A anemia aplástica (AA) é uma doença hematológica rara caracterizada pela hipocelularidade da medula óssea, o que provoca pancitopenia. Esta pode ser de origem genética (associada a encurtamento telomérico) ou adquirida (não-associada a desgaste excessivo dos telômeros). Na forma adquirida, a ativação anormal de linfócitos T provoca a destruição das células hematopoéticas. O mecanismo que leva a essa destruição ainda não foi elucidado. Um dos tratamentos mais eficazes para repovoar a medula óssea hipocelular é o transplante com célulastronco hematopoéticas (CTHs). Porém, uma grande porcentagem de pacientes não se beneficia de nenhum tratamento, fazendo-se necessário o desenvolvimento de novas alternativas para terapia. A geração de células-tronco pluripotentes induzidas (iPSCs) a partir de células somáticas (reprogramação) representa uma ferramenta promissora para o estudo de doenças e para o desenvolvimento de possíveis terapias paciente-especificas, como transplantes autólogos. Neste trabalho, avaliamos a capacidade de reprogramação de fibroblastos e eritroblastos de pacientes com AA adquirida. Metodologias de reprogramação utilizando lentivírus ou plasmídeos epissomais não integrativos foram testadas em células de quatro pacientes e de um controle saudável. Eritroblastos dos quatro pacientes e do controle foram reprogramados utilizando os plasmídeos não integrativos. As iPSCs geradas apresentaram-se similares a células-tronco embrionárias quanto à morfologia, expressão dos marcadores de pluripotência OCT4, SOX2, NANOG, SSEA-4, Tra-1-60 e Tra-1-81, e capacidade de diferenciação in vitro em corpos embrioides (EBs). A dinâmica telomérica das células pré- e pós-reprogramação foi avaliada em diferentes passagens utilizando a técnica de flow-FISH. O comprimento telomérico foi aumentado nas iPSCs quando comparado às células parentais o que indica que a célula foi completamente reprogramada. No presente trabalho, células de pacientes com AA adquirida foram reprogramadas a um estado de pluripotência por meio de um método não integrativo. As iPSCs geradas serão essenciais para futuros ensaios de diferenciação hematopoética, o que poderá contribuir para o entendimento dos mecanismos envolvidos no desenvolvimento dessa doença. Além disso, a diferenciação dessas células livres de transgenes poderá servir como uma alternativa terapêutica para os pacientes com AA como, por exemplo, em transplantes autólogos / Aplastic anemia (AA) is a rare hematological disease characterized by bone marrow hypocellularity that leads to pancytopenia. Its origin can be genetic (associated with telomere shortening) or acquired (non-associated with telomere shortening). The acquired form exhibit T lymphocytes abnormal activation, which leads to hematopoietic cells destruction. The mechanisms behind this phenomenon are still unclear. One of the most effective treatments for hypocelullar bone marrow repopulation is hematopoietic stem cell (HSCs) transplantation. However, a large percentage of patients do not benefit from any of the available treatments. This highlights the need to develop new therapeutic strategies. The generation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from somatic cells (reprogramming) represents a powerful tool for disease modeling and for the development of patient-specific therapies such as autologous transplants. In this study, we evaluate the capacity of reprogramming acquired AA patients\' fibroblasts and erythroblasts. Reprogramming methods using lentivirus or non-integrative episomal plasmids were tested in four patients\' cells and in cells from one healthy donor. Erythroblasts from these four patients and healthy donor were reprogrammed using non-integrative plasmids. The iPSCs resembled human embryonic stem cells in morphology, in the expression of pluripotent markers such as OCT4, SOX2, NANOG, SSEA-4, Tra-1-60 and Tra-1-81, and in in vitro differentiation (capacity to form embryoid bodies). The telomere dynamics of the cells before and after reprogramming was assessed along passaging using flow-FISH. The telomere length in the iPSCs was increased when compared to the parental cells. Thus, acquire AA patients\' cells could be reprogrammed to a pluripotent state by a nonintegrative method. The iPSCs will be essential for future hematopoietic differentiation assays that could contribute to the understanding of the mechanisms involved in the disease development. Furthermore, the differentiation of transgene-free cells may serve as an alternative therapy for patients with AA such as autologous transplants

Orientador: Maria Isabel Nogueira Cano / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Biologia / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-23T08:15:57Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Perez_ArinaMarina_D.pdf: 16850057 bytes, checksum: c8339559e1407d1727e423826290d6c8 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013 / Resumo: LaRbp38 e uma proteína exclusiva de protozoários tripanosomatideos, entre os quais está os agentes etiológicos da leishmaniose, uma doença endêmica presente em diversas regiões do Brasil. LaRbp38 e codificada por um gene nuclear, que parece exercer diferentes funções nas maquinarias de replicação nuclear e mitocondrial. Foi primeiramente descrita como proteína estabilizadora de RNA mitocondrial e parece estar envolvida com a replicação de DNA mitocondrial. Em Leishmania, LaRbp38 também interage in vivo com DNA mitocondrial, com sequencias ricas em GT e com DNA telomerico simples e dupla fita. Nesta tese mostramos estudos que nos levaram a caracterizar novas propriedades estruturais e biológicas desta proteína. Na primeira parte da tese mostramos, que a LaRbp38 inteira e mutantes truncados da proteína são capazes de interagir com diferentes tipos de DNAs: DNA simples e dupla fitas telomericos e kDNA, porem com diferentes afinidades. Desta forma, foi possível mapear a vizinhança de um domínio de interação desta proteína aos diferentes tipos de DNA (DBD). Como este domínio não compartilha similaridade estrutural com nenhum domínio descrito em outras proteínas, isto sugere que este pode ser um novo domínio presente exclusivamente em tripanosomatideos. Estes resultados estão compilados no artigo entitulado: "Mapping the boundaries of the DNA-binding domain of Leishmania amzonensis Rbp38 (LaRbp38)". Na segunda parte da tese, mostramos a localização subcelular da proteína e como ela e capaz de translocar por diferentes compartimentos celulares utilizando um sinal de localização mitocondrial presente no N-terminal e um sinal de localização nuclear, presente no Cterminal da proteína. Embora a proteína esteja presente de forma mais abundante no cinetoplasto, e possível visualizá-la no núcleo quando o ciclo celular do parasita e sincronizado ou quando este e submetido a um estresse genotoxico. Baseado nesses achados também foram realizados ensaios de interação proteina-proteina, onde foi possível determinar a interação entre LaRbp38 e a proteína importina ?, uma proteína que esta diretamente ligada ao transporte de proteínas ao núcleo via NLS. Estes resultados também foram compilados em um artigo, que esta em fase de preparação, entitulado: "The protein LaRbp38 translocates between the nucleus and the kinetoplast in Leishmania (L.) amazonensis promastigotes". Outro estudo que realizamos para compreender a função da LaRbp38, o qual também esta na forma de um artigo: "LaRbp38 can form part of a shelterin-like complex in L.amazonensis telomeres", mostramos evidencias sobre a interação entre as proteínas LaRbp38 e a LaTRF de L.amazonensis. Aqui, uma analise in silico pela busca de motivos conservados em LaRbp38, nos levou a descobrir que esta proteína contem um motivo do tipo TRFH docking encontrado em proteínas telomericas que interagem com as proteínas da família das TRFs no complexo shelterina de vertebrados e mamíferos (ex: TIN2, PINX1 e APOLLO). Juntas, as TRFs e suas interatoras tem a função na manutenção dos telomeros. Sendo assim, utilizando ensaios de interação proteina-proteina, conseguimos mostrar que LaRbp38 interage fisicamente com a LaTRF, usando um motivo TRFH docking diferente daquele que foi primeiramente encontrado in silico. Nossos resultados mostram que a LaRbp38 interage com a LaTRF usando o motivo ALKTL, que compartilha similaridade de sequencia, com motivos descritos em proteínas interatoras de TRFs e bastante conservado entre as Rbp38 de tripanosomatideos. Estes resultados podem indicar que a LaRbp38 cumpre função análoga a uma das proteínas de vertebrados descritas como interatoras de TRFs, a proteína TIN2, que a exemplo de LaRbp38, também tem função nas mitocôndrias / Abstract: LaRbp38 is a trypanosomatid protein found exclusively in these protozoa, among which are the etiological agents of leishmaniasis, an endemic disease present in several regions of Brazil. LaRbp38 is a protein encoded by a nuclear gene, which probably plays different roles in both mitochondrial and nuclear replication machineries. It was first described as a mitochondrial RNA stabilizing protein involved in the replication of mitochondrial DNA. In Leishmania, LaRbp38 also interacts in vivo with mitochondrial DNA, GT-rich sequences and single- and double-stranded telomeric DNA. Here we show the results that led us to characterize some new biological and structural features of this protein. In the first part of the thesis we show that the entire LaRbp38 and its truncated mutants are able to interacts with different GT-rich DNAs and were possible to map the boundearies of a DNA-binding domain (DBD). This domain doesn't share any sequence or structural similarities with the domains described in other proteins suggesting that it could be a new domain present exclusively in trypanosomatids. These results are compiled in the article entitled: "Mapping the boundaries of the DNA-binding domain of Leishmania amzonensis Rbp38 (LaRbp38)." The second part of the thesis shows the subcellular localization of the protein and how it is able to translocate to different cellular compartments using an N-terminal mitochondrial localization signal (MLS) and a nuclear localization signal (NLS) present in the C-terminus of the protein. Although the protein is seem more abundantly in the mitochondria associated with kinetoplast DNA, its nuclear localization seems to be cell cycle dependent and enhanced at the end of S phase or when parasites are subjected to genotoxic stress. In order to confirm that the protein is able to translocate to the nucleus, we used different in silico approaches. The results strongly suggest the existence of a non-classical and also non-bipartite NLS at the C-terminus of LaRbp38. Based on these findings we did protein-protein interaction assays and verified that LaRbp38 can associate in vitro with importin ?, which is directly linked to protein transport to the nucleus via a NLS. These results were also compiled in an article, which is in preparation, entitled: The LaRbp38 protein translocates between the nucleus and the kinetoplast in Leishmania amazonensis promastigotes. Another study that was carried out and present in the third part of the thesis shows evidence about the interaction between LaRbp38 and the telomeric L.amazonensis LaTRF protein. These results are presented as an article entitled: "LaRbp38 can form part of a shelterina-like complex in L.amazonensis telomeres," Here, an in silico analysis search for conserved motifs in LaRbp38, showed that this protein contains a motif, the TRFH-docking-like typically found in proteins that associate with the TRF paralogue proteins (TRF1 and TRF2) in the shelterin complex of vertebrates and mammallian telomeres (eg.TIN2, PINX1 and APOLLO). TRFs and their interactors work together to regulate the dynamics of telomeric chromatin and telomere length maintenance. By using protein-protein interaction assays we show that LaRbp38 physically interacts with LaTRF. This interaction, however, seems to occurs via a new TRFH docking motif, which is different from the conserved core motif [FY]xLxP. This new TRFH-docking-like motif (ALKTL) aligns and share similarities with the TRH-docking motif described in the shelterin protein TIN2. This motif is also very conserved among the Rbp38 orthologues of other trypanosomatids. Curiously, TIN2 is a telomeric protein that shows nuclear and mitochondrial localization / Doutorado / Genetica de Microorganismos / Doutora em Genética e Biologia Molecular

Les chromosomes linéaires se terminent par des régions particulières, les télomères, qui assurent l'intégrité et la stabilité du génome. Chez les eucaryotes, les télomères déterminent également le potentiel de prolifération de cellules en déclenchant la sénescence réplicative. Ce signal se produit lors du raccourcissement des télomères en l'absence de la télomérase. Chez Saccharomyces cerevisiae, il est probablement médié par le premier télomère de la cellule qui atteint une taille courte critique. Ce télomère raccourci, active ensuite une réponse de dommage à l’ADN. Comment la signalisation est modulée en termes de structure et du contexte télomérique est largement inconnue. Au cours de ma thèse, j’ai cherché à comprendre l'influence de l'environnement chromatinien sur le signal de la sénescence à partir du télomère le plus court. La comparaison de deux souches dans lesquelles le télomère le plus court contient les éléments sous-télomériques naturels ou non, nous montre qu'une région sous-télomérique comprenant un élément X s'oppose à la mise en place de la sénescence. Cet effet n'est probablement pas dû à des différences de réparation par récombinaison homologue dépendante de Rad51 aux deux types de télomères. De plus, la transcription de TERRA est induite dans les deux types de télomères courts, bien que les niveaux soient plus élevés en l'absence d'éléments sous-télomériques naturels. Ensemble, ces résultats démontrent que la transcription à partir d'une région proximale du télomère augmente considérablement lorsque le télomère le plus court atteint une taille critique, indépendamment de la présence d'un sous-télomère natif ou d’un promoteur TERRA dédié. Cette transcription au télomère court est similaire à la transcription trouvée aux cassures double-brin chez d'autres organismes. / Linear chromosomes end with special regions, the telomeres, which ensure the integrity and the stability of the genome. In eukaryotes, telomeres also determine cell proliferation potential by triggering replicative senescence. This occurs upon telomere shortening in the absence of telomerase. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, it is likely mediated by the first telomere in the cell that reaches a critically short length. This shortened telomere subsequently activates a DNA-damage-like response. How the signaling is modulated in terms of telomeric structure and context is largely unknown. During my thesis, I aimed at understanding the influence of the chromatin environment on the senescence signal starting at the shortest telomere. By comparing two sets of strains in which the shortest telomere either harbors naturally occurring subtelomeric elements or lacks these elements altogether, we show that a subtelomeric region comprising an X element counteracts the establishment of senescence. This effect is likely not due to differential Rad51-mediated homology directed repair activities at both types of telomeres. Furthermore, TERRA transcription is induced at both types of critically short telomeres, although levels are elevated in the absence of natural subtelomeric elements. Together, our results demonstrate that transcription from a telomere-proximal region greatly increases when the shortest telomere reaches a critical length, regardless of the presence of a native subtelomere or a dedicated TERRA promoter. This transcription at short telomere is intriguingly reminiscent of the transcripts found at double-strand breaks in other organisms.

La protéine télomérique TRF2 permet de protéger les télomères notamment en régulant leur taille. Dans des cellules humaines, la surexpression de la protéine mutante TRF2ΔB, dont le domaine basique est absent, induit un raccourcissement soudain des télomères. In vitro, ce domaine basique protège des structures d’ADN particulières, appelées Jonctions de Holliday (JH), de la résolution par des endonucléases. Ces JH peuvent être présentes aux télomères d’une part au niveau de la boucle télomérique, une conformation de l’ADN qui ressemble à une structure intermédiaire de la recombinaison homologue (RH), et d’autre part au niveau des fourches de réplication bloquées, fréquentes aux télomères. Nous pensons que le raccourcissement soudain des télomères implique la résolution de JH au cours d’un événement de recombinaison homologue qui doit être étroitement régulé afin d’éviter qu’il ne se réalise de façon inappropriée. Dans le but de mieux caractériser cet événement, j’ai montré que différentes endonucléases capables de résoudre des JH (GEN1, MUS81, SLX1-SLX4) sont impliquées dans le raccourcissement des télomères induit par la surexpression de la protéine TRF2ΔB. Puis j’ai étudié le rôle de la protéine hRAP1 dans la régulation de ce mécanisme et l’implication des protéines de la RH. L’ensemble des résultats obtenus nous ont permis de proposer un nouveau rôle de la protéine TRF2 dans la régulation des événements de recombinaison homologue au cours de la réplication des télomères. / The stability of mammalian telomeres depends upon TRF2 which prevents inappropriate repair and checkpoint activation. In human cells, overexpressing a TRF2 mutant lacking the N-terminal basic domain, TRF2ΔB, induces sudden telomere shortening. In vitro, the basic domain protects particular DNA structures, called Holliday junctions (HJ), of the resolution by endonucleases. These HJ may be present at telomeres in one hand at the t-loop, a DNA conformation looking like a structural intermediate of homologous recombination (HR), and also at the level of stalled replication forks, frequent at telomeres. We believe that the sudden shortening of telomeres involves the resolution of HJ during a HR event that would be tightly regulated to prevent it occurs inappropriately. In order to better characterize this event, I have shown that different proteins harbouring resolving activities (GEN1, MUS81, SLX1-SLX4) are involved in telomere shortening induced by overexpression of TRF2ΔB. Then, I studied the role of hRAP1 in the regulation of this mechanism and involvement of HR proteins. The overall results allowed us to propose a new role of TRF2 in the regulation of HR events during the replication of telomeres.

Les télomères sont des structures nucléoprotéiques protégeant l’extrémité des chromosomes de la dégradation et assurant la réplication de l’ADN terminal. En effet, de nombreuses protéines de réplication sont impliquées dans le maintien de ces structures, comme le complexe RPA (Replication Protein A). Ce complexe très conservé chez les eucaryotes se fixe à l’ADN simple brin et est impliqué dans la réplication, les mécanismes de recombinaison et la réparation de l’ADN. Chez S.pombe, la mutation ponctuelle de la sous-unité RPA1 (Rpa1-D223Y) provoque le raccourcissement des télomères. Dans cette étude, nous montrons que cette mutation provoque l’accumulation de structures aberrantes de haut poids moléculaire aux télomères corrélant avec une présence persistante de Polα aux télomères suggérant une accumulation de structures sur le brin riche en G. Nous avons pu mettre en évidence que la surexpression d’hélicases de la famille Pif1 incluant S.cerevisiae Pif1 et PIF1 humain ainsi que Pfh1 (S.pombe) sont capable de restaurer une longueur de télomères sauvage dans mutant rpa1-D223Y. Ces résultats suggèrent que RPA pourrait empêcher l’accumulation de G4 au niveau du brin retardé télomérique afin de faciliter l’élongation des télomères par la télomérase. De plus, des expériences in vitro ont montré que la mutation correspondante de RPA1 humain réduisait spécifiquement l’affinité de RPA pour le simple brin télomérique humain dans les conditions ou il forme des G4.Enfin l’étude de la stabilité de séquences répétées formant des G4 (minisatellite CEB25), chez S.pombe, a permis de renforcer l’hypothèse selon laquelle RPA pourrait empêcher la formation ou aiderait à la résolution de G4. / Telomeres are nucleoprotein structures that protect chromosome ends from degradation and ensure replication of the terminal DNA. In fact, many of replication proteins are involved in telomere maintenance, like RPA (Replication Protein A). RPA is a highly conserved heterotrimeric single-stranded DNA-binding protein involved in DNA replication, recombination and repair. In S. pombe a mutation in the largest RPA subunit (Rpa1-D223Y) leads to substantial telomere shortening. In this study, we found that the D223Y mutation leads to the accumulation of aberrant secondary structures at telomeres. The presence of these secondary DNA structures correlates with a high association of Polα with telomeres suggesting that this mutation impairs lagging strand (G-rich) telomere replication. Strikingly, heterologous expression of the budding yeast Pif1 known to efficiently unwind G-quadruplex, human PIF1 and Phf1 (homolog of Pif1 in S.pombe) rescue the telomeric length defects of the D223Y cells. Furthermore, in vitro data show that the identical D to Y mutation in human RPA specifically affects its ability to bind G-quadruplex. We propose that RPA prevents the formation of G-quadruplex structures at lagging strand telomeres to facilitate telomerase action at telomeres. Furthermore, the study, in S.pombe, of the stability of G-rich repeat sequences (minisatellite CEB25) as known to form G4 enforce the hypothesis that RPA can prevents the formation of G4 or helps to solve this structure.

Les télomères sont des structures spécifiques nucléoprotéiques localisées aux extrémités des chromosomes. Ils protègent les chromosomes contre la dégradation, les recombinaisons et les fusions et permettent qu’ils ne soient pas reconnus comme des cassures à l’ADN. Ils sont composés d'ADN télomérique, constitué de répétitions de la séquence TTAGGG, qui se prolonge par une extrémité 3’ simple brin, et de six protéines télomériques dont la protéine TRF2 qui sont indispensables au maintien de l’intégrité des télomères. Le brin riche en guanines est capable, en présence de cations monovalents, de se replier sur lui- même en une structure à quatre brins, la structure G-quadruplexe. Sa stabilisation par des ligands est une stratégie anti-tumorale car elle provoque des perturbations télomériques conduisant à la mort des cellules cancéreuses. Comme les télomères sont des séquences riches en guanines, ils peuvent aussi constituer une cible potentielle des complexes de platine. Notre objectif consiste à augmenter le ciblage des télomères en associant au sein de la même molécule, un ligand de structure G-quadruplexes qui reconnaitrait ces structures avec un atome de platine qui les bloquerait ensuite irréversiblement. La tolyl-terpyridine-Pt(II), (Pt-ttpy) a été conçue dans ce but. Elle stabilise et se fixe irréversiblement sur les structures G-quadruplexe in vitro. Nous avons analysé les perturbations télomériques induites par ce ligand de G-quadruplexes (Pt-ttpy) en comparaison avec des complexes qui ne stabilisent pas ces structures (terpyridine-Pt(II) ou Pt-tpy, et le cis-platine drogue anti-tumorale utilisée en chimiothérapie) et quantifié le nombre de complexes fixés au niveau des télomères. Nous avons travaillé sur deux lignées cancéreuses d’ovaire sensibles et résistantes au cis-platine (A2780 A2780-cis) et une lignée non-cancéreuse BJ-hTERT. Les complexes Pt-ttpy et Pt-tpy inhibent la prolifération cellulaire des cellules cancéreuses à des doses de l’ordre du µM et ne montrent aucune résistance croisée avec le cis-platine. Nos résultats obtenus par ChIP et immunofluorescence montrent sans ambiguïté que Pt-ttpy délocalise 50% de protéine TRF2 des télomères uniquement des cellules cancéreuses et augmente les dommages au niveau de l’ADN télomérique par rapport aux complexes qui ne sont pas des ligands de G-quadruplexes, sans pour autant induire un raccourcissement des télomères. Donc l’association d’un ligand de G-quadruplexes avec un atome de platine au sein d’une même molécule permet de cibler préférentiellement les télomères des cellules cancéreuses par rapport au complexe de platine seul. Cependant, les perturbations télomériques induites par Pt-ttpy n’ont pas été augmentées par rapport aux meilleurs ligands de G-quadruplexes connus. De façon intéressante, et pour la première fois dans la littérature, nous avons montré que nos deux complexes Pt-ttpy, Pt-tpy ciblent directement les télomères des cellules cancéreuses puisqu’ils s’y fixent. Ils augmentent la préférence de fixation à l’ADN télomérique/l’ADN génomique d’un facteur 15 par rapport au cis-platine. Cette préférence de fixation semble indépendante de la reconnaissance de structures G-quadruplexes mais semble plutôt dépendre de la nature des complexes de platine. D’autre part, à cause de la faible quantité de complexes retrouvée au niveau des télomères, leur fixation aux télomères ne peut être responsable, à elle seule, la délocalisation de TRF2, suggérant que le déplacement de TRF2 des télomères n’est pas dû un empêchement physique mais plutôt à une réponse biologique. Ainsi, nos travaux montrent que les molécules hybrides ligands de structure G-quadruplexes-Pt(II) sont une stratégie intéressante pour ciblage des télomères des cellules cancéreuses. Ceci ouvre la voie au développement de nouveaux complexes dont le facteur de préférence pour l’ADN télomérique et également la quantité de complexe fixée au niveau de l’ADN télomérique seraient augmentés par rapport à Pt-ttpy / Telomeres are specialized nucleoprotein complexes located at the end of chromosomes. They protect chromosomes from degradation, recombination and telomeric fusions and avoid them to be recognized as DNA breaks. They are composed of telomeric DNA consisting of repetitions of the sequence TTAGGG, which is extended by a 3 'single-stranded DNA, and of six telomeric proteins which TRF2 protein, that are essential to the maintenance of the integrity of telomeres. The guanine-rich strand is able to fold, in the presence of monovalent cations, in a four stranded structure, the G-quadruplexes. The stabilization of these structures is a promising anticancer strategy because it induces telomeric perturbations leading to cancer cell death. As telomeres are rich in guanines, they are potential targets for platinum complexes. Our aim is to increase the targeting of telomeres by associating within the same molecule, a ligand of G-quadruplex which stabilizes these structures with a platinum atom which then, will irreversibly block these structures. The tolyl-terpyridin-Pt(II) (Pt-ttpy) has been designed in this aim. It stabilizes and binds irreversibly to the G-quadruplex structures in vitro. We anlysed the telomeric perturbations induced by this G-quadruplex ligand (Pt-ttpy) in comparison with complexes which do not stabilize these structures (terpyridin-Pt(II) or Pt-tpy and cisplatin, an anti-tumor widely drug used in chemotherapy) and quantified the number of complexes bound to telomeres. We used two ovarian cancer cells lines, sensitive and resistant to cisplatin (A2780 and A2780-cis), and a non-cancer cell line (BJ-hTERT). Pt-ttpy and Pt-tpy inhibit cancer cell proliferation in doses at the µM range and show no cross-resistance with cisplatin. Our results, obtained by ChIP and immunofluorescence experiments, show that Pt-ttpy delocalize 50% of protein TRF2 from telomeres of cancer cells and increases the damage to telomeric DNA compared to the complexes that are not ligands of G quadruplexes, without inducing telomere shortening. Therefore, the association of a G-quadruplex ligand to a platinum atom within the same molecule allows to preferentially targeting telomeres of cancer cells compared to the platinum complex alone. However, telomeric perturbations induced by Pt-ttpy were not increased compared to the best known G-quadruplex ligands. Interestingly, and for the first time in the literature, we have shown that Pt-ttpy, Pt-tpy complexes directly target cancer cells since they bind irreversibly to them. They increase the preference of binding to telomeric DNA versus genomic DNA by a factor of 15 compared to cisplatin. This preference seems independent of the recognition of G-quadruplex structures but seems to depend on the nature of platinum complexes. On the other hand, because of the small amount of complexes bound to telomeres, their binding to telomeres cannot be at the origin, alone, of the delocalization of TRF2 from telomeres, suggesting that delocalization of telomeric TRF2 is not due to a physical impediment but rather to a biological response. Our work shows that the hybrid molecules G-quadruplex ligands-Pt (II) are an interesting strategy for targeting telomere of cancer cells. Therefore, it will be interesting to develop new complexes which would increase the preference for telomeric DNA and also the amount of platinum bound to telomeric DNA compared to Pt-ttpy

Eines der charakteristischen Merkmale des Neuroblastoms stellt seine einzigartige biologische Heterogenität dar, die eine genaue Ausage des weiteren klinischen Verlaufes stark erschwert. Bestimmte prognostisch wirksame klinische, molekularbiologische und genetische Faktoren, wie zum Beispiel Alter bei Erstdiagnose, Tumorstadium, MYCN-Amplifikation und 1p Deletion, werden seit längerem zur Risikostratifizierung genutzt. Bereits in anderen Tumorerkrankungen konnte nun der Einfluß einer Telomerlängenveränderung auf das Gesamtüberleben von Patienten nachgewiesen werden. Telomere sichern die genomische Integrität und bestimmen maßgeblich die proliferative Kapazität jeder somatischen Zelle. Aktuelle Forschungsergebnisse legen die Vermutung nahe, dass Veränderungen der Telomerlänge auch in Neuroblastomen einen prognostischen Effekt auf das Gesamtüberleben haben. In diesem Kontext untersucht die vorliegende Arbeit den Zusammenhang zwischen Telomerlänge und Gesamtüberleben in 420 MYCN nicht-amplifizierten primären Neuroblastomen mit Erstdiagnosen von 1983-2001. Hierfür wurden die relativen Telomerlängen mithilfe einer neu etablierten monochromen multiplex q-RT-PCR ermittelt. Anschließend wurden diese sowohl mit ausgesuchten klinischen Variablen (Alter bei Erstdiagnose, Tumorstadium, Primärlokalisation des Tumors, Histologie, Geschlecht und Rezidivauftreten) korreliert als auch auf ihren Einfluß auf das Gesamt- und ereignisfreie Überleben untersucht. In Korrelation mit den klinischen Parametern konnte zwischen Alter bei Erstdiagnose und Telomerlänge ein eindeutiger Zusammenhang nachgewiesen werden. Je älter die Patienten bei Erstdiagnose, desto höher war sowohl der Anteil verlängerter Telomere als auch der extremer Telomerlängenveränderungen. Neuroblastome mit verlängerten Telomeren zeigten in der gleichen Altersgruppe ein verringertes Gesamtüberleben der betroffenen Patienten verglichen mit Neuroblastomen mit verkürzten Telomeren. Somit könnte eine Telomerlängenveränderung, insbesondere verlängerte Telomere, im klinischen Alltag als Hinweis auf einen prognostisch ungünstigen Verlauf genutzt werden.

Oxidative stress caused by excess reactive oxygen species (ROS) accelerates telomere erosion and mitochondrial injury, leading to impaired cellular functions and cell death. Whether oxidative stress-mediated telomere erosion induces mitochondrial injury, or vice versa, in human T cells—the major effectors of host adaptive immunity against infection and malignancy—is poorly understood due to the pleiotropic effects of ROS. Here we employed a novel chemoptogenetic tool that selectively produces a single oxygen (1O2) only at telomeres or mitochondria in Jurkat T cells. We found that targeted 1O2 production at telomeres triggered not only telomeric DNA damage but also mitochondrial dysfunction, resulting in T cell apoptotic death. Conversely, targeted 1O2 formation at mitochondria induced not only mitochondrial injury but also telomeric DNA damage, leading to cellular crisis and apoptosis. Targeted oxidative stress at either telomeres or mitochondria increased ROS production, whereas blocking ROS formation during oxidative stress reversed the telomeric injury, mitochondrial dysfunction, and cellular apoptosis. Notably, the X-ray repair cross-complementing protein 1 (XRCC1) in the base excision repair (BER) pathway and multiple mitochondrial proteins in other cellular pathways were dysregulated by the targeted oxidative stress. By confining singlet 1O2 formation to a single organelle, this study suggests that oxidative stress induces dual injury in T cells via crosstalk between telomeres and mitochondria. Further identification of these oxidation pathways may offer a novel approach to preserve mitochondrial functions, protect telomere integrity, and maintain T cell survival, which can be exploited to combat various immune aging-associated diseases.

Schizophrenia spectrum disorders are characterized by symptom profiles consisting of positive and negative symptoms, cognitive impairment, and a plethora of genetic, epigenetic, and phenotypic biomarkers. Assorted animal models of these disorders and clinical neurodevelopmental indicators have implicated neurodegeneration as an element in the underlying pathophysiology. Physical exercise or activity regimes—whether aerobic, resistance, or endurance—ameliorate regional brain and functional deficits not only in affected individuals but also in animal models of the disorder. Cognitive deficits, often linked to regional deficits, were alleviated by exercise, as were quality-of-life, independent of disorder staging and risk level. Apoptotic processes intricate to the etiopathogenesis of schizophrenia were likewise attenuated by physical exercise. There is also evidence of manifest benefits endowed by physical exercise in preserving telomere length and integrity. Not least, exercise improves overall health and quality-of-life. The notion of scaffolding as the outcome of physical exercise implies the “buttressing” of regional network circuits, neurocognitive domains, anti-inflammatory defenses, maintenance of telomeric integrity, and neuro-reparative and regenerative processes.

Les télomères garantissent la stabilité des extrémités chromosomiques. Une défaillance de protection entraine l’apparition de chromosomes dicentriques (c-à-d. possédant deux centromères) instables en mitose. La présence de chromosomes dicentriques est donc une source de mutagénèse et une menace pour la viabilité des cellules. Chez Saccharomyces cerevisiae, les dicentriques issus d’une fusion de télomères cassent préférentiellement à la fusion. Ce processus inexpliqué permet la régénération d’un caryotype normal et protège les chromosomes des conséquences néfastes d’une fusion accidentelle de leurs extrémités. Ce manuscrit explore les mécanismes moléculaires de cette voie de secours. La haute affinité de Rap1, pour ses sites consensus en tandem ou pour des séquences télomériques est suffisantes pour former un point chaud de cassure des chromosomes dicentriques. Une protéine hétérologue ayant aussi une haute affinité fixation pour sa séquence mime la présence de fusions de télomères, montrant que la forte affinité d’une protéine pour ses sites en tandem suffit à créer un point chaud. En l’absence de séquence télomérique interne, les chromosomes dicentriques cassent plutôt aux régions péricentromériques. Ces positions de cassure dépendent d’une force générée par les Condensines capable de relocaliser rapidement les centromères des chromosomes dicentriques au site de cytodiérèse avant leur cassure. De plus, le repliement des chromosomes dicentriques dépendant des Condensines est également nécessaire à une cassure préférentielle aux séquences fixant Rap1. En anaphase, ces séquences forment aussi un isolateur capable de séparer deux domaines chromosomiques. Ainsi, les télomères fusionnés sont secourus par un mécanisme qui favorise une capture des fusions et des régions péricentromériques par le septum dépendant de la conformation des chromosomes dirigées par les Condensines et par Rap1, Ces résultats suggèrent que les séquences télomériques fixant Rap1 bloquent l’extrusion de boucles par Condensine. De plus ce travail propose un nouvel outil pour l’étude de la condensation in vivo. Il montre également que la cassure des chromosomes dicentriques survient pendant la septation et que cytodiérèse n’est pas ralentie par la présence d’un pont de chromatine. / Telomeres ensure chromosome end stability. Failure to do so would lead to chromosome end fusions and the formation dicentric chromosomes (i.e. chromosomes with two centromeres) that are unstable in mitosis. Dicentrics are a threat to cell viability and a source of extensive mutagenesis. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, dicentrics formed by telomere fusion preferentially break at the fusion. This unexplained process allows the recovery of a normal karyotype and protects the genome from the detrimental consequences of accidental telomere fusions. Here, I address the molecular basis of this rescue pathway. Simple tandem arrays tightly bound by the telomere factor Rap1 or a heterologous high-affinity DNA binding factor are sufficient to establish breakage hotspots, mimicking telomere fusions within dicentrics. I also adress the mechanism allowing breakage at pericentromeric regions when dicentric do not bear telomeric sequences. During anaphase, Condensins generate forces sufficient to rapidly relocalize the centromeres to the bud neck and refold dicentrics prior their breakage by cytokinesis. This relocalisation is essential for breakage at pericentromeres. Moreover Condensin-dependent refolding is essential to the preferential breakage at telomere fusions, more generally at Rap1-bound arrays and which delimit insulated chromosomal domains. Thus, the rescue of fused telomeres results from a Condensin- and Rap1-driven chromosome conformation that favours fusion entrapment where the septum closes. These results suggest that Rap1-bound telomere sequences stall loop-extrusion by Condensins. In addition, this work provides a new and direct way to monitor Condensin activity on chromatin in live cells. It also shows that dicentric chromosomes are broken during septation and that cytokinesis is not delayed by chromatin bridges.