This thesis combines solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), chemical synthesis, isotopic enrichment and density-functional theory (DFT) calculations to provide insight into a number of microporous materials. The first class of materials studied is metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), where the presence of paramagnetic ions has a range of effects on the ¹³C NMR spectra, depending on the nature of the ligand-metal interactions. For the Cu²⁺-based MOFs, HKUST-1 and STAM-1, the assignment of the NMR spectra is non-intuitive, and unambiguous assignment requires specific ¹³C labelling of the organic linker species. It is shown that ¹³C NMR spectra of these two MOFs could act as a sensitive probe of the nature of “guest” molecules bound to the Cu²⁺. The second class of materials is aluminophosphates (AlPOs). It is shown that, using a series of relatively simple linear relationships with the crystal structure, the NMR parameters calculated by DFT (with calculation times of several hours) can be predicted, often with experimentally-useful accuracy, in a matter of seconds using the DIStortion analysis COde (DISCO), which is introduced here. The ambient hydration of the AlPO, JDF-2, to AlPO-53(A) is shown to occur slowly, with incomplete hydration after ~3 months. The resulting AlPO-53(A) is disordered and some possible models for this disorder are investigated by DFT. The final class of materials is gallophosphates (GaPOs), particularly GaPO-34 and related materials. The two as-prepared forms of GaPO-34 are characterised by solid-state NMR, and their calcination investigated by TGA and in-situ powder XRD. An unusual dehydrofluorinated intermediate phase is isolated and characterised for the first time by solid-state NMR. The fully calcined material is shown to be stable under anhydrous conditions, but hydrates rapidly in air. The hydrated material is stable under ambient conditions, but collapses upon heating. Partial dehydration without collapse is achieved by gentle heating or room-temperature evacuation. The impurity phases, GaPO₄ berlinite and GaPO-X are investigated by solid-state NMR and, while the structure of GaPO-X remains unknown, much structural information is obtained.

La chromatine chez les eucaryotes, porte des informations génétiques et épigénétiques. Les mécanismes garantissant le maintien de ces informations lors de la division cellulaire ou la réparation de l’ADN sont encore mal connus et ils constituent l’enjeu principal du projet de thèse. Plus particulièrement, l’objectif du projet de thèse est de chercher à comprendre comment les chaperons d’histones coordonnent leur action avec des partenaires associés à la fourche de réplication pour conserver les marques épigénétiques portées par les histones parentales et les reporter sur les histones nouvellement synthétisées. Cette thèse décrit précisément comment ASF1 (Anti Silencing Function 1) coopère avec le complexe CAF-1 (Chromatin Assembly Factor 1) et la sous-unité de l’hélicase réplicative MCM2 (Mini Chromosome Maintenance 2), pour la prise en charge des H3-H4 dans la réplication et la réparation de l’ADN.La thèse s’intéresse également à la régulation de l’activité de ces chaperons d’histones par des kinases activées suite à des stress réplicatifs ou des dommages de l’ADN. En particulier nous avons cherché à mieux comprendre comment l’ajout de groupements phosphate sur ASF1 par une enzyme appelée TLK (Tousled Like Kinase) module son activité au cours du cycle cellulaire et en réponse aux dommages de l’ADN. La caractérisation de l'importance des sites phosphorylés sur les propriétés de liaison du chaperon, permet de mieux comprendre le rôle joué par différent forme d’ASF1 dans l’assemblage des histones sur l’ADN et le maintien des informations épigénétiques. Le travail de thèse contient d’analyses biochimiques et structurales par une combinaison de techniques (SEC-MALS, AUC, ITC, RMN, cristallographie des rayons X) et d’analyses fonctionnelles sur des modèles cellulaires. / In eukaryotes, chromatin carries both, the genetic and epigenetic information. Mechanisms implicated in maintenance of these information during cell division or DNA repair remain poorly understood and they constitute the main issue of this thesis project. More specifically, the goal of the project is to understand how histone chaperones coordinate their action with partners associated with the replication fork to recognize and preserve the epigenetic marks carried by parental histones and to copy on the newly synthesized histones. The work unravels how ASF1 (Anti-Silencing Function 1) cooperates with the CAF-1 complex (Chromatin Assembly Factor 1) and with the replicative helicase subunit MCM2 (Mini Chromosome Maintenance 2), for the management of H3-H4 histones in DNA replication and repair.Moreover, this thesis investigates the regulation of histone chaperones activities by kinases activated after a replicative stress or DNA damage. In particular, we analyzed the consequences of ASF1 phosphorylation by the enzyme called TLK (Tousled like kinase). The activity of TLK is modulated during the cell cycle and after DNA damage. Characterization of the importance of phosphorylated sites on the chaperone binding properties, allows a better understanding of the role played by different forms of ASF1 in the assembly of histones on DNA and maintenance of epigenetic information. The thesis work included biochemical and structural analysis with a combination of different techniques (SEC-MALS, AUC, ITC, NMR, X-ray crystallography) and functional analysis in cellular models.