La stéatose hépatique affecte 20 à 40% de la population et progresse de façon constante. Il s’agit d’une pathologie chronique fortement associée au syndrome métabolique. Sa pathogenèse est mal comprise. Une altération du métabolisme des lipides dans le foie entraînant une accumulation intra-hépatique de lipides est probablement la cause majeure de la stéatose hépatique. A ce jour, il n’existe pas de traitement spécifique de la stéatose hépatique. La protéine kinase activée par l’AMP (AMPK) est un régulateur clé du métabolisme énergétique. Notamment, l’AMPK contrôle le métabolisme des lipides en inhibant la synthèse des acides gras et du cholestérol, et en stimulant l'oxydation des acides gras. Plusieurs études ont montré l’existence d’une association entre l’accumulation intracellulaire de lipides et une perte d’activité de l’AMPK dans le foie. Ces observations suggèrent que l’AMPK pourrait être un facteur impliqué dans la physiopathologie de la stéatose hépatique. Pour étudier cette hypothèse, nous avons généré un nouveau modèle de souris knockout dépourvu des sous-unités catalytiques α1 et α2 de l’AMPK spécifiquement dans le foie. Nous avons analysé les conséquences de cette délétion sur le métabolisme lipidique dans différentes situations nutritionnelles. La délétion de l’AMPK dans le foie ne modifie pas le contenu hépatique en triglycérides et en cholestérol au cours d’un jeûne ou après une réalimentation riche en glucides. Egalement, l’expression des gènes de la lipogenèse n’est pas modifiée dans le foie de ces animaux. De plus, l’oxydation des acides gras n’est pas altérée même après un jeûne de 24h. Etonnamment, l’absence de l’AMPK dans le foie n’amplifie pas la stéatose hépatique, ni l’hyperglycémie ou l’intolérance au glucose lorsque les souris sont nourries avec un régime riche en lipides. Cependant, l’activation de l’AMPK in vivo avec l'activateur direct, A-769662, normalise la stéatose hépatique chez des souris lipodystrophiques aP2-SREBP-1c et chez des souris obèses nourries avec un régime riche en lipides. Cet effet est dépendant de l’AMPK car il est totalement perdu chez des souris dépourvues d’AMPK dans le foie. Dans des hépatocytes de souris en culture primaire, l’activation de l'AMPK par un activateur direct (A-769662) ou par des activateurs indirects (metformine et AICAR) réduit le flux lipogénique et augmente l’oxydation des acides gras. Ces effets sont totalement abolis dans des hépatocytes AMPK KO, démontrant l’action spécifique de l'AMPK sur le métabolisme lipidique en réponse à ces composés. Ces résultats obtenus chez la souris sont extrapolables à l'homme puisque nous avons montré que l'activation de l'AMPK dans des hépatocytes humains en culture primaire inhibe de manière efficace la synthèse des acides gras et du cholestérol. En conclusion, nos résultats démontrent que l’inactivation de l’AMPK dans le foie n’est pas un facteur déclenchant ou aggravant dans la physiopathologie de la stéatose hépatique. En revanche, l’activation pharmacologique de l’AMPK améliore efficacement la stéatose hépatique. Ainsi, l’AMPK est une cible potentielle pour le développement d'activateurs dans le but de traiter la stéatose hépatique chez l’homme. / Fatty liver disease affects between 20-40% of the population. This pathology is usually associated with metabolic disease. Its pathogenesis is poorly understood. Altered lipids metabolism in the liver resulting on hepatic fat accumulation is probably due to fatty liver. There is no specific treatment for fatty liver disease. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a key regulator of energy metabolism. In particular, AMPK regulates lipid metabolism by inhibiting fatty acids and cholesterol synthesis, and stimulating fatty acids oxidation. Several studies have shown an association between intracellular lipid accumulation and loss of AMPK activity in the liver. These observations suggest that AMPK may be a factor involved in the pathogenesis of hepatic steatosis. To investigate this hypothesis, we generated a new model of knockout mice lacking the catalytic subunits of AMPK α1 and α2 specifically in the liver. We analyzed the consequences of this deletion on lipid metabolism in different nutritional conditions. Deletion of AMPK in the liver does not affect hepatic triglyceride and cholesterol content in fasted or in refed conditions with a high carbohydrate diet. Also, lipogenic genes expression is not altered in the liver of these animals. Moreover, the oxidation of fatty acids is not impaired after 24 hour of fasting. Surprisingly, lacking AMPK specifically in the liver does not aggraving fatty liver, hyperglycemia, or impaired glucose tolerance when the mice are on high fat diet condition. However, the activation of AMPK in vivo with a direct activator, A-769662, normalizes hepatic steatosis in lipodystrophyc aP2-SREBP-1c mice and in obese mice placed on high-fat diet. This effect is AMPK dependent because it is completely abolished in mice lacking AMPK specifically in liver. In primary mice hepatocytes, AMPK activation by a direct activator (A-769662) or by indirect activators (metformin and AICAR) reduces lipogenesis rates and increases fatty acids oxidation rates. These effects were completely abolished in hepatocytes lacking AMPK, showing the specific action of AMPK on lipid metabolism in response to these compounds. These results obtained in mice can be extrapolated to humans. Indeed, we have shown that AMPK activation in primary humain hepatocytes inhibits effectively fatty acid and cholesterol synthesis rates. In conclusion, our results showed that inactivation of AMPK in the liver is not a triggering or an aggraving factor in the pathogenesis of hepatic steatosis. Nevertheless, AMPK re-activation has a therapeutic benefit for the treatment of fatty liver disease. Thus, AMPK is a potential target to treat fatty liver disease in human.

No description available.

Background The inducible Cre-lox system is a valuable tool to study gene function in a spatial and time restricted fashion in mouse models. This strategy relies on the limited background activity of the modified Cre recombinase (CreER) in the absence of its inducer, the competitive estrogen receptor ligand, tamoxifen. The RIP-CreER mouse (Tg (Ins2-cre/Esr1) 1Dam) is among the few available β-cell specific CreER mouse lines and thus it has been often used to manipulate gene expression in the insulin-producing cells of the endocrine pancreas. Principal Findings Here, we report the detection of tamoxifen-independent Cre activity as early as 2 months of age in RIP-CreER mice crossed with three distinct reporter strains. Significance Evidence of Cre-mediated recombination of floxed alleles even in the absence of tamoxifen administration should warrant cautious use of this mouse for the study of pancreatic β-cells.

Le carcinome hépatocellulaire (CHC) est la deuxième cause de mortalité par cancer dans le monde. Plusieurs études attestent du rôle du microenvironnement tumoral (MET) comme acteur fondamental de la carcinogenèse. A l’aide de modèles murins mimant un sous groupe de CHC fréquent, notre équipe avait identifié la molécule LECT2 comme un effecteur moléculaire important du MET dans le contrôle de l’agressivité tumorale.L'objectif de ma thèse a été d’adresser le rôle fonctionnel de LECT2 dans le microenvironnement immunitaire au cours du CHC.A l’aide de modèles murins, nous observons que l’absence de LECT2 entraine une accumulation importante de cellules myéloïdes dans le MET. Nous montrons que ces cellules myéloïdes sont immatures, arborent des capacités immunosuppressives puissantes vis-à-vis des lymphocytes T et ont un programme transcriptionnel permettant une action promotrice de tumeurs. De façon intéressante, l’accumulation de ces acteurs dans le microenvironnement est associée à l’émergence de nodules tumoraux indifférenciés exprimant des marqueurs de transition épithélio-mésenchymateuse/cellules progénitrices/métastases.D’un point de vue mécanistique, nous avons démontré une perte de différenciation plus importante des hépatocytes en absence de LECT2 dans des conditions d’activation de la signalisation β-caténine. Nous montrons également par des expériences de co-culture que les cellules myéloïdes infiltrant les tumeurs en absence de LECT2 ont une forte capacité à induire une perte de différenciation des hépatocytes.Enfin, nous avons analysé l'expression de LECT2 dans une vaste cohorte d’échantillons humains de CHC. Nous montrons que la diminution d’expression de LECT2 corrèle fortement avec 1)- la présence d’invasion vasculaire, 2)- la perte de différenciation des hépatocytes tumoraux et 3)- la présence d’infiltrats inflammatoires.L’ensemble de ces données démontre que LECT2 agit comme un régulateur essentiel dans la cancérogénèse hépatique à travers son action double sur les hépatocytes et sur la fonction des cellules myéloïdes infiltrant les tumeurs. Ainsi, ces travaux identifient LECT2 comme un biomarqueur potentiel ouvrant de nouvelles perspectives de traitement du CHC. / Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the second cause of cancer-rel ated death worldwide. Several studies highlighted the tumor microenvironment (TEM) as a key player in cancer from initiation to progression steps of tumorigenesis. Using relevant HCC mouse models, our team identified the chemokine-like LECT2 as a critical actor of liver TEM in the control of tumor aggressiveness.The aim of my thesis was to address functionally the role of LECT2 in the immune microenvironment during HCC.Using mouse models, we observed that the absence of LECT2 induces a significant accumulation of myeloid cells in the TEM. We showed that these myeloid cells were immature, harbored strong immunosuppressive capabilities on T cells and expressed a transcriptional program sustaining tumor progression. Interestingly, the accumulation of these actors in the microenvironment is associated with the emergence of poorly differentiated tumor nodules expressing epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition / progenitor / metastasis markers.Mechanistically, we demonstrated that LECT2-deficient hepatocytes in the context of β-catenin activation were able to perform EMT like WT hepatocytes do after TGF-β1 challenge. In co-culture experiments, we demonstrated that tumor-infiltrating myeloid cells in the absence of LECT2 have a strong ability to induce hepatocyte EMT.Finally, we analyzed the expression of LECT2 in a vast cohort of HCC liver samples and found that downregulation of LECT2 expression strongly correlates with 1) - the presence of vascular invasion, 2) – histological grade and 3) - the presence of inflammatory infiltrates.Altogether, our data demonstrate that LECT2 acts as a strong regulator of liver tumor aggressiveness through its dual action on hepatocytes and impact on the function of tumor infiltrating myeloid cells. This work identifies LECT2 as a new biomarker for HCC and pave the way to new therapeutic strategies.

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Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / The addition and removal of phosphate groups is a key regulatory mechanism for many cellular processes. The balance between phosphorylation and dephosphorylation is delicate and must be maintained in order for proper cell functions to be carried out. Protein kinases and phosphatases are the keepers of this balance with kinases adding phosphate groups and phosphatases removing them. As such, mutation and/or altered regulation of these proteins can be the driving factor in disease. Phosphatase of Regenerating Liver (PRL) is a family novel of three dual specificity phosphatases (DSPs) first discovered in the regenerating liver tissue of rats. PRLs have also been shown to act as oncogenes in cell culture and in animal models. However, the physiological substrate and mechanisms of the PRLs are not yet known. Recently, our lab has developed a PRL 2 knockout mouse and found several striking phenotypes all of which correspond to a significant increase in PTEN. We also found that PRL 2 is targetable by small molecular inhibitors that can potentially be used to disrupt tumor growth and spermatogenesis. Furthermore, a PTEN heterozygous mouse model crossed into our PRL 2 knockout line was generated to investigate the relevance of PRL interaction with PTEN in cancer.

Aging and Alzheimer’s disease (AD), are associated with disabling sleep and cognitive deficits. Specifically, aging and Alzheimer’s disease is associated with reduced quantity and quality of the deepest stage of sleep, called slow-wave-sleep (SWS). Interestingly, SWS has been implicated in hippocampus-dependent memory in mice. More importantly, sleep deprivation, aging, and AD are all associated with deficits in memory. Therefore, I hypothesize that, in aging and AD, the sleep deficits are, at least in part, responsible for memory impairments and increasing the quantity and quality of SWS will reverse these memory deficits. I first developed mouse models of SWS enhancement in aging and AD. Chemogenetic activation of the parafacial zone GABAergic neurons enhances SWS in aged mice as previously described in adult mice. Similarly, in AD mice, SWS enhancement is as effective as in littermate wild-type controls. Then, I used these mouse models to characterize the role of SWS in memory using novel gain-of-sleep experiments. I found that acute SWS enhancement: 1) reduce spatial memory in adult mice and 2) failed to improve spatial memory in aged mice. In a preliminary study, acute SWS enhancement seems to improve contextual memory in AD mice. Collectively, my work provides a novel mouse model of SWS enhancement in aging and AD, offering a pivotal tool to study the role of SWS in physiological functions and neurodegenerative diseases. Furthermore, my results suggest that acute SWS enhancement does not benefit the behavioral manifestation of memory consolidation in adult mice and aged mice.

No description available.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Down syndrome (DS) is the result of trisomy of human chromosome 21 (Hsa 21) and occurs in approximately 1/700 live births. Mouse models of DS have been crucial in understanding the gene-phenotype relationships that underlie many DS anomalies. The Ts65Dn mouse model, trisomic for half of the Hsa 21 orthologs replicates many DS phenotypes including craniofacial alterations such as a small, dysmorphic mandible, midface, and maxilla. Other mouse models, such as the Ts1Rhr which contains a triplication of 33 Hsa 21 orthologs, have been used to better understand the genes responsible for craniofacial alterations. Our laboratory has demonstrated that the postnatal mandibular phenotype found in Ts65Dn mice can be traced back to an original neural crest cell (NCc) deficit in the developing first pharyngeal arch (PA1) at embryonic day 9.5 (E9.5). Furthermore, evidence suggested that both a proliferation deficit in the PA1 and a migration deficit in the NCC from the neural tube (NT) could be the mechanism behind this deficit. However, the molecular mechanisms behind these deficits remain to be elucidated. Due to the involvement of the Hsa 21 genes DYRK1A and RCAN1 in regulation of signaling pathways including NFATc (NFAT2), a transcription factor known to influence cellular proliferation and, later, bone development, we hypothesized that dysregulation of these genes could underlie the cellular deficit in the PA1. Furthermore, we hypothesized that targeting Dyrk1a by decreasing activity or available protein could ameliorate the established deficits. Through the use of RNA isolation techniques and cell culture systems of cell from the PA1 and NT of E9.5 Ts65Dn, Ts1Rhr, and control embryos, we established that trisomic genes Dyrk1a and Rcan1 ara dysregulated in both structures and that these two genes may interact. Furthermore, we established that a proliferation deficit in the Ts65Dn PA1 and a migration deficit in the Ts65Dn PA1 and NT exists at E9.5 and can be rescued to euploid levels in vitro with the addition of the Dyrk1a inhibitor, EGCG, a green tea polyphenol. We also confirmed that harmine, a more highly studied and specific Dyrk1a inhibitor, is capable of similar effects on proliferation of PA1 cell from E9.5 Ts65Dn embryos. Furthermore, when Ts65Dn pregnant mothers were treated with EGCG in vivo, the cellular deficit found in the developing E9.5 embryonic PA1 was rescued to near euploid volume and NCC number. Treatment with EGCG did not adversely impact litter size or embryonic development. Interestingly, euploid embryonic volume increased with EGCG treatment. Expression analysis of the E9.5 PA1 of EGCG treated Ts65Dn and control embryos revealed dysregulation of several genes involved in craniofacial and developmental pathways including Dyrk1a, Rcan1, Ets2 and members of the sonic hedgehog pathways. Our novel results provide a foundation for better understanding the molecular mechanisms of craniofacial development and may provide evidence-based therapeutic options to improve the quality of life for individuals with DS.

No description available.