The main theme of this thesis is to develop a fluorescent probe for imaging the subcellular distribution of kinetically labile copper pools that might play a critical role in copper homeostasis. Various copper-selective sensors were designed by combining 1,3,5-triaryl-2-pyrazoline fluorophores with polythioethers as receptor moieties. A series of donor-substituted 1,3,5-triaryl-2-pyrazoline fluorophores were synthesized and characterized in terms of their photophysical and electrochemical properties. Interestingly, the aryl substituents attached to the 1- and 3-position of the pyrazoline ring influence the photophysical properties of the fluorophore in distinctly different ways. The excited-state equilibrium energy is primarily influenced by changes of the substituent in the 1-position, whereas the reduction potential of the fluorophore is determined by the 3-aryl group. Results from computational analyses agree well with the experimental data. A pyrazoline fluorophore library was synthesized, and their photophysical and electrochemical properties were studied. The compounds cover a broad range of excited state energies and reduction potentials, and allow for selective and differential tuning of these two parameters. A series of thiazacrownethers and tripodal aniline copper(I) receptors were synthesized and their copper binding stoichiometries, stability constants, and copper-self-exchange kinetics were investigated. The measured self-exchange activation parameters revealed for all studied ligands a negative activation entropy, suggesting a predominant associative exchange mechanism. With detailed knowledge of the fluorophore platform and copper receptors, sensor CTAP-1 was designed, synthesized and characterized. The probe shows a 4.6-fold emission enhancement and reaches a quantum yield of 14% upon saturation with Cu(I). The sensor exhibits excellent selectivity towards Cu(I) and is insensitive towards millimolar concentrations of Mg(II) or Ca(II). Mouse fibroblast cells (3T3) incubated with the sensor produced a copper-dependent perinuclear staining pattern, which colocalizes with the subcellular location of the mitochondria and the Golgi apparatus. The subcellular topography of copper was further determined by synchrotron-based x-ray fluorescence (SXRF) microscopy. Furthermore, microprobe x-ray absorption measurements at various subcellular locations showed a near-edge feature that is characteristic for low-coordinate monovalent copper. The data provide a coherent picture with evidence for a kinetically labile copper pool, which is predominantly localized in the mitochondria and the Golgi apparatus.

Copper is an essential trace element for living organisms and has both known and additional suspected roles in human health and disease. The current understanding of copper metabolism is substantial but incomplete, particularly in regard to storage and exchange at the subcellular level, although available evidence indicates exchangeable intracellular copper is in the monovalent oxidation state. Selective fluorescent probes with sufficient sensitivity to detect Cu(I) availability at physiologically relevant levels and at subcellular resolution would be valuable tools for studying copper metabolism. As a contribution toward this goal, this work describes the development of Cu(I)-selective fluorescent probes with greatly improved aqueous solubility, contrast ratio, and fluorescence quantum yield. This work also describes the development of water-soluble, 1:1-binding chelators that form colorless, air-stable copper(I)-complexes. By acting as copper(I) buffering agents and affinity standards, these compounds can serve a complementary role to fluorescent probes in the study of copper biochemistry.

Submitted by Ana Sant'Ana (ana.mattos@ufscar.br) on 2016-09-26T13:33:25Z No. of bitstreams: 1 DissCCS.pdf: 2483023 bytes, checksum: 3acdef41810eb8722e4f4c44f4ebb688 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Marina Freitas (marinapf@ufscar.br) on 2016-10-06T14:03:42Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 DissCCS.pdf: 2483023 bytes, checksum: 3acdef41810eb8722e4f4c44f4ebb688 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Marina Freitas (marinapf@ufscar.br) on 2016-10-06T14:03:54Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 DissCCS.pdf: 2483023 bytes, checksum: 3acdef41810eb8722e4f4c44f4ebb688 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-10-06T14:04:00Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 DissCCS.pdf: 2483023 bytes, checksum: 3acdef41810eb8722e4f4c44f4ebb688 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-07-15 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / The endogenous opioids are involved in analgesia, thermoregulation and physiological responses to various stressful stimuli such as infection, psychological stress and hypoxia. The mu and kappa receptors in the hypothalamus play a role in endotoxin-induced fever and hypoxia-induced anapyrexia (opposite response to fever), respectively. In addition, periaqueductal gray (PAG), which express both mu and kappa receptors, is involved in defence and thermoregulatory responses. Thus, our hypothesis is that mu and kappa opioid receptors in the PAG modulate the restraint-induced fever in rats by activating and inhibiting this response, respectively. To this end, body temperature (Tb) and heat loss index (HLI; inference for heat conservation/loss) and oxygen consumption (VO ; inference for thermogenesis) of unanesthetized Wistar rats submitted or not to restraint stress, was monitored before and after intra-PAG microinjection of the selective mu opioid receptor antagonist (CTAP; 1 and 10 μg/ 100 nL/ animal), the selective kappa-opioid receptor antagonist (nor-BNI; 1 and 4 μg/ 100 nL/ animal), or vehicle (saline; 100nL/ animal). CTAP and nor-BNI did not change the Tb or the HLI of the animals in euthermia. During the restraint stress, Tb increased in all groups of animals. However, this effect was significantly lower in animals treated with CTAP, and significantly higher in animals treated with nor-BNI. No treatment affected HLI, but CTAP decreased thermogenesis and nor-BNI increased thermogenesis. The results indicate that the mu and kappa opioid receptors in the PAG of rats play a pyrogenic and antipyretic role, respectively, during fever induced by restraint stress and these receptors in PAG may not be essential for the maintenance of Tb during euthermia. / Os opióides endógenos estão envolvidos na analgesia, termorregulação e respostas fisiológicas a vários estímulos estressantes, como infecção, estresse psicológico e hipóxia. Os receptores mu e kappa no hipotálamo desempenham um papel na febre induzida por endotoxina e anapirexia induzida por hipoxia (resposta oposta à febre), respectivamente. Além disso, a substância cinzenta periaquedutal (PAG), que expressa ambos os receptores mu e kappa, está envolvida na defesa e respostas de termorregulação. Assim, nossa hipótese é que os receptores opióides mu e kappa na PAG modulam a febre induzida por contenção em ratos, ativando e inibindo esta resposta, respectivamente. Para este fim, a temperatura corporal (Tc) e o índice de perda de calor (IPC; inferência para a conservação/perda de calor) e o consumo de oxigênio (VO ; inferência para a termogênese) de ratos Wistar não anestesiados submetidos ou não ao estresse contenção, foi monitorado antes e depois microinjeção intra-PAG do antagonista seletivo do receptor opióide mu (CTAP; 1 e 10 μg/ 100 nL/ animal), antagonista seletivo do receptor opióide kappa (nor-BNI; 1 e 4 μg/ 100 nL/ animal) ou veículo (solução salina; 100 nL / animal). A microinjeção de CTAP ou nor-BNI não alterou a Tc ou IPC dos animais em eutermia. Durante o estresse de contenção, a Tc aumentou em todos os grupos de animais. No entanto, este efeito foi significativamente menor no grupo de animais tratados com CTAP, e significativamente maior em animais tratados com nor-BNI. Nenhum tratamento afetou o IPC, mas o CTAP diminuiu a termogênese e o nor-BNI aumentou a termogênese. Os resultados indicam que os receptores opióides mu e kappa na PAG de ratos desempenham um papel pirogênico e antipirético, respectivamente, durante a febre induzida pelo estresse de contenção e estes receptores na PAG podem não ser essenciais para a manutenção de Tc durante eutermia.