Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / Os mecanismos de ação citotóxica do inibidor de histona deacetilase LBH589 foram investigados em associação com o quimioterápico cisplatina (CDDP) em duas linhagens derivadas de câncer de pulmão de não pequenas células (CPNPC). Os resultados foram analisados em relação ao tipo de morte celular associada às alterações em enzimas relacionadas ao metabolismo energético e a via glicolítica. Para realização do trabalho, foram utilizadas as linhagens tumorais A549 (selvagem para o gene de p53) e Calu-1 (nulo para o gene de p53) tratadas com LBH589 em combinação ou não com CDDP. Foram realizadas curvas de tempo e dose-resposta com as drogas isoladamente pelo ensaio de viabilidade celular (MTT) nas duas linhagens para a escolha das melhores condições para o nosso estudo. As condições dos tratamentos isolados com redução da viabilida celular menores que o IC50 de cada fármaco foram selecionados para realização dos tratamentos combinados. As avaliações de apoptose foram realizadas por citometria de fluxo pelo ensaio de Anexina V/PI, e com a marcação de proteínas por Western Blotting. As proteínas relacionadas a via glicolítica foram avaliadas por Western Blotting e a expressão de RNAm por qPCR. Os resultados demonstraram que o LBH589 combinado a CDDP foi capaz de induzir apoptose em 70% das células (Calu-1) e 54,9% (A549) no tempo de 24 horas, e 90% (calu-1) e 62,1% (A549) em 48 horas, independendo, portanto, do status da p53. Os níveis de expressão de enzimas relacionadas com o metabolismos energético também sofreram alterações nos tratamentos estudados. O LBH589 induziu aumento de cerca de 4x dos níveis de RNAm de HK isoformas I e II em ambas as linhagens. Houve também um aumento na expressão proteica das isoformas de HK I e II. Outras enzimas relacionadas a via glicolítica como PFKP, PKM2 e LDHA foram analisadas e apresentaram redução da expressão proteica, principalmente na presença do LBH589. A combinação da CDDP com LBH589 parece ser promissora para o tratamento de CPNPC induzindo apoptose através de alterações no metabolismo energético tumoral. / The cytotoxic mechanisms of action of the histone deacetylase inhibitor LBH589 was investigated in association with cisplatin in two cell lines derived from non-small lung cancer (NSCLC). The results were analyzed based on the type of the cell death associated with alterations in enzymes related to energy metabolism and glycolytic pathway. To perform the study, we used two non-small lung tumor cell lines, A549 (wild type for the p53 gene) and Calu-1 (null for p53 gene) treated with LBH589 in combination with cisplatin or not. Assays for time and dose responses were performed through the cell viability analysis (MTT) for each drug separately in both cell lines to choose the best conditions for our study. The conditions of isolated treatments with reduced viability lower than the IC50 of each drug were selected for carrying out the combined treatments. Assays for apoptosis detection by flow cytometry were performed by Annexin V / PI, the expression of proteins related to apoptosis by Western Blotting. The expression of glycolytic related proteins were performed by Western blotting and their mRNA expressions by qPCR. The results demonstrated that the combined LBH589 plus CDDP was able to induce apoptosis in 70% of cells -Calu-1- and 54.9% -A549- in 24 hours, and 90% (Calu-1) and 62.1 % (A549) in 48 hours regardless of the p53 status. The expression levels of enzymes related to energy metabolism also presented changes in the studied treatments. The LBH589 increase of about 4x the HK isoforms I and II mRNA levels in both cell lines. There was also an increase in the expression isoforms I and II of HK protein. Other enzymes related to the glycolytic pathway as PFKP, PKM2 and LDHA were analyzed and we observed reduced protein expression, especially in the presence of LBH589. The combination of CDDP with LBH589 appears promising for the treatment of NSCLC inducing apoptosis via alterations in energy metabolism tumor.

Background: Tumor cells are highly dependent on glucose even in the presence of oxygen. This concept called the Warburg effect is a hallmark of cancer and strategies are considered to therapeutically exploit the phenomenon such as ketogenic diets. The success of such strategies is dependent on a profound understanding of tumor cell metabolism. With new techniques it is now possible to thoroughly analyze the metabolic responses to the withdrawal of substrates and their substitution by others. In the present study we used gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to analyze how glioblastoma brain tumor cells respond metabolically when glucose is withdrawn and substituted by pyruvate. Methods: Glioblastoma brain tumor cells were cultivated in medium with high (25 mM), medium (11 mM) or low (5.5 mM) glucose concentration or with pyruvate (5 mM). After 24 h GC-MS metabolite profiling was performed. Results: The abundances of most metabolites were dependent on the supply of glucose in tendency but not in a linear manner indicating saturation at high glucose. Noteworthy, a high level of sorbitol production and release was observed at high concentrations of glucose and high release of alanine, aspartate and citrate were observed when glucose was substituted by pyruvate. Intermediates of the TCA cycle were present under all nutritional conditions and evidence was found that cells may perform gluconeogenesis from pyruvate. Conclusions: Our experiments reveal a high plasticity of glioblastoma cells to changes in nutritional supply which has to be taken into account in clinical trials in which specific diets are considered for therapy.

La glycogénose de type I (GSDI) est une maladie génétique rare, due à une déficience en glucose-6 phosphatase (G6Pase), enzyme clé de la production endogène de glucose. En plus des hypoglycémies sévères, la perte de l'activité G6Pase conduit à l'accumulation de glycogène, mais aussi de lipides dans le foie et les reins. A long-terme, la plupart des patients développent des tumeurs hépatiques et une maladie rénale chronique (MRC).Le but de cette thèse a été de caractériser les mécanismes moléculaires impliqués dans la carcinogenèse hépatique et la MRC grâce à des modèles murins viables et uniques, avec une délétion de la G6Pase spécifiquement dans le foie ou les reins, reproduisant respectivement toutes les caractéristiques de la pathologie hépatique ou rénale.Au niveau du foie, notre étude a permis de mettre en évidence une reprogrammation métabolique « Warburg-like » très similaire à celle des cellules cancéreuses, associée à une perte des défenses cellulaires et des suppresseurs de tumeur. De plus, nous avons montré que les adénomes hépatocellulaires, se transformant ensuite en carcinomes, se développent en absence de fibrose, en accord avec l'absence d'activation des voies pro-fibrotiques. Au niveau des reins, l'étude de la MRC a mis en évidence le développement de kystes rénaux chez les souris atteintes de GSDI, observés aussi chez les patients à un stade avancé de la MRC. Finalement, une dernière étude portant sur l'activation de l'oxydation des lipides, par un traitement des souris au fénofibrate, a permis de suggérer le rôle délétère de l'accumulation des lipides dans le développement des pathologies hépatique et rénale / Glycogen storage disease type I (GSDI) is a rare genetic disease, due to a deficiency in glucose-6 phosphatase (G6Pase), a key enzyme in the endogenous glucose production. Besides severe hypoglycemia, the loss of G6Pase leads to the accumulation of glycogen and lipids in the liver and kidneys. On the long term, most patients develop hepatic tumors and chronic kidney disease (CKD).The goal of this thesis was to characterize the molecular mechanisms involved in hepatic carcinogenesis and CKD, thanks to viable and unique mouse models with specific deletion of G6Pase in the liver or kidneys, which exhibit all hallmarks of hepatic and renal pathologies, respectively.On a hepatic level, our study allowed us to highlight a « Warburg-like » metabolic reprogramming, very similar to what is observed in cancer cells, associated with a loss of cellular defenses and tumor suppressors. Furthermore, we showed that formation of hepatocellular adenoma, which transform later in carcinoma, occurs in the absence of liver fibrosis, due to the fact that pro-fibrotic pathways are not activated. In the kidneys, the study of CKD highlighted the development of renal cysts in mice with GSDI, as well as in the patients presenting an advanced stage of CKD. Finally, the last study on the activation of the oxidation of lipids, by treating the mice with fenofibrate, allowed us to suggest a deleterious role of lipid accumulation in the development of the hepatic and renal pathologies

Les récepteurs couplés aux protéines G (RCPG) sont une famille de protéines hautement conservée chez les eucaryotes et constituent la plus grande famille de récepteurs. Ces récepteurs sont impliqués dans presque tous les processus physiologiques, mais leur capacité à réguler un vaste éventail de processus biologiques différents fait l'objet de recherches intenses. Bien qu'ils soient classiquement considérés comme des récepteurs de la membrane plasmique, les RCPG sont présents dans tous les organites membranaires intracellulaires et certains d'entre eux ont la capacité de transduire des signaux à partir de ces organites. La signalisation d'un RCPG à partir de ces organelles intracellulaires est appelée signalisation biaisée par la localisation et cette signalisation peut avoir un résultat fonctionnel différent de celui des événements de signalisation du récepteur localisé dans la membrane plasmique. La signalisation biaisée par la localisation est un concept émergent en biologie des RCPG et peut ajouter une couche supplémentaire à la fonction du récepteur. D'autre part, avec la détection de certains RCPG à l'intérieur de différents organites, y compris le noyau, une modalité fonctionnelle non réceptrice pour les RCPG pourrait être postulée et pourrait également expliquer les divers rôles de cette famille. Cependant, cet aspect est presque entièrement inexploré. HCAR1 (GPR81), en tant que RCPG, est activé de manière endogène par le lactate et il a été démontré qu'il favorise la malignité du cancer en favorisant un niveau plus élevé de glycolyse dû à l'effet Warburg et cela par différentes voies. Son niveau d'expression est très élevé dans de nombreux cancers et présente une corrélation négative avec le pronostic du patient. Cependant, son mécanisme d'action n'est pas bien compris. Dans cette thèse, nous avons étudié la localisation nucléaire et les rôles potentiels du HCAR1 et nous avons découvert que ce récepteur est localisé à la membrane nucléaire et à l'intérieur du noyau, en plus de sa localisation à la membrane plasmique. Le HCAR1 nucléaire (N-HCAR1) est capable d'induire une signalisation intranucléaire basée sur la localisation pour induire la phosphorylation de ERK et d’AKT dans le noyau. En utilisant des approches protéomiques et génomiques, nous avons découvert que N-HCAR1 est impliqué dans plusieurs fonctions non réceptrices régulant différents processus à travers ses interactomes nucléaires. Ce regroupement nucléaire de HCAR1, en fonction de ses facteurs de liaison, favorise la traduction des protéines, la biogenèse ribosomale et la réparation des dommages à l'ADN. De manière intéressante, N-HCAR1 interagit également avec des facteurs de remodelage de la chromatine et régule directement l'expression des gènes d'après notre séquençage ChIP à l'échelle du génome. Nous avons également effectué un séquençage de l’ARN et les résultats montrent que N-HCAR1 régule l'expression d'un réseau de gènes plus large que son homologue de la membrane plasmique. Notamment, l'exclusion nucléaire de HCAR1 s'est avérée avoir le même effet que son knockdown complet sur la croissance tumorale et les métastases in vivo. Nos données révèlent une signalisation basée sur la localisation et des fonctions non canoniques pour un RCPG dans le noyau par lesquelles HCAR1 peut réguler différents processus cellulaires. / G Protein-Coupled Receptors (GPCR) are a highly conserved protein family in eukaryotes through evolution and they are the largest receptor family. These receptors are virtually involved in every physiological processes, but their ability to regulate such a vast array of different biological processes is under intense investigation. Although classically considered a plasma membrane receptor, GPCRs are found in every intracellular membranous organelle and some of them are shown to have the capacity for signal transduction from those organelles. The signaling of a GPCR from these intracellular organelles is called location-biased signaling and this signaling could have a different functional output than the signaling events from the plasma membrane-localized receptor. Location-biased signaling is an emerging concept in the GPCR biology and can add an extra layer to the receptor function. On the other hand, with the detection of some GPCRs inside different organelles including the nucleus, a non-receptor functional modality for GPCRs could be postulated and could also account for the diverse roles of this family. However, this aspect is almost entirely unexplored. HCAR1 (GPR81), as a GPCR, is endogenously activated by lactate and has been shown to promote cancer malignancy via a higher level of glycolysis due to the Warburg effect, through different pathways. Its expression level is highly elevated in many cancers and negatively correlates with the patient’s prognosis. However, its mechanism of action is not well understood. In this thesis, we investigated the nuclear localization and potential roles of HCAR1 therein and we found this receptor is localized to the nuclear membrane and inside the nucleus, besides its plasma membrane localization. The Nuclear HCAR1 (N-HCAR1) is capable of inducing location-biased signaling intranuclearly to induce nuclear-ERK and AKT phosphorylation. Using proteomics and genomics approaches, we discovered that N-HCAR1 is involved in several different non-receptor functions regulating different processes through its nuclear interactomes. This nuclear pool of HCAR1, depending on its binding factors, promotes protein translation, ribosomal biogenesis, and DNA-damage repair. Interestingly, N-HCAR1 also interacts with chromatin remodeling factors and directly regulates gene expression based on our genome-wide ChIP-sequencing. We also performed RNA-seq, and the results show N-HCAR1 regulates the expression of a broader gene network than its plasma membrane counterpart. Notably, nuclear exclusion of HCAR1 proved to have the same effect as its complete knockdown on tumor growth and metastasis in vivo. Our data reveal location-biased signaling and non-canonical functions for a GPCR in the nucleus by which HCAR1 can regulate different cellular processes.

The transcription factor hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF1) is the crucial regulator of genes that are involved in metabolism under hypoxic conditions, but information regarding the transcriptional activity of HIF1 in normoxic metabolism is limited. Different tumor cells were treated under normoxic and hypoxic conditions with various drugs that affect cellular metabolism. HIF1ff was silenced by siRNA in normoxic/hypoxic tumor cells, before RNA sequencing and bioinformatics analyses were performed while using the breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 as a model. Differentially expressed genes were further analyzed and validated by qPCR, while the activity of the metabolites was determined by enzyme assays. Under normoxic conditions, HIF1 activity was significantly increased by (i) glutamine metabolism, which was associated with the release of ammonium, and it was decreased by (ii) acetylation via acetyl CoA synthetase (ACSS2) or ATP citrate lyase (ACLY), respectively, and (iii) the presence of L-ascorbic acid, citrate, or acetyl-CoA. Interestingly, acetylsalicylic acid, ibuprofen, L-ascorbic acid, and citrate each significantly destabilized HIF1ff only under normoxia. The results from the deep sequence analyses indicated that, in HIF1-siRNA silenced MDA-MB-231 cells, 231 genes under normoxia and 1384 genes under hypoxia were transcriptionally significant deregulated in a HIF1-dependent manner. Focusing on glycolysis genes, it was confirmed that HIF1 significantly regulated six normoxic and 16 hypoxic glycolysis-associated gene transcripts. However, the results from the targeted metabolome analyses revealed that HIF1 activity affected neither the consumption of glucose nor the release of ammonium or lactate; however, it significantly inhibited the release of the amino acid alanine. This study comprehensively investigated, for the first time, how normoxic HIF1 is stabilized, and it analyzed the possible function of normoxic HIF1 in the transcriptome and metabolic processes of tumor cells in a breast cancer cell model. Furthermore, these data imply that HIF1 compensates for the metabolic outcomes of glutaminolysis and, subsequently, theWarburg effect might be a direct consequence of the altered amino acid metabolism in tumor cells.

The Lon protease is a mitochondrial matrix quality-control protease belonging to the family of AAA+ proteins (ATPases associated with many cellular activities). We had previously found Lon to be upregulated in lung tumours with a non-angiogenic phenotype in a microarray study comparing these to conventional angiogenic tumours. In this project I set out to investigate whether Lon had any role in modulating the hypoxic response of tumour cells. Using a novel monoclonal antibody against Lon, I found that upregulation of Lon was present in breast and lung tumours and that higher levels of Lon are correlated with shorter overall survival in breast cancer patients. Targeting Lon with siRNA and shRNA in tumour cell lines reduced the normoxic and hypoxic stabilisation of HIF-α subunits. This is mediated through a mechanism independent of the activity of HIF-prolyl hydroxylases and independent of any changes in mitochondrial transcription. I found that the pre-imported form of Lon could bind and chaperone VHL in the cytoplasm potentially modulating VHL activity. In cell lines and human tumours, I observed that the proline-hydroxylated form of HIF-1α is induced by hypoxia and the hydroxylated form of HIF-1α is associated with shorter overall survival in breast cancer patients. This observation supports the notion that higher levels of Lon is associated with poor survival by downregulating VHL leading to higher levels of hydroxylated HIF. Finally I show that targeting Lon in cell lines is able to inhibit growth in a cell-line dependent fashion and partially reverses the Warburg effect, increasing oxygen consumption and reducing lactate production. In conclusion, I have demonstrated the broad therapeutic potential of targeting the Lon protease in tumours and highlighted a mechanism of post-hydroxylation HIF-regulation that has not been previously recognised in VHL competent tumours.

Le sarcome de Ewing est la seconde tumeur pédiatrique de l’os la plus fréquente. Elle est caractérisée par une translocation chromosomique résultant à la fusion de EWSR1 avec un membre de la famille ETS. Chez 85% des patients, cette fusion conduit à l’expression de la protéine chimérique EWS-FLI1 qui est l’oncogène majeur de ce sarcome. Ce dernier agit principalement par son action transcriptionelle sur des cibles qui lui sont propres. Au niveau thérapeutique, le sarcome d’Ewing est traité par chimiothérapie, chirurgie locale et par radiothérapie. La survie à long terme des patients est de l’ordre de 70%, mais beaucoup plus basse pour les patients métastatiques et quasi nulle lors d’une récidive. Parmi maintes caractéristiques, certains cancers présentent une dérégulation énergétique. L’influence d’EWS-FLI1 sur cet aspect n’a fait l’objet d’aucune étude dans le contexte du sarcome d’Ewing. Nous avons donc étudié par profilage métabolomique des cellules de sarcome d’Ewing en présence ou en absence d’EWS-FLI1. En comparant ces deux conditions, des modulations du profil énergétique relatif au cycle de Krebs, des précurseurs de le glycosylation ainsi que des métabolites de la voie de la méthionine et du tryptophane ont été observés. En parallèle, grâce à un crible de banque de shRNAs réalisé dans des conditions expérimentales similaires à l’étude métabolomique (lignée d’Ewing avec ou sans EWS-FLI1), nous avons pu identifier des gènes présentant des caractéristiques « synthétique létales », c'est-à-dire tuant uniquement les cellules du sarcome d’Ewing en présence de son oncogène. / Ewing sarcoma, the second most commonly occurring pediatric bone tumor, is most often characterized by a chromosomal translocation between EWSR1 and FLI1. The gene fusion EWS-FLI1 accounts for 85% of all Ewing sarcoma and is considered the major oncogene and master regulator of Ewing sarcoma. EWS-FLI1 is a transcriptional modulator of targets, both directly and indirectly. Ewing sarcoma is aggressively treated with chemotherapy, localized surgery and radiation and has an overall survival of about 70%, however, survival for metastasis or relapsed cases remains low. One of the cancer hallmarks, metabolic deregulation, is most likely partly dependent on EWS-FLI1 in Ewing sarcoma cells. In order to get a better understanding of Ewing sarcoma biology and oncogenesis, it might be of high interest to investigate the influence of EWS-FLI1 in Ewing sarcoma cells. We therefore performed a global metabolic profiling of Ewing sarcoma cells with or without inhibition of EWS-FLI1. Several changes in the energy metabolism were observed throughout this study; the observed changes were consistent with an energy profile that moved from a cancer cell energy metabolism towards the energy metabolism of a more normal cell upon EWS-FLI1 inhibition, primarily based on the TCA cycle. Levels of TCA intermediates, glycosylation precursors, methionine pathway metabolites and amino acids, especially changes in the tryptophan metabolic pathway, were altered upon EWS-FLI1 inhibition. Parallel to this study, we performed a high-throughput synthetic lethality screen, in order to not only identify essential genes for cell survival and proliferation, but also to identify new synthetic lethal targets that could specifically target Ewing sarcoma cells carrying the EWS-FLI1 fusion gene.

Nous avons étudié les relations entre les différentes voies du métabolisme énergétique lors de la mise en place des effets Crabtree et Warburg. L’effet du glucose sur le métabolisme énergétique de S. cerevisiae se traduit dans un premier temps par une inhibition cinétique du métabolisme oxydatif (effet Crabtree). Après l’ajout de glucose aux cellules, nous avons mis en évidence l’accumulation d’un intermédiaire de la glycolyse, le F1,6bP. Ceci induit une diminution drastique du rapport G6P/F1,6bP. Or, il a été montré que le G6P stimule et le F1,6bP inhibe l’activité de la chaine respiratoire mitochondriale « in-situ ». L’utilisation de mutants et la modulation de ce rapport nous a permis de montrer que l’induction de l’effet Crabtree chez la levure Saccharomyces cerevisiae est dû à une diminution du rapport G6P/F1,6bP. Parallèlement, le glucose induit un réarrangement génétique qui à terme conduit à un effet Warburg. Nous avons mis en évidence une diminution, au cours du temps du contenu mitochondrial par effet de dilution, suite à un arrêt de la biogenèse mitochondriale (répression de HAP4). Nous avons pu montrer que cette diminution quantitative des OXPHOS est sans effet sur la synthèse d’ATP cellulaire. Ceci est dû à une augmentation du flux de synthèse d’ATP glycolytique. L’utilisation de mutants HAP4", nous a permis de montrer qu’il n’y a pas de lien simple entre prolifération et répression des OXPHOS. Bien que le flux glycolytique diminue dans les conditions de maintien des OXPHOS, ceci est sans effet notoire sur la vitesse de prolifération. Ceci est un rare exemple d’une situation biologique ou l’on observe un découplage entre métabolisme énergétique et prolifération. / We used the yeast Crabtree (+) model to study the relationships between the energy metabolism pathways during the implementation of the Warburg effect. The effect of glucose on S. cerevisiae energetic metabolism results initially in a kinetic inhibition of the oxidative metabolism (Crabtree effect). Rapidly after the addition of glucose, we found an accumulation of F1, 6bP. This induces a drastic reduction in the ratio G6P / F1,6bP. Moreover, it has been shown that G6P stimulates and F1,6bP inhibits the activity of the respiratory chain "in-vitro". Mutants and the modulation of this ratio allowed us to show that the induction of the Crabtree effect is due to a decrease in the G6P / F1,6bP ratio. In parallel with the implementation of the Crabtree effect, glucose induces a genetic rearrangement that leads to a Warburg effect. We showed a decrease over time of mitochondrial enzymatic equipment by dilution effect, due to a halt of mitochondrial biogenesis (transcriptional repression of HAP4). We have been able to show that this decrease in respiratory capacity has no effect on the cellular capacity for ATP synthesis. This is due to the increase in glycolytic ATP synthesis flux. Furthermore, the use of mutants where there is no repression of mitochondrial metabolism upon glucose addition allowed us to show that there is no simple link between OXPHOS activity and cell proliferation. i.e. Mitochondrial metabolism repression/high glycolytic flux is not mandatory to allow a rapid cell proliferation. This is a rare example where energetic metabolism and cell proliferation are uncoupled.

Le cancer du rein papillaire de type 2 (PRCC2) est un cancer très agressif avec un potentiel métastatique élevé et pour lequel il n’y a pas de traitement efficace. La forme héréditaire de PRCC2 est associée au syndrome rare de la léiomyomatose cutanéo-utérine héréditaire (HLRCC). HLRCC est due à une mutation germinale hétérozygote du gène Fumarate Hydratase (FH) qui code l'enzyme du cycle de Krebs, la Fumarase. Le déficit en fumarase induit l’accumulation de fumarate et active les voies de signalisation du facteur de transcription inductible par l’hypoxie (HIF) et des espèces réactives de l’oxygène (ROS). Néanmoins, aucune mutation du gène FH n’a été rapportée dans les cas de PRCC2 sporadiques. Le projet de recherche porte sur la caractérisation moléculaire des PRCC2 héréditaires et sporadiques. Notre analyse du transcriptome a identifié des différences entre les signatures moléculaires des PRCC2 héréditaires et sporadiques. Cependant, l’étude d’immunohistochimie n'a pas révélé de biomarqueurs potentiels. Les analyses bio-informatiques de profils d’expression génique ont révélé que les tumeurs PRCC2 héréditaires et sporadiques partagent une dérégulation de la voie principale NRF2/KEAP1. Il a été montré que la surexpression de AKR1B10 (Aldo-Keto Reductase Family 1 Membre B10) est la conséquence directe de l’activation de l'élément de réponse antioxydant (ARE). Finalement, nous avons établi un nouveau modèle in vitro de lignée cellulaire, NCCFH1 (FH-/-), issue d’un patient HLRCC. NCCFH1 représente une plateforme idéale pour les études fonctionnelles, métaboliques et thérapeutiques. Bortézomib pourrait être la meilleure alternative thérapeutique pour les patients avec PRCC2. / Papillary Renal Cell Carcinoma type 2 (PRCC2) is known to be a very aggressive type of kidney cancer with a high metastatic potential, poor outcome and absence of effective therapy. Hereditary form of PRCC2 is associated with rare hereditary leiomyomatosis and renal cell carcinoma (HLRCC). HLRCC is characterized by germline heterozygous mutations in the Fumarate Hydratase (FH) gene that encodes an enzyme of the Krebs cycle, Fumarase. It has been shown that the accumulation of fumarate induces activation of Hypoxia Inducible Factor (HIF) and ROS (Reactive Oxygen Species) pathways. Nevertheless, no FH gene mutation has been reported in sporadic PRCC2 tumors. The goal of this study is to better characterize hereditary and sporadic PRCC2. Our transcriptome analysis identified the set of genes that are differentially expressed between the two types of PRCC2. Subsequent immunohistochemistry screening did not reveal any potential diagnostics biomarkers. Further, the comprehensive computational analysis of gene profiling data revealed that hereditary and sporadic PRCC2 share the similar molecular signature with NRF2-KEAP1 axis deregulation as one of the major pathway in both forms. We demonstrated that over expression of Aldo-keto reductase family 1 member B10 (AKR1B10) is the direct consequence of the antioxidant response element (ARE) activation shared in hereditary and sporadic tumors. Finally, we have established FH-deficient cell line (NCCFH1) a new preclinical model of hereditary PRCC2. It presents the perfect platform for studying the metabolic features and testing new therapies for hereditary PRCC2, while bortezomib appears to be a potential efficient therapeutic option.

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / O carcinoma epidermoide de esôfago (CEE) representa 90% dos casos de câncer de esôfago no Brasil. O CEE tem detecção tardia, um comportamento extremamente agressivo e baixa sobrevida, sendo, portanto, um alvo interessante para o estudo dos mecanismos envolvidos em sua carcinogênese, a fim de se identificar possíveis alvos terapêuticos ou marcadores moleculares que ajudem na prática clínica. Mudanças no metabolismo energético da célula tumoral parecem ter papel de destaque na transformação maligna. Sabe-se que células tumorais consomem glicose avidamente produzindo ácido lático, mesmo em condições de normóxia. Dentre os fatores que podem contribuir para o estímulo da glicólise em células tumorais destacam-se as alterações em enzimas da via glicolítica tais como: as piruvato-cinases M1 e M2 (PKM1 e PKM2), a hexocinase II (HKII), isofoma 1 do transportador de glicose, GLUT-1, e o fator de transcrição induzido por hipóxia (HIF1α), responsável pela transcrição das proteínas citadas. O objetivo do estudo é avaliar a relação entre a expressão de HIF1α, HK2, PKM2, PKM1 e GLUT-1 e dados clínico-patológicos no CEE. Para tal, foram avaliados tumores conservados em parafina de 44 pacientes com CEE matriculados no INCA e no Hospital das Clínicas de Porto Alegre. Além disso, foram coletadas amostras de biópsia de esôfago em 67 pacientes sem doença esofágica, que foram submetidos à endoscopia no Hospital Universitário Pedro Ernesto (HUPE). A expressão das proteínas foi avaliada nos tecidos por imuno-histoquímica, enquanto que a expressão do mRNA de GLUT-1 também foi avaliada nas amostras controle. Foi observado que as amostras controle expressam HK2, PKM1, PKM2, HIF1α nas camadas do epitélio esofágico. Já GLUT-1 e Ki-67 são vistos apenas na camada basal. Além disso, a expressão do mRNA de GLUT-1 não teve correlação com fatores etiológicos da doença. Em CEE a expressão de HK2, PKM2 e GLUT-1 foi vista em todos os tumores, já a expressão de HIF1α e PKM1 foi variável. Além disso, observou-se que maior expressão de HIF-1α apresenta correlação com invasão linfonodal e diferenciação, enquanto que a expressão de HK2 tem relação com sobrevida e PKM1 com diferenciação. As correlações clínicas encontradas sugerem que alterações no metabolismo energético é um alvo de estudo interessante para desenvolvimento de marcadores moleculares que auxiliem a prática clínica. / The esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) represents 90% of cases of esophageal cancer in Brazil. The ESCC has late diagnosis, highly aggressive behavior and poor survival. ESCC is an interesting target to the study of mechanism involved in its carcinogenesis, in order to identify potential drug targets or biomarkers to help clinical practice. Changes in tumor cell energy metabolism appear to have a prominent role in malignant transformation. Tumor cells consume glucose avidly and produce lactic acid, even under normoxia. Among the factors that may contribute to the stimulation of glycolysis in tumor cells, there are changes in the glycolytic pathway enzymes such as: pyruvate kinase M1 and M2 (PKM2 and PKM1), hexokinase II (HKII), glucose transporter isoform 1, GLUT-1, and transcription factor induced by hypoxia (HIF1α), responsible for the transcription of proteins cited. The goal of the study is to evaluate the relationship between the expression of HIF1α, HK2, PKM2, PKM1 and GLUT-1 and clinicopathological data in ESCC. Biopsy of the esophagus in patients without esophageal disease were collected, who underwent endoscopy at University Hospital Pedro Ernesto (HUPE). Tissue samples were collected from 44 patients with a histologically confirmed diagnosis of ESCC recruted from Hospital Universitário Pedro Ernesto (HUPE-UERJ), and Instituto Nacional de Câncer (INCA). Tissue samples from healthy individuals submitted to endoscopic routine examination, not related to cancer or esophageal disorders, at HUPE-UERJ were also included in this study. The expression of proteins in tissues was evaluated by immunohistochemistry, while mRNA expression of GLUT-1 was also evaluated in the control samples. It was observed that the control samples express HK2, PKM1, PKM2, HIF1α layers of the esophageal epithelium. GLUT-1 and Ki-67 are seen only in the basal layer. Furthermore, expression of GLUT-1 mRNA did not correlate with disease etiological factors. In ESCC expression of HK2, PKM2 and GLUT-1 was seen in all tumors, and the expression of HIF1α and PKM1 was variable. We found that increased expression of HIF-1α correlates with lymph node invasion and differentiation, whereas the expression of HK2 is related to survival, and differentiation with PKM1. The clinical correlations found suggest that alterations in energy metabolism are an interesting subject of study for development of biomarkers that help clinical practice.