Neuroepithelial cells (NECs) of the zebrafish gill filament have been previously identified as bimodal O2 and CO2/H+ sensors that depolarize in response to chemostimuli via inhibition of background K+ channels. To further elucidate the signaling pathway underlying CO2/H+ chemoreception in the NECs we employed microspectrofluorometric techniques to examine the effects of hypercapnia on [Ca2+]i and pHi. NECs increased their [Ca2+]i in response to acidic hypercapnia (5% CO2, pH 6.6) and isocapnic acidosis (normocapnia, pH 6.6), but not to isohydric hypercapnia (5% CO2, pH 7.8). The acid- induced increase in [Ca2+]i persisted in the absence of extracellular Ca2+, and Ca2+ channel blockers (Cd2+, Ni2+ and nifedipine). NECs exhibited a rapid and reversible drop in pHi in response to acidic hypercapnia and isohydric hypercapnia. Isocapnic acidosis also induced intracellular acidification within NECs, but it was less severe than the drop in pHi elicited by acidic hypercapnia and isohydric hypercapnia. The rate and magnitude of intracellular acidification was reduced by the CA-inhibitor, acetazolamide, without effect on the acid-induced increase in [Ca2+]i. Acetate was used to investigate the relationship between pHi and [Ca2+]i. Acetate induced intracellular acidification without augmentation of [Ca2+]i. The results of this thesis demonstrate that (1) extracellular acidification, but not CO2, is critical to the hypercapnia-induced increase in [Ca2+]i (2) the increase in [Ca2+]i is independent of the drop in pHi (3) the increase in [Ca2+]i is not mediated by the influx of Ca2+ across the plasma membrane.

Neuroepithelial cells (NECs) of the zebrafish gill filament have been previously identified as bimodal O2 and CO2/H+ sensors that depolarize in response to chemostimuli via inhibition of background K+ channels. To further elucidate the signaling pathway underlying CO2/H+ chemoreception in the NECs we employed microspectrofluorometric techniques to examine the effects of hypercapnia on [Ca2+]i and pHi. NECs increased their [Ca2+]i in response to acidic hypercapnia (5% CO2, pH 6.6) and isocapnic acidosis (normocapnia, pH 6.6), but not to isohydric hypercapnia (5% CO2, pH 7.8). The acid- induced increase in [Ca2+]i persisted in the absence of extracellular Ca2+, and Ca2+ channel blockers (Cd2+, Ni2+ and nifedipine). NECs exhibited a rapid and reversible drop in pHi in response to acidic hypercapnia and isohydric hypercapnia. Isocapnic acidosis also induced intracellular acidification within NECs, but it was less severe than the drop in pHi elicited by acidic hypercapnia and isohydric hypercapnia. The rate and magnitude of intracellular acidification was reduced by the CA-inhibitor, acetazolamide, without effect on the acid-induced increase in [Ca2+]i. Acetate was used to investigate the relationship between pHi and [Ca2+]i. Acetate induced intracellular acidification without augmentation of [Ca2+]i. The results of this thesis demonstrate that (1) extracellular acidification, but not CO2, is critical to the hypercapnia-induced increase in [Ca2+]i (2) the increase in [Ca2+]i is independent of the drop in pHi (3) the increase in [Ca2+]i is not mediated by the influx of Ca2+ across the plasma membrane.

Neuroepithelial cells (NECs) of the zebrafish gill filament have been previously identified as bimodal O2 and CO2/H+ sensors that depolarize in response to chemostimuli via inhibition of background K+ channels. To further elucidate the signaling pathway underlying CO2/H+ chemoreception in the NECs we employed microspectrofluorometric techniques to examine the effects of hypercapnia on [Ca2+]i and pHi. NECs increased their [Ca2+]i in response to acidic hypercapnia (5% CO2, pH 6.6) and isocapnic acidosis (normocapnia, pH 6.6), but not to isohydric hypercapnia (5% CO2, pH 7.8). The acid- induced increase in [Ca2+]i persisted in the absence of extracellular Ca2+, and Ca2+ channel blockers (Cd2+, Ni2+ and nifedipine). NECs exhibited a rapid and reversible drop in pHi in response to acidic hypercapnia and isohydric hypercapnia. Isocapnic acidosis also induced intracellular acidification within NECs, but it was less severe than the drop in pHi elicited by acidic hypercapnia and isohydric hypercapnia. The rate and magnitude of intracellular acidification was reduced by the CA-inhibitor, acetazolamide, without effect on the acid-induced increase in [Ca2+]i. Acetate was used to investigate the relationship between pHi and [Ca2+]i. Acetate induced intracellular acidification without augmentation of [Ca2+]i. The results of this thesis demonstrate that (1) extracellular acidification, but not CO2, is critical to the hypercapnia-induced increase in [Ca2+]i (2) the increase in [Ca2+]i is independent of the drop in pHi (3) the increase in [Ca2+]i is not mediated by the influx of Ca2+ across the plasma membrane.

In zebrafish, the ventilatory response to hypoxia first develops at 3 days post-fertilization (d.p.f.) before O2-chemoreceptive neuroepithelial cells (NECs) of the gill appear at 7 d.p.f. This indicates the presence of extrabranchial chemoreceptors in embryos and a developmental transition to primarily gill O2 sensing. This thesis examined the skin NECs, which reach peak density in embryos but decline as gill NECs appear. Exposure of embryos and larvae to chronic hypoxia prevented the loss of skin NECs, shifted peak basal ventilation to a later developmental stage, and induced a hypoventilatory response to acute hypoxia. Chronic exposure to hyperoxia rapidly diminished skin NECs, shifted peak ventilation to earlier stages and eliminated the response to acute hypoxia. Administration of the neurotoxin 6-hydroxydopamine degraded nerve terminals that contact skin NECs and reduced both basal ventilation frequency and the hypoxic ventilatory response. Thus, skin NECs are candidates for extrabranchial O2 chemoreceptors in developing zebrafish.

In zebrafish, the ventilatory response to hypoxia first develops at 3 days post-fertilization (d.p.f.) before O2-chemoreceptive neuroepithelial cells (NECs) of the gill appear at 7 d.p.f. This indicates the presence of extrabranchial chemoreceptors in embryos and a developmental transition to primarily gill O2 sensing. This thesis examined the skin NECs, which reach peak density in embryos but decline as gill NECs appear. Exposure of embryos and larvae to chronic hypoxia prevented the loss of skin NECs, shifted peak basal ventilation to a later developmental stage, and induced a hypoventilatory response to acute hypoxia. Chronic exposure to hyperoxia rapidly diminished skin NECs, shifted peak ventilation to earlier stages and eliminated the response to acute hypoxia. Administration of the neurotoxin 6-hydroxydopamine degraded nerve terminals that contact skin NECs and reduced both basal ventilation frequency and the hypoxic ventilatory response. Thus, skin NECs are candidates for extrabranchial O2 chemoreceptors in developing zebrafish.

In zebrafish, the ventilatory response to hypoxia first develops at 3 days post-fertilization (d.p.f.) before O2-chemoreceptive neuroepithelial cells (NECs) of the gill appear at 7 d.p.f. This indicates the presence of extrabranchial chemoreceptors in embryos and a developmental transition to primarily gill O2 sensing. This thesis examined the skin NECs, which reach peak density in embryos but decline as gill NECs appear. Exposure of embryos and larvae to chronic hypoxia prevented the loss of skin NECs, shifted peak basal ventilation to a later developmental stage, and induced a hypoventilatory response to acute hypoxia. Chronic exposure to hyperoxia rapidly diminished skin NECs, shifted peak ventilation to earlier stages and eliminated the response to acute hypoxia. Administration of the neurotoxin 6-hydroxydopamine degraded nerve terminals that contact skin NECs and reduced both basal ventilation frequency and the hypoxic ventilatory response. Thus, skin NECs are candidates for extrabranchial O2 chemoreceptors in developing zebrafish.

In zebrafish, the ventilatory response to hypoxia first develops at 3 days post-fertilization (d.p.f.) before O2-chemoreceptive neuroepithelial cells (NECs) of the gill appear at 7 d.p.f. This indicates the presence of extrabranchial chemoreceptors in embryos and a developmental transition to primarily gill O2 sensing. This thesis examined the skin NECs, which reach peak density in embryos but decline as gill NECs appear. Exposure of embryos and larvae to chronic hypoxia prevented the loss of skin NECs, shifted peak basal ventilation to a later developmental stage, and induced a hypoventilatory response to acute hypoxia. Chronic exposure to hyperoxia rapidly diminished skin NECs, shifted peak ventilation to earlier stages and eliminated the response to acute hypoxia. Administration of the neurotoxin 6-hydroxydopamine degraded nerve terminals that contact skin NECs and reduced both basal ventilation frequency and the hypoxic ventilatory response. Thus, skin NECs are candidates for extrabranchial O2 chemoreceptors in developing zebrafish.

Alors que la biogénèse des ribosomes a étéconsidérée comme un mécanisme ubiquiste, lesétapes de ce processus ont récemment étédémontrées comme étant tissu-spécifiques. Letoit optique (OT) du poisson-zèbre est un modèleapproprié pour étudier la prolifération cellulairepuisque les cellules à différents états dedifférenciation se trouvent dans des domainesséparés.Au cours de mon doctorat, j'ai examiné si lesgènes de la biogenèse des ribosomes peuventavoir des rôles spécifiques dans les cellulesprogénitrices neuroépithéliales (CPNe). Profitantd'une analyse transcriptomique antérieure, j'aid'abord examiné les nouveaux candidatsaccumulés dans les CPNe. J'ai décidé de meconcentrer sur proliferation-associated 2G4(pa2G4/ebp1) qui est exprimé de manièrepréférentielle dans les CPNe.Ce gène favorise ou réprime la proliférationcellulaire dans des organismes normaux oupendant la tumorigénèse. J'ai conçu une stratégiepour l'expression inductible et cellule-spécifiquede ce gène.Fibrillarin (Fbl), une méthyltranférasenucléolaire est également préférentiellementexprimée dans CPNe. Ce gène joue un rôleimportant dans le cancer. J'ai montré que lesmutants fbl présentaient des défauts OTspécifiques,en lien avec une apoptose massive etune absence de différenciation neurale. J'aiégalement démontré une diminution de l'activitéde traduction des ribosomes. En outre, lesmutants fbl montrent une progression de la phaseS altérée. Nos données suggèrent que fbl estessentiel à la prolifération des progéniteursneuronaux du poisson-zèbre. / While ribosome biogenesis has been consideredas an ubiquitous mechanism, steps of thisprocess have recently been shown to be tissuespecific. Zebrafish optic tectum (OT) is asuitable model to study cell proliferation sincecells at different differentiation states arespatially partitioned.During my PhD, I examined whether ribosomebiogenesis genes may have specific roles inneuroepithelial progenitor cells (NePCs).Taking advantage of a previous transcriptomicanalysis, I first screened for new candidatesaccumulated in NePCs. I decided to focus onproliferation-associated 2G4 (pa2g4/ebp1),which was expressed preferentially in NePCs.This gene promotes or represses cellproliferation in normal organisms or duringtumorigenesis. I designed a strategy for theinducible expression and cell specificexpression of this gene.Fibrillarin (Fbl), a small nucleolarmethyltransferase is also preferentiallyexpressed in NePCs. It plays an important rolein cancer. I showed that fbl mutants displayedspecific OT defects linked to a massiveapoptosis and an absence of neuraldifferentiation. I also demonstrated deficienciesin the ribosome translational activity.Additionally, fbl mutants showed impaired Sphaseprogression. Our data suggest that fbl isessential for the proliferation of zebrafishneuronal progenitors.

Contrairement aux mammifères, le système nerveux central du poisson téléostéen adulte possède un potentiel énorme de neurogenèse et de régénération après une lésion cérébrale. Chez le poisson zèbre adulte, de nouveaux neurones peuvent être régénérés à partir de progéniteurs constitutifs ou latents. Au cours de mon doctorat, je me suis intéressée aux capacités de régénération neuronale du cerveau moyen dorsal (le toit optique, TO) chez le poisson zèbre. Le TO présente à sa périphérie une zone de progéniteurs de type neuroépithélial à l’origine des neurones et des cellules épendymogliales qui le constituent. J’ai tout d’abord identifié un enhancer potentiel du gène meis2a, qui m’a permis d’effectuer des lignages cellulaires de progéniteurs neuroépithéliaux. En contexte homéostatique, j’ai montré que ces progéniteurs construisent la totalité du TO pendant le développement et soutiennent sa neurogenèse continue pendant la croissance post-embryonnaire. A la suite d’une lésion cérébrale chez la larve et l’adulte, le TO à la capacité de générer de nouveaux neurones, toutefois sa structure topographique n’est pas restaurée. Chez l’adulte, j’ai montré que les progéniteurs constitutifs neuroépithéliaux et des progéniteurs latents épendymogliaux sont activés lors du processus de régénération. / Unlike mammals, the adult teleost brain exhibits widespread neurogenic activity and can regenerate after injury. The adult zebrafish has the capacity to regenerate neurons from constitutive or latent progenitors. During my PhD, I studied the neuronal regeneration in the zebrafish dorsal midbrain (optic tectum, OT). At adult stage, neuroepithelial-like progenitors at the OT periphery contribute to neuronal and glial lineages during homeostasis.I identified a putative enhancer of meis2a, which allowed me to trace the progeny of neuroepithelial-like progenitors. In a non-regenerative context I showed that enhancer-targeted progenitors were at the origin of the whole structure during development and of its continued neurogenesis during post-embryonic growth.Following lesion, OT displayed reactive neurogenesis, at larval and adult stages, nevertheless its topographical structure remained altered. In adults, I showed that both constitutive neuroepithelial-like progenitors and latent ependymoglial progenitors were activated in a regenerative context.