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Scholarly research has documented that environmental stresses affect developmental growth, and the degree of growth retardation is related to the exposure to those stressors (Bennike et al. 2005, Geber 2014, Ivanovsky 1923, Johnson and Gunnar 2011, and Stewart et al. 2013). The purpose of this study was to examine the effects environmental stress has on craniofacial growth and development. It utilized a collection of skeletal remains from the Maagdenhuis Roman Catholic Girl’s Orphanage in Amsterdam, that dates to c 1850-1900AD. Craniometric landmarks from 427 crania were registered with a MicroScribe 3DX digitizer. The data collected was utilized to investigate whether growth retardation was present in the sample, along with an analysis correlating pathological features to growth and development. A multiple regression analysis was conducted to test for significance of growth patterns. The growth patterns were then compared to a dataset of normal growth patterns from the Michigan Craniofacial Growth Study (Riolo et al. 1974) in order to distinguish any differences in development. Further, a Chi-Square analysis and outliers test were used to examine the correlation between pathologies and age of the individuals in the collection. The intra-class correlation resulted in a low intra-observer error, with significant correlations ranging between .939 and .998. Additionally, the results of this study showed gradual positive slope growth curves for the inter-landmark distances tested, with similar shaped growth curves to the Michigan Craniofacial Growth Study (Riolo et al. 1974). Additionally, the multiple regression produced four age predictive models for this collection, with NLH, ZYB, MAL, UFHT, XCB, MAB, BPL and WFB being the most predictive inter-landmark distances. This study found a significant correlation between pathologies present and individuals’ age. Although there is a correlation between age and pathologies, given the data provided by the outlier analysis, having a score of minor porosity is not sufficient enough to influence or cause growth retardation, definitively. The qualitative analysis conducted for this study found that there was growth retardation present in this collection. A modern forensic application of this research can be applied to identify cases of child abuse and/or institutionalized care on skeletal remains in question, based on growth retardation.

Xylella fastidiosa é uma bactéria fitopatogênica, responsável por doenças em diversas plantas de importância econômica. Diversas cepas têm sido estudadas, porém, pouco se sabe a respeito da resposta a estresses ambientais em X. fastidiosa. Utilizando a tecnologia de microarranjos de DNA, verificou-se a resposta global aos estresses térmico, salino e osmótico em nível de transcrição. Os experimentos foram realizados em séries temporais, os perfis de expressão gênica dos genes diferencialmente expressos foram agrupados e validados por RT-PCR quantitativo. No choque térmico, 261 genes foram induzidos (9,7%) e 222 genes foram reprimidos (8,3%). Dentre os genes altamente induzidos, destacam-se os que codificam proteínas de choque térmico (Hsps), que previnem a desnaturação e a formação de agregados protéicos ou degradam polipeptídeos irreversivelmente desnaturados. A partir da determinação do início de transcrição de seis genes altamente induzidos no choque térmico, propôs-se um consenso para promotores dependentes do fator sigma alternativo que controla a resposta ao choque térmico, sigma32. Observou-se também a indução de genes relacionados ao estresse extracitoplasmático, que são regulados pelo fator sigma alternativo sigmaE. No choque osmótico e salino, os genes codificando a maioria das Hsps foram reprimidos na exposição prolongada a esses estresses, indicando que a resposta não é mediada por sigma32 ou sigmaE. Dos 142 genes induzidos tanto no estresse salino como osmótico, 57% codificam proteínas hipotéticas ou hipotéticas conservadas, indicando uma possível função na resposta a estes estresses. Observou-se a repressão de genes relacionados à síntese protéica e ao metabolismo intermediário nos três estresses analisados, além da indução de genes relacionados à virulência como toxinas e adesinas, revelando a complexa rede de genes envolvida na resposta a estresses ambientais. Para auxiliar a análise de dados de microarranjos de DNA, foram desenvolvidas três ferramentas de bioinformática: HTself, utilizada na determinação de genes diferencialmente expressos; BayGO, utilizada na análise categorias funcionais altamente representadas dentre os genes de interesse e SpotWhatR, uma plataforma que integra programas utilizados nas diversas etapas da análise e pré-processamento de dados de microarranjos, com uma interface de fácil utilização. Estas ferramentas foram utilizadas com sucesso e estão disponíveis livremente para outros pesquisadores. / Xylella fastidiosa is a phytopathogenic bacterium responsible for diseases in many economically important crops. Although different strains have been studied, little is known about X. fastidiosa stress responses. To investigate X. fastidiosa genes involved in heat, salt and osmotic shock responses, we performed a whole genome microarray analysis in time-course experiments. The expression profiles of the differentially expressed genes were grouped and their expression patterns were validated by quantitative RT-PCR experiments. During heat shock, 261 genes were induced (9.7%) and 222 genes were repressed (8.3%). Among the differentially expressed genes, the ones presenting the highest induction ratios encode heat shock proteins (Hsps), which prevents protein misfolding and aggregation or promote the degradation of the irreversibly denatured polypeptides. We determined the transcription start sites of six heat shock inducible genes and analyzed their promoter regions, which allowed us to propose a putative consensus for sigma32 promoters in X. fastidiosa. We also observed the induction of genes related to the extracytoplasmic stress response, that are regulated by the alternative sigma factor sigmaE. During prolongued exposure to salt and osmotic stress, genes encoding most of the Hsps were repressed, indicating that the response is not mediated by sigma32 or sigmaE. Among the 142 genes induced by both salt and osmotic stress, 57% encode hypothetical or conserved hypothetical proteins, indicating a possible role of these genes in the stress response. In addition, we observed the repression of genes related to protein biosynthesis and intermediary metabolism during the three stresses tested, besides the induction of genes related to virulence such as toxins and adhesins, revealing the complex network of genes that work together in response to environmental stresses. To facilitate the microarray data analysis process, we developed three bioinformatics tools: HTself, which is used to determine the differentially expressed genes; BayGO, which aims at finding over-represented gene categories and SpotWhatR, a system that integrates programs used in different steps of microarray data analysis in a user-friendly interface. These tools were successfully used and are freely available to the research community.

Xylella fastidiosa é uma bactéria fitopatogênica, responsável por doenças em diversas plantas de importância econômica. Diversas cepas têm sido estudadas, porém, pouco se sabe a respeito da resposta a estresses ambientais em X. fastidiosa. Utilizando a tecnologia de microarranjos de DNA, verificou-se a resposta global aos estresses térmico, salino e osmótico em nível de transcrição. Os experimentos foram realizados em séries temporais, os perfis de expressão gênica dos genes diferencialmente expressos foram agrupados e validados por RT-PCR quantitativo. No choque térmico, 261 genes foram induzidos (9,7%) e 222 genes foram reprimidos (8,3%). Dentre os genes altamente induzidos, destacam-se os que codificam proteínas de choque térmico (Hsps), que previnem a desnaturação e a formação de agregados protéicos ou degradam polipeptídeos irreversivelmente desnaturados. A partir da determinação do início de transcrição de seis genes altamente induzidos no choque térmico, propôs-se um consenso para promotores dependentes do fator sigma alternativo que controla a resposta ao choque térmico, sigma32. Observou-se também a indução de genes relacionados ao estresse extracitoplasmático, que são regulados pelo fator sigma alternativo sigmaE. No choque osmótico e salino, os genes codificando a maioria das Hsps foram reprimidos na exposição prolongada a esses estresses, indicando que a resposta não é mediada por sigma32 ou sigmaE. Dos 142 genes induzidos tanto no estresse salino como osmótico, 57% codificam proteínas hipotéticas ou hipotéticas conservadas, indicando uma possível função na resposta a estes estresses. Observou-se a repressão de genes relacionados à síntese protéica e ao metabolismo intermediário nos três estresses analisados, além da indução de genes relacionados à virulência como toxinas e adesinas, revelando a complexa rede de genes envolvida na resposta a estresses ambientais. Para auxiliar a análise de dados de microarranjos de DNA, foram desenvolvidas três ferramentas de bioinformática: HTself, utilizada na determinação de genes diferencialmente expressos; BayGO, utilizada na análise categorias funcionais altamente representadas dentre os genes de interesse e SpotWhatR, uma plataforma que integra programas utilizados nas diversas etapas da análise e pré-processamento de dados de microarranjos, com uma interface de fácil utilização. Estas ferramentas foram utilizadas com sucesso e estão disponíveis livremente para outros pesquisadores. / Xylella fastidiosa is a phytopathogenic bacterium responsible for diseases in many economically important crops. Although different strains have been studied, little is known about X. fastidiosa stress responses. To investigate X. fastidiosa genes involved in heat, salt and osmotic shock responses, we performed a whole genome microarray analysis in time-course experiments. The expression profiles of the differentially expressed genes were grouped and their expression patterns were validated by quantitative RT-PCR experiments. During heat shock, 261 genes were induced (9.7%) and 222 genes were repressed (8.3%). Among the differentially expressed genes, the ones presenting the highest induction ratios encode heat shock proteins (Hsps), which prevents protein misfolding and aggregation or promote the degradation of the irreversibly denatured polypeptides. We determined the transcription start sites of six heat shock inducible genes and analyzed their promoter regions, which allowed us to propose a putative consensus for sigma32 promoters in X. fastidiosa. We also observed the induction of genes related to the extracytoplasmic stress response, that are regulated by the alternative sigma factor sigmaE. During prolongued exposure to salt and osmotic stress, genes encoding most of the Hsps were repressed, indicating that the response is not mediated by sigma32 or sigmaE. Among the 142 genes induced by both salt and osmotic stress, 57% encode hypothetical or conserved hypothetical proteins, indicating a possible role of these genes in the stress response. In addition, we observed the repression of genes related to protein biosynthesis and intermediary metabolism during the three stresses tested, besides the induction of genes related to virulence such as toxins and adhesins, revealing the complex network of genes that work together in response to environmental stresses. To facilitate the microarray data analysis process, we developed three bioinformatics tools: HTself, which is used to determine the differentially expressed genes; BayGO, which aims at finding over-represented gene categories and SpotWhatR, a system that integrates programs used in different steps of microarray data analysis in a user-friendly interface. These tools were successfully used and are freely available to the research community.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Horticulture, Forestry, and Recreation Resources / Channa B. Rajashekar / Studies were conducted to examine the role of antioxidants in adaptation of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) to unprotected environmental conditions and various environmental stresses. Antioxidants, in addition to being a plant defense mechanism, are phytochemicals that provide significant health-promoting and nutritive value in human diet. Various approaches involving mild environmental stresses and cultural and management practices have been used to enhance the quality of this commonly consumed leafy vegetable by improving its phytochemical and health-promoting attributes. Lettuce plants grown in protective environments adapt to unprotective environmental conditions by activating antioxidant genes such as phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), gamma-tocopherol methyl transferase (gamma-TMT), and L-galactose dehydrogenase (L-GalDH) involved in the biosynthesis of phenolic compounds,alpha-tocopherol and ascorbic acid, respectively. Mild environmental stresses such as heat shock, chilling, water stress and high light also activate these genes leading to the accumulation of secondary metabolites and phytochemicals without any adverse effect on biomass accumulation. The phytochemicals included chlorogenic acid, chicoric acid, caffeic acid, quercetin-3-O-glucoside and luteolin-7-O-glucoside. However, under field conditions, application of drought stress did not produce consistent results with regard to the phytochemical composition of lettuce. Plants grown in open field have higher phenolic content and higher antioxidant capacity than those grown in high tunnel. However, these plants also had less biomass accumulation. Many factors such as plant age, variety, fertilization, transplanting shock affected the phytochemical composition of lettuce. The red leaf variety 'Red Sails' had higher antioxidant capacity than 'Baronet' and younger plants had the highest phytochemical content. With regard to the management practices, there was no significant difference in phytochemical composition between organically and conventionally managed crops. Also, low fertility favored the accumulation of phytochemicals and increased the antioxidant capacity. Thus, the results show that mild environmental stresses along with appropriate cultural and management practices can enhance the quality of lettuce by improving their phytochemical composition.

Les Néandertaliens, dont l'évolution a eu lieu en Europe sur environ 300kans, disparaissent vers 30kans. Les déterminants de cette disparition restent encore aujourd'hui très discutés et plusieurs hypothèses tentent d'en expliquer les causes. Parmi celles privilégiées à ce jour on peut citer l'influence du climat, d'une compétition avec Homo sapiens, d'une épidémie ou de modifications démographiques. Cette recherche doctorale revisite ces différentes hypothèses par le biais de la modélisation mathématique. Cette approche originale synthétise et potentialise les données de la paléontologie classique afin de mieux comprendre les phénomènes associés à l'extinction des Néandertaliens. Après avoir réalisé une étude démographique à l'aide de modèle classiques, nous avons conçu des modèles déterministes spécifiques pour analyser les Néandertaliens et la chaine alimentaire à laquelle ils sont associés. Une fois ces modèles testés et validés, nous les avons utilisés pour analyser l'évolution démographique de la population néandertalienne au cours du stade isotopique 3 et nous avons comparés nos résultats avec les données des études préhistoriques, archéozoologiques ou encore paléoanthropologiques. Suite à notre analyse, nous suggérons d'exclure certaines hypothèses souvent avancées comme la compétition pour la ressource, les oscillations climatiques ou encore les épidémies. Une modification des caractéristiques intrinsèques de la population (fécondité et/ou vitesse de maturation) nous semble être une hypothèse bien plus plausible pour expliquer la disparition des Néandertaliens. / The Neanderthal population lived and thrived in Europe during about 300ky in Middle Pleistocene. The causes of their disappearance about 30ky ago are strongly debated. Among the current hypotheses developed to explain this demographical crisis, competition with Modern humans, climate changes, epidemic diseases or demographical changes have often been evoked. The aim of this thesis was to re-analyse these assumptions and their determinants by using mathematical modelling. Models are used here to synthesize the data obtained by classical paleoanthropological studies and try to understand the complex and unknown phenomenon relative to the dramatic demographic fluctuation observed in Neanderthal populations during OIS3. Classical mathematical models are firstly used to analyse the influence of both demographical parameters and environmental stresses on the Neanderthal population. Next, we created new deterministic models more specified to the Neanderthal population. After checking the relevance of these models, we used them to analyse the demographical crisis of OIS3 and the information given by modelling have been checked with the information supplied by classical paleoanthropological, zooarchaeological and prehistorical studies. Our results allowed us to exclude the assumption of an epidemic disease or a climate change or even a resource competition as a cause of Neanderthal extinction whereas competition in a broad sense and above all demographic change could have led, under specific conditions, to Neanderthal demise. A demographic modification in the Neanderthal population across the time, in terms of fecundity or maturation speed, could be the reason of Neanderthals disappearance.

O operon groESL de C. crescentus apresenta dupla regulação. A indução deste operon por choque térmico é dependente do fator sigma de choque térmico σ32. A temperaturas fisiológicas, a expressão de groESL apresenta regulação temporal durante o ciclo celular da bactéria e o controle envolve a proteína repressora HrcA e o elemento CIRCE (controlling inverted repeat of chaperonin expression). Para estudar a atividade da proteína repressora in vitro, produzimos e purificamos de E. coli a HrcA de C. creseentus contendo uma cauda de histidinas e a ligação especifica ao elemento CIRCE foi analisada em ensaios de migração retardada em gel de poliacrilamida (EMRGP). A quantidade de DNA retardada pela ligação a HrcA aumentou significativamente na presença de GroES/GroEL, sugerindo que estas proteínas modulam a atividade de HrcA. Corroboração desta modulação foi obtida analisando fusões de transcrição da região regulatória de groESL com o gene lacZ, em células de C. crescentus produzindo diferentes quantidades de GroES/EL. HrcA contendo as substituições Pro81 AJa e Arg87Ala, aminoácidos que se localizam no domínio putativo de ligação ao DNA da proteína, mostraram ser deficientes na ligação a CIRCE, tanto in vitro como in vivo. Em adição, HrcA Ser56Ala expressa na mesma célula juntamente com a proteína selvagem produziu um fenótipo dominante-negativo, indicando que a HrcA de C. crescentus liga-se a CIRCE como um oligômero, provavelmente um dímero. As tentativas de obtenção de mutantes nulos para os genes groESL ou dnaKJ falharam, indicando que as proteínas GroES/GroEL e DnaK/DnaJ são essenciais em C. crescentus, mesmo a temperaturas normais. Foram então construídas no laboratório as linhagens mutantes condicionais SG300 e SG400 de C. crescentus, onde a expressão de groESL e de dnaKJ, respectivamente, está sob controle de um promotor induzido por xilose (PxyIX). Estas linhagens foram caracterizadas quanto á sua morfologia em condições permissivas ou restritivas, assim como quanto à capacidade de sobrevivência frente a vários tipos de estresse. As células da linhagem SG300, exauridas de GroES/GroEL, são resistentes ao choque térmico a 42°C e são capazes de adquirir alguma termotolerância. Entretanto, estas células são sensíveis aos estresses oxidativo, salino e osmótico. As células da linhagem SG400, exauridas de DnaKlJ, são sensíveis ao choque térmico, à exposição a etanol e ao congelamento, e são incapazes de adquirir termotolerância. Além disso, tanto as células exauridas de GroES/GroEL quanto as exauridas de DnaK/DnaJ apresentam problemas na sua morfologia. As células de SG300 exauridas de GroES/GroEL formam filamentos longos que possuem constrições fundas e irregulares. As células de SG400 exauridas de DnaK/DnaJ são apenas um pouco mais alongadas que as células pré-divisionais selvagens e a maioria das células não possuem septo. Estas observações indicam bloqueio da divisão celular, que deve ocorrer em diferentes estágios em cada linhagem. / In Caulobacter crescentus, the groESL operon presents a dual type of control. Heat shock induction of the operon is dependent on the heat shock sigma factor σ-32. At physiological temperatures, groESL expression is cell cycle regulated and the control involves the repressor protein HrcA and the element CIRCE (controlling inverted repeat of chaperonin ~xpression). To study the activity of HrcA in vitro, we produced and purified from E. coli a histidine-tagged version of the protein, and specific binding to the CIRCE element was analyzed in electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA). The amount of retarded DNA increased significantly in the presence of GroES/GroEL, suggesting that these proteins modulate HrcA activity. Further evidence of this modulation was obtained using lacZ transcription fusions with the groESL regulatory region in C. crescentus cells producing different amounts of GroES/GroEL. The mutants proteins HrcA Pro81Ala and HrcA Arg87Ala, that contain amino acid substitutions in the putative DNA-bindíng domain of the protein, were found to be deficient in binding to CIRCE in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, HrcA Ser56Ala expressed together with the wild type protein within the same cell, produced a dominant-negative phenotype, indicating that C. crescentus HrcA binds to CIRCE in an oligomeric form, most likely as a dimer. Attempts to obtain null mutants for groESL or dnaKJ were unsuccessful indicating the importance of GroES/GroEL and DnaK/lDnaJ to the survival of C. crescentus cells. Conditional mutants were then constructed in our laboratory in which groESL and dnaKJ expression is under the control ofaxylose inducible promoter (PxyIX) , giving rise to strains SG300 and SG400, respectively. These strains were characterized in regard to their morphology under permissive and restrictive conditions, as well as their viability under different types of environmental stresses. SG300 cells depleted of GroES/GroEL are resistant to heat shock at 42°C and can acquire some thermotolerance, but they are sensitive to oxidative, saline and osmotic stresses. SG400 cells depleted of DnaKlJ are quite sensitive to heat shock, ethanol and freezing, and are unable of acquiring thermotolerance. Cells depleted of either GroES/EL or DnaKlJ also present morphological problems. SG300 cells depleted of GroES/EL form long and pinched filaments. SG400 cells depleted of DnaKlJ are only somewhat more elongated than wild-type predivisional cells and most cells do not present septum. These observations indicate a cell division arrest, which should occur at different stages in each strain.

The current study is focused on the characterization of four natural leaf species (quaking, bigtooth and columnar european aspen as well as black locust) possessing a unique dual-scale cuticle structure composed of micro- and nano-scale asperities, which are able to effectively resist wetting (superhydrophobic), characteristic of The Lotus Effect. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) was used to track the growth and evolution of their distinctive nano-scale epicuticular wax (ECW) morphologies over one full growing season. In addition, the stability of their superhydrophobic property was tested in various environments. It was determined that the long-term stability of these surfaces is tentatively linked to various environmental stress factors. Specifically, a combination of high temperature and humidity caused the degradation of nano-scale asperities and loss of the superhydrophobic property. The dual-scale surface structure was found to provide a suitable template for the design of future superhydrophobic engineering materials.

The current study is focused on the characterization of four natural leaf species (quaking, bigtooth and columnar european aspen as well as black locust) possessing a unique dual-scale cuticle structure composed of micro- and nano-scale asperities, which are able to effectively resist wetting (superhydrophobic), characteristic of The Lotus Effect. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) was used to track the growth and evolution of their distinctive nano-scale epicuticular wax (ECW) morphologies over one full growing season. In addition, the stability of their superhydrophobic property was tested in various environments. It was determined that the long-term stability of these surfaces is tentatively linked to various environmental stress factors. Specifically, a combination of high temperature and humidity caused the degradation of nano-scale asperities and loss of the superhydrophobic property. The dual-scale surface structure was found to provide a suitable template for the design of future superhydrophobic engineering materials.

O operon groESL de C. crescentus apresenta dupla regulação. A indução deste operon por choque térmico é dependente do fator sigma de choque térmico σ32. A temperaturas fisiológicas, a expressão de groESL apresenta regulação temporal durante o ciclo celular da bactéria e o controle envolve a proteína repressora HrcA e o elemento CIRCE (controlling inverted repeat of chaperonin expression). Para estudar a atividade da proteína repressora in vitro, produzimos e purificamos de E. coli a HrcA de C. creseentus contendo uma cauda de histidinas e a ligação especifica ao elemento CIRCE foi analisada em ensaios de migração retardada em gel de poliacrilamida (EMRGP). A quantidade de DNA retardada pela ligação a HrcA aumentou significativamente na presença de GroES/GroEL, sugerindo que estas proteínas modulam a atividade de HrcA. Corroboração desta modulação foi obtida analisando fusões de transcrição da região regulatória de groESL com o gene lacZ, em células de C. crescentus produzindo diferentes quantidades de GroES/EL. HrcA contendo as substituições Pro81 AJa e Arg87Ala, aminoácidos que se localizam no domínio putativo de ligação ao DNA da proteína, mostraram ser deficientes na ligação a CIRCE, tanto in vitro como in vivo. Em adição, HrcA Ser56Ala expressa na mesma célula juntamente com a proteína selvagem produziu um fenótipo dominante-negativo, indicando que a HrcA de C. crescentus liga-se a CIRCE como um oligômero, provavelmente um dímero. As tentativas de obtenção de mutantes nulos para os genes groESL ou dnaKJ falharam, indicando que as proteínas GroES/GroEL e DnaK/DnaJ são essenciais em C. crescentus, mesmo a temperaturas normais. Foram então construídas no laboratório as linhagens mutantes condicionais SG300 e SG400 de C. crescentus, onde a expressão de groESL e de dnaKJ, respectivamente, está sob controle de um promotor induzido por xilose (PxyIX). Estas linhagens foram caracterizadas quanto á sua morfologia em condições permissivas ou restritivas, assim como quanto à capacidade de sobrevivência frente a vários tipos de estresse. As células da linhagem SG300, exauridas de GroES/GroEL, são resistentes ao choque térmico a 42°C e são capazes de adquirir alguma termotolerância. Entretanto, estas células são sensíveis aos estresses oxidativo, salino e osmótico. As células da linhagem SG400, exauridas de DnaKlJ, são sensíveis ao choque térmico, à exposição a etanol e ao congelamento, e são incapazes de adquirir termotolerância. Além disso, tanto as células exauridas de GroES/GroEL quanto as exauridas de DnaK/DnaJ apresentam problemas na sua morfologia. As células de SG300 exauridas de GroES/GroEL formam filamentos longos que possuem constrições fundas e irregulares. As células de SG400 exauridas de DnaK/DnaJ são apenas um pouco mais alongadas que as células pré-divisionais selvagens e a maioria das células não possuem septo. Estas observações indicam bloqueio da divisão celular, que deve ocorrer em diferentes estágios em cada linhagem. / In Caulobacter crescentus, the groESL operon presents a dual type of control. Heat shock induction of the operon is dependent on the heat shock sigma factor σ-32. At physiological temperatures, groESL expression is cell cycle regulated and the control involves the repressor protein HrcA and the element CIRCE (controlling inverted repeat of chaperonin ~xpression). To study the activity of HrcA in vitro, we produced and purified from E. coli a histidine-tagged version of the protein, and specific binding to the CIRCE element was analyzed in electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA). The amount of retarded DNA increased significantly in the presence of GroES/GroEL, suggesting that these proteins modulate HrcA activity. Further evidence of this modulation was obtained using lacZ transcription fusions with the groESL regulatory region in C. crescentus cells producing different amounts of GroES/GroEL. The mutants proteins HrcA Pro81Ala and HrcA Arg87Ala, that contain amino acid substitutions in the putative DNA-bindíng domain of the protein, were found to be deficient in binding to CIRCE in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, HrcA Ser56Ala expressed together with the wild type protein within the same cell, produced a dominant-negative phenotype, indicating that C. crescentus HrcA binds to CIRCE in an oligomeric form, most likely as a dimer. Attempts to obtain null mutants for groESL or dnaKJ were unsuccessful indicating the importance of GroES/GroEL and DnaK/lDnaJ to the survival of C. crescentus cells. Conditional mutants were then constructed in our laboratory in which groESL and dnaKJ expression is under the control ofaxylose inducible promoter (PxyIX) , giving rise to strains SG300 and SG400, respectively. These strains were characterized in regard to their morphology under permissive and restrictive conditions, as well as their viability under different types of environmental stresses. SG300 cells depleted of GroES/GroEL are resistant to heat shock at 42°C and can acquire some thermotolerance, but they are sensitive to oxidative, saline and osmotic stresses. SG400 cells depleted of DnaKlJ are quite sensitive to heat shock, ethanol and freezing, and are unable of acquiring thermotolerance. Cells depleted of either GroES/EL or DnaKlJ also present morphological problems. SG300 cells depleted of GroES/EL form long and pinched filaments. SG400 cells depleted of DnaKlJ are only somewhat more elongated than wild-type predivisional cells and most cells do not present septum. These observations indicate a cell division arrest, which should occur at different stages in each strain.