No carcinoma papilífero de tiroide (CPT) ocorrem alterações na via MAPK (do inglês Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase), sendo a mais frequente mutação a BRAFT1799A. A via MAPK é modulada pelo miRNA, como o let-7 que estão pouco expresso no CPT. A biogênese de let-7 é controlada por proteínas ligantes de RNA LIN28 que inibem o processamento das formas primária e precursora de let-7 (pri-let-7 e pre-let-7). Avaliamos a expressão gênica de LIN28, pri-let-7f, pre-let-7f e let-7f por rtPCR em tempo real, utilizando RNA total das linhagens TPC-1 e BCPAP de PTC e amostras tumorais de pacientes com CPT. A linhagem não tumoral Nthyori 3-1 foi utilizada para induzir LIN28. Observa-se redução de let-7f em 4 dos 5 pacientes analisados enquanto que LIN28A está aumentado em 2 pacientes com BRAFT1799A. Nota-se maior expressão de pri-let-7f em TPC-1 e menor expressão de pre-let-7f e let-7f. Observa-se maior expressão de LIN28A em TPC-1, enquanto que LIN28B está mais expresso em BCPAP com BRAFT1799A. A inibição de BRAFV600E em BCPAP diminui LIN28B e aumenta let-7f, enquanto que a indução de LIN28B reduz a expressão de let-7f. Concluímos que há relação inversa entre LIN28 e let-7f no CPT e LIN28 influencia a diminuição de let-7f podendo assim contribuir com tumorigênese tireoidiana. / In papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) changes in MAPK (Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase) pathway are common being BRAFT1799A mutation the most frequent alteration. MAPK pathway is modulated by miRNA such as let-7, an under-expressed miRNA in PTC. The RNA binding protein LIN28 controls let-7 biogenesis, blocking primary and precursor let-7 (pri-let-7 e pre-let-7) processing. We evaluated LIN28, pri-let-7f, pre-let-7f and let-7f gene expression by real time RTPCR using total RNA of human PTC sample and PTC cell lines TPC-1 and BCPAP. Non-tumoral cell line Nthyori 3-1 was used to evaluate LIN28B influence in let-7f. We observed decreased let-7f expression in 4 out of 5 PTC patients, and increased LIN28A in 2 patients with BRAFT1799A mutation. TPC-1 cells express higher levels of pri-let-7f while pre-let-7f and let-7f are less expressed. We noted that LIN28A is more expressed in TPC-1, while LIN28B is more expressed in BCPAP cells with BRAFT1799A. The inhibition of BRAFV600E in BCPAP decreases LIN28B and increases let-7f, while the induction of LIN28B in Nthyori 3-1 reduces let-7f expression. We conclude there is an inverse association between LIN28 and let-7f in PTC, and that LIN28 influences let-7f reduction which could contribute to thyroid tumorigenesis.

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L'épithélium pigmentaire rétinien (EPR) est une monocouche formée de cellules hautement spécialisées et uniques dont les nombreuses fonctions servent à maintenir une vision adéquate. En revanche, ces fonctions spécifiques rendent les cellules de l’EPR particulièrement vulnérables au stress oxydant. Avec le vieillissement, les cellules de l’EPR peuvent dégénérer et devenir non-fonctionnelles, donnant lieu à plusieurs maladies telles que la dégénérescence maculaire liée à l'âge (DMLA). Dans les pays occidentaux, la DMLA est la principale cause de cécité et de déficience visuelle chez les personnes âgées. En fait, environ 90 % des patients atteints de la DMLA souffrent de la forme sèche, pour laquelle il n'existe aucun traitement. Des années de recherche ont établi que le stress oxydant est un contributeur majeur à la pathogenèse de la DMLA sèche. De nombreuses études ont montré que le stress oxydant induit les cellules de l’EPR à libérer des vésicules extracellulaires (VEs). Nos propres travaux ont démontré que les VEs peuvent induire le stress oxydant et la sénescence chez les cellules de l’EPR. Comme d'autres, nous avons constaté que les VEs étaient enrichis en microARNs. Grâce au séquençage d’ARN, nous avons identifié le let-7f comme étant l'un des microARNs les plus abondants contenus dans ces vésicules. L'objectif de ce mémoire a été l’exploration entre la relation let-7f et la dégénérescence des cellules de l’EPR. Nos résultats ont démontré une régulation et une augmentation de l’expression du let-7f dans les cellules de l’EPR sous stress oxydant, in vitro et in vivo. De plus, la surexpression du let-7f a généré un stress oxydant, le dysfonctionnement et la sénescence des cellules humaines de l’EPR (ARPE-19). De plus, l’inhibition du let-7f à protéger ces cellules contre les conséquences néfastes induites par l’iodate de sodium. En somme, les résultats de ce travail suggèrent fortement que le let-7f est impliqué dans la dégénérescence des cellules de l’EPR et pourraient aider à la découverte de nouveaux processus pertinents dans la pathogenèse de la DMLA sèche. / The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is a highly specialized and unique monolayer of cells whose many functions are vital for maintaining proper vision. In turn, these specific functions render RPE cells particularly vulnerable to oxidative injury. With age, RPE cells can degenerate and become dysfunctional, giving rise to various disorders such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD). In western countries, AMD is the primary cause of blindness and visual impairments in the elderly. In fact, approximately 90% of all AMD patients suffer from the dry form of the disease, for which there exist no approved treatment. Decades of research have established that chronic oxidative stress is a major contributor to the pathogenesis of dry AMD. Numerous studies have shown that oxidative stress induces RPE cells to release extracellular vesicles (EVs) which participate in cell-to-cell communication. Our recent work has demonstrated that EVs alone were sufficient in inducing oxidative stress and senescence in RPE cells. Consistent with others, we found that EVs released by RPE cells were enriched in microRNAs. RNA-sequencing identified let-7f as one of the most abundant miRNAs contained in these vesicles. Despite being one of the first miRNAs to be discovered, the role of let-7f in RPE cells has remained essentially unexplored. The aim of this dissertation was to investigate the relationship between let-7f and RPE cells in regards to their degeneration and dysfunction. Our results revealed that the expression of let-7f increased and was regulated by oxidative stress in RPE cells, in vitro and in vivo. In addition, let-7f overexpression promoted oxidative stress, cellular dysfunction and senescence in human RPE (ARPE-19) cells. Finally, inhibition of let-7f exhibited protective effects against sodium iodate-induced oxidative injury. Overall, the findings in this work provide strong evidence that let-7f is implicated in the degeneration of RPE cells and further mechanistic investigation may help to uncover novel insights into the genesis of dry AMD.