Submitted by admin tede (tede@pucgoias.edu.br) on 2018-06-20T17:27:19Z No. of bitstreams: 1 THAIS APARECIDA GOMES ALMEIDA.pdf: 1404797 bytes, checksum: 66238507a88b256c3d88b7850c4a0842 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-06-20T17:27:19Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 THAIS APARECIDA GOMES ALMEIDA.pdf: 1404797 bytes, checksum: 66238507a88b256c3d88b7850c4a0842 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-03-12 / Thhyroid cancer is the most common malignant neoplasm of the endocrine system and accounts for the majority of deaths reported among these tumors. Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is the most common histological type, accounting for 85% of all thyroid cancers. The expression of two important genes, CITED-1 and P300, involved in the regulation of several transcriptional factors, has been shown in several tumors; however, to date, no studies have been found in the literature that elucidated the role of P300 and CITED-1 in PTC. The present study aimed to evaluate the expression of the messenger RNA (mRNA) of P300 and CITED-1 in PTC using reverse transcription and real-time quantitative PCR. P300 expression was similar in both tissues, normal (median = 0.052, IIQ = 0.094) and tumor (median = 0.041, IIQ = 0.048) (p = 0.481). In relation to the expression of CITED-1, expression was higher in tumor tissues (median = 0.780, IIQ = 0.881) compared to normal tissues (median = 0.017, IIQ = 0.086) (p <0.0001). Significant association was observed between CITED-1 expression and tumor size, however no association was evidenced between P300 expression and histopathological characteristics of the tumors. P300 is described as a molecule associated with the regulation of CITED-1 and several other genes. CITED-1 is a transcription-specific cofactor, which may explain its overexpression in the tumors evaluated. CITED-1 hyperexpression in PTC suggests that this gene is a candidate for integrating the PTC biomarkers profile, and the fact that CITED-1 is associated with tumor size in later stage tumors may turn it an important candidate as a therapeutic target for these tumors. / O câncer da glândula tireoide é a neoplasia maligna mais comum do sistema endócrino e representa a maioria dos óbitos relatados entre estes tumores. O carcinoma papilífero de tireoide (CPT) é o tipo histológico mais comum, sendo responsável por 85% de todos os cânceres de tireoide. Dois importantes genes, CITED-1 e P300, envolvidos na regulação de diversos fatores transcricionais, foram evidenciados em diversos tumores, no entanto, até o momento, não foram encontrados na literatura estudos que elucidaram o papel de P300 e CITED-1 nos CPT. O presente estudo teve como objetivo avaliar a expressão do RNA-mensageiro (mRNA) de P300 e CITED-1 em CPT utilizando transcrição reversa e PCR quantitativa em tempo real. A expressão de P300 foi semelhante em ambos os tecidos, normal (mediana = 0,052, IIQ = 0,094) e tumoral (mediana = 0,041, IIQ = 0,048) (p = 0,481). Em relação à expressão de CITED-1, a expressão foi maior nos tecidos tumorais (mediana = 0,780, IIQ = 0,881) em relação aos tecidos normais (mediana = 0,017, IIQ = 0,086) (p < 0,0001). Associação significativa foi observada entre a expressão de CITED-1 e o tamanho dos tumores, contudo nenhuma associação foi evidenciada entre expressão de P300 e as características histopatológicas dos tumores. P300 é descrita como uma molécula associada à regulação de CITED-1 e de vários outros genes. CITED-1 é um co-fator específico da transcrição, o que pode explicar sua hiperexpressão nos tumores avaliados. A hiperexpressão de CITED-1 nos CPT sugere que o gene é um candidato a compor o perfil de marcadores dos CPT, e o fato de CITED-1 estar associado ao tamanho tumoral em tumores em estágios mais avançados, pode torná-lo um candidato importante como alvo terapêutico para esses tumores.

O manguezal é um ecossistema costeiro, localizado em regiões de interface entre os ambientes terrestre e marinho, de ocorrência exclusiva em zonas tropicais e subtropicais. Esta localização confere ao sedimento deste ambiente características únicas, como alta salinidade e baixa disponibilidade de oxigênio, associado a grande riqueza em matéria orgânica. O resultado destas condições é a ocorrência de uma restrita diversidade de plantas em tais ambientes, associada a uma grande diversidade de animais, que usam o manguezal para sua proteção e reprodução. O presente estudo mostrou como as comunidades de arquéias (amoA e 16S DNAr) e bactérias (nifH e 16S DNAr) estão estruturadas em sedimentos de manguezais sob distintos estados de preservação. Os perfis de DGGE indicaram alterações na composição das comunidades alvo, ligando sua estruturação com a contaminação do ambiente, enquanto que as quantificações de tais genes por meio de PCR quantitativo em tempo real (qPCR) indicaram alterações apenas na comunidade de arquéias oxidadoras de amônio. A filogenia destes grupos revelou a presença de grupos comumente encontrados em solos e água, alem de grupos particulares, possivelmente relacionado ao processo de especiação no ambiente de manguezal. De maneira geral, os resultados indicam que as comunidades de arquéias e bactérias são responsivas ao estado de contaminação dos manguezais, o que pode gerar um processamento diferencial do nitrogênio nestes sedimentos / The mangrove is a coastal ecosystem, located in the interface regions between the land and sea environments, with exclusive occurrence in tropical and subtropical areas. Such location confers to the mangrove sediments unique characteristics, like as high salinity and low availability of oxygen, associated with the high abundance of organic matter. The result of these conditions is the occurrence of a restrict plant diversity, associated with a great diversity of animals, who use the mangroves for its protection and reproduction. The present study has shown how the communities of archaea (16S DNAr and amoA) and bacteria (16S DNAr and nifH) are structured in mangrove soils under distinct states of preservation. The DGGE patterns indicate alterations in the composition of targeted communities, linking its structure with the environmental contamination, while the quantifications of targeted genes by real time PCR (qPCR) has indicated alterations only in the community of ammonium oxidizers archaea. The phylogeny of these groups revealed the presence of groups commonly found in soils and water samples, besides the occurrence of particular groups, possibly resulted from a speciation process in the mangrove environment. In general, results indicated that archaeal and bacterial communities are responsive to the mangroves contamination, and its alteration can also lead to differential nitrogen processing in these soils

As sementes do cacaueiro (Theobroma cacao L.) constituem a única fonte de manteiga de cacau, matéria prima fundamental para as indústrias de chocolates e confeitos, farmacêutica e cosmética. Cerca de 50 % do peso seco das sementes é composto por gordura, caracterizada pelo alto nível de estearato (30-37%), em combinação com palmitato (24-31%) e de oleato (33-39%), conferindo-lhe uma composição triglicerídica única, responsável pelas suas propriedades de fusão, com aplicações específicas e especiais. Apesar dos genes que codificam as enzimas da via metabólica de biossíntese de ácidos graxos e triglicerídeos em plantas serem conhecidos, os mecanismos moleculares pelos quais as plantas controlam a produção de estearato e que diferenciam as plantas acumuladoras de estearato de todas as demais não estão claramente definidos. O objetivo deste trabalho foi analisar a composição de ácidos graxos nos frutos de Theobroma cacao e a expressão temporal de genes relacionados à via metabólica de ácidos graxos e triglicerídeos durante o desenvolvimento de sementes de T. cacao, com ênfase na acumulação de estearato. Em paralelo, foram eleitos os genes referências mais estáveis para os estudos em embriões e diversos tecidos de Theobroma cacao. Empregando-se a técnica de reação quantitativa da amplificação em cadeia de transcritos reversos de RNA (RT-qPCR), foram analisadas a expressão dos genes codificadores da proteína carregadora de acil A, B e C, \'beta\'-cetoacil-ACP sintase II, \'delta\'9estearoil-ACP desaturase A e B, Acil-ACP tioesterase A, acil-ACP tioesterase B, acil-CoA sintetase A e B e da proteína oleosina. Quando se estudou de expressão gênica apenas nos embriões de T. cacao, os três genes mais estáveis foram proteína ribossomal L35, proteína carregadora de acil A e gliceraldeído 3-fosfato desidrogenase. Quando se considerou diversos tecidos de plantas de Theobroma cacao, os melhores genes para a normalização dos valores de expressão foram os codificadores da proteína ribossomal L35, proteína carregadora de acil B e gliceraldeído 3-fosfato desidrogenase. A acumulação de transcritos da \'delta\'9estearoil-ACP desaturase foi relacionada ao aumento do ácido oleico. O aumento na quantidade deste ácido acontece pela ação conjunta da \'delta\'9estearoil-ACP desaturase, e acil-ACP tioesterase A, a qual mostra maiores níveis de transcritos entre 90 e 140 DAP com pico aos 100 DAP. O aumento de ácidos esteárico estaria relacionado com a ação conjunta e com transcrição temporalmente coordenada dos genes das enzimas \'beta\' -cetoacil-ACP sintase II, Acil-ACP tioesterase A e Acil-ACP tioesterase B. Transcritos da enzima \'beta\' -cetoacil-ACP sintase II apresenta pico aos 100 DAP, possivelmente com acúmulo máximo de substratos 18:0-ACP, que poderiam ser hidrolizado preferencialmente pela enzima acil-ACP tioesterase A, ou acil-ACP tioesterase B, O intervalo entre o pico de acúmulo de trasncritos entre \'beta\'-cetoacil-ACP sintase II (100 DAP) e Acil-ACP tioesterase A e \'delta\'9estearoil-ACP desaturase (110 DAP) sugere que poderia ocorrer um acúmulo de estearato resultante da ação dessas enzimas. Esses resultados corroboram o modelo de acumulação de estearato proposto por Silva (2005) / Cacao seeds (Theobroma cacao L.) are unique sources of cocoa butter, fundamental raw material for the chocolate, confectionary, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. Around 50% of the seed dry weight represents fat, characterized by the high levels of stearate (30-37%), in combination of palmitate (24-31%) and oleate (33-39%), giving a unique triacylglycerol compostion, responsible for the melting profile for special and specific applications. Despite the fact that genes encoding enzymes of the fatty acid and triglyceride biosynthetic pathway of plants are known, the mechanisms to control the accumulation of high levels of stearate, that differ from other species, are not clearly defined. The objective of this work was to analyse the composition of fatty acids and the expression of genes associated with fatty acid and triglyceride biosynthetic pathway during the development of cacao pods, with emphasis with stearate accumulation. In parallel, the establishment of stable reference genes to investigate gene expression in developing embryos and other cacao tissues were investigated. Using the quantitative amplification of reversed transcripts (RT-qPCR), the expresion of genes coding for the acyl-carrier protein A, B and C; \'beta\'-ketoacyl-ACP sinthase II; \'delta\'9stearoyl-ACP desaturase A and B; Acyl-ACP thioesterase A; Acyl-ACP thioesterase B; Acyl-CoA sintethase A and B; and oleosin. When gene expression was conductd only in developing cacao embryos, the three most stable genes were the ribosomal protein L35, acyl-carrier protein A and glyceraldehide 3-phosphate dehydrogenase. When various tissues were considered, the best reference genes for gene expression normalization were those encoding for the ribosomal protein L35, acyl carrier protein B and glyceraldehide 3-phosphate dehydrogenase. The accumulation of \'delta\'9stearoyl-ACP desaturase transcripts could be associated with the accumulation of oleate, together with the increase of acyl-ACP thioesterase A, with increased relative levels of transcripts between 90 and 140 DAP, peaking at 100 DAP. The increase in stearate might result from the joint activity of the \'delta\'9stearoyl-ACP desaturase and acyl-ACP thioesterase A, which presented higher accumulation of transcripts between 90 and 140 DAP, with peak at 110 DAP. The increase in stearate would associated with the joint and temporal coordinated expression of genes encoding \'beta\'-ketoacyl-ACP synthase II, and Acyl-ACP thioesterase A and B. Transcripts of the enzyme \'beta\'-ketoacyl-ACP synthase II peaked at 100 DAP, possibly with the maximum accumulation of substrates 18:0-ACP, that would be preferentially hydrolzyed by the enzyme acyl-ACP thioesterase A, or acyl-ACP thioesterase B, The gap between the peak in transcript accumulation between \'beta\'-ketoacyl-ACP synthase II (100 DAP) and acyl-ACP thioesterase A and \'delta\'9stearoyl-ACP desaturase (110 DAP) could lead to the accumulation of stearate. These results corroborated the model proposed by Silva (2005)

In a very simplified view, the plant leaf growth can be reduced to two processes, cell division and cell expansion, accompanied by expansion of their surrounding cell walls. The vacuole, as being the largest compartment of the plant cell, plays a major role in controlling the water balance of the plant. This is achieved by regulating the osmotic pressure, through import and export of solutes over the vacuolar membrane (the tonoplast) and by controlling the water channels, the aquaporins. Together with the control of cell wall relaxation, vacuolar osmotic pressure regulation is thought to play an important role in cell expansion, directly by providing cell volume and indirectly by providing ion and pH homestasis for the cytosoplasm. In this thesis the role of tonoplast protein coding genes in cell expansion in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana is studied and genes which play a putative role in growth are identified. Since there is, to date, no clearly identified protein localization signal for the tonoplast, there is no possibility to perform genome-wide prediction of proteins localized to this compartment. Thus, a series of recent proteomic studies of the tonoplast were used to compile a list of cross-membrane tonoplast protein coding genes (117 genes), and other growth-related genes from notably the growth regulating factor (GRF) and expansin families were included (26 genes). For these genes a platform for high-throughput reverse transcription quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was developed by selecting specific primer pairs. To this end, a software tool (called QuantPrime, see http://www.quantprime.de) was developed that automatically designs such primers and tests their specificity in silico against whole transcriptomes and genomes, to avoid cross-hybridizations causing unspecific amplification. The RT-qPCR platform was used in an expression study in order to identify candidate growth related genes. Here, a growth-associative spatio-temporal leaf sampling strategy was used, targeting growing regions at high expansion developmental stages and comparing them to samples taken from non-expanding regions or stages of low expansion. Candidate growth related genes were identified after applying a template-based scoring analysis on the expression data, ranking the genes according to their association with leaf expansion. To analyze the functional involvement of these genes in leaf growth on a macroscopic scale, knockout mutants of the candidate growth related genes were screened for growth phenotypes. To this end, a system for non-invasive automated leaf growth phenotyping was established, based on a commercially available image capture and analysis system. A software package was developed for detailed developmental stage annotation of the images captured with the system, and an analysis pipeline was constructed for automated data pre-processing and statistical testing, including modeling and graph generation, for various growth-related phenotypes. Using this system, 24 knockout mutant lines were analyzed, and significant growth phenotypes were found for five different genes. / Sehr vereinfacht gesagt kann Blattwachstum auf zwei Prozesse reduziert werden, Zellteilung und Zellexpansion, gefolgt von Zellwandexpansion. Die Vakuole, das größte Organell der Zelle, übt durch die Kontrolle des Wasserhaushaltes der Pflanze eine wichtige Funktion im Zusammenhang mit der Zellexpansion aus. Dies geschieht durch die Regulierung des osmotischen Druckes, durch Import und Export von organischen und anorganischen Ionen über die Vakuolenmembran (den Tonoplast) und durch die Kontrolle ihrer Wasserkanäle (der Aquaporine). Es wird angenommen, dass die Regulierung des vakuolären osmotischen Druckes eine große Rolle bei der Zellexpansion spielt, da der osmotische Druck die Stärke der mechanischen Kraft des Tonoplast auf die Plasmamembran und die Zellwand bestimmt. In dieser Dissertation wird die Rolle von Tonoplastproteinen und ihrer Gene auf die Zellexpansion anhand der Modellpflanze Arabidopsis thaliana (Ackerschmalwand) untersucht, und Kandidaten für wachstumsrelevante Gene werden identifiziert. Da bisher noch kein Signal für die Lokalisierung von Proteinen im Tonoplast identifiziert wurde, gibt es keine Möglichkeit, genomweite Voraussagen über solche Proteinlokalisierungen zu machen. Daher haben wir eine Reihe von aktuellen Proteom-Studien genutzt, um eine Liste von 117 Genen, die für transmembrane tonoplastproteinkodierende Gene kodieren, zusammenzustellen. Zusätzlich wurden andere wachstumsrelevante Gene und Zellzyklus-Gene in die Liste aufgenommen (38 Gene). Die Expression der Gene während der Blattentwicklung sollte mittels einer sensitiven Technik, der quantitativen Polymerasekettenreaktion (qPCR), untersucht werden. Um rasch die für dieses Verfahren notwendigen Oligonukleotide zu entwerfen, wurde ein Computerprogramm („QuantPrime“) entwickelt. Das Programm entwirft automatisch solche Oligonukleotide und überprüft deren Spezifizität in silico auf Ebene der Transkriptome und Genome um Kreuz-Hybridisierungen zu vermeiden, die zu unspezifischen Amplifikationen führen würden. Die qPCR-Plattform wurde in einer Expressions-Studie eingesetzt, um wachstumsrelevante Gen-Kandidaten zu identifizieren. Um wachstumsaktive und nichtaktive Prozesse vergleichen zu können, wurden Proben von unterschiedlichen Bereichen des Blattes zu unterschiedlichen Wachstumsstadien beprobt. Eine musterbasierte Expressionsdatenanalyse wurde eingesetzt, um die Gene hinischtlich ihrer Assoziation mit der Blattexpansionen in eine Rangordnung zu bringen. Die Gene mit dem höchsten Rang wurden als Kandidaten für weitere Experimente ausgewählt. Um die funktionelle Beteiligung dieser Gene auf einer makroskopischen Ebene zu untersuchen, wurden Knockout-Mutanten für die Gen-Kandidaten hinsichtlich ihres Wachstums analysiert. Zu diesem Zweck wurde ein System für die automatisierte Phänotypisierung des Blattwachstums etabliert. Zum einen wurde ein Programm-Paket für detaillierte Annotation von Wachstumsstadien und zum anderen ein Analyse-Paket für automatisierte Datenvorbereitung und statistische Tests entwickelt. Das Analyse-Paket erlaubt die Modellierung und graphische Darstellung verschiedener wachstumsrelevanter Phänotypen. Mit Hilfe dieses Systems wurden 24 Knockout-Mutanten untersucht und signifikante Phänotypen wurden für fünf verschiedene Gene gefunden.

Summary Juliane Schneevoigt „Investigation of time- and pressure-dependent expression of different components of the extracellular matrix by chondrocytes in vitro” Institute of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology of the University of Leipzig Submitted in June 2015 98 pages, 34 figures, 41 tables, 153 references keywords: cartilage, chondrocytes, hydrostatic pressure, bioreactor, qPCR Introduction Hyaline cartilage maintains the basic function of transmitting articular pressure load within synovial joints and therefore provides the basis for the movements of an organism. Being a small coverage of the joint surface, it shows a composition designed to match this function specifically. A high amount of proteoglycans and its associated water determines the elastic formability of the hyaline cartilage which allows the absorbance of pressure and shear forces. These proteoglycans, mainly based on aggrecan as core-protein, are embedded into a meshwork of collagen fibres, primarily formed of collagen type II. This composition is not to be understood as a static construct; moreover it is exposed to biophysical forces that permanently require a dynamic adaptation. This adaptation of the extracellular matrix formed by proteoglycans and collagen type II is organised by a small number of embedded chondrocytes, the cells of the hyaline cartilage. As chondrocytes are post-mitotic cells and due to the lack of vascularisation within hyaline cartilage, there is hardly any chance for regeneration of defects in order to maintain the integrity of the tissue. The resulting replacement is formed as fibrocartilage, which has not the capability to withstand the biodynamical forces within the joint. As these defects in hyaline cartilage represent a gross of the diseases of the musculoskeletal system, there is a high medical interest in the development of innovative cell-based therapies, as autologous chondrocyte transplantation (ACT) is one. With this type of therapy in vitro cultivated chondrocytes are seeded into a cartilage defect with the aim of producing hyaline cartilage. Aims of the study In the last decades the need for a detailed understanding of the biodynamics of cartilage became obvious for further development of therapies. The aim of this study was therefore to establish a cell culture system to provide an insight into the biodynamics of chondrocytes. Aside from the examination of the differentiation of in vitro cultivated chondrocytes and their synthesis of extracellular matrix as a function of the cultivation time, another aim of this study was to determine whether the application of hydrostatic pressure might have beneficial influence on the expression of extracellular matrix components by chondrocytes in vitro, in accordance with the hyaline cartilage. Material and methods Human articular chondrocytes were cultivated in vitro without the application of hydrostatic pressure in the first place. The cells were observed phase contrast microscopically and the distribution of collagen type I and II was detected immuncytochemically. In further experiments optical confluent chondrocytes were transferred to a bioreactor system applying a hydrostatic pressure of 5 or 10 bar with variable time periods of the pressure applied. Subsequently, the expression of collagen type I, collagen type II and aggrecan was investigated and quantified using qPCR and Western Blot. Chondrocytes cultivated exclusively without the application of hydrostatic pressure served as controls. In this pilot-study the samples were analysed using arithmetic mean and standard deviation to evaluate the power statistically. In addition, similar test conditions with marginal differences were pooled and the necessary sample size to meet a power of 80 % with an alpha error of 0.05 was calculated using the maximum potential standard deviation. In cases where this statistic power was obtained, an analysis of significance (\"One Way Analysis of Variance”) was carried out meeting a significance level under 0.05. Results During the cultivation of chondrocytes in vitro without hydrostatic pressure the length of the cultivation time did neither show an effect on the phase contrast microscopical morphology nor on the immuncytochemically detected distribution of collagen typ I and II. The application of increased hydrostatic pressure for 24 hours results in a 0.2-0.8-fold decrease of the expression of collagen type I and II and a 1.7-2.2-fold increase of aggrecan expression compared to the unloaded controls. This effect was more distinct with 5 bar but was accompanied by instabilities in the cell culture. This is why further investigations concentrated on the use of 10 bar pressure with subsequently shortened time period of the applied pressure. With short times of loading (1.5 and 3 hours) a pressure load of 10 bar led to a 0.8 fold decrease of the expression of collagen type I and II and showed a 1.6-2.4 fold increase of aggrecan expression. These qPCR results were supported by the protein expression of collagen type I, II and aggrecan detected in Western Blot. Conclusions A cell culture system was established to examine the effect of hydrostatic pressure on the expression of chondrocytes on the one hand, which can further be modified for the assembly of cell transplants on the other hand. Subsequently the results of this study led to a definition of cell culture conditions, stimulating the extracellular matrix production of chondrocytes towards the composition of hyaline cartilage. This was the case using a seeding density of 104 cells/cm2 and a pre-cultivation time of 6 days of normal pressure, followed by the application of 10 bar hydrostatic pressure for 1.5-3 h. With the help of this pilot-study a cell culture system was established to gain more information on biodynamics of hyaline cartilage. Moreover it is possible that this information will provide a basis for further development of cell based therapies of cartilage defects, such as ACT. / Zusammenfassung Juliane Schneevoigt „Untersuchung der zeit- und druckabhängigen Expression verschiedener Komponenten der extrazellulären Matrix durch Chondrozyten in vitro“ Veterinär-Anatomisches Institut der Veterinärmedizinischen Fakultät der Universität Leipzig Eingereicht im Juni 2015 98 Seiten, 34 Abbildungen, 41 Tabellen, 153 Literaturangaben Schlüsselwörter: Knorpel, Chondrozyten, hydrostatischer Druck, Bioreaktor, qPCR Einleitung Der hyaline Knorpel gewährleistet die grundlegende Funktion der Druckübertragung innerhalb der synovialen Gelenke und stellt somit die Grundlage für die Bewegung des Organismus dar. Als schmaler Überzug der Gelenkflächen ist er in seinem Aufbau an diese Funktion spezifisch angepasst. Dabei bedingt der hohe Gehalt an Proteoglykanen und das an diese assoziierte Wasser die elastische Verformbarkeit des hyalinen Knorpels, die es ermöglicht, Druck- und Scherkräfte abzufedern. Die Proteoglykane, die hauptsächlich auf Aggrekan als Kernprotein basieren, sind in ein Maschenwerk kollagener Fasern eingelagert, welches im Wesentlichen durch Kollagen Typ II gebildet wird. Diese Zusammensetzung darf nicht als statisches Konstrukt verstanden werden. Vielmehr ist der hyaline Knorpel in vivo verschiedenen biophysikalischen Einflüssen ausgesetzt, die eine dynamische Anpassung erfordern. Solche Anpassungsvorgänge in Form einer Änderung der Zusammensetzung der aus kollagenen Fasern und Proteoglykanen bestehenden extrazellulären Matrix werden durch die wenigen eingelagerten Chondrozyten, die Zellen des hyalinen Knorpels, organisiert. Da die reifen Chondrozyten jedoch keine Zellteilungen aufweisen und dem hyalinen Knorpel eine Vaskularisierung fehlt, ist eine Defektregeneration kaum möglich, sodass eine Wiederherstellung der Integrität des Gewebes unterbleibt und stattdessen ein Ersatzknorpel, der Faserknorpel, gebildet wird, welcher den einwirkenden biodynamischen Belastungen jedoch nicht standhalten kann. Da die Defekte des hyalinen Knorpels einen Großteil der Erkrankungen des Bewegungsapparats darstellen und zudem die Arthrose als Langzeitfolge nach sich ziehen, besteht ein hohes medizinisches Interesse an der Entwicklung zellbasierter Therapieansätze, wie der Autologen Chondrozytentransplantation (ACT). Hierbei werden - bislang mit unterschiedlichen Erfolgen – in vitro kultivierte Chondrozyten mit dem Ziel, neuen hyalinen Knorpel zu bilden, in einen Knorpeldefekt eingebracht. Ziele der Untersuchungen In den letzten Jahrzehnten zeigte sich, dass die Entwicklung von Therapieansätzen zur Behandlung von Knorpeldefekten ein detaillierteres Verständnis des Knorpelgewebes und speziell dessen Biodynamik erfordert. Ziel dieser Arbeit war es daher, im Rahmen einer Pilotstudie, ein In-vitro-System zu etablieren, welches die Untersuchung der Biodynamik der Chondrozyten ermöglicht. Neben der Untersuchung der Morphologie der Chondrozyten und der durch sie synthetisierten extrazellulären Matrix in Abhängigkeit von der Kultivierungszeit der Zellen, wurde die Fragestellung bearbeitet, ob durch die Wirkung eines hydrostatischen Drucks günstige Effekte in Hinblick auf die Expression einer extrazellulären Matrix, wie sie im hyalinen Knorpel vorliegt, erzielt werden kann. Materialien und Methoden Eine Primärkultur humaner artikulärer Chondrozyten wurde zunächst unter Standardzellkulturbedingungen und atmosphärischem Druck kultiviert. Die Zellen wurden phasenkontrastmikroskopisch und hinsichtlich der Verteilung von Kollagen Typ I und II immunzytochemisch untersucht. In den weiteren Versuchen wurden optisch konfluente Chondrozyten in einen Bioreaktor überführt und weiter unter einem hydrostatischen Druck von 5 oder 10 bar kultiviert. Dabei wurde die Dauer der Druckeinwirkung auf die Chondrozyten variiert. Das Expressionsmuster der so kultivierten Chondrozyten wurde quantitativ in Hinblick auf Kollagen Typ I und II sowie Aggrekan mittels qPCR und Western Blot untersucht. Dabei dienten jeweils Chondrozyten, die ohne erhöhte Druckbedingungen kultiviert wurden, als Kontrollen. In dieser Pilotstudie wurden die Proben unter Berechnung der Mittelwerte und Standardabweichung hinsichtlich ihrer statistischen Power ausgewertet. Neben dieser Analyse der Einzelergebnisse wurden die Versuchsbedingungen, die kaum Unterschiede in den Ergebnissen aufwiesen, in Gruppen zusammengefasst und mit Hilfe der größtmöglichen vorhandenen Standardabweichung der Stichprobenumfang eines Versuchs errechnet, welcher die statistische Power der Ergebnisse bei einem Alpha-Fehler von 0,05 auf 80% erhöht. In den Fällen, in denen diese Power erreicht wurde, erfolgte eine Untersuchung der Unterschiede auf Signifikanz („One Way Analysis of Variance“) bei einem Signifikanzniveau < 0,05. Ergebnisse Während der In-vitro-Kultivierung der Chondrozyten unter atmosphärischem Druck zeigte die Länge der Kultivierungszeit weder einen Einfluss auf die phasenkontrastmikroskopisch untersuchte Morphologie der Zellen noch auf die immunzytochemisch detektierte Verteilung des Kollagen Typ I und II. Die Wirkung eines erhöhten hydrostatischen Drucks (5 bar, 10 bar) für 24 Stunden führte zu einer Abnahme der Expression von Kollagen Typ I und Typ II auf das 0,2-0,8-fache bei gleichzeitiger Zunahme der Expression des Aggrekan auf das 1,7-2,2-fache, verglichen mit der unbehandelten Kontrolle. Dieser Effekt war bei 5 bar ausgeprägter als bei 10 bar, führte jedoch gleichzeitig zu einer starken Instabilität des Zellkultursystems. Vor diesem Hintergrund wurde für den höheren Druck (10 bar) die Zeitdauer der Druckeinwirkung verkürzt. Hierbei konnten bei kurzzeitiger Druckeinwirkung von 10 bar (1,5 und 3 Stunden) bei Erhalt der Zellen ähnliche Effekte erzielt werden wie für die Bedingung 5 bar, 24 Stunden. Die Expression von Kollagen Typ I und Typ II sank auf das 0,8-fache, wohingegen ein Anstieg der Aggrekanexpression auf das 1,6-2,4-fache erreicht wurde. Diese Ergebnisse der qPCR konnten durch die im Western Blot für Kollagen Typ I, II und Aggrekan detektierte Proteinexpression gestützt werden. Schlussfolgerungen Im Rahmen dieser Arbeit wurde ein In-vitro-System etabliert, welches einerseits der Untersuchung des Einflusses von hydrostatischem Druck auf die Expression von Chondrozyten dienen und andererseits für die Herstellung von Zelltransplantaten weiter modifiziert werden kann. Die Ergebnisse der Untersuchungen führten zur Definition von Bedingungen für das In-vitro-System, unter denen die Expression der extrazellulären Matrix durch die Chondrozyten in Richtung der Zusammensetzung im hyalinen Knorpel stimuliert werden kann. Dies zeigte sich bei einer Aussaat der humanen Chondrozyten in einer Konzentration von 104 Zellen/cm2 und einer Vorkultivierungszeit von 6 Tagen unter Normaldruck, gefolgt von der Kultivierung unter hydrostatischem Druck von 10 bar für 1,5 bis 3 Stunden. Mit Hilfe dieser Pilotstudie wurde somit ein In-vitro-System etabliert, auf dessen Basis Untersuchungen durchgeführt werden können, die weiterführende Erkenntnisse zur Biodynamik des hyalinen Knorpels liefern und der zukünftigen Entwicklung zellbasierter Therapieansätze der Knorpeldefekte, wie der ACT, zu Gute kommen.

Tetrachloroethene (PCE) is a major groundwater contaminant that often persists as dense, nonaqueous phase liquids (DNAPLs) in subsurface environments. Dissolved-phase PCE plumes emanate from DNAPL source zones, which act as continuous sources of contamination for decades. Removal of DNAPL source zones is crucial to achieve lasting remedy of contaminated aquifers. This research explored the contributions of the microbial reductive dechlorination process (i.e., anaerobic bioremediation) to PCE-DNAPL source zone remediation, either in isolation or as a polishing step for the removal of residual DNAPL remaining after application of surfactant enhanced aquifer remediation (SEAR), an emerging physical-chemical source zone treatment. Specific objectives of this research were to: (1) evaluate the ability of microorganisms to dechlorinate in the presence of PCE-DNAPL and at high dissolved-phase PCE concentrations expected near/in DNAPL source zones, (2) assess the distribution and activity of key dechlorinating populations during bioenhanced PCE-DNAPL dissolution in continuous-flow column experiments, (3) determine the influence of Tween 80, a biodegradable surfactant commonly used in SEAR, on the microbial reductive dechlorination process, (4) design and optimize quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) protocols to detect and enumerate key dechlorinating populations (e.g., Geobacter lovleyi, Sulfurospirillum multivorans), and (5) explore the effects of oxygen on Dehalococcoides viability and biomarker quantification. This research demonstrated that microbial dechlorinating activity within DNAPL source zones promotes bioenhanced dissolution although many dechlorinating isolates cannot tolerate saturated PCE concentrations. Application of newly designed qPCR protocols established a direct link between dissolution enhancement and the distribution of relevant dechlorinating populations in the vicinity of PCE-DNAPL. The limited and reversible impact of Tween 80 on key dechlorinators supported the feasibility of a treatment train approach of SEAR followed by microbial reductive dechlorination to remediate PCE-DNAPL source zones. Finally, experiments with oxygen-exposed, Dehalococcoides-containing cultures suggested limitations of using Dehalococcoides DNA and RNA biomarkers for monitoring bioremediation at field sites. These findings advance the scientific understanding of the microbial reductive dechlorination process and are relevant to environmental remediation practitioners. The advantages and current shortcomings of PCE-DNAPL source zone bioremediation, as well as recommendations for future research, are discussed.

O manguezal é um ecossistema costeiro, localizado em regiões de interface entre os ambientes terrestre e marinho, de ocorrência exclusiva em zonas tropicais e subtropicais. Esta localização confere ao sedimento deste ambiente características únicas, como alta salinidade e baixa disponibilidade de oxigênio, associado a grande riqueza em matéria orgânica. O resultado destas condições é a ocorrência de uma restrita diversidade de plantas em tais ambientes, associada a uma grande diversidade de animais, que usam o manguezal para sua proteção e reprodução. O presente estudo mostrou como as comunidades de arquéias (amoA e 16S DNAr) e bactérias (nifH e 16S DNAr) estão estruturadas em sedimentos de manguezais sob distintos estados de preservação. Os perfis de DGGE indicaram alterações na composição das comunidades alvo, ligando sua estruturação com a contaminação do ambiente, enquanto que as quantificações de tais genes por meio de PCR quantitativo em tempo real (qPCR) indicaram alterações apenas na comunidade de arquéias oxidadoras de amônio. A filogenia destes grupos revelou a presença de grupos comumente encontrados em solos e água, alem de grupos particulares, possivelmente relacionado ao processo de especiação no ambiente de manguezal. De maneira geral, os resultados indicam que as comunidades de arquéias e bactérias são responsivas ao estado de contaminação dos manguezais, o que pode gerar um processamento diferencial do nitrogênio nestes sedimentos / The mangrove is a coastal ecosystem, located in the interface regions between the land and sea environments, with exclusive occurrence in tropical and subtropical areas. Such location confers to the mangrove sediments unique characteristics, like as high salinity and low availability of oxygen, associated with the high abundance of organic matter. The result of these conditions is the occurrence of a restrict plant diversity, associated with a great diversity of animals, who use the mangroves for its protection and reproduction. The present study has shown how the communities of archaea (16S DNAr and amoA) and bacteria (16S DNAr and nifH) are structured in mangrove soils under distinct states of preservation. The DGGE patterns indicate alterations in the composition of targeted communities, linking its structure with the environmental contamination, while the quantifications of targeted genes by real time PCR (qPCR) has indicated alterations only in the community of ammonium oxidizers archaea. The phylogeny of these groups revealed the presence of groups commonly found in soils and water samples, besides the occurrence of particular groups, possibly resulted from a speciation process in the mangrove environment. In general, results indicated that archaeal and bacterial communities are responsive to the mangroves contamination, and its alteration can also lead to differential nitrogen processing in these soils

Submitted by Luciana Sebin (lusebin@ufscar.br) on 2016-09-20T18:39:28Z No. of bitstreams: 1 DissAMN.pdf: 2525250 bytes, checksum: d1ef9cb6cbb03453941fe9349c5da36a (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Marina Freitas (marinapf@ufscar.br) on 2016-09-21T12:59:57Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 DissAMN.pdf: 2525250 bytes, checksum: d1ef9cb6cbb03453941fe9349c5da36a (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Marina Freitas (marinapf@ufscar.br) on 2016-09-21T13:00:05Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 DissAMN.pdf: 2525250 bytes, checksum: d1ef9cb6cbb03453941fe9349c5da36a (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-09-21T13:00:12Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 DissAMN.pdf: 2525250 bytes, checksum: d1ef9cb6cbb03453941fe9349c5da36a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-10-31 / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) / The majority of species in the genus Anastrepha is endemic to the Neotropics and many are of great economic importance because they inflict great damage to several different fruit crops. Brazil has low insertion in international markets because of the demand for quality products with no pesticide residues, which force the improvement of control techniques. Thus, an alternative to insect pests control is the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT), which reduces the pest population by mass release of sterile insects. However, sterilization by radiation has many side effects, reducing the competitiveness of released males relative to wild males. For this reason, different strategies have been used, such as the production of transgenic individuals not only in order to sterility but also increasing the vitality presented by these males compared to wild males. To accomplish that, an important approach could be the study of genes involved in the reproductive process. In this work, we selected nine candidate genes for expression studies of our transcriptome data, which have the potential of being involved in the reproductive process in Anastrepha because they belong to gene families that have already been associated to the reproductive process, and showed differential expression between the contrast of virgin and post-mating of transcriptome data in Anastrepha flies. Since no qPCR study has been done to date in Anastrepha, we tested several reference genes for normalization of expression data. The genes Rpl18, Rps17 and Ef1a were deemed suitable and used here to standardize studies of expression between life stages of A. obliqua. The qPCR gene expression analysis revealed interesting gene expression patterns for AttA, Obp56a and Obp99c, which increases the potential of these genes being involved in the reproductive process. Obp56a showed a higher expression in virgin females in contrast to postmating, whereas AttA and Obp99c showed higher expression in male in contrast to females, which may be interesting for genetic control techniques. We applied the RNAi silencing technique with AttA and Obp99c, aiming to generate information about the participation of these genes in reproduction. Thus, our results pointed for three candidate genes that could be interesting for population control techniques, with potential of being involved in the reproductive process, which stimulates further researches in Anastrepha obliqua. / A maioria das espécies do gênero Anastrepha é endêmica à região neotropical e diversas têm importância econômica por causar grandes prejuízos às culturas de frutos. O Brasil tem baixa inserção no mercado internacional de frutas frescas devido às exigências por produtos de qualidade e sem resíduos de agrotóxicos, o que força o aprimoramento das técnicas de controle de insetospraga. Uma das alternativas é a Técnica do Inseto Estéril (SIT), que visa à redução da população da praga pela liberação em massa de insetos estéreis. Porém, a esterilização por radiação traz muitos efeitos colaterais, diminuindo a competitividade dos machos liberados em relação aos machos selvagens. Por esse motivo, diferentes estratégias têm sido utilizadas como a produção de indivíduos transgênicos visando não só a esterilidade como também o aumento do vigor apresentado por esses machos em relação aos selvagens. Para isso, uma abordagem importante seria o estudo de genes envolvidos no processo reprodutivo. Neste trabalho selecionamos nove genes para estudos de expressão por qPCR candidatos de nossos dados de transcriptomas com potencial de estarem envolvidos no processo reprodutivo em Anastrepha por pertencerem a famílias já relacionadas ao processo reprodutivo, além de apresentarem expressão diferencial entre os transcriptomas de machos virgens e machos pós-cópula. Como nenhum estudo de qPCR havia sido feito ainda em Anastrepha, testamos diversos genes de referência para a normalização dos dados de expressão. Os genes rpl18, rps17 e ef1a foram considerados adequados e padronizados para estudos de expressão entre fases de vida de A. obliqua. As análises de expressão por qPCR revelaram que os genes AttA, Obp56a e Obp99c apresentam padrões de expressão interessantes para investigação e aumentam o potencial desses genes estarem de fato participando do processo reprodutivo. Obp56a apresentou maior expressão em fêmeas virgens em relação às pós-cópula. Já AttA e Obp99c apresentaram maior expressão em machos em relação às fêmeas, fato que pode ser interessante para técnicas de controle genético. Aplicamos a técnica de silenciamento por interferência por RNA nesses genes, com o objetivo de trazer informações sobre a participação desses genes na reprodução. Dessa forma nossos resultados apontam para três genes candidatos que podem ser interessantes para técnicas de controle de populações, com potencial de estar participando do processo reprodutivo o que estimula futuras investigações destes em Anastrepha obliqua.

Orientador: Célia Regina Nogueira / Resumo: A Leucemia Mieloide Crônica (LMC) é uma doença mieloproliferativa, resultado da expansão clonal de células tronco progenitoras hematopoiéticas, caracterizada pelo gene de fusão BCR-ABL1, resultado da translocação recíproca t (9;22) (q34; q11) que dá origem ao cromossomo Philadelphia (Ph). Com todo o conhecimento acumulado sobre os mecanismos de ação do BCR-ABL1 foi possível o desenvolvimento de uma droga alvo-específica muito eficiente. Porém, alguns pacientes não respondem ou desenvolvem mutações que levam a resistência ao tratamento e as células tronco leucêmicas da LMC também são resistentes ao tratamento. Tais fatores renovaram o interesse na fisiopatologia da LMC, incluindo o papel dos microRNAs (miRNAs).miRNAs são pequenos RNAs não codificantes (ncRNAs) que controlam a expressão gênica e desempenham um importante papel no desenvolvimento e progressão do câncer. Assim, os objetivos deste estudo foram identificar um perfil global de expressão de miRNAs circulantes em pacientes com LMC-FC (Leucemia Mieloide Crônica – Fase Crônica) recém diagnosticada e LMC-FC tratados com imatinibe, correlacionar o perfil de expressão de miRNAs entre os dois grupos de pacientes e, por fim, detectar redes de interação entre miRNAs e BCR-ABL1.RT-qPCR array foi utilizado para a análise de 768 miRNAs. Os resultados indicam que dos 768 miRNAs analisados, 43 miRNAs caracterizam a LMC-FC recém diagnosticada versus LMC-FC tratada com imatinibe. Destes, 39 miRNAs apresentam níveis de expressão ... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) is a myeloproliferative disorder, result of clonal expansion of hematopoietic stem cells progenitor, characterized by BCR-ABL1 fusion gene as a result of reciprocal translocation t (9;22) (q34;q11) called chromosome Philadelphia (Ph). With the acquired knowledge about the BCR-ABL1 action mechanisms has been possible to develop a target specific drug very efficient. However, some patients have refractoriness to treatement or develop mutations which induce drug resitence and also CML leukemia stem cells can be resistant to treatment. Such factors renewed interest in the pathophysiology of CML, including the role of microRNAs (miRNAs).miRNAs are small non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) that control the gene expression, and play an important role in cancer development and progression. The aims of this study were to identify a global expression profile of circulating miRNAs in patients CML-CP (Chronic Myeloid Leukemia – chronic phase) newly diagnosed and CML-CP treated with imatinib, correlating the profile of miRNA expression between the two groups of patients, and finally, detect networks of interactions between miRNAs and BCR-ABL1.RT-qPCR array was used for analysis of 768 miRNAs. The results indicated that the 768 miRNAs analyzed, 43 miRNAs characterize CML-CP newly diagnosed versus CML-CP treated with imatinib. Of these, 39 miRNAs are downregulated – miR-16-5p, miR-1-3p, miR-291a-3p and miR-27a-3p – and 4 miRNAs are upregulated – miR-150-5p and miR-45... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

As sementes do cacaueiro (Theobroma cacao L.) constituem a única fonte de manteiga de cacau, matéria prima fundamental para as indústrias de chocolates e confeitos, farmacêutica e cosmética. Cerca de 50 % do peso seco das sementes é composto por gordura, caracterizada pelo alto nível de estearato (30-37%), em combinação com palmitato (24-31%) e de oleato (33-39%), conferindo-lhe uma composição triglicerídica única, responsável pelas suas propriedades de fusão, com aplicações específicas e especiais. Apesar dos genes que codificam as enzimas da via metabólica de biossíntese de ácidos graxos e triglicerídeos em plantas serem conhecidos, os mecanismos moleculares pelos quais as plantas controlam a produção de estearato e que diferenciam as plantas acumuladoras de estearato de todas as demais não estão claramente definidos. O objetivo deste trabalho foi analisar a composição de ácidos graxos nos frutos de Theobroma cacao e a expressão temporal de genes relacionados à via metabólica de ácidos graxos e triglicerídeos durante o desenvolvimento de sementes de T. cacao, com ênfase na acumulação de estearato. Em paralelo, foram eleitos os genes referências mais estáveis para os estudos em embriões e diversos tecidos de Theobroma cacao. Empregando-se a técnica de reação quantitativa da amplificação em cadeia de transcritos reversos de RNA (RT-qPCR), foram analisadas a expressão dos genes codificadores da proteína carregadora de acil A, B e C, \'beta\'-cetoacil-ACP sintase II, \'delta\'9estearoil-ACP desaturase A e B, Acil-ACP tioesterase A, acil-ACP tioesterase B, acil-CoA sintetase A e B e da proteína oleosina. Quando se estudou de expressão gênica apenas nos embriões de T. cacao, os três genes mais estáveis foram proteína ribossomal L35, proteína carregadora de acil A e gliceraldeído 3-fosfato desidrogenase. Quando se considerou diversos tecidos de plantas de Theobroma cacao, os melhores genes para a normalização dos valores de expressão foram os codificadores da proteína ribossomal L35, proteína carregadora de acil B e gliceraldeído 3-fosfato desidrogenase. A acumulação de transcritos da \'delta\'9estearoil-ACP desaturase foi relacionada ao aumento do ácido oleico. O aumento na quantidade deste ácido acontece pela ação conjunta da \'delta\'9estearoil-ACP desaturase, e acil-ACP tioesterase A, a qual mostra maiores níveis de transcritos entre 90 e 140 DAP com pico aos 100 DAP. O aumento de ácidos esteárico estaria relacionado com a ação conjunta e com transcrição temporalmente coordenada dos genes das enzimas \'beta\' -cetoacil-ACP sintase II, Acil-ACP tioesterase A e Acil-ACP tioesterase B. Transcritos da enzima \'beta\' -cetoacil-ACP sintase II apresenta pico aos 100 DAP, possivelmente com acúmulo máximo de substratos 18:0-ACP, que poderiam ser hidrolizado preferencialmente pela enzima acil-ACP tioesterase A, ou acil-ACP tioesterase B, O intervalo entre o pico de acúmulo de trasncritos entre \'beta\'-cetoacil-ACP sintase II (100 DAP) e Acil-ACP tioesterase A e \'delta\'9estearoil-ACP desaturase (110 DAP) sugere que poderia ocorrer um acúmulo de estearato resultante da ação dessas enzimas. Esses resultados corroboram o modelo de acumulação de estearato proposto por Silva (2005) / Cacao seeds (Theobroma cacao L.) are unique sources of cocoa butter, fundamental raw material for the chocolate, confectionary, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. Around 50% of the seed dry weight represents fat, characterized by the high levels of stearate (30-37%), in combination of palmitate (24-31%) and oleate (33-39%), giving a unique triacylglycerol compostion, responsible for the melting profile for special and specific applications. Despite the fact that genes encoding enzymes of the fatty acid and triglyceride biosynthetic pathway of plants are known, the mechanisms to control the accumulation of high levels of stearate, that differ from other species, are not clearly defined. The objective of this work was to analyse the composition of fatty acids and the expression of genes associated with fatty acid and triglyceride biosynthetic pathway during the development of cacao pods, with emphasis with stearate accumulation. In parallel, the establishment of stable reference genes to investigate gene expression in developing embryos and other cacao tissues were investigated. Using the quantitative amplification of reversed transcripts (RT-qPCR), the expresion of genes coding for the acyl-carrier protein A, B and C; \'beta\'-ketoacyl-ACP sinthase II; \'delta\'9stearoyl-ACP desaturase A and B; Acyl-ACP thioesterase A; Acyl-ACP thioesterase B; Acyl-CoA sintethase A and B; and oleosin. When gene expression was conductd only in developing cacao embryos, the three most stable genes were the ribosomal protein L35, acyl-carrier protein A and glyceraldehide 3-phosphate dehydrogenase. When various tissues were considered, the best reference genes for gene expression normalization were those encoding for the ribosomal protein L35, acyl carrier protein B and glyceraldehide 3-phosphate dehydrogenase. The accumulation of \'delta\'9stearoyl-ACP desaturase transcripts could be associated with the accumulation of oleate, together with the increase of acyl-ACP thioesterase A, with increased relative levels of transcripts between 90 and 140 DAP, peaking at 100 DAP. The increase in stearate might result from the joint activity of the \'delta\'9stearoyl-ACP desaturase and acyl-ACP thioesterase A, which presented higher accumulation of transcripts between 90 and 140 DAP, with peak at 110 DAP. The increase in stearate would associated with the joint and temporal coordinated expression of genes encoding \'beta\'-ketoacyl-ACP synthase II, and Acyl-ACP thioesterase A and B. Transcripts of the enzyme \'beta\'-ketoacyl-ACP synthase II peaked at 100 DAP, possibly with the maximum accumulation of substrates 18:0-ACP, that would be preferentially hydrolzyed by the enzyme acyl-ACP thioesterase A, or acyl-ACP thioesterase B, The gap between the peak in transcript accumulation between \'beta\'-ketoacyl-ACP synthase II (100 DAP) and acyl-ACP thioesterase A and \'delta\'9stearoyl-ACP desaturase (110 DAP) could lead to the accumulation of stearate. These results corroborated the model proposed by Silva (2005)