Mon travail de thèse s’est focalisé sur l’étude du rôle des miARN comme modulateurs de l’expression des gonadotropines en réponse à un traitement par la GnRH. Dans un premier temps, nous avons étudié les miARN-132 et -212 fortement induits en réponse à la GnRH dans les cellules gonadotropes. Nous démontrons que l’induction de la production de FSH par la GnRH est dépendante de l’activation des miR-132/212 dans les cellules hypophysaires de rat et dans la lignée cellulaire gonadotrope LβT2. Nous montrons à l’aide de cette lignée que l’élévation de miR-132/212 inhibe l’expression de la lysine déacétylase SIRT1, favorisant ainsi l’acétylation inhibitrice d’un répresseur transcriptionnel de la FSH, conduisant donc à l’activation de l’expression de la FSH (Lannes et al, 2015). J’ai ensuite étudié l’action d’un miARN fortement inhibé en réponse à la GnRH, miR-125b. Nous démontrons que miR-125b bloque la signalisation Gαq/11 en réprimant plusieurs effecteurs de cette voie, sans réguler la voie Gαs. Lors de l'exposition à la GnRH, miR-125b est inactivé par transfert d’un groupement méthyle par l’ARN méthyltransférase NSun2, activée par phosphorylation Gαs/PKA-dépendante. Nous observons que l’induction demiR-132 et de la phosphatase PP1α en réponse à la GnRH dépend de la voie Gαq/11 et est induite par l’inactivation de miR-125b. Nous démontrons que NSun2 est une cible de miR-132 et que la phosphorylation de NSun2 est supprimée par la phosphatase PP1α. Des analyses cinétiques nous ont permis de décrypter le mécanisme de désensibilisation à la stimulation GnRH. Lors de la phase d’induction par la GnRH, l’activation de la voie Gαs/PKA inactive miR-125b permettant une levée d’inhibition de la voie Gαq/11 et par là, l’induction des gènes des gonadotropines, de miR-132 et PP1α. L’activation de ces derniers contribue à l’inactivation de NSun2 et à un retour de miR-125b à son état d'équilibre permettant de nouveau l’inhibition de la voie Gαq/11 et donc de l’expression des gonadotropines (Lannes et al, 2016). Notre étude montre pour la première fois le rôle crucial d’une boucle de régulation entre deux miARN dans le mécanisme de la désensibilisation de la réponse à la GnRH. Le caractère ubiquitaire des acteurs de cette boucle de régulation laisse penser qu’elle pourrait jouer un rôle plus général. Les travaux complémentaires effectués montrent que la GnRH induit la sécrétion de plusieurs miARN. In vitro, nous avons démontré que la GnRH provoque une libération calcium-dépendante de miR-125b et de miR-132 dans le milieu extracellulaire par les cellules gonadotropes. In vivo, nous mettons en évidence chez la rate et la femme, une augmentation sérique des miARN-125b et -132 au moment de la décharge ovulante de LH induite par la GnRH. Ces résultats suggèrent que la cellule gonadotrope hypophysaire est capable d’émettre un message original, sous la forme de miARN, dans la circulation sanguine. Mes travaux de thèse éclairent le rôle clé joué par les miARN dans la réponse de la cellule gonadotrope à la stimulation prolongée à la GnRH. Ils mettent en évidence l’effet bloquant d’un seul miARN, miR-125b sur la signalisation liée à la protéine Gαq/11, une voie activée par nombre de récepteurs. Ils révèlent l’existence d’une boucle de régulation responsable de la désensibilisation à la GnRH mais qui pourrait être plus largement répandue. Enfin, la sécrétion des miARN dans la circulation sanguine induite par la GnRH que nous mettons en évidence pour la première fois ouvre des perspectives particulièrement intéressantes sur la nature du signal généré par les cellules gonadotropes et permet d’envisager l’existence de nouveaux tissus cibles. / GnRH is a hypothalamic neurohormone that stimulates synthesis and release of the pituitary gonadotropins, LH and FSH. Mammalian GnRH receptor lacks a C-terminal tail and is thus not submitted to homologous desensitization. Desensitization of gonadotrope cells to sustained exposure to GnRH relies on post-receptor mechanisms operating at different levels of the Gαq/11-mediated signalling pathway. GnRH was shown to modulate the expression of microRNAs (miRNAs), a new class of signalling regulators composed of small single-stranded RNAs that regulate gene expression at a post-transcriptional level. The purpose of my PhD thesis was to investigate the role of miRNAs in contributing to the regulation of gonadotrope cells by GnRH and notably to its desensitization effect. I first demonstrated that a GnRH-induced rise in miR-132 and miR-212 in rat primary pituitary culture cells and in the LβT2 murine gonadotrope cell line was necessary for efficient stimulation of FSH production. We then showed that the miR-132/212-mediated action of GnRH involved a posttranscriptional decrease of SIRT1, a lysine deacetylase. The lower level of SIRT1 allowed an increase in the acetylated form of FOXO1, a transcriptional repressor of Fshb, leading to its exit from the nucleus and to an increase in FSH expression (Lannes et al, 2015). Then, I focussed on the involvement of miR-125b, a miRNA that was strongly inhibited in response to GnRH. We showed that miR-125b blocked the Gαq/11 signalling pathway, through the repression of several effectors of this pathway, without affecting the Gαs signalling pathway. Upon exposure to GnRH, miR-125b was inactivated by methylation on adenosine by the NSun2 RNA methyltransferase. This later enzyme was activated by a Gαs/PKA-dependent phosphorylation. We observed that the induction of miR-132 and PP1α phosphatase in response to GnRH depends on a Gαq/11 activation allowed by the inactivation of miR-125b. We demonstrated that NSun2 is a target of miR-132 and that phosphorylation of NSun2 is suppressed by PP1α. Kinetic analyses enabled us to decipher the desensitization mechanism to GnRH stimulation. During the induction phase, the Gαs/PKA activation led to lower miR-125b levels, allowing Gαq/11 signalling and hence, transcriptional activation of gonadotropins genes. Co-activation of miR-132 and PP1α contributed to the inactivation of NSun2 and a return of miR-125b back to its equilibrium state leading to Gαq/11 signalling inhibition and therefore, to the arrest of gonadotropins expression (Lannes et al, 2016). Our study shows for the first time the crucial role of a miRNAs regulatory loop in the GnRH-induced mechanism of desensitization. The ubiquitous nature of the actors of this regulatory loop suggests that it may play a more general role. Additional works carried out showed that GnRH induces the secretion of several miRNAs. In vitro, we demonstrated that the GnRH causes a calcium-dependent release of miR-125b and miR-132 in the extracellular medium by the gonadotrope cells. In vivo, we highlighted a miRNA-125b and -132 increase in serum at the time of the ovulating LH surge induced by GnRH in rats and women. These results suggest that the pituitary gonadotropic cell is capable of transmitting an original message in the form of miRNA, into the bloodstream. My PhD work unravels the key role played by miRNAs in the gonadotrope cells response to GnRH-sustained stimulation. They highlight the blocking effect of a single miRNA, miR-125b on the Gαq/11 signalling, a pathway activated by many other membrane receptors. They indicate the existence of a regulation loop responsible for the desensitization to GnRH but which could be more widespread. Finally, the secretion of miRNAs in blood flow induced by the GnRH that we show for the first time opens up particularly interesting perspectives on the nature of the signal generated by the gonadotrope cells and allows to consider the existence of new target tissues.

O Osteossarcoma (OS) é o tumor ósseo pediátrico mais comum. O tratamento atual consiste em remoção cirúrgica e quimioterapia multimodal neo- e adjuvante. No entanto, um terço dos pacientes são acometidos por recorrência pós-cirúrgica e metástases distantes sendo que apenas 20% daqueles com metástase sobrevivem após 5 anos. Diversos miRNAs vêm sendo apontados como metastamiRs, dentre eles o miR-10b. Este microRNA encontra-se hiperexpresso em uma série de tumores e associado a pior prognóstico. Estudos prévios têm demostrado que o miR-10b atua nos processos invasivos principalmente pareando-se de forma incompleta com o RNA mensageiro do gene HOXD10 e assim inibindo a sua tradução. Este fator de transcrição, assim como todos os membros da família dos genes HOX, exerce sua função ativando e reprimindo genes vitais para os processos de crescimento e diferenciação celular (inclusive durante o desenvolvimento do tecido ósseo), sendo também descrito como desregulado em diversos tumores. Em vista disso, o presente trabalho teve como objetivo estudar a influência do miR-10b no OS e sua associação com o gene HOXD10 em relação aos processos de proliferação, invasão e migração celular. Para tanto, foi avaliada a expressão de ambos em amostras tumorais, bem como os efeitos da modulação da expressão de miR-10b na capacidade proliferativa e invasiva de linhagens celulares de OS. Nossos resultados mostraram uma associação inversa entre os níveis de expressão do miR-10b e o grau de malignidade. O aumento de miR-10b in vitro levou a supressão da capacidade clonogênica e à redução dos processos de adesão, migração e invasão, sugerindo um papel de supressor tumoral em OS. Não foi encontrada correlação entre a expressão gênica do miR-10b e a do HOXD10, e ainda o aumento deste microRNA não alterou a expressão proteica do fator de transcrição. Sendo assim, o mecanismo pelo qual miR-10b contribui para a agressividade do OS permanece indefinido, mas parece ser independente de HOXD10. Paralelamente, a expressão do gene KLF4 (recentemente descrito como alvo direto de miR-10b) e de genes sabidamente associados à invasão (MMP2 e ROCK1) e proliferação (TP53 e BCL2) tampouco foi afetada após transfecção. Por outro lado, apesar de não ter sido confirmado como alvo de miR-10b no nosso estudo, HOXD10 foi encontrado significativamente hiperexpresso nas amostras de OS. Assim, considerando a importância da desregulação de vias de desenvolvimento no surgimento de tumores pediátricos e a participação do HOXD10 no desenvolvimento ósseo, o seu papel como oncogene e seu potencial como alvo terapêutico neste tipo tumoral merecem estudos posteriores. / Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common pediatric bone tumor. The current treatment consists of surgical removal and neo- and adjuvant multimodal chemotherapy. Nonetheless, one-third of patients are affected by post-surgical recurrence and distant metastases, with only 20% of metastatic cases surviving after 5 years. Several miRNAs have been designated as metastamiRs, among them miR-10b. This microRNA is overexpressed in a series of tumors and associated with poor prognosis. Previous studies have shown that miR-10b acts on invasive processes mainly by pairing with the messenger RNA of the HOXD10 and thereby inhibiting its translation. This transcription factor, like all members of the HOX family, exerts its function by activating and/or repressing vital genes for cell growth and differentiation (even during the development of bone tissue) and is also described as deregulated in several tumors. In view of this, the aim of this work was to study the influence of miR-10b on OS and its association with the HOXD10 in relation to proliferation, invasion and cell migration. For this, the expression of both genes in tumor samples, as well as the effects of miR-10b expression modulation on the proliferative and invasive capacity of OS cell lines, were evaluated. Our results showed an inverse association between miR-10b expression levels and the degree of malignancy. The increase of miR-10b in vitro led to the suppression of clonogenic capacity and reduction of adhesion, migration and invasion, suggesting a role as a tumor suppressor in OS. No correlation was found between the gene expression of miR-10b and HOXD10, while the increase of the microRNA did not alter the protein levels of the transcription factor. Thus, the mechanism by which miR- 10b could contribute to OS aggressiveness remains undefined, though it appears to be independent of HOXD10. In parallel, the expression of KLF4 (recently described as a direct miR-10b target) and of genes known to be associated with invasion (MMP2 and ROCK1) and proliferation (TP53 and BCL2) was not affected after transfection. On the other hand, although HOXD10 was not confirmed as a miR-10b target in our study, this gene was found to be significantly overexpressed in the OS samples. Thus, considering the importance of the deregulation of developmental pathways on pediatric tumors and HOXD10 contribution on bone development, its role as an oncogene and its potential as a therapeutic target in this tumor type deserves further studies.

Les tumeurs de vessie suivent deux voies de progression tumorale. La voie des tumeurs papillaires qui progressent rarement vers des tumeurs invasives mais qui récidivent très fréquemment et la voie des carcinomes in situ (CIS) qui progressent pour envahir le chorion puis le muscle. Les tumeurs infiltrant le muscle sont de mauvais pronostic et les traitements par chimiothérapie restent d’efficacité limitée. Il est alors important d’en comprendre les bases moléculaires. Les microRNAs sont d’importants régulateurs de l’expression post-transcriptionnelle des gènes. Des perturbations de leur expression et/ou de leur activité contribuent au développement tumoral en dérégulant l’expression de gènes clés dans les cancers. Nos travaux ont porté sur l’étude de l’expression et des fonctions des microRNAs dans la carcinogenèse urothéliale. Dans la première partie, nous avons choisi d’étudier, par une approche de gènes candidats, miR-155, un oncomiR dont l’expression dérégulée a été rapportée dans plusieurs cancers mais pas encore dans le cancer de la vessie. J’ai identifié une surexpression significative de ce miARN dans un sous-groupe de cancers invasifs de vessie. Ensuite, j’ai montré par des analyses fonctionnelles, le rôle de miR-155 dans l’invasion et la migration tumorale mais pas dans la prolifération cellulaire. Dans la deuxième partie, nous avons utilisé une approche plus globale. J’ai d'abord effectué une revue extensive de la littérature pour rechercher les miR dont l'expression avait été montrée comme dérégulée dans les cancers de vessie et/ou les miR impliqués fonctionnellement dans ce cancer. J’ai ensuite réalisé une analyse multiparamétrique en intégrant les données d'expression de ces miR, les données anatomopathologiques et moléculaires (stade et grade, statut mutationel de TP53 et FGFR3, phénotype épigénétique MRES et signature CIS) et les données du transcriptome (puces Affymetrix U133 Plus 2.0), des altérations génomiques (puces Illumina 370.000 sondes) et de méthylation (puces Illumina 27.000 sondes). Ce travail m’a permis, d'identifier des miR associés à l'une des deux voies de progression identifiées dans les cancers de vessie et de proposer des cibles candidates de ces miR. La recherche des altérations épigénétiques pouvant affecter l’expression de ces miR a permis d’identifier une association significative entre l’expression d’un miARN (miR-17-5p) et la méthylation d’un promoteur. En revanche les altérations génétiques n’ont été associées à aucune expression de miR. Ce travail propose une liste de très bons candidats miARNs pour lesquels des études fonctionnelles pourront être envisagées au-delà de mon travail de thèse. / Bladder tumors are characterized by two progression pathways. The first pathway leads to the developpement of papillary tumors, which are at high risk of recurrence but that rarely progress to invasive tumors. Another pathway involves carcinoma in situ (CIS), which often progresses by first invading the lamina propria and then the muscle. Tumors infiltrating the muscle have a poor prognosis and chemotherapy regimens are of limited benefits. It is yet important to understand the molecular basis underlying these events. The microRNAs are important regulators of post-transcriptional gene expression. Alteration in their expression and /or activity is believed to contribute to tumor development by deregulating the expression of cancer-related genes. Our work has been focused on studying the expression and function of microRNAs in urothelial carcinogenesis. In the first part, we employed a candidate gene approach to study miR-155, a oncomiR whose dysregulated expression has been reported in many cancers, but not in bladder cancer. I identified a significant overexpression of this miRNA in a subgroup of invasive bladder cancers. Next, I demonstrated a role for miR-155 in tumor invasion and migration, without any apparent effect on cell proliferation. In the second part, we used a more comprehensive approach in which I first conducted an extensive review of the literature to search for miR whose expression was already found to be deregulated and/or miR functionally involved in bladder cancer. I then performed a multiparametric analysis by integrating expression data of miR, pathological and molecular data (stage and grade, mutational status of FGFR3 and TP53, MRES epigenetic phenotype and CIS signature) data of the transcriptome (Affymetrix U133 Plus 2.0), genomic alterations (370,000 chips Illumina probes) and methylation (Illumina chips 27,000 probes). This work allowed us to identify miRs associated with one or the other pathway linked to progression of bladder cancer and also, it revealed candidate targets for these miRs. The search for epigenetic alterations capable to affect the expression of those miRs showed significant association between expression of a particular miRNA (miR-17-5p) and the methylation of its promoter. Genetic alterations however, have failed to associate with expression of miR. Finally, this work suggests a list of good candidates miRNAs for which future functional studies should help to get insight into the role of these miRNAs

Osteossarcoma (OS) é uma neoplasia que acomete principalmente as metáfises de ossos longos, sendo o tumor ósseo pediátrico mais comum. O tratamento consiste em ressecção cirúrgica, tratamento quimioterápico multimodal neo-adjuvante e adjuvante. No entanto, apesar dos tratamentos, cerca de 80% dos pacientes que apresentam metástase tem uma sobrevida curta. Deste modo, torna-se necessário um melhor entendimento do processo metastático, assim como da busca por novos alvos terapêuticos. Uma das principais vias relacionada à invasão e migração das células neoplásicas é a das GTPases Rho, cujas principais moléculas efetoras são as quinases ROCK1 e 2, responsáveis por mediar a migração através do controle do citoesqueleto. Tais quinases têm sido relatadas hiperexpressas em diversas neoplasias e associadas ao pior prognóstico. Recentemente, pesquisas também têm apontado a desregulação de miRNAs na tumorigênese, sendo que a hipoexpressão de alguns microRNAs estão relacionados à hiperexpressão das ROCKs e, portanto, envolvidos no processo metastático. No presente trabalho, estudou-se a expressão tanto das ROCKs quanto de miRNAs associados a elas em amostras tumorais de OS por meio de PCR em tempo real. Encontramos uma hipoexpressão de ROCK1 nas amostras OS quando comparadas ao osso não neoplásico controle, enquanto que ROCK2 não apresentou diferença. O miR-138 foi encontrado hiperexpresso e obteve correlação com ROCK2, além de associação com a sobrevida. Os miR-139 e miR-708 demonstraram-se hipoexpressos nas amostras tumorais. Já os miR-196b e miR-584 não apresentaram diferenças. Após as análises de expressão, optou-se pelo estudo do miR-708 em linhagens de OS, desta forma, sua expressão foi induzida em três linhagens celulares, através de um vetor lentiviral, e foram realizados ensaios funcionais com o objetivo de estabelecer o papel deste miRNA. Não foi observada diferença nas taxas de proliferação ou capacidade clonogênica quando a expressão do miR-708 foi indizida. No ensaio de migração wound healing o miR-708 reduziu a migração da linhagem SAOS-2, enquanto que no ensaio de invasão induziu a invasão da linhagem MG-63 em matrigel, mas reduziu esse potencial nas linhagens HOS e SAOS-2 na matriz de gelatina. Uma análise in silico dos alvos deste miRNA apontou sua associação às vias WNT, MAPK e de Junções Aderentes. Desta forma, sugere-se que o miR-708 pode estar envolvido no controle processos que levam ao desenvolvimento de metástase, principalmente na interação com a matriz extracelular. / Osteosarcoma (OS) is a neoplasia that mainly occurs at the metaphyses of long bones, being the most common pediatric bone tumor. The treatment is based on surgical resection and the multimodal chemoterapy adjuvant and neoadjuvant. However, despite the treatment, around 80% of patients who evolve to metastais present a poor survival. Therefore, understanding the metastatic process is essencial, as well as the search for new therapy targets. The mainly pathway related to invasion and migration in neoplasic cells is regulated by the Rho GTPases, and their main effectors are the kinases ROCK1 and ROCK2, which are responsible for cytoskeleton control. The hyperexpression of these kinases has been described in different cancers and it has been associated to poor prognostic. In parallel, several studies have extensively demonstrated miRNA deregulation in tumorigenesis, and the hipoexpression of some miRNA are related to ROCK upregulation, consequently, involved with metastasis. Herein, we studied the expression profiles of ROCK1 and 2 and associated miRNAs in OS tumor samples by means of qRT-PCR. We found downregulation of ROCK1 in OS samples when compared to normal bone (control), while ROCK2 did not show differences. MiR-138 showed hiperexpression and was correlated with ROCK2, and an association with survival rates. MiR-139 and miR-708 were found downregulated in tumor samples, though miR- 196b and miR-584 did not show differences in expression. Afterwards, miR-708 expression was induced in three OS cell lines, aiming establish miR-708 role. Proliferation and clonogenic essays did not present any effects when miR-708 was induced. In the wound healing essay, miR-708 reduced the migration of SAOS-2 cells, and in invasion essay, miR-708 induced invasion of MG-63 cells in a matrigel matrix, while reduced the invasive potential of HOS and SAOS-2 cell lines in a gelatin matrix. An in silico analysis of miR-708 targets highlighted its association with WNT, MAPK and Adherent Junction pathways. Therefore, we suggest that miR-708 can be involved in process that leads to metastasis, mainly related to extracellular matrix interation.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive adult onset neurodegenerative disease characterized by selective death of the upper and lower motor neurons of the brain and spinal cord. Neuromuscular synapses are lost leading to paralysis and ultimately death. Non-neuronal cells, such as astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, and microglia, have been shown to contribute to ALS disease progression in mouse models. Microglia, the innate immune cells of the central nervous system, have been shown to be activated in ALS and contribute to disease progression. Hundreds of mRNAs have shown to be dysregulated in a variety of ALS cell types and tissues, including total spinal cord, acutely isolated microglia, and in vitro differentiated motor neurons. These mRNAs can be regulated post-transcriptionally by microRNAs (miRNAs), which are small endogenous non-coding RNAs with important regulatory roles in a wide range of cellular processes. This dissertation examines the contribution of miRNAs to ALS disease progression in microglia. I acutely isolated primary microglia from the spinal cords of transgenic mice overexpressing human wild type (WT) SOD1 and human G93A SOD1. I used small RNA sequencing to profile the miRNAs that are expressed during disease progression, and identified miRNAs that are differentially expressed. I confirmed these results by quantitative PCR and examined the expression changes of predicted targets in a microglia RNA-seq dataset. Here I show that miRNAs are dysregulated in acutely isolated microglia from SOD1 G93A transgenic mice, and that miR-155, a pro-inflammatory miRNA, and miR-210, a hypoxia-inducible miRNA, are significantly upregulated during disease progression. In addition, miR-1198-5p, miR-182, miR-503, and miR-668 are also dysregulated, and predicted mRNA targets of all six of these miRNAs are differentially expressed during disease progression. To my knowledge, this is the first analysis of miRNA expression in microglia during ALS disease progression. This work contributes to the understanding of the contribution of a non-neuronal cell type to ALS disease progression and serves as a paradigm for studies in other non-neuronal cell types, such as astrocytes and oligodendrocytes, and other ALS mouse models.

Despite advances in the understanding of cancer biology, most patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) still die of their disease. Improving risk-stratification and identifying new targets are important steps towards personalized medicine and outcome improvement. MicroRNAs, short non-coding RNAs that hybridize to their target messenger RNAs (mRNAs) and repress the expression of the encoded proteins, are known to be involved in physiological processes like cellular differentiation, proliferation and cell survival but also play an essential role in cancer, including AML. In this thesis we demonstrated that higher expression of a single microRNA miR-181a was associated with clinical outcome in cytogenetically normal AML (CN AML) patients. In multivariable models, higher expression of miR-181a was associated with achievement of complete remission (CR), with longer disease-free (DFS) and overall survival (OS) even in consideration of other validated prognostic clinical and molecular variables. Measurement of pretreatment levels of this microRNA may improve risk-stratification for AML patients. A genome-wide gene-expression signature gave biological insights into miR-181a associated AML, and provides a basis for further functional studies. Furthermore, as higher miR-181a expression associated with improved treatment response, increasing miR-181a levels by delivering synthetic miR-181a or by agents increasing endogenous levels of this microRNA in AML blasts may represent a novel and personalized therapeutic approach in AML.

O Osteossarcoma (OS) é o tumor ósseo pediátrico mais comum. O tratamento atual consiste em remoção cirúrgica e quimioterapia multimodal neo- e adjuvante. No entanto, um terço dos pacientes são acometidos por recorrência pós-cirúrgica e metástases distantes sendo que apenas 20% daqueles com metástase sobrevivem após 5 anos. Diversos miRNAs vêm sendo apontados como metastamiRs, dentre eles o miR-10b. Este microRNA encontra-se hiperexpresso em uma série de tumores e associado a pior prognóstico. Estudos prévios têm demostrado que o miR-10b atua nos processos invasivos principalmente pareando-se de forma incompleta com o RNA mensageiro do gene HOXD10 e assim inibindo a sua tradução. Este fator de transcrição, assim como todos os membros da família dos genes HOX, exerce sua função ativando e reprimindo genes vitais para os processos de crescimento e diferenciação celular (inclusive durante o desenvolvimento do tecido ósseo), sendo também descrito como desregulado em diversos tumores. Em vista disso, o presente trabalho teve como objetivo estudar a influência do miR-10b no OS e sua associação com o gene HOXD10 em relação aos processos de proliferação, invasão e migração celular. Para tanto, foi avaliada a expressão de ambos em amostras tumorais, bem como os efeitos da modulação da expressão de miR-10b na capacidade proliferativa e invasiva de linhagens celulares de OS. Nossos resultados mostraram uma associação inversa entre os níveis de expressão do miR-10b e o grau de malignidade. O aumento de miR-10b in vitro levou a supressão da capacidade clonogênica e à redução dos processos de adesão, migração e invasão, sugerindo um papel de supressor tumoral em OS. Não foi encontrada correlação entre a expressão gênica do miR-10b e a do HOXD10, e ainda o aumento deste microRNA não alterou a expressão proteica do fator de transcrição. Sendo assim, o mecanismo pelo qual miR-10b contribui para a agressividade do OS permanece indefinido, mas parece ser independente de HOXD10. Paralelamente, a expressão do gene KLF4 (recentemente descrito como alvo direto de miR-10b) e de genes sabidamente associados à invasão (MMP2 e ROCK1) e proliferação (TP53 e BCL2) tampouco foi afetada após transfecção. Por outro lado, apesar de não ter sido confirmado como alvo de miR-10b no nosso estudo, HOXD10 foi encontrado significativamente hiperexpresso nas amostras de OS. Assim, considerando a importância da desregulação de vias de desenvolvimento no surgimento de tumores pediátricos e a participação do HOXD10 no desenvolvimento ósseo, o seu papel como oncogene e seu potencial como alvo terapêutico neste tipo tumoral merecem estudos posteriores. / Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common pediatric bone tumor. The current treatment consists of surgical removal and neo- and adjuvant multimodal chemotherapy. Nonetheless, one-third of patients are affected by post-surgical recurrence and distant metastases, with only 20% of metastatic cases surviving after 5 years. Several miRNAs have been designated as metastamiRs, among them miR-10b. This microRNA is overexpressed in a series of tumors and associated with poor prognosis. Previous studies have shown that miR-10b acts on invasive processes mainly by pairing with the messenger RNA of the HOXD10 and thereby inhibiting its translation. This transcription factor, like all members of the HOX family, exerts its function by activating and/or repressing vital genes for cell growth and differentiation (even during the development of bone tissue) and is also described as deregulated in several tumors. In view of this, the aim of this work was to study the influence of miR-10b on OS and its association with the HOXD10 in relation to proliferation, invasion and cell migration. For this, the expression of both genes in tumor samples, as well as the effects of miR-10b expression modulation on the proliferative and invasive capacity of OS cell lines, were evaluated. Our results showed an inverse association between miR-10b expression levels and the degree of malignancy. The increase of miR-10b in vitro led to the suppression of clonogenic capacity and reduction of adhesion, migration and invasion, suggesting a role as a tumor suppressor in OS. No correlation was found between the gene expression of miR-10b and HOXD10, while the increase of the microRNA did not alter the protein levels of the transcription factor. Thus, the mechanism by which miR- 10b could contribute to OS aggressiveness remains undefined, though it appears to be independent of HOXD10. In parallel, the expression of KLF4 (recently described as a direct miR-10b target) and of genes known to be associated with invasion (MMP2 and ROCK1) and proliferation (TP53 and BCL2) was not affected after transfection. On the other hand, although HOXD10 was not confirmed as a miR-10b target in our study, this gene was found to be significantly overexpressed in the OS samples. Thus, considering the importance of the deregulation of developmental pathways on pediatric tumors and HOXD10 contribution on bone development, its role as an oncogene and its potential as a therapeutic target in this tumor type deserves further studies.

Osteossarcoma (OS) é uma neoplasia que acomete principalmente as metáfises de ossos longos, sendo o tumor ósseo pediátrico mais comum. O tratamento consiste em ressecção cirúrgica, tratamento quimioterápico multimodal neo-adjuvante e adjuvante. No entanto, apesar dos tratamentos, cerca de 80% dos pacientes que apresentam metástase tem uma sobrevida curta. Deste modo, torna-se necessário um melhor entendimento do processo metastático, assim como da busca por novos alvos terapêuticos. Uma das principais vias relacionada à invasão e migração das células neoplásicas é a das GTPases Rho, cujas principais moléculas efetoras são as quinases ROCK1 e 2, responsáveis por mediar a migração através do controle do citoesqueleto. Tais quinases têm sido relatadas hiperexpressas em diversas neoplasias e associadas ao pior prognóstico. Recentemente, pesquisas também têm apontado a desregulação de miRNAs na tumorigênese, sendo que a hipoexpressão de alguns microRNAs estão relacionados à hiperexpressão das ROCKs e, portanto, envolvidos no processo metastático. No presente trabalho, estudou-se a expressão tanto das ROCKs quanto de miRNAs associados a elas em amostras tumorais de OS por meio de PCR em tempo real. Encontramos uma hipoexpressão de ROCK1 nas amostras OS quando comparadas ao osso não neoplásico controle, enquanto que ROCK2 não apresentou diferença. O miR-138 foi encontrado hiperexpresso e obteve correlação com ROCK2, além de associação com a sobrevida. Os miR-139 e miR-708 demonstraram-se hipoexpressos nas amostras tumorais. Já os miR-196b e miR-584 não apresentaram diferenças. Após as análises de expressão, optou-se pelo estudo do miR-708 em linhagens de OS, desta forma, sua expressão foi induzida em três linhagens celulares, através de um vetor lentiviral, e foram realizados ensaios funcionais com o objetivo de estabelecer o papel deste miRNA. Não foi observada diferença nas taxas de proliferação ou capacidade clonogênica quando a expressão do miR-708 foi indizida. No ensaio de migração wound healing o miR-708 reduziu a migração da linhagem SAOS-2, enquanto que no ensaio de invasão induziu a invasão da linhagem MG-63 em matrigel, mas reduziu esse potencial nas linhagens HOS e SAOS-2 na matriz de gelatina. Uma análise in silico dos alvos deste miRNA apontou sua associação às vias WNT, MAPK e de Junções Aderentes. Desta forma, sugere-se que o miR-708 pode estar envolvido no controle processos que levam ao desenvolvimento de metástase, principalmente na interação com a matriz extracelular. / Osteosarcoma (OS) is a neoplasia that mainly occurs at the metaphyses of long bones, being the most common pediatric bone tumor. The treatment is based on surgical resection and the multimodal chemoterapy adjuvant and neoadjuvant. However, despite the treatment, around 80% of patients who evolve to metastais present a poor survival. Therefore, understanding the metastatic process is essencial, as well as the search for new therapy targets. The mainly pathway related to invasion and migration in neoplasic cells is regulated by the Rho GTPases, and their main effectors are the kinases ROCK1 and ROCK2, which are responsible for cytoskeleton control. The hyperexpression of these kinases has been described in different cancers and it has been associated to poor prognostic. In parallel, several studies have extensively demonstrated miRNA deregulation in tumorigenesis, and the hipoexpression of some miRNA are related to ROCK upregulation, consequently, involved with metastasis. Herein, we studied the expression profiles of ROCK1 and 2 and associated miRNAs in OS tumor samples by means of qRT-PCR. We found downregulation of ROCK1 in OS samples when compared to normal bone (control), while ROCK2 did not show differences. MiR-138 showed hiperexpression and was correlated with ROCK2, and an association with survival rates. MiR-139 and miR-708 were found downregulated in tumor samples, though miR- 196b and miR-584 did not show differences in expression. Afterwards, miR-708 expression was induced in three OS cell lines, aiming establish miR-708 role. Proliferation and clonogenic essays did not present any effects when miR-708 was induced. In the wound healing essay, miR-708 reduced the migration of SAOS-2 cells, and in invasion essay, miR-708 induced invasion of MG-63 cells in a matrigel matrix, while reduced the invasive potential of HOS and SAOS-2 cell lines in a gelatin matrix. An in silico analysis of miR-708 targets highlighted its association with WNT, MAPK and Adherent Junction pathways. Therefore, we suggest that miR-708 can be involved in process that leads to metastasis, mainly related to extracellular matrix interation.

Le cancer du sein est marqué par une grande hétérogénéité. C´est une maladie complexe, fortement influencée par l´environnement pourtant, elle dépend aussi d´une accumulation de mutations génétiques associées à la dérégulation épigénétique des voies clés. Les altérations présentes dans le profil d´expression génique observées dans la tumeur, peuvent être le résultat de mécanismes de régulation des gènes à différent niveaux, comme des modifications post-transcriptionnelles menées par le mécanisme d´ARN d´interférence sous forme de microARN (miARN). Ce mécanisme peut conduire au début et développement du cancer aussi bien qu’à la résistance aux thérapies. Les miARN font partie d’une classe d´ARN non-codants qui ont émergé ces dernières années comme l'un des principaux régulateurs de l'expression des gènes par sa capacité à réguler négativement l'activité des ARN messagers (ARNm). L´importance de cette régulation a été observée par la présence de ce type de contrôle dans plusieurs processus biologiques, parmi eux, des voies liées à la prolifération, différentiation et apoptose. Afin de mieux comprendre les mécanismes d’initiation et progression tumorale dans le cancer du sein, nous avons fait une analyse globale de l´expression des miARN, par la technique de microarray, dans la série de lignées cellulaires 21T. Cette série est un modèle in vitro de la progression tumorale, comprenant la lignée 16N, obtenue à partir de l’épithélium normal infecté par des virus HPV-16, les lignées 21PT et 21NT, qui correspondent au carcinome in situ et les lignées 21MT1 et 21MT2 obtenues à partir d´une effusion pleurale métastatique à l’endroit de la métastase. Etant donné que les miARN jouent un rôle dans la régulation de l´apoptose et d´autres mécanismes de réponse aux dommages fait à l´ADN et que l´irradiation dans des formes différentes est couramment utilisée comme outil diagnostique, par exemple dans des mammographies, nous avons évalué l´expression de miARN après avoir soumis les cellules à des irradiations de haute et basse énergie, et au traitement avec de la doxorubicine. Les tests ont été faits sur les lignées non tumorales (MCF-10A et HB-2) et sur les lignées tumorales (MCF-7 et T-47D). On a pu observer que le rayon X de basse énergie est capable de causer des cassures double brin à l´ADN et de conduire les cellules à l´apoptose. Une légère altération dans les profils d´expression des miARN impliqués dans cette voie, comme let-7a, miR-34a et miR-29b, a aussi été remarquée. En ce qui concerne la réponse aux dommages fait à l´ADN, une upregulation dans l´expression de miR-29b, qui sous des conditions physiologiques normales est régulée négativement, a été observée après les traitements. Le microARNome de la série 21 montre une importante sous-expression de miR-205, un enrichissement du facteur pro-métastatique ZEB-1 et une réduction conséquente dans les niveaux d’e-cadherine, observée par western blot, seulement dans les lignées métastatiques (21MT). L´ensemble des résultats, suggèrent que miR-29b peut être un bio-marqueur potentiel du stress génotoxique et que miR-205 peut participer du processus de transition épithélium-mésenchyme et, en outre, quand il est sous-exprimé, peut augmenter le potentiel métastatique des cellules de la série 21T. / Breast tumors are characterized by their high heterogeneity. Breast cancer is a complex disease, which has its development strongly influenced by environmental factors, combined with a progressive accumulation of genetic mutations and epigenetic dysregulation of critical pathways. Changes in gene expression patterns may be a result of a deregulation in epigenetic events as well as in post-transcriptional regulation driven by RNA interference endogenously represented by microRNA (miRNA). These mechanisms are capable to promote the initiation, maintenance and progression of carcinogenesis and are also implicated on the development of therapy resistance. miRNAs form a class of non-coding RNAs, which have emerged in recent years as one of the major regulators of gene expression through its capacity to silence messenger RNAs (mRNAs) containing a partially complementary sequence. The importance of regulation mediated by miRNAs was observed on their ability to regulate a wide range of biological processes, including cell proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis.To gain insights into the mechanisms involved in breast cancer initiation and progression we conducted a miRNA global expression on 21T series that are an in vitro model of breast cancer progression, comprising cell lines derived from the same patient, which include a normal epithelia (16N), primary in situ ductal carcinoma (21PT and 21NT) and cells derived from pleural effusion of lung metastasis (21MT-1 and 21MT-2). Considering the importance of miRNAs in the regulation of apoptosis, and that irradiation in different spectra is commonly used in diagnostic procedures, as mammography and on radiotherapy, we evaluated the miRNA expression after cell low and high energy irradiation and doxorubicin treatment to determine whether miRNAs are useful biomarkers to detect cell response after DNA damage. The experiments were done on the non-tumoral cell lines MCF-10A and HB-2 and on the breast carcinoma derived cell lines MCF-7 and T-47D. We observed that low energy X-rays is able to promote DNA strand breaks and apoptosis and to slightly change the expression of miRNAs involved on this pathway, such as let-7a, miR-34a and miR-29b. Regarding DNA stress response pathways, an upregulation on miR-29b expression, that in normal conditions is downregulated in tumor cell lines could be observed after all treatments. The microRNAome of 21T series revealed a significant downregulation of miR-205, an enrichment of the pro-metastatic factor ZEB-1, potential target for miR-205 and the consequent reduction of e-cadherin levels in 21MT cells checked by western blot. Our results indicate that miR-29b is a possible biomarker of genotoxic stress and that miR-205 can participate on the metastatic potential of 21T cells.

Diss.--Hamburg. / Includes bibliographical references.