ATP binding cassette (ABC) transporters constitute one of the largest families of transport proteins. The occurrence of multidrug resistance (MDR) in human cancer cells has been correlated with the over expression of human ABC, P-glycoprotein (Pgp). Streptomyces peucetius produces two anticancer agents, doxorubicin and daunorubicin, that belong to the anthracycline family of antibiotics. The organism is self-resistant to the potent effects of the antibiotics it produces due to the action of an efflux pump, DrrAB. Both Pgp and DrrAB carry out similar functions, but in two different cell types. An understanding of the bacterial drug transporter DrrAB is thus expected to help in obtaining a better understanding of the function and evolution of the multidrug transporter P-glycoprotein. In DrrAB, the catalytic and membrane domains are present on separate subunits, DrrA and DrrB respectively. How the catalytic ATP-binding domains and the membrane domains in transporters interact with each other, or how energy is transduced between them, is not well understood. We introduced several single cysteine substitutions in DrrB and then by using a cysteine to amine hetero-bifunctional cross-linker showed that DrrA interacts predominantly with the N-terminal cytoplasmic tail of DrrB. Within this region of DrrB, we also identified a sequence with similarities to the EAA motif found in importers of the ABC family of proteins, thus leading to the proposal that the EAA or the EAA-like motif may be involved in forming a generalized interface between the ABC and the TMD of both uptake and export systems. By using a combination of approaches, including point mutations and disulfide cross-linking analysis, we show here that the Q-loop region of DrrA plays an important role in dimerization of DrrA as well as in interactions with DrrB. Furthermore, we also show that the interaction of the Q-loop with the N-terminus of DrrB is involved in transmitting conformational changes between DrrA and DrrB. The scope of the present study further extends into identifying the factors involved in the biogenesis of the DrrAB pump. We have identified two accessory proteins namely, FtsH and GroEL that may be involved in proper folding and assembly of the transporter.

Dans cette étude, le transporteur ABC de zinc de Streptococcus agalactiae, première cause d’infections materno-foetale en France, a été caractérisé. Nous avons montré que ce transporteur se compose, du complexe perméase-ATPase AdcCB, associé à trois protéines membranaires Lmb, AdcA et AdcAII redondantes dans la fixation de zinc. Ce transporteur comporte également deux protéines Sht et ShtII, retrouvées au niveau de la paroi, et nécessaires aux protéines Lmb et AdcAII pour la capture de zinc. L’absence d’un transporteur fonctionnel, par la triple délétion des gènes lmb, adcA et adcAII ou du complexe adcCB, a révélé une inhibition de la croissance et une perturbation de la division de la bactérie lorsqu’elle se trouve dans un environnement carencé en zinc. De plus, nous avons montré que ce transporteur de zinc participe à la survie de la bactérie en milieux biologiques humains, comme le liquide amniotique ou le LCR, où la bactérie est retrouvée lors d’infections, suggérant l’importance du transporteur lors du processus infectieux. Ces résultats ont mis en évidence, pour la première fois, que le zinc assure des fonctions biologiques vitales pour S. agalactiae et que, dans des conditions de forte carence en zinc, le transporteur Adc/Lmb représente le principal système d’acquisition de zinc de la bactérie. / In this study, the zinc-ABC transporter of Streptococcus agalactiae, the first cause of materno-foetal infections in France, was characterized. We showed that this transporter is composed of an AdcCB permease-ATPase complex in association with three membrane-associated proteins Lmb, AdcA and AdcAII, which are redundant in zinc-binding. This transporter also possesses two proteins Sht and ShtII, which are associated to the cell wall, and that are necessary for the Lmb and AdcAII proteins for zinc capture. The absence of a functional transporter, by the triple deletion of the lmb, adcA and adcAII genes or the adcCB complex, revealed a growth inhibition and a disruption of the division of the bacterium when it is in a zinc-restricted environment. Furthermore, we showed that the zinc-ABC transporter contributes to the survival of the bacterium in human biological fluids, as the amniotic fluid or the cerebrospinal fluid, where the bacterium is found during infections, suggesting the importance of the transporter during the infectious process. These results hightlighted, for the first time, that zinc has biologically vital functions in S. agalactiae and that, under high zinc deficiency conditions, the Adc/Lmb transporter is the main zinc acquisition system of the bacterium.

Pouco se sabe sobre o mecanismo de ação da pentamidina, um composto utilizado no tratamento das leishmanioses. Para uma melhor compreensão do mecanismo de ação assim como o mecanismo de resistência à pentamidina, foi isolado um gene que codifica um membro da família de transportadores ABC, chamado PRP1 capaz de conferir resistência à pentamidina em formas promastigotas e amastigotas de Leishmania spp. O tratamento dos transfectantes que superexpressam a PRP1 com pentamidina em presença de concentrações não tóxicas de verapamil, um inibidor de transportadores ABC, foi capaz de reverter a resistência mediada por esse transportador. Foram ainda isolados nesse estudo duas linhagens de L. amazonensis resistentes à pentamidina. A análise molecular dos parasitos indicou que esses mutantes não apresentaram nenhuma amplificação de DNA, inclusive do gene PRP1 que também não se mostrou superexpresso em ambas as linhagens. As duas linhagens resistentes à pentamidina tiveram sua resistência revertida quando tratadas com verapamil, indicando que o mecanismo de resistência nesses mutantes pode estar associado a um transportador ABC. Os resultados obtidos nesse estudo fornecem dados para uma melhor compreensão do mecanismo de resistência à pentamidina e sugerem um provável potencial da associação pentamidina e verapamil no tratamento da doença. / Little it is known about the mechanism of action of pentamidine, an compound used for leishmaniases chemotherapy. To understand the mechanism of action and resistance of pentamidine, it was isolated a gene that codifies a member of ABC transporter family, named as PRP1 able to confer pentamidine resistance in promastigotes and amastigotes of Leishmania spp. Treatment of transfectants overexpressing PRP1 with pentamidine in presence of non toxic concentration of verapamil, an inhibitor of ABC transporters, was able to reverse the drug resistance mediated by this transporter. Two lines of L. amazonensis resistant to pentamidine were selected. Molecular analysis of parasites indicated that these mutants do not contain amplified DNA, including the PRP1 gene either not associated with overexpression in both lines. The two lines resistant to pentamidine had their resistance reversed when treated with verapamil, indicating that the mechanism of resistance may be associated to an ABC transporter. The results of this work lead to new insights for a better understanding of the mechanism of of resistance suggesting a probably potencial of pentamidine and verapamil association in the chemotherapy.

ABCG2 ou BCRP est une protéine membranaire de la famille des transporteurs ABC. Elle utilise l’énergie de l’hydrolyse de l’ATP pour exporter des composés endogènes et exogènes hors des cellules. Elle participe ainsi à la protection et la détoxication de l’organisme. En revanche, dans le cas des cellules cancéreuses, elle est surexprimée et participe donc au phénotype de résistance à de multiples médicaments (MDR : Multi Drug Resistance). En effet, lors de la surexpression de cette protéine, les agents anti-cancéreux sont exportés hors des cellules tumorales, ce qui diminue leurs concentrations intracellulaires sous leurs seuils de cytotoxicité et les rend inefficaces. De par l’importance d’ABCG2 dans la chimiorésistance, de nombreux efforts sont effectués pour concevoir des inhibiteurs afin de restaurer la sensibilité des cellules cancéreuses. Dans ce contexte, le projet de thèse vise à caractériser ABCG2 sur les plans structural et fonctionnel afin de comprendre son mécanisme d’action. La protéine ABCG2 exprimée chez E. coli, a été purifiée, sous forme stable et homogène et le rendement est de 1,5 mg de protéine par litre de culture. La caractérisation fonctionnelle de celle-ci témoigne de son repliement correct. En effet, il a été démontré qu’elle est capable de fixer différents substrats (naturels et agents anti-cancéreux) avec des affinités différentes. Des essais préliminaires de cristallisation ainsi que des observations par microscopie électronique révèlent des résultats encourageants pour la suite de la caractérisation structurale / ABCG2 or BCRP is a membrane protein that belongs to the ABC transporter family. It uses the hydrolysis energy of ATP to export endogenous and exogenous compounds out of cells. It is thus involved in the protection and detoxification of the body. However, it is overexpressed by cancer cells and participates in the multidrug resistance phenotype (MDR); in fact, anti-cancer agents are exported out of the tumor cells, which reduce their concentration below their cytotoxicity threshold and renders them ineffective. Because of its importance in chemoresistance, many efforts are made to design inhibitors to restore the sensitivity of cancer cells. In this context, the PhD project aims to characterize ABCG2 at structural and functional levels in order to understand its mechanism of action. We have succeeded in purifying ABCG2 expressed in E. coli, the protein obtained is stable and homogeneous, with a yield of 1.5 mg of protein per liter of culture. The functional characterization of ABCG2 demonstrates its correct folding. In fact, we have demonstrated that it is able to bind different substrates (natural and anti-cancer agents) with different affinities. Preliminary crystallization assays and electron microscopy observations reveal encouraging results for subsequent structural characterization

Les plantes de la famille des légumineuses ont acquis la capacité d’accueillir au sein d’organes symbiotiques, les nodosités, des bactéries fixatrices d’azote appelées bactéroïdes. Cette symbiose permet aux plantes hôtes de satisfaire leurs besoins en azote. Certaines légumineuses produisent au sein des nodosités une grande famille de peptides antimicrobiens particuliers, les NCR (Nodule-specific Cysteine-Rich). Ils permettent à l’hôte de contrôler la population bactérienne intracellulaire via leurs activités antimicrobiennes, mais aussi d’imposer aux rhizobia une différenciation terminale des bactéroïdes. Durant ma thèse, j’ai participé à l’identification et à la caractérisation de la protéine bactérienne BclA. Ce transporteur ABC est nécessaire pour la formation de bactéroïdes différenciés lors de la symbiose Aeschynomene-Bradyrhizobium. Pour mieux comprendre sa fonction symbiotique, j’ai étudié la relation entre BclA et une enzyme de modification du peptidoglycane, la DD-carboxypeptidase 1. J’ai pu montrer que ces deux facteurs agissent de manière indépendante dans la mise en place de bactéroïdes différenciés. Une analyse fonctionnelle de BclA et une expérience d’évolution expérimentale avec le mutant bacA de Sinorhizobium, un orthologue de bclA, apportent une meilleure compréhension du rôle de ces transporteurs in vivo. L’ensemble des résultats obtenus pendant ma thèse suggère que BclA et BacA assurent la résistance bactérienne face aux NCR in planta, comme un prérequis pour la suite du processus, mais ne sont pas nécessaires à la différenciation per se. De plus, leurs activités d’import des NCR ne semblent pas être le mécanisme sous-jacent du processus de résistance. / Plants of the legume family have acquired the ability to host in specific symbiotic organs, the roots nodules, nitrogen fixing bacteria, called bacteroids. This symbiosis allows plants to fulfill all their nitrogen requirements. Some legume plants produce in their nodules a large family of antimicrobials peptides called the NCRs (Nodule-specific Cysteine-Rich). Their antimicrobial activities allow the host plant to control the intracellular bacterial population. NCRs peptides also govern terminal differentiation of the bacteroids. During my PhD work, I participated in the identification and characterization of BclA. This bacterial ABC transporter is involved in bacteroid differentiation during the Aeschynomene- Bradyrhizobium symbiosis. In order to better understand its symbiotic function, I studied the link between BclA and a peptidoglycan-modifying enzyme, the DD-carboxypeptidase 1. I was able to show that these two factors act in an independent manner in the establishment of bacteroid differentiation. A functional analysis of BclA and an experimental evolution on Sinorhizobium bacA mutant, an orthologue of bclA, conferred a better understanding of the in vivo role of these transporters. The results obtained during my thesis suggest that the BclA and BacA function is to ensure bacterial resistance to NCRs, as a prerequisite for the bacterial differentiation process, but is not needed for differentiation per se. Furthermore, their NCR uptake activities do not seem to be the mechanism underlying the resistance.

Colorectal cancer is a serious malignant disease with an incidence of over 1.8 million new cases per year worldwide. There are about 8 000 patients diagnosed with CRC in the Czech Republic each year, and about half of them present with an advanced disease. Screening program identifies patients in the early stages of CRC resulting in overall better prognosis and survival. There is also a lack of biomarkers of early CRC detection and of response to treatment. The first aim of our project was to conduct a national multicentre prospective observational study to evaluate the impact of CRC screening within the framework of a Czech population screening programme. Between March 2013 and September 2015, a total of 265 patients were enrolled in 12 centres across the Czech Republic. Patients were divided into screening and control groups and compared for pathology status and clinical characteristics. Screening was defined as a primary screening colonoscopy or a colonoscopy after a positive FOBT in an average-risk population. The distribution of CRC stages was significantly favourable in the screening group compared with the control group (stages 0, I and II, 63% versus 43.3%; p <0.001). The presence of distant (M1) and local metastases (N1 and N2) was significantly less prevalent in the screening group (0%,...

Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae) is a Gram-positive, encapsulated bacterium capable of causing significant morbidity and mortality throughout the world. A hallmark of S. pneumoniae infection is infiltration of neutrophils (PMNs) that assist in controlling the spread infection but may also contribute to pathology. Paradoxically, studies have shown that limiting PMN infiltration into the lumen of the lung during infection actually betters clinical outcome in experimental S. pneumoniae infection. The final step in PMN luminal trafficking is a Hepoxilin A3 (HXA3)-dependent migration across the pulmonary epithelium. HXA3 is a PMN chemoattractant that forms gradients along the polarized epithelial face, drawing PMNs from the basolateral to the apical surface during proinflammatory responses. HXA3 requires assistance of an integral- membrane protein transporter to escape the cell and form the gradient. The pulmonary HXA3 transporter is currently unidentified. In this work, we identify the pulmonary HXA3 transporter as the ATP-Binding Cassette Transporter (ABC transporter) Multi-drug Resistance Associated Protein 2 (ABCC2, MRP2). We demonstrate that MRP1 and MRP2 are divergent ABC- transporters that control transepithelial PMN migration through efflux of a distinct anti-inflammatory substance and the pro-inflammatory HXA3 in the context of Streptococcus pneumoniae infection. Enrichment of MRP2 on the plasma membrane requires detection of the bacterial virulence factors pneumolysin (PLY) and hydrogen peroxide. PLY and hydrogen peroxide not only coordinate MRP2 apical membrane enrichment but also influence HXA3-dependent PMN transepithelial migration. They influence migration through stimulation of epithelial intracellular calcium increases that are crucial for HXA3 production as well as MRP2 translocation to the plasma membrane. PLY and hydrogen peroxide are not sufficient in their signaling alone, however, and require at least one additional bacterial signal to induce HXA3/MRP2 proinflammatory activities.

京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(農学) / 甲第18326号 / 農博第2051号 / 新制||農||1022(附属図書館) / 学位論文||H26||N4833(農学部図書室) / 31184 / 京都大学大学院農学研究科応用生命科学専攻 / (主査)教授 植田 充美, 教授 喜多 恵子, 教授 栗原 達夫 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Agricultural Science / Kyoto University / DFAM

Das Mikromilieu solider Tumor (tumor mircoenvironment, TME) weist verschiedene Besonderheiten auf, von denen bekannt ist, dass sie zu Chemotherapieresistenz und Tumorprogression beitragen können. Neben der Extrazellulären Matrix (ECM), den cancer associated cells (CAC) und diversen Entzündungszellen tragen auch chemische und physikalische Besonderheiten (Hypoxie, Azidose, erhöhter Gewebedruck, oxidativer Stress und Nährstoffmangel) zu Tumorprogression und Chemotherapieresistenz bei. Zudem wissen wir, dass Hitzeschock-Proteine (HSPs), Toll-like Rezeptoren (TLRs) und ABC-Transporter mit erhöhter Chemotherapieresistenz und Tumorprogression im Pankreas- und Kolonkarzinom einhergehen. Hier wurde untersucht, ob ein in vitro induzierter Nährstoffmangel im HT29 Kolonkarzinom, im Panc-1 Pankreaskarzinom und im MIA PaCa-2 Pankreaskarzinom zu einer gesteigerten Expression von HSP70, HSP90, MDR1, ABCB5 und TLR1 bis TLR10 auf mRNA und Proteinebene führt. Zudem wurde unter allen Versuchsbedingungen die Stoffwechselaktivität über einen MTS-Test gemessen. Der Nährstoffmangel wurde über die Kultivierung in einem Hybridomamedium, welches als proteinfreies Medium gilt und über die Kultivierung in einem serumfreien Medium induziert. Es zeigte sich, dass insbesondere die entdifferenzierte Panc-1 Pankreaskarzinomzelllinie eine erhöhte Resistenz gegenüber dem induzierten Nährstoffmangel aufwies. Auf mRNA-Ebene zeigten sich bei allen drei Tumorzelllinien deutliche Expressionssteigerungen. Diese waren insbesondere im Hybridomamedium nachweisbar und traten beim HT29-Kolonkarzinom nach 48h und im Panc-1 Pankreaskarzinom bereits nach 24h auf. Besonders intensive Expressionssteigerungen konnten im HT29 Kolonkarzinom bei ABCB5, TLR7 und TLR9 nachgewiesen werden. Die Expression von MDR1 war insbesondere im MIA PaCa-2 Pankreaskarzinom gesteigert. Auf Proteinebene konnte im HT29 Kolonkarzinom eine Expressionssteigerung bei HSP90 und TLR6 nachgewiesen werden. Die Ergebnisse lassen zwei Interpretationen zu. Zum einen könnte über den Nährstoffmangel eine aggressivere Subpopulation selektioniert worden sein. In diesem Zusammenhang konnten die Expressionsdaten des Tumorstammzellmarkers CD133 leider nicht ausgewertet werden. Alternativ kann angenommen werden, dass die untersuchten Tumorzelllinien ihren aggressiven Phänotyp erst unter Nährstoffmangelbedingungen, wie wir sie regelmäßig in soliden Tumoren finden, zur Expression bringen. / The tumor microenvironment (TME) in solid tumors is low on nutrients and favors tumor progression and resistance to chemotherapies in different ways. In this study we cultured HT29 colorectal carcinoma cells, Panc-1 pancreatic carcinoma cells and MIA PaCa-2 pancreatic carcinoma cells in nutrient deprived conditions (NDC) and performed rtPCR expression analysis, SDS-PAGE and immunohistochemical staining after 24, 48 and 72 hours. Gene expression of ABC transporters (ABCB5, MDR1), heat-shock proteins (HSP70, HSP90) and Toll-like receptors (TLR1 – TLR10) in the NDC compared to normal condition was analyzed. We performed MTS tetrazolium assays to monitor the activity of the respiratory chain in any condition. We showed that the examined cell lines, and in particular Panc-1 pancreatic carcinoma, are very resistant to the NDC. The gens of interest showed increase expression after 48 hours (HT29) and 24 hours (Panc-1). The results suggest that culturing in NDC either selects a very aggressive and resistant subpopulation or NDC induces gene expression changes and shows us how cancer cells really perform in the nutrient deprived tumor environment. Unfortunately, we were not able to use the gene expression analysis of the stem cell marker CD133.

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