During the process of cloning using nuclear transfer, epigenetic marks in cells must go through a reprogramming process, so that embryonic development can occur appropriately. However, during TN this reprogramming process is not completely efficient. Analysis of cell viability and expression of genes related to pluripotency and epigenetic changes, allowed us to evaluate the action of demethylation drugs such as Procaine and SAH in somatic cell cultures. These substances are potencial inducers of epigenetic reprogramming and they could be used to improve the process of cloning by TN. The bovine fibroblasts treated with 1 mM Procaine had lower cell viability compared to the control group (non trated), while the group treated with 2 mM of SAH did not differ from the controls. OCT4 and NANOG genes were detected in control group as well as in the group treated with 1mM Procaine, while HDAC2 and DNMT1 genes were expressed in cells treated with 1 mM of Procaine as in those treated with 2 mM of SAH, showing no significant difference between the experimental groups. In this study we concluded that the OCT4 and NANOG genes are not molecular markers for cellular pluripotency in bovines and we can modify the epigenetic patterns of DNA of the nucleus donor cells for cloning by TN process, contributing to the improving of the results of this technique. / Durante o processo de clonagem por transferência nuclear, as marcas epigenéticas existentes nas células devem sofrer um processo de reprogramação, para que o desenvolvimento embrionário ocorra de forma correta, porém, essa reprogramação não é completamente eficaz. Assim, a utilização de substâncias desmetilantes, como a Procaína e SAH, podem ser de grande valia para facilitar essa reprogramação. Ao avaliar a viabilidade celular e a expressão de genes relacionados à pluripotência e alterações epigenéticas, nos permitiu verificar a atuação de drogas desmetilantes como a Procaína e a SAH em cultivo de células somáticas. Essas drogas podem auxiliar a desprogramação epigenética e serem úteis para uma melhoria do processo de clonagem por TN. Os fibroblastos bovinos tratados com 1mM de Procaína apresentaram menor viabilidade celular em relação ao grupo não tratado (controle), enquanto que as células tratadas com 2mM de SAH não apresentaram diferença em sua viabilidade entre os grupos experimentais. Os genes OCT4 e NANOG foram detectados tanto nas células controle como nas tratadas com 1mM de Procaína. Os genes HDAC2 e DNMT1 foram detectados nos mesmos níveis, tanto nas células tratadas com 1mM de Procaína quanto nas tratadas com 2mM de SAH. Com os resultados obtidos nesse estudo, concluímos que os genes OCT4 e NANOG não são marcadores moleculares para pluripotência celular em bovinos e que com possíveis modificações no cultivo celular, podemos alterar os padrões epigenéticos do DNA das células doadoras de núcleo para a clonagem por TN, contribuindo para o incremento dos resultados da técnica. / Mestre em Ciências Veterinárias

Monomethylmercury, MeHg, is formed under anoxic conditions in waters, sediments and soils and then bioaccumulated and biomagnified in aquatic food webs, negatively effecting both human and wildlife health. It is generally accepted that precipitation of mercury, Hg, and adsorption of Hg to e.g. organic matter and mineral surfaces are important processes limiting the reactivity of Hg mobilized in the environment by natural and anthropogenic activities. However, knowledge concerning the role of different solid and adsorbed chemical forms of Hg for MeHg formation, evasion and bioaccumulation is missing. Such information is vital for the understanding of environmental processes controlling MeHg formation and bioaccumulation, as well as for predicting how changes in e.g. loading rates of atmospheric Hg and the outcome of climate change scenarios and anthropogenic land use could alter Hg concentrations in biota. In this thesis, a novel experimental approach, using isotopically enriched solid and adsorbed phases of inorganic Hg, HgII, as tracers, was developed. Using this approach, we successfully determined rates of MeHg formation from solid and adsorbed Hg species in sediment slurries and in mesocosm systems under conditions closely resembling those in field. We conclude that the solid/adsorbed phase speciation of HgII is a major controlling factor for MeHg net formation rates. Microcosm experiments revealed that newly formed MeHg was a major contributor to the evasion of MeHg from the water‒sediment system, emphasizing the importance of MeHg formation rate, rather than MeHg concentration, in the sediment for this process. From mesocosm systems, we provide experimental evidence, as well as quantitate data, for that terrestrial and atmospheric sources of HgII and MeHg are more available for methylation and bioaccumulation processes than HgII and MeHg stored and formed in sediments. This suggests that the contribution from terrestrial and atmospheric sources to the accumulation of Hg in fish may have been underestimated. As a consequence, in regions where climate change is expected to further increase land runoff, terrestrial MeHg sources may have even higher negative effects on biota than previously thought. Data and concepts presented in this thesis lay the basis for unprecedented in-depth modeling of processes in the Hg biogeochemical cycle that will improve our understanding and the predicting power on how aquatic ecosystems may respond to environmental changes or differences in loading rates for atmospheric Hg. / Monometylkvicksilver, MeHg, bildas under anoxiska förhållanden i naturliga vatten, sediment och jordar och bioackumuleras och magnifieras därefter i den akvatiska näringskedjan med negativa effekter på djur och människor som följd. Det är generellt vedertaget att utfällning av Hg och adsorption av Hg till exempelvis organiskt material och mineralytor begränsar tillgängligheten för biogeokemiska reaktioner av Hg som mobiliserats i miljön via naturliga och antropogena processer. Kunskap om betydelsen av speciationen av Hg i fasta och adsorberade faser för bildning, avgång och bioackumulering av MeHg är dock bristfällig. Denna information är kritisk för att förstå vilka processer som kontrollerar bildning och bioackumulering av MeHg samt för att kunna prediktera hur olika ekosystem kan förväntas svara på exempelvis ändrad deposition av atmosfäriskt Hg eller hur klimatförändringar kan påverka koncentrationerna av Hg i fisk. I denna avhandling har en experimentell metod utvecklades, där isotopanrikade fasta och adsorberade kemiska former av oorganiska tvåvärt Hg, Hg II används som s.k. "tracers". Denna metod användes för att bestämma MeHg bildningshasigheter i homogeniserade sediment prover samt i mesokosmsystem där förhållandena efterliknar de som förväntas i naturliga ekosystem. Från dessa drar vi slutsatsen att speciationen av HgII i fast/adsorberad fas är en viktig kontrollerande faktor som begränsar nettobildningen av MeHg. Mikrokosmexperiment visade att i första hand nyligt bildad MeHg avgick till gasfas vilket understryker betydelsen av MeHg bildningshastighet, snarare än koncentration, i sedimentet för denna process. Från mesokosmexperimenten visar vi, med kvantitativa data, att terrestra och atmosfäriska källor av HgII och MeHg är mer tillgängliga för bildning och bioackumulering av MeHg än HgII och MeHg lagrat eller bildat i sedimenten. Orsaken till detta är framförallt skillnad i speciationen av Hg i fasta/adsorberade faser. Detta innebär att bidraget från MeHg från terrestra och atmosfäriska källor till koncentrationen av Hg i fisk kan ha underskattats, samt att de negativa effekterna på MeHg exponering i områden där exempelvis klimat-förändringar förväntas leda till ökad terrest avrinning kan bli mer allvarliga än vad som tidigare predikterats. Data som presenteras i denna avhandling möjliggör modellering av Hg’s biogeokemiska cykel på en ny detaljnivå samt möjliggör säkrare prediktioner av hur olika ekosystem kan förväntas svara mot miljöförändringar eller ändrad deposition av atmosfäriskt Hg. / <p>Till Finansiärer skall också följande läggas till: Kempe stiftelsen (SMK-2942, SMK-2745, JCK-2413).</p>

Le cancer du sein représente une cause de mortalité élevée chez la femme. Le cancer du sein est un cancer hormono-dépendant. De ce fait, il est extrêmement important de définir le rôle joué par les différents acteurs protéiques de la signalisation hormonale, notamment la signalisation œstrogénique. Parallèlement aux effets nucléaires de ERa où l'hormone lie le récepteur nucléaire et régule la transcription génique, il existe une voie dite non génomique. L'équipe a montré que les œstrogènes induisent la méthylation de ERa, qui est un prérequis au recrutement de la Pl3K et de la tyrosine kinase Src, conduisant à l'activation de molécules de signalisation telles que les MAPK et Akt, induisant prolifération et survie cellulaire. Durant ma thèse, j'ai pu démontrer que le complexe mERa/Src/Pl3K existe in vivo et constitue un nouveau biomarqueur indépendant de mauvais pronostique. La recherche de nouveaux partenaires du complexe mERa/Src/Pl3K nous a permis d'identifier le suppresseur de tumeur LKB1 et l'arginine déméthylase JMJD6. De façon surprenante, l'étude de l'expression de LKB1 par immunohistochimie dans une cohorte de tumeurs mammaires a montré une dualité fonctionnelle selon sa localisation subcellulaire. De plus, nous avons démontré que JMJD6 s'associe à ERa méthylé lorsque le récepteur est complexé à Src et Pl3K, et permet ainsi la déméthylation de ERa et la dissociation du complexe mERa/Src/Pl3K. Ce travail a ainsi pu mettre en évidence que les différents acteurs de cette signalisation peuvent constituer des éléments clés au diagnostique mais également lors de la décision thérapeutique, puisque qu'il existe des drogues peuvant cibler cette voie de signalisation / Estrogen receptor a {ERa}, belonging to the superfamily of hormone nuclear receptors, regulates many physiological processes, notably the growth and survival of breast tumor cells, acting as a ligand-dependent transcription factor. Besides to the well described transcriptional effects, estrogen also mediate extranuclear events called non genomic signaling via its receptor. /n fact, team shows that ERa is methylated and that this event is a prerequisite for the recrutement of Src and P/3K and the activation of Akt which orchestrate cell proliferation and survival. During my PhD, / demonstrated that the non genomic signaling complex mERa/Src/P/3K exists in vivo and is operative. /n addition, the complex is found to be an independent prognostic factor for disease free survival. This is an emergent concept that estrogen non genomic pathway is operative in vivo and can constitute a new therapeutic targets. The search for new partners of the complex has allowed us to identify the tumor suppressor LKB1 and arginine demethylase JMJD6. Expression of LKB1 in immunohistochemistry revealed dual properties based on its subcellular localization. When LKB1 is complexed with mERa/Src/P/3K it may acquire oncogenic properties. /n addition, JMJD6 interacts with methylated ERa when the receptor is associated with Src and P/3K, and allows the demethylation of ERa and the dissociation of the complex mERa/Src/P/3K. This work showed that estrogenic non genomic players can constitute new therapeutic targets in Breast tumors

No description available.

This study was undertaken to determine the sensitivity of grape downy mildew (DM, Plasmopara viticola) and powdery mildew (PM, Erysiphe necator) to commonly used single-site fungicides in Virginia and nearby states. DM and PM isolates were collected from 2005 to 2007. In grape leaf disc bioassays, 92% of the DM isolates were QoI (azoxystrobin)-resistant, but none were resistant to mefenoxam. Eighty-two percent of the PM isolates were QoI-resistant, but none were resistant to boscalid and quinoxyfen. The frequency of the G143A point mutation, which confers high levels of QoI resistance, was quantified in DM and PM isolates by real-time PCR. Most of the QoI-resistant DM and PM isolates contained >95% of the 143A allele. QoI-sensitive DM isolates contained less than 1% of 143A. One out of 145 and 14 out of 154 QoI-resistant DM and PM isolates (able to grow on azoxystrobin concentration ï ³ 1 µg/ml), respectively, contained less than 1% 143A. Most PM isolates exhibited reduced sensitivity to five DMI fungicides when compared to a sensitive subgroup (n=9) and compared to published reports for unexposed populations; the resistance factor (median EC50 of the entire isolate collection divided by median EC50 of sensitive subgroup) was highest for tebuconazole (360) and myclobutanil (350), followed by triflumizole (79), triadimefon (61), and fenarimol (53). Sensitivities to all five DMI fungicides, but also azoxystrobin, were moderately to strongly correlated (pairwise r-values ranging from 0.60 to 0.88). / Master of Science in Life Sciences

Le mercure (Hg) est un métal lourd ubiquiste et très toxique. Présent à l’état de traces dans la colonne d’eau des milieux aquatiques, il peut cependant atteindre des concentrations très élevées en fin de chaine alimentaire car il a la particularité d’être bioaccumulé et bioamplifié dans les organismes sous forme de méthylmercure (MeHg). L’identification et la caractérisation des transformations amenant à la formation de MeHg (méthylation) ou à sa dégradation (déméthylation) sont donc de première importance pour évaluer son devenir dans les milieux aquatiques. L’utilisation du comportement des isotopes stables du Hg, à la fois en laboratoire mais aussi dans des échantillons environnementaux, a permis d’évaluer l’influence des processus biotiques et abiotiques mis en jeu dans les système aquatiques sur les transformations et donc la spéciation du Hg dans de tels environnements. Le fractionnement isotopique du Hg, pouvant être dépendant et/ou indépendant de la masse, s’est également avéré être un outil performant pour étudier sa bioaccumulation dans plusieurs membres de la chaîne alimentaire endémique du Lac Baikal (Russie). Les signatures isotopiques mesurées dans ces échantillons ont permi d’améliorer la connaissance sur la distribution, les sources et les transformations affectant les espèces du Hg dans l’écosystème de ce grand lac faisant partie du patrimoine mondial de l’UNESCO depuis 1996 et étant la plus grande réserve d’eau douce liquide de surface mondiale. / Mercury (Hg) is a toxic and ubiquitous heavy metal. Only present at trace levels in the water column of aquatic systems, it can reach high amounts in food web end-members because of its ability to bioaccumulate and biomagnify in organisms as methylmercury (MeHg). Hence, the characterization of the transformations leading to the formation (methylation) and the degradation (demethylation) of MeHg is of great concern to evaluate its fate in aquatic environments. The use of the Hg stable isotopes, during laboratory experiments or in environmental samples, allowed to identify and characterize several biotic and biotic pathways involved in Hg transformations and speciation in aquatic systems. The study of Hg mass-dependent and/or mass-independent fractionation was also a competitive tool to assess its bioaccumulation process in several members of the Lake Baikal endemic food chain (Russia). Measured Hg isotopic signatures in such samples provided insight about Hg species fate and sources within the ecosystem of this lake, which has been nominated as a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1996 and constitutes the world’s largest freshwater lake in terms of volume.

Au cours de cette thèse, deux sujets distincts ont été étudiés : d’une part la synthèse d’analogues de la coelentérazine, substrat de différentes luciférases, pour une application en imagerie in vivo, et d’autre part la synthèse d’analogues du (-)-EGCG, inhibiteur de la kinase Dyrk1a, impliquée notamment dans les troubles cognitifs rencontrés dans la trisomie 21.La problématique du premier sujet consistait à obtenir des analogues de la coelentérazine conservant leur activité sur deux luciférases, la luciférase Renilla et l’aequorine, tout en induisant un déplacement vers le rouge de la bioluminescence produite par ces enzymes. L’aequorine, sensible au calcium, représentait la cible biologique principale du projet.Sept analogues dont six originaux ont été obtenues par des méthodes de synthèse classiques, et leurs activités ont pu être testées sur les deux luciférases choisies, avec des résultats probants : malgré des émissions de lumière moins intenses que celles obtenues avec la coelentérazine native, plusieurs molécules ont entrainé un déplacement vers le rouge de la longueur d’onde d’émission de lumière par bioluminescence allant jusqu’à 27 nm pour l’aequorine et plus de 120 nm pour la luciférase Renilla.Le second sujet, de chimie médicinale classique, a principalement consisté à la synthèse d’analogues du gallate d’épigallocatéchine (EGCG) au squelette simplifié, et au sein desquels le cycle pyranique caractéristique des catéchines a été remplacé par un carbocycle. Plusieurs molécules ont pu être synthétisées, dont deux présentant le motif hexaphénol. Leur activité inhibitrice de Dyrk1a a pu être testée in vitro et l’une d’entre elle s’est déjà révélée plus active que l’EGCG. / During this thesis, two distinct projects were studied: on the one hand, the synthesis of coelenterazine analogs, substrate of several luciferases, in the purpose of using them for in vivo imaging, and on the other, the synthesis of (-)-EGCG analogs, inhibitor of the Dyrk1a kinase, which interests us for the role it plays in the mental retardation existing in the Down Syndrome disease.The problematic of the first project consisted in obtaining coelenterazine analogs that would not only maintain their activity on two luciferases, the Renilla luciferase and aequorine, but they should also induce a red-shift of the bioluminescence produced by these enzymes. Because of its sensitivity to calcium, aequorine was the main biologic target of this project.Seven analogs, of which six had an original structure, were synthesized through usual synthetic methodologies and their activities on both aequorine and Renilla luciferase were tested in vitro, with interesting results: even if the intensities of light emission were weaker than those obtained with native coelenterazine, several molecules produced a red-shift of the emission wavelength of bioluminescence, up to 27nm for aequorine and more than 120nm for the Renilla luciferase. The second project, of classical medicinal chemistry, mainly consisted in the synthesis of epigallocatechin gallate analogs (EGCG) with a simplified backbone and in which the pyranic ring typical of catechins was replaced by a carbocycle. Several molecules were synthesized, two of them possessing the hexaphenol motif. Their inhibiting activity of Dyrk1a was tested in vitro and one already showed a better activity than natural EGCG.

Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro / O retardo mental (RM) é caracterizado por um funcionamento intelectual significantemente abaixo da média (QI<70). A prevalência de RM varia entre estudos epidemiológicos, sendo estimada em 2-3% da população mundial, constituindo assim, um dos mais importantes problemas de saúde pública. Há um consenso geral de que o RM é mais comum no sexo masculino, um achado atribuído às numerosas mutações nos genes encontrados no cromossomo X, levando ao retardo mental ligado ao X (RMLX). Dentre os genes presentes no cromossomo X, o Jumonji AT-rich interactive domain IC (JARID1C) foi recentemente identificado como um potencial candidato etiológico do RM, quando mutado. O JARID1C codifica uma proteína que atua como uma desmetilase da lisina 4 da histona H3 (H3K4), imprescindível para a regulação epigenética. Tão recente como a identificação do gene JARID1C, é a descoberta de que mudanças no número de cópias de sequências de DNA, caracterizadas por microdeleções e microduplicações, poderiam ser consideradas como razões funcionalmente importantes de RMLX. Atualmente, cerca de 5-10% dos casos de RM em homens são reconhecidos por ocorrerem devido a estas variações do número de cópias no cromossomo X. Neste estudo, investigamos mutações no gene JARID1C, através do rastreamento dos éxons 9, 11, 12, 13, 15 e 16, em 121 homens de famílias com RM provavelmente ligado ao X. Paralelamente, realizamos a análise da variação do número de cópias em 16 genes localizados no cromossomo X através da técnica de MLPA no mesmo grupo de pacientes. Esta metodologia consiste em uma amplificação múltipla que detecta variações no número de cópias de até 50 sequências diferentes de DNA genômico, sendo capaz de distinguir sequências que diferem em apenas um nucleotídeo. O DNA genômico foi extraído a partir de sangue periférico e as amostras foram amplificadas pela técnica de PCR, seguida da análise por sequenciamento direto. Foram identificadas três variantes na sequência do gene JARID1C entre os pacientes analisados: a variante intrônica 2243+11 G>T, que esteve presente em 67% dos pacientes, a variante silenciosa c.1794C>G e a mutação inédita nonsense c.2172C>A, ambas presentes em 0,82% dos indivíduos investigados. A análise através do MLPA revelou uma duplicação em um dos pacientes envolvendo as sondas referentes ao gene GDI1 e ao gene HUWE1. Este trabalho expande o estudo de mutações no gene JARID1C para a população brasileira ereforça a importância da triagem de mutações neste gene em homens portadores de RM familiar de origem idiopática, assim como, é primeiro relato científico relativo à investigação de variações no número de cópias de genes localizados no cromossomo X em homens brasileiros com RM, através da técnica de MLPA. / Mental retardation (MR) is defined as a disability characterized by significant below average intellectual functioning (IQ>70). The prevalence of MR varies between epidemiological studies, estimated at 2-3% of the population, thus constituting a major public health problem. There is a general consensus that MR is more common in males, a finding attributed, in part, to mutations in the genes located on the X chromosome, leading to an X-linked mental retardation (XLMR). Among all the genes present on X chromosome, Jumonji AT-rich interactive domain IC (JARID1C) was recently identified as aetiologic potential candidate of MR, when mutated. The JARID1C gene encodes a protein that acts as a histone demethylase specific for histone 3 lysine 4 (H3K4) and it is indispensable for the epigenetic regulation. As recently as the identification of the JARID1C gene, it is the discovery that changes in the number of copies of DNA sequences, characterized by microdeletions and microduplications, could be regarded as functionally important reasons to XLMR. Currently, about 5-10% of men MR cases are known to occur due to these variations in the number of copies of chromosome X. In this study we investigated mutations in the JARID1C gene by screening of exons 9, 11, 12, 13, 15 and 16 in 121 patients from families with X-linked MR. At the same time we analyzed the variation in the number of copies in 16 genes located in X chromosome through the MLPA technique. This metodology consists of a multiplex amplification that detects variations in the number of copies up to 50 different genomic DNA sequences, being able to distinguish sequences that differ by only one nucleotide. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood and the samples were amplified by PCR followed by direct sequencing analysis. We identified three sequence variants among 121 patients. The intronic variant c.2243 +11 G> T, which was present in 67% of patients analyzed, the silent variant c.1794C> G and the novel nonsense mutation c.2172C> A, which was present in 0,82% of patients analyzed. The MLPA analysis revealed that the patient 58 exhibited a duplication involving probes for the GDI1 gene and the HUWE1 gene, resulting in an increase in the number of copies of this gene. This work expands the study of mutations in the JARID1C gene for the Brazilian population and reinforces the importance of screening for mutations in this gene in men with idiopathic mental retardation, and it is the first scientific report on the investigation of variations in the number of copies in genes located on chromosome X in Brazilian men with MR using the MLPA technique.

This thesis focuses on the implementation of species-specific isotope dilution (SSID) methodology and stable isotope tracers to determine mercury species occurrence and transformation processes in-situ and during sample treatment. Isotope enriched tracers of methyl-, ethyl- and inorganic mercury were synthesised and applied in different combinations to marine and biological samples. Experimental results were obtained using gas chromatography-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (GC-ICP-MS). Mercury methylation and methylmercury demethylation processes in surface sediments were studied in the brackish Öre River estuary, Bothnian Bay. Uni- and multivariate data evaluation identified the organic material content and mercury methylation potential in the sediments as important factors controlling incipient methylmercury levels. Mercury species distribution in mice treated with the pharmaceutical preservative Thimerosal (ethylmercurithiosalicylate) was studied. The ethylmercury moiety of Thimerosal was observed to rapidly convert to inorganic mercury in the mice during the treatment period as well as during sample treatment, hence necessitating SSID methodology for accurate ethylmercury determinations in biological samples. To facilitate the introduction of SSID as a routine quantitative method in mercury speciation, a methylmercury isotopic certified reference material (ICRM) was produced. Prior to certification, the stability of the material was examined in conventional and isochronous stability studies spanning 12 months, which permitted uncertainty estimation of the methylmercury amount content for two years of shelf-life. Finally, a field-adapted SSID method for methylmercury determinations in natural water samples was developed. The proposed analytical protocol significantly simplified sample storage- and treatment procedures without sacrifices in analytical accuracy.

Die enzymatischen Transformationen mit der pilzlichen Peroxygenase aus Agrocybe aegerita haben gezeigt, dass das Enzym insgesamt über ein sehr breites Substratspektrum bezüglich der Flavonoide verfügt. Die Flavonoide werden mittels AaeAPO regioselektiv in 6-Position hydroxyliert. Der Reaktionsmechanismus der AaeAPO bei Flavonoiden läuft über eine Epoxidstufe ab, wobei der eingefügte Sauerstoff bei Hydroxylierungen dem Wasserstoffperoxid entstammt (Hinweis auf eine echte Peroxygenase-Reaktion). Die Enzymproduktion der Agrocybe aegerita wird durch den Extraktzusatz (aus jeweils Aronia melanocarpa, Fragaria ananassa, Trifolium pratense und Bellis perennis) im Fall der Laccase stimuliert. Die AaeAPO -Aktivität wird dagegen gehemmt. Für Bjerkandera adusta kann eine moderate Stimulierung der MnP-Bildung nach der Extraktzugabe beobachtet werden. Der positive bzw. negative Einfluss auf die Enzymproduktion ist bei Agrocybe aegerita sowohl auf Flavonoide als auch auf das Lösungsmittel Ethanol zurückzuführen.