Grâce à la production de nanoparticules lipidiques, les SELN (Synthetic Exosomes-Like Nanoparticles), mimant la composition des exosomes produits par les cellules tumorales pancréatiques humaines SOJ-6, nous avons démontré que les effets apoptotiques des exosomes naturels étaient dus aux lipides. En effet, nous avons montré que les SELN dont le rapport rafts/phospholipides est le plus élevé, interagissent avec les cellules SOJ-6 au niveau des rafts et perturbent la voie Notch. Cela conduit à la diminution de l'expression du facteur de survie Hes-1, qui est accentuée par la perte d'activité du complexe PTEN-GSK-3β. Ces dérégulations induisent l'apoptose dépendante de la mitochondrie des cellules SOJ-6, caractérisée par l'augmentation du ratio Bax/Bcl-2, l'activation de la caspase 9 et la dégradation de l'ADN. En revanche, les cellules MiaPaCa-2 résistent aux SELN, ce qui s'explique par leur caractère indifférencié. Ainsi la surexpression de marqueurs de cellules souches tels que l'ALDH et CXCR4 leur confèrent une grande résistance. Elles sont toutefois sensibles à la cyclopamine un inhibiteur de la voie Hedgehog, dont les effets sont atténués si les cellules MiaPaCa-2 sont préincubées avec les SELN, prouvant que ces cellules mettent en place des voies de survie leur permettant d'échapper à l'apoptose. Nos investigations ont montré que dans les cellules MiaPaCa-2, sous l'effet des SELN, l'activation de la voie canonique NF-кB permet d'induire la transcription du gène codant SDF-1α, seul ligand connu du récepteur CXCR4. Le facteur produit et sécrété active de manière auto et paracrine une voie de survie Akt-dépendante. / It has been previously reported that exosomes released by the human pancreatic tumoral cell line SOJ-6 could induce their own apoptosis. Thanks to the production of lipid nanoparticles, SELN (Synthetic Exosomes-Like Nanoparticles) mimicking the lipid composition of natural exosomes, we have shown that lipids were responsible for the observed effects. Indeed, we showed that SELN with the higher ratio rafts/phospholipids could interact with SOJ-6 cells at the level of the rafts to perturb the Notch pathway, preferentially localized in these lipid microdomains. This induces a decreased expression of the main target of this pathway, the survival factor Hes-1. This decrease is intensified by the activation of the complex PTEN-GSK-3β. These deregulations drive cells towards the mitochondria-dependent apoptosis as shown by the increase of the ratio Bax/Bcl-2, the caspase 9 activity and the DNA fragmentation. Whereas MiaPaCa-2 cells are resistant to SELN, which is explained by their stem-like cell phenotype, contrarily to the well-differentiated SOJ-6 cell line. Although the over-expression of some stem cell markers, such as ALDH and CXCR4 is responsible for their resistance, they remain sensitive to the cyclopamine, a Hedgehog inhibitor. We found out that MiaPaCa-2 cells pre-incubation with SELN could protect them from the inhibitory effect of the cyclopamine, meaning that upon SELN incubation, a survival pathway is triggered in MiaPaCa-2 cells. So we showed that, upon SELN incubation, the canonical NF-кB pathway is activated in MiaPaCa-2 cells to promote SDF-1α expression. Once released, SDF-1α interacts with its receptor CXCR4 to activate an Akt-dependent survival pathway.

The studies presented here were focused on the understanding of the principles for protein sorting from the Golgi to the cell surface. As a marker protein we used Fus1p, a type I plasma membrane protein that is O-glycosylated on the extracellular domain and plays a role in cell fusion during yeast mating. Additionally, we analyzed mechanisms responsible for asymmetric distribution of Fus1p in mating cells. We demonstrated that the glycans attached to the protein act as a sorting determinant for protein transport to the cell surface. In cells lacking PMT4, encoding a mannosyltransferase involved in the initial step of O-glycosylation, Fus1p was not glycosylated and accumulated in late Golgi structures. A similar defect in exocytosis was observed when a Fus1p mutant lacking the O-glycosylated domain was expressed in wild-type cells, however, the cell surface delivery could be rescued if the 33 amino acid portion of the Fus1p ectodomain, containing 15 potentially glycosylated sites was added to the protein. It was previously well documented in epithelial cells that different types of protein glycosylation and association with lipid rafts play a role of determinants for protein delivery to the apical plasma membrane. However, otherwise the machinery responsible for cargo sorting to the apical membrane is poorly understood. Our finding that also in yeast, protein glycosylation can function as a sorting determinant provides a new possibility to investigate underlying mechanisms...

The structure and functions of lipid rafts and the mechanisms of intracellular membrane trafficking are major topics in current cell biological research. Rafts have been proposed to act as sorting platforms during biosynthetic transport, especially along pathways that deliver proteins to the apical membrane of polarised cells. Based on this, the aim of this work was to contribute to the understanding of apical sorting in epithelial cells. The study of how lipid rafts are structured has been hampered by the scarcity of techniques for their purification. Rafts are thought to be partially resistant to solubilisation by mild detergents, which has made the isolation of detergent-resistant membranes (DRMs) the primary method to characterise them biochemically. While a growing number of detergents is being used to prepare DRMs, it is not clear what can be inferred about the native structure of cell membranes from the composition of different DRMs. This issue was addressed by an analysis of DRMs prepared with a variety of mild detergents. The protein and lipid content of different DRMs from two cell lines, Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) and Jurkat cells, was compared. It was shown that the detergents differed considerably in their ability to selectively solubilise membrane proteins and lipids. These results make it unlikely that different DRMs reflect the same underlying principle of membrane organisation. Another obstacle for understanding apical sorting is that the evidence implicating certain proteins in this process has come from various disparate approaches. It would be helpful to re-examine the putative components of the apical sorting machinery in a single experimental system. To this end, a retroviral system for RNA interference (RNAi) in MDCK cells was established. Efficient suppression of thirteen genes was achieved by retroviral co-expression of short hairpin RNAs and a selectable marker. In addition, the system was extended to simultaneously target two genes, giving rise to double knockdowns.Retroviral RNAi was applied to deplete proteins implicated in apical sorting. Surprisingly, none of the knockdowns analysed caused defects in surface delivery of influenza virus hemagglutinin, a common marker protein for apical transport. Therefore, none of the proteins examined is absolutely required for transport to the apical membrane of MDCK cells. Cells may adapt to the depletion of proteins involved in membrane trafficking by activating alternative pathways. To avoid such adaptation, a visual transport assay was established. It is based on the adenoviral expression of fluorescent marker proteins whose surface transport can be followed microscopically as soon as RNAi has become effective. With this assay, it should now be possible to screen the knockdowns for defects in surface transport. Taken together, this work has provided a number of experimental tools for the study of membrane trafficking in epithelial cells. First, the biochemical analysis of DRMs highlighted that DRMs obtained with different detergents are unlikely to correspond to distinct types of membrane microdomains in cell membranes. Second, the retroviral RNAi system should be valuable for defining the function of proteins, not only in membrane transport, but also in processes like epithelial polarisation. Third, the visual assay for monitoring the surface transport of adenovirally expressed marker proteins should be suitable to detect defects in polarised sorting.

Die Degranulation von Mastzellen soll durch Glycosphingolipide, welche mit der Zellmembran wechselwirken inhibiert werden. Der Sphingosingrundkörper wurde in zehn-stufigen Synthese ausgehend von N-Boc-Serin, aufgebaut. Die anschließende Glycosylierung erfolgte nach der Trichloracetimidatmethode in sehr guten Ausbeuten und stellte den Schlüsselschritt dar. Durch die Variation von unter Anderem der Amidseitenkette, der Glycosylkopfgruppe und des Sphingosingrundkörpers wurde eine Vielzahl an Derivaten für das Screening im Degranulationsassay bereitgestellt. / The present dissertation covers the synthesis of glycosphingolipids which interact with the cell membrane in order to inhibit the degranulation of mast cells. The sphingosin body was synthesized in ten steps starting from N-Boc-Serin. The key step, the glycosylation was achieved using the trichloracetimidat method. The variation of the amid sidechain, the gylcosyl headgroup and the sphingosin body created a number of derivatives that were tested in the degranulation assay.

No description available.

Cells in the body communicate with each other in order to cooperate efficiently. This communication is in part achieved by regulated secretion of signaling molecules, which when released from a cell may activate receptors present at the plasma membrane of an adjacent cell. Such signals affect both cell fate and behavior. Dysregulated signaling may lead to disease, including cancer. This thesis is focused on how exocytosis and subsequent activation and trafficking of receptors can be regulated, and what the consequences of this regulation may be for cell migration. Actin filaments are important transport structures for secretory vesicle trafficking. In Paper 1, actin polymerization was shown to induce formation of ordered lipid domains in the plasma membrane. Accordingly, actin filaments may thus create and stabilize specific membrane domains that enable docking of vesicles containing secretory cargo. The RhoGEF FGD5 regulates Cdc42 which can result in cytoskeletal rearrangements. In Paper II, FGD5 was shown to be selectively expressed in blood vessels and required for normal VEGFR2 signaling. FGD5 protected VEGFR2 from proteasome-mediated degradation and was essential for endothelial cells to efficiently respond to chemotactic gradients of VEGFA. The exocyst component EXOC7 is essential for tethering secretory vesicles to the plasma membrane prior to SNARE-mediated fusion. In Paper III, EXOC7 was required for trafficking of VEGFR2-containing vesicles to the inner plasma membrane and VEGFR2 presentation at the cell surface. The ability of tumor cells to escape the primary tumor and establish metastasis is in part dependent on their capacity to migrate. In Paper IV, a method based on time-lapse microscopy and fluorescent dyes was created to analyze single cancer cell migration in mixed cancer cell cultures, and in particular the influence of different types on neighboring cells was assessed. In conclusion, these studies have enhanced our understanding of the mechanisms behind cellular trafficking, and may be applied in the future to develop more specific therapeutics to treat cancer and other diseases associated with abnormal angiogenesis and cellular migration.

Thèse diffusée initialement dans le cadre d'un projet pilote des Presses de l'Université de Montréal/Centre d'édition numérique UdeM (1997-2008) avec l'autorisation de l'auteur.

Thèse numérisée par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.

Proteomic characterization of human NK cell membrane microdomains. (in Czech) Bc. Alan Kádek (Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic) Natural killer (NK) cells are one of the important components of innate immune system. Their main function is to fight against tumors, virally infected or otherwise malformed cells. Plasma membranes of NK cells contain regions with specific lipid composition compared to the surrounding membrane (called membrane microdomains or rafts). Because of their lipid composition, microdomains preferentially accommodate some immunologically relevant proteins and play a role during cellular polarization and signalization. Characteristic feature of membrane microdomains is their partial resistance to solubilization by mild non-ionogenic detergents. In this thesis, microdomains were isolated in a detergent-resistant membrane fraction (DRM) from human NK-92MI cell line and from NK cells immunomagnetically enriched from peripheral blood of non-leukemic donors. For the isolation, Triton X-100 or Brij-98 detergent solubilization and ultracentrifugation in a sucrose density gradient was used. Protein composition of isolated DRMs was analyzed by mass spectrometry employing an LC-MALDI-TOF/TOF method. Protein lists generated in these...

La prise en charge de la douleur est un enjeu médical majeur car il existe toujours des douleurs réfractaires aux traitements antalgiques actuels. La détection de la douleur est assurée par les neurones nociceptifs dont l'excitabilité est majoritairement contrôlée par les canaux sodiques dépendants du potentiel (Nav). Parmi eux, le canal Nav1.9 se distingue par son expression restreinte dans les nocicepteurs et par ses caractéristiques électrophysiologiques qui lui confèrent un rôle particulier dans l'électrogenèse de ces neurones. Au cours de ce travail de thèse nous avons caractérisé le rôle du canal Nav1.9 dans trois modèles de douleurs inflammatoires : aigue, persistant et chronique. Nous avons mis en oeuvre un ensemble de techniques d'analyses comportementales, moléculaires et électrophysiologiques, qui nous ont permis de montrer le rôle du canal Nav1.9 dans ces trois modèles de douleur et de révéler plusieurs mécanismes de régulation potentiels.Par la suite, nous nous sommes attachés à décortiquer l'un de ces mécanismes. Nous avons montré que le canal Nav1.9 est présent dans des microdomaines membranaires riches en cholestérol. Nous avons mis en évidence que l'inflammation diminuait la quantité de cholestérol dans les tissus. Ce mécanisme est à l'origine de douleurs dues à l'activation des canaux Nav1.9 et à leur relocalisation en dehors des radeaux lipidiques. Enfin nos expériences montrent que l'application topique de cholestérol peut réduire les douleurs inflammatoires, ouvrant de nouvelles perspectives thérapeutiques. / In mammals, perception of pain is initiated by signaling the occurrence of noxious stimuli through nociceptive neurons located in peripheral sensory ganglia. Nociceptive neurons play a pivotal role in pain perception as they transmit painful information to the central nervous system (CNS). They are largely responsible for the modifications of pain sensation caused by a lesion/inflammation or during the course of chronic diseases like rheumatoid arthritis. Unravelling the precise mechanism of ion channel activation during such pathophysiological conditions is one of the most challenging issues to design new therapeutic pain killer strategies.In this PhD thesis work, we will focus on one particular and promising sodium channel, named Nav1.9. We characterized Nav1.9 channel function in three inflammatory pain models: acute, persistent and chronic, using behavioural, molecular and electrophysiological analysis technics. This work allowed us to point out different putative mechanisms of regulation of this channel.We further decipher the regulation of Nav1.9 by cholesterol lipid in membrane microdomains. We showed that Nav1.9 channel is present in rafts specialized membrane microdomains enriched in cholesterol. We demonstrated that inflammation triggers a decrease in cholesterol level in inflamed territories and that cholesterol deletion induces mechanical allodynia in animals. In addition, we demonstrated that this pain was due to Nav1.9 channel activation and relocalization of this channel out of lipid rafts. Finally our experiments reported that exogenous cholesterol application reduces inflammatory pain. All these results provide a new insight in therapeutic perspectives.