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List of the 760 transcripts used in the custom Nanostring panel for RNA analyses

Dose-response curves. Cell viability assay using MTT. Representation of dose-response curves of monotherapy in the 2 cell lines (MDA-MB-453 and SUM185PE) used to calculate IC50s based on 9 serial dilutions of the tested drugs. Y-axis: Cell survival (%); X- axis: log 10 [concentration], n=3-4.

Purpose:Our aim was to identify predictive factors of abiraterone acetate efficacy and putative new druggable targets in androgen receptor (AR)-positive triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) treated in the UCBG 2012-1 trial.Experimental Design: We defined abiraterone acetate response as either complete or partial response, or stable disease at 6 months. We sequenced 91 general and breast cancer–associated genes from the tumor DNA samples. We analyzed transcriptomes from the extracted RNA samples on a NanoString platform and performed IHC using tissue microarrays. We assessed abiraterone acetate and Chk1 inhibitors (GDC-0575 and AZD7762) efficacies, either alone or in combination, on cell lines grown in vitro and in vivo.Results:Classic IHC apocrine markers including AR, FOXA1, GGT1, and GCDFP15, from patients' tumors allowed identifying abiraterone acetate-responders and nonresponders. All responders had clear apocrine features. Transcriptome analysis revealed that 31 genes were differentially expressed in the two subgroups, 9 of them being linked to proliferation and DNA damage repair. One of the most significant differences was the overexpression, in nonresponders, of CHEK1, a gene encoding Chk1, a protein kinase that can be blocked by specific inhibitors. On the basis of cell line experiments, abiraterone acetate and Chk1 inhibitor combination showed at least additive effect on cell viability, cell cycle, apoptosis, and accumulation of DNA damages. In vivo, orthotopic xenograft experiments confirmed the efficacy of this combination therapy.Conclusions:This study suggests that apocrine features can be helpful in the identification of abiraterone acetate-responders. We identified Chk1 as a putative drug target in AR-positive TNBCs.

Antibody used for IHC asays.

Supplementary data legend

List of genes used for DNA analyses by Next Generation Sequencing.

Supplementary Tables 1-2, Figures 1-5 from Regulation of Insulin-like Growth Factor–Mammalian Target of Rapamycin Signaling by MicroRNA in Childhood Adrenocortical Tumors

Supplementary Table 1 from Regulation of Insulin-like Growth Factor–Mammalian Target of Rapamycin Signaling by MicroRNA in Childhood Adrenocortical Tumors

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) act at the posttranscriptional level to control gene expression in virtually every biological process, including oncogenesis. Here, we report the identification of a set of miRNAs that are differentially regulated in childhood adrenocortical tumors (ACT), including miR-99a and miR-100. Functional analysis of these miRNAs in ACT cell lines showed that they coordinately regulate expression of the insulin-like growth factor–mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR)–raptor signaling pathway through binding sites in their 3′-untranslated regions. In these cells, the active Ser2448-phosphorylated form of mTOR is present only in mitotic cells in association with the mitotic spindle and midbody in the G2-M phases of the cell cycle. Pharmacologic inhibition of mTOR signaling by everolimus greatly reduces tumor cell growth in vitro and in vivo. Our results reveal a novel mechanism of regulation of mTOR signaling by miRNAs, and they lay the groundwork for clinical evaluation of drugs inhibiting the mTOR pathway for treatment of adrenocortical cancer. Cancer Res; 70(11); 4666–75. ©2010 AACR.

Purpose: Our aim was to identify predictive factors of abiraterone acetate (AA) efficacy and putative new druggable targets in androgen receptor (AR)-positive triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) treated in the UCBG 2012-1 trial. Material and methods: We defined AA response as either complete or partial response, or stable disease at 6 months. Using Ampliseq, we sequenced 91 general and breast cancerassociated genes from the tumor DNA samples. We analyzed transcriptomes from the extracted RNA samples on a Nanostring platform and performed immunohistochemistry (IHC) on tumor samples using tissue microarrays. We assessed AA and CHK1 inhibitors (GDC-0575 and AZD7762) efficacies, either alone or in combination, on cell lines grown in vitro and in vivo. Results: Classical IHC apocrine markers, including AR, FOXA1, GGT1 and GCDFP15, allowed identifying AA responders and non-responders. All responders have clear apocrine features. Transcriptome analysis revealed that 31 genes were differentially expressed in the two subgroups, 9 of them being linked to proliferation and DNA damage repair. One of the most significant differences was the overexpression in non-responders of CHEK1, a gene encoding Chk1, a protein kinase that can be blocked by specific inhibitors. In vitro, AA and Chk1 inhibitor combination showed additive or slightly synergistic effect on cell viability, cell cycle, apoptosis and accumulation of DNA damages. In vivo, orthotopic xenograft experiments confirmed the efficacy of this combination therapy. Conclusions: This study suggests that apocrine features can be helpful in the identification of AA-responders. We identified Chk1 as a putative drug target in AR-positive TNBCs. Citation Format: Grellety T, Callens C, Richard E, Pulido M, Goncalves A, Gestraud P, MacGrogan G, Bonnefoi H, Cardinaud B. Enhancing abiraterone acetate efficacy in androgen receptor-positive triple negative breast cancer: Chk1 as a potential target [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2018 Dec 4-8; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P2-06-04.

Background Atypical Myeloproliferative Neoplasms (aMPN) share characteristics of MPN and Myelodysplastic Syndromes. Although abnormalities in cytokine signaling are common in MPN, the pathophysiology of atypical MPN still remains elusive. Since deregulation of microRNAs is involved in the biology of various cancers, we studied the miRNome of aMPN patients. Methods MiRNome and mutations in epigenetic regulator genes ASXL1, TET2, DNMT3A, EZH2 and IDH1/2 were explored in aMPN patients. Epigenetic regulation of miR-10a and HOXB4 expression was investigated by treating hematopoietic cell lines with 5-aza-2’deoxycytidine, valproic acid and retinoic acid. Functional effects of miR-10a overexpression on cell proliferation, differentiation and self-renewal were studied by transducing CD34+ cells with lentiviral vectors encoding the pri-miR-10a precursor. Results MiR-10a was identified as the most significantly up-regulated microRNA in aMPN. MiR-10a expression correlated with that of HOXB4, sitting in the same genomic locus. The transcription of these two genes was increased by DNA demethylation and histone acetylation, both necessary for optimal expression induction by retinoic acid. Moreover, miR-10a and HOXB4 overexpression seemed associated with DNMT3A mutation in hematological malignancies. However, overexpression of miR-10a had no effect on proliferation, differentiation or self-renewal of normal hematopoietic progenitors. Conclusions MiR-10a and HOXB4 are overexpressed in aMPN. This overexpression seems to be the result of abnormalities in epigenetic regulation mechanisms. Our data suggest that miR-10a could represent a simple marker of transcription at this genomic locus including HOXB4, widely recognized as involved in stem cell expansion. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12885-018-4993-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Enterohepatic Helicobacters, such as Helicobacter hepaticus and Helicobacter pullorum, are associated with several intestinal and hepatic diseases. Their main virulence factor is the cytolethal distending toxin (CDT). In the present study, whole genome microarray-based identification of differentially expressed genes was performed in vitro in HT-29 intestinal cells while following the ectopic expression of the active CdtB subunit of H. hepaticus CDT. A CdtB-dependent upregulation of the V-maf musculoaponeurotic fibrosarcoma oncogene homolog B (MAFB) gene encoding the MAFB oncoprotein was found, as well as the CdtB-dependent regulation of several MAFB target genes. The transduction and coculture experiments confirmed MAFB mRNA and protein induction in response to CDT and its CdtB subunit in intestinal and hepatic cell lines. An analysis of MAFB protein subcellular localization revealed a strong nuclear and perinuclear localization in the CdtB-distended nuclei in intestinal and hepatic cells. MAFB was also detected at the cell periphery of the CdtB-induced lamellipodia in some cells. The silencing of MAFB changed the cellular response to CDT with the formation of narrower lamellipodia, a reduction of the increase in nucleus size, and the formation of less γH2AX foci, the biomarker for DNA double-strand breaks. Taken together, these data show that the CDT of enterohepatic Helicobacters modulates the expression of the MAFB oncoprotein, which is translocated in the nucleus and is associated with the remodeling of the nuclei and actin cytoskeleton.

Acute basophilic leukaemia (ABL) is a rare subtype of acute myeloblastic leukaemia. We previously described a recurrent t(X;6)(p11;q23) translocation generating an MYB-GATA1 fusion gene in male infants with ABL. To better understand its role, the chimeric MYB-GATA1 transcription factor was expressed in CD34-positive haematopoietic progenitors, which were transplanted into immunodeficient mice. Cells expressing MYB-GATA1 showed increased expression of markers of immaturity (CD34), of granulocytic lineage (CD33 and CD117), and of basophilic differentiation (CD203c and FcϵRI). UT-7 cells also showed basophilic differentiation after MYB-GATA1 transfection. A transcriptomic study identified nine genes deregulated by both MYB-GATA1 and basophilic differentiation. Induction of three of these genes (CCL23, IL1RL1, and NTRK1) was confirmed in MYB-GATA1-expressing CD34-positive cells by reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Interleukin (IL)-33 and nerve growth factor (NGF), the ligands of IL-1 receptor-like 1 (IL1RL1) and neurotrophic receptor tyrosine kinase 1 (NTRK1), respectively, enhanced the basophilic differentiation of MYB-GATA1-expressing UT-7 cells, thus demonstrating the importance of this pathway in the basophilic differentiation of leukaemic cells and CD34-positive primary cells. Finally, gene reporter assays confirmed that MYB and MYB-GATA1 directly activated NTRK1 and IL1RL1 transcription, leading to basophilic skewing of the blasts. MYB-GATA1 is more efficient than MYB, because of better stability. Our results highlight the role of IL-33 and NGF receptors in the basophilic differentiation of normal and leukaemic cells. Copyright © 2017 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Iatrogenic tumorigenesis is a major limitation for the use of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) in hematology. The teratoma risk comes from the persistence of hiPSCs in differentiated cell populations. Our goal was to evaluate the best system to purge residual hiPSCs before graft without compromising hematopoietic repopulation capability. Teratoma risk after systemic injection of hiPSCs expressing the reporter gene luciferase was assessed for the first time. Teratoma formation in immune-deficient mice was tracked by in vivo bioimaging. We observed that systemic injection of hiPSCs produced multisite teratoma as soon as 5 weeks after injection. To eliminate hiPSCs before grafting, we tested the embryonic-specific expression of suicide genes under the control of the pmiR-302/367 promoter. This promoter was highly active in hiPSCs but not in differentiated cells. The gene/prodrug inducible Caspase-9 (iCaspase-9)/AP20187 was more efficient and rapid than thymidine kinase/ganciclovir, fully specific, and without bystander effect. We observed that iCaspase-9-expressing hiPSCs died in a dose-dependent manner with AP20187, without reaching full eradication in vitro. Unexpectedly, nonspecific toxicity of AP20187 on iCaspase-9-negative hiPSCs and on CD34+ cells was evidenced in vitro. This toxic effect strongly impaired CD34+-derived human hematopoiesis in adoptive transfers. Survivin inhibition is an alternative to the suicide gene approach because hiPSCs fully rely on survivin for survival. Survivin inhibitor YM155 was more efficient than AP20187/iCaspase-9 for killing hiPSCs, without toxicity on CD34+ cells, in vitro and in adoptive transfers. hiPSC purge by survivin inhibitor fully eradicated teratoma formation in immune-deficient mice. This will be useful to improve the safety management for hiPSC-based medicine.

Although tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) efficiently cure chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), they can fail to eradicate CML stem cells (CML-SCs). The mechanisms responsible for CML-SC survival need to be understood for designing therapies. Several previous studies suggest that TKIs could modulate CML-SC quiescence. Unfortunately, CML-SCs are insufficiently available. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) offer a promising alternative. In this work, we used iPSCs derived from CML patients (Ph+). Ph+ iPSC clones expressed lower levels of stemness markers than normal iPSCs. BCR-ABL1 was found to be involved in stemness regulation and ERK1/2 to have a key role in the signaling pathway. TKIs unexpectedly promoted stemness marker expression in Ph+ iPSC clones. Imatinib also retained quiescence and induced stemness gene expression in CML-SCs. Our results suggest that TKIs might have a role in residual disease and confirm the need for a targeted therapy different from TKIs that could overcome the stemness-promoting effect caused by TKIs. Interestingly, a similar pro-stemness effect was observed in normal iPSCs and hematopoietic SCs. These findings could help to explain CML resistance mechanisms and the teratogenic side-effects of TKIs in embryonic cells.

Purpose: Our aim was to identify predictive factors of abiraterone acetate efficacy and putative new druggable targets in androgen receptor (AR)-positive triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) treated in the UCBG 2012-1 trial. Experimental Design: We defined abiraterone acetate response as either complete or partial response, or stable disease at 6 months. We sequenced 91 general and breast cancer–associated genes from the tumor DNA samples. We analyzed transcriptomes from the extracted RNA samples on a NanoString platform and performed IHC using tissue microarrays. We assessed abiraterone acetate and Chk1 inhibitors (GDC-0575 and AZD7762) efficacies, either alone or in combination, on cell lines grown in vitro and in vivo. Results: Classic IHC apocrine markers including AR, FOXA1, GGT1, and GCDFP15, from patients' tumors allowed identifying abiraterone acetate-responders and nonresponders. All responders had clear apocrine features. Transcriptome analysis revealed that 31 genes were differentially expressed in the two subgroups, 9 of them being linked to proliferation and DNA damage repair. One of the most significant differences was the overexpression, in nonresponders, of CHEK1, a gene encoding Chk1, a protein kinase that can be blocked by specific inhibitors. On the basis of cell line experiments, abiraterone acetate and Chk1 inhibitor combination showed at least additive effect on cell viability, cell cycle, apoptosis, and accumulation of DNA damages. In vivo, orthotopic xenograft experiments confirmed the efficacy of this combination therapy. Conclusions: This study suggests that apocrine features can be helpful in the identification of abiraterone acetate-responders. We identified Chk1 as a putative drug target in AR-positive TNBCs.

// Anne-Sophie Espadinha 1, 2 , Valerie Prouzet-Mauleon 1, 2 , Stephane Claverol 3 , Valerie Lagarde 1, 2 , Marc Bonneu 3, 4 , Francois-Xavier Mahon 1, 2 and Bruno Cardinaud 1, 2, 4 1 University of Bordeaux, INSERM U1035, Bordeaux, France 2 University of Bordeaux, INSERM U1218, Bordeaux, France 3 University of Bordeaux, Plateforme Proteome, CGFB, Bordeaux, France 4 Bordeaux Institut National Polytechnique, Bordeaux, France Correspondence to: Bruno Cardinaud, email: bruno.cardinaud@u-bordeaux.fr Keywords: CML, STAT5, miR-21, microRNA, leukemia Received: August 11, 2016 Accepted: June 13, 2017 Published: July 12, 2017 ABSTRACT MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are regulators of several key patho-physiological processes, including cell cycle and apoptosis. Using microarray-based miRNA profiling in K562 cells, a model of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), we found that the oncoprotein BCR-ABL1 regulates the expression of miR-21, an “onco-microRNA”, found to be overexpressed in several cancers. This effect relies on the presence of two STAT binding sites on the promoter of miR-21, and on the phosphorylation status of STAT5, a transcription factor activated by the kinase activity of BCR-ABL1. Mir-21 regulates the expression of PDCD4 (programmed cell death protein 4), a tumor suppressor identified through a proteomics approach. The phosphoSTAT5 — miR-21 — PDCD4 pathway was active in CML primary CD34 + cells, but also in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) models like MV4.11 and MOLM13, where the constitutively active tyrosine kinase FLT3-ITD plays a similar role to BCR-ABL1 in the K562 cell line.

International audience; Enterohepatic Helicobacter species are associated with several digestive diseases. Helicobacter pullorum is an emerging human foodborne pathogen, and Helicobacter hepaticus is a mouse pathogen; both species are associated with intestinal and/or hepatic diseases. They possess virulence factors, such as cytolethal distending toxin (CDT). Data indicate that CDT may be involved in chronic inflammatory responses, via its active subunit, CdtB. The proinflammatory properties of the CdtB of H. pullorum and H. hepaticus were assessed on human intestinal and hepatic epithelial cells in vitro. Interleukin 8 expression was evaluated by using wild-type strains and their corresponding CdtB isogenic mutants and by delivering CdtB directly into the cells. Nuclear factor κB nuclear translocation and transcriptomic characteristics in response to CdtB were also evaluated. The CdtB of these Helicobacter species induced nuclear factor κB nuclear translocation and exhibited proinflammatory properties, mainly the expression of T-helper type 17-related genes and genes encoding antimicrobial products also involved in cancer. The Histidine residue in position 265 of the CdtB catalytic site appeared to play a role in the regulation of most of these genes. As for flagellin or lipopolysaccharides, CdtB also induced expression of inflammation-associated genes related to antimicrobial activity.

We used K562 cells sensitive or generated resistant to imatinib or nilotinib to investigate their response to mycophenolic acid (MPA). MPA induced DNA damage leading to cell death with a minor contribution of apoptosis, as revealed by annexin V labeling (up to 25%). In contrast, cell cycle arrest and positive staining for senescence-associated β-galactosidase activity were detected for a large cell population (80%). MPA-induced cell death was potentialized by the inhibition of autophagy and this is associated to the upregulation of apoptosis. In contrast, senescence was neither decreased nor abrogated in autophagy deficient K562 cells. Primary CD34 cells from CML patients sensitive or resistant to imatinib or nilotinib respond to MPA although apoptosis is mainly detected. These results show that MPA is an interesting tool to overcome resistance in vitro and in vivo mainly in the evolved phase of the disease.

The term ‘thyroid tumors of uncertain malignant potential’ (TT-UMP) was coined by surgical pathologists to define well-differentiated tumors (WDT) showing inconclusive morphological evidence of malignancy or benignity. We have analyzed the expression of microRNA (miRNA) in a training set of 42 WDT of different histological subtypes: seven follicular tumors of UMP (FT-UMP), six WDT-UMP, seven follicular thyroid adenomas (FTA), 11 conventional papillary thyroid carcinomas (C-PTC), five follicular variants of PTC (FV-PTC), and six follicular thyroid carcinomas (FTC), which led to the identification of about 40 deregulated miRNAs. A subset of these altered miRNAs was independently validated by qRT-PCR, which included 18 supplementary TT-UMP (eight WDT-UMP and ten FT-UMP). Supervised clustering techniques were used to predict the first 42 samples. Based on the four possible outcomes (FTA, C-PTC, FV-PTC, and FTC), about 80% of FTA and C-PTC and 50% of FV-PTC and FTC samples were correctly assigned. Analysis of the independent set of 18 WDT-UMP by quantitative RT-PCR for the selection of the six most discriminating miRNAs was unable to separate FT-UMP from WDT-UMP, suggesting that the miRNA signature is insufficient in characterizing these two clinical entities. We conclude that considering FT-UMP and WDT-UMP as distinct and specific clinical entities may improve the diagnosis of WDT of the thyroid gland. In this context, a small set of miRNAs (i.e.miR-7,miR-146a,miR-146b,miR-200b,miR-221, andmiR-222) appears to be useful, though not sufficientper se, in distinguishing TT-UMP from other WDT of the thyroid gland.

RATIONALE: Different sensitivities to profibrotic compounds such as bleomycin are observed among mouse strains. OBJECTIVES: To identify genetic factors contributing to the outcome of lung injury. METHODS: Physiological comparison of C57BL/6 (sensitive) and BALB/c (resistant) mice challenged by intratracheal bleomycin instillation revealed several early differences: global gene expression profiles were thus established from lungs derived from the two strains, in the absence of any bleomycin administration. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Expression of 25 genes differed between the two strains. Among them, two molecules, not previously associated with pulmonary fibrosis, were identified. The first corresponded to dipeptidyl-peptidase I (DPPI), a cysteine peptidase (also known as cathepsin C) essential for the activation of serine proteinases produced by immune/inflammatory cells. The second corresponded to tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase-3, which also inhibits members of the ADAM (a disintegrin and metalloproteinase) family, such as the tumor necrosis factor-converting enzyme. In functional studies performed in the bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis model, the level of expression of these two genes was closely correlated with specific early events associated with lung fibrosis, namely activation of polymorphonuclear neutrophil-derived serine proteases and tumor necrosis factor-alpha-dependent inflammatory syndrome. Surprisingly, genetic deletion of DPPI in the context of a C57BL/6 genetic background did not protect against bleomycin-mediated fibrosis, suggesting additional function(s) for this key enzyme. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the importance of the early inflammatory events that follow bleomycin instillation in the development of lung fibrosis, and describes for the first time the roles that DPPI and tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase-3 may play in this process.

International audience; Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a gram-negative bacilli frequently encountered in human pathology. This pathogen is involved in a large number of nosocomial infections and chronic diseases. Herein we investigated the effects of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa lung infection. C57BL/6 mice were fed for 5 wk with specifically designed diets with high contents in either omega-3 (omega-3) or omega-6 PUFA and compared to a control diet. P. aeruginosa included in agarose beads was then instilled intratracheally, and the animals were studied for 7 days. On the 4th day, the mice fed with the omega-3 diet had a higher lean body mass gain and a lower omega-6:omega-3 ratio of fatty acids extracted from the lung tissue compared with the other groups (P < 0.05). The omega-3 group had the lowest mortality. Distal alveolar fluid clearance (DAFC) as well as the inflammatory response and the cellular recruitment were higher in the omega-3 group on the 4th day. The effect on DAFC was independent of alpha-epithelial Na(+) channels (alpha-ENaC), beta-ENaC, and alpha(1)-Na-K-ATPase mRNA expressions, which were not altered by the different diets. In conclusion, a diet enriched in omega-3 PUFA can change lung membrane composition and improve survival in chronic pneumonia. This effect on survival is probably multifactorial involving the increased DAFC capacity as well as the optimization of the initial inflammatory response. This work suggests that a better control of the omega-6/omega-3 PUFA balance may represent an interesting target in the prevention and/or control of P. aeruginosa infection in patients.

A comparative analysis of the structure of the melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) precursor reveals that this sequence has been subjected to a higher selection pressure in mammals than in teleosts, suggesting that the structural constraints have not been the same throughout the vertebrate lineage. In contrast, the MCH peptide sequence has been very well conserved in all species. A sensitive and reproducible eel skin assay was developed and allowed us to define the structural features needed for a full MCH bioactivity. It was shown that the minimal structure carrying the critical residues was the same in fishes and in mammals. A pharmacological approach confirmed that MCH receptor activation decreased the cAMP levels in the fish skin, but this effect appeared to be independent from a Galphai protein. We propose that one of the intracellular signaling pathways of the MCH receptor in fish skin is the activation of one or several cellular phosphodiesterases.

Melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) is a cyclic peptide, mainly involved in the regulation of skin pigmentation in teleosts and feeding behavior in mammals. The human keratinocyte SVK14 cell line has been previously shown to express binding sites for the MCH analog [125I]-[Phe13,3-iodo-Tyr19]MCH. We report here that: (1) this binding site similarly recognized [125I]-[3-iodo-Tyr13]MCH; (2) its pharmacological profile clearly differed from those observed at the two human MCH receptor subtypes, MCH1-R and MCH2-R; (3) MCH did not induce any effect on second messenger systems (including cAMP, calcium, and MAP kinase signaling pathways), and (4) no mRNAs corresponding to the MCH receptors were found. In conclusion, the binding site characterized in the SVK14 cell line is distinct from the MCH1 and MCH2 receptors and deserves therefore further investigation.

The use of environmental enrichment (EE) has grown in popularity over decades, particularly because EE is known to promote cognitive functions and well-being. Nonetheless, little is known about how EE may affect personality and gene expression. To address this question in a domestic animal, 10-month-old horses were maintained in a controlled environment or EE for 12 weeks. The control horses (n = 9) lived in individual stalls on wood shaving bedding. They were turned out to individual paddocks three times a week and were fed three times a day with pellets or hay. EE-treated horses (n = 10) were housed in large individual stalls on straw bedding 7 hours per day and spent the remainder of the time together at pasture. They were fed three times a day with flavored pellets, hay, or fruits and were exposed daily to various objects, odors, and music. The EE modified three dimensions of personality: fearfulness, reactivity to humans, and sensory sensitivity. Some of these changes persisted >3 months after treatment. These changes are suggestive of a more positive perception of the environment and a higher level of curiosity in EE-treated horses, explaining partly why these horses showed better learning performance in a Go/No-Go task. Reduced expression of stress indicators indicated that the EE also improved well-being. Finally, whole-blood transcriptomic analysis showed that in addition to an effect on the cortisol level, the EE induced the expression of genes involved in cell growth and proliferation, while the control treatment activated genes related to apoptosis. Changes in both behavior and gene expression may constitute a psychobiological signature of the effects of enrichment and result in improved well-being. This study illustrates how the environment interacts with genetic information in shaping the individual at both the behavioral and molecular levels.

The existence of dopamine D1C and D1D receptors in Xenopus and chicken, respectively, challenged the established duality (D1A and D1B) of the dopamine D1 receptor class in vertebrates. To ascertain the molecular diversity of this gene family in early diverging vertebrates, we isolated four receptor-encoding sequences from the European eel Anguilla anguilla. Molecular phylogeny assigned two receptor sequences (D1A1 and D1A2) to the D1A subtype, and a third receptor to the D1B subtype. Additional sequence was orthologous to the Xenopus D1C receptor and to several other previously unclassified fish D1-like receptors. When expressed in COS-7 cells, eel D1A and D1B receptors display affinity profiles for dopaminergic ligands similar to those of other known vertebrate homologues. The D1C receptor exhibits pharmacological characteristics virtually identical to its Xenopus homologue. Functionally, while all eel D1 receptors stimulate adenylate cyclase, the eel D1B receptor exhibits greater constitutive activity than either D1A or D1C receptors. Semiquantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction reveals the differential distribution of D1A1, D1A2, D1B, and D1C receptor mRNA within the hypothalamic-pituitary axis of the eel brain. Taken together, these data suggest that the D1A, D1B, and D1C receptors arose prior to the evolutionary divergence of fish and tetrapods and exhibit molecular, pharmacological, and functional attributes that unambiguously allow for their classification as distinct D1 receptor subtypes in the vertebrate phylum.

International audience; The resistance of hypoxic cells to radiotherapy and chemotherapy is a major problem in the treatment of cancer. Recently, an additional mode of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-dependent transcriptional regulation, involving modulation of a specific set of micro RNAs (miRNAs), including miR-210, has emerged. We have recently shown that HIF-1 induction of miR-210 also stabilizes HIF-1 through a positive regulatory loop. Therefore, we hypothesized that by stabilizing HIF-1 in normoxia, miR-210 may protect cancer cells from radiation. We developed a non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC)-derived cell line (A549) stably expressing miR-210 (pmiR-210) or a control miRNA (pmiR-Ctl). The miR-210-expressing cells showed a significant stabilization of HIF-1 associated with mitochondrial defects and a glycolytic phenotype. Cells were subjected to radiation levels ranging from 0 to 10 Gy in normoxia and hypoxia. Cells expressing miR-210 in normoxia had the same level of radioresistance as control cells in hypoxia. Under hypoxia, pmiR-210 cells showed a low mortality rate owing to a decrease in apoptosis, with an ability to grow even at 10 Gy. This miR-210 phenotype was reproduced in another NSCLC cell line (H1975) and in HeLa cells. We have established that radioresistance was independent of p53 and cell cycle status. In addition, we have shown that genomic double-strand breaks (DSBs) foci disappear faster in pmiR-210 than in pmiR-Ctl cells, suggesting that miR-210 expression promotes a more efficient DSB repair. Finally, HIF-1 invalidation in pmiR-210 cells removed the radioresistant phenotype, showing that this mechanism is dependent on HIF-1. In conclusion, miR-210 appears to be a component of the radioresistance of hypoxic cancer cells. Given the high stability of most miRNAs, this advantage could be used by tumor cells in conditions where reoxygenation has occurred and suggests that strategies targeting miR-210 could enhance tumor radiosensitization.

Specificity of interaction between a microRNA (miRNA) and its targets crucially depends on the seed region located in its 5'-end. It is often implicitly considered that two miRNAs sharing the same biological activity should display similarity beyond the strict six nucleotide region that forms the seed, in order to form specific complexes with the same mRNA targets. We have found that expression of hsa-miR-147b and hsa-miR-210, though triggered by different stimuli (i.e. lipopolysaccharides and hypoxia, respectively), induce very similar cellular effects in term of proliferation, migration and apoptosis. Hsa-miR-147b only shares a "minimal" 6-nucleotides seed sequence with hsa-miR-210, but is identical with hsa-miR-147a over 20 nucleotides, except for one base located in the seed region. Phenotypic changes induced after heterologous expression of miR-147a strikingly differ from those induced by miR-147b or miR-210. In particular, miR-147a behaves as a potent inhibitor of cell proliferation and migration. These data fit well with the gene expression profiles observed for miR-147b and miR-210, which are very similar, and the gene expression profile of miR-147a, which is distinct from the two others. Bioinformatics analysis of all human miRNA sequences indicates multiple cases of miRNAs from distinct families exhibiting the same kind of similarity that would need to be further characterized in terms of putative functional redundancy. Besides, it implies that functional impact of some miRNAs can be masked by robust expression of miRNAs belonging to distinct families.

Ion-selective microelectrodes were used to measure extracellular free ion concentrations in the retina of the drone honeybee, Apis mellifera male. Mean values were (in millimoles per litre): Na$^{+}$, 196; K$^{+}$, 10.2; Ca$^{2+}$, 2.0; pH 6.9. The elemental composition of fluid that rose into a micropipette inserted in the retina was obtained by electron microprobe X-ray analysis: from the concentrations of Na and K it was estimated that this fluid was 91% interstitial fluid. Amino acids and carbohydrates were analysed by chromatography. Four amino acids had concentrations > 20 mM: proline (109 mM), glutamine (38 mM), alanine (31 mM) and $\beta $-alanine (24 mM). These concentrations were higher than in the haemolymph. Other amino acids had concentrations of less than 3 mM. The identified carbohydrates were trehalose, glucose, pyruvate and fructose. All of these were less concentrated than in the haemolymph. These results: (i) show that the ion concentrations of previously used Ringer solutions were reasonably correct; (ii) demonstrate properties of the blood-retina barrier; (iii) suggest that the extracellular concentration of alanine is ample for it to serve as a major substrate of neuronal energy metabolism in this tissue.

International audience; Multiciliated cells lining the surface of some vertebrate epithelia are essential for various physiological processes, such as airway cleansing. However, the mechanisms governing motile cilia biosynthesis remain poorly elucidated. We identify miR-449 microRNAs as evolutionarily conserved key regulators of vertebrate multiciliogenesis. In human airway epithelium and Xenopus laevis embryonic epidermis, miR-449 microRNAs strongly accumulated in multiciliated cells. In both models, we show that miR-449 microRNAs promote centriole multiplication and multiciliogenesis by directly repressing the Delta/Notch pathway. We established Notch1 and its ligand Delta-like 1(DLL1) as miR-449 bona fide targets. Human DLL1 and NOTCH1 protein levels were lower in multiciliated cells than in surrounding cells, decreased after miR-449 overexpression and increased after miR-449 inhibition. In frog, miR-449 silencing led to increased Dll1 expression. Consistently, overexpression of Dll1 mRNA lacking miR-449 target sites repressed multiciliogenesis, whereas both Dll1 and Notch1 knockdown rescued multiciliogenesis in miR-449-deficient cells. Antisense-mediated protection of miR-449-binding sites of endogenous human Notch1 or frog Dll1 strongly repressed multiciliogenesis. Our results unravel a conserved mechanism whereby Notch signalling must undergo miR-449-mediated inhibition to permit differentiation of ciliated cell progenitors.

Extensive sequencing efforts, combined with ad hoc bioinformatics developments, have now led to the identification of 1222 distinct miRNAs in human (derived from 1368 distinct genomic loci) and of many miRNAs in other multicellular organisms. The present chapter is aimed at describing a general experimental strategy to identify specific miRNA expression profiles and to highlight the functional networks operating between them and their mRNA targets, including several miRNAs deregulated in cystic fibrosis and during differentiation of airway epithelial cells.

International audience; Following the identification of a set of hypoxia-regulated microRNAs (miRNAs), recent studies have highlighted the importance of miR-210 and of its transcriptional regulation by the transcription factor hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1). We report here that miR-210 is overexpressed at late stages of non-small cell lung cancer. Expression of miR-210 in lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells caused an alteration of cell viability associated with induction of caspase-3/7 activity. miR-210 induced a loss of mitochondrial membrane potential and the apparition of an aberrant mitochondrial phenotype. The expression profiling of cells overexpressing miR-210 revealed a specific signature characterized by enrichment for transcripts related to 'cell death' and 'mitochondrial dysfunction', including several subunits of the electron transport chain (ETC) complexes I and II. The transcript coding for one of these ETC components, SDHD, subunit D of succinate dehydrogenase complex (SDH), was validated as a bona fide miR-210 target. Moreover, SDHD knockdown mimicked miR-210-mediated mitochondrial alterations. Finally, miR-210-dependent targeting of SDHD was able to activate HIF-1, in line with previous studies linking loss-of-function SDH mutations to HIF-1 activation. miR-210 can thus regulate mitochondrial function by targeting key ETC component genes with important consequences on cell metabolism, survival and modulation of HIF-1 activity. These observations help explain contradictory data regarding miR-210 expression and its putative function in solid tumors.Cell Death and Differentiation advance online publication, 1 October 2010; doi:10.1038/cdd.2010.119.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) act at the posttranscriptional level to control gene expression in virtually every biological process, including oncogenesis. Here, we report the identification of a set of miRNAs that are differentially regulated in childhood adrenocortical tumors (ACT), including miR-99a and miR-100. Functional analysis of these miRNAs in ACT cell lines showed that they coordinately regulate expression of the insulin-like growth factor–mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR)–raptor signaling pathway through binding sites in their 3′-untranslated regions. In these cells, the active Ser2448-phosphorylated form of mTOR is present only in mitotic cells in association with the mitotic spindle and midbody in the G2-M phases of the cell cycle. Pharmacologic inhibition of mTOR signaling by everolimus greatly reduces tumor cell growth in vitro and in vivo. Our results reveal a novel mechanism of regulation of mTOR signaling by miRNAs, and they lay the groundwork for clinical evaluation of drugs inhibiting the mTOR pathway for treatment of adrenocortical cancer. Cancer Res; 70(11); 4666–75. ©2010 AACR.

International audience

Liver ischemia-reperfusion injury occurring in orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) may be responsible for early graft failure. Molecular mechanisms underlying initial poor graft function (IPGF) have been poorly documented in human. The purpose of this study was to identify the major transcriptional alterations occurring in human livers during OLT. Twenty-one RNA extracts derived from liver transplant biopsies taken after graft reperfusion were compared with 7 RNA derived from normal control livers. Three hundred seventy-one genes were significantly modulated and classified in molecular pathways relevant to liver metabolism, inflammatory response, cell proliferation and liver protection. Grafts were then subdivided into two groups based on their peak levels of serum aspartate amino transferase within 72 h after OLT (group 1, non-IPGF: 14 patients; group 2, IPGF: 7 patients). The two corresponding data sets were compared using a supervised prediction method. A new set of genes able to correctly classify 71% of the patients was defined. These genes were functionally associated with oxidative stress, inflammation and inhibition of cell proliferation. This study provides a comprehensive picture of the transcriptional events associated with human OLT and IPGF. We anticipate that such alterations provide a framework for the elucidation of the molecular mechanisms leading to IPGF.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are single-stranded noncoding RNAs of 19 to 25 nucleotides that function as gene regulators and as a host cell defense against both RNA and DNA viruses. We provide evidence for a physiological role of the miRNA-silencing machinery in controlling HIV-1 replication. Type III RNAses Dicer and Drosha, responsible for miRNA processing, inhibited virus replication both in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from HIV-1–infected donors and in latently infected cells. In turn, HIV-1 actively suppressed the expression of the polycistronic miRNA cluster miR-17/92. This suppression was found to be required for efficient viral replication and was dependent on the histone acetyltransferase Tat cofactor PCAF. Our results highlight the involvement of the miRNA-silencing pathway in HIV-1 replication and latency.

The melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) gene encodes two proteins, pro-MCH and MCH-gene-overprinted polypeptide (MGOP), produced through alternative splicing of the primary transcript. Our initial purpose was to characterize the MGOP-immunoreactive material. First, MGOP mRNA was clearly found in rat and mouse hypothalami but Western blot analysis failed to unambiguously identify MGOP in protein extracts. Immunohistochemical experiments with wild-type and MCH gene-null mice demonstrated genuine expression of MGOP confined to the MCH-containing neurons in the lateral hypothalamus area and the presence of an 'MGOP-like' antigen in periventricular nucleus and arcuate nucleus neurons and their area of projection. This suggested a colocalization in somatostatin (SRIF) hypophysiotropic neurons. Further characterization, using SRIF gene-null mice and Western blot analysis with recombinant proteins, revealed that the MGOP-like product was pro-SRIF1-64. The role of pro-SRIF1-64 on fetal hypothalamic neurons was evaluated and a strong tonic inhibitory effect on SRIF secretion was found. These results (i) indicate that MGOP expression is restricted to the MCH neurons in the lateral hypothalamus and that MGOP-like immunoreactivity outside this system corresponds to pro-SRIF1-64, and (ii) provide the first evidence for a negative feedback regulation by pro-SRIF1-64 on SRIF secretion, suggesting new mechanisms by which the pro-region of a neuropeptide precursor may control the regulated secretion of a neuropeptide derived from the same precursor.

Three subtypes of D1-like receptors in the brain of the European eel, Anguilla anguilla, were isolated through cDNA cloning. Two D1a-like transcripts (Anguilla D1 and D1 PCR) and one D1b/D5-like transcript (Anguilla D5) are expressed. In situ hybridization performed with the Anguilla D1 PCR cRNA as a probe revealed that the corresponding mRNA occurs in most of the dopamine target areas and mainly in regions near the ventricles.

Publisher Summary In this chapter a comparative approach of the dopamine 1 (D1)-receptor class has been undertaken to analyze in detail the dopamine-receptor multiplicity of D1-like receptors in vertebrates by cloning the corresponding genes in most of the main groups of vertebrates. The aim of the chapter is to identify the events that led to the emergence of a “new” D1-receptor gene in the evolution of vertebrates. This phylogenetical approach provides conclusive evidence for the existence of two other subtypes of D1 receptors, one named D1C, found in all the jawed vertebrates except mammals, and one subtype termed D1D, only to be found in birds. Therefore, the D1-receptor class comprises three to four subtypes in “higher” vertebrates, virtually indentical to other catecholamine receptor families, indicating that the gene duplications at the origin of this receptor multiplicity occurred before or concomitantly with the appearance of Chondrychtians (cartilaginous fish). As all of the known bioamine receptor subtypes are expressed in the central nervous system, it is proposed that the bioamine and dopamine D1-receptor diversification accompanies in some respect the genetic mechanisms leading to the encephalization of the vertebrate nervous system. Acquisition and changes in the expression pattern of bioamine receptors is likely to have been the major factor of duplicated gene conservation in vertebrates.

Publisher Summary Molecular biological studies have revealed that native D1 receptors are comprised of two receptor subtypes, termed D1/D1A and D1B/D5, each of which when expressed in various cell lines stimulates the activity of adenylate cyclase. These receptors are, however, distinguishable on the basis of their primary structure, chromosomal localization, mRNA, and protein distribution as well as in their expressed pharmacological profiles. D1A, D1B, D1C, and D1D receptors exhibit molecular, pharmacological, and functional attributes that unambiguously allow for their distinct classification in the vertebrate phylum as true D1 receptor subtypes. While most receptor genes have been characterized only in mammals, D1-like receptor gene diversity has been examined in a small set of other vertebrate species, particularly Xenopus luevis and Gallus domesticus . Although Xenopus D1C and chicken D1D receptors significantly differ from either vertebrate or mammalian D1A and D1B receptors on the basis of their amino acid sequence and distinct pharmacological profiles, the functional and evolutionary relationship between these receptors is unclear and raises a number of intriguing questions. To address these issues, studies have undertaken to clone the entire complement of D1-like receptor genes from a number of early and late diverging vertebrate species. The assignment of each cloned receptor to defined D1 receptor subtype has been achieved by combining molecular phylogeny, pharmacological, and functional approaches. While mammalian homologues of D1C and D1D receptors have yet to be found and may indeed have been lost during the course of mammalian evolutionary divergence, the widespread appearance of multiple D1 receptor subtypes throughout the vertebrate phylum suggest some gain or loss of function in mammals associated with these particular receptor subtypes.

The large molecular diversity of receptors and their subtypes means that the pharmacologist is faced with many puzzling characterization questions. First, the molecular diversity of the receptors is deciphered only in part by a pharmacological approach, which precludes a satisfactory receptor classification based solely on pharmacological characteristics. Second, the physiological counterpart of the numerous subtypes of receptors specifically activated by single endogenous ligands remains unclear. Here, Philippe Vernier and colleagues use the example of the bioamine G protein-coupled receptors to show that many of the apparent inconsistencies that emerge from pharmacological and molecular characterizations of receptors can be better understood if the evolutionary history of the receptors is taken into account.

International audience; cDNA clones encoding the European eel (Anguilla anguilla L.) prolactin were isolated from a pituitary cDNA library constructed in gamma gt10, using a rainbow trout Prl cDNA fragment as a probe. Four different inserts were subcloned into the pGEM 3Z plasmid after PCR amplification. The 1082 bp-long nucleotide sequence revealed an open reading frame of 627 bp encoding a 24 amino acid-long signal peptide followed by a 185 amino acid-long mature protein. Comparison studies showed 60-70% homology with other known teleost fish prolactins and 30-45% with non-teleost fish, amphibian, reptilian, avian and mammalian prolactins. In situ hybridization studies using labelled prolactin RNA probe showed a strong signal in the rostral pars distalis of the pituitary gland. We next examined the physiological regulation of this prolactin synthesis in vivo using Northern blot analysis and prolactin cDNA probe labelled by random priming. The pituitary prolactin mRNA level was markedly decreased 3 weeks after transfer of eels from freshwater to sea water. Implants of thyroid hormones left for up to three weeks were ineffective on prolactin mRNA. Estradiol administered as implant, alone or in combination with 500 micrograms testosterone, was also unable to significantly alter the pituitary mRNA level for prolactin in the freshwater silver eels whatever the dose used (20-500 micrograms) and whatever the duration of treatment (from 4 days to 10 weeks).