Les protéines kinases « Aurora » sont des régulatrices clés du cycle cellulaire. Alors que l'activité de Aurora-A est requise en début de la mitose, Aurora-B et -C sont nécessaires pour la fin de mitose. Toute perturbation de leur activité peut conduire au processus de tumorisation. Plus spécifiquement, Aurora-A se comporte à la fois comme oncogène et suppresseur de tumeur. Par conséquent, la connaissance du rôle de Aurora-A durant cycle cellulaire est essentielle. Toutefois, peu d'études ont exploré, jusque là, le rôle de Aurora-A dans les phases tardives de la mitose. En fait, l'inhibition de Aurora-A conduit à l'arrêt du cycle rendant impossible de voir ce qui se passe au delà de la transition métaphase/anaphase. Néanmoins, en combinant le couple génétique chimique et inhibiteur spécifique, j'ai pu identifier une nouvelle fonction de la kinase Aurora-A liée au checkpoint (SAC). En effet, mes résultats montrent que l'inhibition de l'activité de Aurora-A induit un défaut de congression et une chute de l'index mitotique. Ce résultat paradoxal suggère un défaut du SAC. J'ai donc pu montré que cette inhibition outrepassait le SAC en perturbant la localisation aux kinétochores de Mad2 et BubR1. Cependant, ma tentative pour sauver le phénotype du SAC par le mutant S19D-P150Glued n'a pas réussi malgré que le mutant S19AP150Glued se soit comporté comme un vrai dominant négatif. Enfin, j'ai pu montré que l'activité de Aurora-A est requise pour maintenir le SAC actif durant la prométaphase. / Protein kinases "Aurora " are the key regulators of the cell cycle. While the activity of Aurora-A is required at the beginning of mitosis, Aurora-B and -C are required for the end of mitosis. Any disruption of their activity can lead to process tumorisation. Specifically, Aurora-A acts as both oncogene and tumor suppressor. Therefore, knowledge of the role of Aurora-A is essential for cell cycle. However, few studies have explored so far, the role of Aurora-A in the late stages of mitosis. In fact, inhibition of Aurora-A leads to cell cycle arrest making it impossible to see what happens beyond the transition metaphase / anaphase. However, by combining chemical genetics couple and specific inhibitor, I have identified a new function of Aurora-A kinase -related checkpoint (SAC). Indeed, my results show that inhibition of the activity of Aurora-A induces a congression defect and the mitotic index decrease. This paradoxical result suggests a defect in the SAC. So I have shown that this inhibition was beyond the SAC disrupting kinetochore localization of Mad2 and BubR1. However, my attempt to rescue the phenotype of the SAC by the S19D-P150Glued mutant failed despite the fact that S19A-P150Glued mutant behaved like a true negative dominant. Finally, I have shown that the activity of Aurora-A is required to maintain the active SAC during prometaphase.

Understanding chromosome structure and genome organization of Culicine mosquitoes can potentially contribute to the development of novel approaches to vector control. However, because of highly repetitive nature of the Aedes and Culex genomes, the structure of their polytene chromosomes is damaged by ectopic contacts that make the analysis difficult. Mitotic chromosomes from imaginal discs of 4th instar larvae of Aedes aegypti were tested as a source for the physical genome mapping for this mosquito. Chromosomes in imaginal discs are 10 times more abundant than chromosomes in nervous ganglia, and they do not accumulate chromosomal mutation as cell line chromosomes do. Prometaphase chromosomes in imaginal discs of Ae. aegypti are 4-5 times longer than metaphase chromosomes and can provide higher resolution for physical mapping. Cold temperature (+16°C) was proven to increase the number of the chromosomes. Hypotonic solution treatment of live larvae was proven to elongate chromosomes and improve banding patterns. We differentially stained these mitotic chromosomes with Giemsa and YOYO-1 to revile the banding pattern. We applied fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) procedure developed for human chromosomes to Ae. aegypti chromosomes. A strain from Culex pipiens, Cx. quinquefasciatus and their hybrids from the natural population in Virginia was successfully colonized in the laboratory. This strain can be used as a reliable source for cytogenetic studies. / Master of Science in Life Sciences