Thesis (M.S.)--University of North Texas, May, 2007. / Title from title page display. Includes bibliographical references.

Submitted by BRUNA DE OLIVEIRA VASCONCELOS null (bruna.olivasco@gmail.com) on 2016-04-19T22:29:05Z No. of bitstreams: 1 dissertacao_bruna_de_oliveira_vasconcelos.pdf: 2275149 bytes, checksum: 4d00665f221aeffea15e3edda524b5d2 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Felipe Augusto Arakaki (arakaki@reitoria.unesp.br) on 2016-04-26T13:25:40Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 vasconcelos_bo_me_dra.pdf: 2275149 bytes, checksum: 4d00665f221aeffea15e3edda524b5d2 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-26T13:25:40Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 vasconcelos_bo_me_dra.pdf: 2275149 bytes, checksum: 4d00665f221aeffea15e3edda524b5d2 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-02-23 / A placenta dos mamíferos é um órgão transitório formado pela justaposição entre os tecidos maternos e fetais, sendo responsável pelas trocas fisiológicas entre a mãe e o feto e pela síntese de hormônios fundamentais para a manutenção da gestação. Para o crescimento placentário e a nutrição fetal é necessário um delicado equilíbrio entre proliferação e morte das células placentárias. Essas células possuem propriedades específicas em relação a suas funções metabólicas, endócrinas e angiogênicas sendo fundamentais para o desenvolvimento adequado do concepto ao longo da prenhez e seu nascimento. Gestações de animais clonados frequentemente apresentam anormalidades como hidroâmnio, hidroalantoide, edema placentário, retenção de placenta e abortos. Neste estudo, foi avaliada a ocorrência de apoptose (morte celular) em placentônios provenientes de conceptos bovinos transgênicos clonados (n=5) e de gestações naturais (n=18), nos períodos de 60 e 90 dias de gestação, que tiveram seu desenvolvimento interrompido para remoção do útero gestante. As amostras de placentônio foram segmentadas e fixadas em solução aquosa de paraformoldeído a 4% em tampão fosfato de sódio (PBS) a 0,1M e pH 7.4, para verificação da morfologia pela coloração HE e realização da técnica de imunoistoquímica. Os resultados obtidos foram comparados entre bovinos clonados transgênicos e de gestações naturais. Todos os grupos e idades gestacionais analisados apresentaram a mesma composição celular com epitélio uterino simples cúbico onde nota-se a presença de células trofoblásticas gigantes mononucleadas e células trofoblásticas gigantes binucleadas migradas do epitélio fetal, estroma endometrial bem desenvolvido, epitélio trofoblástico com células cuboides típicas de epitélio e quantidade acentuada de células trofoblásticas gigantes e gigantes binucleadas migrando para o epitélio materno e mesênquima. Em todos os grupos e períodos gestacionais, o epitélio materno apresentou maior marcação positiva para apoptose. Aos 60 dias a marcação positiva no epitélio uterino das gestações manipuladas foi menos evidente em relação às de gestações naturais, assim como aos 90 dias, que apresentou maior imunorreatividade em comparação aos 60 dias e dos animais de gestação natural sobre os manipulados. Na ultima idade gestacional foi possível observar reação em padrão de fileiras no epitélio uterino e para ambos os grupos não foram encontradas marcações nos tecidos fetais. Neste estudo foi demonstrado desequilíbrio nos padrões de apoptose nos conceptos bovinos clonados transgênicos, pois no início da gestação (60 dias) apresentaram menor atividade apoptóticas e aos 90 dias um aumento, podendo ser este fato um dos fatores que levam às anormalidades placentárias. Desse modo os resultados da verificação da apoptose, nas fases de gestação estudadas, e seu entendimento são importantes para a compreensão de possíveis falhas no desenvolvimento gestacional em técnicas avançadas de manipulação embrionárias, como a produção de animais transgênicos e clonados. / The placenta in mammals is a transitional organ formed by the justaposition between maternal and fetal tissues, it is responsible for physiological exchanges between mother and fetus and the synthesis of hormones essential for maintaining gestation. For the fetal placental growth and nutrition are requires a delicate balance between proliferation and death cells of the placenta. These cells have specific properties in relation to its metabolic functions, endocrine and angiogenic and it is critical to the proper development of the fetus throughout pregnancy and birth. Cloned animals often have abnormal pregnancies as hidroamnion, hidroalantois, placental edema, retained placenta and abortion. In this study, placentomes the occurrence of apoptosis (death cells) was avaluate from fetuses cloned transgenic cattle (n = 5) and natural pregnancies (n = 18) in periods of 60 and 90 days of gestation that had their intermited development to remove the pregnant uterus. Placentome samples were segmented and fixed in aqueous 4% paraformaldehyde in sodium phosphate buffer (PBS) pH 7.4 and 0.1M, to check the morphology of HE staining and the immunohistochemistry. The results were compared between transgenic cloned cattle and natural gestations. In all groups and gestational ages analyzed showed the same cellular composition with simple cubic uterine epithelium, it is noted the presence of trophoblast giant cells mononuclear and giant trophoblast cells binucleated migrated from fetal epithelium, endometrial stroma well developed, trophoblastic epithelium with typical cuboid cell epithelium and severe amount of giants and giant binucleated trophoblastic cells migrating into maternal epithelium and mesenchyme. All groups and gestational periods, maternal epithelium showed higher positive staining for apoptosis. At 60 days the positive staining in the uterine epithelium is less evident manipulated pregnancies in relation to natural pregnancies as well as at 90 days, with the highest immunoreactivity when it is compared to 60 days and in the animals of natural pregnancy in ratio to manipulated animals. In the last gestational age was observed in response pattern rows in the uterine epithelium and both groups fetal side tags were not found either in or on the epithelium and mesenchyme. This study demonstrated an imbalance in apoptosis patterns in transgenic cloned cattle fetuses as early in pregnancy (60 days) showed less apoptotic activity and an increase at 90 days and may be this fact one of the factors leading to placental abnormalities. Thereby the results of the verification of apoptosis at the stages of pregnancy studied and comprehension are important for the understanding of possible failure in gestational development in advanced embryonic manipulation techniques, such as the production of transgenic and cloned animals.

Orientador: Flávia Thomaz Verechia Pereira / Resumo: A placenta dos mamíferos é um órgão transitório formado pela justaposição entre os tecidos maternos e fetais, sendo responsável pelas trocas fisiológicas entre a mãe e o feto e pela síntese de hormônios fundamentais para a manutenção da gestação. Para o crescimento placentário e a nutrição fetal é necessário um delicado equilíbrio entre proliferação e morte das células placentárias. Essas células possuem propriedades específicas em relação a suas funções metabólicas, endócrinas e angiogênicas sendo fundamentais para o desenvolvimento adequado do concepto ao longo da prenhez e seu nascimento. Gestações de animais clonados frequentemente apresentam anormalidades como hidroâmnio, hidroalantoide, edema placentário, retenção de placenta e abortos. Neste estudo, foi avaliada a ocorrência de apoptose (morte celular) em placentônios provenientes de conceptos bovinos transgênicos clonados (n=5) e de gestações naturais (n=18), nos períodos de 60 e 90 dias de gestação, que tiveram seu desenvolvimento interrompido para remoção do útero gestante. As amostras de placentônio foram segmentadas e fixadas em solução aquosa de paraformoldeído a 4% em tampão fosfato de sódio (PBS) a 0,1M e pH 7.4, para verificação da morfologia pela coloração HE e realização da técnica de imunoistoquímica. Os resultados obtidos foram comparados entre bovinos clonados transgênicos e de gestações naturais. Todos os grupos e idades gestacionais analisados apresentaram a mesma composição celular com epitélio uterino... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: The placenta in mammals is a transitional organ formed by the justaposition between maternal and fetal tissues, it is responsible for physiological exchanges between mother and fetus and the synthesis of hormones essential for maintaining gestation. For the fetal placental growth and nutrition are requires a delicate balance between proliferation and death cells of the placenta. These cells have specific properties in relation to its metabolic functions, endocrine and angiogenic and it is critical to the proper development of the fetus throughout pregnancy and birth. Cloned animals often have abnormal pregnancies as hidroamnion, hidroalantois, placental edema, retained placenta and abortion. In this study, placentomes the occurrence of apoptosis (death cells) was avaluate from fetuses cloned transgenic cattle (n = 5) and natural pregnancies (n = 18) in periods of 60 and 90 days of gestation that had their intermited development to remove the pregnant uterus. Placentome samples were segmented and fixed in aqueous 4% paraformaldehyde in sodium phosphate buffer (PBS) pH 7.4 and 0.1M, to check the morphology of HE staining and the immunohistochemistry. The results were compared between transgenic cloned cattle and natural gestations. In all groups and gestational ages analyzed showed the same cellular composition with simple cubic uterine epithelium, it is noted the presence of trophoblast giant cells mononuclear and giant trophoblast cells binucleated migrated from fetal epithel... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

Orientadores: Reginaldo Bruno Gonçalves, Daniel Saito / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Odontologia de Piracicaba / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-16T03:29:19Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Cruz_SergioEduardoBragada_D.pdf: 4484196 bytes, checksum: 41cbfe2b81d194ae03d4070bbe8108b8 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010 / Resumo: Há um consenso que outros micro-organismos além de Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (Aa), Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg), Tannerella forsythia (Tf) e Treponema denticola (Td) estariam correlacionados às periodontites, inclusive algumas espécies ainda não identificadas. Nosso objetivo foi estudar as microbiotas subgengivais de indivíduos com periodontite crônica generalizada (PCG) e periodontite agressiva generalizada (PAG) para avaliar diferenças entre suas microbiotas. MATERIAL E MÉTODOS-Foram selecionados 15 indivíduos com PCG e 14 com PAG. Coletou-se amostra do biofilme subgengival de uma bolsa periodontal profunda (BP-PS ? 7mm) e uma moderada (BM - PS entre 5 e 6 mm) de cada indivíduo. Foi preparado e analisado, por meio de DGGE, o perfil bacteriano entre os grupos. A similaridade e a análise de cluster do padrão de UTO's foram verificadas utilizando-se coeficiente de Jaccard e a construção do dendrograma realizada por UPGMA. Realizou-se também análise clonal direta de 10 amostras de BP de cada grupo e as sequências foram agrupadas em táxons com similaridade >97%. RESULTADOS-DGGE - No perfil de DGGE foi observada uma tendência para a formação de grupos em BP, mas não em BM, com a presença de dois grupos maiores e distintos de oito indivíduos tanto para PCG como PAG, com variação de similaridade intra-grupo entre 53,6-68,4% e 50,2-64,7%, respectivamente. Análise clonal - Foram identificados 109 táxons conhecidos a partir de 987 clones. Ao todo 44 gêneros bacterianos, 28 gêneros comuns aos dois grupos, nove que se apresentaram apenas para PCG e sete para PAG. Entre os dois grupos foram observados 34 táxons comuns, sendo 42 específicos para PAG e 37 para PCG. A espécie Tf foi detectada em 90% dos indivíduos com PCG e 80% com PAG, Pg foi detectada em 70% com PCG e 50% com PAG e Td foi detectada em 40% com PCG e 30% PAG. A espécie Aa foi encontrada em somente 20% de PCG e 30% de PAG. A espécie Filifactor alocis foi observada em altas taxas e prevalência em PCG (58 clones, 90%) e PAG (91 clones, 90%). As espécies encontradas exclusivamente por grupo com prevalência acima de dois pacientes foram: PCG: Treponema lecithinolyticum, Selenomonas dianae, Prevotella pleuritidis, Dialister pneumosintes; e para PAG: Fusobacterium nucleatum ss vincentii, Veillonella parvula, Peptococcus sp. Cepa GEA8, Streptococcus gordonii, Lautropia mirabilis, Gemella sanguinis, Afipia broomeae. Para os filotipos, PCG: Peptostreptococcaceae sp. Clone-MCE10_174, Fusobacterium sp. C-I035, Veillonellaceae sp. C-JS031; PAG: Peptostreptococcaceae sp. C-PUS9170, Treponema sp. CG093. Apesar de não haver exclusividade entre grupos, é de nota os filotipos Synergistes sp. clone W028 (80% e 60%) e o clone D084 (70% e 10%) em PCG e PAG, respectivamente. O filotipo Bacteroidetes sp. AU126 foi encontrado tanto em PCG (60%) como PAG (30%). CONCLUSÃO - O presente trabalho demonstrou por meio de DGGE uma tendência a um perfil microbiano comum entre a maioria das amostras estudadas, entretanto, sem seu completo delineamento como dois grupos distintos microbiologicamente. A análise clonal, apesar de algumas espécies específicas entre grupos, demonstrou pequenas diferenças, sem, entretanto, delinear grupos microbiologicamente específicos. / Abstract: There is an agreement that not only the already known periodontopathogens, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (Aa), Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg), Tannerella forsythia (Tf) and Treponema denticola (Td) would be involved in periodontitis, but also some others micro-organisms not-yet-identified. The scope of this study is to compare the subgingival microbiota in generalized chronic periodontitis (GCP) or generalized aggressive periodontitis (GAP) subjects. MATERIAL AND METHODS - 15 subjects with GCP and 14 with GAP were enrolled. One subgingival biofilm sample from a periodontal deep pocket (DP) with PD ? 7mm and one from a moderate pocket (MP) with PD from 5 to 6 mm were harvested from each subject. The microbial profiles (OTU's) were compared between groups by DGGE and the similarity OTU profile was analyzed by Jaccard coefficient and the dendrogram and cluster analyses were made by UPGMA. The direct clonal analysis of the 16SrDNA from 10 samples of each group from DP was made. The sequences were grouped in clusters of taxa with > 97% similarity. RESULTS - DGGE - It was observed in the profile a tendency for eight subjects from each group to assemble as clusters in the DP, but not for the MP samples, with similarities between 53.6-68.4% (GCP) and 50.2-64.7% (GAP). Clonal analyses - One-hundred-and-nine already recognized taxa were obtained from 987 clones. From a total of 44 bacterial genera, 28 were common for both groups; nine were exclusive to PCG and seven to PAG subjects. It was found 34 common taxa between GCP and GAP, 37 were specific for GCP and 42 for GAP. The Tf species was found in 90% from GCP subjects and 80% from GAP subjects, Pg was found in 70% from GCP and in 50% from GAP and Td was detected in 40% from GCP and 30% from GAP. The Aa species were found in only 20% GCP subjects and in 30% from GAP. Filifactor alocis species were detected in high prevalence in both GCP (58 clones, 90%) and PAG (91 clones, 90%). The species which were detected exclusively in each group, with 20% prevalence or more were, for GCP: Treponema lecithinolyticum, Selenomonas dianae, Prevotella pleuritidis, Dialister pneumosintes; and GAP: Fusobacterium nucleatum ss vincentii, Veillonella parvula, Peptococcus sp. Cepa GEA8, Streptococcus gordonii, Lautropia mirabilis, Gemella sanguinis, Afipia broomeae. In relation to phylotypes, PCG: Peptostreptococcaceae sp. Clone-MCE10_174, Fusobacterium sp. C-I035, Veillonellaceae sp. C-JS031; PAG: Peptostreptococcaceae sp. C-PUS9170, Treponema sp. C-G093. Despite not been found exclusively for neither GCP nor GAP, the phylotypes Synergistes sp. clone W028 (80% e 60%) and clone D084 (70% e 10%) had a notable presence in GCP and GAP, respectively. The phylotype Bacteroidetes sp. AU126 was found in GCP (60%) and GAP (30%) groups. CONCLUSION - The present study demonstrated by DGGE a slight tendency to the clustering of the microbial profile of some GCP and GAP subjects, although these were not well delineated. The clonal analyses showed some differences, but also could not show GCP and GAP as microbiologic distinct profiles. / Doutorado / Microbiologia e Imunologia / Doutor em Biologia Buco-Dental

No description available.

Masters of Science / Metagenomics has been successfully used to discover novel enzymes from uncultured microorganisms in the environment. In this study, metagenomic DNA from a Malawian hot spring soil sample was used to construct a fosmid library. This metagenomic library comprised of more than 10000 clones with an average insert size of 30 kb, representing more than 3.0 x 108 bp of metagenomic DNA (equivalent to approximately 100 bacterial genomes). The library was screened for cellulase activity using a Congo red plate assay to detect zones of carboxymethylcellulose hydrolysis. This yielded 15 positive fosmid clones, of which five were further characterised for activity and thermostability using the 3, 5-dinitrosalicylic assay. Two of the five fosmids (XP008C2 and XP026G5) were selected for DNA pyrosequencing. The full sequence of the XP008C2 (29800bp) fosmid insert is presented in this study and genes thereon were chosen for further study. / South Africa

In quantum mechanics, measurements disturb the state of the system being measured. This disturbance is largest for complementary properties (e.g. position and momentum) and hence limits the precision with which such properties can be determined simultaneously. Often, this fact is conflated with Heisenberg's uncertainty principle, which refers to an uncertainty relation between complementary properties that is intrinsic to quantum states. In this thesis, the distinction between these two fundamental characteristics of quantum mechanics is made clear. At the intersection of the two are "joint measurements", which circumvent measurement disturbance to simultaneously determine complementary properties. They have applications in quantum metrology and enable a direct measurement of quantum states. The focus of this thesis is on the latter. The thesis is structured in the following way. The first chapter serves as an introduction to joint measurements. It surveys the seminal works in the field, doing so in a chronological manner to provide some historical context. The remainder of the thesis discusses two strategies to experimentally achieve joint measurements. The first strategy is to sequentially measure the complementary properties, making these measurements weak so that they do not disrupt each other. The second strategy is to first clone the system being measured, and then measure each complementary property on a separate clone. Both strategies are experimentally demonstrated on polarized photons, but can be readily extended to other systems.

The aim of this investigation was to clone, characterize and express the gene that encodes the outer capsid protein, VP2, of African horsesickness virus (AHSV), with a view to the evaluation of this protein as a subunit vaccine. The VP2 gene of AHSV serotype 3 (AHSV-3) was cloned as incomplete cDNA fragments of the genome segment 2 double-stranded (ds)RNA, sequenced in its entirety and compared with previously published cognate sequences of AHSV-4, Epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV)-l and various bluetongue virus (BTV) serotypes. AHSV-3 genome segment 2 was shown to be 3221 nucleotides in length, encoding a protein of 1057 amino acids with a 50.5% identity to AHSV-4 VP2. Two areas of high variability (approximately 65%) were identified adjacent to the conserved termini. The N-proximal region (amino acids 128-309) exhibited significant hydrophilicity, suggesting a possible role in the determination of the serotype-specific immune response. Orbivirus interserogroup comparisons of VP2 amino acid sequences revealed extreme variability, although an overall structural conservation was demonstrated. Oligonucleotide primers derived from the AHSV-3 genome segment 2 terminal nucleotide sequences were used for PCR amplification and cloning of full length segment 2 cDNA. The cloned gene was expressed in a baculovirus expression system and the expressed VP2 protein was shown to react specifically with anti AHSV-3 serum in Western blots. Although the yields of VP2 in the baculovirus system were low, due to a possible toxic effect on the host cells, sufficient antigen was obtained for further future investigations into the efficacy of VP2 as a possible subunit vaccine against AHSV. / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Genetics / unrestricted

The TP53 gene can express protein p53 and 11 another isoform proteins N- and/or C-terminally truncated by using two promoters and alternative splicing. The p53 isoforms are found in both healthy and tumorous tissues, and are intensively studied in relation to cancer diagnosis, prognosis and treatment. In this work, the p53 isoforms were subcloned into expression vectors by LR reaction adapted from Gateway cloning system. The expression vectors were designed for protein production by bacteria E. coli strain BL-21. The constructs containing p53 isoforms were encoded together with two fusion proteins, glutathione-S-transferase and polyhistidine tag under the control of the same promotor for the affinity chromatography protein isolation. All the clones underwent Sanger sequencing for verification after homologous recombination. Sequencing confirmed the accuracy of the subcloned isoforms p53, 133p53, 160p53, p53 and 160p53 into an expression vector pDEST15-N6xHis-GST-GW-DEST. Protein 160p53 was expressed in BL-21 and isolated using both HIS and GST tag interacion. Isolation using HIS tag yielded in a higher protein concentration then the isolation mediated by the interaction of the glutathione-S-transferase.

Thesis: Ph. D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Biology, 1980 / Vita. / Includes bibliographical references. / by James F. Gusella. / Ph. D. / Ph. D. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Biology