L'inactivation du chromosome X correspond au silence transcriptionnel de l'un des deux chromosomes X dans les cellules des mammifères femelles. Il s'agit d'un mécanisme de compensation du dosage du chromosome X qui assure un taux d'expression des gènes liés aux chromosomes X équivalent entre organismes mâles (XY) et femelles (XX). Elle débute par une accumulation de l'ARN Xist (X inactive specific transcript) sur le chromosome X qui sera inactivé (Xi). Elle est suivie très rapidement par des modifications des histones qui assurent l'établissement, le maintien et la transmission de l'état transcriptionnel inactif de la chromatine. L'ARN Xist comprend plusieurs régions d'éléments répétés et notamment la région des A-repeats, essentielle pour la mise en place de l'inactivation. Mes recherches se sont portées sur l'étude de cette région singulière : sa structure et ses interactions protéiques. La technique de FRET (Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer) appliquée à l'ARN nous a permis de confirmer la structure de cette région parmi 3 modèles possibles. Elle se structure en deux tiges-boucles formée par l'appariement 2 à 2 de 4 répétitions successives. Dans une seconde partie, j'ai caractérisé l'interaction de cette région avec certains de ses partenaires protéiques in vitro. La région des A-repeats interagit notamment de manière directe avec les protéines PTB, KSRP et ASF/SF2. Les 2 premières protéines pourraient avoir un rôle dans la stabilité de l'ARN tandis qu'ASF/SF2 serait impliquée dans la maturation de l'ARN X / X-chromosome inactivation is the transcriptional silencing of one of the two X chromosomes in female mammal cells. This mechanism of dosage compensation ensures an equal level of the X-linked genes expression between males (XY) and females (XX). It initiates with the accumulation of the Xist RNA (X inactive specific transcript) on the futur inactive X chromosome (Xi). It is followed by the apposition of epigenetic marks such as histone modifications, that ensure establishment, maintenance and transmission of the inactive state of the chromatin. Xist RNA comprises a number of repeated regions and, in particular to its 5' end the A region, absolutely necessary for the establishment of the X-inactivation. My research was focused on the study of this singular region: its structure and its protein interactions. The FRET method (Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer) applied to RNA allowed us to ascertain that the RNA is structured in two long stem-loop structures each including four repeats. In a second part, I characterized the in vitro interaction of this region with some of its protein partners. The A region interacts directly with PTB, KSRP and ASF/SF2 proteins. The first two proteins may have a role in RNA stability whereas ASF/SF2 could be involved in the splicing process

Skewed X chromosome inactivation has been often studied as a possible factor that influences manifestation of X-linked diseases in heterozygous women. Yet the association between phenotype and degree of skewing stays unclear for most disorders. Current works rely mostly on methods that are based on methyl-sensitive restriction while determining the X inactivation pattern and mainly the HUMARA assay which investigates the methylation profile in the AR gene. However those methods have some known disadvantages and therefore we are still seeking new methodical approaches. We used DNA isolated from whole blood and in some cases also buccal swabs to asses X inactivation patterns in 54 women using methylation-based methods for loci AR, CNKSR2 and RP2. Transcription-based assay was utilized to evaluate skewing of X inactivation in 32 of those women, whose samples were available for RNA extraction, using massive parallel sequencing and polymorphisms LAMP2 c.156A>T, IDS c.438C>T and ABCD1 c.1548G>A. Partly thanks to almost no stuttering during PCR the RP2 locus was the most informative in our study (71 % of women) and approximately the same number of women (69 %) were informative for the HUMARA assay. However when comparing the results of those two methods we determined difference greater than 10 % in...

Human autopsy or biopsy tissue samples, mouse models and cell cultures of various types represent the most common materials in the investigation of cell pathogenesis of inherited diseases. This dissertation is devoted to all these approaches in the study of two X-linked lysosomal storage diseases, Fabry disease (FD,α-galactosidase A (AGAL) deficiency) and mucopolysaccharidosis type II (MPSII, idunorate-2- sulfatase (IDS) deficiency). The primary goal of the work was analysis of lipid blood group B antigens with terminal α-galactose (B-GSL) in the pancreas of FD patients with blood group B (FD-B).,In addition to the main glycosphingolipid (GSL) substrate, globotriaosylceramide (Gb3Cer), B-GSLs represent another minor substrate of AGAL. The deposition of undegraded B-GSL has been demonstrated in FD-B pancreas where it was significantly higher than in other organs such as the kidneys and lungs which accumulate mainly Gb3Cer. High concentration of lipid and non-lipid B-antigens was primarily confirmed in exocrine acinar epithelial cells of FD-B, accompanied by massive accumulation of ceroid (secondary sign of lysosomal storage). Unlike acini, the endocrine portion of the pancreas remained unaffected by accumulation of AGAL substrates. This interesting phenomenon of cell biology shows how a specific...