Skin is the largest organ in the body that protects the organism from environmental, chemical and physical traumas of each passing day. The protective skin epidermal permeability barrier (EPB) is formed within the exterior layers of the epidermis, which are regularly sloughed off and repopulated by movement of inner cells. The epidermal permeability barrier is established during in utero development and maintained through lifetime. Impaired epidermal barrier formation is one of the major features of several dermatoses such as psoriasis and atopic dermatitis. Chicken ovalbumin upstream promoter transcription factor (COUP-TF)-interacting protein 2 (Ctip2), also known as Bcl11b, is a C���H��� zinc finger protein expressed in many organs and tissues. It has been shown to regulate the development of thymocyte, tooth and corticospinal motor neurons. Ctip2 is highly expressed in mouse epidermis during skin organogenesis and in adulthood. It is crucial for epidermal homeostasis and protective barrier formation in developing mouse embryos. Germline (Ctip2- null mice) and selective ablation of Ctip2 in mouse epidermis (Ctip2[superscript ep-/-] mice) leads to increased transepidermal water loss (TEWL), impaired epidermal proliferation and terminal differentiation as well as altered lipid distribution during embryogenesis. Sphingolipids account for ~50% of total skin lipids by weight and are crucial components of epidermal barrier. We have recently identified Ctip2 as a key regulator of skin lipid metabolism. Germline deletion of Ctip2 in mouse embryos leads to altered lipid composition in the developing mouse epidermis by modulating the expression levels of key enzymes involved in lipid metabolism (bio-synthesis and catabolism). We also demonstrated that Ctip2 is recruited to the promoter regions of several genes involved in the ceramide and sphingomyelin biosynthesis pathways and could directly regulate their expression. Thus, we have identified Ctip2 as a key regulator of several lipid metabolizing genes and hence epidermal sphingolipid biosynthesis during skin development. To study the role of Ctip2 in adult skin homeostasis, we have utilized Ctip2[superscript ep-/-] mouse model in which Ctip2 is selectively deleted in epidermal keratinocytes. We showed that keratinocytic ablation of Ctip2 leads to atopic dermatitis (AD)-like skin inflammation, characterized by alopecia, pruritus and scaling, as well as high infiltration of T lymphocytes and immune cells. We have also observed increased expression of Th2-type cytokines and chemokines in the mutant skin, as well as systemic immune responses that share similarity with human AD patients. Furthermore, we discovered that thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) expression is significantly upregulated in the mutant epidermis as early as postnatal day 1 and Ctip2 was recruited to the promoter region of the TSLP gene in mouse epidermal keratinocytes. The results suggest that upregulation of TSLP expression in the Ctip2[superscript ep-/-] epidermis could be due to a derepression of gene transcription in absence of Ctip2. Thus, our data demonstrated a cell-autonomous role of Ctip2 in barrier maintenance and epidermal homeostasis in adult skin, as well as a non-cell autonomous role of keratinocytic Ctip2 in suppressing skin inflammatory responses by regulating the expression of Th2-type cytokines in adult mouse skin. Present results establish an initiating role of epidermal TSLP in AD pathogenesis via a novel repressive regulatory mechanism mediated by Ctip2 in mouse epidermal keratinocytes. Altogether, our study indicates that Ctip2 could be involved in a diverse range of biological events in skin including barrier formation, maintenance and epidermal homeostasis. Ctip2 appears to be a master regulator in skin barrier functions by directly regulating the transcription of a subset of genes involved in lipid metabolism and inflammatory responses. / Graduation date: 2013

No description available.

The present study is aimed at examining the ability of Pichia pastoris to utilize acetate and amino acids as the sole sources of carbon. We demonstrate that the zinc finger transcription factor Mxr1p, which is a positive regulator of methanol metabolism, is also required for the growth of P. pastoris in media containing acetate or amino acids as the sole source of carbon. We have identified the target genes of Mxr1p in cells cultured in media containing acetate or amino acids as the sole carbon source. We conclude that Mxr1p is a global regulator of multiple metabolic pathways in P. pastoris.

Le virus de la panachure jaune du riz (virus RYMV pour Rice Yellow Mottle Virus) infecte principalement le genre Oryza et provoque d'importants dégâts sur les cultures de riz en Afrique. Bien que son génome soit rudimentaire, ce virus code des protéines essentielles pour son maintien chez l’hôte en dépit des mécanismes de défense de la plante. Les travaux récents de l’équipe ont permis d’identifier la protéine P1 codée par ce virus comme une protéine qui pourrait, grâce à sa propriété de suppresseur de RNA silencing, permettre au virus de contourner un mécanisme de défense essentiel de l’hôte et permettre au virus de perpétuer son cycle viral. Peu de données concernant les mécanismes d’action de la protéine P1 sont disponibles à ce jour. Le travail entrepris au cours de ma thèse a donc consisté à compléter les connaissances sur la biochimie de cette protéine, à définir sa structure tridimensionnelle et à mettre à jour sa localisation sub cellulaire afin de révéler des propriétés qui pourraient nous permettre non seulement de mieux comprendre comment cette protéine opère ses fonctions mais également de définir des méthodes de lutte adéquates contre ce virus. Ainsi, je montre que la protéine P1 constitue une nouvelle famille de protéine à doigt de zinc possédant une structure 3D inédite composée d’un premier domaine impliqué dans la dimérisation de la protéine et dans des interactions avec des ligands dont certains pourraient provenir de la plante hôte. Mon travail permet également d’identifier un deuxième domaine senseur de l’état redox au sein de la protéine qui lui permet probablement de sonder l’état de la plante pendant l’infection virale et d’adapter ses conformations pour assurer ses fonctions. Finalement, une approche par mutagénèse sur la protéine P1 assistée par la nouvelle structure 3D démontre qu’il est désormais possible d’identifier les résidus essentiels à la protéine pour sa participation dans l’infection virale. Ce travail ouvre donc de nombreuses perspectives pour de futures études de mécanistique sur ces domaines-clé de la protéine, ainsi que pour des études sur sa diversité génétique au sein des très nombreux isolats du virus RYMV en Afrique. / The virus of rice yellow mottle virus (RYMV for Rice Yellow Mottle Virus) mainly infects the genus Oryza and causes significant damage to rice crops in Africa. Although its genome is rudimentary, this virus code essential proteins for its maintenance in the host despite the defense mechanisms of the plant. Recent work by the team has identified the P1 protein encoded by the virus as a protein that could, through its ownership of RNA silencing suppressor, allow the virus to bypass an essential defense mechanism of the host and allow the virus to perpetuate its viral cycle. Little data on the mechanisms of action of the P1 protein is available to date. The work undertaken during my thesis was therefore to supplement the knowledge of the biochemistry of this protein, to define its three-dimensional structure and update its sub cellular localization to reveal properties that could enable us not only to understand how this protein works its functions but also to define methods of adequate response against the virus. Thus, I show that the P1 protein is a new zinc finger protein family having a unique 3D structure consisting of a first domain involved in the dimerization of the protein and in interactions with ligands some of which may originate from the plant host. My work also identifies a second sensor field in the redox state of the protein that probably allows him to probe the state of the plant during viral infection and adapt its conformation to conduct their duties. Finally, a mutagenesis approach to P1 assisted by the new 3D protein structure shows that it is now possible to identify critical residues in the protein for its participation in the viral infection. This work thus opens up many possibilities for future mechanistic studies on these key areas of the protein, as well as for studies of genetic diversity within many RYMV isolates of virus in Africa

Chez les eucaryotes, la maturation de l’extrémité 3’ des ARNs messagers a lieu lors de la transcription et regroupe deux étapes : le clivage endonucléolytique du transcrit au niveau d’un site spécifique et l’ajout d’une queue poly(A) sur le fragment en amont du site de clivage. Chez S. cerevisiae, le complexe de polyadénylation est formé par 20 protéines, regroupées principalement en deux sous-complexes : CF IA et CPF. Nous nous intéressons plus spécifiquement à Pcf11, sous-unité du complexe CF IA. Pcf11 est formé de sept sous-domaines, mais la fonction d’une grande partie de la protéine n’est pour l’instant pas connue. Par exemple, aucune fonction n’est associée à la région située entre le domaine d’interaction avec le CTD de l’ARN polymérase II (CID) et une répétion de 20 résidus glutamines. Récemment, la structure de ce domaine, appelé 2nd NTD a été décrite. Pour essayer de comprendre la fonction du 2nd NTD et des motifs liant le zinc encadrant le domaine d’interaction avec Clp1, nous avons mis en place une stratégie systématique de mutagénèse, soit par délétions, soit par mutations ponctuelles. Le 2nd NTD est formé de trois hélices α et interagit avec l’ARN. La délétion de ce domaine conduit à un phénotype de croissance lente chez la levure et un défaut de terminaison de transcription des snoRNAs. Malgré une similarité de structure et de fonction, le 2nd NTD présenterait une fonction indépendante. La fonction des motifs liant le zinc n’est pour l’instant pas connue. Cependant, la mutation de l’un de ces deux motifs conduit à un défaut de clivage et de polyadénylation in vitro. La mutation des deux motifs est létale chez la levure. / In eukaryotes, poly (A) tails are added to nuclear pre-mRNA 3'-ends in the two steps of cleavage and polyadenylation. This co-transcriptional processing requires the activity of a large protein complex comprising at least 20 different polypeptides in yeast organized primarily into the two factors CF IA and CPF. We are interested in the functional characterization of Pcf11, a CF IA subunit. The Pcf11 protein is organized into seven different domains, but here is still a large portion of the polypeptide that has not yet been characterized. For example the region from the end of the CTD interaction domain (CID) to an uninterrupted stretch of 20 glutamine residues has no known function. Recently, the structure of this region, called the 2nd NTD have been characterized. To gain insight into the function of the 2nd NTD and the two zinc fingers motif surrounding the Clp1 interaction domain, we have employed a systematic strategy of mutagenesis, either by deletion or via point mutations. The 2nd NTD is a folded domain composed of three α-helices. The deletion of this domain induced a severe defect of growth in yeast and impaired transcription termination of snoRNAs. Despite its similarity in structure and function with the CID, the 2nd NTD seems to act like an independent RNA binding domain. We don’t know yet the real function of the two zinc fingers motif at the C-terminal region of Pcf11, but the mutation of Cystein residues into serine of one of the two motifs impaired cleavage and polyadenylation. The mutation of the first motif is less harmful than the mutation of the second motif. The simultaneous mutation is lethal in yeast.

Argonaute proteins are small DNA/RNA-guided endonucleases found in all domains of life. In animals, small RNAs of length 21–35 nucleotides direct the PIWI-clade of Argonautes to silence complementary target RNAs; these are called PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs). During spermatogenesis in mice, piRNA-guided PIWI proteins, MIWI2, MILI, and MIWI, silence transposons, regulate expression of protein-coding genes and are necessary for fertility. A working endonuclease activity of MIWI and MILI is essential to complete spermatogenesis. Yet, both MIWI and MILI produce weak and slow target cleavage in vitro, thwarting biochemical examination of the silencing step. Here, we find that PIWI proteins require an auxiliary protein to efficiently cleave their targets, unlike any other known Argonaute. Gametocyte Specific Factor 1 (GTSF1) is a conserved zinc-finger protein essential for fertility and piRNA-directed silencing. We show GTSF1 accelerates the pre-steady-state rate of target cleavage by MIWI and MILI; this role of GTSF1 is also preserved in insects. A critical step in GTSF1 mechanism entails binding RNA. GTSF1 allowed detailed kinetic analyses of catalytic PIWIs: they require extensive 3′ complementarity between the guide and target to efficiently cleave them, but this base-pairing also limits turnover. Interestingly, within a species, different PIWI proteins have unique kinetic properties. In sum, our findings provide molecular mechanisms of GTSF1 function and target silencing by PIWIs as well as a useful method for future studies.

ZNF644 (Zinc Finger Protein 644) is a C2H2 zinc finger gene encoding a putative transcription regulator, of which a point mutation (S672G) is associated with inherited high myopia in humans. It is also described to be a partner of the G9a/GLP (G9a- euchromatic histone- lysine N-methyltransferase 2, EHMT2; GLP - euchromatic histone-lysine N-methyltransferase 1, EHMT1) complex, known for its essential role in histone methylation, specifically H3K9me1and H3K9me2. It was reported that another transcription factor, WIZ (Widely-Interspaced Zinc Finger-Containing Protein), can bind to this complex and cooperate in gene silencing simultaneously. In order to study Zfp644 impact on myopia, we generated a mouse model, Zfp644S673G that mimics human mutation. In addition, a mouse with a persuasive truncated form of the protein, Zfp644Δ8 was created. Both mouse models went through an examination of retinal function and morphology. Moreover, with use of ultrasonography, different ocular parameters were examined. We conclude, that Zfp644 gene is causative for myopia in mice. Further examinations of Zfp644Δ8 animals show severe symptoms in metabolism and female fertility. To describe the impact of Zfp644 in mouse fertility we performed various experiments including analysis of expression of Zfp644 in reproductive...

No description available.

La protéine Bcd1 est un facteur nucléaire essentiel à la viabilité cellulaire de la levure Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Il est décrit comme requis pour assurer la stabilité des snoRNA à boîtes C/D. Ces petits ARN non codants s’assemblent à un jeu de 4 protéines invariables pour former les snoRNP à boîtes C/D qui sont des acteurs cruciaux de la biogenèse des ribosomes. En effet, quelques-unes de ces particules participent aux mécanismes assurant la maturation du précurseur des ARN ribosomiques et la grande majorité des autres particules sont des catalyseurs de la modification par 2’-O-méthylation des riboses. Bcd1p n’est pas présente au sein des particules matures, mais fait partie de ses facteurs d’assemblage, au même titre que les sous-complexes Rsa1p:Hit1p et R2TP (Rvb1p:Rvb2p:Tah1p:Pih1p). Notre analyse de différents fragments de Bcd1p a dans un premier temps montré que sa région N-terminale (résidus 1 à 96) suffit à lui conférer son caractère essentiel. Cette région comprend un domaine à double doigt à zinc de la famille zf-HIT, également présent chez un autre facteur d’assemblage des snoRNP à boîtes C/D, la protéine Hit1. Nous avons résolu la structure 3D en solution de ces doigts à zinc et montré que ce sont des modules d’interaction avec les protéines Rvb1/2. Dans un second temps nous avons identifié la région C-terminale (résidus 120 à 303) de la protéine Bcd1 comme étant suffisante pour interagir avec la chaperonne d’histone Rtt106p. La structure 3D en solution de ce domaine a été déterminée par RMN. Différentes approches de cinétique d’échange hydrogène/deutérium et d’expériences de cross-link suivies par des analyses par spectrométrie de masse, des expériences de titrage par RMN et de SAXS nous ont permis d’obtenir des informations sur les surfaces d’interaction de chacune de ces deux protéines. Un fragment, défini à partir des données de RMN de Bcd1p libre, nous a permis d'obtenir des cristaux du complexe Bcd1p:Rtt106p ouvrant la perspective de résoudre sa structure 3D par diffraction aux rayons X. De plus, des études fonctionnelles ont débuté visant à déterminer l’importance de la formation de ce complexe sur la biogenèse des snoRNP à boîtes C/D et l’impact de Bcd1p sur l’interaction entre Rtt106p et les nucléosomes / The protein Bcd1 is a nuclear factor essential for the cellular viability of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. It is described as required to ensure box C/D snoRNA stability. These small non-coding RNAs associate with an invariable set of 4 proteins to form the box C/D snoRNPs that are crucial players in ribosome biogenesis. Indeed, some of these particles participate in mechanisms for the maturation of the ribosomal RNA precursor (prerRNA) and the vast majority of the other particles are catalysts of 2’-O-methylation of riboses. Bcd1p is not present in mature particles, but is one of the assembly factors in addition to the Rsa1p:Hit1p and R2TP (Rvb1p:Rvb2p:Tah1p:Pih1p) sub-complexes. Our analysis of the different Bcd1p fragments has firstly shown that the essential function of Bcd1p relies on its N-terminal region (residues 1 to 96). It comprises a double zinc finger domain from the zf-HIT family, also present in another box C/D snoRNP assembly factor, the protein Hit1. We solved the 3D solution structure of these two zinc fingers and showed that these are modules for the interaction of Bcd1p with the Rvb1/2 proteins. Secondly, we identified the C-terminal region (residues 120 to 303) of Bcd1p as being sufficient to interact with the histone chaperone Rtt106p. The 3D solution structure of this domain of Bcd1p was determined by NMR. Different approaches of hydrogen/deuterium kinetic exchange and cross-link experiments followed by mass spectrometry analysis, NMR titration, and SAXS allowed us to obtain information about the interaction surfaces on each of the two proteins. A fragment defined from NMR data on the free Bcd1p allowed us to obtain crystals of the Bcd1p:Rtt106p complex, opening the perspective to solve its 3D structure by X-ray diffraction. Furthermore, functional studies started in order to determine the importance of this complex formation in box C/D snoRNP biogenesis and the impact of Bcd1p on the interaction of Rtt106p with nucleosomes

No description available.