La mort cellulaire programmée est un processus par lequel les cellules participent activement à leur propre mort. Ce mécanisme est très important au niveau du développement et de la survie de tous les organismes et est régulé par une panoplie de protéines. Parmi les protéines régulatrices figurent la protéine ±Bax Inhibitor-1¿ que l'on retrouve autant chez les cellules animales que végétales. Cette protéine est surtout connue et identifiée par son effet inhibiteur de l'action de la protéine Bax, protéine principalement retrouvée dans les cellules animales qui, lorsque surexprimée, active la mort cellulaire. L'analyse des séquences d'acides aminés de BI-1 provenant de cinq différentes espèces de plantes suggère l'existence de sept domaines transmembranaires avec la présence de résidus chargés dans certains domaines ce qui laisse supposer des interactions avec d'autres molécules. / D'un autre côté, le haut niveau de conservation de l'extrémité C-terminale à travers l'évolution dénote son importance fonctionnelle potentielle. Suite à ces constatations, l'étude de la relation entre la structure et la fonction de la protéine BI-1 a été entreprise afin d'identifier des sites potentiellement importants dans la séquence de la protéine BI-1 qui lui permet de contrer l'action de Bax. Nous avons démontré, par délétion graduelle de l'extrémité C-terminale, que cette région est importante pour la fonction de BI-1. Cette extrémité délètée, d'aussi peu que quatre acides aminés, modifie la fonction de la protéine et une délétion de onze acides aminés abolit complètement son effet cytoprotecteur. Nous avons aussi établi, par mutagenèse dirigée, que deux acides aminés chargés sur quatre dans le septième domaine transmembranaire sont importants pour la fonction de BI-1. Finalement, nous avons proposé, suite à l'étude par mutagenèse aléatoire, l'importance possible du cinquième domaine transmembranaire dans la fonction de la protéine BI-1. Nous pouvons donc conclure que la capacité de BI-1 à inhiber l'effet létal de Bax dépend de sa structure.

MicroARN (miARN) ont récemment émergé comme un acteur central du gène réseau de régulation impliqués dans la prise du destin cellulaire. L'apoptose, un actif processus, par lequel des cellules déclenchent leur auto-destruction en réponse à un signal, peut être contrôlé par les miARN. Il a également été impliqué dans une variété de maladies humaines, comme les maladies du cœur, et a été pensé comme une cible pour le traitement de la maladie. Tanshinone IIA (TIIA), un monomère de phenanthrenequinones utilisé pour traiter maladies cardiovasculaires, est connu pour exercer des effets cardioprotecteurs de l'infarctus du myocarde en ciblant l'apoptose par le renforcement de Bcl-2 expression. Pour explorer les liens potentiels entre le miARN et l'action anti-apoptotique de TIIA, nous étudié l'implication possible des miARN. Nous avons constaté que l'expression de tous les trois membres de la famille miR-34, miR-34a, miR-34b et miR-34c ont été fortement régulée à la hausse après l'exposition soit à la doxorubicine, un agent endommageant l'ADN ou de pro-oxydant H2O2 pendant 24 heures. Cette régulation à la hausse causé significativement la mort cellulaire par apoptose, comme déterminé par fragmentation de l'ADN, et les effets ont été renversés par les ARNs antisens de ces miARN. Le prétraitement des cellules avec TIIA avant l'incubation avec la doxorubicine ou H2O2 a empêché surexpression de miR-34 et a réduit des apoptose. Nous avons ensuite établi BCL2L2, API5 et TCL1, en plus de BCL2, comme les gènes nouveaux cibles pour miR-34. Nous avons également élucidé que la répression des ces gènes par MiR-34 explique l'effet proapoptotique dans les cardiomyocytes. Ce que la régulation positive de ces gènes par TIIA realisée par la répression de l'expression de miR-34 est probable le mécanisme moléculaire de son effet bénéfique contre ischémique lésions cardiaques. / MiRNAs (miRNAs) have recently emerged as a central player of gene regulatory network involved in decision of cell fate. Apoptosis, an active process that leads to cell death, has been shown to be controlled by miRNAs. It has also been implicated in a variety of human disease, such as heart disease, and established as a target process for disease therapy. Tanshinone IIA (TIIA), a monomer of phenanthrenequinones used to treat cardiovascular diseases, is known to exert cardioprotective effects in myocardial infarction by targeting apoptosis through enhancing Bcl-2 expression. To explore the potential link between miRNAs and the anti-apoptotic action of TIIA, we studied the possible involvement of miRNAs. We found that expression of all three members of the miR-34 family, miR-34a, miR-34b and miR-34c that have been known to mediate the apoptotic effect of p53 in cancer cells, were robustly upregulated after exposure to either the DNA-damaging agent doxorubicin or pro-oxidant H2O2 for 24 hr in cultured neonatal rat ventricular myocytes. This upregulation caused significant apoptotic cell death, as determined by DNA fragmentation, and the effects were reversed by the antisense to these miRNAs. Pretreatment of cells with TIIA prior to incubation with doxorubicin or H2O2 prevented upregulation of miR-34 and reduced apoptosis. We then established BCL2L2, API5 and TCL1, in addition to BCL2, as the novel target genes for miR-34. We further unraveled that repression of these genes by miR-34 accounts for its proapoptotic effect in cardiomyocytes whereas upregulation of these genes by TIIA through downregulating miR-34 is likely the molecular mechanism for its beneficial effect against ischemic myocardial injuries.

Les agents anti-microtubules (MTAs), comme les taxanes et les vinca-alcaloïdes, sont des anticancéreux largement utilisés en pratique clinique. Ils agissent d'une part en perturbant les fonctions du réseau microtubulaire, conduisant à un arrêt du cycle cellulaire. D'autre part, à côté de cet effet anti-prolifératif, les MTAs sont capables d'induire divers signaux responsables de l'exécution du programme apoptotique via la voie mitochondriale intrinsèque. La famille Bcl-2 joue un rôle primordial dans l'induction de l'apoptose par ces agents. Aussi, au cours de ce travail, nous nous sommes d'abord intéressés à l'origine de la diminution de Bcl-2 lors de l'apoptose médiée par la vinorelbine. Nous avons ainsi mis en évidence la régulation transcriptionnelle de bcl-2 grâce à l'identification d'un nouveau site de liaison de p53 sur le promoteur de bcl-2. Dans un second temps, nous avons évalué l'influence de la famille Bcl-2 dans la réponse aux MTAs. En effet, nous nous sommes focalisés sur la sensibilité paradoxale aux MTAs de certaines tumeurs surexprimant Bcl-2, in vitro et in vivo chez la souris nude. Nous avons montré l'implication de Bim dans cette augmentation de sensibilité, qui agit en perturbant le réseau mitochondrial. Enfin, nous avons investigué le mécanisme moléculaire liant la surexpression de Bcl-2 et celle de Bim. Nous avons montré que la surexpression de Bcl-2, en inhibant l'activité transcriptionnelle de p53, permettait une meilleure activité du facteur de transcription FoxO3a, principal acteur de la régulation génique de Bim. / Microtubule targeting agents (MTAs), such as taxanes and vinca-alkaloïds, are anticancer drugs widely used in clinical practice. Firstly, they are known to disturb functions of microtubular network, leading to cell cycle arrest. On the other hand, beside this anti-proliferative effect, MTAs are able to trigger signaling cascades leading to apoptosis execution, through intrinsic mitochondrial pathway. Bcl-2 family proteins play a crucial role in induction of MTAs-induced apoptosis. In this work, we first studied the origin of Bcl-2 downregulation in vinorelbine-mediated apoptosis. We thus highlighted a transcriptional mechanism through the identification of a novel p53 binding site in the bcl-2 promoter. Second, we evaluated the influence of Bcl-2 family in response to MTAs. Indeed, we focused on paradoxical sensitivity to MTAs of some tumors overexpressing Bcl-2, in vitro and in vivo in nude mouse. Bim was involved in this enhanced sensitivity, by disrupting the mitochondrial network. We then investigated the molecular mechanism linking Bcl-2 and Bim overexpressions. We showed that Bcl-2 overexpression, by inhibiting the transcriptional activity of p53, leads to an increase in activity of the transcription factor FoxO3a, the main actor in Bim transcriptional regulation. Our work underlines the importance of Bcl-2 family and especially Bim as potential biomarker in predicting MTA's efficacy.

La macro-autophagie est une voie catabolique conservée dans l’évolution permettant la dégradation des organites endommagés ou vieux, des protéines à longue durée de vie ou agrégées et des portions du cytosol pour le recyclage métabolique afin de maintenir l'homéostasie cellulaire. L'absence d'autophagie est fréquemment observée dans de nombreuses pathologies incluant les cancers et les maladies neurodégénératives. Beclin 1, un suppresseur de tumeur,est une protéine clé dans la régulation de l’autophagie et participe à la nucléation de l’autophagosome. Beclin 1 est une protéine “BH3-only” pouvant interagir avec le site de fixation au domaine BH3 présent dans la protéine Bcl-2 et ses homologues. Cette interaction inhibe l’autophagie. Certains agents pharmacologiques tels qu’ABT737, appelés«BH3 mimetics», occupent le site de fixation du domaine BH3 de façon compétitive pour perturber l'interaction inhibitrice entre Beclin 1 et Bcl-2/Bcl-XL. Ceci permet à Beclin 1 de maintenir l’activité classe IIIphosphatidylinositol-3-kinase de Vps34 pour la formation du phagophore. L'autophagie est un processus finement régulé par de nombreux complexes protéiques. Les senseurs de la charge énergétique comme l’AMP-dependant kinase(AMPK), la cible mammalienne de la rapamycine (mTOR), la Sirtuin1 (SIRT1) ou les voies d’intégration du stress telles que celles impliquant l'inhibiteur des kinases NF-κB (IκBα) (IKK) et le suppresseur de tumeur p53, ont tous un impact majeur dans la régulation de l'autophagie. Dans de nombreux paradigmes de stimulation autophagique, ils semblent tous agir en amont de la dissociation Beclin 1-Bcl-2. Nos résultats révèlent qu’ABT737 stimule plusieurs voies pro-autophagiques pour obtenir une efficacité optimale. Ces résultats placent la SIRT1, AMPK / mTOR, HDM2et IKK en aval de la dissociation du complexe Beclin 1-Bcl-2. Cette étude démontre que les BH3-mimetics activent des voies multiples de stimulation de l’autophagie, peut-être en raison du degré élevé de connectivité qui existe entre les complexes protéiques de régulation de l’autophagie. Cela signifie qu’un effet spécifique sur l’interactome de Beclin 1 peut affecter d'autres voies dans le réseau du contrôle autophagique. Ces voies ne semblent pas suivre une hiérarchie linéaire, mais doivent être plutôt interconnectées dans un circuit complexe dans lequel la stimulation de l'autophagie par des déclencheurs physiologiques (tels que la carence en nutriments ou le stress des organites) induit un ensemble de changements intimement liés et impliqués dans une boucle de régulation positive qui constituerait un ensemble indissociable composant l’«autophagy switch». / Macro-autophagy is a conserved catabolic pathway that culminates in the degradation of old/damaged organelles,long-lived/aggregated proteins and portions of the cytosol for metabolic recycling to maintain cellular homeostasis.The absence of autophagy is frequently observed in many pathologies including cancers and neurodegenerative diseases. Beclin 1, a bona fide tumour suppressor, is the key autophagy regulatory protein that participates in autophagosome nucleation. Infect, Beclin 1 is a BH3-only protein that can interacts with the BH3 receptor domain contained within Bcl-2 and its homologues. This interaction functions as a inhibitory check on autophagy. Some pharmacological agents such as ABT737, referred to as ‘BH3 mimetics’, occupy the BH3-binding grooves to competitively disrupt the inhibitory interaction between Beclin 1 and Bcl-2/Bcl-XL allowing Beclin 1 to maintain the class III phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase activity of Vps34 for the phagophore formation. Autophagy is a complex process that is regulated by multiple protein complexes beyond that organized around Beclin 1. The energy sensors including AMP-dependent kinase (AMPK), mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), Sirtuin1 (SIRT1) as well as stress-integrating pathways such as those involving the inhibitor of NF-κB (IκB) kinases (IKK) and the tumour suppressor protein p53, all have a major impact on the regulation of autophagy. In many paradigms of autophagic stimulation, they all seem to act upstream of the dissociation of Beclin 1-Bcl-2. Our results reveal that ABT737stimulate multiple pro-autophagic pathways to be optimally efficient. These results place SIRT1, AMPK/mTOR,HDM2 and IKK downstream of the dissociation of the Beclin 1-Bcl-2 complex. This study advocates that BH3mimetics trigger multiple autophagy-stimulatory pathways maybe due to the high degree of connectivity that exists among autophagy-regulatory protein complexes meaning that a specific effect on the Beclin 1-interactome might affect other nodes in the autophagy-controlling network. These pathways cannot follow a linear hierarchy and rather must be interconnected in a complex circuitry, in which stimulation of autophagy by physiological triggers (such as starvation or organelle stress) induce an ensemble of intimately linked changes that are coupled to each other in positive feed forward loops constituting an indissociable ensemble that composes the “autophagic switch”.

A desregulação da apoptose, principalmente da via mitocondrial, exerce papel na progressão tumoral, resistência à quimioterapia, além de favorecer a formação de metástases por permitir a sobrevivência de células tumorais na circulação e outros microambientes teciduais. No presente estudo, foram avaliados 58 mastocitomas cutâneos caninos, provenientes de 50 animais submetidos à cirurgia excisional como única forma de tratamento. Os tumores foram graduados de acordo com o sistemas de estabelecidos por Patnaik, Ehler e MacEwen (1984) e Kiupel et al. (2011). As expressões das proteínas relacionadas à via intrínseca da apoptose, BCL2, BAX, APAF1, Caspase 9 e Caspase 3, foram caracterizadas por meio de imuno-histoquímica. Os resultados obtidos das imunomarcações foram comparados às graduações histopatológicas, bem como à mortalidade em função do tumor e ao tempo de sobrevida pós-cirúrgico. Observamos maior expressão de BAX em mastocitomas de grau III, bem como menor expressão de BCL2 em tumores de alto grau. A detecção imuno-histoquímica de BAX foi considerada um indicador prognóstico para sobrevida e mortalidade em função da doença, enquanto que as de APAF1 e BCL2 adicionaram valor prognóstico às graduações histopatológicas melhorando a previsão da sobrevida pós-cirurgia / Deregulation of apoptosis, especially in the mitochondrial pathway, plays a role in tumor progression, resistance to chemotherapy, and favor the formation of metastases by allowing the survival of tumor cells in the blood stream and other tissue microenvironments. In the present study, we evaluated 58 canine cutaneous mast cell tumors, from 50 dogs, which were submitted to excisional surgery alone. The tumors were graded according to the systems proposed by Patnaik, Ehler and MacEwen (1984) and Kiupel et al. (2011). The expression of the apoptosis-related proteins BCL2, BAX, APAF1, caspase 9 and caspase 3 was characterized by immunohistochemistry. Immunohistochemical results were compared with the histopathological grades, mortality due to the tumor and post-surgical survival time. We observed increased expression of BAX in grade III mast cell tumors and lower expression of BCL2 in high-grade tumors. Immunohistochemical detection of BAX was considered an independent indicator of prognosis for survival and mortality due to the disease, whereas APAF1 and BCL2 added prognostic value to the histopathological grading systems improving the prediction of survival post surgery

O splicing alternativo do pré-mRNA de BCL-X produz duas isoformas de mRNAs com funções antagônicas, a pró-apoptótica BCL-XS e a anti-apoptótica BCL-XL, cujo balanço regula a homeostasia celular. Entretanto, o mecanismo que regula esse processamento ainda é desconhecido. Nesse trabalho, nós identificamos e caracterizamos um longo RNA não codificador de proteínas (lncRNA) nomeado INXS, que é transcrito a partir da fita oposta do locus genômico de BCL-X, sendo menos abundante em linhagens celulares tumorais e tecidos tumorais de pacientes quando comparados com os respectivos pares não tumorais. INXS é um RNA unspliced de 1903 nts, é transcrito pela RNA Polimerase II, possui cap 5\', está enriquecido na fração nuclear das células e se liga à proteína Sam68 do complexo modulador de splicing. O tratamento de células tumorais 786-O com cada um de três agentes indutores de apoptose aumentou a expressão endógena do INXS, levando ao aumento expressivo da proporção entre os mRNAs de BCL-XS / BCL-XL, e ativação das caspases 3, 7 e 9. Estes efeitos foram anulados na presença do knockdown do INXS. Da mesma forma, a superexpressão ectópica do INXS causou uma mudança no splicing favorecendo a isoforma BCL-XS e ativação das caspases, aumentando os níveis da proteína BCL-XS e conduzindo as células à apoptose. Utilizando um modelo in vivo, cinco injeções intra-tumorais do INXS durante 15 dias causaram uma regressão acentuada no volume dos xenotumores. Portanto, INXS é um lncRNA que induz a apoptose, sugerindo que essa molécula seja um possível alvo a ser explorado na terapia contra o câncer. / BCL-X mRNA alternative splicing generates pro-apoptotic BCL-XS or anti-apoptotic BCL-XL, whose balance regulates cell homeostasis. However, the mechanism that regulates the splice shifting is incompletely understood. Here, we identified and characterized a long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) named INXS, transcribed from the opposite genomic strand of BCL-X, that was less abundant in tumor cell lines and patient tumor tissues compared with non-tumors. INXS is an unspliced 1903 nt-long RNA, is transcribed by RNA Polymerase II, 5\'-capped, nuclear enriched and binds Sam68 splicing-modulator. The treatment of tumor cell line 786-O with each of three apoptosis-inducing agents increased endogenous INXS lncRNA, increased BCL-XS / BCL-XL mRNA ratio, and activated caspases 3, 7 and 9. These effects were abrogated in the presence of INXS knockdown. Similarly, ectopic INXS overexpression caused a shift in splicing towards BCL-XS and activation of caspases, increasing the levels of BCL-XS protein and then leading the cells to apoptosis. In a mouse xenograft model, five intra-tumor injections of INXS along 15 days caused a marked regression in tumor volume. INXS is an lncRNA that induces apoptosis, suggesting that INXS is a possible target to be explored in cancer therapies.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-10T10:38:36Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 DIEGO FRANCIEL MARQUES MUHLBEIER.pdf: 2283104 bytes, checksum: 4b3910db11a5426da6161c55a1de78bc (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-03-12 / Sarcomas are a heterogeneous group of tumors that arise from mesenchymal tissues which represent about 1% of all diagnosed solid malignant tumors in adults. Changes that affect the tumor growth such as the deregulation of apoptosis, through overexpression of the Bcl-2 family proteins, have been associated with the prognosis of patients in various types of cancers, including soft tissue sarcomas (SPM). The Bcl-2 family proteins include anti-apoptotic and proapoptotic proteins such as proteins Bcl-2 and Bax, respectively. Despite the evidence, the prognostic value of these proteins, as well as the association with clinicopathological factors, remain controversial. The objective of this study was to investigate the clinical significance of the expression of apoptosis-related markers Bcl-2 and Bax in 86 patients with STS of extremities by immunohistochemical analysis on a tissue microarray construction. Cytoplasmic expression of Bax and Bcl-2 was detected in 25.9% and 66.7% of the cases, respectively. Overexpression of both Bcl-2 and Bax was directly associated with synovial sarcoma, histological grade and clinical stage. A significant association between Bax and Bcl-2 expression was also observed. The 5-year overall survival (OS) for the group was 57%, being lower for cases with Bcl-2 overexpression (47.6% vs 58.3%) and Bax overexpression (50% vs 66.7%), although such difference was not significant. After multivariate analysis, the histological grade remained as an independent prognostic factor (p=0.043, HR=8.0, 95% CI, 1.1-60.1). Bcl-2 family proteins have been tested as therapeutic targets in some clinical studies in several cancers. In our study, overexpression of both Bcl-2 and Bax was associated with histological grade and clinical stage of the tumors, which are classical factors of poor prognosis. Thus, we suggest the use of these proteins as potential prognostic markers in STS of extremities, providing a more appropriate therapeutic planning for each patient. / Os sarcomas constituem um grupo heterogêneo de tumores que surgem a partir de tecidos mesenquimais e que representam cerca de 1% de todos os tumores sólidos malignos diagnosticados em adultos. Alterações que afetam o crescimento tumoral, como a desregulação da apoptose, por meio da hiperexpressão de proteínas da família Bcl-2, têm sido associadas ao prognóstico dos pacientes em diversos tipos de cânceres, incluindo os sarcomas de partes moles (SPM). A família Bcl-2 inclui proteínas pró-apoptóticas e anti-apoptóticas, tais como as proteínas Bax e Bcl-2, respectivamente. Apesar das evidências, o valor prognóstico dessas proteínas, assim como a associação com fatores clínicopatológicos, ainda permanecem controversos. O objetivo desse estudo foi investigar o significado clínico da via da apoptose, por meio da avaliação da expressão imuno-histoquímica de Bcl-2 e Bax, em um grupo de 86 casos de SPM de extremidades, utilizando microarranjos de tecidos (tissue microarray). A expressão citoplasmática de Bcl-2 e Bax foi detectada em 25,9% e 66,7% dos casos, respectivamente. A hiperexpressão de ambos, Bcl-2 e Bax, foi associada aos sarcomas sinoviais, ao grau histológico e ao estadiamento clínico. Uma associação significativa entre a expressão das proteínas Bcl-2 e Bax também foi observada. A sobrevida global em cinco anos foi de 57%, sendo menor para os casos com hiperexpressão de Bcl-2 (47,6% x 58,3%) e Bax (50% x 66,7%), porém, esta diferença não foi estatisticamente significativa. Após análise multivariada, o grau histológico apresentou-se como fator prognóstico independente (p = 0.043, HR = 8.0, IC 95%, 1.1-60.1). Proteínas da família Bcl-2 vêm sendo testadas como alvos terapêuticos em diversos estudos clínicos em vários tipos de cânceres. Em nosso estudo, a expressão de Bcl-2 e Bax foi associada com o grau histológico e o estadiamento clínico, que são fatores clássicos de mau prognóstico. Assim, sugerimos o uso da expressão imunohistoquímica de Bcl-2 e Bax como potencial marcador prognóstico em SPM de extremidades, possibilitando um planejamento terapêutico mais adequado para cada caso.

Cerca de 40% dos oócitos bovinos fecundados não completam o desenvolvimento da fase de pré-implantação. A aquisição da competência para o desenvolvimento do oócito depende de alterações morfológicas, bioquímicas e moleculares. Essas alterações ocorrem tanto nos oócitos como nas células do cumulus. O presente trabalho estudou a interação cumulus e oócito no processo de morte celular programada nos complexos de cumulus oophoros (COCs) de diferentes classes morfológicas em bovinos. Os COCs foram puncionados de ovários de abatedouro, selecionados e classificados em 3 qualidades morfológicas: A: cumulus completo; B: cumulus parcial; C: cumulus expandido (todos com ooplasma homogêneo). Os COCs foram utilizados para avaliação da maturação nuclear em 0 e em 24h de cultivo do grau de fragmentação do DNA das células do cumulus (CC) antes e após a maturação in vitro, avaliação da competência do desenvolvimento embrionário partenogenético até o 9º dia pós-ativação, avaliação da qualidade dos blastocistos e estimativa dos transcritos e proteínas BCL-2 e BAX em CC maturados por 24h. Os resultados obtidos demonstraram que a maioria dos oócitos imaturos do grupo COC-A estavam em estádio de VGi e apresentavam dano mínimo ou inexistente no DNA. Ao contrário, os COCs B e C após a retirada do folículo apresentavam-se em estádio mais avançado de VG e fragmentação do DNA. Após a maturação dos COCs houve um aumento significativo dos núcleos fragmentados nos grupos COC-C e principalmente no COC-B. A morfologia dos COCs alterou a quantidade de oócitos que conseguiram ultrapassar o bloqueio embrionário e desenvolver à blastocisto e não a qualidade dos blastocistos. A expressão da proteína BCL-2 nos COCs não diferiu entre as diferentes morfologias de COCs. No entanto, a razão entre as proteínas BCL-2/BAX foi maior nos grupos com o cumulus completo e no grupo com o cumulus expandido. O grupo de COC-B foi o que apresentou maior quantidade da proteína BAX e menor relação entre as proteínas BCL-2/BAX. Com base nestes resultados, conclui-se que em COCs de diferentes morfologias existe uma correlação negativa entre fragmentação nuclear e potencial de desenvolvimento embrionário, e ainda que a baixa razão das proteínas BCL-2/BAX está relacionada com o aumento de fragmentação nuclear nas CC. No entanto, essa relação não ocorre com transcritos dos genes BCL-2 e BAX / About 40% of fertilized bovine oocytes do not complete development during the preimplantation period. It is known that the in vitro embryo production system is influenced by several factors, among them, the morphological quality of cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs). The present work aimed to study the cumulus-oocyte interaction on the process of programmed cell death in bovine COCs of different morphological classes. The COCs were obtained from bovine ovaries and classified according to the morphology of their cumulus cell layers, as follows: class A, compact and with many layers; class B, compact with few layers; class C, expanded (all classes with homogeneous ooplasm). Before in vitro maturation (IVM), the nuclear maturation in COCs and DNA fragmentation in cumulus cells (CC) were evaluated. After IVM, oocytes and CC were analyzed for nuclear maturation, DNA fragmentation and BCL-2 and BAX transcripts and proteins. The developmental competence and quality of parthenogenetic embryos at the 9th day post-activation were also analyzed. The results showed that the majority of class A immature oocytes were at iGV stage, with minimal or inexistent DNA fragmantation, contrasting with the other classes of oocytes. In immature class B and C oocytes, the fGV stage of nuclear maturation was the most frequent, with increased DNA fragmentation. After IVM, an increase in DNA fragmentation was observed in B and C COCs, mainly in B group. The morphological type of COCs was not related with blastocyst quality, but affected the proportion of embryos capable of overcoming developmental block and reaching the blastocyst stage. BCL-2 protein in CC had the same expression level in all the COCs groups. However, the BCL-2/BAX proteins ratio was higher in A and C groups. COC-B had the highest BAX expression and lower ratio. These data demonstrate that there is a negative correlation between DNA fragmentation in CC and embryo developmental potential in different morphological types of COCs, and that the lower the BCL2/BAX protein ratio the greates the DNA fragmentation in CC, but this relation does not occur with transcripts

La progression tumorale est la conséquence de multiples altérations génotypiques et phénotypiques; L’une d’entre elles, nécessaire à la formation de métastases, est l’acquisition d’une résistance à l’anoïkis, forme d’apoptose induite par la perte d’attachement à la matrice extra-cellulaire. Afin d’étudier l’anoïkis, nous avons utilisé deux lignées colorectales humaines isogéniques : la lignée SW480 dérivée de la tumeur primaire et sensible à l’anoïkis et la lignée SW620 dérivée d’une métastase ganglionnaire de cette même tumeur et résistante à l’anoïkis. Nous avons établi que dans les cellules SW480, l’anoïkis est une forme d’apoptose intrinsèque c'est-à-dire débutant à la mitochondrie et donc sous le contrôle des protéines de la famille Bcl-2. Parmi celles-ci, nous avons trouvé que seule la protéine proapoptotique à BH3-seul Bim était régulée différemment dans les deux lignées : tandis que son expression augmente de manière très significative dans les cellules SW480 cultivées en suspension, elle n’augmente que très peu dans les cellules SW620. De manière très intéressante, et malgré cette différence, les deux lignées se sont montrées être sensibles au BH3-mimétique ABT-737 mais seulement lorsqu’elles sont cultivées en suspension. Ces résultats indiquent que, qu’elles soient sensibles ou non à l’anoïkis, les cellules détachées sont « prédisposées à la mort » et que des composés semblables à l’ABT-737 tels que le Navitoclax ou l’ABT-199 pourraient avoir des propriétés anti-métastiques dans les tumeurs solides. Dans la seconde partie de ce travail, nous montrons que la protéine transmembranaire CDCP1 ( CUB Domain Containing Protein 1) semble nécessaire mais non suffisante pour protéger ces cellules contre l’anoïkis. CDCP1 est un substrat de Src mais sa phosphorylation sur tyrosine n’est pas impliquée dans cette protection. Finalement, nous avons identifié deux nouvelles protéines qui interagissent avec CDCP1 : l’ITGB4 et l’EphA2 / Tumour progression is the consequence of multiple genotypic and phenotypic alterations. One of these, necessary for the formation of metastasis, is acquisition of a resistance to anoïkis, a form of apoptosis triggered by loss of attachment to the extra-cellular matrix. In order to study anoïkis, we used two isogenic human colon cell lines : SW480 cells derived from the primary tumour and sensitive to anoïkis, and SW620 cells derived from a lymph node metastasis in the same patient which are resistant to anoikis. We found that anoikis signaling in SW480 cells is a form of intrinsic apoptosis thus starting at the mitochondria and under the control of Bcl-2 family proteins. Among the members of this family, the BH3-only proapoptotic protein Bim was the only one that we found to be differentially regulated between the two cell lines: whereas Bim expression augments strongly during the culture in suspension of SW480, it only slightly does so in SW620 cells. Most interestingly, despite this difference, both cell lines turned to be sensisitive to the BH3-mimetic ABT-737 but only when they are in suspension. This shows that, whether or not they a sensitive to anoikis, detached colon cancer cells are “primed for death” and thus that ABT-737 related compounds such as Navitoclax or ABT-199 might have anti-metastatic properties in solid tumours. In the second part of this work, we show that the transmembrane protein CDCP1 (CUB Domain Containing Protein 1) appears be necessary but not sufficient to protect these cells against anoïkis. CDCP1 is a Src substrate but its tyrosine phosphorylation is not involved in this protection. Finally, we have identified two new proteins interacting with CDCP1: ITGB4 and EphA2.

Les protéines de la famille Bcl-2 sont des régulateurs-clés de l’apoptose (mort cellulaire), qui agissent en contrôlant la perméabilisation de la membrane mitochondriale externe par un processus encore mal connu. La dérégulation des membres de cette famille est souvent associée à la progression tumorale et à la résistance à la chimiothérapie. Notre projet a cherché à éclaircir le mode d’action de ces protéines en se focalisant sur les déterminants structuraux régissant leur interaction avec les membranes biologiques. Les connaissances glanées ont permis (i) de mieux comprendre les déterminants à l’origine de la divergence évolutive entre membres pro- et anti-apoptotiques de la famille Bcl-2 ; (ii) d’ouvrir la voie à la conception de ‘poropeptides’ conçus sur le modèle des hélices d’insertion membranaire des protéines Bcl-2, et qui pourraient être utilisés pour induire l’apoptose de cellules tumorales ou des cellules endothéliales entourant les tumeurs. / Bcl-2 family proteins, which include pro- and antiapoptotic members, positively or negatively regulate mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization, i.e. a critical step in apoptosis. Over-expression of pro-survival members is associated with tumor progression and may be responsible for chemotherapy resistance. Detailed understanding of the precise mechanisms by which Bcl-2 family members control apoptosis is therefore of considerable therapeutic interest. The overall aim of our project was to delineate a structure-function relationship of Bcl-2 family proteins with emphasis on their membrane-active domains. This analysis has provided a basis (i) to elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which different Bcl-2 proteins evolved opposite functions ; (i) to develop a new generation of pore-forming peptides targeting the mitochondrial outer membrane that may be used to kill neoplastic or tumor endothelial cells.