<p>5’-Nucleotidases (5’NTs) are catabolic enzymes of the nucleotide metabolism. They catalyze dephosphorylation of deoxyribo- and ribonucleoside monophosphates and constitute an important control point in the regulation of intracellular nucleotide pools for the maintenance of correct DNA and RNA synthesis.</p><p>By removing the alfa-phosphate group from a nucleotide, the 5’NTs release the nucleoside to pass the plasma membrane by facilitated diffusion. Depending on the cellular need for nucleotides, the nucleosides can either exit the cell for reuse elsewhere or be imported and subsequently phosphorylated by nucleoside and nucleotide kinases.</p><p>The knowledge of how nucleotides are metabolized has been used for rational design of nucleoside analogues that are used in treatment of cancer and viral diseases. These drugs are phosphorylated within the cell to become active. Their dephosphorylation by 5’NTs might be one of the mechanisms behind the resistance experienced by patients towards such drugs.</p><p>This thesis describes structure-function studies on four of the seven known human 5’-NTs. The focus of the work is on the substrate specificity and regulation of these enzymes. Inactive variants of the mitochondrial and cytosolic deoxynucleotidases and the cytosolic 5’-nucleotidase II were used to characterize the structural basis for their substrate specificity in high detail.</p><p>Based on structures of the apoprotein and activator/activator+substrate complexes of cytosolic 5’-nucleotidase II, a mechanism for the allosteric activation of this enzyme was presented. In this mechanism, the activator induces a conformational change that involves conserved residues of the active site. The conformational change drastically increases the enzyme affinity for the phosphate moiety of the substrate.</p>

5’-Nucleotidases (5’NTs) are catabolic enzymes of the nucleotide metabolism. They catalyze dephosphorylation of deoxyribo- and ribonucleoside monophosphates and constitute an important control point in the regulation of intracellular nucleotide pools for the maintenance of correct DNA and RNA synthesis. By removing the alfa-phosphate group from a nucleotide, the 5’NTs release the nucleoside to pass the plasma membrane by facilitated diffusion. Depending on the cellular need for nucleotides, the nucleosides can either exit the cell for reuse elsewhere or be imported and subsequently phosphorylated by nucleoside and nucleotide kinases. The knowledge of how nucleotides are metabolized has been used for rational design of nucleoside analogues that are used in treatment of cancer and viral diseases. These drugs are phosphorylated within the cell to become active. Their dephosphorylation by 5’NTs might be one of the mechanisms behind the resistance experienced by patients towards such drugs. This thesis describes structure-function studies on four of the seven known human 5’-NTs. The focus of the work is on the substrate specificity and regulation of these enzymes. Inactive variants of the mitochondrial and cytosolic deoxynucleotidases and the cytosolic 5’-nucleotidase II were used to characterize the structural basis for their substrate specificity in high detail. Based on structures of the apoprotein and activator/activator+substrate complexes of cytosolic 5’-nucleotidase II, a mechanism for the allosteric activation of this enzyme was presented. In this mechanism, the activator induces a conformational change that involves conserved residues of the active site. The conformational change drastically increases the enzyme affinity for the phosphate moiety of the substrate.

The sphingolipids are a family of membrane lipids with only a structural role, influencing lipid bilayer properties, but they also act as effector molecules with essential roles in many aspects of cell biology. The sphingolipids ceramide, sphingosine and S1P have shown opposite effects: whereas ceramide and sphingosine usually inhibit proliferation and promote apoptotic responses to different stress stimuli, S1P is known to stimulate cell growth, and promote cell survival. Ceramide can be produced through the de novo synthesis pathway, and by membrane sphingomyelin hydrolysis catalyzed by sphingomyelinases. Both pathways can be activated by the pro-inflammatory cytokine TNFa. Because this cytokine has been shown to promote muscle loss and seems to be crucial in the development of cachexia, we hypothesized that the formation of ceramide, or a metabolite, can be involved in tumor-induced muscle wasting. We investigated the role of ceramide in the in vitro atrophic effects of TNFa on differentiated C2C12 myotubes, by using cell permeant ceramides and inhibitors of sphingolipid metabolism. We observed that TNFa atrophic effects, as evaluated by the reduction in myotube area, are mimicked by exogenous ceramides, supporting the idea that ceramide can participate in muscle atrophy. To verify if ceramide is a mediator of TNFa-induced atrophy, and to identify the metabolites potentially involved, we analyzed the effects of drugs able to block sphingolipid metabolism at different steps: the inhibition of de novo synthesis pathway was unable to restore myotube size in the presence of TNFa whereas the inhibitors of neutral sphingomyelinases reversed TNFa-induced atrophy. Moreover, an accumulation of ceramide and sphingosine induced pro-atrophic effects, whereas sphingosine-1-phosphate had a protective effect. These observations establish that in C2C12 myotubes, ceramide or other downstream metabolites such as sphingosine, produced by the neutral sphingomyelinase pathway in response to TNFa stimulation, participate in cell atrophy. To evaluate the in vivo role of sphingolipids, we treated BalbC mice carrying C26 adenocarcinoma woth Myriocin, an inhibitor of the de novo pathway of ceramide synthesis, that is able to deplete muscle tissue in all sphingolipids, was administered daily to the animals. This treatment partially protected animals against tumor-induced loss of body weight and muscle weight, without affecting the size of tumors. Moreover, myriocin treatment significantly reversed the decrease in myofiber size associated with tumor development, and reduced the expression of atrogenes Foxo3 and Atrogin-1, showing that it was able to protect against muscle atrophy. These results strongly suggest that ceramide, or a downstream sphingolipid metabolite, is involved in tumor-induced muscle atrophy. The sphingolipid pathway thus appears as a new potential target of pharmacological interventions aiming at protecting muscle tissue against atrophy.

Le paludisme est causé par l'infection et la destruction des érythrocytes par les parasites protozoaires appartenant au genre Plasmodium. Au cours de son développement dans l'érythrocyte,Plasmodium falciparum requiert la biosynthèse massive de membranes dont les principaux constituants lipidiques sont des phospholipides. La phosphatidylcholine (PC) et la phosphatidyléthanolamine (PE) représentent à elles deux environ 80 % des lipides membranaires et l'inhibition de leur biosynthèse est létale pour le parasite. La PC et la PE sont synthétisées par le parasite, principalement via les voies de novo dépendantes de la CDP-choline et de la CDP-éthanolamine (ou voies de Kennedy) en utilisant respectivement la choline et l'éthanolamine comme précurseurs. Ces travaux de thèse se focalisent sur les deux enzymes CTP:phosphocholine etCTP:phosphoéthanolamine cytidylyltransférase (PfCCT et PfECT, respectivement), catalysant les étapes limitantes des voies de Kennedy. Chez Plasmodium, les CCT et ECT possèdent deux domaines cytidylyltransférases (CT) portant l'activité catalytique, séparés par une longue région de liaison. Pour la CCT, cette duplication est retrouvée seulement chez trois organismes, tous faisant partie du phylumdes Apicomplexes : Babesia, Theileria et Plasmodium, alors que la présence de deux domaines CT estune caractéristique retrouvée chez toutes les ECT étudiées à ce jour. La première partie de ce travail de thèse concerne la caractérisation biochimique et l'inhibition la PfCCT Nous avons montré que les deux domaines CT de la PfCCT sont actifs à l'inverse de la PfECT pour laquelle seul le domaine CTN-terminal est catalytiquement actif. A la suite d'un criblage virtuel basé sur la structure de l'enzyme,nous avons identifié un composé princeps capable d'inhiber l'activité de la PfCCT in vitro, la synthèse de PC et la croissance parasitaire. Ce premier composé actif (haut µM) représente une base pour l'optimisation future de nouveaux composés plus efficaces. Dans la deuxième partie de cette thèse,nous avons déterminé le mécanisme catalytique, la spécificité de liaison des ligands et l'organisation structurale de la PfECT grâce à la combinaison d'approches biochimiques et biophysiques. L'ensemble des résultats présentés dans ce manuscrit apportent un éclairage important concernant le fonctionnement de ces deux cibles potentielles et constituent des étapes essentielles à l'élaboration d'une approche thérapeutique. / Malaria is caused by the infection and destruction of red blood cells by protozoan parasitesbelonging to the genus Plasmodium. During its intra-erythrocytic development, Plasmodiumfalciparum requires massive biosynthesis of membranes which are mainly composed of phospholipids.Phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) together represent about 80% of thetotal membrane lipids and inhibition of their biosynthesis leads to parasite death. PC and PE aresynthesized by the parasite's machinery mainly through the de novo CDP-choline and CDPethanolamine(Kennedy) pathways using respectively choline and ethanolamine as precursors. Thisstudy focuses on the rate limiting steps of these pathways catalyzed by CTP:phosphocholine andCTP:phosphoethanolamine cytidylytransferases (PfCCT and PfECT, respectively). In Plasmodiumspecies, both CCT and ECT contain two catalytic cores (CT domains) separated by a long linker.Interestingly, for CCT this feature is found only in three organisms, all from the phylum ofApicomplexa: Babesia, Theileria and Plasmodium, whereas the presence of two CT domains is ageneral feature in all ECTs known so far. The first part of this work consists in the biochemicalcharacterization of PfCCT and the investigation of its druggability. We showed that both PfCCT CTdomains are active and display similar kinetic parameters while only the N-terminal CT domain wasactive in PfECT. Subsequent to an in silico structure-based screening of compounds libraries, weidentified a PfCCT inhibitor able to inhibit PC synthesis as well as P. falciparum growth in vitro in thehigh µM range. This compound represents a first step toward the optimization of future more potentcompounds. In the second part of this study, we investigated the catalytic mechanism of PfECT anddeciphered its interactions with its ligands using biochemical, biophysical and structural approaches.Collectively, these results bring new insights into the biochemical and structural properties of thesetwo keys enzymes of the phospholipid metabolism in P. falciparum and pave the way for their futuredevelopment as potential drug target.

Les organophosphorés (OPs) sont des neurotoxiques. Leur décontamination est difficile et coûteuse. L’utilisation d’enzymes capables de les détoxifier est une solution élégante. Les enzymes bactériennes sont peu stables et chères à produire. Nous avons identifié des enzymes très résistantes, capable de biodégrader lentement ces composés. Nous avons alors développé une stratégie permettant d'améliorer l'activité de l'enzyme très stable en nous basant sur les enzymes les plus actives. Celle-ci fut améliorée de plus de 1000 fois envers ces insecticides. Enfin, nous avons analysé l'origine de ces améliorations et mis en évidence des concepts émergents dans l'évolution des enzymes. / Organophosphorus compounds are neurotoxic. Their decontamination is difficult and cost prohibitive. An appealing solution resides in the use of enzymes capable of degrading such compounds. Bacterial enzymes are poorly stable and expensive. We identified highly resistant enzymes capable of slowly biodegrading these compounds. We have developped a strategy allowing to increase the activity of our enzyme by using the similarities with the highly active enzymes. The activity was increased by a factor of 1000 against OPs. We analyzed the origins of these ameliorations and showed emergent concepts in enzyme evolution.

The structural determination of interacting proteins, both as individual proteins and in their complex, complemented by thermodynamical studies are vital in order to gain in-depth insights of the phenomena leading to the highly selective protein-protein interactions characteristic of numerous life processes. This thesis describes an investigation of the structural and thermodynamical basis for molecular recognition in two different protein-protein complexes, formed between so-called affibody proteins and their respective targets. Affibody proteins are a class of engineered binding proteins, which can be functionally selected for binding to a given target protein from large collections (libraries) constructed via combinatorial engineering of 13 surface-located positions of the 58-residue three-helix bundle Z domain derived from Staphylococcal protein (SPA). In a first study, an affibody:target protein pair consisting of the ZSPA-1 affibody and the parental Z domain, with a dissociation constant (Kd) of approximately 1 µM, was investigated. ZSPA-1 was in its free state shown to display molten globule-like characteristics. The enthalpy change on binding between Z and ZSPA-1 as measured by isothermal titration calorimetry, was found to be a non-linear function of temperature. This nonlinearity was found to be due to the temperature dependent folded-unfolded equilibrium of ZSPA-1 upon binding to the Z domain and, the energetics of the unfolding equilibrium of the molten globule state of ZSPA-1 could be separated from the binding thermodynamics. Further dissection of the binding entropy revealed that a significant reduction in conformational entropy resulting from the stabilization of the molten globule state of ZSPA-1 upon complex formation could be a major reason for the moderate binding affinity. A second studied affibody:target complex (Kd ~ 0.1 µM) consisted of the ZTaq affibody protein originally selected for binding to Taq DNA polymerase and the anti-ZTaq affibody protein, selected for selective binding to the ZTaq affibody protein, thus constituting an "anti-idiotypic" affinity protein pair. The structure of the ZTaq:anti-ZTaq affibody complex as well as the free state structures of ZTaq and anti-ZTaq were determined using NMR spectroscopy. Both ZTaq and anti-ZTaq are well defined three helix bundles in their free state and do not display the same molten globule-like behaviour of ZSPA-1. The interaction surface was found to involve all of the varied positions in helices 1 and 2 of the anti-ZTaq, the majority of the corresponding side chains in ZTaq, and also several non-mutated residues. The total buried surface area was determined to about 1670 Å2 which is well inside the range of what is typical for many protein-protein complexes, including antibody:antigen complexes. Structural rearrangements, primarily at the side chain level, were observed to take place upon binding. There are similarities between the ZTaq:anti-ZTaq and the Z:ZSPA-1 structure, for instance, the binding interface area in both complexes has a large fraction of non-polar content, the buried surface area is of similar size, and certain residues have the same positioning. However, the relative orientation between the subunits in ZTaq:anti-ZTaq is markedly different from that observed in Z:ZSPA-1. The thermodynamics of ZTaq:anti-ZTaq association were investigated by isothermal titration calorimetry. A dissection of the entropic contributions showed that a large and favourable desolvation entropy of non-polar surface is associated with the binding reaction which is in good agreement with hydrophobic nature of the binding interface, but as in the case for the Z:ZSPA-1 complex a significant loss in conformational entropy opposes complex formation. A comparison with complexes involving affibody proteins or SPA domains suggests that affibody proteins inherit intrinsic binding properties from the original SPA surface. The structural and biophysical data suggest that although extensive mutations are carried out in the Z domain to obtain affibody proteins, this does not necessarily affect the structural integrity or lead to a significant destabilization. / QC 20110118

The number of gene products available for structural and functional study is increasing at an unprecedented rate as a result of the successful whole genome sequencing projects. Systematic structure determination of proteins on a genomic scale, called structural genomics, can significantly contribute to the field of protein science and to functional annotation of newly identified genes. This thesis covers different aspects of protein production in Eschericiha coli for structural studies in the context of structural genomics. Protocols have been downscaled and standardized to allow for a rapid assessment of the production characteristics for multiple proteins in parallel under a number of different conditions. Foremost, the ability of different proteins and peptide tags to affect the solubility of the recombinant protein when produced as fusion proteins has been systematically studied. Large differences in the success-rate for production of soluble protein in E. coli were found depending on the fusion partner used, with a more than two-fold increase in the number of proteins produced as soluble when comparing the best and the poorest fusion tags. For different constructs with a histidine tag, commonly used to facilitate protein purification, large differences in yield depending on the design of the expression vector were found. When comparing different fusion proteins produced from identical expression vectors, fusions to the GB1 domain were found to result in the highest yield of purified target protein, on average 25 % higher than any of the other fusions. The suitability for further structural studies was tested at an intermediate scale for proteins that were identified as soluble in the expression screening. For this purpose, protocols for rapid purification and biophysical characterization using nuclear magnetic resonance and circular dichroism spectroscopy were developed and tested on 19 proteins, of which four were structured. / QC 20100826

Plus de 200 facteurs pré-ribosomiques sont impliqués dans la maturation des ribosomes. La majorité de ces facteurs sont essentiels à la survie cellulaire, mais la fonction précise de la plupart d’entre eux demeure inconnue. Une des dernières étapes de maturation de la petite sous-unité du ribosome est le clivage du pré-ARNr 20S en ARNr 18S mature. Ce clivage est réalisé par l'endonucléase Nob1 et nécessite également la présence de la NTPase Fap7 ainsi que d’une pléthore d’autres facteurs pré-ribosomiques. La fonction de Fap7 est particulièrement intrigante, car l'homologue humain hCINAP possède une activité adénylate kinase, activité enzymatique qui n’est généralement pas liée à la biogenèse des particules ribonucléoprotéiques. En outre, la fonction de Fap7 est intimement liée à son interaction avec la protéine ribosomique Rps14. La partie C-terminale de Rps14 est essentielle pour le clivage au niveau du site D et est située à proximité de l’extrémité 3’ de l’ARNr 18S dans le ribosome mature. La suppression de cette protéine provoque le syndrome 5q qui est phénotypiquement proche de l’anémie de Diamond-Blackfan. Ces deux protéines interviennent également au niveau d’une voie de régulation de p53 qui est dérégulée dans de nombreux cancers. La combinaison d’études structurales par cristallographie aux rayons X, d’études enzymatiques sur des protéines recombinantes ainsi que des tests de maturation in vitro réalisés sur des pré-ribosomes purifiés, nous a permis de mieux appréhender la fonction de Fap7 au sein de la sous-unité pré-40S du ribosome. Nous avons également montré que l'interaction Fap7-Rps14 est impliquée dans un changement conformationnel majeur au cœur des pré-ribosomes et que cette réorganisation est nécessaire afin d'exposer le site D pour le clivage par l’endonucléase Nob1. / Over 200 pre-ribosomal factors involved in the maturation of ribosomes. Most of these factors are essential to cell survival, but the precise function of most of these factors remains elusive. One of the last steps of maturation of the small subunit of the ribosome is the cleavage of 20S pre-rRNA in 18S rRNA in the cytoplasm. This cleavage is carried out by the endonuclease Nob1 and also requires the presence of other factors such as the methyltransferase Dim1, and a plethora of NTPases including the Rio protein kinases, Prp43 and its cofactor Pfa1, the Ltv1 GTPase and the Fap7 NTPase. The function of Fap7 is especially intriguing since the human homologue bears Adenylate activity, an enzymatic activity not usually linked to ribonucleoprotein biogenesis. In addition, the function of Fap7 is intimately linked its interaction with the Rps14 ribosomal protein. The Rps14 C-terminal is essential of D site cleavage and is located in proximity to the 18S C-terminus in the mature ribosome. The deletion of this protein causes the 5q syndrome that is phenotypically close to Diamond Blackfan anemia. The link between the enzymatic activity of Fap7 and its role in ribosome biogenesis remains enigmatic. Using a combination of structural studies by X-ray crystallography, small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) in solution, enzymatic studies on purified proteins, and in vitro D site cleavage reaction assays on purified pre-ribosomes, we were able to uncover the function of Fap7 within pre-40S ribosomes. We show that the Fap7/Rps14 interaction is involved in a major conformational change at the heart of the pre-ribosomes and that this structural rearrangement is necessary to expose the D-site for cleavage by the endonuclease Nob1.

Le cancer de la prostate représente la deuxième cause de décès liée au cancer. Des stratégies thérapeutiques ciblant des mécanismes moléculaires conduisant à la résistance doivent donc être développées. Une stratégie visant à améliorer les traitements du cancer de la prostate consiste à cibler les gènes qui sont activés lors de la disparition des androgènes, soit pour retarder ou empêcher l'émergence du phénotype de résistance à la castration. Le but de cette thèse est d'identifier et de développer des petites molécules inhibitrices ciblant des interactions protéine-protéine impliquées dans le cancer de la prostate. Cette thèse porte sur l'étude de deux protéines cruciales liées au cancer de la prostate, à savoir, la protéine de choc thermique de bas poids moléculaire (Hsp27) et la protéine TCTP. Nous avons validé deux composés ciblant TCTP en utilisant une chimiothèque dédiée à l'inhibition d'interaction protéine-protéine. Des tests fonctionnels sont actuellement mis au point pour évaluer la capacité de ces molécules à être proposées comme composés potentiels contre le cancer de la prostate. / Prostate Cancer (PCa) is one of most common malignancies, being the second leading cause among cancer-related death. Additional therapeutic strategies targeting molecular mechanisms mediating resistance must be developed because of the defects of docetaxel-based treatments. One strategy to improve therapies in advanced PCa involves targeting genes that are activated by androgen withdrawal, either to delay or prevent the emergence of the CR phenotype. The purpose of my thesis is to identify & develop small molecules inhibitors targeting PPIs involved in prostate cancer. we focuses on 2 crucial prostate cancer related proteins, namely, the small molecular weight Heat shock protein 27 (Hsp27) and the Translationally Controlled Tumor Protein (TCTP). We have validated 2 compounds targeting TCTP by using a "PPI Inhibitor-like" dedicated chemical library. Functional tests are now being developed to evaluate the capacity of such molecules to be proposed as potential compounds against prostate cancer.

Les sphingolipides sont une famille de lipides membranaires dotés d'un rôle structural, influant sur les propriétés de la bicouche lipidique, mais ils agissent aussi comme des molécules effectrices au rôle essentiel dans de nombreux aspects de la biologie cellulaire. Les sphingolipides céramide, sphingosine et S1P ont des effets opposés: le céramide et la sphingosine inhibent la prolifération et promeuvent la réponse apoptotique à différents stimulus de stress, la S1P est un stimulateur de la prolifération et de la survie cellulaires. Le céramide peut être produit par la voie de synthèse de novo, et l'hydrolyse de la sphingomyéline membranaire catalysée par les sphingomyélinases. Ces deux voies peuvent être activées par la cytokine pro-inflammatoire TNFa, capable d’induire une perte musculaire et jouant un rôle crucial dans le développement de la cachexie. Nous avons fait l'hypothèse que le céramide, ou un de ses métabolites, peuvent être des médiateurs de la perte musculaire tumeur-induite. Nous avons examiné le rôle du céramide dans l'atrophie induite in vitro par le TNFa chez les myotubes, en utilisant des analogues de céramide et des inhibiteurs du métabolisme sphingolipidique. L'apport de céramides exogènes est capable de reproduire l'effet atrophique du TNFa, ce qui suggère que le céramide peut participer à l'atrophie musculaire. Pour vérifier si les céramides sont les médiateurs de l'atrophie induite par le TNFa, nous avons analysé l'effet d'inhibiteurs ciblant différentes étapes du métabolisme: l'inhibition de la voie de synthèse de novo est incapable de rétablir la taille des myotubes en présence de TNFa, alors que les inhibiteurs de sphingomyélinase neutre suppriment l'atrophie TNFa-induite. L’accumulation de céramide et de sphingosine augmente l’effet pro-atrophique, tandis que la S1P a un effet protecteur. Ces observations montrent que, dans les myotubes, le céramide, ou un métabolite produits par la voie de la sphingomyélinase neutre en réponse à une stimulation par le TNFa, participent à l'atrophie des cellules. Pour évaluer le rôle in vivo des sphingolipides, nous avons traité la souris BalbC porteuse d’un carcinome C26 avec myriocine, inhibiteur de la synthèse de novo, capable d'induire une déplétion du muscle en sphingolipides, Ce traitement protège partiellement les souris contre la perte de poids corporel et de poids des muscles induite par la tumeur, sans affecter la taille de celle-ci. De plus, la myriocine réverse significativement la perte de taille des fibres musculaires et réduit l'expression des atrogenes, ce qui montre qu'elle protège le muscle contre l'atrophie. Ces résultats suggèrent fortement que le céramide, ou un métabolite sphingolipidique en aval, est impliqué dans l'atrophie musculaire tumeur-induite. La voie des sphingolipides apparaît donc comme une nouvelle cible potentielle d'interventions pharmacologiques visant à protéger le tissu musculaire contre l'atrophie. / The sphingolipids are a family of membrane lipids with only a structural role, influencing lipid bilayer properties, but they also act as effector molecules with essential roles in many aspects of cell biology. The sphingolipids ceramide, sphingosine and S1P have shown opposite effects: whereas ceramide and sphingosine usually inhibit proliferation and promote apoptotic responses to different stress stimuli, S1P is known to stimulate cell growth, and promote cell survival. Ceramide can be produced through the de novo synthesis pathway, and by membrane sphingomyelin hydrolysis catalyzed by sphingomyelinases. Both pathways can be activated by the pro-inflammatory cytokine TNFa. Because this cytokine has been shown to promote muscle loss and seems to be crucial in the development of cachexia, we hypothesized that the formation of ceramide, or a metabolite, can be involved in tumor-induced muscle wasting. We investigated the role of ceramide in the in vitro atrophic effects of TNFa on differentiated C2C12 myotubes, by using cell permeant ceramides and inhibitors of sphingolipid metabolism. We observed that TNFa atrophic effects, as evaluated by the reduction in myotube area, are mimicked by exogenous ceramides, supporting the idea that ceramide can participate in muscle atrophy. To verify if ceramide is a mediator of TNFa-induced atrophy, and to identify the metabolites potentially involved, we analyzed the effects of drugs able to block sphingolipid metabolism at different steps: the inhibition of de novo synthesis pathway was unable to restore myotube size in the presence of TNFa whereas the inhibitors of neutral sphingomyelinases reversed TNFa-induced atrophy. Moreover, an accumulation of ceramide and sphingosine induced pro-atrophic effects, whereas sphingosine-1-phosphate had a protective effect. These observations establish that in C2C12 myotubes, ceramide or other downstream metabolites such as sphingosine, produced by the neutral sphingomyelinase pathway in response to TNFa stimulation, participate in cell atrophy. To evaluate the in vivo role of sphingolipids, we treated BalbC mice carrying C26 adenocarcinoma woth Myriocin, an inhibitor of the de novo pathway of ceramide synthesis, that is able to deplete muscle tissue in all sphingolipids, was administered daily to the animals. This treatment partially protected animals against tumor-induced loss of body weight and muscle weight, without affecting the size of tumors. Moreover, myriocin treatment significantly reversed the decrease in myofiber size associated with tumor development, and reduced the expression of atrogenes Foxo3 and Atrogin-1, showing that it was able to protect against muscle atrophy. These results strongly suggest that ceramide, or a downstream sphingolipid metabolite, is involved in tumor-induced muscle atrophy. The sphingolipid pathway thus appears as a new potential target of pharmacological interventions aiming at protecting muscle tissue against atrophy.