Post translational modifications (PTMs) of histone tails are an important determinant of chromatin structure, and can act as key regulators of DNA-dependent processes. Methylation of histone 3 at lysine 4 (H3K4) is one of the most widely studied PTMs because of its correlation with transcription. Three methylation states exist at H3K4: mono-, di, and tri-methylation (H3K4me1, -me2, and -me3, respectively). Each methylation state occupies a distinct genomic position, supporting the view that the extent of methylation at H3K4 has a functional significance. However, the exact biological function of these three marks are not well understood. H3K4 methylation is written by SET domain-containing enzymes that function within SET/COMPASS/MLL complexes. Our lab has previously identified the SET-16 enzyme as writing H3K4me3 in C. elegans. The other well-characterised H3K4-specific methyl transferases in the worm is SET-2, an enzymes responsible for bulk H3K4me2/me3 levels. Using targeted RNAi screens, we have characterised the full landscape of SET domain enzymes affecting all three methylation states at H3K4 during embryogenesis in C. elegans (Chapter 3). Unexpectedly, many previously uncharacterised enzymes were identified as preferentially affecting each of the methylation states, including SET-19 that can deposit all three marks, and several candidates that preferentially affect H3K4me1: SET-30, SET-27, MES-2, and MES-4. During the project, Greer et al. 2014 independently identified two enzymes with activities targeting H3K4, SET-17 and SET-30, which were also candidates from our RNAi screens. With a focus on enzymes acting on H3K4me1, we demonstrate that H3K4me1 candidates can show different patterns of temporal regulation and also have roles in regulating soma versus germline cell-fate decisions (Chapter 4). Finally, we demonstrate a novel role for MES-2 (a methyltransferase enzyme with a highly conserved role in depositing repressive H3K27 methylation) in acting alongside the SPR-5 H3K4me2 demethylase to regulate levels of H3K4me1 during embryogenesis (Chapter 5).

Histonas de glândulas salivares de larvas de Rhynchosciara americana foram extraídas de preparações de núcleos e de cromatina purificada e analisadas por eletroforese em géis de acrilamida. As mobilidades eletroforéticas das histonas ARE e GRR são idênticas e as das histonas KAP, LAR e KAS são levemente diferentes das histonas correspondentes encontradas em vertebrados. É particularmente interessante o comportamento da histona KAP de R. americana, que possui em géis de poliacrilamida mobilidade menor que a histona correspondente do timo de bezerro. Verificou-se, por análise em géis de poliacrilamida-SDS que o peso molecular desta histona é igual a 33.000 daltons, valor maior que o da histona correspondente de timo de bezerro e de outros vertebrados (21.000 a 25.000 daltons). Este resultado coincide com dados obtidos por outros investigadores em Drosophila e Acheta. Isto sugere que o maior peso molecular da histona KAP possa ser uma característica geral dos insetos. Verificou-se, por experimentos da dupla marcação com lísina- 14 C e triptofano-3 H, que a síntese de histonas em glândulas salivares de larvas de R. americana, ocorre no citoplasma em pequenos polirríbossomos contendo 3-4 ribossomos. Estes polirribissomos são particularmente ativos na síntese de histonas por ocasião da abertura máxima do puff B-2 na extremidade proximal da glândula,quando é máxima a síntese de DNA. O estudo da síntese das várias frações de histonas durante os 6-7 dias finais do período larval mostra um estreito acoplamento entre a síntese dessas frações e a do DNA. Não foram detectadas variações relativas na síntese de nenhuma das frações de histonas durante este período. Os resultados deste estudo sugerem também que algumas das frações de histonas são modificadas durante o desenvolvimento. Estas modificações podem ser correlacionadas com o aparecimento dos \"puffs de DNA\" nos cromossomos das células glandulares. Foi também estudada a síntese de histonas em larvas jovens (fim do segundo período do 4o estádio) injetadas com ecdisterona. Observou-se, conforme esperado de resultados anteriores, que a injeção do hormônio causou grande estímulo na síntese de DNA. Contudo, não houve estímulo apreciável na síntese de histonas. Estes resultados sugerem que a cromatina formada nestas condições é deficiente em histonas. Nestas experiências notou-se também, que após tratamentos com hormônio durante 44 horas ocorre uma profunda modificação nos perfis de radioatividade de histonas recém sintetizadas analisadas em géis de poliacrilamida. Sugere-se que a alteração desses perfis se deva à modificação química de alguma histona induzida pelo hormônio. / The histones of the salivary gland of Rhynchosciara americana larvae were extracted from both nuclearand purified chromatin preparations and then analyzed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.The electrophoretic mobilities of the ARE and GRK histones are identical and those from the KAP, LAK and KAS histones are slightly different from the corresponding calf thrymus histones The behavior of the Rhynchosciara KAP histone is particularly interesting. In normal polyacrylamide gels it has a smaller mobility than that observed for the same protein from calf thymus.It was found by analysis in SDS-polyacrylamide gels that the molecular weight for this histone is approximately 33000 dalton, a value which is higher than that found for the same histone obtained from calf thymus and other vertebrates (21-250 00 dalton). This result is in agreement with those observed in Drosophila and Acheta, and suggests that the molecular weight of the KAP histone could be a characteristic feature for insects. Double label experiments with 14C-lysine and 3H-tryptophan show that histone synthesis in Rhynchoschiara salivary glands occurs in the cytoplasm in small polyribosomes containing 3-4 ribosomes. These polysomes are particularly active in the synthesis of these proteins at the time when the degree of opening of the 2B puff is maximal in the proximal cells of the gland, i.e when the DNA synthesis in the gland reach a maximum. The study of the synthesis of the different histone fractions during the last 6-7 days of the larval period shows a tight coupling between the synthesis of these fractions and that of DNA. However, variations in the relative proportions of those proteins during this period of larval development was not detected. The results of this study also suggest that a histone or histones are chemically modified during the development. These modifications can be correlated with the appearance of DNA puffs in the salivary gland. The study of histone synthesis was also carried out with younger larvae (end of the 2nd period of the 4th instar) treated with ecdysterone. It was found, as expected from previous results, that the hormone caused a great increase in the rate of DNA synthesis in the gland. Despite this, there was not an appreciable increase in the amount of newly synthesized histones which can be extracted from gland chromatin. These results indicate that the chromatin formed in the gland under these conditions might be deficient in histones In these experiments it was observed a great modification in the radioactivity profile of newly synthesided histones as analysed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. This change occurs 44 hours after ecdysterone treatment. Tentatively it is suggested that this alteration in the radioactivity profiles would be a result of a chemical modification of some histone fraction which was induced by the hormone

Orientador: Andreia Bufalino / Resumo: As desordens potencialmente malignas orais (DPMOs) são apresentações clínicas que apresentam risco aumentado para o desenvolvimento de câncer na cavidade oral, seja ela uma lesão precursora definida ou mucosa clinicamente normal. Dentre as principais DPMOs, a leucoplasia oral (LO) se apresenta como uma placa branca não raspável de risco questionável, podendo ser homogênea ou não homogênea, cuja taxa de transformação maligna varia de 0,2% até 17,5%. Além disso, a LO apresenta os mesmos fatores de riscos que são observados no desenvolvimento de carcinoma espinocelular (CEC) oral, o qual é a principal neoplasia maligna que afeta a cavidade oral. Outra DPMO importante é a leucoplasia verrucosa proliferativa (LVP), a qual também se apresenta como uma placa branca não raspável, porém multifocal e possui um comportamento persistente e progressivo para malignidade, com taxa de transformação maligna de 70% até 100% dos casos. Diferente da LO, os fatores de risco como tabaco, álcool e noz de areca não parecem estar associados com o desenvolvimento da LVP. Adicionalmente, a LVP apresenta resposta inadequada a todas as modalidades de tratamento, sofre rápida disseminação pelos sítios orais e muitas vezes demonstra recorrência. Os graus de displasias identificados nas DPMOs são utilizados atualmente como preditores de risco para transformação maligna, no entanto diversos estudos têm mostrado que este não é um preditor fiel. Estudos recentes sugerem ainda que o infiltrado inflamatório asso... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs) are clinical presentations that present an increased risk of cancer development in the oral cavity, whether in a clinically definable precursor lesion or clinically normal oral mucosa. Among the main OPMDs, oral leukoplakia (OL) presents itself as a non-scratchable white plaque of questionable risk, which can be homogeneous or non-homogeneous, whose malignant transformation rate varies from 0.2% to 17.5%. In addition, OL has the same risk factors that are observed in the development of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), which is the main malignant neoplasm affecting the oral cavity. Another important OPMD is proliferative verrucous leukoplakia (PVL), which also presents itself as a white, non-scratchable, but multifocal plaque and has a persistent and progressive behavior for malignancy, with a malignant transformation rate of 70% to 100% of the cases. Unlike OL, risk factors such as tobacco, alcohol and areca nut do not appear to be associated with the development of PVL. Additionally, PVL has a poor response to all treatment modalities, suffers rapid dissemination through oral sites and often shows recurrence. The degree of epithelial dysplasia identified in OPMDs is currently used as a risk predictor for malignant transformation, however several studies have shown that it is not a reliable predictor. Recent studies also suggest that the inflammatory infiltrate associated with OPMD may be due to its etiology and clinical compor... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / GCN5 is a histone acetyltransferase (HAT) that remodels chromatin by acetylating lysine residues of histones. The GCN5 HAT identified in Toxoplasma gondii (TgGCN5) contains a unique N-terminal “extension” that bears no similarity to known proteins and is devoid of known protein motifs. The hypothesis of this thesis is the N-terminal extension is critical to the function of TgGCN5. Three possible roles of the N-terminus were investigated: nuclear localization, protein-protein interactions, and substrate recognition. Subcellular localization was determined via immunocytochemistry using parasites expressing recombinant forms of TgGCN5 fused to a FLAG tag. Initial studies performed with parasites expressing full length FLAG-TgGCN5 were positive for nuclear localization. Without the N-terminal extension (FLAG-ΔNT-TgGCN5) the protein remains cytoplasmic. Additional studies mapped a six amino acid motif (RKRVKR) as the nuclear localization signal (NLS). When RKRVKR is fused to a cytoplasmic protein, it gains access to the nucleus. Furthermore, we have established the NLS interacts with Toxoplasma importin α, a protein involved in nuclear trafficking. Interaction with importin α provides evidence that the TgGCN5 N-terminal extension is involved in mediating protein-protein interactions. In order to identify additional interacting proteins, FLAG affinity purification was performed on parasites expressing full length FLAG-TgGCN5 and FLAG-ΔNT-TgGCN5. Upon comparing the results of the two purifications, proteins captured with only full length TgGCN5 may be interacting with the N-terminal extension. Full length TgGCN5 affinity purification indicates an interaction with histone proteins, two different homologues of Ada2 (adapter protein reported to interact with GCN5 homologues), and several heat shock proteins. With regard to substrate recognition, the N-terminal extension of TgGCN5 is dispensable for the acetylation of non-nucleosomal histones in vitro. However, the lysine acetylated by TgGCN5 is surprisingly unique. Other GCN5 homologues preferentially acetylate lysine 14 in histone H3, but TgGCN5 exclusively acetylates lysine 18 in histone H3 and has no activity on lysine 14. Taken together, these results argue that the N-terminal extension of TgGCN5 is critical for mediating protein-protein interactions, including those responsible for trafficking the HAT to the parasite nucleus but does not appear to be required for the acetylation of non-nucleosomal histones.

Male fertility, ability to fertilize and activate the egg and support early embryo development, is crucial for mammalian reproduction and development. Testis specific histone 2B (TH2B) of sperm, protamines (PRM1/2), and posttranslational modifications of histone 3 (H3K27me3 and H3k27ac) are involved in spermatogenesis and male fertility. However, molecular and cellular mechanisms by which TH2B regulates histone to protamine replacement is poorly defined. Immunocytochemistry, western blotting, flow cytometry, computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA) and bioinformatic approaches were applied to analyze sperm from Holstein bulls with different in vivo fertility. Results from the immunocytochemistry experiments showed that while TH2B and H3K27me3 were localized predominantly at the equatorial and post acrosomal (localized as a crown around the sperm head) parts, respectively. The H3K27ac was also detectable in the bovine sperm head. Signal intensities of TH2B (mean ± SEM) were higher in sperm from the low fertility bulls (220.56 ± 9.20) as compared to those from the high fertility bulls (198.39 ± 10.0). Signal intensities of H3K27me3 (16.25 ± 1.69) were significantly different than those of H3K27ac (4.74 ± 0.88) in bull spermatozoa. Using the bioinformatic tools, including Clustal Omega, Cytoscape, Emboss Dotmatcher, InterProScan, and STRING, we demonstrated that TH2B has the conserved histone H2B domain which has a strong association with proteins involved in chromosome organization and histone ubiquitination. Intensities of PRM1 and PRM2 were significantly associated with one another (p < 0.0001), but neither were significantly associated with fertility. Results from CASA revealed significant differences between high and low fertility bulls regarding average sperm pathway velocity, amplitude of lateral head displacement and straightness (p < 0.05). The interacting proteins of H3 are involved in subcellular processes such as regulation of H3K27 methylation, nucleosome assembly, regulation of DNA replication, and chromatin assembly. These results are significant because they help advance fundamental knowledge in sperm physiology involving epigenetic and genetic determinants. The new knowledge can be used to enhance reproductive biotechnology to improve fertility. In addition, the data generated using the unique bull model can be applied to study mammalian reproduction and development due to similarities in genetics and physiology between bovine and other mammals.

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