Exposure of cells to hydrogen peroxide can cause oxidative damage to cellular constituents including lipids, protein, and DNA. At elevated concentrations, hydrogen peroxide can trigger cell death by apoptosis or necrosis. Apoptotic cell death can be prevented by overexpression of the oncoprotein Bcl-2. The exact mechanism by which Bcl-2 blocks cell death is controversial. Some researchers believe that Bcl-2 possesses antioxidant properties that protect cells from apoptosis. The purpose of this thesis was to assess oxidative stress and apoptosis following hydrogen peroxide exposure in Jurkat T cells overexpressing Bcl-2. One of the major objectives was to ascertain whether or not Bcl-2 overexpression elevated the antioxidant capacity of Jurkat T cells to provide protection from oxidant-induced cell death. Hydrogen peroxide treated Jurkat cells became apoptotic at moderate levels of oxidant (25-100 uM H2O2), and necrotic at higher doses (greater than 200 uM H2O2). Bcl-2 overexpression prevented caspase activation and cell death at the apoptotic doses of H2O2, but not the necrotic doses. Caspase inhibition studies demonstrated that Bcl-2 overexpression provided a greater level of resistance from H2O2-induced cell death than the broad-spectrum caspase inhibitor z-VAD.fmk. A systematic study was carried out examining the antioxidant status of Jurkat cells overexpressing Bcl-2. Several Bcl-2 transfectants were utilised for the study, so that any differences seen could be correlated to the level of Bcl-2 expression. Surprisingly, there were no statistically significant differences among the Bcl-2 transfectants for any of the antioxidant enzymes. Jurkat cells overexpressing Bcl-2 exhibited the same level of oxidative damage to lipids and protein in response to H2O2 exposure as the parental Jurkat cells. Interestingly, Jurkat cells overexpressing Bcl-2 continued to grow in culture after H2O2 exposure, despite harboring damage to cellular constituents. Consistent with these results, H2O2 treated Jurkat cells overexpressing Bcl-2, which failed to undergo apoptosis, were more prone to genomic instability. Together, these findings suggest that Bcl-2 overexpression protects Jurkat cells from H2O2-induced cell death by blocking apoptosis. Jurkat cells overexpressing Bcl-2 were no better at detoxifying oxidants and showed the same level of oxidative damage following H2O2 exposure. As a result, the overexpression of Bcl-2 considerably enhanced the mutagenicity of H2O2.

Il a été montré récemment que l'instabilité génétique joue un rôle central dans les étapes précoces de la tumorigenèse. Celle-ci provoquerait une activation chronique des voies ATR/CHK1 et ATM/CHK2 dans les cellules précancéreuses, entrainant l'apoptose ou la sénescence des cellules concernées. Les mécanismes de checkpoint constituant une barrière contre la progression tumorale, toute mutation affectant ce checkpoint serait ainsi sélectionnée très tôt dans le processu s de tumorigenèse et faciliterait ensuite la progression tumorale. Ce modèle met en évidence le rôle central de l'instabilité génomique et du checkpoint dans la progression tumorale.Au cours de ma thèse, je me suis intéressé au complexe Claspine / Timeless / Tipin, initialement identifié comme médiateur de la voie ATR/CHK1 et qui est donc considéré comme ayant une fonction suppresseur de tumeur. Cependant, Claspine présente aussi des propriétés oncogéniques, puisque qu'elle est surexprimée dans de nombreuses lignées tumorales et cette surexpression est importante pour la prolifération cellulaire. Nous nous sommes donc demandé comment cette protéine pouvait être à la fois un oncogène et un suppresseur de tumeur. Chez la levure, l'homologue de Claspine est impliqué dans le maintien de la stabilité des fourches de réplication, indépendamment de sa fonction dans le checkpoint. Nous proposons que dans les cellules cancéreuses cette surexpression permette une meilleure stabilité des fourches, ce qui serait très important pour répliquer efficacement un génome soumis à un stress réplicatif constant. Au cours de ma thèse, nous avons construit et caractérisé un modèle de cellulescancéreuses HCT116 dans lesquelles nous avons diminué le niveau de Claspine ou deTimeless grâce à des shRNA, sans que cela n'affecte l'efficacité du checkpoint de réplication. Nous avons pu observer dans ces cellules un ralentissement de la progression des fourches de réplication et l'apparition d'une instabilité génétique. Il semblerait que spécifiquement dans le cas de Timeless, le ralentissement de la fourche de réplication et l'instabilité génomique se manifeste surtout dans les régions du génome répliquées tardivement. / The correct execution of the replication program is essential for the maintenance of genome integrity during S phase. Indeed, replication fork progression is frequently challenged by DNA lesions and by a variety of natural pause sites. Arrested forks are unstable structures, which represent a major threat for the genome integrity if they are not promptly stabilized and restarted. In response to replicative stress, cells activated the replication checkpoint to prevent collapse of stalled forks and promote fork recovery. Recent evidence indicates that spontaneous replication stress occurs in precancerous lesions and promotes the development of cancer. Identifying the origin of this replication stress would represent a better understanding of the early stages of tumorigenesis. We study the function of Claspin, a mediator of the replication checkpoint, which plays a key role in the response to replication stress. It is therefore acting as a tumor suppressor, preventing genomic instability during DNA replication. Intriguingly, recent evidence indicates that Claspin is overexpressed in different cancers and can also acts as an oncoprotein. Studies on Mrc1p, the yeast homologue of Claspin, have shown that Mrc1 is permanently associated to forks, where it forms a complex with two partners called Tof1p and Csm3p (homologues of human Tim and Tipin respectively). We have shown by DNA combing that the replicative function of Mrc1p, is critical for viability in the presence of a replication stress. In l ight of our results in yeast, we propose that the Claspin/Tim/Tipin complex may also play a direct role for the replication of human cells. If confirmed, this replication function may account for the role of this complex in the cancer process and tumor resistance to genotoxic agents commonly used in anticancer therapy.

Fanconi anaemia (FA) is an inherited disorder characterized by bone marrow failure, cancer predisposition and congenital abnormalities. The 12 known FA genes have been implicated in homologous recombination (HR), a process involved in telomere maintenance. A complex of at least 7 FA proteins promotes FANCD2 monoubiquitination and nuclear foci formation. FANCD2 colocalizes and interacts with HR proteins, however the role of FANCD2 in HR is unclear. Telomeres in dividing human somatic cells shorten until they reach a critical length, triggering most cells to undergo senescence or apoptosis. Rare immortal cells escape this crisis by expressing telomerase, or activating the Alternative Lengthening of Telomeres (ALT) pathway, which involves HR. FA core complex proteins and FANCD2 colocalize with telomeric foci in ALT, but not telomerase positive cells. Localization of FANCD2 to ALT telomeric foci requires monoubiquitination by the FA core complex, but is independent of ATM and ATR. FANCD2 primarily colocalizes with ALT telomeric DNA within ALT-associated PML bodies (APBs). Electron spectroscopic imaging and FISH experiments show that APBs contain extra-chromosomal telomeric repeat (ECTR) DNA that is non-nucleosomal. Depletion of FANCD2 causes marked increases in ECTR in ALT, but not telomerase positive cells. Overexpression of BLM, the helicase mutated in Bloom syndrome, also causes an ALT-specific increase in ECTR DNA. FANCD2 coimmunoprecipitates with BLM in ALT cells, and FANCD2 localization to ALT telomeric foci requires BLM expression. FANCD2-depleted ALT cells have reduced viability, signs of mitotic catastrophe, and multiple types of telomeric abnormalities, including increases in telomeric recombination, entanglements, colocalization with DNA repair proteins, and expression of fragile site characteristics. SiRNA depletion of FANCD2 does not cause overexpression of BLM, however codepletion of BLM with FANCD2 suppresses the telomere phenotypes caused by FANCD2 knockdown. Together this suggests that FANCD2 regulates BLM-dependent recombination and amplification of telomeric DNA within ALT cells.

Fanconi anaemia (FA) is an inherited disorder characterized by bone marrow failure, cancer predisposition and congenital abnormalities. The 12 known FA genes have been implicated in homologous recombination (HR), a process involved in telomere maintenance. A complex of at least 7 FA proteins promotes FANCD2 monoubiquitination and nuclear foci formation. FANCD2 colocalizes and interacts with HR proteins, however the role of FANCD2 in HR is unclear. Telomeres in dividing human somatic cells shorten until they reach a critical length, triggering most cells to undergo senescence or apoptosis. Rare immortal cells escape this crisis by expressing telomerase, or activating the Alternative Lengthening of Telomeres (ALT) pathway, which involves HR. FA core complex proteins and FANCD2 colocalize with telomeric foci in ALT, but not telomerase positive cells. Localization of FANCD2 to ALT telomeric foci requires monoubiquitination by the FA core complex, but is independent of ATM and ATR. FANCD2 primarily colocalizes with ALT telomeric DNA within ALT-associated PML bodies (APBs). Electron spectroscopic imaging and FISH experiments show that APBs contain extra-chromosomal telomeric repeat (ECTR) DNA that is non-nucleosomal. Depletion of FANCD2 causes marked increases in ECTR in ALT, but not telomerase positive cells. Overexpression of BLM, the helicase mutated in Bloom syndrome, also causes an ALT-specific increase in ECTR DNA. FANCD2 coimmunoprecipitates with BLM in ALT cells, and FANCD2 localization to ALT telomeric foci requires BLM expression. FANCD2-depleted ALT cells have reduced viability, signs of mitotic catastrophe, and multiple types of telomeric abnormalities, including increases in telomeric recombination, entanglements, colocalization with DNA repair proteins, and expression of fragile site characteristics. SiRNA depletion of FANCD2 does not cause overexpression of BLM, however codepletion of BLM with FANCD2 suppresses the telomere phenotypes caused by FANCD2 knockdown. Together this suggests that FANCD2 regulates BLM-dependent recombination and amplification of telomeric DNA within ALT cells.

Genomic instability is commonly seen in breast cancers. To date, various chromosomal or segmental loss or amplification regions have been detected in primary tumors and cell lines. Hence, an intensive search for potent tumor suppressors or oncogenes located in these regions continues. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are ~18-24 nt long non-coding RNAs that regulate protein expression either by target mRNA cleavage or translational repression. We hypothesized that miRNAs located in genomic instability regions in breast cancer cells may contribute to the initiation or maintenance of breast tumors. Here, we investigated genomic levels of miRNAs on frequent loss or gain regions of breast cancer cells. First, using bioinformatics resources we mapped known miRNAs and candidate miRNAs to reported genomic instability regions. Our extensive searches resulted with more than 30 known miRNAs and 35 candidate miRNAs. To further confirm loss or amplification of miRNA genes on these chromosomal regions in breast cancer cells, we designed specific primers for the known pre-miRNA DNA regions and performed semi-quantitative PCR in 20 breast cancer cell lines, 2 immortalized mammary cell lines, and 2 control samples. Densitometry results suggested that a striking 61 % (22/36) of selected miRNAs showed either loss or amplification in at least 3 different breast cancer cell lines. Interestingly most of these alterations were found to be amplifications even in regions reported to harbor losses in breast tumors. Genomic fold change results of these microRNAs provide a biologically relevant starting point for further expression and functional experiments of microRNAs in breast cancer studies. Genomic fold change analysis followed expression analysis of two significant microRNAs (hsa-miR-21 and hsa-miR-383) was done by qRT-PCR method. Our data provide a wide screen of genomic instability of 36 microRNA genes in 20 breast cancer cells and normal samples detected by semi-quantitative duplex PCR method as well as expression analysis of two microRNAs. To this date, such an extensive data on genomic status of microRNA genes in breast cancer cells did not exist. Therefore, our results are the first comprehensive investigation of many microRNA genes on genomic instability regions in breast cancers and provide further clues to the potential involvement of these microRNAs in breast tumorigenesis MicroRNA genomic instability may affect their expression and therefore their targets&rsquo / expressions. Understanding how these microRNAs regulate their targets and contribute to the neoplastic events will also contribute to the field by using this information for future diagnostic and threaupetical applications.

Statement of Problem Telomere dynamics in the three-dimensional (3D) space of the mammalian nucleus plays an important role in the maintenance of genomic stability. However, the telomere distribution in 3D nuclear space of normal and tumor cells was unknown when the study was initiated. Methods Telomere fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and 3D molecular imaging, deconvolution, and analysis were used to investigate telomere organization in normal, immortalized and tumor cells from mouse and human cell lines, and primary tissues. Results Telomeres are organized in a non-overlapping manner and in a cell-cycle dependant fashion in normal cells. In the late G2 phase of cell cycle, telomeres are assembled into a flattened sphere that is termed the telomeric disk In contrast, the telomeric disk is disrupted in the tumor cells. Moreover, telomeric aggregates (TAs) are found in tumor cells. Conditional c-Myc over-expression induces telomeric aggregation leading to the onset of breakage-bridge-fusion cycles and subsequent chromosomal abnormality. Conclusions Telomeres are distributed in a nonrandom and dynamic fashion in the 3D space of a normal cell. Telomeric aggregates are present in cells with genomic instability such as tumor cells and cells with deregulation of c-Myc. Consequently, TA can be a useful biomarker for research in cancer and other disease processes.

The gene that produces the precursor RNA transcript to the three largest ribosomal RNA molecules (rDNA) is present in multiple copies and organized into gene clusters. They represent 0.5% of the diploid human genome but are critical for cellular viability. The individual genes possess very high levels of sequence identity and are present in high local concentration, making them ideal substrates for genomic rearrangement driven by dysregulated homologous recombination. Our laboratory has developed a sensitive physical assay capable of detecting recombination-mediated genomic restructuring in the rDNA by monitoring changes in lengths of the individual clusters. In order to determine whether dysregulated recombination is a potential driving force of genomic instability in human cancer, adult patients with either lung or colorectal cancer, and pediatric patients with leukemia were prospectively recruited and assayed. Over half of the adult solid tumors show detectable rDNA rearrangements relative to either surrounding non-tumor tissue or normal peripheral blood. In contrast, there is a greatly reduced frequency of alteration in pediatric leukemia. This finding makes rDNA restructuring one of the most common chromosomal alterations in adult solid tumors, illustrates the dynamic plasticity of the human genome, and may have prognostic or predictive value in disease progression.

Statement of Problem Telomere dynamics in the three-dimensional (3D) space of the mammalian nucleus plays an important role in the maintenance of genomic stability. However, the telomere distribution in 3D nuclear space of normal and tumor cells was unknown when the study was initiated. Methods Telomere fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and 3D molecular imaging, deconvolution, and analysis were used to investigate telomere organization in normal, immortalized and tumor cells from mouse and human cell lines, and primary tissues. Results Telomeres are organized in a non-overlapping manner and in a cell-cycle dependant fashion in normal cells. In the late G2 phase of cell cycle, telomeres are assembled into a flattened sphere that is termed the telomeric disk In contrast, the telomeric disk is disrupted in the tumor cells. Moreover, telomeric aggregates (TAs) are found in tumor cells. Conditional c-Myc over-expression induces telomeric aggregation leading to the onset of breakage-bridge-fusion cycles and subsequent chromosomal abnormality. Conclusions Telomeres are distributed in a nonrandom and dynamic fashion in the 3D space of a normal cell. Telomeric aggregates are present in cells with genomic instability such as tumor cells and cells with deregulation of c-Myc. Consequently, TA can be a useful biomarker for research in cancer and other disease processes.

Exposure of cells to hydrogen peroxide can cause oxidative damage to cellular constituents including lipids, protein, and DNA. At elevated concentrations, hydrogen peroxide can trigger cell death by apoptosis or necrosis. Apoptotic cell death can be prevented by overexpression of the oncoprotein Bcl-2. The exact mechanism by which Bcl-2 blocks cell death is controversial. Some researchers believe that Bcl-2 possesses antioxidant properties that protect cells from apoptosis. The purpose of this thesis was to assess oxidative stress and apoptosis following hydrogen peroxide exposure in Jurkat T cells overexpressing Bcl-2. One of the major objectives was to ascertain whether or not Bcl-2 overexpression elevated the antioxidant capacity of Jurkat T cells to provide protection from oxidant-induced cell death. Hydrogen peroxide treated Jurkat cells became apoptotic at moderate levels of oxidant (25-100 uM H2O2), and necrotic at higher doses (greater than 200 uM H2O2). Bcl-2 overexpression prevented caspase activation and cell death at the apoptotic doses of H2O2, but not the necrotic doses. Caspase inhibition studies demonstrated that Bcl-2 overexpression provided a greater level of resistance from H2O2-induced cell death than the broad-spectrum caspase inhibitor z-VAD.fmk. A systematic study was carried out examining the antioxidant status of Jurkat cells overexpressing Bcl-2. Several Bcl-2 transfectants were utilised for the study, so that any differences seen could be correlated to the level of Bcl-2 expression. Surprisingly, there were no statistically significant differences among the Bcl-2 transfectants for any of the antioxidant enzymes. Jurkat cells overexpressing Bcl-2 exhibited the same level of oxidative damage to lipids and protein in response to H2O2 exposure as the parental Jurkat cells. Interestingly, Jurkat cells overexpressing Bcl-2 continued to grow in culture after H2O2 exposure, despite harboring damage to cellular constituents. Consistent with these results, H2O2 treated Jurkat cells overexpressing Bcl-2, which failed to undergo apoptosis, were more prone to genomic instability. Together, these findings suggest that Bcl-2 overexpression protects Jurkat cells from H2O2-induced cell death by blocking apoptosis. Jurkat cells overexpressing Bcl-2 were no better at detoxifying oxidants and showed the same level of oxidative damage following H2O2 exposure. As a result, the overexpression of Bcl-2 considerably enhanced the mutagenicity of H2O2.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Göteborg : Univ. , 2007. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.