La division cellulaire est essentielle pour la survie de chaque être vivant. Au cours de ce processus, les chromosomes de la cellule en division sont transmis aux deux cellules filles. La répartition des chromosomes est orchestrée par une structure cellulaire transitoire appelée fuseau mitotique (ou fuseau méiotique dans les cellules reproductrices). Le fuseau est composé de microtubules, de nombreuses protéines et de moteurs moléculaires, qui interagissent de manière complexe et précise aboutissant à l’organisation d’une structure bipolaire dynamique. Comme certains mécanismes moléculaires restent mal compris, nous avons choisi d'aborder la question de l'assemblage du fuseau méiotique dans des extraits d'oeufs de grenouille. Xenopus laevis est un organisme modèle car il est proche, d’un aspect phylogénétique, de l'homme, et il est particulièrement adapté à l’étude de la division cellulaire. Nous avons également utilisé une méthode in vitro (appelée spindle array ou puce à fuseaux) qui a été développée au sein du groupe de recherche auparavant, et qui offre certains avantages par rapport aux approches existantes. Une puce à fuseaux est composée de billes recouvertes de chromatine immobilisées selon des micro-motifs géométriques obtenus selon une technique d’impression par microcontact. L'assemblage des fuseaux méiotiques a été visualisé par microscopie confocale à fluorescence. Grâce à ces outils, nous avons, lors d’un premier projet, abordé le rôle de l’Augmin dans l'assemblage des fuseaux. L’Augmin est un complexe protéique récemment identifié grâce à son hypothétique rôle dans la nucléation de microtubules à partir de microtubules existants. Après déplétion de l’Augmin, nous avons constaté que la nucléation des microtubules était réduite et que les fuseaux avaient une morphologie anormale. De plus, ces derniers qui étaient essentiellement multipolaires sont progressivement devenus bipolaires grâce à une voie de nucléation des microtubules, découverte lors de notre étude, émanant des pôles acentrosomaux et qui est indépendante de l’Augmin. Nos résultats révèlent que l’Augmin est essentiel pour l’assemblage et la bipolarité du fuseau acentrosomal. Au cours d’un second projet, nous avons étudié les fonctions des chromokinésines kinésine-4 (Xklp1) et kinésine-10 (Xkid) dans l'assemblage des fuseaux et leurs mouvements. Xkid participe à la force d’éjection polaire nécessaire à la congression des chromosomes alors que Xklp1 contribue principalement à la régulation de la dynamique des microtubules. En étudiant l'assemblage de fuseaux dans des extraits après déplétion de Xkid, Xklp1 ou les deux, nous avons démontré que Xkid limite la dynamique des mouvements longitudinaux des fuseaux, contribue à la mise en place de la bipolarité et régule la longueur des fuseaux. Nous avons également quantifié la cinétique de nucléation des microtubules et confirmé le rôle de Xklp1 dans la régulation de la dynamique des microtubules. L’ensemble de nos travaux contribuent à une meilleure compréhension des mécanismes d’assemblage du fuseau méiotique et confirme la pertinence de notre méthode pour l'étude de sa morphogenèse. / Cell division is essential for the survival of every living organism. During this process, the chromosomes of the dividing cell are transmitted to the two daughter cells. The partition of the chromosomes is orchestrated by a transient sub-cellular structure called the mitotic spindle (or meiotic spindle in gamete cells). The spindle is composed of microtubules, numerous proteins and molecular motors, which interact in an intricate and yet precise manner leading to a highly dynamic and complexstructure. As some molecular mechanisms remain elusive, we have chosen to address the question of meiotic spindle assembly in Xenopus egg extracts. Xenopus laevis is a model system that is evolutionary close to human, and suitable for cell division studies. We have combined this with an in vitro assay - spindle array - which we developed prior to this work, and which provides advantages over existing approaches. A spindle array is composed of chromatin-coated beads that are immobilized according to geometrical patterns obtained by microcontact printing. The assembly of meiotic spindles wasvisualized by time-lapse fluorescence confocal microscopy. Using these tools, we first addressed the role of augmin in the assembly of meiotic spindles. Augmin is a recently identified protein complex that has been hypothesized to induce microtubule nucleation from the side of preexisting microtubules. By depleting augmin, we found that microtubule nucleationwas reduced and that spindles were morphologically impaired. Spindles were predominantly multipolar but finally reached bipolarity as a result of a newly uncovered augmin-independent microtubule nucleation pathway from acentrosomal poles. Our results thus reveal that augmin is essential for the proper establishment of the microtubule scaffolding and the bipolarity ofacentrosomal spindles. Secondly, we investigated the functions of the chromokinesins kinesin-4 (Xklp1) and kinesin-10 (Xkid)in acentrosomal spindle architecture and motions. Xkid plays a major role in the polar ejection forces leading chromosome movements during congression while the main function of XKlp1 is to regulate microtubule dynamics. We studied spindle assembly in depleted extracts and we report that Xkid limits the dynamics of spindle longitudinal movements, contributes to spindle bipolarity and affects spindle length while XKlp1 controls the spindle microtubule mass. Altogether these findings contribute to a better understanding of meiotic spindle assembly and confirm the pertinence of our method to study spindle morphogenesis.

Global warming, a consequence of the ongoing climate change, is expected to increase the mean global temperature by up to 5°C this century. This is predicted to have various impacts on the earth's ecosystems and especially on ectotherms which cannot regulate body temperature by endogenous heat production. There is an intensified interest in investigating the outcomes of climate change and the role of developmental phenotypic plasticity in relation to environmental conditions experienced early in life. Here I compare the body shape and fin size of juvenile Atlantic salmon that had been incubated at two different temperature regimes during embryogenesis. Morphometric methods were used to compare body size through a box-truss network of Euclidean distances and the data were then analyzed using discriminant analysis. Fin size was analyzed by comparing fin area using analysis of covariance with body size as the covariate. The fish incubated in ambient (cold) temperatures differed from the fish incubated in ca. 4°C warmer temperatures by having a deeper body shape and bigger pectoral fin area. There was no significant difference for dorsal fin area. My findings support the notion that Atlantic salmon are morphologically plastic when exposed to different temperature regimes during embryogenesis, but additional studies are needed to determine the ecological consequences of these changes. / Global uppvärmning, en konsekvens av pågående klimatförändringar, förväntas öka den globala medeltemperaturen med upp till 5°C det här århundradet. Det här förväntas ha stor påverkan på jordens ekosystem och speciellt ektotermer som inte kan reglera sin kroppstemperatur genom endogen värmeproduktion. Intresset har intensifierats för att undersöka klimatförändringarnas utfall och rollen som fenotypisk plasticitet har som svar på tidiga miljöförhållanden. Kroppsform och fenstorlek jämfördes hos juvenil atlantlax som inkuberats i två olika temperaturbehandlingar under embryogenesen. Morfometri användes för att undersöka kroppsformen genom ett box-truss nätverk av euklidiska avstånd som sedan analyserades med en diskriminant funktionsanalys. Fenstorleken analyserades genom att mäta fenornas area som sedan användes i en kovariansanalys med kroppsstorlek som kovariat. Fiskarna som inkuberades i normal (kall) temperatur skiljde sig från fiskarna som inkuberats i ca 4°C varmare temperatur genom att ha en djupare kroppsform och större area på bröstfenorna. Det fanns ingen signifikant skillnad mellan ryggfenornas area. Mina resultat stödjer idén att atlantlaxen är morfologiskt plastisk när den utsätts för olika temperaturbehandlingar under embryogenesen, men ytterligare studier behövs för att identifiera de ekologiska konsekvenserna av dessa förändringar.

O ovo é consumido in natura ou processado, e usado como matéria-prima em diversos produtos. A pasteurização e a atomização são os principais processamentos aplicados ao ovo. Diferentes condições de processamento, embalagem e estocagem podem afetar a estabilidade oxidativa lipídica e reduzir a proteção antioxidante natural do ovo. O uso de embalagens onde não haja contato do ovo com a luz e oxigênio, estocagem em temperaturas baixas e uso de antioxidantes podem prevenir a oxidação lipídica. Atualmente, os antioxidantes sintéticos são cada vez mais substituídos por antioxidantes naturais ou feita uma associação entre eles. O alecrim (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) e o chá verde (Camelia sinensis L) constam entre os vegetais com grande potencial antioxidante. Com base no exposto, os objetivos do trabalho foram: a) Padronizar o método do fosfomolibdênio para avaliação da capacidade antioxidante total da fração lipídica (CATL) do ovo; b) Investigar o efeito da pasteurização e da atomização do ovo no que se refere à capacidade antioxidante e à estabilidade oxidativa da fração lipídica do ovo; c) Avaliar a estabilidade oxidativa de ácidos graxos e a capacidade antioxidante do ovo integral pasteurizado atomizado, estocado a 5ºC, por 90 dias; d) Verificar por meio de teste de concentração de antioxidantes, a estabilidade oxidativa lipídica do ovo integral pasteurizado atomizado adicionado da mistura de extrato de alecrim, extrato de chá verde e BHA (butilato de hidroxianisol); e) Otimizar a concentração da mistura de extrato de alecrim, extrato de chá verde e BHA a ser adicionada ao ovo líquido integral pasteurizado, posteriormente atomizado, pelo modelo matemático proposto pela metodologia de superfície de resposta; f) Investigar o efeito da mistura otimizada de extrato de alecrim, extrato de chá verde e BHA na estabilidade oxidativa lipídica do ovo integral pasteurizado atomizado, estocado sob as temperaturas de 5°C e 25ºC, por 90 dias. O método do fosfomolidênio para medir a CATL do ovo apresentou adequação analítica, indicada pela equação de regressão (y = 13,705x + 0,0808), coeficiente de determinação (R2 = 0,9931), limite de detecção (0,005mg α-tocoferol/ mL), limite de quantificação (0,017mg α-tocoferol/ mL), coeficiente de correlação (r = 0,9965), sendo que a precisão não indicou dispersão ao redor da média. A CATL diminuiu com o progresso do processamento e o inverso foi observado quanto aos lipídios, 7-CETO (7-cetocolesterol) e TBARS (substâncias reativas ao ácido tiobarbitúrico). O ovo integral pasteurizado atomizado (OIPA) mantido sob condições de estocagem consideradas ideais permaneceu estável em relação à hidratação, a CATL e as TBARS. Pelo teste de concentração de antioxidantes, foram ensaiadas dez misturas (alecrim, chá verde e BHA) no OIPA e refletiu na sua estabilidade oxidativa lipídica, verificada pelas TBARS, CATL, CT-F (capacidade redutora pelo reativo de Folin - Ciocalteau), AGL (ácidos graxos livres) e AS-233 (substâncias absorvidas a 233 nm). Os resultados mostraram que a metodologia de superfície de resposta (RSM) foi adequada para descrever a formação dos AGL e AS-233 no OIPA, podendo serem usadas para fins preditivos. A otimização da mistura de antioxidantes baseou-se no modelo matemático obtido com as AS-233, onde foi proposto como sistema antioxidante 150ppm de BHA, 600ppm de alecrim e 300ppm de chá verde. As condições de estocagem adotadas e a adição dos antioxidantes foram efetivas para manter estável o OIPA, sendo mais efetivo quando estocado a 5°C. Concluíu-se que o método do fosfomolibdênio apresentou adequação analítica. A pasteurização não afetou os parâmetros analisados (lipídios, TBARS, CATL e 7-CETO), mas a atomização provocou diminuição significativa da CATL, e elevação dos lipídios, TBARS e 7-CETO. Foi mantida a hidratação e a estabilidade oxidativa do OIPA estocado por 90 dias a 5°C, indicando que as condições de embalagem e estocagem foram efetivas. Pelo modelo matemático proposto pela RSM foi constatado que apenas os AGL e AS-233 podem ser usados para fins preditivos, optando-se pela otimização da concentração da mistura de antioxidantes, usando apenas o modelo matemático obtido nas AS-233. Com a presença ou não de antioxidantes, o OIPA estocado a 5°C, ao longo dos 90 dias, apresentou-se mais estável quanto à hidratação e à oxidação lipídica. / Egg is consumed in natura or processed and is used as raw material in various food products. The pasteurization and spray-drying processes are the main processing applied to the egg. Different processing conditions, packaging and storage can affect the lipid oxidative stability and may reduce the natural antioxidant protection of this product. The use of packages in which the egg has no contact with light and oxygen, storage at low temperatures, and the use of antioxidants can prevent lipid oxidation. Currently, synthetic antioxidants have been increasingly replaced by natural antioxidants or an association between synthetic and natural antioxidants is adopted by food companies. Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) and green tea (Camellia sinensis L) are among the vegetables that present the highest antioxidant potential. Based on the above-mentioned considerations, the objectives of this research were: a) To standardize the method of phosphomolybdenum to evaluate the total antioxidant capacity of lipid fraction (CATL) egg; b)To investigate the effect of pasteurization and spray-drying on the antioxidant capacity and oxidative stability of the lipid fraction of egg; c) To assess the oxidative stability of fatty acids and the antioxidant capacity of whole egg subjected to pasteurization followed by spray-drying, stored at 5ºC for 90 days, d) To evaluate the by testing the concentration of antioxidants, oxidative stability of the lipid fraction of egg subjected to pasteurization and spray drying, added with a mixture of rosemary and green tea extracts and BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole); e) To optimize the concentration of the mixture composed of rosemary and green tea extracts and BHA to be added to pasteurized liquid egg (and further subjected to spray-drying) by using Response Surface Methodology; f) To investigate the effect of the addition of this optimized mixture of antioxidants on of the lipid fraction of spray-dried egg, stored at temperatures of 5 and 25°C for 90 days. The phosphomolybdenum method CATL of egg presented analytical suitability once it presented a high coefficient of determination (R2 = 0,9931), a regression equation expressed as y = 13.705 + 0.0808 x, a limit of detection of 0.005 mg α- tocopherol/mL, a limit of quantitation of 0.017 mg α-tocopherol/mL, a significant and high correlation coefficient (r = 0.9965), and the accuracy did not indicate dispersion around the mean. The CATL decreased with the progress of processing and the reverse was observed for the lipids, 7-CETO (7-ketocholesterol) and TBARS (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances). The pasteurized spray-dried egg (OIPA), which was kept under ideal storage conditions, remained stable in relation to moisture content, CATL and TBARS. In order to test the concentration of antioxidants to be added to OIPA, a total of 10 mixtures (rosemary, green tea and BHA) were assayed. The addition of antioxidants resulted in a higher oxidative stability of the lipid fraction as measured by TBARS, CATL, CT-F (reduction capacity by using the Folin-Ciocalteau reagent), AGL (free fat acids) and AS-233 (substances that absorb at 233 nm). The results showed that the response surface methodology (RSM) was adequate to describe the development of free fat acids and AS-233 in OIPA, and the RSM model proposed for AS-233 can be used for prediction purposes. The optimization of the antioxidant mixture based on the mathematical model proposed for AS-233 indicated that the mixture of 150ppm of BHA, 600ppm of rosemary extract and 300ppm of green tea extract was the best combination of antioxidants. The adopted storage conditions and the addition of antioxidants to OIPA were effective to maintain the response variables stable, and the stability was higher when OIPA was stored at 5°C. It was concluded that the method of phosphomolybdenum suitability presented analytically. The pasteurization did not affect the analyzed parameters (lipids, TBARS, CATL and 7-CETO), but the spray-drying caused a significant decrease CATL, and an increase in lipids, TBARS and 7-CETO. The hydration and the oxidative stability of OIPA remained stable for 90 days at 5°C, indicating that the packaging and storage conditions were effective. The RSM models proposed for free fat acids and AS-233 could be used for predictive purposes; however, the optimization procedure was performed taken into account only the AS-233 model. The OIPA stored at 5°C for 90 days, with or without the addition of the antioxidant mixture, was more stable in relation to hydration and lipid oxidation.

Text in English / The study was conducted in two different types of natural ventilated housing systems; one featured with conventional laying cages while other had free-range system features. The aim was to analyse productivity and economic benefit or loss of the Lohmann Brown Lite on different housing (Free-range system and Conventional cage system) with an evaluation of production cost. The total of 49 700 point of lay Lohmann Brown Lite layers pullets were placed in four natural ventilation free-range houses each consist of three rows of two tier conventional laying cages. The other 40 000 point of lay Lohmann Brown Lite layers pullets were place in four free-range houses each with placement of 10 000 chickens. The Cobb Douglas production model was used to determine the productivity of two different housing system by factoring the fixed cost and variable cost of the entire production process. The breakeven point tool was used to analyse the point where the total revenue equals the total variable and fixed expenses and the cost volume profit by measuring the profitability of each housing system (Nabil et al. 2014). The results of the study revealed different productivity between conventional cage system (82.94%) and the free-range system (77.46%). These results led to the acceptance of hypothesis 1 that “the production of Lohmann Brown Lite is the same when they are kept on the free-range system or conventional cage system. The capital investment and operation on conventional cage system showed breakeven at 43 months while free-range system showed breakeven at 60 months. The economic benefit analysis shows that the free-range system has cost benefit of R0.29 and conventional cage system has a cost benefit of R0.26. It means for every rand spent, farmer may get R0.29 Rand as profit for free-range system and every rand spent for conventional cage system can get R0.26 Rand. The economic benefit to farmer is greater on free-range system that lead to acceptance of hypothesis 2 that the economic benefit of egg production is greater on the free-range system compared to conventional cage system. Free-range housing system remain the best alternative to replace the conventional cage housing system. / Agriculture and  Animal Health / M.Sc. (Agriculture)

One of the best ways how hosts may defend their clutch against brood parasitism is recognition and rejection of parasitic eggs. It has been documented that ability to percept UV light in birds affects their behaviour. By using a spectrophotometer we found that Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus scirpaceus) eggs and Common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) eggs differ mainly in brightness but also in UV hue. We investigated the influence of birds' UV vision on recognition and rejection of parasitic eggs. Therefore we performed three experiments to reveal the role of eggshell UV reflectance on egg rejection in this host. In the first experiment, we parasitized clutches with artificial white eggs differing only in UV reflectance (UV- and UV+). In the other two, we experimentally reduced UV reflectance from conspecific and host own eggs. We used a UV light blocker, which did not influence the reflectance shape in the other parts of spectra. As a control we used a group of conspecific and own eggs coated in Vaseline, which did not affect eggshell reflectance. In each experiment, we monitored host response to parasitic eggs. Because the Reed Warbler's eggs reflect UV radiation themselves, we expected that white UV- eggs would be rejected as well as the eggs coated in UV blocker at a higher rate than white UV+ eggs and...

The avian immune system is a complex system of defence mechanisms that protect bird hosts against threats from ubiquitous pathogens. According to the co-evolutionary models, variability in immune traits of hosts is the key component providing ability to adapt and enhance their defence mechanisms in presence of constant selective pathogen pressure. Domestic chicken (Gallus gallus f. domestica) is used as a model organism in avian biology and also is one of the most important food-producing animals, not only for their meat but also for the egg production. Unfortunately, in research usually only inbred chicken lines are used and modern poultry husbandry is tight with unilateral breeding towards highly productive breeds. Those approaches decrease intra-population polymorphism in chickens. However, especially in case of farm animals, searching and extending the pool of immune variability and enhancing pathogen resistance is crucial for sustaining healthy and biologically secure populations and their products. Morphologically highly distinct traditional chicken breeds, which have evolved for hundreds years under different selective pressures, may represent this desirable immunological variability. In my thesis I described variability in chosen immunological traits, haematological parameters and proteomic...

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Ce mémoire porte sur les représentations sociales de la maternité présentes dans les discours publicitaires entourant la pratique de l’autoconservation des ovocytes. C’est à travers l’analyse de discours promotionnel des cliniques de fertilité que je montrerai comment cette pratique reproduit une vision idéalisée de la maternité et de la procréation. L’autoconservation des ovocytes promet aux femmes de prolonger leur capacité procréative au-delà de la temporalité biologique. Avec la transformation des modes de vie, des valeurs et des exigences professionnelles, un écart sociologique important s’est instauré, pour plusieurs femmes, entre la fertilité biologique et la fertilité sociale. On assiste alors à la marchandisation de la temporalité biologique dans le but de réaliser certains idéaux professionnels et affectifs. La littérature est abondante sur les raisons qui poussent les femmes à s’engager dans le processus de l’autoconservation des ovocytes, mais peu de recherches s’intéressent à la manière dont les normes en matière de maternité sont produites et reproduites à travers l’usage des technologies de la reproduction. Dans ce mémoire, je souhaite porter une réflexion tant sur les valeurs promues par les cliniques de fertilité que sur les impacts inattendus de la pratique de l’autoconservation des ovocytes sur la culture reproductive et sur le rapport au corps féminin, tout en considérant les enjeux socio-économiques qu’elle sous-tend. Je montrerai que l’industrie de la préservation de la fertilité révèle un tout nouveau rapport au temps productif et au temps reproductif. / This thesis focuses on the social representations of motherhood present in advertising discourse surrounding the practice of social egg freezing. It is through the analysis of promotional discourse from fertility clinics that we will show how this practice reproduces an idealized vision of motherhood and procreation. The self-preservation of oocytes aims to allow women to extend their reproductive capacity beyond biological temporality. The transformation of lifestyles, values and professional requirements caused a significant sociological gap between biological fertility and social fertility. We are then witnessing the commodification of biological temporality in order to realize certain professional and emotional ideals. The literature is plentiful on the reasons that lead women to engage in the process of social egg freezing, but little research is focused on how standards in maternity are produced and reproduced throughout the use of egg freezing and the use of reproductive technologies. In this thesis, we wish to reflect both the values promoted by fertility clinics and the unexpected impacts of the practice of social egg freezing on reproductive culture as well as the relationship to the female body, while considering the socio-economic issues that it underlies.

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