Biology subjects

Bertrand, P.

Publications and source records attributed to Bertrand, P..

5 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

The extracellular matrix drives guanylate production and protects pancreatic cancer cells from oxaliplatin-induced DNA damage.

The excessive production of extracellular matrix (ECM) and the metabolic adaptations in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) contribute individually to enhanced chemoresistance, dramatic tumor progression and dismal patient survival. However, ECM-driven metabolic alterations that promote chemoresistance in PDAC are so far unexplored. Here, we use in-vitro-generated ECM bio-scaffolds that recapitulate cell-ECM interactions and induce broad metabolic alterations in PDAC cells. High-throughput integration of multi-omics datasets coupled with metabolic tracing showed that the ECM enhances the generation of guanylates in PDAC cells, the accumulation of which alleviates oxaliplatin-induced DNA damage, and boosts PDAC cell proliferation. These events are guided by the guanosine monophosphate (GMP)-producing enzymes Impdh and Gmps, the expression of which correlated with that of matrisomal and DNA repair genes in PDAC patient samples. We propose that targeting ECM-driven metabolic processes, like the enhanced Impdh activity, may be an effective therapeutic approach for PDAC patients that bypasses the negative side effects of direct targeting of the ECM itself.

cancer biology↗

bioRxiv2024

Lamin B1-dependent regulation of human separase in mitosis

Separase plays a central role in chromosome separation during mitosis and in centrosome cycle. Tight control of separase activity is required to prevent unscheduled resolution of sister chromatid cohesion and centrosome aberrations, thereby preserving genome stability. In mammals, despite their disassembly in early mitosis, some nuclear envelope components possess mitotic roles, but links with separase activity remain unexplored. Here, we uncover a new mechanism of separase regulation involving lamin B1, a key nuclear envelope factor. We show that separase and lamin B1 associate preferentially during early stages of mitosis. Importantly, lamin B1 depletion leads to an increase in separase recruitment on chromosomes together with premature chromatid separation, a phenotype reminiscent of separase overexpression. Conversely, similar to separase depletion, lamin B1 overexpression induces formation of diplochromosomes- resulting from chromatid separation failure-, in association with centrosome amplification. Importantly, increasing separase level prevents lamin B1-induced centrosome aberrations, suggesting a separase defect at their origin. Indeed, we show that overexpression of lamin B1 leads to a decrease in the recruitment of separase to the chromosome and a delay in its activity. Taken together, this study unveils a novel mechanism of separase regulation involving the nuclear envelope factor lamin B1, that is crucial for genome integrity maintenance.

cell biology↗

bioRxiv2024

Selective molecular inhibition of the HDAC6 ZnF-UBP binding domain impairs multiple myeloma cell proliferation

Multiple myeloma is a plasma cell malignancy with poor prognosis despite the recent development of new therapeutic options. Histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6) is overexpressed in multiple myeloma patients and may be involved in the acquisition of resistance to conventional anti-proteasome treatments. Beyond displaying a deacetylase catalytic activity, HDAC6 can recognize ubiquitinated motifs from misfolded proteins through its C-terminal ZnF-UBP binding domain and send the defective proteins to the aggresome for degradation. Here, we explore the role of the ZnF-UBP binding domain of HDAC6 in the function of multiple myeloma cells. A non-functional ZnF-UBP domain containing a 2-residue mutation in the binding site was designed and the absence of ubiquitin binding was confirmed in a cell-free assay. Molecular docking simulations and electrostatic calculations revealed a significant decrease in the electrostatic potential of the mutated peptide, which is crucial for the stability of the complex with ubiquitin. A multiple myeloma cell line containing the non-functional ZnF-UBP domain was then engineered. Although the deacetylase activity of HDAC6 was maintained in these cells, they showed reduced cell growth, impaired aggresome formation and a dysregulated gene expression profile that was more pronounced than cells entirely deficient in HDAC6. These results indicate that a non-functional ZnF-UBP binding domain impacts the function of multiple myeloma cells. Based on these findings, a series of quinazolinylpropanoic acid derivatives was synthesized to explore the inhibitory activity of small molecules to this domain. We propose that ZnF-UBP binding domain inhibitors should be further evaluated as potential therapeutic agents in multiple myeloma.

cancer biology↗

bioRxiv2023

53BP1 interacts with the RNA primer from Okazaki fragments to support their processing during unperturbed DNA replication

RNA-binding proteins are found at replication forks, but their direct interaction with DNA-embedded RNA species that inevitably shape physiological DNA replication remains unexplored. Here we report that 53BP1, involved in the DNA damage and replication stress response, is an RNA-binding protein that directly interacts with Okazaki fragments, in the absence of any external stress. The bulk chromatin association of 53BP1 shows dramatic dependence on PRIM1, which synthesizes the RNA primer of Okazaki fragments. The direct recruitment of 53BP1 to nascent DNA shows susceptibility to in situ ribonuclease A treatment. Conversely, depletion of FEN1, which results in the accumulation of uncleaved RNA primers, leads to an upregulation of 53BP1 levels at the replication forks, suggesting that RNA primers contribute to the recruitment of 53BP1 at the lagging DNA strand. 53BP1 depletion induces an accumulation of S phase poly(ADP-ribose), which constitutes a sensor of unligated Okazaki fragments. Collectively, our data indicate that 53BP1, distinct from its canonical mode of chromatin-binding, is anchored at the replication fork through its RNA-binding activity, highlighting the role of an RNA-protein interaction at DNA replication forks.

molecular biology↗

bioRxiv2021

Different armpits under my new nose: olfactory sex but not gender affects implicit measures of embodiment

Research has shown that conflicting multisensory signals may alter embodiment to the point of self-identifying with a foreign body, but the role of olfaction in this process has been overlooked. Here, we study in healthy participants how sex (male and female sweat odors) and gender (male and female cosmetic scents) olfactory stimuli contribute to embodiment. Participants saw from the perspective of a sex mismatching person in virtual reality and received synchronous visuo-tactile stimulation to elicit illusory embodiment of the seen body while smelling either sex- or gender-congruent stimuli. We assessed implicit (skin conductance responses to visual threats) and explicit (questionnaire) measures of embodiment. Stronger responses to threat were found when participants smelled the sex-congruent compared to the sex-incongruent odor, while no such differences were found for the cosmetic scents. According to the questionnaire, embodiment did not differ between conditions. Post-experimental assessment of the presented cues, suggest that while both sweat odors were considered generally male, cosmetic scents were not. The presented scents were generally not associated to the embodied body. Our results suggest that sex-related body odors influence implicit but not explicit aspects of embodiment and are in line with unique characteristics of olfaction in other aspects of cognition.

neuroscience↗