No description available.

Regulation of apoptosis is critical for cell survival during mild stress and for proper removal of damaged cells during severe stress including hyperthermia. Previous studies have shown that knockdown of the BH3-only protein Noxa prevents hyperthermia-induced Mcl-1 degradation and activation of apoptosis. Noxa is a pro-apoptotic BH3-only protein that is able to selectively bind to and disable anti-apoptotic Mcl-1. Phosphorylation of Noxa on serine-13 by the cyclin-dependent kinase CDK5 inhibits the apoptotic function of Noxa. In this study I investigated whether hyperthermia is able to induce apoptosis by preventing Noxa phosphorylation, due to reduced CDK5 activity, leading to activation of Noxa. I was able to demonstrate that both the phosphorylation status and solubility of CDK5 is reduced during hyperthermia. Furthermore, overexpression of a non-phosphorylatable Noxa (S13A) resulted in a significant decrease in cell viability and increase in caspase-3 activity compared to overexpression of wild-type Noxa at 37°C. However, I was unable to detect in vivo phosphorylation of Noxa serine-13 in lymphoid cells and therefore was unable to conclude whether or not hyperthermia affects the phosphorylation status of Noxa.

La kinase dépendante des cyclines 5 (Cdk5) est un facteur de sensibilité aux inhibiteurs de PARP et aux rayonnements ionisants (RI), elle est nécessaire pour le point de contrôle du cycle cellulaire en phase S. Cependant, elle n’est pas directement impliquée dans la réparation des cassures de brin d’ADN, suggérant un rôle dans les étapes plus précoces de la signalisation des dommages. Nous rapportons ici que des cellules HeLa déplétées pour Cdk5 (Cdk5 KD) montrent une grande sensibilité aux RI surtout lorsqu'elles sont irradiées en phase S, au 5-Fluoro-Uracile, à la 6-Thioguanine et à une exposition chronique à l'hydroxyurée (HU). Les cellules Cdk5 KD montrent une altération de la dynamique de la phase S causée par une vitesse de réplication plus lente et une réduction des origines actives par mégabase d'ADN. En revanche, après un traitement au HU, ces cellules sortent plus rapidement du blocage en phase S. Ceci s’accompagne d’une déficience de la phosphorylation de RPA-32 sur les sérines 29 et 33 et de SMC1 sur la sérine 966 ainsi que d’une réduction du niveau de dommages de l'ADN évalués par le test des comètes alcalines, de l’intensité du signal gamma-H2AX, des foyers RPA, Rad51 et RPA sur les sérines 4 et 8 ainsi que du niveau d'échanges de chromatides sœurs. Des essais kinase in vitro couplés à la spectrométrie de masse ont montré que Cdk5 peut phosphoryler RPA-32 sur ses sérines 23, 29, et 33. De plus, des niveaux inférieurs d’expression de Cdk5 ont été associés à une meilleure survie sans métastases chez des patientes atteintes d’un cancer du sein et à une réduction de la survie des cellules de tumeurs du sein déplétées pour Cdk5 après un traitement aux RI et en présence d’un inhibiteur de PARP. Globalement, ces résultats montrent que Cdk5 est nécessaire pour la réplication basale et l'activation du point de contrôle en phase S en réponse à un stress réplicatif, ouvrant des perspectives cliniques intéressantes pour améliorer la destruction des cellules tumorales dans certaines populations de patientes atteintes de cancer du sein grâce à des agents qui génèrent un stress réplicatif. / Cyclin dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5) is a determinant of sensitivity to PARP inhibitors and ionizing radiation (IR) and is required for the intra-S DNA damage checkpoint. It is not however directly implicated in strand break repair suggesting a role in the earlier steps of checkpoint activation. We report here that Cdk5-Depleted (Cdk5-KD) HeLa cells show higher sensitivity to IR when irradiated in S-Phase, and to chronic hydroxyurea (HU) exposure, 5-Fluorouracil and 6-Thioguanine. Cdk5-KD cells show altered basal S-Phase dynamics caused by a slower replication velocity and fewer active origins per megabase of DNA, however they show a faster recovery from an HU block. This was accompanied by impaired RPA-32 priming serine 29 and serine 33 phosphorylations and SMC1-Serine 966 phosphorylation as well as lower levels of DNA damage assessed by the alkaline Comet assay, gamma-H2AX signal intensity, RPA and Rad51 foci and RPA-32 serine 4 and serine 8 phosphorylation and levels of sister chromatid exchanges. In vitro kinase assays coupled with mass spectrometry showed that Cdk5 can phosphorylate RPA-32 on serines 23, 29, and 33. In addition lower Cdk5 levels were associated with longer metastasis free survival in breast cancer patients and lower cell survival in Cdk5 depleted breast tumor cells after treatment with IR and a PARP inhibitor. Taken together, these results show that Cdk5 is necessary for basal replication and replication stress checkpoint activation and opens up interesting clinical opportunities to enhance tumor cell killing in certain populations of breast cancer patients through agents that generate replication stress.

La mise en place des circuits neuronaux est un processus complexe et précisément régulé. Une atteinte de ce processus est à l'origine de diverses pathologies neurodéveloppementales telles que la schizophrénie ou les troubles du spectre autistique, désordres psychiatriques partageant une altération des fonctions cognitives. Le récepteur 6 de la sérotonine (récepteur 5-HT6), notamment connu pour son implication dans la migration neuronale, s'est révélé être une cible thérapeutique de choix dans le traitement des symptômes cognitifs associés à la schizophrénie mais aussi à des pathologies neurodégénératives comme la maladie d'Alzheimer. Cependant la signalisation déclenchée par le récepteur 5-HT6 n'explique pas entièrement son implication dans les processus neurodéveloppementaux. Mon travail de thèse a donc visé à comprendre les mécanismes de signalisation engagés par le récepteur 5-HT6 au cours du développement neuronal. La réalisation d'un crible protéomique a permis de montrer que le récepteur 5-HT6 interagissait avec plusieurs protéines cruciales dans le développement neuronal comme la protéine Cdk5 et sa cible WAVE-1. J'ai ensuite pu démontrer qu'en plus de son rôle dans la migration, le récepteur 5-HT6 contrôlait de façon agoniste-indépendante l'élongation des neurites par un mécanisme impliquant la phosphorylation de son domaine C-terminal par la kinase Cdk5 et l'activation de la RhoGTPase Cdc42. La seconde partie de mon travail a visé à mettre en évidence le rôle du récepteur 5-HT6 dans la formation des épines dendritiques et à comprendre l'implication de la protéine WAVE-1, cible de Cdk5, dans ce processus. Les résultats obtenus au cours de ma thèse apportent de nouveaux éléments quant au contrôle des processus neurodéveloppementaux par le récepteur 5-HT6. Ce récepteur apparaît donc comme une cible thérapeutique de choix dans les atteintes neurodéveloppementales en contribuant au développement des circuits cognitifs en relation avec la physiopathologie des troubles du spectre autistique ou de la schizophrénie. / Brain circuitry patterning is a complex, highly regulated process. Alteration of this process is affected gives rise to various neurodevelopmental disorders such as schizophrenia or Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), which are both characterized by a wide spectrum of deficits. Serotonin 6 receptor (5-HT6 receptor), which is known for its implication in neuronal migration process, has been identified as a key therapeutic target for the treatment of cognitive deficits observed in schizophrenia, but also in neurodegenerative pathologies such as Alzheimer's disease. However, the signalling mechanisms knowned to be activated by the 5-HT6 receptor do not explain its involvement in neurodevelopmental processes. My thesis project therefore aimed at characterizing the signalling pathways engaged by 5-HT6 receptor during neural development. A proteomic approach allowed me to show that the 5-HT6 receptor was interacting with several proteins playing crucial roles in neurodevelopmental processes such as Cdk5 or WAVE-1. I then demonstrated that, besides its role in neuronal migration, the 5-HT6 receptor was also involved in neurite growth through constitutive phosphorylation of 5-HT6 receptor at Ser350 by associated Cdk5, a process leading to an increase in Cdc42 activity. The second part of my work aimed at understanding the role of 5-HT6 receptor in dendritic spines morphogenesis, and the involvement of WAVE-1 and Cdk5 in this process. These results provide new insights into the control of neurodevelopemental processes by 5-HT6 receptor. Thus, 5-HT6 receptor appears to be a key therapeutic target for neurodevelopmental disorders by contributing to the development of cognitive circuitry related to the pathophysiology of ASD or schizophrenia.

Mémoire numérisé par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.

This dissertation describes the design, synthesis and biological evaluation of novel CDK5/p25 small molecule inhibitors. Cyclin dependent kinase 5 (CDK5) is a proline directed serine/threonine kinase which plays an important role in the pathology of Alzheimer's disease (AD). CDK5/p25 has been implicated in hyperphosphorylation of tau protein which forms neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), a contributing factor to the pathology of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Based on the deposited X-ray crystal structure of CDK5/p25 with a non-selective CDK inhibitor R-Roscovitine (PDB ID: 1UNL), eight series of novel compounds with a benzimidazole core were designed, synthesized and tested as inhibitors of CDK5/p25. An efficient synthesis of trisubtituted benzimidazoles was developed to explore the SAR at the 1-, 4-, and 6- positions of the benzimidazole core. X-ray crystal structure verification of an intermediate confirmed selective alkylation of the N-1 position of the benzimidazole scaffold. Synthesis of N-1, N-4, C6-O, C6-N, C6-C and C-2 substituted benzimidazoles were achieved via Mitsunobu coupling, Suzuki Miyaura coupling, Buchwald coupling and reductive alkylation strategies. Aminothiazole scaffolds are an established class of CDK inhibitors including CDK5. A molecular hybridization technique was applied to the design of a series of 2-, 5- disubstituted aminothiazoles incorporating structural features of both the Meriolins, natural product CDK inhibitors, and known aminothiazole scaffolds. Synthetic techniques employed included aryl lithiation, deoxygenation and acylation. / Mylan School of Pharmacy and the Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences / Medicinal Chemistry / PhD / Dissertation

This dissertation describes the design, synthesis and biological evaluation of novel CDK5/p25 small molecule inhibitors. Cyclin dependent kinase 5 (CDK5) is a proline directed serine/threonine kinase which plays an important role in the pathology of Alzheimer's disease (AD). CDK5/p25 has been implicated in hyperphosphorylation of tau protein which forms neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), a contributing factor to the pathology of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Based on the deposited X-ray crystal structure of CDK5/p25 with a non-selective CDK inhibitor R-Roscovitine (PDB ID: 1UNL), eight series of novel compounds with a benzimidazole core were designed, synthesized and tested as inhibitors of CDK5/p25. An efficient synthesis of trisubtituted benzimidazoles was developed to explore the SAR at the 1-, 4-, and 6- positions of the benzimidazole core. X-ray crystal structure verification of an intermediate confirmed selective alkylation of the N-1 position of the benzimidazole scaffold. Synthesis of N-1, N-4, C6-O, C6-N, C6-C and C-2 substituted benzimidazoles were achieved via Mitsunobu coupling, Suzuki Miyaura coupling, Buchwald coupling and reductive alkylation strategies. Aminothiazole scaffolds are an established class of CDK inhibitors including CDK5. A molecular hybridization technique was applied to the design of a series of 2-, 5- disubstituted aminothiazoles incorporating structural features of both the Meriolins, natural product CDK inhibitors, and known aminothiazole scaffolds. Synthetic techniques employed included aryl lithiation, deoxygenation and acylation. / Mylan School of Pharmacy and the Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences; / Medicinal Chemistry / PhD; / Dissertation;

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the presence of neuritic plaques consisting of extracellular amyloid-beta (Aβ) and neurofibrillary tangles comprised of hyperphosphorylated microtubule associated tau. Aβ is produced following the cleavage of amyloid precursor protein (APP) by the enzyme BACE1. Transcription factors (TFs) are proteins involved in the regulation of gene transcription. Expression levels of some TFs are perturbed in AD. SP1 binding sites on both the APP and BACE1 promoters implicate its potential role in AD. Aβ peptide itself mediates activation of cyclindependent kinase 5 (CDK5), an enzyme which phosphorylates the FOXO (Forkhead Box) TFs. In order to study mechanisms of TF regulation of Aβ production in human models, neuronally differentiated cells as well as a primary human neurosphere culture were used to test the effects of TF-modulating compounds. Our hypothesis is that by targeting relevant TFs via pharmacological inhibitors in human cells, BACE1 activity or APP expression will decrease and Aβ production will be reduced as a result. To test the involvement of TFs in the regulation of APP, we treated several mammalian cells lines and post-mitotic human neuronal cells with roscovitine, mithramycin A (MTM), MTM analogs (MTM-SDK, MTM-SK), and tolfenamic acid (TA). MTM and TA treatment of neurons differentially activated several TFs implicated in AD. Treatment of differentiated neurospheres with MTM led to a significant decrease in APP and SP1 expression along with Aβ40 levels. Epigenetic mechanisms involve alteration of the binding affinity between DNA and transcription factors. We predict that modulation of these TFs may be influenced by epigenetic modifications. To test the effects of drugs on epigenetic markers, histone deacetylase (HDAC) and DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) activity was measured. MTM-SDK significantly decreased DNMT activity in differentiated neuroblastoma cells, this may enhance or decrease the ability of SP1 to bind to target DNA and affect transcription of BACE1 or APP. Targeting TF activity is a novel means to manipulate the amyloid pathway. Compounds modifying TF binding to sites on the BACE1 or APP promoters may provide a means to limit the production of amyloid-beta and slow the symptoms of AD.

Disorders of the central nervous system (CNS) continuously pose problems for current therapeutics. In part, this is due to the uncertainty of underlying pathophysiological changes that give rise to specific disorders. Parkinson’s disease (PD) specifically is a neurodegenerative CNS disorder with unknown origins of dopaminergic degeneration in the substantia nigra. Current therapies are reactive in nature and no existing neuroprotective therapies are available. Two hypotheses have been proposed to contribute to dopaminergic degeneration in PD: endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and oxidative stress. This thesis investigates molecular targets involved in each of these responses (mesencephalic astrocyte-derived neurotrophic factor (MANF) and cyclin-dependent 5 (CDK5)/p25 respectively) to support a multi-hit hypothesis in PD neural degeneration. Using behavioural and biochemical analysis, a reduction in MANF was found to participate in the ER stress hypothesis and CDK5/p25 hyperactivation is a viable neuroprotective target related to the oxidative stress hypothesis. Both pathways are evidenced in PD pathology and this thesis proposes specific targets for both pathways in the development of necessary neuroprotective therapies. Subsequently, included in this thesis is a chapter about the unmet pharmacological alleviation of negative and cognitive symptom domains in another CNS disorder of unknown pathophysiology: schizophrenia (SZ). These untreated symptoms are thought to be caused by irregularities in the signalling of multiple neurotransmitter systems. This chapter investigates the role of synapsin II, a protein involved in regulating signalling of multiple neurotransmitters, in manifesting negative and cognitive SZ symptoms and analyzes brain glucose metabolism. Reduced synapsin II levels were consistently implicated in the underlying physiology, and therefore synapsin II is proposed as a potential pharmacological target for these unmedicated symptomologies. Overall this thesis uses interrelated studies to propose novel molecular targets to address unmet therapeutic needs based on evidence of their involvement in the pathophysiology of PD and SZ. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / Brain diseases like Parkinson’s disease (PD) and Schizophrenia (SZ) are difficult to treat because their cause has not been discovered. PD shows degeneration of cells in the brain but the cause for degeneration is unknown. This makes developing treatments to protect cells from dying difficult. Two pathways are suggested to cause cell death in PD. This thesis proposes that both pathways are responsible for degeneration through a combined effort. Here, both pathways are shown to lead to cell death resembling PD and specific molecules are suggested as targets for developing protective treatments. Like PD, SZ has symptoms that cannot be treated because the cause is unclear. A protein was investigated for producing SZ-like symptoms and found to have potential for treatment design. This thesis aims to understand molecular changes in the brain leading to PD, with a look at SZ and how they can be used for better treatment design.

Les modifications post-traductionnelles des protéines de réparation de l’ADN et des facteurs chromatiniens par poly(ADP-ribose)ylation et par phosphorylation sont essentielles pour le maintien de l’intégrité de l’ADN et de la chromatine, en particulier dans la réponse cellulaire aux dommages de l’ADN induits par radiation ionisantes (RI). Parmi les protéines impliquées dans ces deux processus nous trouvons, respectivement, la poly(ADP-ribose) polymérase-1 (PARP-1) et PARP-2, et la kinase dépendante des cyclines Cdk5 : PARP-1 et PARP-2 sont impliqué dans le mécanisme de réparationdes cassures simples brin (CSBs) de l’ADN (Single Strand Break Repair : SSBR ) et la déplétion de Cdk5 a été liée à l’augmentation de la sensibilité des cellules aux inhibiteurs de PARPs. Nous avons montré, en utilisant des cellules HeLa stablement déplété pour Cdk5 ou PARP-2, que ces deux protéines sont impliquées dans les deux sous-voies du SSBR, le short- (SPR) et le long-patch repair (LPR). L’absence de Cdk5 ou PARP-2 entraîne des modifications du fonctionnement du SSBR, notamment en termes de recrutement des protéines de réparation PARP-1 et XRCC1, impliquées dans le SPR, et PCNA, protéine clé du LPR, au site du photo-dommage. PARP-2 et Cdk5 agissent aussi sur la balance du niveau des poly(ADP-ribose) car en absence de Cdk5 une hyper-activation de PARP-1 a été montrée, et en absence de PARP-2 une diminution de l’activité de la protéine poly(ADP-ribose) glycohydrolase (PARG) a été aussi observée. Cependant, malgré ces changements les deux lignées cellulaires dépourvues de Cdk5 (Cdk5KD) ou de PARP-2 (PARP-2KD) réparent de façon normale les CSBs radio-induites, mais, intéressement et contrairement aux cellules PARP-2KD, les cellules Cdk5KDsont sensibles à l’effet létal des RI. De plus nous avons montré que Cdk5, PARP-2 et PARG sont toutes les trois impliquées dans la régulation du recrutement et de dissociation du facteur chromatinien ALC1 suggérant leur implication dans la régulation de la dynamique de la chromatine en réponse aux photo-dommages de l’ADN. Ces résultats avec l’observation de la diminution du recrutement de PARP-1 dans les cellules Cdk5KD et PARP-2KD, montrent l’apparition d’un réseau complexe de phosphorylation et de poly(ADP-ribose)ylation en réponse aux RI qui implique Cdk5 , PARP-1,PARP-2 and PARG et qui est fort probablement initié par l’activité kinase de Cdk5. / The post-translational modifications of DNA repair proteins and histone remodeling factors by poly(ADP-ribose)ylation and phosphorylation are essential for the maintenance of DNA integrity and chromatin structure, and in particular in response to DNA damaging produced by ionizing radiation (IR). Amongst the proteins implicated in these two processes are the poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase -1 (PARP-1) and PARP-2, and the cyclin-dependent kinase Cdk5: PARP-1 and 2 are involved in DNA single strand break (SSB) repair (SSBR) and Cdk5 depletion has been linked with increased cell sensitivity to PARP inhibition. We have shown by using HeLa cells stably depleted for either CdK5 or PARP-2, that the recruitment profile of PARP-1 and XRCC-1, two proteins involved in the short-patch (SP) SSBR sub-pathway, to DNA damage sites is sub-maximal and that of PCNA, a protein involved in the long-patch (LP) repair pathway, is increased in the absence of Cdk5 and decreased in the absence of PARP-2 suggesting that both Cdk5 and PARP-2 are involved in both SSBR sub-pathways.PARP-2 and Cdk5 also impact on the poly(ADP-ribose) levels in cells as in the absence of Cdk5 a hyper-activation of PARP-1 was found and in the absence of PARP-2 a reduction in poly(ADP-ribose) glycohydrolase (PARG) activity was seen. However, in spite of these changes no impact on the repair of SSBs induced by IR was seen in either the Cdk5 or PARP-2 depleted cells (Cdk5KD or PARP-2KD cells) but, interestingly, increased radiation sensitivity in terms of cell killing was noted in the Cdk5 depleted cells. We also found that Cdk5, PARP-2 and PARG were all implicated in the regulation ofthe recruitment and the dissociation of the chromatin-remodeling factor ALC1 from DNA damage sites suggesting a role for these three proteins in changes in chromatin structure after DNA photodamage.These results, taken together with the observation that PARP-1 recruitment is sub-optimal in both Cdk5KD and PARP-2KD cells, show that an intricate network of phosphorylation and poly(ADPribose) ylation occurs in response to IR that involves Cdk5 , PARP-1,PARP-2 and PARG and that is probably initiated by Cdk5’s kinase activity.