En 1997 Stuard L. Fischman a dit « Certainement on mange bien, on parle bien, on a l'air bien et on « sent frais » - mais on a aussi la plaque dentaire, la gingivite et les caries dentaires. Le lecteur peut déterminer les progrès réalisés en réfléchissant à son état de santé bucco-dentaire personnel! ». Vingt ans plus tard cette affirmation reste valide. L'acte le plus commun d'hygiène buccale est de se nettoyer les dents par brosse à dents, eau et dentifrice. Le rôle principal de la brosse à dents et du dentifrice est d'éliminer le biofilm dentaire responsable des maladies buccales. Il est largement admis que le biofilm dentaire est éliminé au moyen de particules de nettoyage trouvés dans la composition du dentifrice. Puisque le mécanisme des particules nettoyantes est couramment supposé abrasif, la recherche sur le nettoyage des dents a été principalement conduite du point de vue « abrasif », elles sont ainsi appelées « particules abrasives ». Néanmoins, le nettoyage des dents est un processus complexe impliquant plusieurs mécanismes (biochimiques, physico-chimiques et mécaniques), chacun activé par des facteurs à la fois internes (comme l'environnement oral individuel et les habitudes individuelles d'hygiène buccale) et externes La conception de la brosse à dents et la composition de dentifrice). Ce travail a commencé à partir de l'idée que le nettoyage des dents ne peut pas être réduit à un processus d'abrasion; par conséquence, afin d'acquérir une connaissance plus profonde du comportement réel des particules nettoyantes, il est nécessaire de comprendre la contribution de chaque mécanisme d'action impliqué. Un système biomimétique a été développé pour reproduire la brosse à dents, l'émail dentaire, la pellicule exogène acquise et le dentifrice (une suspension simplifiée à base de silice). Le système a été analysé d'un point de vue tribologique, en adoptant la théorie du « troisième corps » et en utilisant différentes techniques expérimentales (spectroscopie infrarouge, microscopie à force atomique, la microscopie électronique à balayage). On a déterminé la contribution de la mécanique et de la physico-chimie de la surface de l'émail dentaire, de la chimie du dentifrice et de la mécanique de la brosse à dents. Les résultats ont montré que la pellicule exogène acquise biomimétique n'a pas été rayée pendant le nettoyage des dents, mais plutôt lissée ou enlevée, ce qui suggère que l'abrasion n'est pas le mécanisme «gouvernant» du processus de brossage des dents. En effet, un mécanisme de «lubrification fractionnée» est supposé intervenir, favorisant la formation des agglomérats de silice supportent la charge normale dans des zones de contact localisées. L'efficacité du processus de nettoyage des dents est censée être contrôlée par la taille des agglomérats de silice, qui dépend à son tour de la mécanique et la physico-chimie de la surface de l’émail dentaire, de la chimie du dentifrice et de la mécanique de la brosse à dents. / In 1997, Stuart L. Fischman wrote “We certainly eat well, speak well, look fine and ‘smell fresh’—but we also have plaque, gingivitis and dental caries. The reader can determine how much progress has been made by reflecting on his or her personal oral health status!” Two decades later, this affirmation is still valid. The most common act of oral hygiene is to clean one’s teeth via toothbrush, water, and dentifrice. The main role of toothbrush and dentifrice is to remove the dental biofilm responsible for oral diseases. Over the years, several studies have focused on improving toothbrushing techniques, toothbrush design, and dentifrice composition, often leading to conflicting results. It is largely accepted that dental biofilm is removed by means of cleansing particles, which can be found in many dentifrice compositions. Since the mechanism of the cleansing particles is commonly believed to be abrasive, research on teeth cleaning has been mainly conducted from an ‘abrasive’ point of view, so much so that cleansing particles are frequently referred to as ‘abrasive particles’. Nonetheless, teeth cleaning is a complex process involving several mechanisms (bio-chemical, physico-chemical, and mechanical), each one activated by factors that are both internal (such as individual oral environment and individual oral hygiene habits) and external (such as toothbrush design and dentifrice composition). This work started from the idea that teeth cleaning cannot be reduced to an abrasion process; consequently, in order to gain deeper knowledge about the actual behavior of the cleansing particles, it is necessary to understand the contribution of each mechanism involved. A biomimetic system was developed to reproduce toothbrush, dental enamel, acquired enamel pellicle, and dentifrice (modeled as a silica-based slurry). The system was analyzed from a tribological point of view, adopting the ‘third-body approach’ and employing different experimental techniques such as infrared spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, and environmental scanning electron microscopy. The contribution of the dental enamel surface mechanics and physico-chemistry, of the dentifrice chemistry, and of toothbrush mechanics was assessed. Results showed that the biomimetic acquired enamel pellicle was not scratched during teeth cleaning, but rather smoothened or removed, suggesting that abrasion is not the governing mechanism of the toothbrushing process. Indeed, a ‘fractionated lubrication’ mechanism is believed to take part, promoting the formation of silica agglomerates that bear normal load at localized contact areas. The effectiveness of the teeth cleaning process is believed to be controlled by the size of the silica agglomerates, which in turn depends on dental enamel surface mechanics and physico-chemistry, dentifrice chemistry, and toothbrush mechanics.

Dermicidina (DCD) é um gene mapeado no cromossomo 12, lócus 12q13.1, e codifica uma proteína de 110 aminoácidos, que sofre um processamento proteolítico, gerando peptídeos ativos. O peptídeo C-terminal (DCD-1L) de 48 aminoácidos tem uma carga -2, e exerce função antibacteriana e antifúngica, e o peptídeo C-terminal splice variante, denominado DCD-SV de 59 aminoácidos, tem carga neutra, e suas propriedades ainda não foram estabelecidas. Neste trabalho são apresentados os resultados da expressão, purificação e sequenciamento da DCD nativa produzida em E. coli BL21 transformada com o vetor pAE-DCD. Na segunda parte são descritas as análises físico-químicas e bioquímicas da interação dos peptídeos sintéticos DCD-1L e DCD-SV com vesículas lipídicas gigantes e vesículas unilamelar grandes sintetizadas com palmitoil-oleoil-fosfatidilcolina. As preferenciais estruturais dos peptídeos foram investigadas por espectroscopia de Dicroísmo Circular. Nossos resultados sugerem que a DCD-SV tem alta propensão para adotar uma estrutura helicoidal permitindo sua inserção e oligomerização em membranas biomiméticas, e possível formação de canais de condutância molecular. / Dermicidin (DCD) is mapped a gene on chromosome 12, locus 12q1.13 whose 110 amino acids protein is proteolytically processed to N and C-terminal peptides. The 48-amino acid C-terminal peptide (DCD-1L) has -2 net charges and display antibacterial and antifungal properties and the 59-amino acid splice variant C-terminal peptide (DCD-SV) has neutral net charge; however, its structure and biological function are unknown. Here we show the results of expression, purification and amino acid sequencing of recombinant DCD protein produced in E.coli transformed with pAE-DCD vector. We also describe the results of physical-chemical and biochemical analyses showing the visible differences between the interactions of DCD-1LL and DCD-SV synthetic peptides with giant unilamellar vesicles and large unilamellar vesciles made of palmitoyl-oleoyl phosphatidylcholine, used as biomimetic membranes. The structural preferences of peptides were analyzed by circular dichroism spectroscopy. Our results suggest that DCD-SV peptide has higher propensity to adopt helicoidal structure enabling it to insert into mimetic membranes, undergo oligomerization and formation of conductance channel.

Dermicidina (DCD) é um gene mapeado no cromossomo 12, lócus 12q13.1, e codifica uma proteína de 110 aminoácidos, que sofre um processamento proteolítico, gerando peptídeos ativos. O peptídeo C-terminal (DCD-1L) de 48 aminoácidos tem uma carga -2, e exerce função antibacteriana e antifúngica, e o peptídeo C-terminal splice variante, denominado DCD-SV de 59 aminoácidos, tem carga neutra, e suas propriedades ainda não foram estabelecidas. Neste trabalho são apresentados os resultados da expressão, purificação e sequenciamento da DCD nativa produzida em E. coli BL21 transformada com o vetor pAE-DCD. Na segunda parte são descritas as análises físico-químicas e bioquímicas da interação dos peptídeos sintéticos DCD-1L e DCD-SV com vesículas lipídicas gigantes e vesículas unilamelar grandes sintetizadas com palmitoil-oleoil-fosfatidilcolina. As preferenciais estruturais dos peptídeos foram investigadas por espectroscopia de Dicroísmo Circular. Nossos resultados sugerem que a DCD-SV tem alta propensão para adotar uma estrutura helicoidal permitindo sua inserção e oligomerização em membranas biomiméticas, e possível formação de canais de condutância molecular. / Dermicidin (DCD) is mapped a gene on chromosome 12, locus 12q1.13 whose 110 amino acids protein is proteolytically processed to N and C-terminal peptides. The 48-amino acid C-terminal peptide (DCD-1L) has -2 net charges and display antibacterial and antifungal properties and the 59-amino acid splice variant C-terminal peptide (DCD-SV) has neutral net charge; however, its structure and biological function are unknown. Here we show the results of expression, purification and amino acid sequencing of recombinant DCD protein produced in E.coli transformed with pAE-DCD vector. We also describe the results of physical-chemical and biochemical analyses showing the visible differences between the interactions of DCD-1LL and DCD-SV synthetic peptides with giant unilamellar vesicles and large unilamellar vesciles made of palmitoyl-oleoyl phosphatidylcholine, used as biomimetic membranes. The structural preferences of peptides were analyzed by circular dichroism spectroscopy. Our results suggest that DCD-SV peptide has higher propensity to adopt helicoidal structure enabling it to insert into mimetic membranes, undergo oligomerization and formation of conductance channel.

Inúmeros trabalhos da literatura científica mostram que a remoção parcial de lignina é útil para facilitar o processo de sacarificação enzimática de materiais lignocelulósicos. No entanto, a maioria dos processos de deslignificação aplica condições severas de reação e apresenta custos elevados de processo. Uma alternativa aos processos mais severos de deslignificação envolve a aplicação de sistemas biomiméticos. Estes sistemas demandam condições amenas de reação, compatíveis com a etapa de hidrólise enzimática, porém geralmente são mais lentos e menos eficientes do que os pré-tratamentos químicos e quimiotermomecânicos convencionais. Ponderando estes fatos, o objetivo desta tese foi estudar a aplicação de sistemas oxidativos e biomiméticos na deslignificação de materiais lignocelulósicos prévios a uma etapa de hidrólise enzimática da fração polissacarídica. A estratégia de trabalho consistiu em pré-tratar bagaço de cana (foram empregados 3 cultivares diferentes de cana no presente estudo) com um processo quimiotermomecânico (CTM) em condições amenas de reação (5,0% de Na2SO3 e 2,5% de NaOH) seguido de um tratamento biomimético oxidativo. Esta abordagem visou gerar um material parcialmente deslignificado que pudesse ter a recalcitrância significativamente diminuída pela aplicação de um processo biomimético. Um segundo pré-tratamento foi aplicado em condições mais severas de reação (10% de Na2SO3 e 5,0% de NaOH) e visou gerar um material de referência, com baixa recalcitrância. Os sistemas biomiméticos empregados tiveram origem nos processos naturais de biodegradação de madeira por fungos de decomposição branca e parda e envolveram a ação de: a) Manganês peroxidase, Lacase, ferro e Oxigênio; b) reação de Fenton mediada por quelantes. Estes sistemas foram suplementados ou não com ácidos graxos insaturados, visando gerar radicais organoperoxila no caso dos sistemas suplementados. As reações de Fenton mediadas por quelantes apresentaram emissão de quimiluminescência, o que permitiu otimizar o sistema reacional com base na máxima quimiluminescência obtida. A remoção de lignina obtida com o pré-tratamento CTM variou de acordo com a carga de sulfito alcalino empregada, sendo que para as severidades baixa e alta, a remoção de lignina atingiu 26% e 54%, respectivamente. Os sistemas biomiméticos aplicados no bagaço de cana, após pré-tratamento com sulfito alcalino na condição branda, produziram graus de deslignificação variáveis, sendo que as principais remoções de lignina foram obtidas com o tratamento de Fenton mediado por quelantes e com Oxigênio, atingindo remoções acumuladas de lignina de 44% e 62%, respectivamente. Em todos os casos avaliados, a remoção adicional de lignina promoveu maiores eficiências de conversão enzimática das frações polissacarídicas residuais. A maior conversão de celulose e hemicelulose (acima de 80%) foi obtida com o tratamento Fenton mediado por quelantes aplicado sobre um cultivar de cana de açúcar que apresentava elevado teor de ácidos hidroxicinâmicos, sugerindo uma ação eficiente destes sistemas para a remoção destes ácidos hidroxicinâmicos. / The current scientific literature shows that lignin removal can facilitates subsequent processes of enzymatic saccharification of lignocellulosic materials. However, most of the delignification processes use severe reaction conditions and present high process costs. One alternative for the severe delignification processes includes the use of biomimetic systems. These systems can be applied under mild reaction conditions, which are compatible with the enzymatic hydrolysis step. Nevertheless, biomimetic systems usually present low reaction rates and are less efficient than the more severe chemical and chemithermomechancial processes. Weighing these facts, the main subject of the current PhD thesis was to study oxidative-biomimetic systems suitable for delignification of lignocellulosic materials as a previous step to the enzymatic hydrolysis of the polysaccharide fraction. The experimental approach involved the pretreatment of sugar cane bagasse (three different sugar cane cultivars were evaluated) by a chemithermomechanical (CTM) process under mild reaction conditions (5% of Na2SO3 and 2.5% NaOH), followed by an oxidative-biomimetic system. This approach aimed to prepare a partially delignified material suitable to be treated by the subsequent biomimetic systems, providing significant changes in the material recalcitrance. A second pretreatment under more severe reaction conditions (10% Na2SO3 and 5% NaOH) was performed to prepare a reference material with low recalcitrance. The biomimetic systems used in the current work were based on natural wood decay processes involving white- and brown-rot fungi, and include the actions of: a) Manganese peroxidase, Laccase, Iron íons and Oxygen; b) Chelator Mediated Fenton reactions (CMF). This reaction systems used (or not) the presence of unsaturated fatty acids to induce formation of organoperoxyl radicals. The CMF reactions presented chemiluminescence, which enabled the reaction optimization with basis on maximal chemiluminescence. The lignin removal during the CTM pretreatment varied according to the alkaline-sulfite load used in the reaction. The delignification increased with increased alkaline-sulfite loads reaching 26% and 54% for the less severe and more severe reaction conditions, respectively. Biomimetic systems applied over the mild-pretreated sugar cane bagasse produced varied delignification levels, reaching maximal values for cumulative lignin removal of 44% and 62% for the CMF and Oxigen, respectively. In all cases, the supplementary removal of lignin resulted in more efficient enzymatic hydrolysis of the polysaccharide fraction. The highest cellulose and hemicellulose conversions (over 80%) was obtained with the CMF system applied on a sugar cane cultivar that contained high hydroxycinnamic acids contents, suggesting an efficient action of CMF systems for hydroxycinnamic acids removal.

Inúmeros trabalhos da literatura científica mostram que a remoção parcial de lignina é útil para facilitar o processo de sacarificação enzimática de materiais lignocelulósicos. No entanto, a maioria dos processos de deslignificação aplica condições severas de reação e apresenta custos elevados de processo. Uma alternativa aos processos mais severos de deslignificação envolve a aplicação de sistemas biomiméticos. Estes sistemas demandam condições amenas de reação, compatíveis com a etapa de hidrólise enzimática, porém geralmente são mais lentos e menos eficientes do que os pré-tratamentos químicos e quimiotermomecânicos convencionais. Ponderando estes fatos, o objetivo desta tese foi estudar a aplicação de sistemas oxidativos e biomiméticos na deslignificação de materiais lignocelulósicos prévios a uma etapa de hidrólise enzimática da fração polissacarídica. A estratégia de trabalho consistiu em pré-tratar bagaço de cana (foram empregados 3 cultivares diferentes de cana no presente estudo) com um processo quimiotermomecânico (CTM) em condições amenas de reação (5,0% de Na2SO3 e 2,5% de NaOH) seguido de um tratamento biomimético oxidativo. Esta abordagem visou gerar um material parcialmente deslignificado que pudesse ter a recalcitrância significativamente diminuída pela aplicação de um processo biomimético. Um segundo pré-tratamento foi aplicado em condições mais severas de reação (10% de Na2SO3 e 5,0% de NaOH) e visou gerar um material de referência, com baixa recalcitrância. Os sistemas biomiméticos empregados tiveram origem nos processos naturais de biodegradação de madeira por fungos de decomposição branca e parda e envolveram a ação de: a) Manganês peroxidase, Lacase, ferro e Oxigênio; b) reação de Fenton mediada por quelantes. Estes sistemas foram suplementados ou não com ácidos graxos insaturados, visando gerar radicais organoperoxila no caso dos sistemas suplementados. As reações de Fenton mediadas por quelantes apresentaram emissão de quimiluminescência, o que permitiu otimizar o sistema reacional com base na máxima quimiluminescência obtida. A remoção de lignina obtida com o pré-tratamento CTM variou de acordo com a carga de sulfito alcalino empregada, sendo que para as severidades baixa e alta, a remoção de lignina atingiu 26% e 54%, respectivamente. Os sistemas biomiméticos aplicados no bagaço de cana, após pré-tratamento com sulfito alcalino na condição branda, produziram graus de deslignificação variáveis, sendo que as principais remoções de lignina foram obtidas com o tratamento de Fenton mediado por quelantes e com Oxigênio, atingindo remoções acumuladas de lignina de 44% e 62%, respectivamente. Em todos os casos avaliados, a remoção adicional de lignina promoveu maiores eficiências de conversão enzimática das frações polissacarídicas residuais. A maior conversão de celulose e hemicelulose (acima de 80%) foi obtida com o tratamento Fenton mediado por quelantes aplicado sobre um cultivar de cana de açúcar que apresentava elevado teor de ácidos hidroxicinâmicos, sugerindo uma ação eficiente destes sistemas para a remoção destes ácidos hidroxicinâmicos. / The current scientific literature shows that lignin removal can facilitates subsequent processes of enzymatic saccharification of lignocellulosic materials. However, most of the delignification processes use severe reaction conditions and present high process costs. One alternative for the severe delignification processes includes the use of biomimetic systems. These systems can be applied under mild reaction conditions, which are compatible with the enzymatic hydrolysis step. Nevertheless, biomimetic systems usually present low reaction rates and are less efficient than the more severe chemical and chemithermomechancial processes. Weighing these facts, the main subject of the current PhD thesis was to study oxidative-biomimetic systems suitable for delignification of lignocellulosic materials as a previous step to the enzymatic hydrolysis of the polysaccharide fraction. The experimental approach involved the pretreatment of sugar cane bagasse (three different sugar cane cultivars were evaluated) by a chemithermomechanical (CTM) process under mild reaction conditions (5% of Na2SO3 and 2.5% NaOH), followed by an oxidative-biomimetic system. This approach aimed to prepare a partially delignified material suitable to be treated by the subsequent biomimetic systems, providing significant changes in the material recalcitrance. A second pretreatment under more severe reaction conditions (10% Na2SO3 and 5% NaOH) was performed to prepare a reference material with low recalcitrance. The biomimetic systems used in the current work were based on natural wood decay processes involving white- and brown-rot fungi, and include the actions of: a) Manganese peroxidase, Laccase, Iron íons and Oxygen; b) Chelator Mediated Fenton reactions (CMF). This reaction systems used (or not) the presence of unsaturated fatty acids to induce formation of organoperoxyl radicals. The CMF reactions presented chemiluminescence, which enabled the reaction optimization with basis on maximal chemiluminescence. The lignin removal during the CTM pretreatment varied according to the alkaline-sulfite load used in the reaction. The delignification increased with increased alkaline-sulfite loads reaching 26% and 54% for the less severe and more severe reaction conditions, respectively. Biomimetic systems applied over the mild-pretreated sugar cane bagasse produced varied delignification levels, reaching maximal values for cumulative lignin removal of 44% and 62% for the CMF and Oxigen, respectively. In all cases, the supplementary removal of lignin resulted in more efficient enzymatic hydrolysis of the polysaccharide fraction. The highest cellulose and hemicellulose conversions (over 80%) was obtained with the CMF system applied on a sugar cane cultivar that contained high hydroxycinnamic acids contents, suggesting an efficient action of CMF systems for hydroxycinnamic acids removal.

La division cellulaire est un élément clé du développement. Pendant ce processus, le matériel génétique (chromosomes) est distribué entre les deux cellules filles. Cette distribution est effectuée par le fuseau mitotique ou méiotique ; une mauvaise formation de cette structure peut être critique. Le cytosquelette joue un rôle prédominant dans la division cellulaire. Malgré des progrès importants dans la compréhension de son rôle dans le processus de division cellulaire, de nombreuses questions restent encore sans réponse et des progrès techniques pour étudier ces phénomènes sont nécessaires. Dans cette thèse, nous avons étudié le rôle de l’auto-organisation de l’actine cytoplasmique dans deux systèmes modèles : les extraits cellulaires de Xénope et les ovocytes de souris. En utilisant une approche interdisciplinaire, nous avons développé de nouveaux outils expérimentaux et analytiques pour étudier le rôle de l’actine cytoplasmique pendant la division cellulaire. En encapsulant les extraits cellulaires de Xénope dans des gouttes, nous pouvons mimer le volume cellulaire. Nous utilisons ce système pour étudier les interactions entre l’actine et les microtubules. Dans un premier projet, nous avons montré que l’auto-organisation de l’actine peut déclencher des cascades de signalisation. Grâce à l’ingénierie de deux propriétés de l’actine, nous avons démontré que l’auto-organisation de ce polymère peut permettre l’assemblage de microtubules. Dans un deuxième projet, nous avons montré que la dynamique de l’actine cytoplasmique peut induire des contraintes sur l’organisation et la dynamique des microtubules. Nos résultats suggèrent que les propriétés dynamiques du réseau d’actine sont un facteur important pour l’assemblage des microtubules. Dans l’ovocyte de souris, nous avons développé une méthode pour suivre de manière automatique le mouvement d’objets passifs avec des tailles variables. Nous avons utilisé ce système pour étudier l’effet de l’actine cytoplasmique sur le transport à longue portée. Nous avons ainsi validé l’existence d’un mécanisme de centrage non spécifique de gros objets pendant la prophase. Nous avons aussi démontré que ce mécanisme de centrage reste présent pendant le reste de la méiose, en même temps que la migration du fuseau vers le cortex de l’ovocyte. / Cell division is a key element of the development of an embryo throughout all his life. During cell division, the genetic material (chromosomes) is distributed between the two daughter cells. This distribution is achieved by the spindle and a misbehavior in the formation of this structure can be critical. The cytoskeleton polymers are playing a predominant role in cell division. Despite important progresses in the understanding of their role in cell division process, numerous questions still have to be answered and technical progresses to study these phenomena are still needed. In this PhD work, we studied the role of cytoplasmic F-actin self-organization in two model systems: Xenopus egg extracts and mouse oocytes. Using an interdisciplinary approach, we developed new experimental and analytical tools to study the role of cytoplasmic F-actin during cell division. By encapsulating Xenopus actin-intact egg extracts in droplets, we are able to mimic cellular environment. We use this system to study interactions between F-actin and microtubules. In a first project, we showed that F-actin self-organization can trigger signaling pathways. By engineering two properties of the microfilament self-organization and using Ran dependent microtubule nucleation, we found that F-actin dynamics promotes the robust assembly of microtubules. In a second project, we showed that the dynamics of cytoplasmic F-actin can induce constraints on the microtubule organization and dynamics in aster and spindle structures. Our results suggest that the dynamic properties of cytoplasmic F-actin meshwork are of a primary importance for the proper assembly of microtubule structures.In the mouse oocyte, we set-up a method to automatically track the movement of passive objects with tunable size. We used this system to examine the effect of cytoplasmic F-actin on long-range transport. We thus validated the existence of a non-specific mechanism for large objects centering during Prophase. We also demonstrated that this centering mechanism is still present during the rest of meiosis, coexisting with the spindle migration toward the cortex.