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Biology subjects

Didier, M.

Publications and source records attributed to Didier, M..

4 recordsLinked to original sources

Multi-omics profiling of collagen-induced arthritis mouse model reveals early metabolic dysregulation via SIRT1 axis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is characterized by joint infiltration of immune cells and synovial inflammation which leads to progressive disability. Current treatments improve the disease outcome, but the unmet medical need is still high. New discoveries over the last decade have revealed the major impact of cellular metabolism on immune cell functions. So far, a comprehensive understanding of metabolic changes during disease development, especially in the diseased microenvironment, is still limited. Therefore, we studied the longitudinal metabolic changes during the development of murine arthritis integrating metabolomics and bulk RNA-seq data. We identified an early change in macrophage pathways which was accompanied by oxidative stress, a drop in NAD+ level and induction of glucose transporters. We discovered inhibition of SIRT1, a NAD-dependent histone deacetylase and confirmed its dysregulation in human macrophages and synovial tissue of RA patients. Mining this database should enable the discovery of novel metabolic targets and therapy opportunities in RA.

cell biology↗

S-acylation targets ORAI1 channels to lipid rafts for efficient Ca2+ signaling by T cell receptors at the immune synapse

Efficient immune responses require Ca2+ fluxes across ORAI1 channels during engagement of T cell receptors (TCR) at the immune synapse (IS) between T cells and antigen presenting cells. Here, we show that ZDHHC20-mediated S-acylation of the ORAI1 channel at residue Cys143 is required for TCR assembly and signaling at the IS. Cys143 mutations reduced ORAI1 currents and store-operated Ca2+ entry in HEK-293 cells and nearly abrogated long-lasting Ca2+ elevations, NFATC1 translocation, and IL-2 secretion evoked by TCR engagement in Jurkat T cells. The acylation-deficient channel had reduced mobility in lipids, accumulated in cholesterol-poor domains, formed tiny clusters, failed to reach the IS and unexpectedly also prevented TCR recruitment to the IS. Our results establish S-acylation as a critical regulator of ORAI1 channel assembly and function at the IS and reveal that local Ca2+ fluxes are required for TCR recruitment to the synapse.

biochemistry↗

A 3D human liver model of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis

AO_SCPLOWBSTRACTC_SCPLOWWe have developed an in vitro preclinical 3D Non-Alcoholic SteatoHepatitis (NASH) model by co-culturing four human primary liver cell types: hepatocytes, stellate, endothelial and Kupffer cells. Cells were embedded in a hydrogel of rat collagen in 96-well plate and a NASH-like environment was induced with a medium containing free fatty acids (FFAs) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF). This model was characterized by biochemical, imaging and transcriptomics analysis. On the one hand, we succeed in defining suitable culture conditions to maintain the 3D co-culture up to 10 days in vitro with the lowest level of steatosis, and reproducible low levels of inflammation and fibrosis. On the other hand, we induced NASH disease with a custom medium mimicking NASH features (hepatocyte injury, steatosis, inflammation and fibrosis). The 10-day cell viability and cost effectiveness of the model make it suitable for medium throughput drug screening and provide attractive avenues to better understand disease physiology and to identify and characterize new drug targets. SO_SCPLOWUMMARYC_SCPLOWWe developed a 3D human liver model which exhibits many features of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and that could become a platform for medium throughput drug screening.

cell biology↗

DISC1 regulates N-Methyl-D-Aspartate receptor dynamics: Abnormalities induced by a Disc1 mutation modelling a translocation linked to major mental illness

The neuromodulatory gene DISC1 is disrupted by a t(1;11) translocation that is highly penetrant for schizophrenia and affective disorders, but how this translocation affects DISC1 function is incompletely understood. N-Methyl-D-Aspartate receptors (NMDAR) play a central role in synaptic plasticity and cognition, and are implicated in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia through genetic and functional studies. We show that the NMDAR subunit GluN2B complexes with DISC1-associated trafficking factor TRAK1, while DISC1 interacts with the GluN1 subunit and regulates dendritic NMDAR motility in cultured mouse neurons. Moreover, in the first mutant mouse that models DISC1 disruption by the translocation, the pool of NMDAR transport vesicles and surface/synaptic NMDAR expression are increased. Since NMDAR cell surface/synaptic expression is tightly regulated to ensure correct function, these changes in the mutant mouse are likely to affect NMDAR signalling and synaptic plasticity. Consistent with these observations, RNASeq analysis of translocation carrier-derived human neurons indicates abnormalities of excitatory synapses and vesicle dynamics. RNASeq analysis of the human neurons also identifies many differentially expressed genes previously highlighted as putative schizophrenia and/or depression risk factors through large-scale genome-wide association and copy number variant studies, indicating that the translocation triggers common disease pathways that are shared with unrelated psychiatric patients. Altogether our findings suggest that translocation-induced disease mechanisms are likely to be relevant to mental illness in general, and that such disease mechanisms include altered NMDAR dynamics and excitatory synapse function. This could contribute to the cognitive disorders displayed by translocation carriers.

neuroscience↗