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Efficient control of sea lice is a major challenge for the sustainable production of farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar (Linnaeus, 1758)). These marine ectoparasites feed on mucus, skin and blood of their hosts, thereby reducing the salmon’s growth rate and overall health. In the northern hemisphere, the most prevalent species is Lepeophtheirus salmonis (Krøyer, 1837). In 2006, global costs of sea lice infections are estimated to have exceeded €300 million, with the majority spent on a limited number of chemical delousing agents. Emamectin benzoate (EMB; SLICE®), an avermectin, has been widely used since its introduction in 2000, due to its convenient administration as an in-feed medication and its high efficacy against all parasitic stages of L. salmonis. However, over-reliance on a single or limited range of medicines favours the emergence of drug resistance and, as a result, the efficacy of this compound in treating L. salmonis has decreased in recent years, as reported from e.g. Chile, Norway, Scotland and Canada. Declining efficacy underlines the need for an improved understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying EMB drug resistance in L. salmonis. Elucidation of these mechanisms would allow for improved monitoring tools, earlier detection of developing resistance, extended usability of current delousing agents and development of new parasiticides. The work described in this thesis sets out to examine the molecular mechanisms underlying EMB resistance in L. salmonis. In earlier studies, research in nematodes and arthropods has linked drug efflux transporters belonging to the family of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters to ivermectin (IVM) resistance, a parasiticide with high chemical similarity to EMB. ABC transporters such as permeability glycoprotein (P-gp), transport a wide range of substrates, including drugs, and have been suggested to provide a potential molecular mechanism through which EMB resistance might be mediated in sea lice. As an example of such mechanisms, increased expression of P-gp is one of the causative factors for drug resistance in human cancer cells and avermectin resistance in nematode parasites such as Caenorhabditis elegans or Haemonchus contortus. Initial research involved screening for novel salmon lice P-gps that might contribute to EMB resistance. A novel P-gp, SL-PGY1, was discovered using a combined bioinformatic and molecular biological approach. The expression was compared in two well-characterised L. salmonis strains differing in their susceptibility to EMB (S = susceptible, R = resistant). Prior to EMB exposure, mRNA levels did not differ from each other, while, after 24 h exposure, a 2.9-fold increase in SL-PGY1 mRNA expression was observed in the R strain. SL-PGY1 appears not to be a major factor contributing to reduced EMB susceptibility, although it could play a role, as expression levels increased upon exposure to EMB. A further four additional drug transporters (ABC C subfamily) were also discovered showing high homology to multidrug-resistance proteins (MRP). The relative expression levels of each MRP was compared in the strains S and R, before and after exposure to EMB. No significant changes were found in their expression patterns. If ABC drug transporters mediate the efflux of EMB and thereby reduce the intracellular concentrations of the drug in exposed animals, the inhibition of those ABC drug transporters was expected to lead to higher intracellular levels of EMB. This could result in an enhanced toxic effect when EMB is co-administered with an inhibitor. Two known inhibitors of human P-gps and MRPs, cyclosporin A (CSA) and verapamil (VER), were co-administered with EMB. CSA increased the toxic effect of EMB in both tested strains, implying that the targets of CSA are expressed at comparable levels and that they may be part of the mechanism conferring EMB resistance. VER increased the toxic effect of EMB in the R strain, but had no significant effects on the S strain. This implies that the expression of factors inhibited by VER differs between the two L. salmonis strains. It is hypothesised that a number of ABC transporters with distinct, yet overlapping patterns of inhibitor specificity are affected by those inhibitors. The search for drug-resistance conferring genes was complemented with a systematic, genome-wide survey of ABC transporters in L. salmonis to find additional members of this important gene family. Next-generation high-throughput RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was employed to assemble a reference transcriptome from pooled total RNA of salmon lice at different development stages. The transcriptome was assembled against the L. salmonis genome and annotated. Thirty-nine putative ABC transporters were found. Of further interest were transcripts of the subfamily B, C and G, as they contain drug-transporting ABC proteins. For the ABC B subfamily, one full (SL-PGY1) and three half transporter transcripts were found. Only full transporters are known to transport drugs and SL-PGY1 is apparently not a major factor contributing to EMB resistance. Fourteen ABCC sequences were found – 11 MRPs and 3 homologues to sulfonylurea receptors. Of interest are MRPs, as they contribute to drug detoxification in humans and invertebrates. Four MRPs had been identified previously and their expression ratios did not differ between S and R strain parasites. Seven sequences belonging to ABCG subfamily were found. However, none of the L. salmonis ABCG transcripts identified showed sufficient homology to known drug transporters in other species. With the currently limited understanding of the mechanisms conferring EMB resistance, monitoring the susceptibility of L. salmonis subpopulations is essential. Dose-response bioassays are currently widely used. Tests with pre-adult II or adult parasites requires relatively large numbers of parasites (~150) to conduct this type of bioassay, which may not always be available. Addressing this issue, we tested the feasibility of a single-dose bioassay (requiring fewer test animals than dose-response bioassays) to discriminate between L. salmonis strains with differing EMB susceptibility. This alternative approach uses time-course toxicity analysis, where the toxic effect of EMB is monitored over time. After clearly defining the effect criteria, we found that it is possible to discriminate between those L. salmonis strains. However, while requiring fewer test animals, time course toxicity analysis is more labour-intensive, but the alternative design can be suitable under certain circumstances. The work reported here has provided new knowledge concerning the mechanisms of EMB resistance in sea lice. Several novel putative drug transporters have been identified, an important first step toward unravelling the complex interactions of genes involved in EMB resistance in this commercially important parasite.

Os transportadores da família ABC são proteínas transmembrânicas envolvidas com o tráfego de substâncias endógenas e exógenas do meio intracelular para o extracelular, sendo alvos de estudo na resistência celular a agentes quimioterápicos. O ABCC2 é um transportador transmembrânico que exporta ativamente fármacos aniônicos conjugados e facilita o transporte de agentes anticâncer. O ABCG2 é outro transportador transmembrânico que tem influência na farmacocinética e farmacodinâmica de certos xenobióticos e substratos endógenos; além disso, acredita-se que este gene contribui para a resistência a várias drogas. Por esses motivos identificamos por sequenciamento ou PCR-RFLP os polimorfismos dos genes ABCC2 (Val417Ile, Ser789Phe e Ala1450Thr) e ABCG2 (Val12Met, Gly126stop códon, Gly141Lys) em 90 pacientes portadores de carcinoma epidermóide de cabeça e pescoço (HNSCC) e tentamos correlacionar a presença do polimorfismo com resposta a tratamento que incluiu cisplatina em todos os pacientes. Não encontramos nenhuma correlação entre a presença de polimorfismo para Val12Met, Gly141Lys e Val417Ile, determinados em 68 pacientes tratados exclusivamente com cisplatina e radioterapia, e a resposta ao tratamento. As curvas de sobrevida, determinadas por Kaplan-Meier, considerando polimórfico os pacientes que continham pelo menos um dos alelos alterados e selvagem os que não tivessem nenhum deles, mostraram que os pacientes selvagens para o polimorfismo Val12Met tiveram tendência a uma pior sobrevida (sobrevida mediana de 18,7 meses) em relação aos pacientes polimórficos (sobrevida mediana não atingida; P=0,089 Teste de log-rank), já os pacientes selvagens para o polimorfismo Gly141Lys tiveram tendência a uma pior sobrevida (sobrevida mediana de 15,8 meses) em relação aos pacientes polimórficos (sobrevida mediana de 25,6 meses; P = 0,16 Teste de logrank). Não observamos correlação entre os outros polimorfismos e sobrevida. Quanto ao GLY126stop, somente um paciente foi identificado como polimórfico. Conclusões: No nosso estudo, a freqüência do polimorfismo Val12Met de 10% está próxima dos 18% descrito na população normal (Kobayashi 2004). Nosso trabalho foi o primeiro a correlacionar estes polimorfismos com resposta ao tratamento em pacientes com carcinoma epidermóide de cabeça e pescoço e indica que Val12Met e Gly141Lys e o gene ABCG2 como um todo são candidatos a um estudo maior / ATP binding cassette (ABC) transporters form one of the largest transmembrane protein families. These proteins use cellular ATP to drive the transport of various substrates across cell membranes including many exogenous and endogenous compounds, which includes drugs used in cancer treatment. ABCC2 is an ATP binding cassette transporter which accepts a diverse range of substrates, including glutathione, glucuronide, and sulfate conjugates of many metabolites and xenobiotics. ABCG2 is a member of the ATP binding cassette (ABC) transporters whose function is to pump out of the cell a wide variety of endogenous and exogenous compounds. Widely expressed in stem cells, ABCG2 is also recognized as a universal marker of stem cells. For these reasons we had identified the following polymorphisms of ABCC2 gene: -Val417Ile, Ser789Phe and Ala1450Thr- and of ABCG2 gene as well: -Val12Met, Gly126stop códon, Gly141Lys in 88 patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Methodology included PCR - RFLP and direct sequencing. Survival analysis was done using Kaplan-Meier curves and response measured by RECIST criteria. Comparisons were done between polymorphic patients in which at least one polymorphism was present as opposed to the patients without the polymorphism. Correlation with response to treatment was studied for Val12Met, Gly141Lys e Val417Il in 68 patients exclusively treated with concomitant cisplatin and radiotherapy and no correlation was found between these markers and treatment response. Patients without the Val12Met presented a trend towards shorter survival (median survival 18.7 months) as compared to polymorphic patients (median survival not reached, long rank p= 0.089). Although statistical significance was not reached, patients wild type for Gly141Lys polymorphism (median survival 15.8 months) had shorter survival than polymorphic patients (25.6 months, p=0.16). We did not observe any other correlation between other polymorphisms and survival. With respect to Gly126stop, only one patient was identified as polymorphic and survival analysis was not possible. As far as we know this is the first study to try to correlate these polymorphisms with treatment response and survival in HNSCC patients. Although we were unable to draw any definitive conclusions, our results indicate that Val12Met and Gly141Lys deserve to be further studied in the future.

Os transportadores da família ABC são proteínas transmembrânicas envolvidas com o tráfego de substâncias endógenas e exógenas do meio intracelular para o extracelular, sendo alvos de estudo na resistência celular a agentes quimioterápicos. O ABCC2 é um transportador transmembrânico que exporta ativamente fármacos aniônicos conjugados e facilita o transporte de agentes anticâncer. O ABCG2 é outro transportador transmembrânico que tem influência na farmacocinética e farmacodinâmica de certos xenobióticos e substratos endógenos; além disso, acredita-se que este gene contribui para a resistência a várias drogas. Por esses motivos identificamos por sequenciamento ou PCR-RFLP os polimorfismos dos genes ABCC2 (Val417Ile, Ser789Phe e Ala1450Thr) e ABCG2 (Val12Met, Gly126stop códon, Gly141Lys) em 90 pacientes portadores de carcinoma epidermóide de cabeça e pescoço (HNSCC) e tentamos correlacionar a presença do polimorfismo com resposta a tratamento que incluiu cisplatina em todos os pacientes. Não encontramos nenhuma correlação entre a presença de polimorfismo para Val12Met, Gly141Lys e Val417Ile, determinados em 68 pacientes tratados exclusivamente com cisplatina e radioterapia, e a resposta ao tratamento. As curvas de sobrevida, determinadas por Kaplan-Meier, considerando polimórfico os pacientes que continham pelo menos um dos alelos alterados e selvagem os que não tivessem nenhum deles, mostraram que os pacientes selvagens para o polimorfismo Val12Met tiveram tendência a uma pior sobrevida (sobrevida mediana de 18,7 meses) em relação aos pacientes polimórficos (sobrevida mediana não atingida; P=0,089 Teste de log-rank), já os pacientes selvagens para o polimorfismo Gly141Lys tiveram tendência a uma pior sobrevida (sobrevida mediana de 15,8 meses) em relação aos pacientes polimórficos (sobrevida mediana de 25,6 meses; P = 0,16 Teste de logrank). Não observamos correlação entre os outros polimorfismos e sobrevida. Quanto ao GLY126stop, somente um paciente foi identificado como polimórfico. Conclusões: No nosso estudo, a freqüência do polimorfismo Val12Met de 10% está próxima dos 18% descrito na população normal (Kobayashi 2004). Nosso trabalho foi o primeiro a correlacionar estes polimorfismos com resposta ao tratamento em pacientes com carcinoma epidermóide de cabeça e pescoço e indica que Val12Met e Gly141Lys e o gene ABCG2 como um todo são candidatos a um estudo maior / ATP binding cassette (ABC) transporters form one of the largest transmembrane protein families. These proteins use cellular ATP to drive the transport of various substrates across cell membranes including many exogenous and endogenous compounds, which includes drugs used in cancer treatment. ABCC2 is an ATP binding cassette transporter which accepts a diverse range of substrates, including glutathione, glucuronide, and sulfate conjugates of many metabolites and xenobiotics. ABCG2 is a member of the ATP binding cassette (ABC) transporters whose function is to pump out of the cell a wide variety of endogenous and exogenous compounds. Widely expressed in stem cells, ABCG2 is also recognized as a universal marker of stem cells. For these reasons we had identified the following polymorphisms of ABCC2 gene: -Val417Ile, Ser789Phe and Ala1450Thr- and of ABCG2 gene as well: -Val12Met, Gly126stop códon, Gly141Lys in 88 patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Methodology included PCR - RFLP and direct sequencing. Survival analysis was done using Kaplan-Meier curves and response measured by RECIST criteria. Comparisons were done between polymorphic patients in which at least one polymorphism was present as opposed to the patients without the polymorphism. Correlation with response to treatment was studied for Val12Met, Gly141Lys e Val417Il in 68 patients exclusively treated with concomitant cisplatin and radiotherapy and no correlation was found between these markers and treatment response. Patients without the Val12Met presented a trend towards shorter survival (median survival 18.7 months) as compared to polymorphic patients (median survival not reached, long rank p= 0.089). Although statistical significance was not reached, patients wild type for Gly141Lys polymorphism (median survival 15.8 months) had shorter survival than polymorphic patients (25.6 months, p=0.16). We did not observe any other correlation between other polymorphisms and survival. With respect to Gly126stop, only one patient was identified as polymorphic and survival analysis was not possible. As far as we know this is the first study to try to correlate these polymorphisms with treatment response and survival in HNSCC patients. Although we were unable to draw any definitive conclusions, our results indicate that Val12Met and Gly141Lys deserve to be further studied in the future.

<p>Transport into and across the cells of the human body is a prerequisite for the pharmacological action of drugs. Passive membrane permeability and active transport mechanisms are major determinants of the intestinal absorption of drugs, as well as of the distribution to target tissues and the subsequent metabolism and excretion from the body. In this thesis, the role of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters and passive permeability on drug absorption and disposition was investigated. Particular emphasis was placed on defining the molecular properties important for these transport mechanisms. </p><p>The influence of different transport pathways on predictions of intestinal drug absorption was investigated using experimental models of different complexity. Experimental models that include the paracellular pathway gave improved predictions of intestinal drug absorption, especially for incompletely absorbed drugs. Further, the inhibition of the ABC transporters breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP/ABCG2) and multidrug-resistance associated protein 2 (MRP2/ABCC2) was experimentally investigated using structurally diverse datasets that were representative of orally administered drugs. A large number of previously unknown inhibitors were identified among registered drugs, but their clinical relevance for drug-drug interactions and drug-induced toxicity remains to be determined. The majority of the inhibitors affected all three major ABC transporters BCRP, MRP2 and P-glycoprotein (P gp/ABCB1), and these multi-specific inhibitors were found to be enriched in highly lipophilic weak bases. </p><p>To summarize, the present work has led to an increased knowledge of the molecular features of importance for ABC transporter inhibition and passive membrane permeability. Previously unknown ABC transporter inhibitors were identified and predictive computational models were developed for the different drug transport mechanisms. These could be valuable tools to assist in the prioritization of experimental efforts in early drug discovery.</p>

Transport into and across the cells of the human body is a prerequisite for the pharmacological action of drugs. Passive membrane permeability and active transport mechanisms are major determinants of the intestinal absorption of drugs, as well as of the distribution to target tissues and the subsequent metabolism and excretion from the body. In this thesis, the role of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters and passive permeability on drug absorption and disposition was investigated. Particular emphasis was placed on defining the molecular properties important for these transport mechanisms. The influence of different transport pathways on predictions of intestinal drug absorption was investigated using experimental models of different complexity. Experimental models that include the paracellular pathway gave improved predictions of intestinal drug absorption, especially for incompletely absorbed drugs. Further, the inhibition of the ABC transporters breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP/ABCG2) and multidrug-resistance associated protein 2 (MRP2/ABCC2) was experimentally investigated using structurally diverse datasets that were representative of orally administered drugs. A large number of previously unknown inhibitors were identified among registered drugs, but their clinical relevance for drug-drug interactions and drug-induced toxicity remains to be determined. The majority of the inhibitors affected all three major ABC transporters BCRP, MRP2 and P-glycoprotein (P gp/ABCB1), and these multi-specific inhibitors were found to be enriched in highly lipophilic weak bases. To summarize, the present work has led to an increased knowledge of the molecular features of importance for ABC transporter inhibition and passive membrane permeability. Previously unknown ABC transporter inhibitors were identified and predictive computational models were developed for the different drug transport mechanisms. These could be valuable tools to assist in the prioritization of experimental efforts in early drug discovery.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the principal causative agent of tuberculosis (TB) in humans, is considered to be a successful pathogen owing to the elicitation of multidrug resistance, ability to survive inside macrophage phagosomes by taking nutrients from host cell cytoplasm, and the capacity to alternate between proliferating and dormant (nonproliferating) conditions of growth. Thus, whether one looks at tubercle bacillus from the standpoint of regulation of cell division in the host system, or uptake of nutrients from the host cell cytoplasm or elicitation of drug resistance, the requirement for ATP Binding Cassette (ABC) transporter type protein complexes, which might be involved in the transport of drugs, nutrients or proteins, could be of critical importance to the pathogen. Therefore the present study was initiated to characterize ABC transporter type proteins, FtsE and FtsX of M. tuberculosis (MtFtsE and MtFtsX), and their interaction with FtsZ and FtsQ, which are the septation proteins that are recruited respectively before and after the localization of FtsE and FtsX proteins. The study was carried out in 3 parts. 1. Cloning, overexpression and purification of MtFtsE and MtFtsX proteins and elucidation of ATP binding activity of MtFtsE There exists considerable extent of homology between the FtsE and FtsX proteins of M. tuberculosis and E. coli. Therefore, in order to verify whether the structural homology is reflected in functional homology, complementation of growth defect of E. coli ftsE (Ts) by MtFtsE and MtFtsX was carried out. The MtFtsE protein could partially complement growth defect of E. coli ftsE temperature sensitive strain MFT1181, whereas co-expression of MtFtsE and MtFtsX efficiently complemented growth defect, indicating that the MtFtsE and MtFtsX proteins functionally complement E. coli FtsE and FtsX and that the two proteins together might be performing an associated function. Subsequently, in order to biochemically characterize MtFtsE and MtFtsX proteins of M. tuberculosis, MtftsE gene was cloned in pQE30, overexpressed, purified by Ni2+-NTA agarose affinity chromatography under denaturing conditions and refolded. MtFtsX protein, being toxic to E. coli cells, could not be expressed to sufficient amounts. Western blotting with anti-MtFtsE antibody showed that the recombinant 6xHis-MtFtsE protein and the native MtFtsE protein were localized to the membrane of E. coli and M. tuberculosis cells respectively. 6xHis-MtFtsE protein showed ATP binding in vitro, whereas K42R mutation abolished ATP binding. Thus, like in the case of E. coli FtsE, the K42 residue, which is positionally equivalent to K41 in EcFtsE in Walker A motif, was found to be essential for ATP binding. At 1.3 nM concentration of [α32P] ATP,70 molar excess of ATP, ADP, AMP, and GTP competed out respectively 97%, 87%, 73% and 57% of the [α32P] ATP bound to 6xHis-MtFtsE. 2. Biochemical characterization of MtFtsE protein The functional architecture of an ABC transporter consists of two each of nucleotide binding domain (NBD) and transmembrane domain (TMD), which are either part of a single polypeptide chain or individual subunits. The functional NBD is a ‘nucleotide-sandwich dimer’ with ATP flanked by the Walker A and B motifs of one NBD and the signature motif and D-loop of the other. NBD, through ATPase activity, is involved in energizing the transport of substrates namely drugs, proteins, ions, and solutes across the membrane. Since MtFtsE possesses Walker A and Walker B motifs that constitute NBD, and MtFtsX possesses TMD (four transmembrane segments), the two proteins together might constitute an ABC transporter type complex. Therefore, we wanted to know whether MtFtsE could hydrolyze ATP. MtFtsE not only could bind ATP with high affinity but could hydrolyse it also (Km, 1.5 µM; Vmax, 0.87 nmole/mg/min). It could bind and hydrolyse GTP as well, but not CTP, albeit with lower affinity and rate (Km, 25 µM; Vmax, 0.54 nmole/mg/min). The ATPase activity is strongly dependent on Mg2+ or Mn2+, with a pH optimum of 6.5 – 8.0 and temperature range of 27oC - 40oC. Kinetic analysis of ATPase and GTPase activities indicated nucleotide- dependent cooperativity (Hill coefficient for ATP is 1.7 and for GTP, 2.1). Inhibition of ATPase activity, to almost similar extent, in the presence of 10-fold excess of ATPγS, ADP, AMP, GTP, and CTP, but not TTP, indicated that nucleotide binding is through nitrogenous base of the nucleotide. Inhibition of MtFtsE by orthovanadate classified the enzyme as a P-type ATPase. Partially purified MtFtsE in soluble fraction also showed ATPase activity. The ATPase-active form of MtFtsE is a dimer with the sole cysteine (C84) at the dimer interface. Homology modeling of MtFtsE, using MalK (the NBD component of an ABC transporter for maltose) as the template, supported this observation. Stabilization of the dimer through cys-cys disulphide bond increased ATPase activity by 3.7-fold, although C84 does not have any role in ATPase activity. 3. Identification and elucidation of interaction among cell division proteins FtsE, FtsX, FtsQ and FtsZ of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Septum synthesis in E. coli is mediated by a dozen of proteins, among which the bacterial cytoskeletal protein FtsZ is the first molecule to localise to the mid-cell site, where it forms a scaffold for the localization of downstream cell division proteins namely, FtsA /ZipA < FtsE / FtsX < FtsK < FtsQ < FtsL < FtsB < FtsW < FtsI < FtsN and AmiC. If the above order of recruitment of proteins holds true for M. tuberculosis as well, the immediate proteins recruited to the mid-cell site after MtFtsZ in M. tuberculosis would be MtFtsE and MtFtsX, followed with MtFtsK and MtFtsQ. Thus it is possible that MtFtsE and MtFtsX could be interacting with MtFtsZ and MtFtsQ. Therefore attempts were made to delineate the interaction network among MtFtsE, MtFtsX, MtFtsQ and MtFtsZ of M. tuberculosis. Ni2+-NTA agarose pulldown, co-immunoprecipitation and bacterial two-hybrid assays using wild type and deletion mutants of the proteins showed that MtFtsE interacts with MtFtsQ and MtFtsX through its C-terminus. In addition, MtFtsX could interact with MtFtsZ and MtFtsQ. MtFtsX was found to homodimerise and interact with MtFtsQ in vivo. The ATPase-active of MtFtsE in vivo being a dimer, a hypothetical model for the translocation of MtFtsQ into the membrane at mid-cell site was proposed. According to this model, MtFtsQ might be inserted into the membrane at the mid-cell site by (MtFtsX)2 functioning as the membrane channel for the transport, which could be energized by the ATPase subunit (MtFtsE)2 of the (MtFtsE)2(MtFtsX)2 complex. MtFtsX might have a role in tethering the FtsZ-ring with the membrane at the mid-cell site. An altogether different possibility could be that the (FtsE)2(FtsX)2 complex might have a role in the stabilization or constriction of FtsZ-ring during the inward growth of septum.

Orientador: Andrea Balan Fernandes / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Biologia / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-27T08:19:27Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Pegos_VanessaRodrigues_D.pdf: 41543267 bytes, checksum: 0c6ab77fc1de1527fad27fbf8c4b1e70 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015 / Resumo: Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri (X. citri) é o causador do cancro cítrico em diversas espécies de citrus, sobretudo, laranjas. As epidemias de cancro cítrico tem causado severas perdas econômicas à citricultura mundial uma vez que não há estratégias de combate efetiva contra essa bactéria no campo. Diversos estudos demonstraram a importância de genes para a patogênese de X. citri, mas ainda não foram investigados genes envolvidos na aquisição e no metabolismo de micronutrientes tais como o fosfato. X. citri conserva o sistema de transporte do tipo ABC de fosfato inorgânico codificado pelo óperon pstSCAB. Adicionalmente a bactéria possui dois outros operons oprO/phoX e phoBR, os quais codificam, respectivamente, uma porina de membrana externa e uma proteína periplasmática ligadora e o sistema dois componentes de sinalização celular, ambos integrantes do regulon de fosfato (regulon pho). Neste trabalho, estudamos a resposta destes operons à carência de fosfato, bem como o papel da proteína ligadora periplasmática PstS, por meio de análises proteômica, metabolômica, estruturais baseadas em cristalografia de raio-X e funcionais utilizando um mutante de X. citri portador de deleção no gene pstS (Xac::pstS). Os dados obtidos foram comparados entre as linhagens selvagem e mutante. Primeiramente evidenciamos que o sistema ABC de fosfato é ativado em carência do íon, incluindo um aumento de expressão de PhoX e PstS de 49 e 33 vezes, respectivamente, e que X. citri apresenta a maioria dos genes do regulon pho. PhoX e PstS são proteínas ligadoras de fosfato que partilham 70% de identidade de aminoácidos e são originadas de uma duplicação gênica. Na ausência de PstS, PhoX parece exercer a função de captação, mas não é capaz de recuperar todos os fenótipos da bactéria selvagem. Adicionalmente, ensaios de transporte de fosfato com as bactérias selvagem e mutante mostraram diferenças no transporte e que o sistema ABC permance constitutivo na linhagem mutante. A deleção de pstS também culminou no retardamento do crescimendo da bactéria em folhas de C. sinensis, mas não interferiu na adesão bacteriana e na produção da goma, estas sim, influenciadas diretamente pela concentração de fosfato no meio. Análises de metabolômica evidenciaram que a carência de fosfato induz mudanças nas rotas bioquímicas, sobretudo na linhagem mutante que utiliza da via das pentoses e do metabolismo do piruvato para a produção de ATP. Este é o primeiro trabalho que evidencia o papel do sistema ABC de transporte de fosfato nesta bactéria e que relaciona de uma forma multidisciplinar, o papel do íon e dos componentes do regulon pho na bactéria X. citri. Adicionalmente, uma vez que o sistema é bem conservado em outras espécies, os resultados obtidos servem como modelo para o gênero Xanthomonas / Abstract: ! Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri (X. citri) is the cause of citrus canker in several species of citrus, especially oranges. The citrus canker epidemics have caused severe economic losses to the citrus industry worldwide since no effective combat strategies against this bacterium. Several studies have demonstrated the importance of genes related to the pathogenesis of X. citri, but there is no studies about mechanisms of micronutrients acquisition such as phosphate. X. citri has an ATP-Binding Cassete transport system for inorganic phosphate encoded by pstSCAB operon. In addition, the bacterium has two other operons oprOphoX and phoBR, which encode respectively, an outer membrane porin and a periplasmic binding protein and two-components system. The three operons and other related genes are members of the phosphate regulon (pho regulon). In this work we studied the response of these operons in phosphate deprivation, and the role of periplasmic-binding protein PstS through proteomics analysis, metabolomics, crystallography and functionally based on a X. citri mutant deleted for pstS gene (Xac::pstS). Data were compared between wild type and mutant strains. We showed that the phosphate ABC system is activated during the ion depletion, including PstS and PhoX that showed increased levels of 49 and 30 times, respectively. In addition, we showed that X. citri displays most of the genes of the pho regulon. PhoX and PstS are phosphate binding proteins that share 70% amino acid identity and have origin from a gene duplication. In the absence of PstS, PhoX seems to complement the uptake function, but it is not able to recover all phenotypes of the wild type bacteria. Additionally, phosphate transport assays with wild type and mutant bacteria showed differences in transport and constitutivity of the ABCsystem in the mutant strain. The deletion of pstS also resulted in slowing of bacteria growth in Citrus sinensis leaves, but did not interfere with bacterial adhesion and gum production, two phenomena directly influenced by the phosphate concentration in the medium. Metabolomic analyzes showed that phosphate deprivation induces changes in biochemical pathways, especially the mutant strain that uses the pentose and pyruvate metabolism for ATP production. This is the first work that highlights the role of the ABC system for phosphate in this bacterium and that reveals in a multidisciplinary way, the role of the ion and the pho regulon components in the phytopathogenic bacterium. Additionally, once the system is well preserved in other species, the results serve as a model for the genus Xanthomonas / Doutorado / Genetica de Microorganismos / Doutora em Genética e Biologia Molecular

京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(農学) / 甲第21972号 / 農博第2362号 / 新制||農||1071(附属図書館) / 学位論文||R1||N5223(農学部図書室) / 京都大学大学院農学研究科応用生命科学専攻 / (主査)教授 木岡 紀幸, 教授 三芳 秀人, 教授 植田 充美 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Agricultural Science / Kyoto University / DGAM

Previously it was demonstrated that biliary excretion of a single dose of [14C]dieldrin or [3H]7, 12-dimethylbenz/alanthracene (DMBA) was stimulated up to 700% and 300%, respectively, in rainbow trout fed 0.3-0.4 mg dieldrin/kg/d for 9-12 wk. This was not explained by increased activities of hepatic microsomal xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes or increased amounts of any of six cytochrome P-450 isozymes quantitated by Western blots. It was hypothesized that stimulated excretion was explained by induction of (1) cytosolic binding proteins that facilitated intracellular trafficking of DMBA to sites of metabolism, or (2) ATP-dependent proteins that transport xenobiotic metabolites from liver to bile. Binding of 15 and 60 nmol [3H]DMBA/mg protein increased about 200% in hepatic cytosol from dieldrin-fed fish. A 50-fold molar excess of unlabeled DMBA reduced binding of 15 nmol [3H]DMBA/mg protein (nonspecific binding) by the same amount in cytosol from control and dieldrin-fed fish, indicating that dieldrin induced specific binding. Liver sections from control and dieldrin-fed fish were treated with multidrug resistance (MDR) protein monoclonal antibodies C494, C219, and JSB-1, and polyclonal antibody MDR Ab-1. There were no marked differences in optical densities of immunohistochemical staining near bile canaliculi of control and dieldrin-fed fish. Induction of xenobiotic binding capacity in cytosol of dieldrin-fed rainbow trout at least partially explained altered DMBA disposition in fish pretreated with this cyclodiene insecticide.