Protozoários do gênero Trypanosoma infectam milhões de pessoas todo ano e coletivamente contribuem muito para as misérias humanas, pois são causa de muitas das doenças negligenciadas tropicais. Várias vias metabólicas essenciais são encontradas nesses parasitas tornando-os particularmente atrativos para investigações moleculares. Mecanismos de controle pós-transcricional tem sido alvo de estudo por sua peculiaridade nesses organismos. Nesse cenário, proteínas da classe das poli-A-binding proteins (PABP) possuem função no início da tradução, turnover do mRNA e interação com o 5´-CAP. Nesse trabalho foi identificada a homóloga poli-A binding protein 1 (PABP1) de Trypanosoma brucei. O silenciamento do gene pabp1 revelou que a ausência da proteína é letal ao parasita, comprovando sua essencialidade nesse organismo. Da mesma maneira, na ausência da proteína observou-se erro no processamento do mRNA sugerindo possível função nos eventos de cis e trans splicing. Sua localização subcelular foi avaliada indicando localização citoplasmática, bem como o são suas homólogas. No citoplasma, a proteína apresenta-se em estrutura reticulada, co-localizada com proteínas de retículo endoplasmático. Porém, sob estresse induzido a proteína relocaliza para o compartimento nuclear, indicando ser uma proteína com trânsito núcleo-citoplasma ainda não demonstrada na literatura. As funções identificadas sugerem a existência de um sub-complexo a 3´ do mRNA que acopla poliadenilação e splicing. Além disso, a relocalização nuclear parece ocorrer em resposta a estímulo externo, sugerindo que a relocalização do mRNA para o núcleo pode ser uma estratégia da célula para modular sua resposta gênica frente a variações do ambiente. / Protozoa of the genus Trypanosoma infect millions of people every year and collectively contribute to the human misery by causing several neglected tropical diseases. Several intriguing molecular pathways are found in these parasites also, rendering them particularly attractive for biochemical investigation. This unique eukaryotic cells lack mechanisms to control gene expression at the transcriptional level, they mostly control protein synthesis by posttranscriptional regulation process. Several RNAs and proteins are involved in this process, including poly(A) binding proteins. The poly(A)- binding protein of eukaryotes plays a role in polyadenylation, translation initiation and metabolism of mRNA. In this work the poly(A) binding protein 1 (PABP1) was identified in Trypanosoma brucei. Depletion of TbPABP1 showed its essential role in the procyclic form of the parasite. Immunofluorescence assays showed localization in the cytosolic compartment despite of its functions in cis and trans splicing as shown by RNA analysis of cells free from PABP1. As it was shown in the homologs, PABP1 it´s not only a cytosolic protein but it shuttles between the nucleus and the cytoplasm. Together with the literature, these results suggest an active complex in the 3´ end of the mRNA which works in synchrony with the splicing and capping machinery implying PABP1 as possible link between these processes.

Deux classes de poly(A)-binding protein (PABP) lient la queue poly(A) des ARNm chez la plupart des mammifères: PABPC1 au cytosol et PABPN1 au noyau. PABPC1 stimule la traduction des ARNm tandis que PABPN1 stimule la processivité de la poly(A) polymérase tout en contrôlant la taille des queues poly(A). Il est à noter que les orthologues de PABPC1 sont bien caractérisés chez la levure, toutefois un homologue de PABPN1 n'avait jamais été identifié. Précédemment, le Dr. Bachand avait réalisé une purification par affinité avec la protéine d’arginine méthyltransférase I (Rmt1) couplée à la spectrométrie de masse, ce qui a permis d'identifier l’homologue de PABPN1 (Pab2) chez la levure à fission. Différentes expériences ont démontré que Pab2 est une protéine nucléaire non-essentielle qui lie spécifiquement des séquences poly(A) in vitro. Pab2 a été identifiée par son interaction avec Rmt1 et cette enzyme méthyle les arginines présentes dans le domaine riche en arginine de la protéine Pab2. Cette modification post-traductionnelle n'affecte pas la localisation nucléaire et l’affinité aux séquences poly(A) de Pab2. Par contre, les niveaux d’oligomérisation de Pab2 sont nettement augmentés lorsque Pab2 n’est plus méthylée. De plus, les ARNs provenant de cellules [Delta]pab2 sont hyperadénylés, ce qui corrobore avec la fonction de PABPN1 à contrôler la taille des queues poly(A) in vitro. Par la suite, j'ai caractérisé l’implication de Pab2 durant la maturation du pré-ARNm. Des essais d'immunoprécipitation de chromatine (ChIP) ont établi que Pab2 est recrutée co-transcriptionnellement aux gènes activement transcrits. De façon surprenante, mes études ont démontré que le recrutement de Pab2 précède celui d'un facteur impliqué dans le clivage et la polyadénylation. De plus, le recrutement de Pab2 dépend de l’ARNm naissant. Conséquemment, j'ai voulu identifier les protéines associées à Pab2. Ainsi, une purification d’affinité par tandem couplée à la spectrométrie de masse a révélé que Pab2 est associée à plusieurs protéines ribosomales ainsi que des facteurs de traduction générale. Ces données étaient étonnantes puisque la traduction des ARNm implique la protéine Pab1. Par conséquent, il était pertinent de vérifier le rôle possible de Pab2 sur la traduction. À priori, j ’ai confirmé que Pab2 fait la navette entre le noyau et le cytosol, ce qui concorde avec l’orthologue PABPN1. Par la suite, j'ai démontré qu’une fraction de la protéine Pab2 demeure associée aux ARNm activement traduits. Il devenait alors intéressant de connaître les cibles de Pab2. L’analyse génomique a établi que Pab2 régule l’expression de certains transcrits, tels que les gènes méïotiques, les snoRNAs et les rétrotransposons. Pour la suite de mes recherches, je me suis concentrée sur le gène codant pour la protéine ribosomale de la large sous-unité Rpl30-2, dont l’expression augmente de 4 fois en absence de Pab2. Il est intéressant de noter que le changement d ’expression de Rpl30-2 dans une souche [Delta]pab2 dépend de la présence de l’intron Rpl30-2. Mes travaux démontrent que l’expression de Rpl30-2 est régulée au niveau du pré-ARNm par Pab2 et Rrp6, une composante de l’exosome nucléaire. De plus, l’analyse du transcriptome par RNA-seq a établi que ce mécanisme permet de réguler l’expression d'une soixantaine de gènes qui sont inefficacement épissés. En ce qui concerne Rpl30-2, l’épissage de ce transcrit est ralenti par Rpl30-1, le paralogue de Rpl30-2. L’ensemble de mes travaux ont pu caractériser l’homologue de PABPN1 (Pab2) chez la levure à fission tout en établissant une fonction spécifique pour cette poly(A)-binding protein.

Protozoários do gênero Trypanosoma infectam milhões de pessoas todo ano e coletivamente contribuem muito para as misérias humanas, pois são causa de muitas das doenças negligenciadas tropicais. Várias vias metabólicas essenciais são encontradas nesses parasitas tornando-os particularmente atrativos para investigações moleculares. Mecanismos de controle pós-transcricional tem sido alvo de estudo por sua peculiaridade nesses organismos. Nesse cenário, proteínas da classe das poli-A-binding proteins (PABP) possuem função no início da tradução, turnover do mRNA e interação com o 5´-CAP. Nesse trabalho foi identificada a homóloga poli-A binding protein 1 (PABP1) de Trypanosoma brucei. O silenciamento do gene pabp1 revelou que a ausência da proteína é letal ao parasita, comprovando sua essencialidade nesse organismo. Da mesma maneira, na ausência da proteína observou-se erro no processamento do mRNA sugerindo possível função nos eventos de cis e trans splicing. Sua localização subcelular foi avaliada indicando localização citoplasmática, bem como o são suas homólogas. No citoplasma, a proteína apresenta-se em estrutura reticulada, co-localizada com proteínas de retículo endoplasmático. Porém, sob estresse induzido a proteína relocaliza para o compartimento nuclear, indicando ser uma proteína com trânsito núcleo-citoplasma ainda não demonstrada na literatura. As funções identificadas sugerem a existência de um sub-complexo a 3´ do mRNA que acopla poliadenilação e splicing. Além disso, a relocalização nuclear parece ocorrer em resposta a estímulo externo, sugerindo que a relocalização do mRNA para o núcleo pode ser uma estratégia da célula para modular sua resposta gênica frente a variações do ambiente. / Protozoa of the genus Trypanosoma infect millions of people every year and collectively contribute to the human misery by causing several neglected tropical diseases. Several intriguing molecular pathways are found in these parasites also, rendering them particularly attractive for biochemical investigation. This unique eukaryotic cells lack mechanisms to control gene expression at the transcriptional level, they mostly control protein synthesis by posttranscriptional regulation process. Several RNAs and proteins are involved in this process, including poly(A) binding proteins. The poly(A)- binding protein of eukaryotes plays a role in polyadenylation, translation initiation and metabolism of mRNA. In this work the poly(A) binding protein 1 (PABP1) was identified in Trypanosoma brucei. Depletion of TbPABP1 showed its essential role in the procyclic form of the parasite. Immunofluorescence assays showed localization in the cytosolic compartment despite of its functions in cis and trans splicing as shown by RNA analysis of cells free from PABP1. As it was shown in the homologs, PABP1 it´s not only a cytosolic protein but it shuttles between the nucleus and the cytoplasm. Together with the literature, these results suggest an active complex in the 3´ end of the mRNA which works in synchrony with the splicing and capping machinery implying PABP1 as possible link between these processes.

Mémoire numérisé par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal.

Obesity can lead to a range of health problems including type 2 diabetes (T2DM), cardiovascular disease and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and causes an estimated 2.8 million deaths annually (2016). It is a growing epidemic affecting over 600 million people worldwide (in 2014), with 26.8% of the adult population in England alone being obese, an increase of 10% in the last decade, and 62.9% overweight or obese. This trend is predicted to continue, and is attributed to an increasingly sedentary lifestyle, coupled with a high calorie “western diet”, which is estimated to cost >£25billion/year in the UK (2015), which is predicted to rise to £49.9 billion by 2050. It is clear that both sex and genetics affect the extent to which individuals exposed to a high fat diet develop adiposity and its associated morbidities, although the mechanisms underlying these differences are not well understood. Here we explore this aetiology, focusing on poly(A)-binding protein 4 (PABP4), an RNA-binding protein in which polymorphisms associated with altered cholesterol levels and cardiovascular disease risk were identified in human GWAS studies. To this end, I take advantage of an unpublished Pabp4 knock-out mouse, maintained on either normal (ND) or high fat diet (HFD), to explore the role of PABP4 in determining the response to high fat diet. PABP4 is a poorly characterised member of the PABP family, which are multifunctional central regulators of global and mRNA-specific translation, and stability. In cell lines, PABP4 is predominantly cytoplasmic, consistent with such functions. However, analogously to PABP1, the prototypical PABP family member, PABP4 is relocalised to stress granules or the nucleus in response to specific cellular stresses and/or viral infections, suggesting a role in altering gene expression programs in responses to changing cellular conditions. Whilst the expression pattern of PABP4 within tissues has not been previously characterised, western blotting of adult mouse tissues revealed that PABP4 is highly expressed in tissues relevant to obesity, T2DM and NAFLD, such as adipose, pancreas, liver and muscle, consistent with the idea that it may play a role in regulating gene expression programs in response to HFD. Immunohistochemistry of tissue sections provided additional insight, revealing a distinct cellular distribution of PABP4 in some tissues, when compared to the well characterised PABP1. Birth weight and post-birth growth can affect adult metabolism. In particular, low birth weight and catch-up growth, characterised by preferentially putting down adipose over lean mass, increases the risk of metabolic conditions in adulthood, such as obesity, T2DM and cardiovascular disease. Therefore, Pabp4-/- and wildtype mice were weighed at birth and daily until weaning. Interestingly this revealed that Pabp4-/- mice have a reduced weight at birth that is exacerbated to weaning (21days (P21)) (5.7% and 18.3% reductions respectively). This analysis also uncovered a reduced survival to weaning, with both male and female Pabp4-/- mice being present at sub-Mendelian ratios by P21 (p=0.0056). Whilst most death occurred neonatally, Pabp4-/- mice showed an increased rate of attrition until weaning, preceded in some cases by an arrest of weight gain. Weight gain was also tracked from 4 weeks to 12 weeks of age on normal diet showing that Pabp4-/- mice had reduced weight into adulthood (12% reduction at 12wks). Analysis of weight gain by sex uncovered a sexually dimorphic effect of Pabp4-deficiency, with female, but not male, Pabp4-/- mice remaining reduced in weight compared to wildtype after 8 weeks on ND (13.4% reduction in female weight). Body composition analysis showed that fat mass was equivalent to wildtype at 12 weeks of age in both sexes but that female Pabp4-/- mice had a 14.3% reduction in lean mass. Neither the catch-up growth in males nor the reduced lean mass in females was sufficient to result in a change in glucose homeostasis. As the risk of developing metabolic disorders in adult life is a consequence of both genetic and environmental factors, such as diet, Pabp4-/- were placed on a HFD at 4 weeks of age for 8 weeks. HFD models the ‘western’ diet, and has been shown to induce obesity, insulin resistance and glucose intolerance in wildtype mice. Whereas Pabp4-/- mice were only distinguishable from wild-type in terms of female lean mass on normal diet, pronounced sexually dimorphic differences were observed in HFD fed mice. Male Pabp4-/- mice appeared to be partially protected from the negative effects of an 8 week HFD regimen, with a 44% decrease in adipose mass gain compared to wildtype despite equal lean mass. Pabp4-/- male mice also had significantly reduced ectopic lipid stores, with an 81% decrease in hepatic triglyceride concentration compared to wildtype, meaning that NAFLD has not developed. Furthermore, Pabp4- /- male mice did not develop hyperinsulinemia on HFD and retained insulin sensitisation (assessed via glucose tolerance test (GTT) and insulin tolerance test (ITT)), although they displayed wildtype-like elevated plasma glucose concentrations (compared to ND). Western blotting had detected high PABP4 levels in the pancreas, indicating a possible pancreatic origin of these alterations. However, immunofluorescence revealed that PABP4 was confined to the exocrine portion of the pancreas, and was undetectable in the insulin producing pancreatic beta cells, suggesting this phenotype may not be beta cell in origin. This is consistent with the fact that the Pabp4-/- male mice retained an appropriate glucose-induced burst of insulin secretion, and therefore insulin production appears unimpaired. Thus, the primary defect may reside in the exocrine pancreas, which aids digestion, or in other key metabolism related tissues (e.g. muscle, liver, adipose and brain), or a combination thereof. In HFD fed wildtype mice, insulin resistance is caused by increased adiposity and ectopic lipid depots, which blunt insulin stimulated signalling cascades, meaning that the normal responses to insulin (e.g. cellular up take of glucose in muscle and arrested glucose production in liver, to decrease plasma glucose concentrations), are impaired. Therefore, the absence of insulin resistance in HFD fed Pabp4-/- male mice may be a consequence of the reduced increase in adipose mass and ectopic lipid deposits detected in these mice, and their consequent lack of inhibition on insulin signalling pathways. The reduced adiposity was not a result of reduced food intake or dietary fat absorption as male Pabp4-/- mice did not eat less nor exhibit apparent steatorrhea (fatty stools). These results highlight that the Pabp4-/- male mice appear to have an alteration in energy use/storage, and the investigation of this will form the basis of future work. When fed HFD, female Pabp4-/- mice revealed a divergent phenotype to that of wildtype female mice and Pabp4-/- male mice. HFD fed Pabp4-/- female mice showed no difference to HFD-fed wildtype mice in terms of weight, but still exhibited the reduction in lean mass seen on ND, but now with a 22.8% increase in volume of adipose tissue. Together, this means that HFD fed Pabp4-/- females have a higher body fat percentage (32.6% compared to 25.9 % for wildtype females). In contrast to the males, there was no difference in terms of hepatic triglycerides in HFD fed Pabp4-/- female mice and they showed greater hyperglycaemia than wildtype (GTT), although like males they retained insulin sensitisation (ITT). These potentially conflicting results in terms of insulin sensitivity and plasma glucose concentrations may result from the alterations in body composition, which can confound results when lean mass is altered and total body weight is used for calculating doses for GTT/ITT. Interestingly, adiponectin, an adipokine normally found in inverse proportion to adipose mass, was increased in plasma from HFD fed Pabp4-/- female mice (21% increase from HFD fed wildtype mice). Whilst surprising given the increase fat mass of Pabp4-/- females, the insulin sensitising properties of adiponectin may help to explain the retained insulin sensitivity detected in the female Pabp4-/- mice. / The finding that HFD revealed metabolic differences in the Pabp4-/- mice lead to the question of whether Pabp4-/- mice have issues adapting to other situations which require modulation of energy storage and glucose homeostasis. One such event is pregnancy, when maternal regulation of insulin resistance is tightly modulated throughout gestation. We therefore characterised the maternal Pabp4-/- environment in late pregnancy (E18.5), when insulin sensitivity decreases to 40-60% lower than pre-pregnancy which results reduced maternal glucose uptake, freeing the glucose up for the rapidly developing foetus. Pregnant Pabp4-/- mice had elevated plasma insulin concentration post fasting (63.7% increase), however glucose homeostasis was wildtype-like, both in terms of plasma glucose and insulin concentrations, throughout a GTT. However, plasma glucose and insulin concentrations in E18.5 Pabp4-/- foetuses were significantly decreased (9% and 44.3% respectively). Pabp4-/- foetuses also had reduced foetal and placental weight/length parameters. This establishes that the differences in weight observed at birth were present by late gestation and secondly, that the reductions in both foetal glucose and insulin concentrations which may contribute to or underlie the reduced growth. It also suggests that the differences seen in adulthood on HFD may be a consequence of metabolic differences present during pregnancy. Taken together, these data support the hypothesis that PABP4 plays a key role in the regulation of mRNAs which are important in growth, post-natal survival and metabolic adaption to high fat diet.

No description available.

Mémoire numérisé par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal

Oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy (OPMD) is an adult-onset disorder characterized by progressive eyelid drooping, swallowing difficulties, and proximal limb weakness. The autosomal dominant form of this disease is caused by the expansion of a polyalanine stretch from 10 to 12--17 alanines in the N-terminus of PABPN1. Mutated PABPN1 (mPABPN1) is able to induce the formation of filamentous intranuclear inclusions that are the pathological hallmark of OPMD. PABPN1 is predominantly localized to the nucleus, binds RNA poly(A) tail, forms oliogmers, and is involved in polyadenylation. In this study we first demonstrated that oligomerization of PABPN1 is mediated by two potential oligomerization domains (OD), while inactivating oligomerization of mPABPN1 by deletions of 6--8 residues in either of the ODs prevents intranuclear protein aggregation. Expression of mPABPN1 in COS-7 cells is associated with cell death, whereas preventing nuclear protein aggregation by inactivating oligomerization of mPABPN1 significantly reduces cell death. We then identified two PABPN1 interacting proteins, hnRNP A1 and A/B, using a yeast two-hybrid library screen. The interaction between PABPN1 and hnRNP A1 or A/B was confirmed by GST pull-down and co-immunoprecipitation assays. When coexpressed with mPABPN1 in COS-7 cells, predominantly nuclear localized hnRNP A1 and A/B co-localize with mPABPN1 to the insoluble intranuclear aggregates. Patient studies showed that hnRNP A1 is sequestered in OPMD nuclear inclusions. We finally found a nuclear localization signal (NLS) in PABPN1 that is not homologous to any known NLSs. The 18 amino acids 289RGRVYRGRARATSWYSPY 306 in PABPN1 are necessary and sufficient for nuclear translocation. Attaching this sequence to cytoplasmic protein PKM2 completely re-localizes it to the nucleus. Alanine-scanning mutagenesis analysis showed that the last 9 residues 298RATSWYSPY306 are crucial to the function as an NLS. Our studies showed that mPABPN1 induced intran

Au laboratoire du Dr. Bachand, l’orthologue chez la levure à fission de la protéine humaine PABPN1 qui est reliée à la dystrophie musculaire oculopharyngée a été découvert. Cette protéine se nomme Pab2. Elle a une localisation nucléaire, fait la navette entre le noyau et le cytoplasme, et les arginines de son domaine arginine riche sont asymétriquement diméthylées tout comme son orthologue humain. Bien que ces protéines aient une localisation nucléaire, aucune étude in vivo n’a été effectuée afin d’élucider leur mécanisme d’import nucléaire. Dans mon premier projet de recherche, la levure à fission a été utilisée pour caractériser le mécanisme d’import nucléaire de ces protéines liant les queues poly(A). Il a été démontré que Pab2 détient un signal de localisation nucléaire de type PY-NLS qui est suffisant et nécessaire à sa localisation nucléaire ainsi qu’à l’exécution de ses fonctions. De plus, il a été démontré que le PY-NLS de Pab2 provoque l’internalisation nucléaire de la protéine hétérologue GST-GFP-Pab2 (139-166). De concert avec un système d’import nucléaire de type PY-NLS, une délétion de la karyophérine Kap104, orthologue de la Kap?2 qui est le transporteur des cargos PY-NLS, engendre un défaut d’import nucléaire de Pab2. S’ensuit aussi par la démonstration d’une interaction physique directe entre Pab2 et Kap104. Il a été observé que la méthylation du domaine arginine riche en C-terminal, où se retrouve le PY-NLS, n’affecte pas la localisation de Pab2. Toutefois, dans un contexte où Pab2 détient un signal de localisation nucléaire sub-optimal ; la méthylation du domaine arginine riche réduit son efficacité d’import nucléaire. Finalement, une vérification in vivo de l’importance du mécanisme d’import de type PY-NLS de PABPN1 par un système d’inhibition spécifique de la Kap?2 a permis de confirmer que ce mécanisme d’import n’est pas nécessaire à sa localisation nucléaire. Suggérant la présence de systèmes d’imports nucléaires redondants ainsi que la possibilité d’une autre voie d’import nucléaire prioritaire pourPABPN1. Une analyse transcriptomique par micropuce d’ADN a permis d’identifier divers gènes surexprimés dans une cellule pab2?. Une des classes de gènes qui ont été identifiés se réfère à des éléments génétiques mobiles se dénommant Tƒ2 chez la levure à fission. La confirmation de l’accumulation d’environ deux fois des transcrits Tƒ2 dans une souche pab2? par buvardage Northern a fit naître mon deuxième projet de recherche. Plusieurs études ont démontré que Pab2 agit dans la même voie que Rrp6, une exonucléase 3’-5’, dans la maturation et la dégradation de divers transcrits de façon post-transcriptionnelle. Afin de corroborer une répression post-transcriptionnelle des Tƒ2 par Pab2; un essai génétique a été effectué en combinant sa délétion à celle d’une protéine, Abp1, connue pour réprimer de façon transcriptionnelle ces Tƒ2. Étonnamment, une diminution d’accumulation de transcrits Tƒ2 a été observée dans le double mutant comparativement au simple mutant abp1?. Une immunoprécipitation de la chromatine (ChIP) par la Pol II a permis de confirmer que ce phénotype était d’ordre transcriptionnel. Les essais de ChIP ont aussi permis de corroborer un rôle post-transcriptionnel de répression des Tƒ2 par Pab2. Il a été démontré par un autre groupe de recherche qu’il y a activation du RNAi envers les Tƒ2 qui mènent à l’établissement d’une marque d’hétérochromatine dans un mutant rrp6?. Un dépistage de transcrits antisens aux Tƒ2 a permis d’en identifier un qui accumule dans un double mutant abp1?/pab2?. Il a aussi été observé que ce transcrit antisens accumule à des étapes spécifiques de la méiose. De plus, son accumulation dans des mutants génétiques ou bien en méiose corrèle négativement avec l’accumulation de l’ARNm des Tƒ2. [symboles non conformes]

Mémoire numérisé par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.