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Magister Scientiae - MSc / In electrochemical oxidation treatment of wastewater, the electrode material is an important parameter in optimizing oxidative electrochemical processes, since the mechanism and products of several anodic reactions are known to depend on the anode material. The electrochemical oxidation of benzaldehyde, nitrobenzene and m-cresol on bare boron-doped diamond (BDD) electrode was investigated. Cytochrome c was then electrochemically immobilsed onto the functionalized BDD electrode by cyclic voltammetry. Oxidation and reduction reaction mechanism of each flavonoid was studied. There was one oxidation and reduction peaks for quercitin and catechin respectively, and two oxidation and two reduction peaks for rutin. The cytochrome c modified BDD electrode showed good sensitivity for all three flavonoids and low detection limits i.e. 0.42 to 11.24 M as evaluated at oxidation and reduction peaks, respectively. / South Africa

Mitochondria are the key source of vital ATP molecules, which are largely produced within cells by a system of oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). Genetic defects affecting any of the components of the oxidative phosphorylation system or the structure and function of mitochondria lead to mitochondrial disorders, which occur at an incidence rate of 1 in 5000 live births. Cytochrome c oxidase (COX) is the terminal enzyme and electron acceptor of a respiratory chain that catalyses oxygen to produce a water molecule. In addition to complex I deficiency, isolated or combined COX deficiency is the most common respiratory chain defect in paediatric patients, and it can arise from mutations located either in mitochondrial DNA or in nuclear genes encoding the structural subunits or corresponding assembly factors of the enzyme complex. However, the molecular basis of COX deficiency remains elusive in many patients despite advances in the identification of an increasing number of mutations and genes involved in the disease. This thesis focuses on the identification of the genetic causes of mitochondrial diseases in a cohort of 60 unrelated Czech children with clinically and laboratory confirmed COX-deficiency. With the use of a high-resolution melting analysis mutation screen, four heterozygous sequence...

A atividade biológica de aldeídos α,Β-insaturados tem sido associada a diversos processos incluindo regulação gênica, envelhecimento Alzheimer e disfunções mitocondriais. Neste trabalho investigamos a formação de adutos do trans,trans-2,4-decadienal (DDE), um aldeído produzido endogenamente e presente como contaminante em alimentos e água, em lisina, histidina e citocromo c. Avaliamos também alterações na função de mitocôndrias de fígado de rato expostas ao aldeído. As análises por espectrometria de massas, LC-ESI/MS, indicaram a formação de diversos tipos de adutos de DDE nos aminoácidos lisina e histidina, entre eles bases de Schiff e enaminas. Os resultados obtidos por espectrometria de massas, MALDI-Tof, indicaram a formação de adutos de DDE formados via base de Schiff de maneira concentração do aldeído, tempo e pH dependentes. As análises da proteína digerida por ESI-Q-ToF, indicaram que os adutos foram formados nos resíduos H-33, K-39, 72 e 100, localizados em regiões ricas em resíduos básicos, cuja interação com membranas e citocromo e oxidase tem sido postulada. Observamos também o deslocamento da banda Soret (λ = 409 nm) e o desaparecimento da banda em λ = 695 nm, relativa a coordenação do sexto ligante do grupo heme (M-80). Este fenômeno está associado a abertura da cavidade do grupo heme e o deslocamento do ligante, indicando alterações nas estruturas secundária e terciária da proteína. Os experimentos realizados com mitocôndrias isoladas indicaram que DDE promove danos à membrana interna mitocondrial, demonstrando i pelo aumento no consumo de O2 em mitocôndrias em estado 4. Em decorrência destas lesões observamos também o intenso inchamento mitocondrial, indicado por experimentos de espalhamento de luz e microscopia eletrônica de transmissão. O inchamento não foi bloqueado por ciclosporina A, um inibidor do poro de transição mitocondrial. DDE também induziu a perda do potencial de membrana da organela, demonstrado pelo monitoramento do indicador fluorescente safranina O e aumento da peroxidação lipídica atestado pela quantificação de malondialdeido (MDA). Estes resultados indicam que DDE promove alterações estruturais no citocromo e podendo levar ao comprometimento da atividade da proteína, além de promover alterações em parâmetros mitocondriais, indicando um possível envolvimento na disfunção mitocondrial promovida por estresse oxidativo. / Lipid hydroperoxide-derived α,β-unsaturated aldehydes are involved in several cellular processes such as gene expression, aging, Alzheimer disease and mitochondrial dysfunction. In this work we have investigated adduct formation in lysine, histidine and cytochrome c by trans,trans-2,4-decadienal (DDE), an endogenously lipoperoxidation product. DDE is also a widespread environment aldehyde found, for example, in food and as a contaminant in water. Alterations in rat liver mitochondrial parameters such as oxygen consumption, membrane potentials, swelling and lipoperoxidation were also investigated. LC-ESI/MS experiments indicated that DDE react with aminoacids lysine and histidine producing adducts. In addition, MALDI-TOF experiments indicated increases in the molecular weight of cytochrome c consistent with the formation of DDE adducts via the Schiff base mechanism. Our data shows that the protein modification was time, pH and DDE-concentration dependent, leading to the formation of at least six adducts after 2 h incubation at pH 7.4. ESI-Q-TOF MS analysis of tryptic digests indicated that H-33, K-39, K-72 and K-100 were modified by DDE. These adducts are present in clusters of basic amino acid residues, which are believed to participate in the interaction of cytochrome c with mitochondrial membrane and cytochrome c oxidase. A blue shift in the Soret band from 409 to 406 nm was also observed, indicating heme crevice opening and displacement of heme sixth ligand (Met-80) coordination in modified protein. DDE (180 µM) treatment increases the rate of mitochondrial oxygen consumption, suggesting a partial mitochondrial uncoupling. Moreover, extensive mitochondrial swelling upon treatment with DDE (900 nM-162 &#181M) was observed by light scattering and transmission electron microscopy experiments. These effects were not prevented by the mitochondrial permeability transition inhibitor cyclosporin A. A DDE concentration-dependent loss in the inner mitocondrial membrane potential, monitored by safranin O fluorescence and an increase in lipoperoxidation were also observed. All together, these results suggest that reactive aldehydes can induce inner mitochondrial membrane damage playing a role in mitochondrial dysfunction associated with oxidative stress.

O presente estudo teve por objetivo estudar a participação da apoptose na carcinogênese hepatocelular, quantificando os corpos apoptóticos imunomarcados por caspase-3 clivada em amostras de carcinoma hepatocelular (CHC) em pacientes com ou sem cirrose, comparando também estes achados com amostras correspondentes de fígado não tumoral. Visou também à análise semi-quantitativa da imuno-expressão da proteína p53, Bax e Citocromo-C, relacionadas à via mitocondrial da apoptose em busca de eventuais relações com as variáveis clínicopatológicas dos carcinomas hepatocelulares. A análise comparativa da distribuição das diversas proteínas aqui estudadas foi ainda efetuada, com vistas à possível demonstração de sua interação no processo de apoptose em CHC. Amostras selecionadas de 79 casos de CHC foram distribuídas em micromatriz tecidual e submetidas a pesquisa imuno-histoquímica com amplificação por polímeros curtos de dextran ligados a peroxidase. IA foi maior nos CHC que nas amostras não-neoplásicas, mostrando ainda tendência a associação com o grau histológico do CHC .A imuno-expressão de p53 foi maior nos CHC em fígado cirrótico (CHC-C), em casos com invasão vascular, e nos graus histológicos altos. Houve maior imunoexpressão de citocromo c em CHC-C, sendo importante sua associação com p53. Bax mostrou apenas tendência a associação com o tamanho do CHC. Essas evidências contribuem para a compreensão da importância da via mitocondrial da apoptose mediada pela proteína p53 no CHC, destacando também prováveis diferenças do mecanismo carcinogenético na presença ou não de cirrose / This study aimed at the assesment of aspects of the role of apoptosis in hepatocellular carcinogenesis, quantifying apoptotic bodies immunomarked by cleaved caspase-3 in samples of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with or without cirrhosis, further comparing these findings to those from samples in non-tumoral areas of these livers. We also aimed herein to semiquantitate the immunoexpression of p53, Bax, Cytochrome-C, participants of the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis, searching for possible relations with clinico-pathological variables in HCC. Samples from 79 cases of HCC were arranged in tissue microarrays were and submitted to immunohistochemical reaction with signal amplification achieved by the short-polymer-peroxidase system. Apoptotic index measured by immunoexpression of cleaved-caspase 3 was higher in HCC than in samples from non-neoplastic areas. p53 immunoexpression was higher in HCC occurring in cirrhotic livers, (HCC-C), in cases with vascular invasion and in higher histological grades. Cytochrome-c immunoexpression was also higher in HCC-C and, interestingly, was directly related to p53. Bax immunoreactivity showed only a trend for a relation with the size of HCC. The evidences from the present study further demonstrate the importance of p53-mediated pathway of apoptosis in HCC, and also point for possible differences in carcinogenesis in cirrhotic versus non-cirrhotic livers

Abstract Heart muscle has to work constantly throughout the life and its energy metabolism is heavily dependent on a continuous supply of oxygen. Energy metabolism must be effectively regulated to meet the demands of changing workloads in different circumstances. If the oxygen supply is interrupted, the function of the heart is easily disturbed and cells injured. Calcium metabolism is of great importance in these pathological conditions. In this thesis respiratory regulation was studied by non-destructive optical methods in mouse heart. The myoglobin-deficient mouse was used as an experimental model to avoid the artefact caused by intracellular myoglobin. Results show that increased consumption of energy and oxygen lead to concomitant reduction of cytochrome aa3 and oxidation of flavoproteins. This finding supports the view that cell respiration in intact myocardium is dominantly regulated at the level of the respiratory chain. The intracellular Ca2+ accumulation during ischemia is one of the major causes of irreversible ischemia-reperfusion injury. Ischemic preconditioning (IPC) has been shown to protect the heart muscle significantly from ischemic damage. In this thesis Ca2+ accumulation during ischemia and reperfusion was studied in perfused rat heart using Fura-2 as a fluorescent Ca2+ indicator. As there is a significant decrease in intracellular pH during prolonged ischemia, the pH-dependency of Fura-2 signal was taken into account. It was found that IPC attenuates Ca2+accumulation during ischemia and this was connected to a decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential. Both IPC and the pharmacologically induced preconditioning with the mitoKATP opener diaxozide were shown to be associated with increased production of superoxide monitored by means of lucigenin chemiluminescence. The superoxide production correlated with the oxidation-reduction state of flavoproteins. We also describe here a method for measuring of intracellular free Ca2+ in mouse heart during ischemia by simultaneous monitoring of Fura-2 and the pH probe BCECF fluorescence by means of dual wavelength excitation of both probes. The paradoxical decrease of Fura-2 fluorescence during ischemia indicating decreasing intracellular Ca2+ concentration was due to the pH effect on the dissociation constant of the Fura-2-Ca2+ complex. When the pH-dependency of Fura-2 was compensated, an extensive Ca2+ accumulation during ischemia was detected. Much of the previous literature on this subject must be re-evaluated because the pH-dependency of intracellular Ca2+ probes has been largely overlooked.

A astaxantina (AST) é um carotenóide derivado do β-caroteno produzido por algas e cianobactérias, mas que também pode ser encontrada em animais marinhos. Em animais, é reportada como interceptadora de radicais de oxigênio mais eficiente que o β-caroteno. O objetivo central dessa dissertação foi avaliar a capacidade antioxidante da AST em lipossomos enriquecidos com citocromo c (cit c) desafiados com 3-morfolinosidnonimina (SIN-1), um doador de óxido nítrico, em diferentes microambientes (pH e composição das vesículas). Diferenças na interação destas vesículas com o cit c periférico, com reflexos na atividade antioxidante da AST também foram avaliadas. O SIN-1 gera, por termólise, quantidades equimolares de radical superóxido e óxido nítrico, quando há oxigênio no meio. Vesículas unilamelares de fosfatidilcolina (PC), PC contendo 5% ou 10% de fosfatidilglicerol (PG), com ou sem AST, foram incubadas com SIN-1 e/ou cit c. Medidas do índice de lipoperoxidação pelo teste das substâncias reativas ao ácido tiobarbitúrico (TBARS) revelaram que SIN-1 não causa aumento de TBARS, enquanto o cit c foi capaz de aumentar significativamente este índice. Este fato pode ser explicado pela atividade peroxidásica do cit c. Apenas em vesículas de PCPG10%, ao realizar a incubação do cit c concomitantemente com SIN-1, o índice de TBARS foi maior ao observado em vesículas incubadas apenas com cit c. É conhecido que a interação entre cit c e membranas aniônicas pode alterar a conformação da proteína, aumentando sua atividade peroxidásica. A presença da AST fez com que os índices de lipoperoxidação chegassem a valores próximos aos do controle. A alteração no pH do meio revelou que a AST possui ação antioxidante mais pronunciada em pHs 7,4 e 8,0, em comparação com pHs levemente ácidos. A presença de PG evidenciou ainda mais esta tendência e em pH 6,2, a AST apresentou inclusive pequena atividade próoxidante. Estes resultados podem ser discutidos à luz de alterações da permeabilidade da membrana e da reatividade de espécies reativas induzidas por mudanças da fluidez e de pH. O efeito dos produtos gerados por SIN-1 sobre o cit c foi estudado em condições de normóxia e hipóxia. Resultados de EPR e de fluorescência demonstram que a presença do radical superóxido previne lesões oxidativas causada por peróxido orgânico (t-butOOH) tanto no cit c quanto nas membranas, pois é capaz de reduzir o ferro hemínico do cit c. Através de CD e espectrofotometria UV-Vis e EPR, foi observado que a incubação com SIN-1 promove alterações estruturais no cit c causando ruptura na sexta coordenação do ferro hemínico, levando à geração de uma espécie de cit c com rombicidade menor em comparação ao cit c nativo e que apresenta maior atividade peroxidásica. Este trabalho contribui com informações para entendimento do mecanismo antioxidante da AST em diferentes microambientes, além de demonstrar o efeito paradoxal do superóxido que é capaz de proteger o cit c, através da redução do ferro hemínico, mas também pode expor a proteína à oxidação promovida por peroxinitrito. / Astaxanthin (AST) is a β-carotene derived carotenoid, produced by algae and cyanobacteria, but can also be found in marine animals. In phytoplankton it has the function to absorb light radiation for photosinthesys occurence. In animals AST acts as a scavenger of oxygen free radicals, even more efficiently than β-carotene itself. The main objective of this work is to evaluate the antioxidant capacity of AST over cytochrome c (cyt c) incorporated in liposomes and challenged with 3-morpholinosidnonimine (SIN-1), a nitric oxide donor, under different experimental conditions, namely vesicles composition and pH. Distinct interactions between cyt c and vesicles affecting the AST antioxidant activity were also evaluated. SIN-1 spontaneously generates equal amount of nitric oxide and superoxide anion when oxygen is present. Unilamellar vesicles made from phosphatidylcholine (PC) or PC with 5% or 10% of phosphatidylglycerol (PG), with or without AST, were incubated with SIN-1 and/or cyt c. The extent of lipid peroxidation was evaluated by the classical method of thiobarbituric reactive substances (TBARS). Control experiments with SIN-1 alone showed no increase in TBARS content, whereas cyt c significantly increased TBARS. Concomitant addition of cyt c, SIN-1 to PCPG10% vesicles led to lipid peroxidation indices even higher than those found when cyt c was incubated with PCPG10% vesicles. A peroxidase activity of cyt c resulting from the interaction between this protein and anionic membranes can explain this result. In this system, the presence of AST inhibited formation of TBARS, whose levels were near the control values. Astaxanthin was found to exhibit a more effective antioxidant capacity under basic pH (7.4 and 8.0), in comparison with pH 6.2 and 6.8. In the presence of PG, this trend became more evident. Interestingly, at pH 6.2, AST showed a slight pro-oxidant activity. These results can be explained by differences in membrane permeability and reactivity of reactive species, caused by pH and membrane fluidity alterations. The effects of products of SIN-1 decomposition on cyt c structure and its peroxidase activity were investigated under hypoxia and normoxia. EPR and fluorescence experiments revealed that superoxide anion radical, due to its ability to reduce heme iron, prevents oxidative damage of cyt c and membrane lipids by peroxide-derived free radicals. By means of CD and UV-Visible spectroscopy, we have found that concomitant incubation of SIN-1 and cyt c promoted structural alterations in the protein which changes the irons sixth axial coordination, leading to generation of a less rhombic cyt c, which is reportedly a better peroxidase than native cyt c. This work contributes with information aiming to better understand the antioxidant mechanism of AST under different membrane microenvironments and unveil a paradoxal effect of superoxide ion, which can protect cyt c from oxidative lesions by transferring electron to ferricyt c, but can also expose cyt c to oxidation by peroxynitrite.

The work deals with the fuzzy classification of DNA sequences. In the first part the theory summarized information about Fuzzy logic and methods of its use in the classification of biological sequence data. The second part is practically deal with the classification algorithm for assessing the similarity of sequences. Specifically, the dividing of coding and non-coding parts of the sequence and the use of fuzzy classification in DNA barcoding.

Mitochondria are the key source of vital ATP molecules, which are largely produced within cells by a system of oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). Genetic defects affecting any of the components of the oxidative phosphorylation system or the structure and function of mitochondria lead to mitochondrial disorders, which occur at an incidence rate of 1 in 5000 live births. Cytochrome c oxidase (COX) is the terminal enzyme and electron acceptor of a respiratory chain that catalyses oxygen to produce a water molecule. In addition to complex I deficiency, isolated or combined COX deficiency is the most common respiratory chain defect in paediatric patients, and it can arise from mutations located either in mitochondrial DNA or in nuclear genes encoding the structural subunits or corresponding assembly factors of the enzyme complex. However, the molecular basis of COX deficiency remains elusive in many patients despite advances in the identification of an increasing number of mutations and genes involved in the disease. This thesis focuses on the identification of the genetic causes of mitochondrial diseases in a cohort of 60 unrelated Czech children with clinically and laboratory confirmed COX-deficiency. With the use of a high-resolution melting analysis mutation screen, four heterozygous sequence...

No description available.