Abstract
Many substrates of HSP90 are involved in signal transduction pathways and related to tumour progression. Inhibition of HSP90 has anti-tumoral effects. Identification of the R2TP, a new HSP90 co-chaperon, allowed the identification of a new set of HSP90 substrates. HSP90/R2TP is involved in the assembly of snoRNPs, telomerase RNP, the nuclear RNA polymerases and PIKKs, which play key functions in cellular proliferation and tumorigenesis. R2TP is formed of four proteins: RUVBL1, RUVBL2, PIH1D1 and RPAP3, some of which are overexpressed in hepatocellular and colorectal cancer. We thus hypothesize that the co-chaperone R2TP could be involved in colorectal carcinogenesis.To study the role of R2TP in intestinal homeostasis and carcinogenesis, we generated a conditional knock-out murine model for RPAP3. We showed that RPAP3 invalidation in whole organism or only in colon is lethal at embryonic stage. The invalidation of RPAP3 in adult intestine, using an inducible recombinase (RPAP3 fl; Villin>Cre-ERT2), leads to a drastic phenotype as soon as 8 days post-induction, resulting in death after 10 days. This phenotype is reminiscent of proliferative defects.In parallel, we address the possibility of a therapeutic window to target RPAP3 during intestinal tumorigenesis by using heterozygous animals (RPAP3 fl/+; Villin>Cre-ERT2 ) in which tumorignesis is induced (i) either by a chemical treatment : for this, we take advantage of the established AOM /DSS protocol, or, (ii) by a genetic one ( Apc LoxP/+).These ongoing experiments will address the role of R2TP in a tissue with a constant turnover and the relevance of R2TP in tumorigenesis.