avec la longueur, et des valeurs systématiquement plus importantes avec la profondeur. Finalement, il a été démontré que les sites dadsorption du phosphore total sont en cours de saturation.