Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) is a very slow growing bacterium that is the causative agent of Johne's disease (JD) in ruminants and has long been suggested to be associated with complications of Crohn's disease (CD) in humans. Although there is no direct evidence that MAP is the primary etiological agent for CD, most CD patients are found to have MAP in their intestinal tissues. The current control measures for JD in cattle, sheep, and goats have only been minimally effective, and there are only medications to treat the symptoms of mycobacterial infections associated with CD in humans. Along with not being able to cure MAP infections, there is no established laboratory animal model for testing therapeutics. When mice are infected with MAP they develop systemic infection and do not mimic disease observed in ruminants. J774A.1 murine macrophages typically have a very short lifespan of about 4-6 days, however MAP infected cell cultures can survive up to about 10 days. Using a modified protocol of Estrella et al. (2011), we have been able to establish a 45-60 day long-term MAP infected J774A.1 murine macrophage cell culture model. With the addition of retinoic acid (RA), vitamin D (VD), and phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) in combination in cell culture, we were able to screen novel therapeutics before embarking on in vivo testing in animals. This is a significant step forward in Crohn's and Johne's disease treatment research. We are not only able to test various drugs against specific strains of MAP to determine susceptibility, but we are also able to test a wide variety of drugs at the same time, with relatively minimal cost. We have evaluated the efficacy of clarithromycin, azithromycin, isoniazid, amikacin, ethambutol, ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, rifampicin, clofazimine, as well as a combination of clarithromycin, rifampicin, and clofazimine using our MAP infected macrophage cell culture model. We were able to determine the drugs' differential ability to kill intracellular MAP in the early stages of infection, versus chronic stages of infection, and against two different strains of MAP, 43015 and 19698 that affect humans and cattle respectively. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of each drug was determined as per NCCLS protocol in vitro, and the drugs were tested at the MIC value, along with one concentration above and below the MIC in our cell culture model. The antimicrobials were found to be effective at different stages of cell culture infection and in different strains of MAP. Some drugs were more effective at early stages of MAP infection, whereas others were more effective in chronic or latent stages of infections. It is important to note that although a drug may be effective at a certain stage of infection, it may not necessarily be effective against all strains of MAP. The most promising results were seen with a combination of clarithromycin, clofazimine, and rifampicin, which was effective at all stages of infection with both strains of MAP tested. This long term cell culture model will provide researchers with important screening tools for evaluating new therapeutics before embarking on costly in vivo testing, and allow the assessment of therapeutics at different stages of MAP infection but also against an array of intracellular pathogens. / Ph. D.

Yes / Seasonal rhythms in energy balance are well documented across temperate and equatorial zones animals. The long-term regulated changes in seasonal physiology consists of a rheostatic system that is essential to successful time annual cycles in reproduction, hibernation, torpor, and migration. Most animals use the annual change in photoperiod as a reliable and robust environmental cue to entrain endogenous (i.e. circannual) rhythms. Research over the past few decades has predominantly examined the role of first order neuroendocrine peptides for the rheostatic changes in energy balance. These anorexigenic and orexigenic neuropeptides in the arcuate nucleus include neuropeptide y (Npy), agouti-related peptide (Agrp), cocaine and amphetamine related transcript (Cart) and pro-opiomelanocortin (Pomc). Recent studies also indicate that VGF nerve growth factor inducible (Vgf) in the arcuate nucleus is involved in the seasonal regulation of energy balance. In situ hybridization, qPCR and RNA-sequencing studies have identified that Pomc expression across fish, avian and mammalian species, is a neuroendocrine marker that reflects seasonal energetic states. Here we highlight that long-term changes in arcuate Pomc and Vgf expression is conserved across species and may provide rheostatic regulation of seasonal energy balance. / Academy of Medical Sciences, Leverhulme Trust

京都大学 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(医学) / 甲第25174号 / 医博第5060号 / 新制||医||1071(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院医学研究科医学専攻 / (主査)教授 江藤 浩之, 教授 湊谷 謙司, 教授 松田 道行 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Agricultural Science / Kyoto University / DFAM

Hearing loss (HL) is one of the most common sensorineural disorders and several dozen genes contribute to its pathogenesis. Establishing a genetic diagnosis of HL is of great importance for clinical evaluation of deaf patients and for estimating recurrence risks for their families. Efforts to identify genes responsible for HL have been challenged by high genetic heterogeneity and different ethnic-specific prevalence of inherited deafness. Here we present the utility of whole exome sequencing (WES) for identifying candidate causal variants for previously unexplained nonsyndromic HL of seven patients from four unrelated Altaian families (the Altai Republic, South Siberia). The WES analysis revealed homozygous missense mutations in three genes associated with HL. Mutation c.2168A>G (SLC26A4) was found in one family, a novel mutation c.1111G>C (OTOF) was revealed in another family, and mutation c.5254G>A (RAI1) was found in two families. Sanger sequencing was applied for screening of identified variants in an ethnically diverse cohort of other patients with HL (n = 116) and in Altaian controls (n = 120). Identified variants were found only in patients of Altaian ethnicity (n = 93). Several lines of evidences support the association of homozygosity for discovered variants c.5254G>A (RAI1), c.1111C>G (OTOF), and c.2168A>G (SLC26A4) with HL in Altaian patients. Local prevalence of identified variants implies possible founder effect in significant number of HL cases in indigenous population of the Altai region. Notably, this is the first reported instance of patients with RAI1 missense mutation whose HL is not accompanied by specific traits typical for Smith-Magenis syndrome. Presumed association of RAI1 gene variant c.5254G>A with isolated HL needs to be proved by further experimental studies.

La présence d’un récepteur de type RXR a récemment été rapporté chez la pensée de mer, Renilla koellikeri, de même que chez d’autres anthozoaires, et le NO semble jouer des différents rôles physiologiques, chez plusieurs cnidaires. L’acide rétinoïque (AR) et le monoxyde d’azote (NO) sont connus pour leur implication dans l’induction de la croissance des neurites chez les vertébrés ainsi que chez les invertébrés. Mais jusqu’à présent, aucun rôle de ces agents n’a encore été identifié chez ce phylum ancien des invertébrés. Dans le but de montrer que ces agents morphogénétiques ont un rôle dans le développement neuronal chez ces ancêtres des métazoaires bilatéraux, nous avons utilisé des cultures primaires de cellules du cnidaire anthozoaire Renilla koellikeri (pensée de mer), doté d’un système nerveux des plus primitif. Nous avons trouvé que les deux types d’acide rétinoïque, 9-cis et 11-trans, induisent une prolifération cellulaire dose-dépendante en fonction du temps dans les boîtes de pétri enduites de polylysine. Les cultures cellulaires exposées à l’acide rétinoïque dans les boîtes sans polylysine montrent une différenciation en des cellules épithéliales. D’autre part, le NO induit exclusivement une différenciation neuronale dans les boîtes enduites de polylysine. Aucun autre type de cellules subit un différenciation en présence de NO et la densité des cellules dédifférenciées a diminué. Les prolongements des neurones différenciés semblent s’enchevêtrer et former un réseau neuronal assez dense. L’ensemble de ces observations suggère que l’acide rétinoïque, contrairement à NO, est associé à l’activité mitotique, et que l’acide rétinoïque et le NO sont impliqués différemment dans la spécification cellulaire, respectivement épithéliale et neuronale, chez la pensée de mer. Le type d’action déclenchée, qu’il soit la mitogénèse ou la différenciation (épithéliale ou neuronale), varie alors selon l’état d’adhésion des cellules au substrat. Comme les données moléculaires et paléontologiques rapprochent les cnidaires, telle la pensée de mer, des ancêtres des eumétazoaires, nos résultats suggèrent que le rôle morphogénétique de l’acide rétinoïque et du NO est enraciné dans l’ancêtre commun de tous les métazoaires. / Retinoic acid receptors were recently reported in the sea pansy, Renilla koellikeri, and in other anthozoans, and NO seems to play various roles in several cnidarians. Retinoic acid (RA) and nitric oxide (NO) are known for their implication in inducing neurite outgrowth in both vertebrates and invertebrates. But so far, no role of these agents has been identified in this basal metazoan phylum. In order to show that these agents have a morphogenetic role in neuronal development in the ancestors of bilateral metazoan. We used primary cultures of cells from the cnidarian anthozoan Renilla koellikeri (sea pansy), with the most primary nervous system. We found that both 9-cis and 11-trans retinoic acid induced cell proliferation in dose- and time-dependant manners in petri dishes coated with polylysine. Cell cultures exposed to retinoic acid in dishes devoid of polylysine were observed to differentiate into epithelial cells. On the other hand, NO induced extensive neurite outgrowth in polylysine-coated culture dishes. No other celle type underwent differentiation in the presence of NO, and the density of dedifferentiated cells was reduced. The neurites of the differentiating neurons appeared to intertwine and form a loose nerve net. These observations suggest that retinoic acid, but not NO, has mitogenic activity, and that retinoic acid and NO are differentially involved in nerve cell specification in the sea pansy. The type of action, mitogenesis or cell differenciation (epithelial or neural), depends on the degree of cell adhesion to substrate. As both molecular and paleontological evidence place cnidarians such as the sea pansy closest to the eumetazoan ancestor, our results suggest that the morphogenetic role of retinoic acid and NO was rooted in the commun ancestor of all metazoans.

Les récepteurs nucléaires (RN) sont des facteurs de transcription ligand dépendants qui contrôlent une grande variété de processus biologiques de la physiologie humaine, ce qui a fait d'eux des cibles pharmacologiques privilégiées pour de nombreuses maladies. L'un de ces récepteurs, le récepteur de l’œstrogène alpha (ERα), peut activer la prolifération cellulaire dans certaines sections de l'épithélium mammaire tandis qu’un autre, le récepteur de l'acide rétinoïque alpha (RARα), peut provoquer un arrêt de la croissance et la différenciation cellulaire. La signalisation de ces deux récepteurs peut être altérée dans le cancer du sein, contribuant à la tumorigénèse mammaire. L’activité d’ERα peut être bloquée par les anti-oestrogènes (AE) pour inhiber la prolifération des cellules tumorales mammaires. Par contre, l’activation des voies de RARα avec des rétinoïdes dans un contexte clinique a rencontré peu de succès. Ceci pourrait résulter du manque de spécificité des ligands testés pour RARα et/ou de leur activité seulement dans certains sous-types de tumeurs mammaires. Puisque les récepteurs nucléaires forment des homo- et hétéro-dimères, nous avons cherché à développer de nouveaux essais pharmacologiques pour étudier l'activité de complexes dimériques spécifiques, leur dynamique d’association et la structure quaternaire des récepteurs des œstrogènes. Nous décrivons ici une nouvelle technique FRET, surnommée BRET avec renforcement de fluorescence par transferts combinés (BRETFect), qui permet de détecter la formation de complexes de récepteurs nucléaires ternaires. Le BRETFect peut suivre l'activation des hétérodimères ERα-ERβ et met en évidence un mécanisme allostérique d'activation que chaque récepteur exerce sur son partenaire de dimérisation. L'utilisation de BRETFect en combinaison avec le PCA nous a permis d'observer la formation de multimères d’ERα fonctionnels dans des cellules vivantes pour la première fois. La formation de multimères est favorisée par les AE induisant la dégradation du récepteur des oestrogènes, ce qui pourrait contribuer à leurs propriétés spécifiques. Ces essais de BRET apportent une nette amélioration par rapport aux tests de vecteurs rapporteur luciférase classique, en fournissant des informations spécifiques aux récepteurs en temps réel sans aucune interférence par d'autres processus tels que la transcription et de la traduction. L'utilisation de ces tests nous a permis de caractériser les propriétés de modulation de l’activité des récepteurs nucléaires d’une nouvelle classe de molécules hybrides qui peuvent à la fois lier ERa ou RAR et inhiber les HDACs, conduisant au développement de nouvelles molécules prometteuses bifonctionnelles telles que la molécule hybride RAR-agoniste/HDACi TTNN-HA. / Nuclear receptors (NRs) are ligand-dependent transcription factors that control a wide variety of biological processes in human physiology, which has made them preferred pharmacological targets for many diseases. One such receptor, the estrogen receptor alpha (ERα), can activate cell proliferation in some sections of the mammary epithelium while another, the retinoic acid receptor alpha (RARα), can cause growth arrest and cellular differentiation. Signalling by these receptors can be altered in breast cancer, contributing to tumorigenesis. ERα can be blocked by antiestrogens (AEs) in the clinical setting to inhibit tumor cell proliferation. However, attempts to activate the RARα pathway with retinoids have not proven beneficial in clinical trials. This may result from the lack of specificity of the tested ligands for RARa and/or from their activity only in a subset of breast tumors. Since nuclear receptors form homo- and heterodimers, we sought to develop novel pharmacological assays to study the activity of specific receptor-dimer complexes, their dynamics and quaternary structure. We report here a new FRET technique dubbed BRET with fluorescence enhanced by combined transfers (BRETFect) that can detect the formation of ternary nuclear receptor complexes. BRETFect can monitor the activation of ERα-ERβ heterodimers and highlights an allosteric mechanism of activation that each receptor exerts on its dimer partner. Use of BRETFect in combination with PCA-BRET has allowed us to observe the formation of functional ERα multimers in live cells for the first time. The formation of multimers is favored by AEs which induce receptor degradation, and may underlie their specific properties. These assays are a net improvement over the classical luciferase-reporter experiment as they deliver real-time receptor specific information with no interference by other process such as transcription and translation. Using these BRET assays we developed a new class of NR hybrid ligands that can modulate ER or RAR activity and inhibit HDACs. This has allowed for the development of promising new bifunctional molecules such as the RAR-agonist/HDACi hybrid molecule TTNN-HA. In conclusion, the work presented here brings new insight in NR dynamics and quaternary structure and offers novel tools to study their mechanism of action or design new modulators of NR activity such as hybrid AE-HDACis and Retinoid-HDACis.

Un ensemble des données cohérentes de la littérature plaide en faveur d'une relation entre une baisse d'activité de la voie de signalisation de la vitamine A, des altérations de la plasticité synaptique et des déficits mnésiques spécifiques associés au vieillissement. Une diminution de l'activité de cette voie de signalisation est également évoquée dans les processus neurodégénératifs caractéristiques de la maladie d'Alzheimer. Dans ce contexte, les objectifs de ce travail étaient de mieux comprendre les conséquences neuro-anatomiques et fonctionnelles d'une baisse d'activité de la voie de signalisation de la vitamine A. Notre approche expérimentale a mis en œuvre 2 modèles animaux, un modèle de carence vitaminique A qui induit spécifiquement une baisse d'activité de sa voie de signalisation et un modèle d'hypothyroïdie dont il a été montré qu'il induit aussi une hypoactivité de la voie de signalisation de la vitamine A. La démarche expérimentale conduite chez les rats carencés en vitamine A comporte deux volets : (i) un volet mettant en œuvre l’imagerie et la spectroscopie RMN, (ii) un volet moléculaire consacrée à l’étude de l’expression de gènes cibles des rétinoïdes impliqués dans le processus amyloïdogène. Les mesures ont été réalisées, d'une part, chez des animaux soumis à un régime dépourvu en vitamine A pendant 10 semaines et d'autre part, chez des animaux soumis à ce même régime pendant une durée de 13 ou 14 semaines. Une partie des animaux carencés a été traitée par de l'AR. Les résultats montrent que dès 10 semaines de carence, les animaux présentent une altération du métabolisme et de son action cellulaire de la vitamine A qui se traduit par (i) une diminution significative du taux de vitamine A sérique, (ii) une diminution du taux d'ARNm codant pour les récepteurs RAR, dans le cerveau entier, le striatum, l'hippocampe et de manière moins prononcée le cortex des animaux. Après 10 semaines de régime dépourvu en vitamine A, des modifications métaboliques ont été mises en évidence essentiellement dans le cortex. Elles se traduisent par une hausse du (i) NAA/Cr, marqueur de la densité neuronale corrigée par une administration d'AR, et (ii) du GSH/Cr, indicateur du potentiel antioxydant cellulaire dans cette structure. Au plan anatomique, un ralentissement de la croissance cérébrale a été observé dés la 7ème semaine de régime. Une diminution du volume hippocampique et une augmentation des espaces ventriculaires ont été observées à partir de 11 semaines de carence. Au plan moléculaire, aucune modification de l'expression du gène codant pour APP, ou du rapport APP770-751/APP695, considéré comme un indicateur précoce de la MA n'a été observée après 10 semaines de carence. Après 14 semaines de régime dépourvu en vitamine A, de profondes modifications métaboliques sont observées dans les trois structures à savoir le cortex, l’hippocampe et le striatum. Au plan moléculaire, les principaux résultats suggèrent un basculement du processus biochimique de dégradation de la protéine APP en faveur de la voie amyloïdogénique dans le cortex, et par voie de conséquence en faveur de la formation du peptide Aß. Cependant, aucune modification du taux protéique des peptides Aß n'a été mise en évidence dans le cortex et l'hippocampe des rats carencés. Le modèle d'hypothyroïdie que nous avons mis en oeuvre entraine bien une hypoactivité de la voie de signalisation de la T3, observée dans l'hippocampe des animaux et une diminution du taux d'ARNm codant pour RARß observée dans le cortex des rats hypothyroïdiens. Au plan moléculaire, l'augmentation du rapport APP770-751/APP695 a été observée chez les rats rendus hypothyroïdiens par rapport aux rats témoins. Comme chez les rats carencés en vitamine A, les indicateurs de la voie physiologique ne sont que très faiblement affectés chez les rats rendus hypothyroïdiens. / Some data reveal that retinoid hyposignalling, presumably resulting from decreased bioavailability of retinoid ligands naturally, was shown to result in aging-related synaptic plasticity and long term potentiation (LTP) alterations as well as in aging-related decline of cognitive function. Moreover, genetic, metabolic and dietary evidence has been provided for a defective retinoid metabolism in Alzheimer disease (AD). Thus, key steps of the amyloid production process are under the control of proteins whose expression is positively regulated by RA in vitro. In this context, the aims of this work were to better understand neuro-anatomical and functionnal consequences of retinoid signaling brain hypoactivity. Our experimental method uses two animal models: a Vitamin A deficiency model which induce especially an hypoactivity of retinoid pathway, and an hypothyroid model which was also characterized by an hypoactivity of retinoid pathway. In the fisrt model, two main approch were used : (i) an NMR imaging and spectroscopy approach, (ii) a molecular approach to study expression of retinoid target genes implicated in amyloidogenic process. NMR results showed that VAD induces severe anatomic and metabolic disorders in particular a slowing of brain growth, hippocampus atrophy, and a decrease of NAA/Cr, marker of neuronal density which was observed in cortex, hippocampus and striatum. Molecular results reveal a vitamin A deficiency-related dysregulation of the amyloid pathway in the cortex of rats, which is known to be the first brain area altered by AD development. In this area, 14 weeks of deprived diet induces physiological dysregulation in the modulation of RA target genes leading to an increased amount of ADAM10, BACE and PS1, with some modifications in amyloidogenic pathway but without increased amount of Aß peptides. In hypothyroid model, molecular results suggests that adult onset-hypothyroidism may induce the amyloidogenic pathway of APP processing by increasing activity of ß and ?secretases and levels of amyloid peptides mainly in hippocampus. Together these data argue for the idea that hypoactivity of retinoid signalling which occurs naturally with aging could be a factor participating in accelerating aging and that hypothyroidism that become more prevalent with advancing age, could increase, via a hyposignaling of T3 pathway, the vulnerability of amyloidogenic pathway of APP processing as well as of other clinical symptoms of AD.

Teratogenes are external environmental factors that can cause a developmental or a congenital defect in exposed individuals. The methods used for detecting the embryotoxic effect of substances are the classic when laboratory mammals are used and the alternative which use in vitro and in ovo systems. The main difference between these two is that the alternative methods lack metabolism of maternal organism. The metabolism of maternal organism brings a high variability of results to systems of the classic methods. We used two alternative methods in this thesis, both using chicken embryo. The first of them was in ovo method called CHEST (Jelínek, 1977). CHEST method can be used for administration of tested substances from ED2 to ED6. The disadvantage of this method is due to the dilution of the tested substance after subgerminal application at ED2. Therefore we developed in vitro method called SANDWICH. No dilution occurs while using the SANDWICH method. The aim of this study was to develop in vitro method SANDWICH while using proven teratogene (all-trans retinoic acid) and its solvent (dimethyl sulfoxide), to estimate beginning of the embryotoxicity dose range for both substances using CHEST and SANDWICH, and finally to compare obtained results. We confirmed the embryotoxic effect of all-trans...

Il est maintenant bien établi que la vitamine A et son métabolite actif l’aciderétinoïque (AR), joueraient un rôle important dans les fonctions cognitives du cerveau adulte. La diminution de l’activité de la voie de signalisation des rétinoïdes et l’augmentation de celle des glucocorticoïdes (GC), se manifestent de manière concomitante au cours du vieillissementet participeraient aux altérations de plasticité et à l’étiologie du déclin cognitif lié à l’âge. De plus, certaines données ont mis en évidence des effets antagonistes de la voie des rétinoïdessur celle des glucocorticoïdes.L'objectif de ce travail visait donc à mieux comprendre les interactions entre ces deux voies de signalisation et leur impact sur les processus de plasticité cérébrale et les fonctions mnésiques chez le rongeur. L'approche expérimentale a consisté à étudier les effets d'une supplémentation nutritionnelle en vitamine A ou d'un traitement par l’AR sur le niveau corticostérone plasmatique et hippocampique, sur les mécanismes impliqués dans la biodisponibilité de la corticostérone, sur les processus de plasticité cérébrale (neurogenèse et plasticité synaptique) et sur la mémoire hippocampo-dépendante dans un modèle nutritionnel de carence en vitamine A mais également au cours du vieillissement.Nous avons montré qu’une carence en vitamine A entraînait une hyperactivation de la voie des glucocorticoïdes se traduisant par une hypersécrétion de corticostérone au niveau périphérique et hippocampique qui pourrait être liée à une diminution de capacité de liaison de la CBG mais également à une hyperactivation de la 11β-HSD1 au niveau hippocampique.D’autre part, une supplémentation nutritionnelle en vitamine A chez les rats carencés normalise les effets délétères observés sur la voie des glucocorticoïdes et supprime les altérations de neurogenèse hippocampique ainsi que les déficits de mémoire hippocampodépendante.De plus, un traitement par l’AR permettrait de moduler positivement la voie de signalisation des rétinoïdes chez la souris d’âge intermédiaire afin de diminuer l’amplitude de libération de corticostérone intrahippocampique, s’opposant ainsi aux effets délétères d’un excès de glucocorticoïdes sur les processus neurobiologiques et cognitifs au cours du vieillissement.Ce travail contribue à la démonstration d'une modulation de la biodisponibilité des glucocorticoïdes par le statut en vitamine A observée au cours d'une carence en vitamine A et du vieillissement. Il offre de nouvelles perspectives dans le développement d'une prévention du déclin cognitif lié à l'âge axée sur les facteurs nutritionnels tels que la vitamine A. / It is now established that vitamin A and its active metabolite, retinoic acid (RA), are required for cognitive functions in the adult hood. The hyposignaling of retinoic acid and the hyperactivity of the glucocorticoid (GC) pathway appear concomitantly during aging and both would contribute to the deterioration of hippocampal plasticity and functions. Moreover, recent data have evidenced counteracting effects of retinoids on the GC signaling pathway.The goal of the present study has been to shed more light on the interactions between both signaling pathways and their consequences on cerebral plasticity and memory processes.We have investigated them not only in a well-established nutritional model of vitamin A deficiency but also during aging. Indeed, our experimental approach has consisted inmanipulating the status in vitamin A (deficiency and/or supplementation or RA treatment) inrodents to better understand its impact on plasma and intrahippocampal corticosterone levelsand the mechanisms involved in corticosterone bioavailability. Hippocampus-dependentmemory and plasticity (adult neurogenesis and synaptic plasticity-related gene expression)have also been assessed.We have shown a hyperactivity of the glucocorticoid pathway in vitamin A-deficientrats, leading to elevated peripheral and hippocampal corticosterone levels. This is probably due to a decrease in CBG binding capacity and to the hyperactivity of the hippocampal 11β-HSD1. Furthermore, a vitamin A supplementation normalizes glucocorticoid activity and hippocampal neurogenesis levels and corrects memory deficits.Besides, in middle-aged mice, a RA treatment is able to positively modulate the retinoidsignaling pathway inducing a decreased hypersecretion of intrahippocampal corticosterone. It thus counteracts the deleterious effects of an excess of glucocorticoids on neurobiological and memory processes.Altogether, these results contribute to the demonstration that in vitamin A deficiency and during aging, the status in vitamin A modulates GC activity. This work proposes new preventive perspectives based on nutritional factors such as vitamin A in order to delay agerelated cognitive decline.

Células pluripotentes são aquelas que possuem a capacidade de dar origem às células dos três folhetos embrionários (ectoderma, mesoderma e endoderma), bem como também às células germinativas. As células-tronco embrionárias (CTE) são as células pluripotentes mais conhecidas, as quais apresentam uma elevada capacidade de diferenciação celular e autorenovação. Estas propriedades tornam as CTE potenciais ferramentas para a medicina regenerativa, porém seu uso na prática clínica enfrenta várias barreiras. Neste sentido, o acúmulo de conhecimento a respeito dos mecanismos envolvidos na manutenção da pluripotência, levou ao desenvolvimento de técnicas capazes de induzir a pluripotência em células somáticas adultas. Na maioria das abordagens, isto se dá pela expressão ectópica de fatores de transcrição envolvidos na pluripotência (como Oct4 e Nanog). Com isto em vista, torna-se evidente que estudos que levem a um melhor entendimento destas propriedades biológicas, podem levar ao desenvolvimento desta importante área. Apesar destas inovações, os mecanismos responsáveis pela manutenção ou indução da pluripotência e da autorenovação, continuam largamente inexplorados. Neste sentido, o conjunto de técnicas referidas como High Content Screening (HCS) apresenta características fundamentais que permitiriam a interrogação sistemática e em larga-escala de fatores que possam estar influenciando nestes processos. A técnica de HCS se baseia no uso de microscopia de fluorescência em placas de 96 ou mais poços, permitindo a aquisição e a análise automatizada das imagens, de forma a quantificar alterações fenotípicas nas células. O presente trabalho teve como objetivo estabelecer um modelo experimental para a avaliação funcional e em larga escala de fatores que possam influenciar a diferenciação celular. Tendo em vista a facilidade de cultivo e manuseio, a linhagem humana de células pluripotentes de carcinoma embrionário (CCE) NTera-2, foi utilizada. Para a padronização do modelo, o processo de diferenciação foi avaliado ao longo do tempo (em 2, 4 e 8 dias) na presença ou ausência de ácido transretinóico (atRA), utilizado como indutor de diferenciação celular. Para isso, os níveis transcricionais de Oct4, Nanog (marcadores da pluripotência) e de N-Caderina foram avaliados por PCR em tempo real. Finalmente, a expressão e a distribuição celular de Oct4, Nanog e da alfa-actina foi avaliada por meio de microscopia de fluorescência automatizada, com o uso de anticorpos ou faloidina marcada, utilizando um sistema de HCS (Operetta, Perkin Elmer) para a análise dos resultados. A proliferação celular das células submetidas à diferenciação foi avaliada pelo ensaio do XTT. O atRA inibiu a proliferação e induziu a diferenciação; como demonstrado, respectivamente, pelos resultados do ensaio do XTT, decaimento dos níveis de Oct4 e Nanog e, concomitante aumento de N-Caderina, ao longo do tempo. Também foi observada a diferenciação espontânea da linhagem, na ausência de atRA, porém, de forma reduzida. Finalmente, as avaliações de HCS evidenciaram que, durante o processo de diferenciação, a perda da expressão nuclear de Oct4 e Nanog está associada à alteração do fenótipo celular, com a redistribuição da actina cortical e a formação das stress fibers, caracterizando o processo de transição epitélio-mesenquima (EMT), um importante mecanismo envolvido na diferenciação celular. Os resultados obtidos neste trabalho demonstram a viabilidade do uso da linhagem NTera-2 como modelo para estudos futuros de HCS visando a identificação de moléculas que atuem na modulação de propriedades fundamentais das células tronco pluripotentes. / Pluripotent stem cells are those that possess the ability to generate cells from the three germ layers (ectoderm, mesoderm and endoderm), as well as the germ cells. The embryonic stem cells (ESC) are the best known pluripotent cells that present a high capacity of cell differentiation and self renewal. These properties of the ESC make them potential tools for the regenerative medicine, but their use in clinical practice faces several barriers. In this sense, the accumulation of knowledge about the mechanisms involved in the maintenance of pluripotency led to the development of techniques capable of inducing pluripotency in adult somatic cells. In most approaches, this is achieved by the ectopic expression of transcription factors involved in pluripotency (such as Oct4 and Nanog). With this in mind, it becomes clear that studies that provide a better understanding of these biological properties can lead to the development of this important area. Despite these innovations, the mechanisms responsible for the maintenance or induction of pluripotency and self-renewal remain largely unexplored. In this sense, the set of techniques such as High Content Screening (HCS) has fundamental characteristics that allow systematic and large-scale interrogation of factors that may be influencing these processes. The HCS technique is based on the use of fluorescence microscopy in 96-well or larger plates, allowing the automated acquisition and analysis of images, so as to measure phenotypic changes in the cells. This study aimed to establish an experimental model for functional and large-scale assessment of factors that may influence cellular differentiation. Due its simple cultivation and handling characteristics, a human lineage of pluripotent embryonal carcinoma cell (ECC) NTERA-2 was used. To standardize the model, the process of differentiation was evaluated over time (at 2, 4 and 8 days) in the presence or absence of all-trans retinoic acid (atRA), used as an inducer of cellular differentiation. The transcriptional levels of Oct4, Nanog (pluripotency markers) and Ncadherin were assessed by real time PCR. Finally, the expression and cellular distribution of Oct4, Nanog and alpha-actin was assessed by fluorescence microscopy, using antibodies or labelled phalloidin, using a HCS platform (Operetta, Perkin Elmer) for the analysis of the results. The proliferation of cells undergoing differentiation was assessed by XTT assay. atRA inhibited proliferation and induced differentiation, as shown by the XTT assay results, and the decay of Oct4 and Nanog, and concomitant increase of N-cadherin levels over time, respectively. It was also observed spontaneous differentiation in the absence of atRA although in less extent. Finally, the HCS results showed that during the differentiation process, the loss of nuclear expression of Oct4 and Nanog is associated with alteration of cell phenotype, with redistribution of cortical actin and formation of stress fibers, characterizing the epithelialmesenchymal transition (EMT), an important mechanism involved in cell differentiation. The results of this study therefore demonstrate the feasibility of using the NTERA-2 cell line as a model for future HCS studies aiming identification of molecules that act in the modulation of fundamental properties of pluripotent stem cells.