Numerous studies have found certain unmethylated phytochemicals to possess anti-carcinogenic activity; however, they have been associated with poor oral bioavailability which is a major limiting factor in their usage in chemopreventative treatment. The purpose of this study was to investigate if methylation of a compound would affect bioavailability, in terms of transport and permeability, in a Caco-2 cell model as well as the effect of cell viability and cellular uptake in human colon cancer cell lines. Furthermore, a new analytic method using reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrochemical detector (HPLC-EC) for the detection and quantification of resveratrol and pterostilbene was developed. This new method was simple, rapid, and more sensitive compared to other detection methods used to analyze resveratrol and pterostilbene. Linear range, limit of detection (LOD), precision and recovery were used to validate this new analytical method. There was a significant increase in intracellular uptake and stronger growth inhibitory of pterostilbene in human cancer cells lines in comparison to resveratrol. Resveratrol exhibited a higher and more rapid rate of transport than pterostilbene across the Caco-2 monolayer regardless of the concentration tested and direction. Pterostiblene exhibited little difference in the rate of transport from either direction. The HCT-116 colon cells had intracellular uptake of each of the polymethoxyflavones (PMFs) tested. Transport was observed by all the PMFs and each had different rates of transport. Overall, location and amount of methyl groups had an effect on bioavailablity of a compound and these compounds show promise as chemopreventative agents.

Lifestyle diseases represent a large burden on developed societies and account for much morbidity worldwide. Research has shown that eating a diet rich in fruit and vegetables helps to ameliorate and prevent some of these diseases. Antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables may provide a substantial benefit in reducing disease incidence. This thesis examines the antioxidant properties of resveratrol, piceatannol, and pterostilbene, and the ability of Burkitt's Lymphoma (Raji) cells to uptake these three antioxidants. It also studies the effect of the antioxidants in protecting against DNA damage and their role in DNA repair following oxygen radical exposure in Raji cells. The Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) assay was used to measure overall antioxidant contribution as well as the ability of Raji cells to uptake antioxidant following exposure to 2,2’-Azobis(2-methyl-propionamide) dihydrochloride (AAPH). The single cell gel electrophoresis (Comet) assay was used to assess DNA damage and DNA repair rates of cells. Results showed that Raji cells, following oxygen radical exposure, significantly uptake pterostilbene (p < 0.0001), but not piceatannol or resveratrol. Piceatannol provided protection against hydrogen peroxide induced DNA damage, but pterostilbene and resveratrol increased DNA damage following hydrogen peroxide treatment. None of the compounds showed any effect on DNA repair. Overall, this study indicates there is merit for further research into the bioactive roles, including antioxidant capacity, of all three compounds. Such research may provide evidence for the more widespread use of these and other food based compounds for preventing lifestyle diseases.

Les stilbènes sont les métabolites de défense majeurs de la vigne, qui sont également connus pour leurs nombreuses propriétés pharmacologiques. Tirant parti du récent séquençage du génome de la vigne, l’objectif de ce travail est de caractériser les familles de gènes impliqués dans la biosynthèse des stilbènes chez la vigne, et de préciser leur rôle dans les défenses contre le mildiou (Plasmopara viticola). La première étape de la biosynthèse des stilbènes est catalysée par la stilbène synthase (STS), pour former le resvératrol. L’analyse détaillée du génome de la vigne a permis d’identifier 48 gènes STS, dont 32 gènes potentiellement fonctionnels. La caractérisation fonctionnelle d’une sélection de gènes représentatifs de la diversité de la famille suggère que l’ensemble des 32 gènes STS code pour des protéines ayant réellement une activité stilbène synthase. L’analyse évolutive des gènes STS montre que la famille est très contrainte, sans trace de néo-fonctionnalisation. La famille des STS de la vigne représente donc un exemple unique d’une famille de plus de 30 gènes codant pour des protéines de fonction identique, et la signification biologique de cette expansion est discutée. Une seconde enzyme importante du métabolisme des stilbènes est la resvératrol O-méthyltransférase (ROMT). La ROMT est impliquée dans la méthylation du resvératrol pour former le ptérostilbène, un composé hautement fongitoxique qui pourrait jouer un rôle important dans les mécanismes de défenses de la vigne. Notre analyse de la famille ROMT montre qu’elle est constituée de 17 gènes, dont deux seulement (VvROMT1 et VvROMT2) semblent impliqués dans la synthèse de ptérostilbène. L’expression de ces deux gènes est induite suite à une infection par P. viticola au niveau des feuilles de vigne. Deux autres gènes de la famille, VvROMT12 et VvROMT13, sont exprimés constitutivement au niveau des racines, et ne semblent pas répondre au stress. Des analyses métabolomiques sur des plants de Nicotiana benthamiana transgéniques exprimant ces deux ROMT ainsi que des tests enzymatiques in vitro ont été réalisés afin de déterminer la fonction des gènes ROMT12 et 13. L’ensemble de ces résultats fait apparaître une amplification remarquable des gènes impliqués dans la synthèse des stilbènes chez la vigne et ouvrent la voie à l’étude détaillée de la régulation de cette voie importante du métabolisme de défense de la vigne. / Stilbenes are major defense metabolites in grapevine (Vitis vinifera), which are known for their many pharmacological properties. Taking advantage of the recent sequencing of the grapevine genome, the aim of this work is to characterize genes families involved in stilbene biosynthesis, in order to clarify the role of these defense compounds in the interaction with downy mildew (Plasmopara viticola). The first step of stilbene biosynthesis is catalyzed by stilbene synthase (STS), to yield resveratrol. Our annotation of the STS gene family identified 48 STS genes, including at least 32 potentially functional ones. This unusual expansion of the STS family is original, since it is not found in other stilbene-producing plants. Functional characterization of a selection of STS proteins indicates that all STS genes are likely to encode enzymes with STS activity. Evolutionary analysis of the STS gene family revealed that STS evolution is dominated by purifying selection, with no evidence for neofunctionalization. STS family then represents a unique example a family of more than 30 genes encoding proteins with identical function, and the biological significance of this amplification is discussed. A second important enzyme in stilbene metabolism is resveratrol O-methyltransferase (ROMT), involved in the methylation of resveratrol to yield pterostilbene. This highly fungitoxic compound is believed to play an important role in grapevine defense metabolism. Our analysis of the ROMT family identified 17 genes, two of them only (VvROMT1 and VvROMT2) being involved in pterostilbene biosynthesis. qPCR analyses have shown an induction of the expression of these two genes after an inoculation of P. viticola on grapevine leaves. Two others genes, VvROMT12 and VvROMT13, are constitutively expressed in grapevine roots, and do not seem to respond to stress. Metabolomic analysis on transgenic Nicotiana benthamiana plants expressing these two ROMT genes, together with in vitro enzymatic assays, have been performed in order to determine the function of ROMT12 and ROMT 13. All together, these results show a remarkable amplification of genes involved in stilbene biosynthesis in grapevine. This work paves the way for detailed analyses of the regulation of this important pathway of grapevine defense metabolism.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common high-grade brain tumor diagnosed in patients who are more than 50 years of age. The standard of care treatment is surgery, followed by radiotherapy and chemotherapy. The median life expectancy of patients is only between 12 to 15 months after receiving current treatment regimes. Hence, identification of new therapeutic compounds and gene targets are highly warranted. This thesis describes four interlinked studies to attain this goal. In study 1, we explored drug combination effects in a material of 41 patient-derived GBM cell (GC) cultures. Synergies between three compounds, pterostilbene, gefitinib, and sertraline, resulted in effective killing of GC and can be predicted by biomarkers. In study 2, we performed a large-scale screening of FDA approved compounds (n=1544) in a larger panel of GCs (n=106). By combining the large-scale drug response data with GCs genomics data, we built a novel computational model to predict the sensitivity of each compound for a given GC. A notable finding was that GCs respond very differently to proteasome inhibitors in both in-vitro and in-vivo. In study 3, we explored new gene targets by RNAi (n=1112) in a panel of GC cells. We found that loss of transcription factor ZBTB16/PLZF inhibits GC cell viability, proliferation, migration, and invasion. These effects were due to downregulation of c-MYC and Cyclin B1 after the treatment. In study 4, we tested the genomic stability of three GCs upon multiple passaging. Using molecular and mathematical analyses, we showed that the GCs undergo both systematic adaptations and sequential clonal takeovers. Such changes tend to affect a broad spectrum of pathways. Therefore, a systematic analysis of cell culture stability will be essential to make use of primary cells for translational oncology. Taken together, these studies deepen our knowledge of the weak points of GBM and provide several targets and biomarkers for further investigation. The work in this thesis can potentially facilitate the development of targeted therapies and result in more accurate tools for patient diagnostics and stratification.