Angiotensin II (Ang II) promotes vascular disease and hypertension in part by the formation of pro-inflammatory cytokines, oxidative stress and inflammation. Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is a transcription factor known to play key roles in cytokine signaling and growth in immune cells. We tested the hypothesis that STAT3 plays an essential role in Ang II-induced vascular dysfunction and hypertension. Responses of carotid arteries from C57BL6 mice were examined in vitro after 22-hour incubation with vehicle or Ang II (10 nM) in the presence or absence of a small molecule inhibitor of STAT3 activation, S3I-201. The endothelium-dependent agonist acetylcholine (Ach) produced relaxation in arteries treated with vehicle and the response was inhibited by ~50% by Ang II (P<0.01). S3I-201 (10 πM) co-incubation prevented the Ang II-induced dysfunction. Relaxation to nitroprusside, an endothelium-independent agonist, was not altered in any group. Ang II increased vascular superoxide more than 2-fold (P<0.05) measured by chemiluminescence. S3I-201 (10 πM) prevented the Ang II induced increase of superoxide. Similar findings were obtained with STATTIC, a second small molecule inhibitor of STAT3 activation. In contrast to these findings, lipopolysaccharide (0.5 πg/ml)-induced endothelial dysfunction was not altered by S3I-201. Blood pressure and responses of carotid arteries and small resistance arteries within the brain were examined in C57BL6 mice with either saline or Ang II (1000 ng/kg/min) infused for 14 days via osmotic minipump, which were also treated with dimethyl sulfoxide (vehicle) or S3I-201 (5 mg/kg, IP, every two days). Infusion with Ang II increased systolic blood pressure compared to saline-infused animals (155±2 and 112±2 mmHg, respectively; P<0.001). S3I-201 reduced pressure slightly in saline infused mice but protected against Ang II-induced increase in pressure at 14 days (102±2 and 114±3 mmHg, respectively). Following systemic treatment with Ang II, carotid artery relaxation responses to Ach were significantly impaired compared to vehicle infused mice (72±3% and 101±1%, respectively, P<0.05). S3I-201 treatment significantly prevented Ang II-induced impairment (94±4%, P<0.05). Ang II treated mice exhibited 55% impaired dilator responses to Ach in small resistance arteries within the brain studied in vitro and S3I-201 treatment prevented most of this impairment (P<0.05). Vasorelaxation to nitroprusside was not altered in any group. In summary, these findings provide the first evidence that STAT3 plays an essential role in Ang II-induced vascular dysfunction and hypertension. Targeting STAT3 with small molecule inhibitors or other approaches may have beneficial effects during hypertension and other disease states in which Ang II contributes to vascular dysfunction (e.g. diabetes and aging).

Le facteur de transcription STAT1 est un effecteur majeur de la réponse à l’interféron exerçant ainsi un rôle clé dans l’immunité innée. Il est également un suppresseur de tumeur et régule des effets antiprolifératifs et pro-apoptotiques. Afin de mettre en évidence de nouvelles implications anti-tumorales de STAT1, ce projet de doctorat a porté sur son implication fonctionnelle i) dans l’expression des immunoglobulines (Ig), processus essentiel de l’immunité adaptative et ii) dans la réponse cellulaire aux traitements par les agents génotoxiquesNotre étude cinétique, après induction de l’expression de STAT1 dans des cellules initialement totalement déficientes, a montré son implication dans l’expression des IgG membranaires. Le mécanisme régulateur est indirect : il impliquerait une inhibition de l’activation de STAT3 conduisant à l’inhibition de l’expression de BLIMP1, un acteur essentiel de la différenciation plasmocytaire. La capacité de STAT1 à pouvoir se fixer sur le promoteur de BLIMP1, de même que STAT3 n’exclut pas une implication transcriptionnelle.Au cours d’un traitement génotoxique par le MNNG, nous avons décrit la participation de STAT1 à un complexe de réparation de l’ADN. Seule la présence de STAT1 permet l’intégration au complexe MLH1/p53 de la kinase c-Abl. Dans ce contexte, on observe une cytotoxicité sous le contrôle de l’activité kinase de c-Abl, une réparation rapide et efficace de l’ADN, un arrêt seulement transitoire du cycle et une orientation vers la survie cellulaire équivalent à une résistance à ce traitement.Ces résultats mettent en évidence deux nouveaux rôles anti-tumoraux de STAT1 par sa contribution à des complexes régulateurs essentiels et la désigne comme une potentielle cible thérapeutique. / The transcription factor STAT1, as a major effector of interferon, plays a key role in innate immunity. Through its strong anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic properties STAT1 is also considered as a tumor suppressor. The aim of this project was to delineate new potential tumor suppressor properties for STAT1 in two signaling mechanisms: i) Ig expression in plasmacytoid cells and ii) cellular response to genotoxic stress.Our kinetic experiments, upon “de novo” expression of STAT1 in a rare STAT1-deficient cell line showed its modulation of membrane IgG expression. The underlying mechanism involves a STAT1-dependent inactivation of STAT3 and subsequently a decreased expression of BLIMP1, a major contributor to plasma cell differentiation. Since STAT1, like STAT3, is able to bind to the BLIMP1 promoter elements a transcriptional interference cannot be excluded.During alkylating agent treatment with MNNG we have observed the presence of STAT1 in DNA repair complex. STAT1 expression allows the recruitment into a MLH1/p53 complex of the kinase c-Abl. This complex leads to cytotoxic dependence on c-Abl kinase activity, an efficient DNA repair with a transient cell cycle arrest and to signaling mechanisms toward cell survival. At longer term of exposure STAT1 also lead to cellular resistance to treatment.These results provide evidences for new anti-tumor roles of STAT1 in two major regulatory systems and indicate STAT1 as a potential therapeutic target.

京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(医学) / 甲第20607号 / 医博第4256号 / 新制||医||1023(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院医学研究科医学専攻 / (主査)教授 山田 泰広, 教授 松田 道行, 教授 長船 健二 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Medical Science / Kyoto University / DFAM

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The objectives of this research were to characterize insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) gene expression in cattle, to determine how IGF-I gene expression is affected by nutritional intake and growth hormone (GH) in cattle, and to identify the regulatory DNA region that mediates GH stimulation of IGF-I gene expression. It was found that transcription of the IGF-I gene in cattle was initiated from both exon 1 and exon 2, generating class 1 and class 2 IGF-I mRNA, respectively. Both classes of IGF-I mRNA appeared to be ubiquitously expressed, with the highest level in liver and with class 1 being more abundant than class 2 in all tissues examined. Class 1 IGF-I mRNA may be also translated more efficiently than class 2 IGF-I mRNA. Liver expression of IGF-I mRNA was decreased (P < 0.01) by food deprivation in cattle, and this decrease was due to an equivalent decrease in both classes of IGF-I mRNA. Liver expression of IGF-I mRNA was increased (P < 0.01) by GH, and this increase resulted mainly from increased expression of class 2 IGF-I mRNA. Using cotransfection analyses, a ~700 bp chromosomal region ~75 kb 5' from the first exon of the human IGF-I gene was found to enhance reporter gene expression in the presence of constitutively active signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 (STAT5) proteins, transcription factors that are known to be essential for GH-increased IGF-I gene expression. This 700 bp DNA region contains two STAT5-binding sites that appear to be conserved in mammals including cattle. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays and cotransfection analyses confirmed their ability to bind to STAT5 proteins and to mediate STAT5 activation of gene expression, respectively. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays indicated that overexpressed constitutively active STAT5b protein bound to the chromosomal region containing these two STAT5-binding sites in Hep G2 cells, and this binding was associated with increased expression of IGF-I mRNA. These two STAT5-binding sites were also able to mediate GH-induced STAT5 activation of gene expression in reconstituted GH-responsive cells. These results together suggest that the distal DNA region that contains two STAT5-binding sites may mediate GH-induced STAT5 activation of IGF-I gene transcription in vivo. / Ph. D.

In vitro systems like those used for in vitro embryo production are invaluable for our understanding of embryogenesis and the processes that regulate it. However, extensive research has also highlighted that in vitro produced embryos negatively differ from their in vivo counterparts in various ways. Not surprisingly, there is ~20% decrease in pregnancy success from pregnancies established using in vitro produced embryos. Therefore, much research has relied on attempting to produce a better in vitro embryo that more closely resembles their in vivo counterparts. Our laboratory has investigated this by supplementing a cytokine, interleukin-6 (IL6), during in vitro embryo culture. My dissertation work expands upon those initial efforts by answering more detailed questions related to the biological role of IL6 during cattle embryogenesis. In the work presented herein, IL6 supplementation during in vitro culture was able to transform the transcriptome of resulting conceptuses post embryo transfer. The transcriptome of these conceptuses included an abundance of genes associated with survival. Indeed, we witnessed IL6-treated conceptuses resulted in a 20% increased survival rate and were longer than their non-treated counterparts. In the second research project, we employed CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing technology to understand the embryo phenotype after part of the IL6 receptor responsible for signal transduction, interleukin-6 signal transducer (IL6ST), is disrupted. We discovered that IL6ST is required for development before the blastocyst stage. In addition, IL6ST disrupted blastocysts, presumed to contain wildtype, presented with severe, abnormal morphology. Not only did this group of embryos have decreased ICM and TE cell numbers, but they also had an increased occurrence of cells within the TE region that were negative for its traditional marker, CDX2. This suggests IL6ST is likely involved in a pathway responsible for determining cell fate identity at the blastocyst stage. Collectively, IL6 in cooperation with IL6ST, is a key controller of embryogenesis in cattle. / Doctor of Philosophy / There are major events that an embryo must successfully advance from to continue development to form into an organism capable of survival after birth. Over 30% of pregnancies in cattle and humans will fail within the first 30 days of gestation. This time period coincides with several key developmental events that ultimately modify the morphology of the growing embryo. Our laboratory primarily focuses on embryo development around the blastocyst stage. If an embryo advances to this stage, it has a greater likelihood of maintaining viability. Therefore, my dissertation research has focused on early embryonic development from the time of first cleavage (~day 2 of gestation) through embryo elongation (~day 15 of gestation), which encompasses the blastocyst stage. Within this time frame, I have been investigating embryonic effects after supplementation of a protein, interleukin-6 (IL6). Previously, our laboratory has identified IL6 to cause favorable impacts on the developing embryo, but its mode of action was unknown. Therefore, my dissertation research has investigated the mechanistic actions of IL6, and its beta receptor subunit, interleukin-6 signal transducer (IL6ST). In my first research project, we discovered that supplementing IL6 during in vitro embryo culture resulted in increased embryo elongation and survival. In my second research project, we found IL6ST is an absolute requirement for embryo survival to the blastocyst stage. Together, these results indicate IL6 is a very important protein needed for sustained pregnancy viability.

L’hypoxie est une caractéristique commune des tumeurs solides et l’une des spécificités du micro environnement tumoral. L’hypoxie tumorale joue un rôle important dans l’angio génèse, la progression maligne, le développement de métastases, la chimio/radio-résistance et favorise l’échappement au système immunitaire du fait de l’émergence de variant tumoraux avec un potentiel de survie et de résistance à l’apoptose augmenté. Cependant, très peu de travaux ont étudié l’impact de l’hypoxie tumorale sur la régulation de la susceptibilité des tumeurs à la lyse induite par la réponse immune cytotoxique. Nous nous sommes donc demandé si l’hypoxie pouvait conférer aux tumeurs une résistance à la lyse induite par les lymphocytes T cytotoxiques (CTL). Nous avons démontré que l’exposition de cellules cibles tumorales à l’hypoxie possédait un effet inhibiteur sur la lyse de ces cellules tumorales par des CTL autologues. Cette inhibition n’est pas associée à des altérations de la réactivité de CTL ou de la reconnaissance des cellules cibles. Cependant, nous avons montré que l’induction hypoxique concomitante de la phosphorylation de STAT3 (pSTAT3) au niveau de la tyrosine 705 et du facteur HIF-1α (Hypoxia Inducible Factor-1 alpha) est liée fonctionnellement à l’altération de la susceptibilité de cellules tumorales bronchiques non à petites cellules (NSCLC) à la mort induite par les CTL. Nous avons aussi montré que la résistance de cellules tumorales bronchiques à la lyse CTL induite par l’hypoxie était associée à une induction d’autophagie dans les cellules cibles. En effet, l’inhibition de l’autophagie empêche la phosphorylation de STAT3 (via l’inhibition de la kinase Src) et restaure la susceptibilité des cellules tumorales hypoxiques à la lyse induite par les CTL. De plus, l’inhibition in vivo de l’autophagie par l’hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) dans le modèle murin portant la tumeur B16F10 and chez les souris vaccinée avec le peptide TRP2 augmente de façon drastique l’inhibition de la croissance tumorale. Collectivement, cette étude établit un nouveau lien fonctionnel entre l’autophagie induite par l’hypoxie et la régulation de la lyse induite par les cellules T spécifique d’antigènes et souligne le rôle majeur de l’autophagie dans le contrôle de la croissance tumorale in vivo.Finalement, étant donné que le la résistance tumorale à la lyse induite par les cellules tueuses est très probablement régulée par de multiples facteurs, nous avons aussi eu pour but d’identifier les micro-ARNs (miRs) régulés par l’hypoxie dans des modèles de NSCLC et de mélanome et leur implication putative dans la régulation de la susceptibilité tumorale à la lyse induite par les cellules T spécifique d’antigènes. Le micro-ARN 210 (miR-210) est ainsi significativement induit de manière dépendante de HIF-1α dans des cellules de NSCLC et de mélanome, et miR-210 est exprimé dans les zones hypoxiques de tissus issus de NSCLC. De plus, nous avons démontré que l’induction de miR-210 par l’hypoxie régule la susceptibilité tumorale à la lyse induite par les CTL en partie grâce à l’inhibition de l’expression de PTPN, HOXA1 et TP53I11, indiquant que miR-210 joue un rôle potentiel dans la régulation de la réponse immune antitumorale. / Hypoxia is a common feature of solid tumors and one of the hallmarks of tumor microenvironment. Tumor hypoxia plays an important role in angiogenesis, malignant progression, metastatic development, chemo-radio resistance and favours immune evasion by the emergence of tumor variants with increased survival and anti-apoptotic potential. There is very little work done on the impact of tumor hypoxia on the regulation of tumor susceptibility to the lysis induced by cytotoxic antitumor response. Therefore, we asked whether hypoxia confers tumor resistance to cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL)-mediated killing. We demonstrated that exposure of target cells to hypoxia has an inhibitory effect on the CTL-mediated autologous target cell lysis. Such inhibition was not associated with an alteration of CTL reactivity and tumor target recognition. We also showed that the concomitant hypoxic induction of Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) phosphorylation on tyrosine 705 residue (pSTAT3) and hypoxia inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF-1α) is functionally linked to the alteration of Non small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) target susceptibility to CTL-mediated killing. We also showed that hypoxia-induced resistance of lung tumor to CTL-mediated lysis was associated with autophagy induction in target cells. Inhibition of autophagy resulted in impairment of pSTAT3 (via inhibition Src kinase) and restoration of hypoxic tumor cell susceptibility to CTL-mediated lysis. Moreover, in vivo inhibition of autophagy by hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) in B16F10 tumor bearing mice and mice vaccinated with TRP2 peptide dramatically increased tumor growth inhibition. Collectively, the current study establishes a novel functional link between hypoxia-induced autophagy and the regulation of antigen specific T cell lysis and points to a major role of autophagy in the control of in vivo tumor growth.Finally, as resistance of tumor targets to killer cells is likely to be regulated by multiple factors, we further aimed to identify the microRNA’s regulated by hypoxia in NSCLC and melanoma and their putative involvement in the regulation of tumor susceptibility to antigen-specific CTL-mediated killing. MicroRNA-210 (miR-210) was significantly induced in a HIF-1α dependent manner in NSCLC and melanoma cells and miR-210 was expressed in hypoxic zones of human NSCLC tissues. Moreover, we demonstrated that hypoxia-induced miR-210 regulates tumor cell susceptibility to CTL-mediated lysis in part by suppressing PTPN, HOXA1 and TP53I11 expression indicating that miR-210 plays a potential role in the regulation of anti-tumor immune response.

Background: Adherent-invasive Escherichia coli (AIEC) is a pathogen isolated from the ileum of patients with CD. IFNγ is a key mediator of immunity, which regulates inflammatory responses to microbial infections. Previously, we showed enterohemorrhagic E. coli prevents STAT1 activation. Aims: To determine; 1) whether activation of STAT1 by IFNγ was prevented following AIEC infection, and 2) define the mechanisms used. Methods: Human epithelial cells were infected with AIEC strains or other pathogenic and commensal E. coli strains. Following infection, cells were stimulated with IFNγ. Activation of STAT1, was monitored by immunoblotting. Results: AIEC strains prevented STAT1 phosphorylation in response to IFNγ. Effect required live bacteria with active protein synthesis. A bacterial product was responsible for blocking STAT1 signalling and interfered with downstream signalling cascades. Conclusion: Suppression of epithelial cell STAT1 signal transduction by AIEC strains represents a novel mechanism by which the pathogen evades host immune responses to the infection.

Background: Adherent-invasive Escherichia coli (AIEC) is a pathogen isolated from the ileum of patients with CD. IFNγ is a key mediator of immunity, which regulates inflammatory responses to microbial infections. Previously, we showed enterohemorrhagic E. coli prevents STAT1 activation. Aims: To determine; 1) whether activation of STAT1 by IFNγ was prevented following AIEC infection, and 2) define the mechanisms used. Methods: Human epithelial cells were infected with AIEC strains or other pathogenic and commensal E. coli strains. Following infection, cells were stimulated with IFNγ. Activation of STAT1, was monitored by immunoblotting. Results: AIEC strains prevented STAT1 phosphorylation in response to IFNγ. Effect required live bacteria with active protein synthesis. A bacterial product was responsible for blocking STAT1 signalling and interfered with downstream signalling cascades. Conclusion: Suppression of epithelial cell STAT1 signal transduction by AIEC strains represents a novel mechanism by which the pathogen evades host immune responses to the infection.

Cytokine and growth factor signaling pathways involving STAT3 are frequently constitutively activated in many human primary tumors, and are known for the transcriptional role they play in controlling cell growth and cell cycle progression. However, the extent of STAT3's reach on transcriptional control of the genome as a whole remains an important question. We predicted that this persistent STAT3 signaling affects a wide variety of cellular functions, many of which still remain to be characterized. We took a broad approach to identify novel STAT3 regulated genes by examining changes in the genome-wide gene expression profile by microarray, using cells expressing constitutively-activated STAT3. Using computational analysis, we were able to define the gene expression profiles of cells containing activated STAT3 and identify candidate target genes with a wide range of biological functions. Among these genes we identified Necdin, a negative growth regulator, as a novel STAT3 target gene, whose expression is down-regulated at the mRNA and protein levels when STAT3 is constitutively active. This repression is STAT3 dependent, since inhibition of STAT3 using siRNA restores Necdin expression. A STAT3 DNA-binding site was identified in the Necdin promoter and both EMSA and chromatin immunoprecipitation confirm binding of STAT3 to this region. Necdin expression has previously been shown to be down-regulated in a melanoma and a drug-resistant ovarian cancer cell line. Further analysis of Necdin expression demonstrated repression in a STAT3-dependent manner in human melanoma, prostate and breast cancer cell lines. These results suggest that STAT3 coordinates expression of genes involved in multiple metabolic and biosynthetic pathways, integrating signals that lead to global transcriptional changes and oncogenesis. STAT3 may exert its oncogenic effect by up-regulating transcription of genes involved in promoting growth and proliferation, but also by down-regulating expression of negative regulators of the same cellular processes, such as Necdin.