5 ABSTRACT Charles University in Prague Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové Department of Biochemical Sciences Candidate: Bc. Pavel Votýpka Supervisor: Doc. PharmDr. Martin Beránek, Ph.D. Consultant: Mgr. Nikola Ptáková Title of diploma thesis: Contribution of Next Generation Sequencing for Laboratory Diagnostics The endeavor to sequence the whole human genome lead not only to the knowledge acquisition regarding the human genetic information but as well to the development of new sequencing methods and technologies. In order to keep up with progress in genetic field in many clinical and research laboratories the new massive parallel sequencing equipment is being utilized. On the market are currently established four leading platforms - Illumina, Solid, Ion Torrent and 454 Life Technologies. The process of sequencing analysis can be summarized into three main steps - the sequencing library preparation, sequencing itself, variant calling and data analysis. Each part of the sequencing analysis exhibits certain specifics, we need to count with and as well its pitfalls, we need to avoid or to minimalize their impact on the analysis final result. Recently new methods termed sequencing of the 3rd generation are being developed, enabling sequence of a single DNA molecule to be determined without previous...

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and insertions/deletions (indels) constitute important sources of genetic variation which provide insight into disease aetiology and idiosyncratic differences in drug response. The analysis of such genetic variation relies upon the generation of allele-specific products, typically by enzymatic extension or the hybridization of allele-specific DNA probes. Herein, a distinct enzyme-free, dynamic chemistry-based method of producing allele-specific products for genotyping was developed. The approach was initially demonstrated in model systems using synthetic DNA, which was used as a template in a base-filling reductive amination reaction on a PNA backbone. The templated dynamic reaction between a free secondary amine at a ‘blank’ position on the PNA strand and four aldehyde-modified nucleobases drove selective formation of the ‘correct’ iminium intermediate according to Watson-Crick base-pairing rules. In a blind trial, the method was extended to genotype twelve cystic fibrosis patients for two mutations (one SNP and one indel) linked to this disease. Enzyme-free dynamic chemistry thus permitted successful genotyping in both singleplex and duplex formats, demonstrating the application of dynamic chemistry as a distinct method of allelediscrimination with certain advantages over those reported previously. The application of this method as a tool for the discovery of non-natural nucleobases with improved properties for antisense and genotyping applications was also investigated. Furthermore, progress was made towards the use of dynamic chemistry as a means of full nucleic acid sequence analysis, through the templated sequence-selective extension of PNA probes by reductive amination.

Nanopore-based resistive pulse sensing represents an important class of single-molecule measurements. It provides information about many molecules of interest (i.e. DNA, proteins, peptides, clusters, polymers, etc.) without the need for labeling. Two experiments that are especially well suited for studying with nanopore sensors are DNA sequencing and DNA-protein force measurements. This thesis will describe progress that has been made in both areas. DNA sequencing has become an active area of research for stochastic single-molecule sensing, with many researchers striving for the ultimate goal of single-molecule de novo DNA sequencing. One intriguing method towards that goal involves the use of a DNA exonuclease or polymerase enzyme, which when attached close to the mouth of a pore, leads to cleavage of individual DNA nucleotide bases for loading into the pore for sensing. Though this method seems promising, the end goal has been elusive because the nucleotide motion is dominated by diffusion over the relevant length scales. This limits the likelihood of the cleaved nucleotide entering the pore to be characterized. The first part of this thesis will describe a method for addressing this problem, where it is shown that increasing the nucleotide capture probability can be achieved by lowering the bulk diffusion coefficient relative to the pore diffusion coefficient. The second part of this thesis will describe the design and implementation of a new type of sensor that combines a biological nanopore experimental apparatus with optical tweezers. The goal of this apparatus is to develop a means to independently measure the force on a charged molecule inside of the pore. The setup will be thoroughly described, and preliminary results showing that it is possible to optically trap a micron sized bead within a few microns of an isolated biological nanopore while simultaneously making current measurements through that pore will be presented. This will enable force measurements on DNA molecules tethered to the bead, which opens the door for the study of molecular force interactions between DNA and biological nanopores, DNA-bound protein interactions that cause diseased states, and controlled translocation of DNA through biological nanopores.

Botryococcus braunii is a microscopic, colonial green alga that may be found in fresh and brackish waters throughout the globe. B. braunii is unique in that it constitutively synthesises and secretes copious amounts of various long-chain (C23-C40) hydrocarbons, generically termed “botryococcenes”. Botryococcanes, the hydrogenated forms of botryococcenes, comprise 1% of the fossil hydrocarbons found in petroleum deposits and in oil-shales. Microfossils identified as Botryococcus by optical and scanning electron microscopy are also abundant in these strata, but the actual identity and precise relationship between these microfossils and extant Botryococcus species is not known. In this investigation, the relationship between living Botryococcus algae and microfossils identified as Botryococcus using traditional palaeontological analysis and light-microscopy was investigated by analysis of ancient DNA (aDNA). The material used was identified in sediments from Boswell Lake (British Columbia, Canada), a Holocene lake that had remained undisturbed since the glacial retreat. New flow-cytometry methods were developed to rapidly purify enough of the relevant microfossils, from which aDNA was extracted and sequenced. Pollen grains were purified using the same flow-cytometry method and from the same horizons as the Botryococcus microfossils and used to age the sedimentary horizons by 14C radiocarbon dating. Samples of the purified microfossils were imaged by scanning electron microscopy for comparison with published images of fossils identified as Botryococcus from kerogens. In addition, metaDNA from the relevant horizons was extracted and sequenced by NGS, and a chemical analysis for botryococcene derivatives performed using two-dimensional gas chromatography (2D-GC). The genomic analyses show that the sub-fossils identified in Boswell Lake are likely to be representatives of B. braunii, race B. The geochemical analysis identified hydrocarbons that migrate as botryococcenes on 2D-GC in the strata whence the sub-fossils were purified. The SEM images indicate that the microfossils purified from Boswell Lake have similar morphologies to those found in kerogens. Taken together, these data strongly support the proposition that petroleum and kerogen deposits are unusually rich in B. braunii and that these algae have a lineage potentially dating 500 million years. The metagenomic analysis enabled similar conclusions to be reached regarding the presence of B. braunii within the sediment, without the need for targeted microfossil purification. While this analysis was less precise due to the under-representation of algal genomes in the public sequence databases, the metagenomics approach employed was particularly well suited to the temporal analysis of prokaryotic microcosms within Lake Boswell, the succession of which could be associated with periods of climatic variation. The analytical methods described herein are generally applicable to understanding microbial systems over geological periods, and may be used to generate important insights into the cause and effect relationships between microbial populations and environmental perturbation.

This thesis presents the theoretical studies of electronic transport in molecular electronic devices. Such devices have been proposed and investigated as a promising new approach that complements conventional silicon-based electronics. To design and fabricate future nanoelectronic devices, it is essential to understand the conduction mechanism at a molecular or atomic level. Our approach is based on the non-equilibrium Green's function method (NEGF) combined with density functional theory (DFT). We apply the method to study the electronic transport properties of two-probe systems consisting of molecules or atomic wires sandwiched between leads. A few molecular electronic devices are characterized; namely, conducting molecular wires, molecular switches and molecular recognition sensors. The considered applications are interconnection of different nanoelectronic units with cumulene molecular wires; adding switching functionality to the molecular connectors by applying stress to the CNT-cumulene-CNT junction or by introducing phthalocyanine unit; sensing of individual nucleotides, e.g., for DNA sequencing applications. The obtained results provide useful insights into the electron transport properties of molecules. Several interesting and significant features are analyzed and explained in particular such as, level pinning, negative differential resistance, interfering of conducting channels etc.

abstract: This thesis describes several approaches to next generation DNA sequencing via tunneling current method based on a Scanning Tunneling Microscope system. In chapters 5 and 6, preliminary results have shown that DNA bases could be identified by their characteristic tunneling signals. Measurements taken in aqueous buffered solution showed that single base resolution could be achieved with economic setups. In chapter 7, it is illustrated that some ongoing measurements are indicating the sequence readout by making linear scan on a piece of short DNA oligomer. However, to overcome the difficulties of controlling DNA especially ssDNA movement, it is much better to have the tunneling measurement incorporated onto a robust nanopore device to realize sequential reading of the DNA sequence while it is being translocated. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Physics 2011

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:23:01Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2008-02-25Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T19:49:33Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 oliveira_jg_me_botfm.pdf: 1162046 bytes, checksum: 81511cad148a738a034b784dbc6eec91 (MD5) / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) / O câncer gástrico é o quarto tipo mais comum e o segundo em mortalidade. Apesar da diminuição do número de casos nos últimos tempos ainda é um grande problema mundial. E mais, sua associação com o Helicobacter pylori (HP) está cada vez mais preocupante, devido à alta prevalência de cepas patogênicas dessa bactéria. Além disso, mutações em genes que agem no ciclo celular podem levar ao câncer. O gene que codifica a proteína p53 é responsável pelo reparo de lesões no DNA durante o ciclo celular funcionando como um regulador transcricional. Quando o reparo não é viável a proteína p53 induz a entrada da célula danificada em apoptose. Mutações mais freqüentes ocorrem nos exons 5, 6, 7 8 e 9. No atual trabalho investigou-se a possível associação da mutação no gene p53, correlação com presença da cepa patogênica CagA+ e estadiamento do tumor. Foram estudadas 55 amostras de câncer gástrico extraídas por biópsia durante gastrectomia. PCR foi utilizada para os exons 5 ao 9, análise de mutação por sequenciamento automático e dados clínicos foram coletados incluindo infecção por Helicobacter pylori/CagA+. Trinta e dois casos apresentaram mutações em p53 sendo que 6 deles apresentaram mutação em mais de um exon. 53% apresentaram-se infectados por HP CagA+. 87% dos pacientes estavam em estadiamento avançado do tumor (II, III e IV) e 80% eram do tipo intestinal. Quanto a correlação de p53 e cagA+ a casuística é relativamente pequena, e assim a correlação de p53 e cagA não foi vista. Os resultados confirmam a relevância das mutações em p53 e da presença da cepa patogênica CagA nos casos de câncer gástrico, contudo estudos devem ser realizados com um maior número amostral. Neste caso, o uso da p53 mutada pode ser utilizada em diagnóstico indicando, assim um melhor tratamento, desde que há casos em que sua alteração impõe resistência... / The gastric cancer is the fourth most common type and the second in mortality. Despite the decrease in the number of cases in recent times is still a major problem worldwide. Moreover, its association with Helicobacter pylori (HP) is increasingly worrying, because of the high prevalence of pathogenic strains of this bacterium. Furthermore, mutations in genes that act in the cell cycle can lead to cancer. The gene encoding the p53 protein is responsible for repair of lesions in DNA during cell cycle working as a transcriptional regulator. When the repair is not viable in the p53 protein induces the entry of the cell into apoptosis damaged. Change frequently occur in exons 5, 6, 7 8 and 9. In the current work investigated is the possible association of the mutation in the p53 gene, correlation with the presence of pathogenic strain CagA + and staging of the tumor. We studied 55 samples of gastric cancer extracted by biopsy taken during gastrectomy. PCR was used to the exons 5 to 9, analysis of mutation by sequencing automatic and clinical data were collected including infection by Helicobacter pylori / CagA +. Thirty-two patients had mutations in p53 is that 6 of them had more than one mutation in exon. 53% showed up infected HP CagA +. 87% of the patients were in advanced staging of the tumor (II, III and IV) and 80% were of the intestinal type. As the correlation of p53 and cagA + the casuistic is relatively small, and thus the relationship of p53 and cagA was not seen. The results confirm the relevance of mutations in p53 in the presence of pathogenic strain CagA in cases of gastric cancer, but studies must be conducted with greater sample. In this case, the use of p53 mutant can be used in diagnosis indicating thus a better treatment, since there are cases where its amendment requires resistance to certain types of treatment, regardless of the presence of H pylori... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)

abstract: Single molecule DNA Sequencing technology has been a hot research topic in the recent decades because it holds the promise to sequence a human genome in a fast and affordable way, which will eventually make personalized medicine possible. Single molecule differentiation and DNA translocation control are the two main challenges in all single molecule DNA sequencing methods. In this thesis, I will first introduce DNA sequencing technology development and its application, and then explain the performance and limitation of prior art in detail. Following that, I will show a single molecule DNA base differentiation result obtained in recognition tunneling experiments. Furthermore, I will explain the assembly of a nanofluidic platform for single strand DNA translocation, which holds the promised to be integrated into a single molecule DNA sequencing instrument for DNA translocation control. Taken together, my dissertation research demonstrated the potential of using recognition tunneling techniques to serve as a general readout system for single molecule DNA sequencing application. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Biochemistry 2013

Orientador: Carlos Eduardo Steiner / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-23T05:21:25Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Baptista_MarcellaBergaminide_M.pdf: 1959777 bytes, checksum: 5e9549a5e21a411c116468e665693472 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013 / Resumo: Gangliosidose GM1 é uma doença autossômica recessiva rara, classificada em três formas clínicas de acordo com a idade de apresentação dos sintomas e a gravidade, provocada pela deficiência da enzima lisossômica ?-galactosidase que leva ao acúmulo, principalmente, do gangliosídeo GM1. A forma juvenil geralmente apresenta início entre sete meses e três anos de idade, com progressão lenta dos sinais neurológicos, dimorfismos menos graves que na forma infantil e deformidades ósseas. A forma crônica é caracterizada por apresentações clínicas mais leves e sintomas extrapiramidais. O gene codificador da enzima é o GLB1, no qual mais de 130 mutações foram descritas. No presente estudo foi realizada a caracterização molecular de 10 indivíduos de nove famílias não relacionadas diagnosticados com gangliosidose GM1, nas formas juvenil e crônica. Todas as famílias são originárias do interior do estado de São Paulo ou do sul do estado de Minas Gerais. Para a análise realizada foi possível identificar a mutação anteriormente descrita p.T500A, em sete das nove famílias estudadas, a inserção c.1717- 1722insG e a mutação p.R59H foram encontradas em duas famílias (a última segregou juntamente com o polimorfismo descrito IVS12+8T>C). As demais mutações descritas (p.F107L, p.L173P, p.R201H, p.G311R) foram encontradas em uma família cada. Uma alteração neutra (p.P152P) e duas mutações (p.I354S e p.T384S) são inéditas. Foi possível identificar a ocorrência de uma mutação de novo em uma família. Todas as mutações foram encontradas em heterozigose / Abstract: GM1 gangliosidosis is a rare autosomal recessive, classified in three clinical types according to age of onset and severity. The disease is caused by the deficiency of lysosomal enzyme ?-galactosidase that leads to the accumulation of GM1 ganglioside. The juvenile form usually shows an onset between seven months and three years of age, with slowly progressive neurological signs, less severe dysmorphisms than the infantile form and skeletal changes. The adult form is specified by a milder clinical manifestations and extrapyramidal signs. The lysossomal enzyme is coded by the GLB1 gene which more than 130 mutations have been decribed. In the present study it was genotyped 10 individuals of nine unrelated families originated from the States of São Paulo and Minas Gerais diagnosed with the juvenile and chronic forms of the disease. It was possible to find the previously described mutations p.T500A in seven of the nine families, c.1717-1722insG and p.R59H in two alleles (the latter also segregating with IVS12+8T>C), and p.F107L, p.L173P, p.R201H, and p.G311R in one familie each. One neutral alteration (p.P152P) and two mutations (p.I354S and p.T384S) are described for the first time. The occurrence of a de novo mutation was seen in one family. All patients presented as heterozygous compound / Mestrado / Ciencias Biomedicas / Mestra em Ciências Médicas

PURPOSE. Recessive mutations in CLN7/MFSD8 usually cause variant late-infantile onset neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (vLINCL), a poorly understood neurodegenerative condition, though mutations may also cause nonsyndromic maculopathy. A series of 12 patients with nonsyndromic retinopathy due to novel CLN7/MFSD8 mutation combinations were investigated in this study. METHODS. Affected patients and their family members were recruited in ophthalmic clinics at each center where they were examined by retinal imaging and detailed electrophysiology. Whole exome or genome next generation sequencing was performed on genomic DNA from at least one affected family member. Immunofluorescence confocal microscopy of murine retina cross-sections were used to localize the protein. RESULTS. Compound heterozygous alleles were identified in six cases, one of which was always p.Glu336Gln. Such combinations resulted in isolated macular disease. Six further cases were homozygous for the variant p.Met454Thr, identified as a founder mutation of South Asian origin. Those patients had widespread generalized retinal disease, characterized by electroretinography as a rod-cone dystrophy with severe macular involvement. In addition, the photopic single flash electroretinograms demonstrated a reduced b- to a-wave amplitude ratio, suggesting dysfunction occurring after phototransduction. Immunohistology identified MFSD8 in the outer plexiform layer of the retina, a site rich in photoreceptor synapses. CONCLUSIONS. This study highlights a hierarchy of MFSD8 variant severity, predicting three consequences of mutation: (1) nonsyndromic localized maculopathy, (2) nonsyndromic widespread retinopathy, or (3) syndromic neurological disease. The data also shed light on the underlying pathogenesis by implicating the photoreceptor synaptic terminals as the major site of retinal disease.