Thesis--Copenhagen University. / Summary in Danish. Bibliography: p. 125-129.

Thesis--Copenhagen University. / Summary in Danish. Bibliography: p. 125-129.

Magister Scientiae - MSc / The aim of this study was to investigate the forensic usefulness of various Y-chromosome short tandem repeat loci among South African sub-populations. Three different sets of Y-chromosome short tandem repeat loci were chosen for investigation. / South Africa

LCAT deficiency is a rare autosomal recessive disease characterized by low levels of plasma HDL and an inability of the enzyme lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) to esterify cholesterol. An understanding of the structure and function of the LCAT protein will add significantly to the understanding of reverse cholesterol transport. This understanding can be gained, in part, by studying different mutations within the LCAT gene and their resultant phenotypes. Recombinant DNA technology has been used to determine the nature of a mutation in an LCAT gene of a previously described homozygote with this disorder. Southern blot analysis determined there were no major rearrangements in the genomic DNA at the LCAT locus. An attempt was made to follow segregation of the mutant alleles in three generations of a large pedigree by linkage analysis. There are known polymorphisms at the haptoglobin (Hp) locus, which is linked to LCAT on the long arm of chromosome 16, and in the adenosine phosphoribotransferase (APRT) and choesterol ester transfer protein (CETP) loci which are also on the long arm of chromosome 16, but have not been shown linked to LCAT. The information gained was uninformative in this pedigree. An extensive restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) search in the immediate vicinity of the LCAT gene did not reveal any polymorphic sites. 2.4 kb of the ⋋ phage clone SF1020, obtained from one of the homozygotes, containing exons 1-5 plus 0.5 kb of DNA 5¹ to the LCAT gene, but not exon 6, was subcloned into M13 and sequenced. A cytosine to thymidine (C->T) transition was discovered in exon 4. This would result in a substitution of tryptophan for arginine at amino acid 135. The amino acid arginine is positively charged and resides in one of the most highly charged segments along the amino acid chain of the LCAT protein indicating that this region is likely involved in protein folding. Tryptophan, on the other hand is the most hydrophobic of the amino acids and would, therefore, severely disrupt the interaction of charged amino acids in that region, preventing normal folding of the LCAT protein. / Medicine, Faculty of / Medical Genetics, Department of / Graduate

Deinococcus radiodurans est l'un des organismes les plus radiorésistants connus à ce jour et de manière plus générale, présente une exceptionnelle tolérance aux agents qui endommagent son ADN. Cette bactérie est capable de reconstituer un génome intact à partir de centaines de fragments d'ADN engendrés par exposition aux radiations ionisantes. Ce phénomène de radiorésistance est la conséquence d'une association de plusieurs mécanismes et facteurs agissants de concert lorsque les cellules sont soumises à ce type de rayonnement. Parmi ces facteurs identifiés, on peut citer la présence de certaines protéines spécifiques des Deinococcaceae. Parmi elles, la protéine PprA joue un rôle important dans la radiorésistance de D. radiodurans. Cette protéine qui est fortement induite après irradiation n'a pas d'homologuechez des organismes autres que les Deinococcaceae. Pour essayer de comprendre le rôle de PprA dans la radiorésistance chez D. radiodurans, j'ai effectué une caractérisation approfondie du mutant de délétion ΔpprA. Ce mutant est très sensible aux rayons γ ainsi qu'à d'autres agents qui créent des dommages sur l'ADN comme l'acide nalidixique et la novobiocine. L'étude morphologique de ce mutant et la localisation de la protéine in vivo après irradiation suggèrent que PprA est impliquée dans un mécanisme de ségrégation des chromosomes lors de la division, après irradiation lorsque l'ADN des cellules a été réparé. L'étude du réseau d'interactants de PprA a révélé que ce cette protéine interagit in vivo avec l'ADN gyrase après irradiation et permet la stimulation de l'activité de décaténation de cette dernière sans influencer son activité de surenroulement négatif de l'ADN in vitro. Les phénotypes observés précédemment ont également suggéré une éventuelle interaction entre PprA et les protéines de la famille SMC. Chez D. radiodurans les protéines de la famille SMC sont SMC, SbcC et RecN. De façon surprenante, la délétion du gène recN dans une souche ΔpprA supprime la sensibilité aux agents endommageant l'ADN observée dans la souche simple mutante ΔpprA. Ces résultats suggèrent une interaction génétique entre les gènes pprA et recN, cependant, la nature précise du lien entre les deux protéines PprA et recN reste à établir. / Deinococcus radiodurans, one of the most radioresistant organisms known to date is able to reconstruct an intact genome from hundreds of DNA fragments generated by γ-rays. More generally, this bacterium is also tolerant to other DNA-damaging agents. This exceptional ability to overcome effects of ionizing radiations is due to a combination of several well regulated mechanisms and factors acting together when cells are exposed the radiations. Among these factors, some specific proteins of the Deinococcaceae family which are induced after irradiation can be observed. The PprA protein is one of these specific proteins and has been shown to have an important role in radioresistance in D. radiodurans. This protein is one of the most induced after γ-rays treatment. None homologous protein have been identify for the PprA protein. Characteristics of the ΔpprA mutant were investigated in order to understand the involvement of PprA in radioresistance. This mutant is very sensitive to γ-rays and other DNA damaging agents as nalidixic acid or novobiocin. Phenotypic analyses of this mutant revealed that PprA protein seems to be implicated in chromosome segregation after irradiation when DNA is repaired in cells. Moreover, the PprA protein has been shown to interact in vivo with DNA gyrase after irradiation and to stimulate in vitro the decatenation activity of DNA gyrase, without affecting its DNA negative supercoiling activity. Phenotypes previously observed also suggest a potential interaction between the PprA protein and the protein SMC family which are SMC, SbcC and RecN in D. radiodurans. Surprisingly, we found that disrupting recN gene in a ΔpprA strain abolish the sensitivity to DNA damaging agents observed in a ΔpprA strain. These results suggest that the two genes, pprA and recN interact but the accurate link between the two proteins PprA and RecN remains to be highlighted.

No description available.

A DNA fragment containing the coding region for gene 6 of Bacterial phage ϕ29 was placed into an expression vector. The ϕ29 gene 6 protein was isolated in large amounts by chromatography on double-stranded DNA cellulose and DE52 cellulose. The ϕ29 gene 6 protein was determined to be greater 95% pure and has a molecular weight of approximately 16,000. The ϕ29 gene 6 protein is thought to be a dimer in its native form. The partial N-terminal amino acid sequence of the purified protein is identically to the inferred amino acid sequence from the nucleotide sequence of ϕ29 gene 6. Gene 6 protein of ϕ29 aggregates in a more purified state which suggest protein to protein interactions. Purified gene 6 protein did not stimulate the ϕ29 in vitro DNA replication system and may require binding with other replication proteins to enable it to function. Gene 6 protein binds weakly to double-stranded and single-strand DNA cellulose. There is segmental amino acid sequence and secondary structure homology with adenovirus DNA binding protein Antibody to gene 6 protein inhibits it from binding to ϕ29 DNA. The results presented in this dissertation suggest that ϕ29 gene 6 protein is a weak DNA bind protein and may not be required for the in vitro ϕ29 DNA replication system.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.