Most of microorganisms are ubiquitously able to live in both planktonic and biofilm states, which can be applied to dissolve the energy and environmental issues (e.g., producing biofuels and purifying waste water), but can also lead to serious public health problems. To better harness microorganisms, plenty of studies have been implemented to investigate the metabolism of planktonic and/or biofilm cells via multi-omics approaches (e.g., transcriptomics and proteomics analysis). However, these approaches are limited to provide the direct description of intracellular metabolism (e.g., metabolic fluxes) of microorganisms. Therefore, in this study, I have applied computational modeling approaches (i.e., 13C assisted pathway and flux analysis, flux balance analysis, and machine learning) to both planktonic and biofilm cells for better understanding intracellular metabolisms and providing valuable biological insights. First, I have summarized recent advances in synergizing 13C assisted pathway and flux analysis and metabolic engineering. Second, I have applied 13C assisted pathway and flux analysis to investigate the intracellular metabolisms of planktonic and biofilm cells. Various biological insights have been elucidated, including the metabolic responses under mixed stresses in the planktonic states, the metabolic rewiring in homogenous and heterologous chemical biosynthesis, key pathways of biofilm cells for electricity generation, and mechanisms behind the electricity generation. Third, I have developed a novel platform (i.e., omFBA) to integrate multi-omics data with flux balance analysis for accurate prediction of biological insights (e.g., key flux ratios) of both planktonic and biofilm cells. Fourth, I have designed a computational tool (i.e., CRISTINES) for the advanced genome editing tool (i.e., CRISPR-dCas9 system) to facilitate the sequence designs of guide RNA for programmable control of metabolic fluxes. Lastly, I have also accomplished several outreaches in metabolic engineering. In summary, during my Ph.D. training, I have systematically applied computational modeling approaches to investigate the microbial metabolisms in both planktonic and biofilm states. The biological findings and computational tools can be utilized to guide the scientists and engineers to derive more productive microorganisms via metabolic engineering and synthetic biology. In the future, I will apply 13C assisted pathway analysis to investigate the metabolism of pathogenic biofilm cells for reducing their antibiotic resistance. / Ph. D.

The supply of precursors from primary metabolism is often overlooked when engineering secondary metabolism for increased product yields. This is because precursor supply may be assumed to be non-limiting, and it is considered difficult to engineer primary metabolism, because control of carbon flow (flux) is generally distributed among most enzymes of the pathway. The aim of this thesis was to increase the production of sterols, part of the isoprenoid class of secondary metabolites, in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) Bright Yellow 2 (BY-2) cell cultures. This was achieved by genetically engineering increased activity of mitochondrial citrate synthase, an enzyme of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle that is involved in the provision of cytosolic acetyl coenzyme A, the primary metabolite precursor to sterols. Metabolic flux analysis revealed that citrate synthase exerts significant control over cyclic TCA cycle flux in BY-2 cells and suggested that increasing the activity of downstream enzymes within secondary metabolism could lead to a further redirection of TCA-cycle-derived precursors into sterol biosynthesis. Attempts were made to achieve this by genetically engineering increased activity of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (HMGR), a key enzyme of secondary metabolism involved in sterol biosynthesis. Consistent with previous research, transgenic lines had increased sterol levels. However, the high sterol phenotype was unstable, and attempts to co-express HMGR and citrate synthase genes were unsuccessful. The thesis demonstrates that increasing the provision of precursors to secondary metabolites can result in increased yields of those secondary metabolites but suggests that in most cases the activity of enzymes within secondary metabolism has a greater effect on those yields. It also reveals that single enzymes can exert significant control of flux within primary metabolism, although the control exerted by specific enzymes probably changes with the demands placed on metabolism.

Ces travaux visaient à étudier la possibilité de réduire la production de glycérol chezSaccharomyces cerevisiae, afin d’améliorer le rendement éthanol, tout en préservant les capacités decroissance et de production des levures. La production minimale de glycérol nécessaire à la croissancea été déterminée à l'aide d'un modèle de calcul des flux métaboliques. Des souches présentant uneactivité des enzymes de la voie de production du glycérol modulée, afin de s'approcher au plus près del'activité minimale nécessaire estimée in silico, ont été utilisées.Cette stratégie d’ajustement de l’activité de la voie de synthèse du glycérol a permis, encondition aérobie, de réduire de 88 % le rendement glycérol et d'améliorer le rendement éthanol de4,7 % sans modifier la tolérance des mutants à l'éthanol, mais au détriment de la vitesse spécifique decroissance, légèrement réduite. En condition anaérobie, une diminution de 61 % du rendementglycérol et une amélioration de 7 % du rendement éthanol ont pu être obtenues, mais au détriment dela vitesse spécifique de croissance,qui subit une sévère diminution, et de la tolérance à l'éthanol,qui estréduite.L'analyse fine des résultats, grâce à un modèle métabolique, a permis de mettre en évidence,chez les souches mutantes, un besoin accru en énergie, interprété comme la traduction d'une plusgrande difficulté à gérer le stress du procédé et une réorganisation du métabolisme oxydo-réductif,interprétée comme l'impact de la réduction du glycérol sur les voies de réoxydation du cofacteurNADH dans les cellules.Ces résultats ont permis de valider la pertinence de la stratégie de réajustement des fluxmétaboliques, assistée par modélisation stoechiométrique pour l'amélioration des souches, mais aussid'accroître la compréhension du rôle physiologique du glycérol et son intégration au métabolismecellulaire. / This work aimed to assess the possibility of reducing Saccharomyces cerevisiae's glycerolproduction, in order to improve ethanol yield, without altering the abilities of yeasts to grow andproduce ethanol. Minimum glycerol production required for growth was found, thanks to a metabolicflux calculation model. Strains showing a fine tuned activity in the glycerol synthesis pathway enzymeswere used, to get close to the minimum activity established in silico.This fine tuning strategy lead, in aerobiosis, to a 88 % glycerol yield decrease together with a4.7 % ethanol yield increase, with no reduction of mutants'ethanol tolerance, but there is a slightdecrease of the growth rate. In anaerobiosis, a 61 % glycerol yield decrease, together with a 7 %ethanol yield increase were obtained, but mutant strains suffered of a sharp growth rate reduction anda decrease in their ethanol tolerance.A close analysis of the results, with the help of a metabolic model, highlighted both an increaseof mutants' energy requirements, interpreted as an increased difficulty to cope with osmotic stress,and a reorganisation of their oxydo-reductive metabolism, interpreted as glycerol reduction's impacton the NADH cofactor reoxydation pathway.These results validated the relevance of metabolic fine-tuning, assisted with in silicostoichiometric model for strains improvement and they increased the understanding of the integrationof glycerol in cell metabolism as well as its physiological role.

Conforme novas tecnologias e metodologias estão surgindo, e pesquisadores estão sedentos por ferramentas moleculares mas rápidas, mais eficientes e fáceis de usar, dominar os princípios e tecnologias do design de vetores e padronização de partes biológicas tornaram-se desafios fundamentais. Isso está abrindo espaço para o surgimento de uma disciplina inteiramente nova chamada Biologia Sintética. Esta área de estudo inovadora combina partes e módulos biológicos para criar sistemas mais confiáveis e robustos. Linhagens fúngicas são comumente alvo desses estudos, não apenas porque muitos achados fundamentais em relação à clonagem molecular surgiram das lições dadas por elas, mas também devido a um imenso e inexplorado potencial desses organismos em uma ampla gama de aplicações - desde biocombustíveis e produção de químicos finos até terapias biomédicas. Neste contexto, a presente dissertação é dividida em duas partes: a primeira diz respeito ao design e construção de uma ferramenta modular e versátil para ser aplicada em várias linhagens de fungos. Essa ferramenta é um plasmídeo binário para transformação mediada pro Agrobacterium tumefaciens, que foi construído em quatro diferentes versões contendo GFP ou mCherry como proteínas repórter e um gene sintético de resistência à higromicina como marcador de seleção. O vetor foi validado em Paracoccidioides lutzii, um patógeno oportunista humano dimórfico que é muito importante para medicina, mas ainda carecia de ferramentas genéticas eficientes. A segunda parte consiste na criação de uma biblioteca de promotores para a levedura oleaginosa Rhodosporidium toruloides, um promissor hospedeiro para a produção de bioprodutos a partir de biomassa, uma vez que pode eficientemente consumir açúcares C5 e C6 e aromáticos derivados da lignina. Vinte e nove promotores foram testados em um cassete de duplo-repórter - compreendendo ambas as proteínas fluorescentes GFP e mRuby - utilizando citometria de fluxo para análise de células únicas. A coleção de promotores apresentados neste trabalho é a maior disponível para R. toruloides até o momento e foi um avanço indispensável para superar a10 escassez de ferramentas para este organismo. Notavelmente, também apresentamos os primeiros promotores bidirecionais descritos para essa levedura e otimizamos o protocolo de transformação. Portanto, a Biologia Sintética foi eficientemente aplicada para expandir a coleção de partes biológicas padronizadas e otimizar vetores para transformação e manipulação genética de fungos. Estas ferramentas são de valor imediato e são aplicáveis a desafios muito distintos, mas igualmente importantes: a busca de novas soluções para a saúde humana e para uma economia bio-sustentável. / As new technologies and methodologies are surfacing, and researchers are now eager for fast, enhanced and easy-to-use molecular tools, mastering the principles and technologies of vector design and standardization of biological parts have become fundamental challenges. This is making room for the rise of an entirely novel discipline called Synthetic Biology. This innovative field of study combines biological parts and modules to create more reliable and robust systems. Fungal strains are commonly the target of these studies, not only because several fundamental findings regarding molecular cloning arose from lessons given by them, but also due to an immense and much unexplored potential of those organisms in a wide range of applications - ranging from biofuels and fine chemicals production to biomedical therapies. In this context, the present dissertation is divided in two parts: the first one concerns the design and construction of a modular and versatile tool to be applied in several fungal strains. This tool is a plasmid binary vector for Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation, which was built in four different versions containing either GFP or mCherry as reporter proteins and a synthetic hygromycin resistance gene as selection marker. The vector was validated in Paracoccidioides lutzii, a dimorphic human opportunist pathogen that is very important for health care but was still lacking efficient genetic tools. The second part consists in the creation of a promoter library for the oleaginous yeast Rhodosporidium toruloides, a promising host for the production of bioproducts from biomass since it can efficiently consume C5 and C6 sugars and lignin-derived aromatics. Twenty-nine promoters were tested with a dual-reporter cassette - comprising both GFP and mRuby fluorescent proteins - using flow cytometer for single-cell analysis. The assortment of promoters presented in this work is the largest set available for R. toruloides until now and was an imperative advancement to overcome the scarcity of tools for this organism. Remarkably, we also presented the first bidirectional promoters described for this yeast and optimized the transformation protocol. Thus, we efficiently applied Synthetic Biology to expand the collection of standard biological parts and to12 optimize vectors for fungal transformation and genetic manipulation. These tools are of immediate value and are applicable for very distinct but equally important challenges: the pursuit of new solutions for human health and for a sustainable biobased economy

No description available.

Esta tesis se centra en la construcción y usos de los modelos metabólicos a escala genómica para obtener biocombustibles de manera eficiente, como etanol e hidrógeno. Como organismo objetivo, se ha elegido a la cianobacteria Synechocystis sp. PCC6803. Este organismo ha sido estudiado como una potencial plataforma de producción alimentada por fotones, dada su capacidad de crecer solamente a partir de dióxido de carbono y fotones. Esta tesis versa acerca de los métodos para modelar, analizar, estimar y predecir el comportamiento del metabolismo de las células. La principal meta es extraer conocimiento de los diferentes aspectos biológicos de un organismo con el fin de utilizarlo para un objetivo industrial pertinente. Esta tesis ha sido estructurada en capítulos organizados de acuerdo con las sucesivas tareas que terminan con la construcción de una célula in silico que se comporta, idealmente, como la que está basada en el carbono. Este proceso suele comenzar con los archivos de anotación del genoma y termina con un modelo metabólico a escala genómica capaz de integrar datos -ómicos. El primer objetivo de la presente tesis es la reconstrucción de un modelo del metabolismo de esta cianobacteria que tenga en cuenta todas las reacciones presentes en la misma. Esta reconstrucción tenía que ser lo suficientemente flexible como para permitir el crecimiento en las distintas condiciones ambientales bajo las cuales este organismo crece en la naturaleza, así como permitir la integración de diferentes niveles de información biológica. Una vez que se cumplió este requisito, se pudieron simular variaciones ambientales y estudiar sus efectos desde una perspectiva de sistema. Se han estudiado hasta cinco diferentes condiciones de crecimiento en este modelo metabólico y sus diferencias han sido evaluadas. La siguiente tarea fue definir estrategias de producción para sopesar la viabilidad de este organismo como una plataforma de producción. Se simularon perturbaciones genéticas para e / This thesis is focused on the construction and uses of genome-scale metabolic models to efficiently obtain biofuels, such as ethanol and hydrogen. As a target organism, cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 was chosen. This organism has been studied as a potential photon-fuelled production platform, for its ability to grow only from carbon dioxide, water and photons. This dissertation verses about methods to model, analyse, estimate and predict the metabolic behaviour of cells. Principal goal is to extract knowledge from the different biological aspects of an organism in order to use it for an industrial relevant objective. This dissertation has been structured in chapters accordingly organized as the successive tasks that end up building an in silico cell that behaves as the carbon-based one. This process usually starts with the genome annotation files and ends up with a genome-scale metabolic model able to integrate ¿omics data. First objective of present thesis is to reconstruct a model of this cyanobacteria¿s metabolism that accounts for all the reactions present in it. This reconstruction had to be flexible enough as to allow growth under the different environmental conditions under which this organism grows in nature as well as to allow the integration of different levels of biological information. Once this requisite was met, environmental variations could be simulated and their effect studied under a system-wide perspective. Up to five different growth conditions were simulated on this metabolic model and differences were evaluated. Following assignment was to define production strategies to weigh this organism¿s viability as a production platform. Genetic perturbations were simulated to design strains with an enhanced production of three industrially-relevant metabolites: succinate, ethanol and hydrogen. Resulting sets of genetic modifications for the overproduction of those metabolites are, thus, proposed. Moreover, functional reactions couplings were studied and weighted to their metabolite production importance. Finally, genome-scale metabolic models allow establishing integrative approaches to include different types of data that help to find regulatory hotspots that can be targets of genetic modification. Such regulatory hubs were identified upon light/dark shifts and general metabolism operational principles inferred. All along this process, blind spots in Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 metabolism, and more importantly, blind spots in our understanding of it, are revealed. Overall, the work presented in this thesis unveils the industrial capabilities of cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 to evolve interesting metabolites as a clean production platform. / Esta tesis es centra en la construcció i els usos del models metabòlics a escala genòmica per a obtenir eficientment biocombustibles, com etanol i hidrogen. Com a organisme diana, s¿elegí el cianobacteri Synechocystis sp. PCC6803. Aquest organisme ha segut estudiat com una plataforma de producció nodrida per fotons, per la seva habilitat per créixer a partir únicament de diòxid de carboni, aigua i fotons. Aquesta tesi versa sobre mètodes per a modelitzar, analitzar, estimar i predir el comportament metabòlic de cèl¿lules. La principal meta és extreure coneixement del diferents aspectes biològics d¿un organisme de manera que s¿usen per a un objectiu industrial rellevant. La tesi ha segut estructurada en capítols organitzats d¿acord a les successives tasques que acaben construint una cèl¿lula in silico que es comporta, idealment, com la que està basada en carboni. Aquest procés generalment comença amb els arxius de l¿anotació del genoma i acaba amb un model metabòlic a escala genòmica capaç d¿integrar dades ¿òmiques. El primer objectiu de la present tesi és la reconstrucció d¿un model del metabolisme d¿aquest cianobacteri que tinga en compte totes les reaccions que hi estan presents. Esta reconstrucció havia de ser prou flexible com per permetre la simulació del creixement en les diferents condicions ambientals en les quals aquest cianobacteri creix en la natura, així com permetre la integració de diferents nivells d¿informació biològica. Una vegada que aquest requisit fou assolit, es pogueren simular variacions ambientals i estudiar els seus efectes amb una perspectiva de sistema. S¿han simulat fins a cinc condicions de creixement en este model metabòlic i les seves diferències han segut avaluades. La següent tasca fou definir estratègies de producció per a valorar la viabilitat d¿aquest organisme com a plataforma de producció. Es simularen pertorbacions genètiques per al disseny de soques amb producció millorada de metabòlits de rellevància industrial: succinat, etanol i hidrogen. Així, es proposen conjunts de modificacions genètiques per a la sobreproducció d¿aquests metabòlits. També s'han estudiat reaccions acoblades funcionalment i s¿ha ponderat la seva importància en la producció de metabòlits. Finalment, els models metabòlics a escala genòmica permeten establir criteris per integrar diferents tipus de dades que ens ajuden a trobar punts importants de regulació. Eixos centres reguladors, que poden ser objecte de modificacions genètiques, han segut investigats baix canvis dràstics d¿il¿luminació i s¿han inferit principis operacionals del metabolisme. Al llarg d'aquest procés, s¿han revelat punts cecs al metabolisme de Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 i, el més important, punts cecs en la nostra comprensió d'aquest metabolisme. En general, el treball presentat en aquesta tesi dona a conèixer les capacitats industrials del cianobacteri Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 per a produir metabòlits d'interès, tot sent una plataforma de producció neta i sostenible. / Montagud Aquino, A. (2012). Modelling and analysis of biological systems to obtain biofuels [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/17319 / Palancia

Les biotechnologies sont un outil puissant permettant d’emprunter les circuits biologiques pour produire des composés aux applications multiples (médecine, alimentation, industries…). Les cyanobactéries possèdent des propriétés génétiques et trophiques précieuses pour réduire les coûts et l’empreinte environnementale de ces procédés (photosynthèse, fixation du CO₂, sources d’azote assimilables...). Elles produisent aussi naturellement certaines molécules énergétiques comme le H₂ dont pourraient émerger de nouvelles filières propres de biocarburants. Cependant, une compréhension globale et approfondie de leur physiologie est nécessaire pour concevoir un châssis biologique performant à partir de ces organismes. Elles sont aisément manipulables génétiquement mais présentent une versatilité favorisant la fixation de mutations bénéfiques mais aussi délétères pour leur exploitation à grande échelle. Au cours de ma thèse, j’ai construit et étudié des mutants d’un régulateur de l’assimilation du CO₂ dont l’activation est liée à la photosynthèse. J’ai montré que l’activité du cycle de Calvin synchronise les flux du carbone et le statut rédox de Synechocystis et que sa dérégulation se répercute de manière pléiotropique sur son métabolisme. Plus spécifiquement, je me suis intéressé au déséquilibre carbone/azote dans cette espèce et à son métabolisme de l’urée qui présente un intérêt biotechnologique considérable. J’ai démontré que ce dernier était en compétition avec l’hydrogénase pour l’insertion du nickel dans leurs centres catalytiques respectifs. L’insuffisance de ce métal a permis de sélectionner des mutants de l’uréase tolérant une exposition prolongée à l’urée et conservant une forte capacité de production de H₂ en présence de ce substrat azoté. L’ensemble de ces résultats montre que le métabolisme de Synechocystis peut être détourné au profit de certains processus cellulaires. Les approches « omiques » permettent d’identifier globalement les réponses physiologiques induites ainsi que les leviers biologiques de compensation. Ces travaux sont discutés au regard des implications biotechnologiques de l’instabilité génétique et de la nécessité de renforcer notre compréhension de la plasticité métabolique et génomique des cyanobactéries. / Biotechnology is a powerful tool allowing exploitation of biological circuits to produce compounds with multiple uses (medicine, nutrition, industrial…). Cyanobacteria have valuable genetic and trophic properties which could reduce the costs and the environmental footprint of these processes (photosynthesis, CO₂ fixation, assimilation of diverse nitrogen sources…). They also naturally produce energetic molecules such as H₂ from which new and sustainable biofuels sectors may rise. However, a global and fine understanding of their physiology is required in order to design an efficient biological chassis with these organisms. They are genetically manipulable but also exhibit a strong versatility favoring fixation of mutations that can be either beneficial or harmful to their large-scale cultivation. Over the course of my PhD, I constructed and studied mutants of a CO₂ fixation regulator whose activation is linked to photosynthesis. I showed that the Calvin cycle activity synchronizes carbon fluxes and redox status in Synechocystis and that its deregulation affects the metabolism in a pleiotropic manner. I was specifically interested into the carbon/nitrogen balance in this species and its urea metabolism which is of prime interest in biotechnology. I demonstrated that the latter was in competition with the hydrogenase for the insertion of nickel into their respective catalytic centers. Scarcity of this metal leads to selection of mutants thriving upon prolonged exposure to urea that retained a high capacity of H₂ production in presence of this nitrogenic substrate. This work shows that the metabolism of Synechocystis can be altered in favor of other cellular processes. Omics approaches allow global identification of the physiological responses induced as well as the biological compensation mechanisms. These observations are discussed with regards to biotechnological implications of genetic instability and the need to strengthen our understanding of metabolic and genetic plasticity in cyanobacteria.

La production microbienne de molécules d'intérêt pourrait être améliorée par des stratégies d'ingénierie du vivant. L'ingénierie enzymatique joue un rôle central dàns la conception d'organismes hôtes efficaces car l'efficacité de la voie dépend en premier lieu de l'efficacité des enzymes. Aujourd'hui, il est utile de savoir quelles conceptions d'enzymes synthétiques sont efficaces et quels paramètres doivent être testés pour les caractériser. La colocalisation spatiale d'enzymes à l'intérieur de la voie métabolique pourrait améliorer la production de la molécule d'intérêt finale en permettant une biotransformation rapide des intermédiaires de la voie de biosynthèse. Des protéines multidomaines regroupant plusieurs activités enzymatiques sont décrites dans la littérature. Ces travaux ont permis la création de fusions synthétiques d'enzymes caroténogéniques pour la production de bêta-carotène chez Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Différents types de fusions et de configurations enzymatiques ont été testés. L'étude a permis ia création d'une fusion enzymatique tripartite efficace produisant deux fois moins d'intermédiaires et deux fois plus de bêta-carotène. Les mesures précises de la concentration de chaque caroténoïde, associées à la quantification des enzymes, ont permis de caractériser l'efficacité de chaque enzyme synthétique. D'autres stratégies de colocalisation spatiale d'enzymes ont également été testées en utilisant des domaines d'interaction tels que la cohesinedockérine ou la protéine oligomériques CcmK2. Certaines enzymes caroténogéniques préservent leur fonctionnalité au sein de ces configurations. Des systèmes enzymatiques construites modifient le flux métabolique des caroténoïdes et produisent des caroténoïdes différents de ceux des enzymes naturelles. Un contrôle plus affiné des activités enzymatiques pourrait permettre un contrôle précis de la nature du caroténoïde final produit / Microbial production of molecules of interest can be improved by severa! engineering strategies. Enzymatic engineering has a central role in the conception of efficient host because pathway's efficiency depends in first place on the efficiency of the enzymes. Knowing which synthetic enzymes conceptions are efficient and knowing to characterize the best candidates are essential. Enzyme colocalisation inside metabolic pathway might improve the production of final molecule of interest by allowing rapid biotransformation of intermediates of the pathway. Multidomain proteins regrouping severa! enzymatic activities are described in the literature. This work has focused in part on the creation of synthetic fusion of sorne carotenogenic enzymes for the production of beta carotene in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Different types of enzymatic fusions and configurations have been tested and. characterized. The study allowed the creation of an efficient tripartite enzyme. fusion which produces two times Jess intermediates and two times more beta carotene. Precise measurement of each caro teno id' s concentration coupled with quantification of enzymes allows the characterization of the efficiency of each synthetic enzyme. Other strategies for enzyme spatial co localisation have also been tested using domains of interaction like cohesin-dockerin or the oligomeric protein CcmK2. Sorne carotenogenic enzymes are still functional using those configurations. Sorne of the enzymatic systems modify the metabolic flow ofcarotenoids and produce carotenoids different from the natural systems. Sorne strategies have changed the metabolic flux of carotenoids inside the pathway. Interestingly, a fine control of activity of enzyme might allow a fine control of the nature of the final carotenoid

<p>Regulation of metabolism in mammalian cells is achieved through a complex interplay between cellular signaling, metabolic reactions, and transcriptional changes. The modeling of metabolic fluxes in a cell requires the knowledge of all these mechanisms, some of which may be unknown. A cybernetic approach provides a framework to model these complex interactions through the implicit accounting of such regulatory mechanisms, assuming a biological “goal”. The goal-oriented control policies of cybernetic models have been used to predict metabolic phenomena ranging from complex substrate uptake patterns and dynamic metabolic flux distributions to the behavior of gene knockout strains. The premise underlying the cybernetic framework is that the regulatory processes affecting metabolism can be mathematically formulated as a cybernetic objective through variables that constrain the network to achieve a specified biological “goal”. </p><p>Cybernetic theory builds on the perspective that regulation is organized towards achieving goals relevant to an organism’s survival or displaying a specific phenotype in response to a stimulus. While cybernetic models have been established by prior work carried out in bacterial systems, we show its applicability to more complex biological systems with a predefined goal. We have modeled eicosanoid, a well-characterized set of inflammatory lipids derived from arachidonic acid, metabolism in mouse bone marrow derived macrophage (BMDM) cells stimulated by Kdo2-Lipid A (KLA, a chemical analogue of Lipopolysaccharide found on the surface of bacterial cells) and adenosine triphosphate (ATP, a danger signal released in response to surrounding cell death) using cybernetic control variables. Here, the cybernetic goal is inflammation; the hallmark of inflammation is the expression of cytokines which act as autocrine signals to stimulate a pro-inflammatory response. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α is an exemplary pro-inflammatory marker and can be designated as a cybernetic objective for modeling eicosanoid—prostaglandin (PG) and leukotriene (LK)—metabolism. Transcriptomic and lipidomic data for eicosanoid biosynthesis and conversion were obtained from the LIPID Maps database. We show that the cybernetic model captures the complex regulation of PG metabolism and provides a reliable description of PG formation using the treatment ATP stimulation. We then validated our model by predicting an independent data set, the PG response of KLA primed ATP stimulated BMDM cells.</p><p>The process of inflammation is mediated by the production of multiple cytokines, chemokines, and lipid mediators each of which contribute to specific individual objectives. For such complex processes in mammalian systems, a cybernetic objective based on a single protein/component may not be sufficient to capture all the biological processes thereby necessitating the use of multiple objectives. The choice of the objective function has been made by intuitive considerations in this thesis. If objectives are conjectured, an argument can be made for numerous alternatives. Since regulatory effects are estimated from unregulated kinetics, one encounters the risk of multiplicity in this regard giving rise to multiple models. The best model is of course that which is able to predict a comprehensive set of perturbations. Here, we have extended our above model to also capture the dynamics of LKs. We have used migration as a biological goal for LK using the chemoattractant CCL2 as a key representative molecule describing cell activation leading to an inflammatory response where a goal composed of multiple cybernetic objectives is warranted. Alternative model objectives included relating both branches of the eicosanoid metabolic network to the inflammatory cytokine TNF-α, as well as the simple maximization of all metabolic products such that each equally contributes to the inflammatory system outcome. We were again able to show that all three cybernetic objectives describing the LK and PG branches for eicosanoid metabolism capture the complex regulation and provide a reliable description of eicosanoid formation. We performed simulated drug and gene perturbation analyses on the system to identify differences between the models and propose additional experiments to select the best cybernetic model.</p><p>The advantage to using cybernetic modeling is in its ability to capture system behavior without the same level of detail required for these interactions as standard kinetic modeling. Given the complexity of mammalian systems, the cybernetic goal for mammalian cells may not be based solely on survival or growth but on specific context dependent cellular responses. In this thesis, we have laid the groundwork for the application of cybernetic modeling in complex mammalian systems through a specific example case of eicosanoid metabolism in BMDM cells, illustrated the case for multiple objectives, and highlighted the extensibility of the cybernetic framework to other complex biological systems.</p>

La rue officinale (Ruta graveolens L) est une plante connue comme étant particulièrement riche en métabolites secondaires et produisant notamment des molécules d’intérêt pharmaceutique comme les furocoumarines. Nous avons tenté par une approche de génie métabolique d’augmenter la teneur en furocoumarines produites dans les plantes. La mise en place de telles approches nous a également permis de mieux comprendre les mécanismes de régulation de la voie de biosynthèse des phénylpropanoïdes. Pour atteindre ces objectifs nous avons transformé la rue avec différents gènes placés sous le contrôle d’un promoteur constitutif fort, le promoteur 35S du CaMV. Pour chaque série de transformants nous avons étudié la teneur en furocoumarines et analysé les variations de composés phénylpropanoïdes (rutine, umbelliférone, ferulate, scopolétine). Parallèlement à cette analyse métabolique, une corrélation a été réalisée avec le niveau d’expression des transgènes et de certains endogènes par l’utilisation d’approche de PCR quantitative. Les séries de plantes transgéniques surexprimant les gènes codants pour la Coumaroyl ester 3’-Hydroxylase de rue (CYP98A22) et d’A. thaliana (CYP98A3) présentent toutes les deux une augmentation significative d’une facteur 3 de la teneur en furocoumarines. Par contre si les premières sont caractérisées par une diminution de la production en rutine et en umbelliférone, les secondes présentent une augmentation importante de la teneur en Scopolétine et en umbelliférone. Ces résultats suggèrent la coexistence de deux C3’H chez R. graveolens ayant des fonctions différentes, l’une d’entre elles étant impliquée directement ou non dans la synthèse de scopolétine. Si la transformation génétique de rues avec des gènes de la famille CYP98A induit des modifications du métabolisme secondaire, la surexpression d’un gène spécifique à la voie de biosynthèse des furocoumarines (gène cyp71AJ1, codant pour la psoralène synthase d’A. majus) permet d’augmenter uniquement la teneur en furocoumarines (X4). L’ensemble de ces travaux a permis de montrer l’intérêt d’une approche de génie métabolique pour générer des plantes présentant un intérêt potentiel pour la production de molécules d’intérêts pharmaceutiques / Garden Rue (Ruta graveolens L.) is a plant known as being particularly rich in secondary metabolites and in particular producing molecules of pharmaceutical interest like furocoumarines. By the use of a metabolic engineering approach, we tried to increase the content of furocoumarines produced in these plants but also to better understand the regulation mechanisms of the phenylpropanoïd biosynthesis pathway. To achieve these goals we transformed Ruta plants with various genes placed under the control of a strong constitutive promoter, CaMV 35S promoter. The plants we obtained were analyzed for their ability to overproduce furocoumarines but also other phenylpropanoïds like ferulate, umbelliferone, scopoletine or rutin. Using Real Time PCR experiments, a correlation was carried out with the level of expression of each transgene and several endogenous genes. Plants overexpressing either the Ruta or the Arabidopsis Coumaroyl ester 3 '-Hydroxylase (CYP98A22 and CYP98A3 respectively) display both a significant increase (3 time level) of the furocoumarin. However if the S-98A22 plants are characterized by a reduction in the production of rutin and umbelliferone, S-98A3 transgenic plants display a significant increase scopoletine and umbelliferone content. These results suggest the coexistence of two C3'H having different functions in Ruta. One of them might be involved more specifically in the synthesis of scopoletine. If the transformation of Ruta with genes belonging to the CYP98A family generates an enlarged of the secondary metabolism, we also showed that the overexpression of a gene belonging to the furocoumarins biosynthesis pathway (CYP71AJ1, the psoralen synthase) allowed a specific stimulation. Indeed a 4 time increase of the content of furocouramins was noticed in these transgenic plant lines. This work made it possible to make evidence of the interest of a metabolic engineering approach to generate plants of interest for the production of pharmaceutical molecules