The overall goal of my work was to develop and apply new chemical methods for the study of epigenetic DNA and protein modifications. In Chapter 3 the development of Suzuki-Miyaura cross coupling (SMcc) for the post-synthetic modification of DNA is described. DNA modification by SMcc is efficient (4-6h) and proceeds under mild conditions (37°C, pH 8.5). The incorporation of various groups useful for biological investigations is demonstrated using this methodology. Using a photocrosslinker, introduced into the DNA by SMcc capture experiments are performed to identify potential binding partners of modified DNA. In Chapter 4 a dehydroalanine (Dha) based chemical protein modification method is described that enables the introduction of posttranslational modification (PTM) mimics into histones. The PTM mimics introduced by this method are tested using western- and dot-blot and binding and enzymatic assays, confirming they function as mimics of the natural modifications. Chapter 5 describes the use of a generated PTM mimics to elucidate the function of O-linked β-Nacetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) of histones in transcriptional regulation. It is shown that GlcNAcylation of Thr-101 on histone H2A can destabilize nucleosome by modulating the H2A/B dimer – H3/H4 tetramer interface. N- and C-terminal histone tails play an important role in transcriptional regulation. In Chapter 6, nuclear magnetic resonance is used to investigate the structure of the histone H3 N-terminal tail in a nucleosome. The H3 tail, while intrinsically disordered, gains some α-helical character and adopts a compact conformation in a nucleosome context. This H3 tail structure is shown to be modulated by Ser-10 phosphorylation. The effect of a new covalent DNA modification, 5- hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC), on transcription factor binding is investigated in Chapter 7. 5hmC influences HIF1α/β, USF and MAX binding to their native recognition sequence, implying involvement of this modification in epigenetic regulation.

No description available.

Immunotherapy of cancer has been shown to be promising in prolonging patient survival. However, complete elimination of cancer and life-long relapse-free survival remain to be major challenge for anti-cancer therapeutics. We have previously reported that ex vivo reprogramming of tumor-sensitized immune cells by bryostatin 1/ionomycin (B/I) and the gamma-chain (γ-c) cytokines IL-2, IL-7, and IL-15 resulted in the generation of memory T cells as well as CD25+ NKT cells and CD25+ NK cells. Adoptive cellular therapy (ACT) utilizing these reprogrammed immune cells protected FVBN202 mice from tumor challenge, and overcame the suppressive functions of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs). We then demonstrated that the presence of CD25+ NKT cells was required for anti-tumor efficacy of T cells as well as their resistance to MDSCs. Similar results were obtained by reprogramming of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from patients with early stage breast cancer, demonstrating that an increased frequency of CD25+ NKT cells in reprogrammed immune cells was associated with modulation of MDSCs to CD11b-HLA-DR+ immune stimulatory cells. Here, we tested the efficacy of immunotherapy in a therapeutic setting against established primary breast cancer (Chapter One), experimental metastatic breast cancer (Chapter Three) as well as against minimal residual disease (MRD) in patients with multiple myeloma (Chapter Two). We evaluated the ability of reprogrammed immune cells, including CD25+ NKT cells, to convert MDSCs to myeloid immune stimulatory cells, in vivo; this resulted in the identification and characterization of a novel antigen presenting cell (APC). These novel immune stimulatory cells differed from conventional APCs, including dendritic cells (DCs) and macrophages. We have also demonstrated that enhancing immunogenicity of mammary tumors by treatment with Decitabine (Dec) along with overcoming MDSCs by utilizing reprogrammed T cells and NKT cells in ACT prolongs survival of animals, but fails to eliminate the tumor. However, targeting cancer during a setting of MDR, when tumor cells are dormant, results in objective responses as evidenced in our multiple myeloma studies. This suggests that targeting breast cancer with immunotherapy following conventional therapies, in a setting of residual disease when tumor cells are dormant, may be effective in eliminating such residual cells or maintaining dormancy and extending time-to-relapse for breast cancer patients.

Phylogeographic studies have relied on surveying neutral genetic variation in natural populations as a way of gaining better insights into the evolutionary processes shaping present day population demography. Recent emphasis on understanding putative adaptive variation have brought to light the role of epigenetic variation in influencing phenotypes and the mechanisms underlying local adaptation. While much is known about how methylation acts at specific loci to influence known phenotypes, there is little information on the spatial genetic structure of genome-wide patterns of methylation and the extent to which it can extend our understanding of both neutral and putatively adaptive processes. This research examines spatial genetic structure using paired nucleotide and methylation genetic markers in the Sonoran bark beetle, Araptus attenuatus, for which we have a considerable knowledge about its neutral demographic history, demography, and factors influencing ongoing genetic connectivity. Using the msAFLP approach, we attained 703 genetic markers. Of those, 297 were polymorphic in both nucleotide (SEQ) and methylation (METH) were assayed from 20 populations collected throughout the species range. Of the paired SEQ and METH locis, the METH were both more frequent (16% vs. 7%), maintained more diversity (Shannon IMeth = 0.361 vs. ISeq=0.272), and had more among-population genetic structure (ΦST; Meth = 0.035 vs. ΦST; Seq= 0.008) than their paired SEQ loci. Interpopulation genetic distance in both SEQ and METH markers were highly correlated, with 16% of the METH loci having sufficient signal to reconstruct phylogeographic history. Allele frequency variation at five loci (two SEQ and three METH) showed significant relationships with at-site bioclimatic variables suggesting the need for subsequent analysis addressing non-neutral evolution. These results suggest that methylation can be as informative as nucleotide variation when examining spatial genetic structure for phylogeography, connectivity, and, identifying putatively adaptive genetic variance.

L’O-GlcNAcylation est une modification post-traductionnelle qui consiste en l’ajout covalent du N-acetylglucosamine au groupement hydroxyle des sérines et thréonines des protéines nucléaires et cytoplasmiques. Ce type de glycosylation atypique est régulé de manière très dynamique par l’action de l’O-GlcNAc transférase (OGT) et de l’O-GlcNAcase (OGA) qui catalysent et hydrolysent cette modification respectivement. Aujourd’hui, OGT émerge comme un régulateur transcriptionnel et senseur critique du métabolisme où les protéines ciblées par l’O-GlcNAcylation couvrent la presque totalité des voies de signalisation cellulaire. Récemment, des études ont aussi proposé qu’OGT soit impliquée dans la régulation épigénétique par l’O-GlcNAcylation des histones. Dans le but de caractériser le rôle fonctionnel d’OGT dans la régulation épigénétique, nous avons revisité le concept d’O-GlcNAcylation des histones et, de manière surprenante, n’avons pu confirmer cette observation. En fait, nos données indiquent que les outils disponibles pour détecter l’O-GlcNAcylation des histones génèrent des artéfacts. De ce fait, nos travaux supportent plutôt un modèle où la régulation épigénétique médiée par OGT se fait par l’O-GlcNAcylation de régulateurs transcriptionnels recrutés à la chromatine. Parmi ceux-ci, OGT s’associe au complexe suppresseur de tumeurs BAP1. En étudiant le rôle d’OGT dans ce complexe, nous avons identifié le facteur de transcription FOXK1 comme un nouveau substrat d’OGT et démontrons qu’il est régulé par O-GlcNAcylation durant la prolifération cellulaire. Enfin, nous démontrons que FOXK1 est aussi requis pour l’adipogenèse. Ensemble, nos travaux suggèrent un rôle important d’OGT dans la régulation du complexe BAP1. / O-GlcNAcylation is a post-translational modification which consists in the covalent addition of an N-acetylglucosamine sugar to the hydroxyl group of serine and threonine residues of nuclear and cytoplasmic substrates. This atypical glycosylation is regulated in a very dynamic manner through the action of the O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) and the O-GlcNAcase (OGA) that catalyze and hydrolyze this modification respectively. OGT has emerged as a critical transcriptional regulator and sensor of metabolism whereby proteins targeted by O-GlcNAcylation cover several cell signaling pathways. Recently, studies have also suggested that OGT may be involved in epigenetic regulation through the O-GlcNAcylation of histones. For the purpose of characterizing the functional role of OGT in epigenetic regulation, our group revisited the concept of histone O-GlcNAcylation and surprisingly, our work could not confirm this observation. In fact, our data indicate that the available tools for histone O-GlcNAcylation detection generate artifacts. Consequently, our work rather supports a model whereby OGT-mediated epigenetic regulation is indirectly achieved through O-GlcNAcylation of chromatin-associated transcriptional regulators. Among these, OGT strongly associates with the BAP1 tumor suppressor complex. Thus, by focusing on the role of OGT in this complex, we identified the transcription factor FOXK1 as a novel substrate of OGT and demonstrate that it is regulated throught O-GlcNAcylation during cell proliferation. Finally, we demonstrate that FOXK1 is also required for adipogenesis. Taken together, these data suggest an important role of OGT in regulating the BAP1 complex.

Background: Type 1 diabetes mellitus is a multifactorial disease caused by beta cell destruction of Langerhans pancreatic islets. From the genetic aspect the main predisposition lays on HLA class II genes (40 - 50%), molecules of which present exogenous peptides to CD4+ T lymphocytes. Enviromental factors play a crucial role in the etiopathogenesis of T1DM. Through epigenetic regulation (e.g. DNA methylation) the genetic and enviromental factors communicate. The level of methylation in the regulatory regions can significantly affect expression of these genes. Aims: The aim of the diploma thesis was to define methylation profile of HLA DQB1 alleles in type 1 diabetes mellitus patients and determine their expression. Methods: The genotyping of HLA class II genes (HLA-DRB1, HLA-DQA1, HLA-DQB1) was performed using sequence specific primers. DNA was treated with sodium bisulfite, regulatory region of HLA DQB1 was amplified and cloned into E.coli, strain DH5α/XL1-Blue. Positive clones were sent for sequencing and results analyzed. RNA was transcribed to cDNA by reverse transcription and the level of expression was analyzed by quantitative PCR. Results: Statistically significant differences were found in total methylation of DQB1*0201 and *0302 alleles in the B section of DQB1 gene. Difference in...

Le syndrome de Prader-Willi est une maladie génétique rare. Les gènes candidats au SPW, dont le gène Necdin, sont régulés par l'empreinte génomique parentale : seul l'allèle paternel de ces gènes est exprimé, l'allèle maternel étant silencieux. Notre équipe a généré un modèle murin pour lequel l'allèle paternel de Necdin a été désactivé (+m/-p) et qui présente des similarités phénotypiques avec les patients PW. Ce phénotype est plus drastique chez les animaux -/-. Nous avons alors émis l'hypothèse que l'allèle maternel puisse avoir un rôle fonctionnel dans la survie des souris (+m/-p). L'expression de l'allèle maternel de Necdin est présente dans le système nerveux des souris (+m/-p). Cette expression, bien que faible au niveau transcriptionnel, est suffisante pour produire la protéine Necdin, ce qui a des conséquences cellulaires et physiologiques qui in fine permettent une amélioration du phénotype. Cette perte de silence de l'allèle maternel est également détectée dans l'hypothalamus de patients PW. Ces résultats révèlent une plasticité épigénétique inattendue qui permet d'envisager des perspectives thérapeutiques. / The Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS) is a rare genetic disorder. Several genes, including NECDIN gene, are involved in the PWS. These genes are regulated by the genomic imprinting mechanism: only the paternal allele of these genes is expressed, their maternal allele being silenced. Our team has generated a mouse model in which the paternal allele of the Necdin gene has been deactivated (+m/-p). This model presents phenotypical similarities with PWS patients. We observed that mortality affects more -/- pups than +m/-p mice. Therefore we venture the hypothesis of a functional role of the maternal allele in mutant mice survival. We showed an expression of this allele in the nervous system of +m/-p mice. Though transcriptionnally low, that is sufficient to produce the Necdin protein and provoke cellular as well as physiological consequences that actively improve the phenotype. Importantly, a specific expression of the maternal NECDIN allele is also detected in hypothalamic brain sections of PWS patients. These results reveal an unexpected epigenetic flexibility that allow to contemplate a therapeutic pharmacological prospect.

No description available.

La toxoplasmose, déterminée par le parasite Toxoplasma gondii, est l'une des infections les plus répandues au monde, en raison de la persistance à vie sous forme latente de ce parasite au sein de ces hôtes. Ce parasite fait partie des Apicomplexa et détourne les voies de signalisation de l'hôte par des mécanismes épigénétiques qui convergent vers des protéines nucléaires clés. Nous rapportons ici une nouvelle stratégie de persistance parasitaire impliquant la protéine de rhoptries ROP16 de T. gondii, sécrétée précocement lors de l'invasion, qui cible le facteur de transcription UHRF1 (Ubiquitin-like containing PHD and RING fingers domain 1) et induit un arrêt du cycle de la cellule-hôte. Ceci est induit par l'activité de la DNMT et le remodelage de la chromatine au niveau du promoteur du gène de la cycline B1 par le recrutement d’UHRF1 phosphorylé associé à un complexe protéique multienzymatique répressif. Cela conduit à la désacétylation et à la méthylation de l'histone H3 entourant le promoteur de la cycline B1 pour réduire de manière épigénétique son activité transcriptionnelle. De plus, l'infection par T. gondii provoque une hyper-méthylation de l'ADN dans la cellule hôte par la régulation positive des DNMTs. ROP16 est déjà connue pour activer et phosphoryler des facteurs de transcription de l'immunité protectrice tels que STAT 3/6/5 et le suppresseur tumoral p53 impliqué dans la progression du cycle cellulaire. De plus, ROP16 module ces voies de signalisation de l'hôte de manière souche-dépendante. Comme dans le cas de STAT3, les effets de ROP16 sur UHRF1 dépendent du polymorphisme d'un seul acide aminé du domaine kinase de ROP16. Ce travail montre que Toxoplasma module un nouvel initiateur épigénétique, UHRF1, via un événement précoce initié par la kinase parasitaire ROP16. / Toxoplasmosis, caused by the apicomplexan parasite Toxoplasma gondii, is one of the most common infections in the world due to the lifelong persistence of this parasite in a latent stage in its hosts. T. gondii hijacks host signaling pathways through epigenetic mechanisms which converge on key nuclear proteins. Here we report a new parasite persistence strategy involving Toxoplasma rhoptry protein ROP16 secreted early during invasion, which targets the transcription factor UHRF1 (Ubiquitin-like containing PHD and RING fingers domain 1), and leads to host cell cycle arrest. This is mediated by DNMT activity and chromatin remodeling at the cyclin B1 gene promoter through recruitment of phosphorylated UHRF1 associated with a repressive multienzymatic protein complex. This leads to deacetylation and methylation of histone H3 surrounding the cyclin B1 gene promoter to epigenetically silence its transcriptional activity. Moreover, T. gondii infection causes DNA hypermethylation in its host cell, by upregulation of DNMTs. ROP16 is already known to activate and phosphorylate protective immunity transcription factors such as STAT 3/6/5 and the tumor suppressor p53 involved in cell cycle progression. Moreover, ROP16 modulates host signaling pathways in a strain-dependent manner. Like in the case of STAT3, the strain-dependent effects of ROP16 on UHRF1 can be attributed to a single amino-acid polymorphism in ROP16. This study demonstrates that Toxoplasma hijacks a new epigenetic initiator, UHRF1, through an early event initiated by the ROP16 parasite kinase.

A manipulação seletiva de alvos epigenéticos usando pequenas moléculas inibidoras das enzimas histona-desacetilases (HDACs) e DNA metiltransferases (DNMTs) é uma estratégia para estimular a expressão das vias biossintéticas e a produção de novos metabólitos secundários em fungos. Neste trabalho, inibidores de histonadesacetilases (butirato de sódio, ácido hidroxâmico suberoilanilida e ácido valproico) e inibidores de DNA metiltransferases (5-azacitidina, hidralazina, procaína e procainamida) foram suplementados em culturas líquidas e sólidas dos fungos endofíticos Fusarium oxysporum SS46, Hyphodermella corrugata FLe8.2 e Chaetomium globosum VR10, das linhagens comerciais Fusarium oxysporum ATCC MYA 4623 e Chaetomium globosum ATCC 56726 e do fitopatógeno Botrytis cinerea B0510. O fungo endofítico H. corrugata FLe8.2, em meio PDB, produziu o composto 2-(2-metoxifenil)-4H-piran-4-ona, e sua cultura em meio Czapek suplementada com hidralazina levou ao isolamento de 3-metil-1,2,4-triazolo[3,4-a]-ftalazina. O tratamento de F. oxysporum SS46 e F. oxysporum ATCC MYA 4623 com hidralazina em meio Czapek levou ao isolamento de um novo composto, 2H-[1,2,4]triazino[3,4- a]-ftalazina. Nestas culturas houve biotransformação da hidralazina pelos fungos, provavelmente como mecanismo de desintoxicação. Ainda, a hidralazina teve um efeito inibidor sobre a biossíntese do ciclohexadepsipeptídeo beauvericina em F. oxysporum SS46. Nas culturas de C. globosum VR10 em meio Czapek os inibidores de HDACs e de DNMTs suprimiram a biossíntese de chaetoglobosinas. A adição de ácido valproico na cultura de C. globosum VR10 em meio PDB eliciou a produção da chaetoviridina B. A adição de 5-azacitidina nas culturas de C. globosum VR10 em meio sólido PDA não modificou a produção da chaetoglosina A. A produção de chaetoviridina B por C. globosum ATCC 56726 em meio PDA foi inibida na menor concentração de 5-azacitidina, 50 ?M, e retomada na concentração de 150 ?M. O tratamento de B. cinerea B0510 com ácido hidroxâmico suberoilanilida SAHA levou à biossíntese de um novo composto, ácido 5-benzil-2,3-di-hidroxi-3-isopropil-4- oxotetrahidrofuran-2-carboxílico, o qual também foi isolado da linhagem geneticamente modificada B. cinerea Bc ?STC2. No geral, considerando as linhagens fúngicas estudadas, os resultados mostram que a adição de moduladores químicos que atuam em mecanismos epigenéticos promove mudanças no perfil de metabólitos secundários. / The selective manipulation of epigenetic targets using small molecule inhibitors of histone deacetylase (HDAC) and DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) activities is a strategy to elicit the expression of biosynthetic pathways and production of new secondary metabolites in fungi. In this work, HDAC inhibitors (sodium butyrate, suberohydroxamic acid and valproic acid) and DNMT inhibitors (5-azacitidine, hydralazine, procaine and procainamide) were supplemented in liquid and solid cultures of the endophytic fungi Fusarium oxysporum SS46, Hyphodermella corrugata FLe8.2 and Chaetomium globosum VR10, of the commercial fungal strains Fusarium oxysporum ATCC MYA 4623 and Chaetomium globosum ATCC 56726 and of the phytopathogenic fungus Botrytis cinerea B0510. The endophytic fungus H. corrugata FLe8.2 produced 2-(2-methoxyphenyl)-4H-pyran-4-one in PDB medium, while in the presence of hydralazine in Czapek medium the fungus produced 3- methyl-1,2,4-triazolo[3,4-a]-phthalazine. Treatment of F. oxysporum SS46 and F. oxysporum ATCC MYA 4623 with hydralazine in a Czapek medium led to the isolation of new compound, 2H-[1,2,4]triazino[3,4-a]-phthalazine. Hydralazine was biotransformed by these three fungi probably as a detoxification strategy. In addition, hydralazine also inhibited the biosynthesis of the cyclodepsipeptide beauvericin by F. oxysporum SS46. HDAC and DNMT inhibitors suppressed chaetoglobosins\' biosynthesis by C. globosum VR10 cultures in Czapek medium. The biosynthesis of chaetoviridin B by C. globosum VR10 was elicited by acid valproic in PDB medium. The production of chaetogosin A by C. globosum VR10 in PDA medium has not been affected by 5-azacitidine. The biosynthesis of chaetoviridin B by C. globosum ATCC 56726 in PDA medium was inhibited in the presence of lower concentration 5- azacitidine (50 ?M) and recovered in the higher concentration (150 ?M). Treatment of B. cinerea B0510 with suberohydroxamic acid led to the biosynthesis of the new compound 5-benzyl-2,3-dihydroxy-3-isopropyl-4-oxotetrahydrofuran-2-carboxylic acid, which was also isolated from the genetically modified strain B. cinerea Bc ?STC2. Results showed that chemical compounds that act in epigenetic mechanisms can induce changes in the secondary metabolite profiles in the fungal strains studied in this work.