Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disease resulting primarily from loss of dopaminergic innervation in the striatum subsequent to cell loss in the substantia nigra pars compacta. The abnormal accumulation of the normal pre-synaptic protein α-synuclein (αsyn) forms intraneuronal inclusions known as Lewy neurites and Lewy bodies. The origins of central Lewy pathology have been suggested to lie in the enteric nervous system, ascending through the vagus nerve to the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus. To ascertain gastrointestinal regions most likely to be the source of central Lewy pathology, αsyn expression was evaluated in the neural elements of gastrointestinal regions receiving the densest vagal innervation. The vermiform appendix was found to have the densest αsyn-immunoreactive innervation in all layers of the gut wall. In addition, macrophages in the appendiceal mucosa were laden with αsyn within lysosomes, consistent with attempts to prevent the spread of disease or to correct synaptic dysfunction.

Submitted by Nathália Faria da Silva (nathaliafsilva.ufv@gmail.com) on 2017-07-12T13:26:36Z No. of bitstreams: 1 texto completo.pdf: 664572 bytes, checksum: 8665369b876fc4c470f7e19a344b2531 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-12T13:26:36Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 texto completo.pdf: 664572 bytes, checksum: 8665369b876fc4c470f7e19a344b2531 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2000-07-12 / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais / Neste trabalho foi estudada, em uma primeira etapa, a separação das proteínas do soro de queijo α-lactoalbumina (α-la) e β-lactoglobulina (β-lg) usando Sistemas Aquosos Bifásicos (SABs), compostos por polietilenoglicol (PEG) e fosfato de potássio (FFP). A seleção dos SABs foi feita avaliando-se a relação de volume entre as fases e os coeficientes de partição das proteínas (K). O sistema que melhor separou as proteínas foi constituído por 18% de polietilenoglicol e 18% de fosfato de potássio em pH 7. Foi analisada a influência da massa molar do PEG (1.500, 4.000, 6.000 e 8.000 dáltons) sobre o coeficiente de partição. Os dados de partição para α-la mostraram que, quanto maior a massa molar do PEG, menor o valor de K. Para a β-lg foi observada tendência inversa de crescimento de K com a elevação da massa molar do polímero, exceto para PEG 8.000. Foram medidas a viscosidade, densidade e tensão interfacial para os SABs PEG/FFP pré-selecionados. A fase inferior rica em FFP apresentou-se mais densa que a fase superior rica em PEG, e a viscosidade mostrou comportamento inverso. Visando a caracterização hidrodinâmica do extrator Graesser para estudos futuros de separação contínua das proteínas α-la e β-lg, foi feito, em uma segunda parte do trabalho, um estudo de distribuição de tempos de residência (DTR) e dos coeficientes de mistura axial nas fases polimérica e salina, da fração retida da fase polimérica no extrator ("Hold-Up") e do ponto de inundação. O sistema analisado nessa etapa foi composto por 18% de PEG 1.500 e 18% de FFP. Na faixa de velocidades de agitação avaliada, de 6,6 a 15,5 rpm, os valores de "Hold-Up" mantiveram-se restritos a uma pequena faixa de variação e diminuíram com o aumento da relação de vazões entre as fases salina/polimérica. Os tempos de residência médios foram de 58 minutos para a fase salina e 65 minutos para a fase polimérica. Para descrever a DTR, foram testados quatro modelos de distribuição de tempos de residência: o da dispersão, aberto e fechado, o da difusão molecular e o de tanques em série. O modelo de dispersão axial para um sistema aberto foi o que melhor representou os dados experimentais. Para a velocidade de agitação de 6,6 rpm ocorreu inundação na condição de operação de 80 mL/min para a fase salina e 8 mL/min para a fase polimérica. A mistura axial aumentou com a elevação da velocidade linear das fases, mostrando dependência suave com relação à elevação da velocidade de rotação. / In this work was studied, in a first stage, the separation of whey proteins, alpha-lactalbumin (α-la) and beta-lactoglobulin (β-lg) using Aqueous Two-Phase Systems (ATPS) composites for polyethylene glycol (PEG) and potassium phosphate (FFP). The selection of the ATPS was made evaluating the relation volume between phases and the proteins partition coefficients (K), the system that better separated proteins it was constituted by 18% of polyethylene glycol and 18% potassium phosphate in pH 7. The influence of the molar mass the PEG (1.500, 4.000, 6.000 and 8.000 dáltons) on the partition coefficient was analyzed. The data of partition for α-la showed that the increase of the PEG molecular mass, decreasing the K. For β-lg was observed an inversed behavior of K on the increase of the PEG molecular mass, except for PEG 8.000. Phase viscosity, density and interfacial tension were determined. Bottom phase, rich in FFP is more dense than top phase rich in PEG and the viscosity has an invert behavior. Aiming at characterization hydrodynamics of the Graesser extractor for future studies of continuous separations of whey proteins (α-la and β-lg) was made, in second part of the work, a study of residence times distribution (DTR), axial mixing coefficients in the polymeric and saline phases, the Hold-Up of polymeric phase in the extractor and of the point of flooding. The system analyzed in this stage, was composite for 18% PEG 1500 and 18% FFP. In the evaluated band of speeds agitation, 6.6 and 15.5 rpm, the values of Hold-Up had been restricted a small band of variation and had diminished with increase the relation of flows rate. The average residence times, been 58 minutes for saline phase and 65 minutes for polymeric phase. To describe the DTR four models of residence times were tested. The model of dispersion for open system was what better represented the experimental data. For the agitation speed of 6.6 rpm occurred flooding in the condition of 80 mL/min for saline phase and 8 mL/min for polymeric phase. The axial mixing increase with the elevation of speed linear phases, showing a soft dependence with relationship to elevation the rotation speed.

Thesis (MSc. (Biochemistry)) --University of Limpopo, 2016 / The ever increasing cost of fossil-based fuels and the accompanying concerns about their impact on the environment is driving research towards clean and renewable sources of energy. Bioethanol has the potential to be a replacement for liquid transportation fuels. In addition to its near zero nett carbon dioxide emissions, bio-ethanol has a high energy to weight ratio and can easily be stored in high volumes. To produce bioethanol at economically competitive prices, the major cost in the production process needs to be addressed. The addition of enzymes to hydrolyse the lignocellulosic fraction of the agricultural waste to simple sugars is considered to be the major contributor to high production cost. A consolidated bioprocess (CBP) which ideally combines all the steps that are currently accomplished in different reactors by different microorganisms into a single process step would be a more economically feasible solution. In this study the potential of yeast hybridization with a CBP approach was used. In order to evaluate the reduction or elimination of the addition of cellulolytic and hemi-cellulolytic enzymes to the ethanol production process. High cellobiohydrolase I secreting progeny from hybridization of an industrial bioethanol yeast strain, S. cerevisiae M0341, and a laboratory strain S. cerevisiae Y294 were isolated. In order to determine if this characteristic was specific to cellobiohydrolase I secretion, these strains were evaluated for their ability to secrete other relevant recombinant hydrolase enzymes for CBP-based ethanol production. A total of seven S. cerevisiae strains were chosen from a progeny pool of 28 supersecreting hybrids and reconstructed to create two parental strains; S. cerevisiae M0341 and S. cerevisiae Y294, together with their hybrid segregants strains H3M1, H3M28, H3H29, H3K27 and H3O23. Three episomal plasmids namely pNS201, pNS202 and pNS203 were constructed; these plasmids together with two already available plasmids, namely pRDH166 and pRDH182 contained genes for different reporter enzymes, namely β-glucosidase I, xylanase II, endoglucanase lll, cellobiohydrolase l and α-glucuronidase. To allow for selection of the episomal plasmids, homologous recombination was used to replace the functional URA3 gene of selected strains, with the non-functional ura3 allele from the Y294 strain. Enzyme activity was used as an indicator of the amount of enzyme secreted. Fermentation studies in a bioreactor were used to determine the metabolic burden imposed on the segregants expressing the cellobiohydrolase at high levels. In addition all segregants were tested for resistance to inhibitors commonly found in pre-treated lignocellulosic material. The M28_Cel7A was found to be the best secretor of Cel7A (Cellobiohydrolase l); however it seems as though this phenomenon imposes a significant metabolic burden on the yeast. The supersecreting hybrid strains cannot tolerate lignocellulosic inhibitors at concentrations commonly produced during pretreatment / The National Research Foundation - Renewable Energy Scholarship (NRF-RSES)

Introduction: Gout is a painful form of acute inflammatory arthritis associated with elevated uric acid crystal deposition especially in the joints, but also in tendons and the kidney. Between 1 and 2% of Western populations are affected and in severe cases, gout sufferers can be completely incapacitated. Despite the number of gout sufferers, the high number of risk factors and high incidence of adverse drug reactions using the standard treatment regimens, little research involving gout has been done within the highly diverse multiracial and multicultural population of South Africa. Hypothesis: This study was a hypothesis generating observational study to assess whether serum levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and acute phase protein levels could be used as markers of the gout status of a patient. Method: Thirty gout patients were enrolled onto the study and attended two visits. At the screening visit; medical history, vital signs and demographic details were collected from intercritical gout patients. At both visits, patients completed visual analogue scales; namely: subject’s assessment of pain and subject’s assessment of disease activity. A doctor completed the physician’s assessment of disease activity at both of the visits. At the end visit, patients experiencing an acute gout attack were asked to list various foods and beverages that triggered said attacks. Patients were requested to return for their second visit as soon as they experienced a gout attack, however, those patients that did not experience a gout attack were asked to return to the clinic to complete the follow up visit four months after their baseline visit. Uric acid, IL-1β, TNF-α and CRP were measured for each patient at both visits. Results: Many of the patients displayed risk factors for metabolic syndrome. The mean subject’s assessment of pain score increased from 31mm at the screening visit to 40mm at the end visit (p=0.1947; n=26), while the mean subject’s assessment of disease activity score and the mean physician’s assessment of disease activity increased from 30mm to 37mm (p=0.3196; n=26) and 23mm to 35 mm (p=0.0937; n=26) respectively. Uric acid levels decreased from 1.053mmol/L to 0.871mmol/L between visits (p=0.0926; n=25) while CRP concentrations increased significantly from 10.2mg/L to 26.6mg/L (p=0.0278, n=24). IL-1β concentrations remained similar (12.17pg/ml to 12.54pg/ml) while TNF-α concentrations decreased from 12.63pg/ml to 3.54pg/ml, however neither of these were statistically significant differences. Upon stratifying results into active and non-active patients, both IL-1β and TNF-α concentrations decreased between non-active and active patients, while CRP and urate concentrations increased. However, none of these differences were statistically significant. Conclusion: The visual analogue scales all showed an increase between the screening and final visits, although this was not statistically significant. Uric acid concentrations decreased between visits, however this increase was once again not statistically significant. There appears to be no association between inflammatory markers and the level of gout activity, although this needs to be tested in a larger sample population. Results in South African patients have confirmed results from previous studies where gout patients are at a higher risk of metabolic syndrome than the normal population. Copyright / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2011. / Pharmacology / unrestricted

京都大学 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(理学) / 甲第23031号 / 理博第4708号 / 新制||理||1675(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院理学研究科化学専攻 / (主査)教授 寺嶋 正秀, 教授 林 重彦, 教授 渡邊 一也 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Science / Kyoto University / DGAM

Les fluoroalcènes, du fait de leurs propriétés physico-chimiques singulières, sont des composés intéressants présents dans de nombreux domaines comme les matériaux polymères, l'agrochimie ou encore la chimie médicinale. Les mono-fluoroalcènes présentent des similarités électroniques et géométriques avec la liaison amide et sont donc de très bons mimes de la liaison peptidique. Néanmoins, la synthèse et la fonctionnalisation de ces composés représente toujours à l'heure actuelle un enjeu synthétique important. Au cours de cette thèse deux briques moléculaires ont été préparées pour développer de nouvelles méthodes d'accès aux fluoroalcènes : les gem-bromofluoroalcènes et les α-fluoroacrylates. Les gem-bromofluoroalcènes ont été employés dans deux méthodologies. La première consiste en une mono-catalyse au cuivre pour réaliser la fluoroalcénylation d'hétéroraryles par fonctionnalisation catalytique de la liaison C-H de dérivés de type azoles. La seconde consiste en la phosphination des gem-bromofluoroalcènes par des phosphines boranes, dans le but d'obtenir de nouvelles phosphines originales. Les α-fluoroacrylates et les acides α-fluoroacryliques ont été utilisés dans deux réactions complémentaires. Une réaction de Heck a été employée pour synthétiser des α-fluoroacrylates tri- et tétrasubstitués, offrant une nouvelle voie d'accès à ces composés. Quant aux acides α-fluoroacryliques, ils ont été utilisés dans une méthode innovante de couplage décarboxylant/déshydrogénant avec des azoles. En effet, il s'agit du premier exemple de couplage décarboxylant/déshydrogénant sur des alcènes. / The fluoroalkenes are compounds with relevant physico-chemical properties and are used in various fields as polymers, agrochemistry or medicinal chemistry. Mono-fluoroalkenes can be used as an effective peptidic bond mimic because of their electronic and geometric similarity with the amide bond. Nevertheless, this interesting moiety still suffers from difficulty of synthesis which constitute a synthetic challenge. For that purpose, two build-blocks (gem-bromofluoroalkenes and α-fluoroacrylates) were used during this thesis to develop new access to mono-fluoroalkenes.The first one is the gem-bromofluoroalkenes moiety were used for the development of two methodologies. First, a copper-catalysed fluoroalkenylation via C-H bond functionalisation of heteroaryles has been reported. Then, the second methodology is the phosphination of gem-bromofluoroalkenes using phosphines boranes, in the goal to get new kind of phosphines.The second building-blocks used are the α-fluoroacrylates and α-fluoroacrylic acids which have been involved in two complementary reactions. A Heck reaction allowed the synthesis of tri- and tetrasubstitued α-fluoroacrylates, giving a new access to these compounds. α-Fluoroacrylic acids were used in a decarboxylative/deshydrogenative cross-coupling with azoles. Indeed, it is the first example of decarboxylative/deshydrogenative cross-coupling with alkenes.

No description available.

The most common secondary structure of proteins is the alpha-helix. The alpha-helix can be involved in various protein-protein interactions (PPIs) through the recognition of three or more side chains along one face of the alpha-helix (Wells and McClendon, 2007). In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in the development of peptidic and non-peptidic compounds that bind to PPI surfaces. We focused on the design and synthesis of compounds that mimic the orientation of side chain residues of an alpha-helical protein domain. Although our scaffolds could potentially inhibit various PPIs, we focused mainly on the disruption of interactions among the Bcl-2-family of proteins and the Mdm-2-family of proteins to favor apoptosis in cancer cells. A summary of Bcl-2 and Mdm-2 structure and function relationships that focuses on the possibility of using peptidic and non-peptidic alpha-helical mimics as PPI inhibitors is described in Chapter One. Chapter Two discusses the design and synthesis of 3-substituted-2,6- and 2,5-piperazinedione oligomers as more hydrophilic scaffolds compared to previously reported alpha-helical mimetics (Yin, et al., 2005). A key feature of this design is the linkage of the units by a hydrazine bond. While we were able to prepare several monomers containing the hydrazine linkage, synthesis of the dimers and trimers is very challenging. Due to the difficulty of synthesizing oligomeric piperazine-diones in practical yields, we next focused on the design and synthesis of novel 2,5-terpyrimidinylene scaffolds as an alternative to obtain alpha-helical mimetics; this is discussed in Chapter Three. The main outcome of this project was the efficient preparation of a "first-generation" non-peptidic compound library via a facile iterative synthesis enabled by the key conversion of 5-cyanopyrimidine to 5-carboxamidine. Chapter Three also discusses our progress towards the synthesis of structurally similar substituted-2,5-terpyrimidinylenes, but with more drug-like properties as determined by QikProp calculations. Chapter Four describes an independent study on the synthesis of a guanidine derivative as an alkylating agent for the synthesis of cysteine peptide nucleic acids, CPNA, which is another current project in our lab.

Background In the as of yet uncurable Parkinson´s disease aggregation of α-syn is an accelerator of pathogenesis. Oligomers of α-synuclein is considered to be neurotoxic hence blocking the endocytosis of aggregated α-syn is possibly a way of preventing pathogenesis. With a protein construct of the Receptor X (RX) previously shown to bind α-syn, it can be possible to bind soluble aggregated α-syn and decrease neuron endocytosis.  Aim The aim of this study was to express, purify and trimerize two different protein constructs of RX to study the binding to α-syn monomers & oligomers and if the proteins have higher affinity to α-syn oligomers. Methods In this study two RX constructs was produced with mammalian cell transfection and purified with Strep-Tactin affinity chromatography; D1, D123mut and D123 which affinity to α-syn monomers and oligomers were studied with ELISAs. Indirect ELISAs were optimized and conducted, a competitive ELISA with D123 was tested with poor reliability.  Results The results show that D1 could not be determined pure enough to examine its α-syn binding ability. D123mut was pure enough for ELISAs but did not show adequate binding to α-syn. D123 did show binding to α-syn in an indirect ELISA.  Conclusion The results were not as promising as expected and did not distinctly help strengthen the theory of a recombinant RX protein as a viable drug. Although there is potential, optimization of both protein constructs and methods used is essential for future studies of RX as a therapeutic protein.

Einleitung Adipositas ist ein zunehmendes Problem bei Menschen und Haustieren, z.B. in Pferden. Ponyrassen sind dabei besonders prädisponiert, wobei die Gründe bisher nicht abschließend geklärt werden konnten. Humane Adipositas geht mit einer fettigen Infiltration der Leber einher, die sogenannte Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, welche zu einer hepatozellulären Entzündung führt. Es ist bisher nicht bekannt, ob Adipositas in Equiden auch zu hepatischen Veränderungen führt. Menschliche Fettleibigkeit ist zusätzlich mit systemischer Entzündung und gesteigertem oxidativen Stress verbunden. Das führte zu intensiven Untersuchungen von anti-inflammatorischen und antioxidativen Faktoren (z.B. Vitamin A - Retinol und Vitamin E - α-Tocopherol) in der humanen Adipositas Forschung. Viele Studien konnten ein Absinken von Vitamin A und Vitamin E in fettleibigen Menschen feststellen. Ziele Die vorliegende Studie sollte den Einfluss von zunehmendem Körpergewicht (KG) in Ponys und Pferden auf mehrere Parameter untersuchen: (1) Serum Leberenzymaktivitäten und Serum Gallensäuren (GS), (2) Leberfettgehalt, (3) hepatische messenger Ribonukleinsäure (mRNA) Level von Entzündungsmarkern und Markern des Lipidmetabolismus und (4) Serum Konzentrationen von Retinol und α-Tocopherol. Zusätzlich sollten Ponys und Pferde im Verlauf dieser Studie verglichen werden, um eventuelle Gründe für die Rasseprädisposition der Ponys für metabolische Störungen zu identifizieren. Material und Methoden Zehn Shetland Ponys und 9 Warmblut Pferde, die initial nicht adipös waren, wurden über 2 Jahre mit 200% des Erhaltungsbedarfes für umsetzbare Energie gefüttert. Die Entwicklung des KG, des Body Condition Scores (BCS) und des Cresty Neck Scores (CNS) wurde wöchentlich erfasst. Während der Fütterungsphase wurde zu 6 Zeitpunkten (ZP) Blut für die Bestimmung von Serum Leberenzymaktivitäten (Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP), Aspartat Aminotransferase (AST), Glutamat Dehydrogenase (GLDH), Gamma-Glutamyl Transferase (GGT)) und Serum GS entnommen und zu 7 ZP wurde Blut für die Analyse von Serum Retinol und α-Tocopherol gewonnen. An 3 ZP wurde durch Laparotomie Lebergewebe in Vollnarkose entnommen. Die Leberbiopsien wurden histologisch auf ihren Fettgehalt untersucht und mittels quantitativer Echtzeit Polymerase-Kettenreaktion (RT-qPCR) wurden die mRNA Level von Entzündungsmarkern (Nuclear Factor-κB (NF-κB), Interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6, Tumor Nekrose Faktor α (TNFα), Differenzierungsgruppe 68 (CD68), Chemerin) und Lipid Metabolismus Markern (Lipoprotein Lipase (LPL), Fettsäuren Bindungsprotein 1 (FABP1) bestimmt. Die Daten wurden mittels statistischem Software Programm ausgewertet (STATISTICA, version 12, StatSoft GmbH, Hamburg, Deutschland). Nach Prüfung auf Normalverteilung der Daten, wurden geeignete statistische Tests angewendet mit einem statistischen Signifikanzniveau bei P < 0,05. Die Tierschutzkommission des Bezirks Leipzig genehmigte das Projekt in Übereinstimmung mit deutschen Rechtsvorschriften (Nr. TVV 32/15). Ergebnisse Ponys und Pferde zeigten einen signifikanten Anstieg von KG (Mittelwert ± SD; Ponys: 29,9 ± 19,4%; Pferde: 17 ± 6,74%), BCS (Median (25./75. Perzentil); Ponys: 157% (115/349); Pferde: 142% (128/192)) und CNS (Median (25./75. Perzentil); Ponys: 165% (123/500); Pferde: 200% (160/225)) induziert durch die hyperkalorische Fütterung über 2 Jahre. Das ansteigende KG hat keine Steatosis in der Mehrheit der Equiden ausgelöst. Die mRNA Level von IL-6, TNFα, CD68 und IL-1β in der Leber wurden nicht beeinflusst. Die Leber mRNA Level von Chemerin sind signifikant angestiegen in Ponys (x-facher Anstieg: 1,89) und Pferden (x-facher Anstieg: 2,04). Signifikante Unterschiede zwischen den Rassen hinsichtlich der Serum GLDH Aktivitäten, Serum GS Konzentrationen und der hepatischen mRNA LPL Level konnten festgestellt werden. Die Serum α-Tocopherol Konzentrationen stiegen in Ponys und Pferden signifikant an und korrelierten positiv mit der Vitamin E Aufnahme. Die Serum Retinol Konzentrationen fluktuierten während der Studie, ohne mit der Aufnahme zu korrelieren. Schlussfolgerungen Frühe Fettleibigkeit in Equiden führt nicht zwangsläufig zu einer Steatose mit hepatozellulärer Entzündung. Gemäß der Hypothese zeigten Ponys und Pferde allerdings unterschiedliche hepatische Reaktionsmuster nach KG Zunahme. Das könnte die höhere Empfänglichkeit von Ponys für metabolische Erkrankungen erklären. Chemerin konnte als interessanter Marker für die equine Adipositas Forschung identifiziert werden. Serum Konzentrationen von Retinol und α-Tocopherol wurden durch die KG Zunahme nicht beeinflusst.