A regulação da expressão gênica ocorre como um fenômeno essencial nos processos celulares em resposta a dinamicidade mútua estabelecida entre um organismo e seu meio. Além dos elementos reguladores já conhecidos, como fatores de transcrição ou modificações pós-transcricionais, observa-se um crescente interesse no papel de regulação desempenhado por moléculas de RNA não codificadores (ncRNA), que podem atuar em vários níveis de processamento da informação biológica. Organismos modelos oferecem uma forma conveniente de pesquisa e diferentes grupos buscam direcionar seus estudos para um entendimento mais amplo no que se refere aos mecanismos celulares presentes nesses organismos. Apesar da existência de alguns elementos conhecidos para o organismo modelo Halobacterium salinarum, acreditamos que nem todos seus elementos de ncRNAs foram identificados. Nesse contexto, desenvolvemos uma análise in silico para a identificação de novos ncRNAs em H. salinarum NRC-1 e aplicamos metodologias para a predição de possíveis interações RNA-Proteína. Com base em uma pespectiva de integração de dados e diferentes metodologias existentes, modelos de Aprendizado de Máquina (AM) foram criados e utilizados para a definição de regiões candidatas a ncRNAs. De acordo com os resultados, 42 novos ncRNAs puderam ser identificados e possibilitaram completar o catálogo de genes ncRNAs de H. salinarum NRC-1 e aumentar o universo conhecido destes em 82%. A análise dos resultados obtidos por outras abordagens disponíveis para a identificação de ncRNAs corroboram com alguns dos candidatos sugeridos neste trabalho. Adicionalmente, foram aplicados e avaliados métodos, também baseados em AM, para a identificação de candidatos à interação com a proteína de interesse LSm, presente no organismo em estudo, no intuito de incluir uma possível caracterização funcional de ncRNAs. Os resultados alcançados na aplicação metodologias para a predição de interações RNA-Proteína não foram suficientes para a criação de um modelo com predições de alto grau de acurácia porém, contribuem como estudos preliminares e discussões para o desenvolvimento de outras estratégias. / The gene expression regulation occurs on different cell levels in response to dynamics established between an organism and its environment. In addition to the regulatory elements already known, for instance, transcription factors or post-translation modifications, there is growing interests in the regulatory role played by non-coding RNA molecules (ncRNA) whose functions can be performed on different level of biological information processing. Model organisms allow a convenient way to work on laboratory and different research groups aiming to guide their studies for a mutual and wide understanding of the cellular mechanisms present on these organisms. Although some ncRNAs elements have been found in Halobacterium salinarum model organism we believe that not enough is knowing about these genomic regions. In these context, an in silico analysis for ncRNAs identification and RNA-protein prediction approach were applied to H. salinarum NRC-1. Considering a data integration perspective and some available methodologies, several machine learning models was built and used to designate candidate ncRNAs genome regions. According to achieve results, 42 new ncRNAs could be identified, increasing 82% the total of known ncRNAs in H. salinarum NRC-1. Combing analysis with other available tools, it had been observed that some suggested candidates also was found with different methodologies and thus, it highlights the proposed results. Additionally, we developed and analyzed methods, also machine learning based, to predict ncRNAs candidates to interact with LSm protein, present on the interested model organism aiming a basic ncRNA characterization. The achieved results in this part was not satisfactory since the applied models were not substantially accurate predictions. However, we believe that these preliminary results can contribute with some discussions to new different approaches.

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

Acetylation is emerging as an important posttranslational modification, which is found in thousands of proteins in eukaryotes, as well as prokaryotes. Global proteomic studies implicated acetylation in regulation of various processes like metabolism, gene expression, cell cycle or aging to name a few. In this work I set out to investigate the role of acetylation of a splicing regulatory protein SRSF5 by creating mutations in its acetylation site. I tested the hypothesis that acetylation influences SRSF5 interaction with RNA. I expressed acetylation-mimicking (Q) or non-acetylable (R) mutant of SRSF5 in HeLa cells and measured their interaction with RNA by RNA immunoprecipitation or in vitro by fluorescence anisotropy. Both approaches agreed that mutants interact with RNA less than the wild type protein and Q mutant bound RNA weaker than R mutant. I did not detect further difference in localization or dynamics among the proteins in vivo, which suggests that difference caused by weakened interaction of mutants with RNA was outweighed by other factors influencing SRSF5 behaviour, probably protein-protein interactions. I also found out that mutant SRSF5 proteins do not have a dominant effect on splicing of fibronectin alternative EDB exon. The data obtained give an indirect evidence for the hypothesis that...

<p>The mouse xenobiotic-inducible <i>Cyp2a5</i> gene is both transcriptionally and posttranscriptionally regulated. One of the most potent <i>Cyp2a5</i> inducers, the hepatotoxin pyrazole, increases the CYP2A5 mRNA half-life. The induction is accomplished through the interaction of a pyrazole-inducible protein with a 71 nt long, putative hairpin-loop region in the 3' UTR of the CYP2A5 mRNA.</p><p>The aims of this thesis have been to identify the pyrazole-inducible protein, to investigate its role in the <i>Cyp2a5</i> expression and the significance of the 71 nt hairpin-loop region for the <i>Cyp2a5</i> expression, and to examine a possible coupling between transcriptional and posttranscriptional processes in <i>Cyp2a5</i> expression.</p><p>The pyrazole-inducible protein was identified as the heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein (hnRNP) A1. Studies performed in mouse primary hepatocytes overexpressing hnRNP A1, and in mouse erythroleukemia derived cells lacking hnRNP A1, revealed that the 71 nt region in the 3' UTR of the CYP2A5 mRNA is essential for <i>Cyp2a5</i> expression.</p><p>The hnRNP A1 is a multifunctional nucleocytoplasmic shuttling protein, with the ability to bind both RNA and DNA. These properties make it an interesting candidate mediating a coupling between nuclear and cytoplasmic gene regulatory events, which was investigated for the <i>Cyp2a5</i>. In conditions of cellular stress hnRNP A1 translocates from the nucleus to the cytoplasm. The accumulation of cytoplasmic hnRNP A1 after RNA polymerase II transcription inhibition, resulted in an increased binding of hnRNP A1 to the CYP2A5 mRNA, parallel with a stabilization of the CYP2A5 mRNA.</p><p>Treating primary mouse hepatocytes with phenobarbital (PB), a <i>Cyp2a5</i> transcriptional inducer, resulted in a mainly nuclear localization of the hnRNP A1. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays with nuclear extracts from control or PB-treated mice, revealed that hnRNP A1 interacts with two regions in the <i>Cyp2a5</i> proximal promoter, and that the interaction to one of the regions was stimulated by PB treatment.</p><p>In conclusion, the change in hnRNP A1 subcellular localization after transcriptional inhibition or activation, together with the effects on the interaction of hnRNP A1 with the CYP2A5 mRNA and <i>Cyp2a5</i> promoter, suggest that hnRNP A1 could couple the nuclear and cytoplasmic events of the <i>Cyp2a5</i> expression.</p><p>The presented studies are the first showing involvement of an hnRNP protein in the regulation of a <i>Cyp</i> gene. Moreover, it is the first time an interconnected transcriptional and posttranscriptional regulation has been suggested for a member of the <i>Cyp</i> gene family.</p>

The mouse xenobiotic-inducible Cyp2a5 gene is both transcriptionally and posttranscriptionally regulated. One of the most potent Cyp2a5 inducers, the hepatotoxin pyrazole, increases the CYP2A5 mRNA half-life. The induction is accomplished through the interaction of a pyrazole-inducible protein with a 71 nt long, putative hairpin-loop region in the 3' UTR of the CYP2A5 mRNA. The aims of this thesis have been to identify the pyrazole-inducible protein, to investigate its role in the Cyp2a5 expression and the significance of the 71 nt hairpin-loop region for the Cyp2a5 expression, and to examine a possible coupling between transcriptional and posttranscriptional processes in Cyp2a5 expression. The pyrazole-inducible protein was identified as the heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein (hnRNP) A1. Studies performed in mouse primary hepatocytes overexpressing hnRNP A1, and in mouse erythroleukemia derived cells lacking hnRNP A1, revealed that the 71 nt region in the 3' UTR of the CYP2A5 mRNA is essential for Cyp2a5 expression. The hnRNP A1 is a multifunctional nucleocytoplasmic shuttling protein, with the ability to bind both RNA and DNA. These properties make it an interesting candidate mediating a coupling between nuclear and cytoplasmic gene regulatory events, which was investigated for the Cyp2a5. In conditions of cellular stress hnRNP A1 translocates from the nucleus to the cytoplasm. The accumulation of cytoplasmic hnRNP A1 after RNA polymerase II transcription inhibition, resulted in an increased binding of hnRNP A1 to the CYP2A5 mRNA, parallel with a stabilization of the CYP2A5 mRNA. Treating primary mouse hepatocytes with phenobarbital (PB), a Cyp2a5 transcriptional inducer, resulted in a mainly nuclear localization of the hnRNP A1. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays with nuclear extracts from control or PB-treated mice, revealed that hnRNP A1 interacts with two regions in the Cyp2a5 proximal promoter, and that the interaction to one of the regions was stimulated by PB treatment. In conclusion, the change in hnRNP A1 subcellular localization after transcriptional inhibition or activation, together with the effects on the interaction of hnRNP A1 with the CYP2A5 mRNA and Cyp2a5 promoter, suggest that hnRNP A1 could couple the nuclear and cytoplasmic events of the Cyp2a5 expression. The presented studies are the first showing involvement of an hnRNP protein in the regulation of a Cyp gene. Moreover, it is the first time an interconnected transcriptional and posttranscriptional regulation has been suggested for a member of the Cyp gene family.

La protéine Vif du VIH-1 contrecarre le facteur de restriction APOBEC3G (A3G) en diminuant son niveau d'expression dans les cellules infectées. Ceci est mis en œuvre entre autres par l'inhibition de sa traduction, un mécanisme encore peu compris. La première partie de ma thèse contribue à la caractérisation d'une petite ORF (uORF) qui se situe dans la 5'-UTR de l'ARNm d'A3G et d'A3F en amont de leurs ORF respectives. Cette uORF s'est révélée cruciale pour la régulation de la traduction d'A3G en présence et absence de Vif. Dans la deuxième partie de cette thèse, différents protocoles ont été mis en œuvre pour identifier les protéines associées avec l'ARNm d'A3G, qui pourraient jouer un rôle dans le mécanisme d'inhibition traductionnelle d'A3G par Vif. Ainsi, plusieurs protéines ont été identifiées dont la présence sur l'ARNm d'A3G semble modulée par Vif. / The HIV-1 Vif protein counteracts the restriction factor APOBEC3G (A3G) by downregulating its expression level in infected cells. This is achieved in different ways, one of which is translational inhibition, a mechanism that is still poorly understood. The first part of my thesis contributes to the characterization of a small upstream ORF (uORF), that is found in the 5'-UTR of A3G and A3F mRNAs. This uORF has been found to be crucial for regulation of A3G translation and is necessary to allow Vif-mediated translational inhibition. In the second part of this thesis, different protocols have been set up in order to identify A3G mRNA-associated cellular proteins which might play a role in the mechanism of Vif-mediated translational inhibition. Several proteins, whose presence on A3G mRNA seems to be modulated by Vif have been identified.

No description available.