The v-rel oncogene is the most efficiently transforming member of the Rel/NF-κB family of transcription factors. Identification of genes or signal transduction pathways that contribute to v-Rel transformation provide insight into the mechanisms of tumorigenesis by Rel/NF-κB proteins. In these studies, the contribution of TGF-β/Smad signaling to v-Rel transformation was assessed. TGF-β/Smad signaling regulates several cellular processes, including growth, differentiation, and apoptosis and has been implicated in a number of different cancers. Using microarray technology and Northern blot analysis, key components of the TGF-β/Smad pathway (tgf-β2 and tgf-β3 ligands, TGF-β type II receptor, and receptor-activated smad3) were identified with upregulated mRNA expression in v-Rel-transformed fibroblasts and lymphoid cells relative to control cells. A corresponding change in their protein levels was also observed. Further analysis revealed elevated levels of the phosphorylated, active form of Smad3, which correlated with its increased DNA-binding activity in v-Rel transformed cells. In contrast, the overexpression of c-Rel resulted in little to no alteration in the RNA and protein expression of members of the TGF-β/Smad pathway. Further studies demonstrated that elevated TGF-β/Smad signaling is required for the transforming ability of v-Rel. Blocking TGF-β signaling with a kinase inhibitor of TGF-β type I receptor inhibited the activation of Smad3 and dramatically reduced the ability of v-Rel transformed cells to form colonies in soft agar. Overexpression of a constitutively active form of Smad3 in the inhibitor-treated cells restored their ability to form colonies in soft agar close to the levels seen in untreated cells. Additional experiments with dominant negative Smad3 also revealed its ability to hinder the oncogenic potential of v-Rel. In complementary experiments, a stimulatory effect on v-Rel transformation was observed with cells treated with recombinant TGF-β2 ligand or overexpressed with wild-type Smad3. Taken together, these studies demonstrate that TGF-β signaling is crucial for the transformation potential of v-Rel and is primarily mediated by Smad3 activity. / text

PHIP1 is a novel downstream transcriptional co-regulator of insulin-like growth factor-I receptor (IGF-IR), a tyrosine kinase receptor that is often elevated and autophosphorylated in breast cancer. In this study, I show that PHIP1 is upregulated in MCF10A cells stably overexpressing IGF-IR signaling components and that knock-down of PHIP1 significantly inhibits breast cancer cell proliferation by inducing transcriptional upregulation of p21 and downregulation of cyclin D2. I also show that stable overexpression of PHIP1 in MCF10A cells can lead to its proteasomal degradation. Together, our data indicate that PHIP1 is implicated in breast cancer cell growth and suggest a number of avenues that await exciting discovery.

In this study, structural and functional aspects of adenovirus type 5 (Ad5) E4orf3 protein were analyzed by biophysical and biochemical methods. Ad5 is one of the mostly used gene therapy vectors to date. However, some of its proteins possess oncogenic potential and their presence comprises safety risks. E4orf3 is one of the oncoproteins of Ad5. It also takes important roles in viral infection, and is beneficial for therapy vectors. Therefore, understanding the functions of E4orf3 is very important for developing efficient and safe adenovirus vectors. Most of the present knowledge about the functions of E4orf3 comes from its mutational analysis. It has never been expressed or purified successfully due to its extreme insolubility. Therefore, this study focused on the optimization of expression of E4orf3 protein. As a result, full-length E4orf3 was obtained in soluble form as a Glutathione-S-transferase (GST) fusion protein and purified by GST affinity chromatography for the first time. Subsequently, the interaction of E4orf3 with four different proteins, DNA-PK, Aup1, E1B-55 kDa and E4orf6 was analyzed in detail by GST-pulldown technique. In these experiments, E4orf3 was shown to associate with Aup1, E1B-55 kDa and E4orf6 in vitro, and the C-terminal of E4orf3 was determined to be responsible for these interactions. Finally, basic structural information about E4orf3 protein was also obtained for the first time by the direct analysis of the fusion protein in glutathione beads with Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Since the purified E4orf3 protein could not be separated from the glutathione beads due to its hydrophobic regions, the secondary structures in this protein were determined after subtracting glutathione and H2O absorption bands, and the GST moiety.

The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) protein LMP1 serves as a paradigm that engages complicated ubiquitination-mediated mechanisms to activate multiple transcription factors. p62 is a ubiquitin sensor and a signal-transducing adaptor that has multiple functions in diverse contexts. However, the interaction between p62 and oncogenic viruses is poorly understood. We recently reported a crucial role for p62 in oncovirus-mediated oxidative stress by acting as a selective autophagy receptor. In this following pursuit, we further discovered that p62 is upregulated in EBV type 3 compared to type 1 latency, with a significant contribution from NF-kB and AP1 activities downstream of LMP1 signaling. In turn, p62 participates in LMP1 signal transduction through its interaction with TRAF6, promoting TRAF6 ubiquitination and activation. As expected, short hairpin RNA (shRNA)-mediated knockdown (KD) of p62 transcripts reduces LMP1-TRAF6 interaction and TRAF6 ubiquitination, as well as p65 nuclear translocation, which was assessed by Amnis imaging flow cytometry. Strikingly, LMP1-stimulated NF-kB, AP1, and Akt activities are all markedly reduced in p622/2 mouse embryo fibroblasts (MEFs) and in EBV-negative Burkitt’s lymphoma (BL) cell lines with CRISPR-mediated knockout (KO) of the p62-encoding gene. However, EBV-positive BL cell lines (type 3 latency) with CRISPR-mediated KO of the p62-encoding gene failed to survive. In consequence, shRNA-mediated p62 KD impairs the ability of LMP1 to regulate its target gene expression, promotes etoposide-induced apoptosis, and reduces the proliferation of lymphoblastic cell lines (LCLs). These important findings have revealed a previously unrecognized novel role for p62 in EBV latency and oncogenesis, which advances our understanding of the mechanism underlying virus-mediated oncogenesis. IMPORTANCE As a ubiquitin sensor and a signal-transducing adaptor, p62 is crucial for NF-kB activation, which involves the ubiquitin machinery, in diverse contexts. However, whether p62 is required for EBV LMP1 activation of NF-kB is an open question. In this study, we provide evidence that p62 is upregulated in EBV type 3 latency and, in turn, p62 mediates LMP1 signal transduction to NF-kB, AP1, and Akt by promoting TRAF6 ubiquitination and activation. In consequence, p62 deficiency negatively regulates LMP1-mediated gene expression, promotes etoposide-induced apoptosis, and reduces the proliferation of LCLs. These important findings identified p62 as a novel signaling component of the key viral oncogenic signaling pathway.

L’hématopoïèse est un processus complexe et extrêmement régulé qui permet la production de l’ensemble des cellules sanguines à partir de cellules souches. Différents acteurs interviennent dans cette régulation et une altération de l’un ou plusieurs de ces régulateurs est souvent à l’origine de leucémies. L’un des acteurs majeurs de cette régulation est le complexe Core Binding Factor (CBF), particulièrement touché dans ces hémopathies. Ce facteur de transcription se compose de la sous-unité CBFβ et d’une sous unité variable RUNX, (habituellement RUNX1 dans l’hématopoïèse). Dans la leucémie aiguë myéloïde 4 à composante éosinophile (LAM4 Eo), le gène CBFβ est retrouvé fusionné au gène MYH11, entraînant la formation d’un gène chimérique codant pour l’oncoprotéine de fusion CBFβ–SMMHC. Cette version altérée du complexe CBF a pour caractéristique de séquestrer RUNX1 dans le cytoplasme et de déréguler l’expression des gènes cible du complexe via diverses mécanismes. Elle est en effet capable d’inhiber l’expression génique par le recrutement d’inhibiteurs transcriptionnels mais a également récemment été décrite comme liée au promoteur de gènes actifs. Ces dérégulations entraînent une altération de la différenciation et/ou une apoptose chez différents progéniteurs hématopoïétiques via divers mécanismes particulièrement étudiés chez la souris. Chez l’homme, les processus oncogéniques par lesquels CBFβ–SMMHC altère la différenciation et induit la leucémogénèse restent cependant peu décrits. Au moyen de deux modèles humains : une lignée ME-1 inductible pour l’inhibition de l’expression de l’oncoprotéine et des blastes leucémiques de patients atteints de LAM4 Eo dérivés de xénogreffes murines, nous avons découvert un nouveau composant cellulaire dérégulé par CBFβ–SMMHC ainsi qu’un nouveau partenaire d’interaction. En effet, dans un premier temps, ce travail révèle que l’oncoprotéine a des effets complexes sur la biogenèse des ribosomes aux niveaux génomique et post-transcriptionnel. Nous avons montré que CBFβ–SMMHC fixe le promoteur des gènes ribosomiques et active leur transcription. Nous avons également observé un niveau d’expression de ces gènes, supérieur dans les LAM dites de type CBFβ–SMMHC comparées aux autres sous-groupes de LAM. Dans la lignée ME-1 cette activation de la transcription ne se traduit cependant pas par une augmentation du contenu cellulaire en ribosomes, expliqué en partie par une maturation du précurseur des ARN ribosomiques moins efficiente en présence de l’oncoprotéine. Dans un second temps nous avons observé que CBFβ–SMMHC interagit directement avec la protéine Polycomb RING1B et BMI1 sous-unité du complexe de répression des gènes PRC1. L’inhibition de CBFβ–SMMHC entraînant une augmentation du niveau de fixation globale de RING1B sur l’ensemble du génome. Nous pensons que de cette altération du niveau de fixation de RING1B induite par CBFβ–SMMHC, découle la dérégulation de nombreux gènes impliqués dans diverses voies ou mécanismes critiques de l’hématopoïèse. Nous avons ainsi mis en lumière deux nouveaux mécanismes oncogéniques médiés par l’oncoprotéine CBFβ–SMMHC ouvrant de nouveaux horizons pour de potentielles cibles thérapeutiques. / Haematopoiesis is a complex process allowing the production of all mature blood cells from stem cells. This process is highly regulated at the transcriptional level, and perturbation of normal transcriptional regulation may cause leukaemia. One of the major actors of this regulation is the Core Binding factor (CBF) complex, which is frequently subject to genetic alteration in leukaemia. This transcription factor consists of a constant CBFβ subunit and a variable RUNX subunit, usually RUNX1 in haematopoiesis. In acute myeloid leukemia 4 with eosinophilic component (AMLM4 Eo), the CBFβ gene is fused to the MYH11 gene, leading to the formation of a chimeric gene encoding the CBFβ–SMMHC oncoprotein. This altered version of the CBF complex sequesters RUNX1 into the cytoplasm, and deregulates wild type CBF target gene expression though diverse mechanisms. While CBFβ–SMMHC can inhibit gene expression by recruiting transcriptional inhibitors, it has also recently been described to bind and activate certain gene promoters. The mechanisms by which these deregulations lead to an alteration of the differentiation and/or an apoptosis of diverse hematopoietic progenitors is best characterised in murine models. In humans, the oncogenic processes by which CBFβ–SMMHC alters differentiation and induces leukaemogenesis remain unclear. Using two human cellular models, namely (i) an ME-1 cell line containing an inducible shRNA directed against the CBFβ- MYH11 fusion transcript and (ii) Patient-derived AML M4Eo murine xenografts, we describe two novel activities of CBFβ–SMMHC. Firstly, we discovered that the oncoprotein has complex effects on ribosome biogenesis at both the genomic and post-transcriptomic levels. We found that CBFβ–SMMHC binds ribosomal gene promoters and activates their transcription, which was corroborated by the observation of higher ribosomal gene expression in human AML M4Eo, compared with other AML subgroups. In the ME-1 cell line this transcriptional activation did not lead to the higher cellular ribosome content, which was explained in part by decreased efficiency of ribosomal RNA maturation in the presence of the oncoprotein. Secondly, we found that CBFβ–SMMHC interacts directly with RING1B and BMI1 protein subunit of the Polycomb gene repression complex PRC1. Depletion of CBFβ–SMMHC lead to increased global binding of RING1B to the genome, resulting in deregulation of numerous genes that are critical for normal haematopoietic differentiation. We have therefore highlighted two new oncogenic mechanisms mediated by the CBFβ–SMMHC oncoprotein, therefore opening new avenues to investigate potential therapeutic targets.

Retroviruses are viruses which are able to integrate to genome of host cell. Nonrandom integration of provirus near or inside some cellular genes may result in their deregulation, activation or silencing. This can later lead to cell transformation and tumor formation. This thesis discusses identification of viral integration sites (VIS) and common integration sites (CIS) in tumors originating from different organs (mostly kidneys, lungs and liver) with using mostly avian retroviruses subgroup J, specifically first natural isolate HPRS-103 and laboratory made virus MAV-J, which was made by replacing gene envB by envJ. Infection was made in ovo using chicken breeds Brown Leghorn and White Leghorn and tumors were isolated from 8 to 28 weeks after infection. For molecular analyses was used inverse PCR method and sequencing. From 74 molecularly analyzed tumors there was detected 373 VIS and 6 CIS with statistical significance over 2.10-2 . Gene with the highest number of hits was FRK (14 times), then TERT (5 times), CTDSPL (5 times), EGFR/ERBB1 (3 times), MYB (3 times) and MYC (3 times). Except 6 CIS there were other genes found, which had smaller statistical significance. Keywords: retrovirus, insertional mutagenesis, subgroup J, oncogenesis, oncogenes, MAV-J, HPRS-103, proviral integration sites, tumors

Des mutations du gène Ras jouent un rôle essentiel dans le développement tumoral. Les GTPases Ral , RalA et RalB, sont des effecteurs proximaux de l’oncogène Ras. RalA permet la croissance en absence de substrat et RalB est nécessaire à l'autophagie et à la résistance à l'apoptose des cellules cancéreuses. Cette thèse a pour objectif de clarifier les mécanismes moléculaires de la signalisation Ral impliqués dans l’oncogenèse dépendante des protéines Ras.Des criblages par double hydride ont été effectués par notre équipe et un interactome de Ral a été établi. Ce criblage a montré une interaction entre des protéines de la signalisation Ral et la protéine NDR1, une kinase pro-apoptotique appartenant à la voie " suppresseur de tumeur" Hippo. Le Projet 1 montre la régulation de NDR1 par la voie RalA-Exocyste- MAP4K4 en réponse au stress osmotique, oxydatif ou au traitement par le TNF-α. Dans cette voie, la kinase MAP4K4, un effecteur de RalA, via le complexe exocyste active directement NDR1. En outre, nous avons montré que la voie RalA-MAP4K4-NDR1 était nécessaire à l'apoptose déclenchée par le TNF-α ou par la surexpression de RASSF1A, suppresseur de tumeur appartenant à la voie Hippo. Nous avons donc montré que RalA a un rôle pro-apoptotique inattendue qui agit via la kinase NDR1, en plus de son rôle connu de proto-oncogène en aval de Ras.Le projet 2 montre que la protéine kinase NDR1 est un régulateur de l'autophagie. Des criblages par double hydride ont été effectués par notre équipe avec NDR1 comme appât et ont permis de montrer une interaction entre Beclin 1, une protéine majeure de l’autophagie, et NDR1. Nous avons montré que NDR1 était nécessaire à l'autophagie et à la formation des autophagosomes chez l'humain et la Drosophile. De plus, NDR1 est nécessaire à la formation du complexe Exo84 de l'exocyste, Beclin1 et RalB nécessaire à l'initiation de l'autophagie. Nous montrons également que RalB régule l'état d'activation de NDR 1 après induction de l'autophagie. En effet, en absence de RalB, nous avons observé une hyper - activation de NDR1 menant les cellules vers l'apoptose. Ainsi nous avons montré que NDR1 joue le rôle d'interrupteur favorisant l'autophagie ou favorisant l'apoptose suivant son état d'activation.Le projet 3 étudie l'implication de la voie RalGTPases-NDR1 dans l'oncogenèse dépendante de Ras et dissèque par quels mécanismes NDR1 y contribue. / Constitutive Ras signalling is one of the most frequent oncogenic event in human cancers. Thus, it is imperative to identify new therapeutic options targeting downstream effectors of Ras signalling. Ras-like GTPases RalA and RalB are proximal effectors of oncogenic Ras. RalA was reported to support anchorage independent proliferation and RalB regulates autophagy and inhibits apoptosis of cancer cells. Ral proteins execute these functions via several direct effectors as the exocyst, an octameric complex originally identified as regulator of vesicles trafficking. The global goal of this PhD was to better decipher the molecular mechanisms underlying the functions of Ral GTPases in oncogenesis.To extend the Ral interactome, i.e. the protein-protein interaction network centered on Ral, we performed yeast-two hybrid screenings which led to the identification of the NDR1 kinase, belonging to the tumor suppressor Hippo pathway. NDR1 functions in oncogenesis were investigated in the context of three projects.In Project 1, we showed that NDR1-dependent apoptosis is regulated by a RalA/Exocyst/MAP4K4/NDR1 cascade. We reported that under osmotic or oxidative stresses or TNF-α treatment, the Ste20-like MAP4K4 kinase, an effector of RalA via the exocyst complex, directly activates NDR1. Moreover, we found that TNF-α treatment or overexpression of the tumor suppressor RASSF1A, which belongs to the Hippo pathway, leads to apoptosis through this RalA/Exocyst/MAP4K4/NDR1 pathway. This novel and unexpected pro-apoptotic role of RalA suggests that the RalA GTPase can positively signal in tumor suppressor pathways via the kinase NDR1, in addition to its proto-oncogenic role downstream of Ras. In Project 2, we described the NDR1 protein kinase as a conserved regulator of autophagy. Using NDR1 as bait in yeast two hybrid screens, we fished Beclin1, a key regulator of autophagy, and we validated the existence of a direct biochemical NDR1-Beclin1 interaction. We showed that NDR1promotes autophagosome formation in human cells and Drosophila larvae. Furthermore, we observed that NDR1 supports the interaction of the exocyst component Exo84 with Beclin1 and RalB, which is required to initiate autophagosome formation. Very interestingly, under prolonged autophagy, RalB depletion triggers hyperactivation of NDR1 resulting in NDR1-dependent apoptosis. Thus, it appears that the NDR1 kinase could act as a switch between autophagy (=survival) or apoptosis (=death), under the control of RalB. In Project 3, we addressed the role of the newly identified RalGTPases-NDR1axis in Ras - induced oncogenesis and tumorigenesis.

Le mélanome est un cancer de la peau agressif et au mauvais pronostic. Si de nouvelles solutions thérapeutiques efficaces ont été développées, les taux de réponses sont variables et transitoires. Découvrir de nouveaux mécanismes oncogéniques dans cette pathologie reste donc nécessaire. Durant mes travaux, j’ai pu démontrer que la protéine tyrosine-kinase FES est exprimée dans les mélanocytes normaux. Cette expression est largement perdue dans un panel de lignées cellulaires de mélanome, au niveau protéique et transcriptionnel ainsi que dans des cultures primaires d’échantillons de patients. La perte de FES est due à une hyper-méthylation de son promoteur et est réversible. En ré-exprimant FES de manière stable dans deux lignées cellulaires de mélanomes, j’ai montré que cette réexpression entraînait une diminution des capacités oncogéniques des cellules. De plus, en analysant les données d’une cohorte de mélanomes (TCGA), j’ai pu établir qu’une diminution importante ou une perte d’expression de FES se retrouve dans près de 40% des patients, et qu’elle est corrélée à une hyper-méthylation du gène FES. Les patients ayant une faible expression de FES présentent un moins bon pronostic soulignant l’importance de ce phénomène. Enfin, en croisant un modèle murin déficient pour le gène Fes avec un modèle de mélanome, nous observons que les tumeurs sous fond Fes KO sont plus prolifératives et plus volumineuses.Ainsi, par des analyses in vitro, sur des données de patients ou en croisant des modèles murins, j’ai pu démontrer que FES est exprimée au niveau des mélanocytes normaux et y exerce un rôle de suppresseur de tumeur. / Among skin cancers, melanoma is the most aggressive and has the worst prognosis. In the last years, new therapeutic tools have been developed but responses differ between patients and are often transient due to resistance mechanisms. This highlights the need to improve understanding of molecular mechanisms of the disease. During my thesis, I have shown for the first time that FES tyrosine kinase is expressed in normal melanocytes, and that its expression is lost at the protein and RNA levels in most melanoma cell lines. The same result is observed in a panel of 12 patients’ short-term cultures. The lack of expression is due to FES promoter hyper-methylation and can be reverted using a hypomethylating agent. By restoring FES expression in two melanoma cell lines, I observe a decrease of oncogenic properties of the cells. Moreover, the analysis of the TCGA data on melanoma indicate that FES expression is strongly decreased or lost in about 40% of patients, and that this loss of expression is correlated with FES promoter methylation. Importantly, patients with low level of FES mRNA have poor prognosis compared to FES expressing patients. Finally, Fes knock-out mice crossed with an inducible melanoma mouse model indicate that tumors proliferation and size are more important under a Fes KO background.In conclusion, by using melanoma cells in vitro, data from melanoma patients and mouse models, I have demonstrated that FES is expressed in normal melanocytes and clearly plays a tumor suppressor role.in melanoma.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:23:43Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2008-03-07Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T18:19:52Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 fernandes_sc_me_jabo.pdf: 542693 bytes, checksum: f141575a6f8b47f554e2e0bf4870259f (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) / Visando à contribuição ao estudo da oncologia e ao aumento da sobrevida de cadelas com neoplasias mamárias, o objetivo deste trabalho é investigar as possíveis alterações no gene supressor de tumor p53 em tumores de mama relacionando-as com a idade, raça, tipo histológico, número e localização da neoplasia, tempo de progressão e característica macroscópica do tumor (tamanho e presença de úlcera). Foram avaliadas 30 amostras de neoplasias de mama de cadelas. Este material foi distribuído em cinco grupos, de acordo com a classificação histopatológica do tumor (adenoma, tumor misto benigno, carcinoma, tumor misto maligno e sarcoma). O Grupo Controle compreendeu cinco amostras de tecido mamário sem alterações patológicas. As possíveis mutações existentes nos exons 5 a 8 do gene p53 foi analisado por meio da técnica de PCR (reação em cadeia de polimerase) e seqüenciamento. Foram observadas cinco mutações em neoplasias malignas e uma mutação em neoplasia benigna. Dessas mutações, todas eram “missense” e três delas eram do tipo “frameshift”. Comparando as mutações com os outros parâmetros clínicos, concluiu-se que alterações em p53 devem ser originadas em um estágio inicial na carcinogênese mamária canina e mutações em p53 podem estar relacionadas com a malignidade do tumor. / Aiming at the contribution for oncology’s study and the improvement of survival time of bitches with mammary neoplasm, the purpose of this research is investigate the possible alterations in tumor suppressor gene p53 in mammary neoplasm, relating then with age, breed, tumor histologic classification, neoplasm location (which mammary gland and if they are unique or multiples), progression time and neoplasm macroscopic characteristic (size and ulceration presence). Thirty canine mammary neoplasm patterns were evaluated. This material was distributed in five groups according to histologic classification of the tumor (adenoma, benign mixed tumor, carcinoma, malignant mixed tumor and sarcoma). The Control Group included five mammary tissue patterns with no pathological alterations. Possible mutations at 5 to 8 exons within p53 gene was analyzed by the PCR technique (“Polymerase Chain Reaction”) and sequencing. Five mutations were observed in malignant mammary neoplasm and one mutation in benign neoplasm. About these mutations, all were missense and three of them were frameshift. Comparing the mutations with the other clinical parameters, it was concluded that p53 alterations must be started in an initial stage in canine mammary carcinogenesis and p53 mutations can be related with the tumor malignancy.

Le virus associé au sarcome de Kaposi (KSHV) code pour un cluster de 12 précurseurs de micro (mi)ARN abondamment exprimés pendant les phases lytiques et latentes de l’infection. Des études précédentes ont rapporté que KSHV est capable d’inhiber l’apoptose pendant l’infection latente ; nous avons donc testé si les miARN du virus étaient impliqués dans ce processus. Nous avons trouvé que des cellules HEK293 et DG-75 exprimant de manière stable les miARN de KSHV étaient protégées de l’apoptose. Les cibles cellulaires potentielles qui étaient significativement négativement régulées lors de l’expression des miARNs de KSHV ont été identifiées par analyse transcriptomique par microarray. Parmi celles-ci, nous avons validé par tests rapporteurs luciférase, PCR quantitative, et western blot, Caspase 3 (CASP3), un facteur jouant un rôle critique dans le contrôle de l’apoptose. Via le biais de mutagenèse dirigée, nous avons montré que trois miARN de KSHV, miR- 12-1, 3 et 4-3p, étaient responsables du ciblage de CASP3. L’inhibition spécifique de ces miARN dans des cellules infectées par KSHV a résulté en une augmentation des niveaux d’expression de CASP3 endogène, et en une apoptose plus accrue. Vus dans leur ensemble, nos résultats suggèrent que les miARN de KSHV participent directement à l’inhibition précédemment rapportée de l’apoptose par le virus, et donc qu’ils jouent probablement un rôle dans l’oncogenèse induite par KSHV. / Kaposi’s sarcoma herpesvirus (KSHV) encodes a cluster of twelve micro (mi)RNA precursors, which are abundantly expressed during both latent and lytic infection. Previous studies reported that KSHV is able to inhibit apoptosis; we thus tested the involvement of viral miRNAs in this process. We found that both HEK293 epithelial cells and DG-75 cells stably expressing KSHV miRNAs were protected from apoptosis. Potential cellular targets that were significantly down-regulated upon KSHV miRNAs expression were identified by microarray profiling. Among them, we validated by luciferase reporter assays, quantitative PCR and western blotting Caspase 3 (CASP3), a critical factor for the control of apoptosis. Using site-directed mutagenesis, we found that three KSHV miRNAs, miR-K12-1, 3 and 4-3p, were responsible for the targeting of CASP3. Specific inhibition of these miRNAs in KSHV infected cells resulted in increased expression levels of endogenous CASP3 and enhanced apoptosis. Altogether, our results suggest that KSHV miRNAs directly participate to the previously reported inhibition of apoptosis by the virus, and are thus likely to play a role in KSHV-induced oncogenesis.