Currently, there are no preclinical immunocompetent mouse models that adequately represent all stages of prostate cancer (PC) especially, androgen depletion independent (ADI) and bone metastatic PC. The best characterized, Transgenic Adenocarcinoma of the Mouse Prostate (TRAMP) model is logistically a difficult model for in vivo assessments and it does not adequately represent all stages of PC. Therefore, the aim of this study was to broaden the TRAMP model to include ADI and bone metastatic PC. Three ADI sublines were derived from androgen-sensitive (AS) TRAMP C1 (TC1) and TRAMP C2 (TC2) parental lines in vitro by dihydrotestosterone (TC1-T5 and TC2-T5) deprivation and in vivo by growing in TRAMP female mice (TC1-F1). The new sublines showed several characteristic features of ADI-PC 1.) faster growth rates in vitro and in vivo 2.) increased invasiveness 3.) androgen depletion independence in vitro and in vivo 4.) variable expression of androgen receptor 5.) downregulation of metastasis suppressor genes, E-cadherin and KAI-1. Genetic and molecular studies of ADI sublines showed alteration of genes representing major cancer related pathways. ADI TC1-T5, that displayed the most aggressive phenotype/genotype was selected to expand the TRAMP model to represent PC metastases Metastatic ability of TC1-T5 to migrate to bone and other soft tissues after intracardiac injections was shown in contrast to AS TC1 cells. Bone metastatic lesions displayed both osteoblastic and osteolytic features in multiple locations. Additionally, unlike AS TC1, the TC1-T5 tumours were able to grow with 100% incidence in the prostate and as lungs pseudometastases. The ADI PC lines were used to explore Aurora Kinases (AKs) as therapeutic targets for ADI PC. Compared to TC1, ADI-TC1-T5 cells showed a significant upregulation of AK-A and AK-B and their downstream regulators, survivin and phosphorylated-histone H3. Enhanced sensitivity of TC1-T5 to AK inhibitor VX680 functionally validated this and together with docetaxel led to enhanced efficacy which correlated with implication of AK-A/B in development of docetaxel-resistance. Thus, TRAMP model now represents ADI-PC that can grow in the bone, lungs and in the prostate; a significant step towards a well rounded preclinical model with greater clinical relevance.

Synucleins are highly conserved presynaptic proteins with unknown function. α-synuclein plays a key role regulating dopamine homeostasis and is intimately involved in Parkinson’s disease (PD) pathogenesis. However, the normal/pathological role of α-synuclein remains unidentified. Studies exploring its function are limited as current transgenic mouse models do not fully recapitulate PD pathology. This thesis reports the functional characterisation of two novel synuclein-based mouse models. I report the molecular and functional characterisation of transgenic mouse lines with wild-type or A30P-mutant human α-synuclein genomic locus carried within a bacterial artificial chromosome. SNCA-A30P^+Snca-/- mice exhibited a highly physiologically relevant expression pattern of the transgene, including expression in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) and a specific, age-related loss of TH^+ cells in the SNpc, the key region of preferential cell loss in PD, compared with non-transgenic Snca -/- littermate controls. Analysis of dopamine signalling using fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (FCV) showed young adult SNCA-A30P^+Snca-/- mice had an approximately 20% lower evoked extracellular dopamine concentration ([DA]o) compared with non-transgenic Snca -/- littermate controls, a decrease specific to the dorsal striatum. This difference diminished with age and could not be attributed to changes in dopamine reuptake/content. I detail the behavioural and neurochemical phenotype in mice lacking all three synucleins (α/β/γ). Functional compensation between synucleins emphasises the importance of studying their effects by removing all three proteins simultaneously. Triple-null mice exhibited hyperactivity in a novel environment reminiscent of a hyperdopaminergic-like phenotype, but showed no phenotype in anxiety or motor related tests. FCV revealed synuclein triple-null mice had a two-fold increase in [DA]o, specific to the dorsal striatum and not attributable to changes in dopamine reuptake/content, changes in striatal nicotinic receptor activity nor calcium-dependent changes in dopamine exocytosis. Together, the analysis from these two novel mouse models reveal synucleins play an important role in altering synaptic function in the dorsal striatum (the region selectively affected in PD) and contributes to growing evidence suggesting synucleins are negative regulators of synaptic dopamine release.

Les maladies auto-immunes, qui touchent plus de 5% de la population, sont induites par une perte de la tolérance aux antigènes du Soi. Ces pathologies, généralement multifactorielles, résultent de l’effet combiné de plusieurs allèles de susceptibilité et de différents facteurs environnementaux. Les agents infectieux ont été tout particulièrement incriminés, mais les mécanismes en jeu restent encore mal élucidés. Les lymphocytes B, qui jouent un rôle central dans la pathogénie de nombreuses maladies auto-immunes, sont susceptibles d’être activés selon différents mécanismes au cours d’un processus infectieux et cette activation peut englober des cellules autoréactives. On ne sait cependant pas si cette activation peut entraîner la production d’auto-anticorps pathogènes de forte affinité et d’isotype IgG à partir du pool de cellules productrices d’auto-anticorps naturels de faible affinité, qui sont présentes de façon constitutive dans le répertoire B de l’individu sain. Nous avons mis au point un nouveau modèle murin knock-in pour des lymphocytes B présentant une affinité intermédiaire pour leur auto-antigène, la protéine HEL2X mutée (Hen-Egg Lysozyme). Ce modèle autoréactif d’affinité intermédiaire SWHEL X HEL2X, élaboré sur un fond génétique non autoimmun, permet de suivre le processus de maturation d’affinité des cellules B anti-HEL en présence de leur auto-antigène HEL2X au cours de l’infection chronique par la bactérie Borrelia burgdorferi. L’infection induit au niveau ganglionnaire une prolifération ainsi qu’une activation lymphocytaire B incluant des cellules anergiques. Certains clones autoréactifs sont capables de gagner les centres germinatifs ganglionnaires, de commuter vers l’isotype IgG et présentent des mutations somatiques au niveau de la région variable de la chaîne lourde de leur immunoglobuline, dans la zone d’interaction avec HEL2X, indiquant un processus de sélection par l’auto-antigène. Malgré un taux augmenté d’auto-anticorps d’isotype IgM, ces animaux ne produisent pas de plasmocytes capables de sécréter des auto-anticorps d’isotype IgG. Nos observations suggèrent l’existence de mécanismes de tolérance périphérique intrinsèques mis en place en particulier au niveau du centre germinatif. Un premier point de contrôle va éliminer les lymphocytes B autoréactifs ayant commuté de classe et présentant des mutations somatiques leur conférant une affinité augmentée pour l’auto-antigène tandis qu’un second point de contrôle va empêcher la différenciation en plasmocytes IgG+.Chez l’individu non prédisposé génétiquement, des mécanismes pourraient ainsi permettre de prévenir le développement d’une auto-immunité pathogène au cours d’un épisode infectieux. / Autoimmune diseases, affecting more than 5% of the population, reflect a loss of tolerance to selfantigens. These multifactorial diseases result from the combined effect of several susceptibility alleles and different environmental factors. Infectious agents have been particularly incriminated but there is no clear understanding of the underlying mechanisms. B lymphocytes, that appear central to the pathogenesis of several autoimmune diseases, may be activated by several mechanisms during infectious processes and this activation can encompass autoreactive cells. Whether or not the lattercan induce the production of high-affinity pathogenic IgG isotype auto-antibodies from the naturally present low-affinity self-reactive B cells is still unknown. To gain further insight into this question, we created a new intermediate affinity autoreactive mouse model called SWHEL X HEL2X. In these mice, knock-in B cells express a B cell receptor highly specific for Hen-Egg Lysozyme (HEL) that recognizes HEL2X mutated auto-antigen with intermediate affinity. This model, generated on a non-autoimmune-prone genetic background, allows the following of anti-HEL B cells affinity maturation process in presence of their auto-antigen during Borrelia burgdorferi chronic bacterial infection. The infection leads to lymph nodes lymphoproliferation and B cell activation including anergic cells. Some autoreactive clones are able to form germinal centers, toswitch their immunoglobulin heavy chain and to introduce somatic mutations in the heavy chain variable regions on amino-acids forming direct contacts with HEL2X, suggesting an auto-antigen-driven selection process. Despite increased levels of IgM autoantibodies, infected mice are unable to generate IgG autoantibody secreting plasma-cells. These observations suggest the existence of intrinsic peripheral tolerance mechanisms operating mainly at the level of germinal centers. The first checkpoint eliminates switched autoreactive B cells with increasing affinity mutations while a secondcheckpoint avoids IgG+ plasma-cell differentiation. Thus, in genetically non predisposed individuals, tolerance mechanisms may be set-up to prevent the development of pathogenic autoimmunity during the course of an infection.

No description available.

Aristolochic acids (AA) are human carcinogens which have also very strong nephrotoxic properties. A mixture of AA is present in Aristolochiacae plant species. These plants were and still are used in traditional medicine in some countries, particularly in Asia. Aristolochic acids participate in development of two types of nephropathies. The first disease is designated as Aristolochic Acid Nephropathy (AAN), the second one is Balkan Endemic Nephropathy (BEN). Both nephropathies are associated with urothelial malignancies, which are caused by AA. One of the common features of ANN and BEN is that not all individuals exposed to AA suffer from nephropathy and tumour development. One cause for these different responses may be individual differences in the activities and expression levels of the enzymes catalyzing the biotransformation of AAI, the major toxic component of AA contained in Aristolochia species. Detailed knowledge of enzymes which participate in metabolism of AAI may contribute to elucidation of inter-individual susceptibility to AAN, BEN and later urothelial malignancies. Aristolochic acid I is either oxidative detoxicated or reductive activated by biotransformation enzymes. Reductive bioactiovation of AAI leads to formation of covalent AA-DNA adducts in organism which result in producing of...