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Pluripotency can be captured and propagated in vitro from the epiblast of the pre-implantation blastocysts in the form of embryonic stem cells (ESCs). ESCs are capable of unlimited proliferation in an undifferentiated state while maintain the potential to differentiate into cells of all three germ layers in the embryo, including the germline. Two key features the ES cell mitotic cycle are (i) a vastly elevated and uniform expression of Cyclin E and Cyclin E/CDK2 complexes throughout the cell cycle and (ii) a short G1 phase characterized by the lack of RB- and p53-dependent checkpoints, and reduced dependency on MAPK signalling. During my PhD project, we explored whether and how the regulation of the cell cycle actively sustains self-renewal of mouse ESCs (mESCs). We demonstrated that: 1/ the G1 phase of mESCs is a phase of increased susceptibility to differentiation inducers. Thus shortening of G1 might shield undifferentiated cells from differentiation inducers and help ESCs to self-renew in the pluripotent state. 2/ Cyclin E opposes differentiation and supports self-renewal of mESCs by two independent mechanisms, one of which being independent of CDK2 activation. 3/ LIF signalling regulates Cyclin E/CDK2 kinase activity therefore accelerating the G1 to S phase transition. Finally, we propose a model in which LIF signalling stimulates the G1 to S phase transition to shield mESCs from undesired differentiation signals and help them to self-renew in the pluripotent state

Made available in DSpace on 2014-07-29T15:10:32Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Tese-Erika2009.pdf: 3993118 bytes, checksum: 2852e36019237acb54dcbae5e0aa2faf (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-08-14 / Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) have been used in a great variety of biomedical applications, especially in cancer treatment, drug delivery, and diagnosis by magnetic resonance imaging. Embryonic stem cells (ESCs), due to its capacity of auto-renewal and differentiation in some types of cells, offer a great potential for its use in tissue regeneration and in alternative treatments for many degenerative diseases. The study had as aims: i) to evaluate in vitro citotoxicity of maghemite nanoparticles functionalized with lauric acid, DMSA, and citrate in human melanoma cells (SK-MEL-37) by the MTT assay, electronic microscopy, and DNA electroforesis by agarose gel; ii) to develop a culture system using the previously selected MNPs and a magnet to expand in vitro murine embryonic stem cells (mESCs) in the absence of a co-culture of murine embryonic fibroblasts (MEF) (the indifferentiated state of the mES was analyzed by alkaline phosphatase cytochemistry, electronic microscopy, and analysis of Oct-4 and Nanog gene expression by RT-PCR); iii) to isolate and expand ESCs from bovine blastocysts, and to characterize its pluripotency by analysis of Oct-4 and STAT-3 gene expression by RT-PCR. The MNPs coated with lauric acid, citrate, and DMSA showed no citotoxicity, judging by the high values of IC50 found (254, 433 and 2260 μg-iron/ml, respectively), and that the nanoparticles coated with citrate was chosen to expand the mESCs. The doubling time for the cells cultivated in the presence of MNPs was slightly higher than in the presence of MEF (20.67 ± 0.19 vs. 15.95 ± 0.21) (p= 0.001). The mESCs cultivated in the presence of MNPs showed morphology similar to ESCs, and its pluripotency was confirmed by expression of indifferentiation markers Oct-4 and Nanog by RT-PCR and high alkaline phosphatase activity. One bovine embryonic stem cell (bESCs) line was obtained and maintained by six subcultures for 60 days period. The pluripotency of the bESCs was confirmed morphologically as well as by Oct-4 e STAT-3 gene expression / As nanopartículas magnéticas (NPM) têm sido utilizadas em inúmeras aplicações biomédicas, destacando-se no tratamento do câncer, carreamento de drogas e diagnóstico por imagem de ressonância. As células tronco embrionárias (ES), devido à sua capacidade de auto-renovação e de diferenciação em vários tipos de células, oferecem um grande potencial para sua utilização na regeneração de tecidos e em tratamentos alternativos para muitas doenças degenerativas. Os objetivos do estudo foram: i) avaliar a citotoxicidade in vitro de NPM de maghemita funcionalizadas com ácido láurico, DMSA e citrato em células de melanoma humano (SK-MEL-37) através de ensaio de MTT, microscopia eletrônica e eletroforese de DNA em gel de agarose; ii) desenvolver um sistema de cultura utilizando as NPM previamente selecionadas e um magneto para expandir in vitro células tronco embrionárias murinas (mES) na ausência de co-cultura de fibroblastos embrionários murinos (MEF) (o estado indiferenciado das células mES foi analisado por citoquímica para fosfatase alcalina, por microscopia eletrônica e análise da expressão de genes Oct-4 e Nanog por RT-PCR); iii) isolar e expandir células ES a partir de blastocistos bovinos, e caracterizar a sua pluripotência por meio da análise da expressão dos genes Oct-4 e STAT-3 por RT-PCR. As NPM revestidas com ácido láurico, citrato e DMSA não apresentaram citotoxicidade, a julgar pelos altos valores de IC50 encontrados (254, 433 e 2260 μg de ferro/mL, respectivamente), sendo que as nanoparticulas revestidas com citrato foram as escolhidas para serem utilizadas como suporte para expandir as células mES. O tempo de duplicação para as células cultivadas na presença da NPM foi ligeiramente maior do que na presença com co-cultura de MEF (20,67 ± 0,19 vs. 15,95 ± 0,21) (p= 0,001). A morfologia das células mES cultivadas na presença da NPM foi semelhante à de células ES, sendo que, a sua pluripotência foi confirmada pela expressão dos marcadores de indiferenciação Oct-4 e Nanog por RT-PCR e da alta atividade de fosfatase alcalina. Uma linhagem de células tronco embrionárias bovinas (bES) foi obtida e mantida por seis subcultivos por período de 60 dias. A pluripotência das células bES foi confirmada morfologicamente, bem como pela expressão dos genes do estado indiferenciado Oct-4 e STAT-3

Robustness is a ubiquitous property of biological systems, however, underlying mechanisms that help reinforce the optimal phenotypes despite environmental or physiological perturbations are poorly understood. C. elegans development consists of four larval stages (L1-L4) and well-characterized invariant cell lineages, within which the heterochronic pathway controls the order and timing of cell-fates. Environmental or physiological stress signals can slow or temporarily halt larval stage progression; remarkably, however, temporal cell-fate progression remains unaffected. We show that two widely conserved signaling pathways, insulin and TGF- β, that regulate C. elegans larval stage progression in response to starvation and crowding, respectively, also regulate a rewiring of the heterochronic pathway so that cell-fates remain temporally anchored to appropriate larval stages. This rewiring is mediated by the nuclear hormone receptor DAF-12, and it involves a shift from the reliance on let-7-family microRNAs to the reliance on LIN-46 for proper downregulation of the transcription factor, Hunchback-like-1 (HBL-1), which promotes L2 cell-fates and opposes L3 cell-fates. LIN-46 (which is a homolog of bacterial molybdopterin molybdenum transferase (moeA) and human gephyrin) post-translationally inhibits HBL-1 activity. LIN-46 expression is repressed by the RNA-binding protein LIN-28 at the early stages to permit HBL-1 activity and hence the proper execution of L2 cell-fates. Our results indicate that robustness mechanisms of temporal cell-fate progression in C. elegans involves 1) coordinated regulation of temporal cell-fates and larval stage progression and 2) collaboration between translational regulation exerted by microRNAs and post-translational regulation exerted by LIN-46 to coordinate HBL-1 downregulation with stage progression.

京都大学 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(人間・環境学) / 甲第23264号 / 人博第979号 / 新制||人||232(附属図書館) / 2020||人博||979(吉田南総合図書館) / 京都大学大学院人間・環境学研究科相関環境学専攻 / (主査)教授 阪上 雅昭, 教授 谷口 一美, 准教授 森口 佑介 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Human and Environmental Studies / Kyoto University / DFAM

Les cellules souches cancéreuses (CSC) sont à l’origine de la progression tumorale, des métastases et rechutes tardives. Elles ont été identifiées dans de nombreux cancers, comme le cancer du sein triple négatif (TNBC) et cancers de grade III-IV. Elles sont résistantes aux chimiothérapies et radiothérapie et résident dans une niche immuno-répressive. Cette étude vise à évaluer une stratégie d’immunothérapie qui cible sélectivement les CSC dans le modèle murin 4T1-GFP-Luc mimant le TNBC. Le phénotype/ génotype des mamosphères a été initialement caractérisé. Basée sur l’analyse génomique des CSC, nous avons développé une immunothérapie active associée à des agents immuno-modulateurs. Nous avons mesuré la taille des tumeurs et suivi l’apparition des métastases par bioluminescence. Une étude immunologique et analyse génomique de la tumeur a été réalisée. La combinaison thérapeutique provoque le recrutement dans la tumeur de lymphocytes T (CD4 +, CD8 +) et lymphocytes B par augmentation de CXCL13, une réduction des lymphocytes T reg et cellules myéloïdes suppressives. Cette induction de réponse immunitaire provoque la diminution de la taille de la tumeur et des métastases. Cette nouvelle immunothérapie active de type vaccinale pourra être utilisée en association avec les traitements actuels pour des mesures prophylactiques et curatives dans une grande variété de cancers. / Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are responsible for tumor progression, metastases, and late relapses. They have been identified in many cancers, such as triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) and grade III to IV cancers. They are resistant to chemotherapy and radiotherapy and reside in an immuno-repressive niche.This study aims to evaluate a immunotherapy strategy that selectively targets CSCs in the mouse model 4T1-GFP-Luc mimicking TNBC. The phenotype / genotype of mammosphere was initially characterized. Based on genomic analysis of CSC, we have developed an active immunotherapy associated with immunomodulatory agents. We measured the size of tumors and monitored the appearance of metastases by bioluminescence. We performed an immunological study and genomic tumor analysis. The therapeutic combination causes the recruitment of CD4 + and CD8 + T lymphocytes and B lymphocytes with increased CXCL13, the reduction of T reg cells and suppressive myeloid cells in the tumor. This induction of intra-tumor immune response leads to a decrease in tumor size and metastases.This new active immunotherapy can be used in combination with current treatments for prophylactic and curative measures in a wide variety of cancers.

<p>Human embryonic stem cells (hESC) have potential applications as tools for drug screening to identify small molecule regulators of self-renewal or differentiation. Elucidating the mechanisms governing lineage commitment in hESC will allow for efficient derivation of specified cell types for clinical use. Recognizing the early steps in loss of pluripotency is key to achieving both goals of drug screening and derivation of therapeutically relevant cell types. Here we report the use of a real time cell cycle fluorescent reporter for the first time in hESC that indicates onset of differentiation in a lineage unbiased manner. Pluripotent hESC possess a short cell cycle length, due primarily to a truncated G1 phase. G1 lengthens concomitant with differentiation. Stable hESC lines expressing the live cell cycle reporter exhibit fluorescence only during G1. Due to the short length of pluripotent G1 phase, G1 fluorescence is only weakly and transiently detected, however it is quickly increased to easily detectable levels upon onset of differentiation. We hypothesize that lengthened G1 phase can be used as an indicator of differentiation status of individual human embryonic stem cells.</p> <p>Cells with lengthened G1 are typically negative for pluripotency markers OCT4, Tra-1-60 and SSEA-3 following differentiation. Differentiated cells with lengthened G1 also demonstrate increased levels of lineage-specific differentiation markers at both the protein and mRNA level. Automated image analysis of hESC indicates this mutually exclusive relationship between lengthened G1 and pluripotency exists both on the cellular level and in colonies as a whole. Here we have shown that lengthened G1 indicates both loss of pluripotency and gain of lineage markers.</p> / Master of Science (MSc)

For self-renewal, embryonic stem cells (ESCs) require the expression of specific transcription factors accompanied by a particular chromosome organization to maintain a balance between pluripotency and the capacity for rapid differentiation. However, how transcriptional regulation is linked to chromosome organization in ESCs is not well understood. Here we show that the cohesin component RAD21 exhibits a functional role in maintaining ESC identity through association with the pluripotency transcriptional network. ChIP-seq analyses of RAD21 reveal an ESC specific cohesin binding pattern that is characterized by CTCF independent co-localization of cohesin with pluripotency related transcription factors Oct4, Nanog, Sox2, Esrrb and Klf4. Upon ESC differentiation, most of these binding sites disappear and instead new CTCF independent RAD21 binding sites emerge, which are enriched for binding sites of transcription factors implicated in early differentiation. Furthermore, knock-down of RAD21 causes expression changes that are similar to expression changes after Nanog depletion, demonstrating the functional relevance of the RAD21 - pluripotency transcriptional network association. Finally, we show that Nanog physically interacts with the cohesin or cohesin interacting proteins STAG1 and WAPL further substantiating this association. Based on these findings we propose that a dynamic placement of cohesin by pluripotency transcription factors contributes to a chromosome organization supporting the ESC expression program.

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