La méthylation de l'ADN est un processus vital pour le développement des mammifères. Sa distribution anormale,notamment au niveau des régions répétées du génome, est une signature pathologique. La découverte de maladies héréditaires touchant la stabilité du génome a permis des avancées considérables dans l'identification des acteurs et des mécanismes. Nous avons choisi d'étudier le syndrome ICF (Immunodéficience, instabilité Centromérique et anomalies Faciales), première maladie génétique identifiée avec des défauts de la méthylation de l’ADN, liés à une instabilité chromosomique. Lorsque j'ai commencé ma thèse, des mutations dans les gènes DNMT3B et ZBTB24 avaient été décrites comme causes génétiques du syndrome. Cependant, d'autres causes génétiques restaient inconnues. Nos travaux ont permis d'identifier deux nouveaux gènes, CDCA7 et HELLS, dont les mutations sont responsables du syndrome. J'ai montré que leur perte de fonction dans les cellules somatiques entraîne un défaut de méthylation des répétitions centromériques, suggérant leur rôle dans le maintien de la méthylation de l'ADN. Par conséquent, l'étude de l'étiologie d'une maladie génétique rare a permis d'identifier de nouveaux « gardiens » de la stabilité du génome, avec des fonctions jusqu'alors insoupçonnées dans les processus de méthylation de l'ADN et dans le développement. Au cours de mon doctorat, j'ai établi des cartes de méthylation des cellules de patients ICF afin d'identifier les cibles communes et distinctes de ces facteurs, ainsi que leurs caractéristiques génomiques et épigénomiques. Contrairement aux mutations de DNMT3B,celles de ZBTB24, CDCA7 et HELLS affectent la méthylation dans des régions pauvres en CpG, dans des régions intergéniques et dans des répétitions d'ADN intercalées. Plus généralement, ce sont les régions d'hétérochromatine qui sont les plus touchées et en particulier des clusters des gènes codants et non codants, dont certains sont exprimés de manière monoallélique. Pour mieux caractériser le rôle de ZBTB24 dans le développement et la méthylation de l'ADN,nous avons généré un modèle murin mutant qui nous a permis de monter que ZBTB24 était essentielle pour le développement embryonnaire précoce. De plus, ZBTB24 jouerait un rôle dans l'établissement de la méthylation des séquences répétées de l'ADN, à la fois en tandem ou intercalé. Fait intéressant, ZBTB24 semble être également impliqué dans l'établissement de la marque répressive H3K9me3, suggérant un rôle de la protéine dans le "dialogue" entre la méthylation de l'ADN et celle des histones. Dans l'ensemble, mon travail met l'accent sur la façon dont la méthylation de l'ADN et les marques d'hétérochromatine sont établies et maintenues à des gènes uniques et des répétitions de l'ADN, et fournit de nouveaux acteurs et mécanismes à considérer dans les études sur le maintien de la stabilité du génome. / DNA methylation is an essential process for the development of mammals. Its abnormal distribution, particularly at the level of the repeated regions of the genome, is a pathological signature. The discovery of hereditary diseases affecting DNA methylation and the stability of the genome allowed a considerable progress in the identification of their actors and mechanisms. We chose to study the ICF (Immunodeficiency, Centromeric Instability and Facial Abnormalities) syndrome, the first genetic disorder identified with defects in the distribution of DNA methylation, linked to chromosomal instability. When I started my PhD, mutations in two genes had been described to cause the ICF syndrome: DNMT3B and ZBTB24. However, the genetic origin of a subset of ICF patients remained unknown. We identified mutations in CDCA7 and HELLS as causative of the ICF syndrome. I showed that their loss of function in somatic cells results in the loss of DNA methylation at centromeric repeats, strongly suggestive of a role DNA methylation maintenance. Hence, the study of the aetiology of a genetic disease provided new candidate “guardians” of DNA repeats and genome stability, with virtually unknown functions but with exciting potential roles in the DNA methylation machinery and in development. During my PhD, I established methylation maps in ICF patients cells to identify common and distinct targets of these factors, as well as their genomic and epigenomic characteristics. In contrast to DNMT3B mutations, those in ZBTB24, CDCA7 and HELLS affect methylation at CpG-poor regions in intergenic genomic locations and at interspersed DNA repeats, and more generally, at genomic locations with heterochromatic features. Their integrity is required for the methylated status of coding and non-coding clusters of genes, some of which are expressed in a monoallelic manner. To better characterize the role of ZBTB24 in development and DNA methylation pathways, we generated a mouse model carrying mutations in ZBTB24. We showed that ZBTB24 is essential for early development, while it seemed to be dispensable for in vitro differentiation of murine ES cells. We implicated ZBTB24 in the establishment of DNA methylation at DNA repeats, both in tandem or interspersed, in differentiating ES cells. Interestingly, ZBTB24 seems to be also implicated in the establishment of the repressive mark H3K9me3 suggesting that ZBTB24 may indirectly control DNA methylation through an interplay with histone marks. As a whole, our work sheds light on how DNA methylation and heterochromatin marks are established and maintained at unique genes and DNA repeats, and provides new actors and mechanisms to consider in studies of the maintenance of genome stability.

<p>The objective of this study was to develop and validate a six Non-CODIS miniSTR genotyping system and to determine its suitability for forensic casework in South Africa. In Non-CODIS miniSTR genotyping systems, smaller PCR products are amplified and the primers are positioned as close as possible to the repeat region. For this reason, these systems can be valuable in a variety of scenarios including complex paternity cases, missing persons work, and mass fatality disasters.</p>

Yogurt is a characteristic fermented dairy product of Turkey and Bulgaria and its popularity has been increasing all over the world. Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus (Lactobacillus bulgaricus) are used together as starter culture in production of yogurt. The objective of this study was to isolate and characterize yogurt cultures from traditionally produced yogurts (i.e. produced without using commercial starter cultures) and to search the genotypic diversity within traditional S. thermophilus isolates. Yogurt cultures were isolated from traditionally produced yogurts collected from different regions of Turkey and identified biochemically. Acidification ability of the isolates was examined and the cultures giving best acidifying rates were further subjected to a selection in terms of their acetaldehyde production ability. Then, phage resistance and proteolytic activity of chosen isolates were tested. Finally, twenty-five L. bulgaricus and twenty-two S. thermophilus isolates were selected as cultures having best technological properties. Furthermore, subtyping studies were carried out to indicate strain diversity among isolates. S. thermophilus was selected as target organism for subtyping in this study. Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) loci are highly polymorphic genetic regions, which are composed of partially palindromic direct repeats interspaced by sequences called spacers. In order to characterize S. thermophilus isolates genotypically, CRISPR1 locus of the isolates were analyzed. Additionally, nineteen isolates selected after CRISPR1 analysis were characterized using multilocus sequence typing (MLST). This provided to compare CRISPR1 analysis with MLST as a typing method. According to CRISPR1 analysis S. thermophilus isolates were grouped into 6 main clusters with a total of 15 sub-clusters. MLST results demonstrated an evolutionary relationship among these strains compatible with that derived from the CRISPR1 analysis.

<p>The objective of this study was to develop and validate a six Non-CODIS miniSTR genotyping system and to determine its suitability for forensic casework in South Africa. In Non-CODIS miniSTR genotyping systems, smaller PCR products are amplified and the primers are positioned as close as possible to the repeat region. For this reason, these systems can be valuable in a variety of scenarios including complex paternity cases, missing persons work, and mass fatality disasters.</p>

The objective of this study was to develop and validate a six Non-CODIS miniSTR genotyping system and to determine its suitability for forensic casework in South Africa.In Non-CODIS miniSTR genotyping systems, smaller PCR products are amplified and the primers are positioned as close as possible to the repeat region. For this reason, these systems can be valuable in a variety of scenarios including complex paternity cases,missing persons work, and mass fatality disasters. After the successful implementation of the genotyping system in the laboratory, allele size range was determined for each of the loci and allelic ladders were constructed. The entire repeat regions of the six loci under investigation were successfully sequenced.Consequently, allele repeat number, structure and observed size were determined for each locus.An internal validation study of the six Non-CODIS miniSTR genotyping system was conducted following the SWGDAM guidelines. A comprehensive population study,covering five population groups from South Africa was also carried out.The genotyping system produced consistent, accurate and precise genetic profiles for low concentrations of template DNA. When analyzing mixed DNA samples, successful differentiation of minor and major DNA components was identifiable. Amplification products were observed in non-human DNA studies but in all instances complete genotype profiles were not obtained. Allele frequencies and forensic parameters were determined for the system in five South African population groups (i.e. Afrikaner, Asian-Indian, Mixed Ancestry, Xhosa and Cape Muslim). No deviation from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium was observed in any of the populations. Furthermore, all populations displayed a high power of discrimination and a high power of exclusion.The six Non-CODIS miniSTR genotyping system has shown a good potential to aid in the analysis of degraded DNA samples. This system can be further improved by including additional loci. Even in its current form, it can certainly provide additional discrimination in complex paternity and/or missing person cases. / >Magister Scientiae - MSc

Thesis (Ph. D.) -- University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, 2006. / Embargoed. Vita. Bibliography: 194-220.

O gene SHOX (short stature homeobox containing gene), expresso em altos níveis nas células osteogênicas, é fundamental para o desenvolvimento ósseo e para a determinação da altura. Haploinsuficiência do SHOX é responsável por vários fenótipos que envolvem a baixa estatura, como a síndrome de Turner, a discondrosteose de Léri-Weill e a baixa estatura idiopática. Cerca de dois terços das haploinsuficiências são causados por deleções. Neste trabalho, foi realizada uma comparação entre três técnicas para detecção de deleções do SHOX: a hibridação in situ com fluorescência (FISH), o estudo de microssatélites e o multiplex ligationdependent probe amplification (MLPA). Nos pacientes sem deleção do SHOX, foi realizado um rastreamento para identificação de mutações de ponto no gene que levassem à sua haploinsuficiência. Foram analisados seis pacientes com discondrosteose de Léri-Weill (DLW) e 20 com baixa estatura desproporcionada (BED). Na técnica de FISH, os cromossomos metafásicos obtidos a partir de cultura de linfócitos foram hibridados com o cosmídio LLNOYCO3M34F5. DNA genômico extraído a partir de leucócitos de sangue periférico foi submetido à análise de microssatélites e MLPA. Foram amplificados seis marcadores de microssatélites (repetições CA, DYS290, DXYS10093, DXYS10096, DXYS233 e DXYS234) e o MLPA foi realizado de acordo com as instruções dos kits SALSA MLPA P018-C1 e P018-D1 SHOX. Estes kits contêm oito sondas específicas para o gene SHOX e 13 para a área do SHOX, localizada a jusante do gene. O seqüenciamento direto da região codificadora do gene foi realizado nos pacientes sem deleção. Todos os pacientes com DLW apresentaram deleções envolvendo todo o gene. Entre os pacientes com BED, apenas um (5,0%) apresentou uma deleção intragênica envolvendo os exons 4, 5 e 6a. Os resultados das três metodologias foram concordantes na maioria dos casos, exceto em dois casos. No primeiro caso, inicialmente o FISH não identificou uma deleção envolvendo todos os éxons em um paciente com DLW. No segundo, uma deleção envolvendo os exons 4, 5 e 6a, identificada em uma paciente com BED, foi detectada apenas pelo MLPA. Ainda entre os pacientes com BED, três (15%) apresentaram deleção da região do marcador DXYS10096, a 3 do gene. Outros três (15%) pacientes apresentaram mutações de ponto identificadas pelo seqüenciamento direto: a mutação p.Tyr35X, que resulta na substituição de uma tirosina por um códon de parada prematuro; a p.Arg147His localizada na região do homeodomínio e a NM_000451:c.1236 -10T>C que se encontra a 10 nucleotídeos antes do início do éxon 5. Em uma comparação das três metodologias, o FISH foi considerado a técnica mais trabalhosa e com menor sensibilidade, levando até oito dias para sua realização. A análise por microssatélites requer o estudo dos progenitores, além de um grande número de marcadores para a análise de regiões extensas. O MLPA detectou todas as deleções, sendo considerada a metodologia mais sensível. Ele apresentou também menor custo e tempo de execução, além de possibilitar a estimativa do tamanho da deleção. Desta forma, o MLPA foi considerado a melhor metodologia para investigação inicial dos pacientes com DLW e BED. / The SHOX gene (short stature homeobox containing gene), expressed at high levels in osteogenic cells, is essential for bone development and growth process. SHOX haploinsufficiency is responsible for several phenotypes involving short stature, such as Turner syndrome, Léri-Weill dyschondrosteosis (LWD) and idiopathic short stature. Deletions are responsible for 2/3 of SHOX haploinsufficiency. In this study, a comparison among three techniques for detection of SHOX deletions: fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), microsatellites analysis and multiplex ligationdependent probe amplification (MLPA) was performed. A screening for point mutations that could lead to haploinsufficiency was performed in patients without SHOX deletion. Six patients with Léri-Weill dyschondrosteosis (LWD) and 20 with disproportionate short stature (DSS) were analyzed. FISH analysis was performed using the cosmid LLNOYCO3\"M\"34F5 and metaphase spreads obtained from lymphocytes culture. Genomic DNA extracted from peripheral blood leukocytes was used to microsatellite and MLPA analysis. Six microsatellite markers (CA repeats, DYS290, DXYS10093, DXYS10096, DXYS233 and DXYS234) were amplified by PCR and MLPA was performed according to the manufacturers instructions for SALSA MLPA P018 and P018-C1-D1 SHOX kits. These kits contain 8 specific probes for SHOX gene and 13 for \"SHOX area, which is located downstream of the gene. The direct sequencing of entire encoding region was performed in patients with no SHOX deletions. All patients with LWD presented deletions involving the entire gene. One (5.0%) patient with DSS, presented an intragenic deletion involving exons 4, 5 and 6a. The results of the three methods were concordant in most cases, except in two cases. In the first case, a patient with DLW, the FISH did not identify a deletion involving all SHOX exons. In the second case, a deletion of exons 4, 5 and 6a in a patient with BED was identified only by MLPA. Other 3 (15%) DSS patients had deletion in SHOX area, in the DXYS10096 marker. Other three (15%) patients presented a point mutation identified by direct sequencing: p.Tyr35X, which replaces a tyrosine for a premature stop codon, p.Arg147His located in the homeodomain region and NM_000451: c.1236-10T> C which is 10 nucleotides before the exon 5. In a comparison of three methods, the FISH technique was considered the more laborious and less sensitive, taking until eight days to obtain the results. The microsatellite analysis requires the parents DNA study. In addition, several markers are essential for the analysis of extensive regions. The MLPA was considered the most sensitive methodology since it detected all deletions. It also presented lower cost and execution time, and allowed the estimation of the size of the deletion. Thus, the MLPA was considered the best approach for initial investigation of LWD and DSS patients.

Existe grande interesse na determinação das bases genéticas do carcinoma basocelular (CBC) que expliquem seu fenótipo pouco agressivo e comportamento metastático infreqüente. Investigamos a instabilidade de microssatélites (MSI) e perda de heterozigosidade (LOH) nos microssatélites D6S251 (6q14) e D6S252 (6q16) de CBCs esporádicos de alto e baixo risco histológico através da análise de bandas obtidas pelo gel de poliacrilamida após PCR em comparação com o tecido normal. Não houve alteração do microssatélite D6S252 nas 15 amostras estudadas. Para o microssatélite D6S251, houve alterações em 6 das 26 amostras estudadas (23,07%). MSI e LOH ocorreram em 46,15% das amostras de alto risco (respectivamente 15,38% e 30,76), o que sugere o provável envolvimento da região 6q14 na diferenciação histológica do CBC / A lot of interest lies in determining the genetic basis of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) to explain the lack of aggressive phenotype and infrequent metastatic behavior. We have analyzed the microsatellite instability (MSI) and loss of instability (LOH) in the D6S251 (6q14) and D6S252 (6q16) microsatellites patterns of histological low- high-risk sporadic BCC tumor samples using PCR-based assay in comparison with normal tissue. We have not found any alteration in D6S252 microsatellite 15 samples studied. We have encountered D6S251 alterations in 6 of 26 BCC samples (23.07%).MSI and LOH occurred in 46.15% of high-risk samples (15.38% and 30.76%), These results probably suggests participation of 6q14 region in histological differentiation of BCC

Made available in DSpace on 2014-08-20T13:59:10Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 dissertacao_monalize_mota.pdf: 604056 bytes, checksum: 57eae937e8a32e621bfa9faf35bcd6fa (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008-07-31 / The production of plum is an important commodity around the world. In Brazil, the state of Rio Grande do Sul is the major producer. However, despite the great potential for cultivation, some factors are limiting for increasing the production, such as: a) climate variability; b) use of inadequate stocks; c) pollination of most cultivar is self-incompatible d) doubtful genetic history of the plant material. Considering these problems, the aim of this work was to identify allele-S related to gametophytic self- incompatibility in Prunus salicina (Lindl.) and to perform the molecular characterization of cultivars by means of microsatellites locus. For these purposes eleven cultivars of Japanese plum [Santa Rosa, Santa Rita, Reubennel, Pluma 7, América, Rosa Mineira, Amarelinha, The First, Gulfblaze (Clone São Paulo), Gulfblaze (Clone Guaíba) e Harry Pickstone] were analysed by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) using three pairs of primers specific for amplifying the alleles-S and primers for five microsatellite locus. The experiments were performed in the Laboratório de Cultura de Tecidos de Plantas Caracterização Molecular, of the Departamento de Botânica da Universidade Federal de Pelotas. In the amplification of alleles-S was observed that the reaction mix for PCR, the PCR conditions, and primers combination, allowed an effective characterization of alleles-S in the cultivars of P. salicina and the identification of pollinators more compatible to commercial cultivars. Sequencing analysis of some amplified alleles-S revealed high similarity to sequences of nucleotides already identified in other studies with Prunus spp. In the analysis of five microsatellite locus thirty polymorphisms were obtained allowing a clear identification of Japanese plum genotypes, elucidating the homonymy between the cultivars Gulfblaze (Clone São Paulo) and Gulfblaze (Clone Guaíba). However, the polymorphisms were not sufficient for obtaining a reasonable estimation of the genetic variability and grouping analysis of the Japanese plums evaluated. / A cultura de ameixeira tem papel de destaque na fruticultura mundial. No Brasil, o Estado do Rio Grande do Sul se destaca como maior produtor. Porém, mesmo apresentando elevado potencial de cultivo, alguns fatores têm limitado o aumento da produção, entre eles: a) a variabilidade de clima; b) o uso de porta- enxertos inadequados; c) a incapacidade de autopolinização da maioria das cultivares d) e a idoneidade genética do material vegetal. Diante disso, o objetivo deste trabalho foi identificar alelos-S relacionados à auto-incompatibilidade gametofítica em Prunus salicina (Lindl.) e caracterizar molecularmente as cultivares por meio de locos microssatélites. Para tal fim foram analisadas 11 cultivares de ameixeira japonesa [Santa Rosa, Santa Rita, Reubennel, Pluma 7, América, Rosa Mineira, Amarelinha, The First, Gulfblaze (Clone São Paulo), Gulfblaze (Clone Guaíba) e Harry Pickstone], por meio de Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase (PCR) com três pares de primers específicos para amplificação de alelos-S e primers para cinco locos de microssatélites. Os experimentos foram desenvolvidos no Laboratório de Cultura de Tecidos de Plantas Caracterização Molecular, do Departamento de Botânica da Universidade Federal de Pelotas. Na amplificação de alelos-S, constatou-se que as concentrações e condições de PCR utilizadas, bem como às combinações de primers, permitiram a efetiva caracterização de alelos-S nas cultivares de P. salicina estudadas, bem como, a escolha das polinizadoras mais compatíveis com as cultivares produtoras. O seqüenciamento de alguns dos alelos-S amplificados revelou elevada similaridade com seqüências de nucleotídeos já identificados em outros trabalhos com Prunus spp.. Na análise de cinco locos de microssatélites obteve-se um total de 30 polimorfismos possibilitando uma clara identificação dos genótipos de ameixeira japonesa, esclarecendo caso de homonímia entre as cultivares Gulfblaze (Clone São Paulo) e Gulfblaze (Clone Guaíba), no entanto, os polimorfismos não foram suficientes para obter uma boa estimativa da variabilidade genética e análise de agrupamento dos genótipos de ameixeira japonesa avaliados.

The present thesis is concerned with the phenomenon of language transfer of fluency in sponteneous speech of advanced learners of English, whose first language is Czech. Particularly, it considers the transfer of speech rate and two selected speech management strategies: filled pauses and repeats. These strategies commonly occur in the speech of native speakers. Non-native speakers, however, tend to overuse these and the difference in distribution as compared to native speech can negatively influence their fluency. The thesis examines the hypothesis that speech rate and the use of filled pauses and repeats are affected by transfer from L1 alongside increased planning pressures, leading to overuse of these strategies in the speech of advanced learners and the differences in distribution. The data for analysis were taken from English and Czech recordings of eight advanced learners.