Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. While many factors can contribute to heart disease, stress plays a significant role. To better understand the mechanisms underlying the impact of stress on cardiovascular function, the intent of this thesis is to focus on the adenylate cyclase (AC) family of isoforms as key mediators of stress hormone signaling. AC operates downstream of ß-adrenergic receptor signaling to produce cAMP as a second messenger. There are at least 9 AC isoforms, all of which have different regulatory properties, but it is not clear which of these isoforms are expressed in the developing heart. Thus, there is still much to be discovered. This project seeks to establish a baseline understanding of AC isoform-specific expression patterns in the developing heart to better comprehend the role of these isoforms in development, beginning in the embryonic period and extending into the postnatal and adult ages. To accomplish this, we extracted RNA from flash-frozen hearts at embryonic days 10.5 and 15.5 (e10.5 and e15.5) as well as postnatal days 9 (juvenile), 38 (pre-pubescent) and young adult (2-3 months). Subsequently, quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was performed with isoform-specific primers. To verify the amplification, PCR products were run on ethidium bromide gels. Our initial results show that many isoforms are undetected at e10.5, but AC1-3 and AC6-9 were expressed from e15.5 onward. Only AC4 was robustly expressed at all ages, and AC2 and 8 were strongly upregulated during the embryonic period. Our results suggest that AC isoforms 2, 4, and 8 have an important developmental function from early in the embryonic period. Future studies will seek to test the AC isoforms at later postnatal and adult ages and localize AC expression in various areas of the heart.

No description available.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri--Columbia, 2001. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 66-80). Also available on the Internet.

La drépanocytose résulte d’une mutation du gène β-globine entrainant la synthèse d’une hémoglobine anormale, l’HBS, qui polymérise en condition désoxygénée. Le globule rouge deviendra plus rigide et plus fragile, donnant lieu a deux conséquences majeures : l’hémolyse accrue et l’occlusion vasculaire.Récemment, un nouvel acteur moléculaire, l’adénosine, a été identifie. Ce nucléoside présente des effets bénéfiques sur les atteintes pulmonaires en inhibant l’activation des cellules « tueur naturel t inductibles », mais aussi délétères en favorisant la polymérisation de l’HBS et la survenue du priapisme, une des complications drépanocytaires.Les travaux menés ont pour objectifs d’étudier les effets délétères potentiels de l’adénosine, à travers l’étude de l’implication des enzymes de la voie métabolique de l’adénosine dans l’hémolyse ainsi que dans la survenue du priapisme chez des patients drépanocytaires. Pour ce faire, une cohorte composée d’adultes et d’enfants SS a été étudiée. Les résultats obtenus ont permis de préciser le rôle du métabolisme de l’adénosine dans les mécanismes physiopathologiques de la drépanocytose. Nos résultats n’ont pas permis de mettre en évidence de différence d’expression (ARN, protéine) des enzymes du métabolisme de l’adénosine entre les patients présentant des antécédents priapiques et ceux indemnes de cette complication. Néanmoins, nos recherches ont permis d’identifier l’adénylate cyclasse 6 comme gène modulateur de l’hémolyse et d’apporter de nouveaux éléments en accord avec la classification du priapisme comme appartenant au sous-phénotype hyperhémolytique à travers notamment l’étude des caractéristiques hemorhéologiques. / Sickle-cell disease is caused by a mutation in the β-globin gene leading to an abnormal hemoglobin, hbs. This change allows polymerization of HBS when deoxygenated. Erythrocytes become more rigid and fragile, leading to the two major manifestations of the disease: hemolysis and vaso-occlusion.Recently, adenosine has been identified as a new molecular actor of this disease. This nucleoside may have beneficial effects by preventing inkt cells activation and pulmonary inflammation. But it may also exhibit deleterious effects by activing a signalling pathway leading to erythrocyte sickling and the occurrence of priapism, a sickle cell disease complication.The purpose of our work, based on the potential deleterious effects induced by adenosine was to precise the involvement of adenosine metabolic pathway enzymes in hemolysis and the occurrence of priapism. Two cohorts of children and adult ss patients and men ss have been studied respectively.Our results had clarified the role of metabolism of adenosine in the pathophysiological mechanisms of sickle cell disease. Our results did not allow detecting evidence of differential expression (rna, protein levels) of adenosine metabolism enzymes between ss adult patients exhibiting priapic events and those who had never experienced this complication. Nevertheless, our work has led to the identification of adenylate cyclase as modifier gene of hemolysis and has bring new elements on the priapism classification to the hyper hemolytic sub-phenotype with the description of the hemorheological features associated with this complication.

The mechanism by which nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) stimulates the activity of adenylate cyclase (AC) in canine plasma membrane has been studied. Using [3 2P]-NAD, the activation by NAD was correlated with the radiolabeling of the stimulatory guanosine triphosphate (GTP) binding protein Gsa. Further characterization demonstrated that the modification occurred only in the presence of G-protein activators and that arginine residue(s) were modified by ADP-ribose by the action of a mono-ADP-ribosyltransferase. Inhibitors of the transferase blocked both the modification of Gsa and the activation of AC. Collectively, these studies suggest that ADP-ribosylation of Gsa by an endogenous mono-ADP-ribosyltransferase may regulate cardiac AC.

Les pathologies cardiovasculaires sont responsables d’un grand nombre de décès dans le monde aujourd’hui, dont plus de la moitié trouve son origine dans des anomalies rythmiques. Les phénomènes de dépolarisation et de repolarisation rythmiques des cardiomyocytes, à l’origine de l’activité contractile rythmique du myocarde, mettent en jeu des processus cellulaires consommateurs d’énergie et les mitochondries,. Dans cette thèse, la régulation de la fonction mitochondriale a été étudiée lors de l’induction d’arythmies ventriculaires sur coeurs isolés perfusés de rats. Les résultats montrent que l'évolution de la consommation d’oxygène du myocarde est un paramètre important dans la réponse aux arythmies. L’inhibition des myosines ATPases par la blebbistatine induit sur la durée une diminution de la susceptibilité vis-à-vis des arythmies. Les acteurs impliqués dans les différents types de réponses mitochondriales ont été caractérisés sur fibres perméabilisées. Nous montrons que la régulation de la fonction mitochondriale varie en fonction de la chambre cardiaque considérée. Les mesures de Km de la respiration mitochondriale, ainsi que l’étude des principaux mécanismes de transfert énergétiques, mettent en évidence des différences marquées entre les différentes chambres cardiaques. .Les résultats de nos travaux suggèrent que le remodelage myocardique observé en réponse aux modifications de charge, et/ou lors du développement des pathologies du myocarde sont susceptibles de favoriser la constitution d’un substrat arythmogène, propre à chaque chambre, et impliquant des perturbations des mécanismes de transfert énergétique. / Cardiovascular disease is the first cause of mortality in the whole world. Half of this mortality is due to heart failure, a progressive deterioration of cardiac contraction, which can be caused by electrical dyssynchrony. Implication of heart energetics on susceptibility to arrhythmia is therefore of particular interest to better understood the overall effect as well as the relative importance of the potential partners on developed pathologies. In this thesis, energetic regulation of mitochondria was studied in perfused hearts paced to induce arrhythmia. Myocardial oxygen consumption was shown as a crucial parameter in the response to rhythm troubles. Inhibitions of ATPase myofibrils by blebbistatin or AK-phosphotransfer by Ap5a did not produce same responses of mitochondrial compartment. When inhibited by Blebb, most of hearts presented less ectopic beats highlighting an anti-arrhythmic profile in this case of myofibrils inhibition. Energetic parameters involved in mitochondrial responses were characterized in skinned fibres. Mitochondria regulation was different between ventricle and atria, with a less sensitivity of mitochondria in atria compared to ventricle. Mechanisms of energy transfer between supply and demand were different between ventricle and atria. The role of AK-phosphotransfer was described as a determining parameter for atria energy maintenance, whereas ventricle presented a functional efficacy of CK pathway to regulate adenine nucleotide turnover. As suggested by these results, the role of adenylic nucleotides channeling could be considered as a mechanism used to counteract altered cardiac energetics that potentially sustained electrical pathologies.

Bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis is an etiological agent of a deadly disease called tuberculosis that presents a global problem. According to The World Health Organization there are more than 2 billions people infected with latent tuberculosis all over the world. There is still need of specific, sensitive, quick and economic available method for identification of infected individuals. Currently in vitro blood tests are considered to be the best way of diagnosis. They are based on restimulation of specific T lymphocytes by mycobacterial antigens derived from virulent strains. There are several different approaches for enhancing of direct antigen delivery into antigen presenting cells and promising one is a genetically detoxified adenylate cyclase toxin (CyaA) of bacteria Bordetella pertussis. The main aim of the thesis includes construction and subsequent characterization of biological properties of CyaA protein carrying specific mycobacterial antigen TB7.7 in translocating domain. Here is shown that fusion protein CyaA-TB7.7 can form cation selective pores in target cell membranes and is able to deliver antigens into the cytosol of APC to be presented on surface with molecules MHC class II. Genetically detoxified CyaA- TB7.7 protein will be used to supplement current approaches such as also in vitro...

4 Abstract Phosphodiesterases (PDEs), enzymes that hydrolyze cyclic nucleotides, are important components of signal transduction pathways in eukaryotic cells. Second messenger 3'-5'- cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) is hydrolyzed by specific PDEs. By controlling concentration levels of cAMP in cell, PDEs preserve favorable environment for successful transmission of the cAMP signal. Moreover, PDEs are activated by protein kinase A (PKA) in response to elevated cAMP concentration, which is a feature crucial for signal termination. PDE8A1 is a high-affinity cAMP-specific IBMX insensitive phosphodiesterase, an enzyme important for cAMP signaling. However, mostly due to a lack of specific inhibitor, its role has not been assessed in detail. This thesis reports cloning of PDE8A1, identification of its posttranslational modifications and subcellular localization, as well as an alternative approach to address PDE biology by the use of cyclase toxin from Bordetella pertussis. Keywords: phosphodiesterase, cAMP, posttranslational modification, myristoylation, palmitoylation, adenylate cyclase toxin

Prostaglandins, released from Kupffer cells, have been shown to mediate the increase in hepatic glycogenolysis by various stimuli such as zymosan, endotoxin, immune complexes, and anaphylotoxin C3a involving prostaglandin (PG) receptors coupled to phospholipase C via a G(0) protein. PGs also decreased glucagon-stimulated glycogenolysis in hepatocytes by a different signal chain involving PGE(2) receptors coupled to adenylate cyclase via a G(i) protein (EP(3) receptors). The source of the prostaglandins for this latter glucagon-antagonistic action is so far unknown. This study provides evidence that Kupffer cells may be one source: in Kupffer cells, maintained in primary culture for 72 hours, glucagon (0.1 to 10 nmol/ L) increased PGE(2), PGF(2 alpha), and PGD(2) synthesis rapidly and transiently. Maximal prostaglandin concentrations were reached after 5 minutes. Glucagon (1 nmol/L) elevated the cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and inositol triphosphate (InsP(3)) levels in Kupffer cells about fivefold and twofold, respectively. The increase in glyco gen phosphorylase activity elicited by 1 nmol/L glucagon was about twice as large in monocultures of hepatocytes than in cocultures of hepatocytes and Kupffer cells with the same hepatocyte density. Treatment of cocultures with 500 mu mol/L acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) to irreversibly inhibit cyclooxygenase (PGH-synthase) 30 minutes before addition of glucagon abolished this difference. These data support the hypothesis that PGs produced by Kupffer cells in response to glucagon might participate in a feedback loop inhibiting glucagon-stimulated glycogenolysis in hepatocytes.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2002. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 67-89).