No description available.

La déficience intellectuelle (DI) est souvent associée à d’autres signes cliniques morphologiques et psychiatriques mais cette comorbidité est peu caractérisée pour la DI associée à un gène donné. Ainsi les mutations du gène p21-activated kinase 3 (PAK3) sont responsable d’un large spectre clinique, allant de la DI légère à des DI sévères associées parfois à des malformations du cerveau. Nous avançons l’hypothèse que les différentes mutations d’un même gène peuvent affecter divers paramètres biochimiques et affecter de manière différentielle les voies de signalisation impliquées dans la plasticité synaptique et dans le développement du cerveau. Pour valider notre hypothèse, nous avons caractérisé une nouvelle mutation responsable d’une déficience intellectuelle sévère associée à une agénésie du corps calleux et une microcéphalie. Cette mutation supprime l’activité kinase, n’affecte pas la stabilité de la protéine et augmente l’interaction avec un GEF de la famille PIX. Ces derniers résultats identifient une nouvelle voie de signalisation impactée par certaines mutations de PAK3. L’expression de ce variant modifie la morphologie cellulaire et la dynamique des adhésions focales, ainsi que les propriétés migratoires des cellules, ce qui pourraient relier les défauts biochimiques aux défauts de certaines fonctions cellulaires. De manière intéressante, ces caractéristiques sont aussi retrouvées pour un autre variant responsable d’une clinique également très sévère. Nous avons également caractérisé d’autres mutations associées à des phénotypes moins sévères. La synthèse de nos résultats nous permet ici de proposer un modèle explicatif de la relation génotype-phénotype pour les mutations de déficience intellectuelle liées au gène PAK3, intégrant des défauts neurodéveloppementaux et de plasticité synaptique. / Intellectual Disability (ID) is often associated with other morphological and psychiatric clinical signs, but this comorbidity is poorly characterized for ID associated with a given gene. Thus mutations of the p21-activated kinase 3 (PAK3) gene are responsible for a broad clinical spectrum, ranging from mild ID to severe ID, sometimes associated with brain malformations. We hypothesize that different mutations of the same gene may affect various biochemical parameters and differentially affect the signaling pathways involved in synaptic plasticity and brain development. To validate our hypothesis, we characterized a new mutation responsible for a severe intellectual disability associated with agenesis of the corpus callosum and microcephaly. This mutation suppresses kinase activity, does not affect protein stability and increases the interaction with a GEF of the PIX family. These latest results identify a new signaling pathway impacted by certain PAK3 mutations. The expression of this variant modifies the cellular morphology and the dynamics of the focal adhesions, as well as cell migratory properties, which could link the biochemical defects to those of certain cell functions. Interestingly, these features are also found for another variant responsible for a very similar severe clinical spectrum. We have also characterized other mutations associated with less severe phenotypes. The synthesis of our results allows us to propose an explanatory model of the genotype-phenotype relationship integrating neurodevelopmental and synaptic plasticity defects for intellectual disability and other clinical traits associated to the PAK3 gene mutations.

<p>The results of the multivariate analyses suggest that most of the variation in the composition of the samples was of an intra-sample nature, illustrating large scale patchiness in foraminiferal distribution. There were, however, definite differences between communities around Robben Island and in St Helena Bay, and least variation was found between the control and pipeline sites, and between the stations of each site. When the trace metal concentrations and the percentage nitrogen increased, the richness, diversity and abundance of foraminifera tended to decrease. Sediment grain size positively affected abundance but negatively affected diversity and richness. In both areas mean grain size did not, however, appear to play a very large role in influencing diversity. Cadmium, copper, chromium, the percentage nitrogen and the mean grain size were identified as the most important variables influencing the community structure by the BIOENV BEST routine in PRIMER. The trace metals and percentage nitrogen only had negative effects on the diversity and abundance as well as on the abundance of the dominant genera, whereas the mean grain size had variable effects.</p>

<p>The results of the multivariate analyses suggest that most of the variation in the composition of the samples was of an intra-sample nature, illustrating large scale patchiness in foraminiferal distribution. There were, however, definite differences between communities around Robben Island and in St Helena Bay, and least variation was found between the control and pipeline sites, and between the stations of each site. When the trace metal concentrations and the percentage nitrogen increased, the richness, diversity and abundance of foraminifera tended to decrease. Sediment grain size positively affected abundance but negatively affected diversity and richness. In both areas mean grain size did not, however, appear to play a very large role in influencing diversity. Cadmium, copper, chromium, the percentage nitrogen and the mean grain size were identified as the most important variables influencing the community structure by the BIOENV BEST routine in PRIMER. The trace metals and percentage nitrogen only had negative effects on the diversity and abundance as well as on the abundance of the dominant genera, whereas the mean grain size had variable effects.</p>

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / The results of the multivariate analyses suggest that most of the variation in the composition of the samples was of an intra-sample nature, illustrating large scale patchiness in foraminiferal distribution. There were, however, definite differences between communities around Robben Island and in St Helena Bay, and least variation was found between the control and pipeline sites, and between the stations of each site. When the trace metal concentrations and the percentage nitrogen increased, the richness, diversity and abundance of foraminifera tended to decrease. Sediment grain size positively affected abundance but negatively affected diversity and richness. In both areas mean grain size did not, however, appear to play a very large role in influencing diversity. Cadmium, copper, chromium, the percentage nitrogen and the mean grain size were identified as the most important variables influencing the community structure by the BIOENV BEST routine in PRIMER. The trace metals and percentage nitrogen only had negative effects on the diversity and abundance as well as on the abundance of the dominant genera, whereas the mean grain size had variable effects. / South Africa