Huntington’s disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by the inheritance of one mutant copy of the huntingtin gene. Mutant huntingtin protein (mHtt) contains an expanded polyglutamine repeat region near the N-terminus. Cleavage of mHtt releases an N-terminal fragment (N-mHtt) which translocates, and accumulates in the nucleus. Nuclear accumulation of N-mHtt has been directly associated with cellular toxicity. Decreased transcription is among the earliest detected changes that occur in the brains of HD patients and is consistently observed in all animal and cellular models of HD. Transcriptional dysregulation may trigger many of the perturbations that occur later in disease progression and an understanding of the effects of mHtt may lead to strategies to slow the progression of the disease. Current models of N-mHtt-mediated transcriptional dysregulation suggest that abnormal interactions between N-mHtt and transcription factors impair the ability of these transcription factors to associate at N-mHtt-affected promoters and properly regulate gene expression. We tested various aspects of these models using two N-mHtt-affected promoters in in vitro transcription assays and in two cell models of HD using techniques including overexpression of known N-mHtt-interacting transcription factors, chromatin immunoprecipitation, promoter deletion and mutation analyses and in vitro promoter binding assays. Based on our results and those in the literature, we proposed a new model of N-mHtt-mediated transcriptional dysregulation centered on the presence of N-mHtt at affected promoters. We concluded that simultaneous interaction of N-mHtt with multiple binding partners within the transcriptional machinery would explain the gene-specificity of N-mHtt-mediated transcriptional dysregulation, as well as the observation that some genes are affected early in disease progression while others are affected later. Our model explains why alleviating N-mHtt-mediated transcriptional dysregulation through overexpression of N-mHtt-interacting proteins has proven to be difficult and suggests that the most realistic strategy for restoring gene expression across the spectrum of N-mHtt affected genes is by reducing the amount of soluble nuclear N-mHtt.

Submitted by IGOR HENRIQUE SENA DA SILVA null (igor.sena@outlook.com.br) on 2017-09-05T13:59:07Z No. of bitstreams: 1 DISSERTAÇÃO_Igor_Henrique_Sena_Silva.pdf: 1536012 bytes, checksum: da24e2e008037696caee4c8842fc8f05 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Luiz Galeffi (luizgaleffi@gmail.com) on 2017-09-06T13:13:51Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 silva_ihs_me_jabo.pdf: 1536012 bytes, checksum: da24e2e008037696caee4c8842fc8f05 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-09-06T13:13:51Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 silva_ihs_me_jabo.pdf: 1536012 bytes, checksum: da24e2e008037696caee4c8842fc8f05 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-07-26 / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) / Helicoverpa armigera é uma praga altamente polífaga e ataca culturas de grande importância agrícola em diversos países do mundo. O controle desta praga é realizado primariamente por inseticidas químicos. Porém, o uso indiscriminado do controle químico levou a resistência de populações desta praga a maioria dos inseticidas químicos usados para seu controle, dificultando o seu manejo no campo. Além do controle químico, o controle de H. armigera tem sido realizado com uso de plantas transgênicas que expressam a proteína Cry1Ac de Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) ou por bioinseticidas que contem esta e outras proteínas. No entanto, estudos têm demonstrado uma diminuição significativa na susceptibilidade de H. armigera às proteínas Cry com o aumento de seu desenvolvimento larval. O mecanismo de resistência mais comum dos insetos às proteínas Cry é a redução de ligação da proteína aos receptores presentes na membrana, levando a uma menor afinidade de ligação da proteína aos receptores intestinais. Desta forma, o objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a susceptibilidade de lagartas de diferentes ínstares de H. armigera à Cry1Ac e correlacionar com a capacidade de ligação da proteína Cry1Ac às microvilosidades apicais das células colunares do intestino médio (BBMVs) isoladas de todos ínstares larvais. Além disso, por meio de ensaios de imunoprecipitação e análise por cromatografia líquida acoplada a espectrofotometria de massa, identificar as proteínas envolvidas na interação com a proteína Cry1Ac no segundo e quinto ínstares de H. armigera. Foi observada uma redução significativa na susceptibilidade dos últimos ínstares larvais de H. armigera à proteína Cry1Ac comparado aos ínstares iniciais. Os valores estimados de CL50 variaram de 31,1 a 2525,7 ng de proteína/cm² de dieta, em lagartas de primeiro e sexto ínstar, respectivamente. Estes resultados evidenciam uma diferença de 80 vezes na susceptibilidade à proteína Cry1Ac do último para o primeiro ínstar. Nos testes de ligação de ELISA da proteína Cry1Ac às BBMVs dos diferentes ínstares, foi constatada uma diminuição total na capacidade de ligação da proteína Cry1Ac as BBMVs dos estádios mais tardios comparados aos iniciais, com afinidade de ligação aparente de 3,88 vezes menor no último ínstar comparado ao primeiro. Assim, uma clara correlação direta entre toxicidade de Cry1Ac e a afinidade de ligação da proteína às BBMVs de H. armigera foi demonstrada. Os resultados dos ensaios de imunoprecipitação demonstraram um padrão diferenciado de interação com a proteína Cry1Ac no segundo e quinto ínstar. A proteína fosfatase alcalina (ALP) foi identificada apenas no segundo ínstar, bem como, outras proteínas de membrana, como proibitina e uma proteína de canal iônico, que podem estar envolvidas para a alta toxicidade de Cry1Ac em ínstares iniciais de H. armigera. A identificação e o papel funcional das proteínas de ligação nos diferentes estádios de desenvolvimento de H. armigera, facilitará a elucidação do mecanismo de ação da proteína Cry1Ac e poderá ajudar a propor estratégias que retardem a evolução da resistência dos insetos às cultivares transgênicas que expressam esta proteína. / Helicoverpa armigera is a highly polyphagous pest and attacks important crops worldwide. The control of this pest is carried out primarily by chemical insecticides. However, the indiscriminate use of chemical control, led to pest populations to develop resistance to most of the chemical insecticides used for their control, making it difficult to management in the field. In addition to chemical control, H. armigera has been done by transgenic crops expressing Cry1Ac toxin from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) or by biopesticides that contains Cry1Ac or other toxins. However, studies have demonstrated a susceptibility decrease of H. armigera to Cry toxins with their larval development increase. The most common mechanism of resistance used by insects against Cry toxins is the reduced toxin binding to receptors present on the membrane, leading to a lower binding affinity of the toxin to intestinal receptors. Thus, the objective of this work was to evaluate the susceptibility of different instar larvae of H. armigera to Cry1Ac toxin and to correlate with the Cry1Ac toxin binding capacity to BBMV isolated from all larval instar. Furthermore, by pull-down techniques and liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry analysis, to identify the proteins involved in the Cry1Ac toxin interaction in the second and fifth instars of H. armigera. A significant reduction in the susceptibility of the late instars of H. armigera to Cry1Ac toxin was observed compared to early instars. LC50 estimated values ranged from 31.1 to 2525.7 ng of toxin/cm2 of diet in first and sixth instar larvae, respectively. These results point a difference of 80-fold in the susceptibility to Cry1Ac toxin from late to first larval instar. In the ELISA binding assays results to BBMV of the different instars was found a total decrease in the binding capacity of Cry1Ac toxin to BBMVs from late instars compared to BBMV from early instars, presenting an apparent binding affinity of 3.88 times lower in the last instars than the first. Thus, a clearly correlation between Cry1Ac toxicity and binding toxin affinity to H. armigera BBMV has been demonstrated. The pull-down assays demonstrated a different pattern of the interaction between Cry1Ac toxin with the second and fifth instars. The protein phosphatase alkaline (ALP) was identified only in the second instar, as well as, other membrane proteins, as prohibitin and an ion channel protein, which may be involved for higher toxicity of Cry1Ac in early instars of H. armigera. The identification and functional role of binding proteins in the different stages of development of H. armigera will facilitate the elucidation of the Cry1Ac toxin mechanism of action and will may help to propose strategies that delay the insect resistance evolution to transgenic crops that express this protein. / FAPESP: 2015/24330-5

Little is known about the signaling pathways that contribute to treatment response in advanced stage head and neck tumors. Increased expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and downstream pathways such as nuclear factor kappa B (NFκB) are implicated in aggressive tumor phenotypes and limited response to therapy. This study explored the rationale for combining the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib with the EGFR inhibitor gefitinib in a subset of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas with high EGFR gene amplification. Drug responses of gefitinib and bortezomib as single agents and in combination within head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cell lines were analyzed using MTS assays. The effects of gefitinib on the activation of EGFR and itsthree major downstream pathways, Akt, STAT3 and MAPK were determined by western blotting. The activation status of NFκB and the effects of bortezomib on the canonical pathway were assessed by DNA binding assays. Resistance to lower doses of gefitinib was associated with elevated EGFR and activated Akt expression. Gefitinib was able to effectively inhibit activation of STAT3, Akt and MAPK in HNSCC to varying degrees depending on EGFR expression status. Bortezomib treatment inhibited TNFα –induced nuclear NFκB/RelA expression but demonstrated variability in levels of baseline nuclear NFκB/RelA expression between sensitive and resistant cell lines. Bortezomib effectively suppresses NFκB/RelA nuclear activation but demonstrates additional modes of cellular toxicity beyond the NFκB pathway in sensitive cell lines. Further understanding of tumor response to the targeted inhibitors gefitinib and bortezomib may provide novel approaches in managing HNSCCs.

Modulation of the endocannabinoid system (ECS) is of great interest for its therapeutic relevance in several pathophysiological processes. The CB2 subtype is largely localized to immune effectors, including microglia within the central nervous system, where it promotes anti-inflammation. Recently, a rational drug design toward precise modulation of the CB2 active site revealed the novelty of Pyrrolo[2,1-c][1,4]benzodiazepines tricyclic chemotype with a high conformational similarity in comparison to the existing leads. These compounds are structurally unique, confirming their chemotype novelty. In our continuing search for new chemotypes as selective CB2 regulatory molecules, following SAR approaches, a total of 17 selected (S,E)-11-[2-(arylmethylene)hydrazono]-PBD analogs were synthesized and tested for their ability to bind to the CB1 and CB2 receptor orthosteric sites. A competitive [H]CP-55,940 binding screen revealed five compounds that exhibited >60% displacement at 10 μM concentration. Further concentration-response analysis revealed two compounds, and , as potent and selective CB2 ligands with sub-micromolar activities ( = 146 nM and 137 nM, respectively). In order to support the potential efficacy and safety of the analogs, the oral and intravenous pharmacokinetic properties of compound were sought. Compound was orally bioavailable, reaching maximum brain concentrations of 602 ± 162 ng/g (p.o.) with an elimination half-life of 22.9 ± 3.73 h. Whether administered via the oral or intravenous route, the elimination half-lives ranged between 9.3 and 16.7 h in the liver and kidneys. These compounds represent novel chemotypes, which can be further optimized for improved affinity and selectivity toward the CB2 receptor.