The Congenital Dyserythropoietic Anemias (CDA) are rare hereditary hemolytic disorders with large bi- to multi-nucleated erythroblasts in the bone marrow. Hemolysis is negative in a direct antiglobulin test (DAT). Based on morphology and clinical picture, three major forms of CDAs, type I, II, and III have been defined. CDA III, dominantly inherited, constitutes the rarest type with a majority of cases belonging to a family in Västerbotten, Sweden. The genetic background of CDA I and CDA II has been linked to mutations in CDAN1 and SEC23B respectively. The mutation of CDA III has been linked to 15q22 in earlier studies. In this project we have defined the causative genetic lesion in two families with CDA III. The novel mutation KIF23 c.2747C>G (p.P916R) was shown to segregate with CDA III in the Swedish and American CDA III families and was absent in 356 healthy controls. KIF23 encodes mitotic kinesin-like protein 1 (MKLP1), which plays a central role in the last step of cytokinesis. RNAi-based knock-down and rescue experiments demonstrated that the p.P916R mutation causes cytokinesis failure in HeLa cells, resulting in increasing number of bi-nuclear cells, consistent with appearance of large multinucleated erythroblasts in CDA III patients. We conclude that CDA III is caused by a mutation in KIF23, encoding MKLP1, a conserved mitotic kinesin crucial for cytokinesis. Flow cytometry with eosin-5´-maleimide (EMA), anti-CD55 and anti-CD59 is commonly used when investigating non-autoimmune hemolytic anemias. Reduced fluorescence of EMA, typically detected in hereditary spherocytosis, is also seen in CDA II, while reduction of CD55 and CD59 characterizes paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH). We studied the flow cytometric profile of EMA, CD55, and CD59 on erythrocytes in CDA III. We found no abnormality of the erythrocyte membrane in CDA III and concluded that standard flow cytometry cannot be used to discriminate between CDA III and normal controls. In CDA I and CDA II a majority of patients, including those who are not transfusion dependent, suffer from iron overload, which, according to earlier studies, is not the case in CDA III. We found that individuals of the Västerbotten CDA III family carry mutations in the hemochromatosis (HFE) gene. Three CDA III patients with heterozygous or compound HFE mutations need treatment with phlebotomy due to iron overload. One of them carries heterozygous H63D mutation, which is not reported to lead to iron overload by itself in otherwise healthy individuals. We propose that molecular genetic testing of the HFE gene is indicated in all patients with CDA, including CDA III.

published_or_final_version / Zoology / Master / Master of Philosophy

In the field of cancer research and diagnostics it is crucial to have reliable methods for detecting molecules involved in the disease. New and better methods for diagnostics, prognostics and drug delivery therefore remain a permanent aim. In this thesis applications of the in situ proximity ligation assay (in situ PLA) were developed for diagnostics and research. Two new methods were developed, one more cost effective proximity assay without the use of enzymes and one method for loading pharmaceuticals in lipid rafts made from detergent resistant membranes (DRMs) to be used as a drug delivery platform. In Paper I the aim was to develop a flow cytometric detection method of the fusion protein BCR-ABL that is the hallmark of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). By using in situ PLA the malignant cells carrying the fusion protein could be detected in patients in a convenient workflow. Paper II describes an application of multiplex in situ PLA, where extracellular vesicles (EVs) are detected and identified using flow cytometry. Up to five different antigens are targeted on the EVs, reflected in three different colors during detection in the flow cytometer. By using antibodies targeting proteins specific for prostasomes a population of prostasomes could be identified in human blood plasma. In Paper III a new method is described for using lipid raft for drug delivery. In this method, lipid rafts, derived from prostasomes or erythrocytes, are loaded with pharmaceuticals. The vehicles were loaded with doxorubicin, added to cells and counted. Cells that received the vehicle with doxorubicin stopped proliferating and died, while controls that received the lipid raft vehicle without doxorubicin were not affected, suggesting that the vehicles are effectively loaded with the drug and that they are safe. This lipid raft vehicle could provide a safe drug delivery system.      Paper IV investigates the crosstalk between the two major signal pathways Hippo and Wnt, and how these are affected in gastric cancer. When looking at different colon cancer tumor stages, we found that the cellular localization of TAZ/β-catenin interactions were different. We also found that protein complexes involved in the crosstalk increased in sparsely growing cells compared to more densely growing cells. On the basis of these results the protein E-cadherin, involved in maintenance of the epithelial integrity, was investigated and was found to have a probable role in regulating the crosstalk between Hippo and Wnt.     A new method for localized protein detection is described in paper V. Here a proximity assay, based on the hybridization chain reaction (HCR), was developed. This assay, proxHCR, is more cost effective than in situ PLA because no enzymes are required. ProxHCR successfully detects protein interactions and can be used together with both fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry.

Introduction/purpose: Recovery from muscle damage involves a type of programmed cell death known as apoptosis. Damage Associated Molecular Patterns (DAMPs) are released after muscle damage and may cause premature apoptosis in monocytes infiltrating the damaged site. This may alter the time course of events towards recovery. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate if downhill running causes a change in the susceptibility of monocytes to apoptosis. Methods: Participants (5 male, 6 female) completed a downhill running protocol consisting of 6-5 minute bouts at a speed of 6-9mph on a -15% grade treadmill. Venous blood samples were collected immediately pre-exercise (PRE), in addition to 4 -h, 24 -h and 48 -h post-exercise. Creatine kinase (CK) was measured to give an indication of muscle damage. Monocytes were analyzed by flow cytometry for expression of multicaspase and annexin v reagent was used to detect changes in the plasma membrane. A MILLIPLEX MAP human early apoptosis magnetic bead 7-plex kit (EMD Millipore, Billerica, MA) was used to assess the relative concentration of phosphorylated protein kinase B (Akt), Bcl-2 associated death promoter (BAD), B cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), active caspase-8, active caspase-9, c jun N terminal kinase (JNK) and tumor protein p53 by Luminex multiplex assay. Results: CK peaked at 24- h. Monocytes showed greater expression of multicaspase at 24 –h and 48 -h than at PRE. Bcl-2, p53 and caspase-8 were all significantly greater at 24 –h than at PRE. Conclusion: Downhill running did alter the apoptotic response of monocytes and therefore may be important in the recovery process from muscle damage.

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.

M.Sc. / Heat shock proteins (HSP) are a group of highly conserved proteins induced in pro- and eukaryotes by a wide variety of environmental stresses such as heat shock (HS) and oxidative injury. HSP are classified into families according to their apparent molecular mass and respective inducers. Induction of HSP is primarily regulated on transcriptional level through multiple copies of a conserved cis-acting heat shock element (HSE) in the promoter region of all hsp genes to which the heat shock transcription factor (HSF) binds. Members of the HSP family function collectively as molecular chaperone systems, and fulfil essential roles under normal conditions and provide protection and adaptation during and following stress. The induction of HSP following stress and the subsequent protection confer HSP the potential application in stress therapy and in biomarking of stress. During a previous study in which the effect of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) on the stress response of peripheral blood moncytes (PBM) from different donors was investigated, it was observed that different individuals from different South African populations showed differential a HSP synthesis in response to M.tb. This compelled us to investigate the following: Variation in HSP synthesis in peripheral blood monocytes (PBM) from different individuals in response to the classical HSP inducer, HS. The most appropriate technique to study HSP expression on protein level. HSP synthesis was studied in PBM from 36 individuals (European (E): n=22; non-Europeans (nE): n=14) using biometabolic labelling. Three techniques were compared in the determination of HSP expression in six donors in terms of HSP synthesis, which is measured by biometabolic labelling, and accumulation of hsp70 that were measured by Western blot analysis and flow cytometry. Results obtained are : European (E) and non-European (nE) populations differed significantly (p < 0.05) from each other in spite of a prominent variation in HSP synthesis within donors ; Flow cytometry is the technique of choice for the analysis of HSP levels, since it allows fast and safe measurement of HSP levels in single cel populations within a mixed population. Data from flow cytometry correlate with Western blot analysis, but not with biometabolic labelling. The means and ranges for different HSP synthesis in different populations reported in this study, set a standard for the use of HSP as biomarker of pa environmental stress for populations inhabiting southern Africa. Efficient measurement of HSP expression as biomarker of stress can therefore be implemented in routine analysis of environmental stress, as well as investigations concerning the implications of HSP in pathology.

A refrigeração é a forma mais utilizada para a preservação do sêmen suíno empregado na inseminação artificial. Apesar do constante aprimoramento de diluidores comerciais em favor da manutenção da viabilidade espermática, sabe-se que alterações estruturais e principalmente funcionais ocorrem nestas células em resposta às baixas temperaturas de armazenamento. Além disso, embora tais modificações muitas vezes não sejam identificadas pelas análises de rotina, seus efeitos diretos sobre a capacidade fertilizante do espermatozoide tem sido relatados. Em paralelo, uma gama de estudos buscando identificar possíveis ações do plasma seminal sobre a célula espermática in vitro gera ainda resultados bastante controversos. Diante disso, o presente trabalho buscou avaliar como a presença ou não do plasma seminal durante o processo de refrigeração pode influenciar sobre a resposta do espermatozoide suíno aos eventos de capacitação e hiperativação espermática. Para isso, após serem mantidos sobre refrigeração à 17&deg;C por 72 horas, na presença ou não do plasma seminal, espermatozoides foram submetidos à capacitação in vitro e ao decorrer desta, avaliados quanto às características de motilidade pela análise computadorizada do sêmen; e funcionalidade celular por citometria de fluxo. Resultados obtidos à partir das análises de desordem lipídica, translocação da fosfatidilserina e permeabilidade da membrana plasmática mostraram que espermatozoides suínos refrigerados são capazes de responder à capacitação in vitro de forma semelhante, independente de prévia manutenção ou não, com o plasma seminal. Para os parâmetros de motilidade, bem como o estudo da população espermática hiperativada, foram apresentados resultados semelhantes entre ambos os grupos, o que demonstra a não influencia da prévia exposição ao plasma seminal sobre a mudança do padrão de motilidade espermática. Ainda, parâmetros qualitativos avaliados neste estudo suportam nossa afirmação de que, a ausência de contato entre o espermatozoide suíno e os componentes do plasma seminal durante seu armazenamento não reflete em qualquer efeito prejudicial sobre a qualidade espermática, além de oferecer uma maior resistência à estas células contra lesões de acrossoma (P &lt; 0,05). Desta forma, o presente trabalho concluiu que a remoção do plasma seminal previamente ao armazenamento do espermatozoide suíno à 17 °C por 72 horas não é prejudicial à sua qualidade e funcionalidade, podendo ainda ser benéfica à sua capacidade fertilizante. / Liquid storage is the main form of preservation of boar sperm prior to its use in artificial insemination. Despite the constant improvement of commercial extenders in favor of maintaining sperm viability, it is known that structural and mainly functional alterations occur in these cells in response to low storage temperatures. Furthermore, although these modifications are often not identified by routine analyzes, their direct effects on the fertilizing capacity of spermatozoa have been reported. In view of this, in vitro studies aiming to identify possible actions of seminal plasma as modulator of sperm function have yielded controversial results. Therefore, the present work aimed to evaluate how the presence or absence of seminal plasma during liquid storage may influence the responsiveness of spermatozoa to capacitation and hyperactivation events. For this, liquid boar sperm stored at 17 °C for 72 hours in the presence or not of the seminal plasma were submitted to in vitro capacitation. During the course, sperm motility characteristics were evaluated by computer-assisted semen analysis; and sperm functionality by flow cytometry. Results obtained from lipid disorder, phosphatidylserine translocation and plasma membrane permeability analyzes have shown that liquid boar sperm stored in the presence or not of seminal plasma are able to respond to in vitro capacitation in a similar way. For motility parameters including the study of hyperactivated boar sperm, results were similar for both groups, demonstrating that previous exposure to seminal plasma was not able to influence on sperm motility pattern. In addition, semen quality parameters evaluated in this study support our current observations that the absence of contact between spermatozoa and components of seminal plasma during liquid storage does not reflect any detrimental effect on sperm quality, besides offering greater resistance to these cells against acrosome damages (P &lt; 0.05). Therefore, the present study concluded that the removal of seminal plasma prior to liquid storage of boar spermatozoa at 17 °C for 72 hours is not detrimental to its quality and functionality, and may still be beneficial to its fertilizing capacity.

Thesis (MTech (Food Technology)--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2009 / The primary aim of this study was to establish the effects of both cavitation, (20 KHZ), and heat (55°C or 60•C) on Saccharomyces cerevisiae GC210 (MATa lys2) suspended in physiological saline. Fluorescent flow cytometry was used to determine the effects of moist heat and acoustic cavitation on S. cerevisiae cells. Results from this study could be used as a guide for use by the food industry for the combined use of heat and sonication to disinfect various solutions contaminated with S. cerevisiae.

A refrigeração é a forma mais utilizada para a preservação do sêmen suíno empregado na inseminação artificial. Apesar do constante aprimoramento de diluidores comerciais em favor da manutenção da viabilidade espermática, sabe-se que alterações estruturais e principalmente funcionais ocorrem nestas células em resposta às baixas temperaturas de armazenamento. Além disso, embora tais modificações muitas vezes não sejam identificadas pelas análises de rotina, seus efeitos diretos sobre a capacidade fertilizante do espermatozoide tem sido relatados. Em paralelo, uma gama de estudos buscando identificar possíveis ações do plasma seminal sobre a célula espermática in vitro gera ainda resultados bastante controversos. Diante disso, o presente trabalho buscou avaliar como a presença ou não do plasma seminal durante o processo de refrigeração pode influenciar sobre a resposta do espermatozoide suíno aos eventos de capacitação e hiperativação espermática. Para isso, após serem mantidos sobre refrigeração à 17&deg;C por 72 horas, na presença ou não do plasma seminal, espermatozoides foram submetidos à capacitação in vitro e ao decorrer desta, avaliados quanto às características de motilidade pela análise computadorizada do sêmen; e funcionalidade celular por citometria de fluxo. Resultados obtidos à partir das análises de desordem lipídica, translocação da fosfatidilserina e permeabilidade da membrana plasmática mostraram que espermatozoides suínos refrigerados são capazes de responder à capacitação in vitro de forma semelhante, independente de prévia manutenção ou não, com o plasma seminal. Para os parâmetros de motilidade, bem como o estudo da população espermática hiperativada, foram apresentados resultados semelhantes entre ambos os grupos, o que demonstra a não influencia da prévia exposição ao plasma seminal sobre a mudança do padrão de motilidade espermática. Ainda, parâmetros qualitativos avaliados neste estudo suportam nossa afirmação de que, a ausência de contato entre o espermatozoide suíno e os componentes do plasma seminal durante seu armazenamento não reflete em qualquer efeito prejudicial sobre a qualidade espermática, além de oferecer uma maior resistência à estas células contra lesões de acrossoma (P &lt; 0,05). Desta forma, o presente trabalho concluiu que a remoção do plasma seminal previamente ao armazenamento do espermatozoide suíno à 17 °C por 72 horas não é prejudicial à sua qualidade e funcionalidade, podendo ainda ser benéfica à sua capacidade fertilizante. / Liquid storage is the main form of preservation of boar sperm prior to its use in artificial insemination. Despite the constant improvement of commercial extenders in favor of maintaining sperm viability, it is known that structural and mainly functional alterations occur in these cells in response to low storage temperatures. Furthermore, although these modifications are often not identified by routine analyzes, their direct effects on the fertilizing capacity of spermatozoa have been reported. In view of this, in vitro studies aiming to identify possible actions of seminal plasma as modulator of sperm function have yielded controversial results. Therefore, the present work aimed to evaluate how the presence or absence of seminal plasma during liquid storage may influence the responsiveness of spermatozoa to capacitation and hyperactivation events. For this, liquid boar sperm stored at 17 °C for 72 hours in the presence or not of the seminal plasma were submitted to in vitro capacitation. During the course, sperm motility characteristics were evaluated by computer-assisted semen analysis; and sperm functionality by flow cytometry. Results obtained from lipid disorder, phosphatidylserine translocation and plasma membrane permeability analyzes have shown that liquid boar sperm stored in the presence or not of seminal plasma are able to respond to in vitro capacitation in a similar way. For motility parameters including the study of hyperactivated boar sperm, results were similar for both groups, demonstrating that previous exposure to seminal plasma was not able to influence on sperm motility pattern. In addition, semen quality parameters evaluated in this study support our current observations that the absence of contact between spermatozoa and components of seminal plasma during liquid storage does not reflect any detrimental effect on sperm quality, besides offering greater resistance to these cells against acrosome damages (P &lt; 0.05). Therefore, the present study concluded that the removal of seminal plasma prior to liquid storage of boar spermatozoa at 17 °C for 72 hours is not detrimental to its quality and functionality, and may still be beneficial to its fertilizing capacity.

Resumo: Anticorpos monoclonais (AcMm) são imunoglobulinas produzidas por engenharia celular através da fusão de células tumorais com linfócitos B provenientes de organismos previamente imunizados contra o antígeno de interesse. As células recém criadas recebem a denominação de hibridomas, crescem indefinidamente em cultura por agregar características de imortalidade das células tumorais. A tecnologia de monoclonais compreende etapas seriadas, incluindo imunização, fusão, screening, clonagem, caracterização de especificidade dentre outras. O CD45 é um marcador expresso na superfície de todos os leucócitos humanos: linfócitos, eosinófilos, monócitos, basófilos e neutrófilos sendo, o maior componente da membrana de linfócitos, o que aumenta a probabilidade de obtenção de AcMm com este perfil em protocolos de imunização com linfócitos. Este marcador é amplamente utilizado em diagnóstico por citometria de fluxo, no acompanhamento de pacientes HIV+, na classificação de leucemias e linfomas, quantificação de células CD34+ para transplantes de medula óssea e, também em imunohistoqu ímica auxiliando na subtipagem das neoplasias, principalmente linfomas (Hodgkin, não Hodgkin e outras categorias) e leucemias de células B e T. Assim, este trabalho teve por objetivo a caracterização de anticorpo monoclonal anti-CD45 desenvolvido in house e validação deste em aplicações diagnósticas envolvendo citometria de fluxo e imunohistoqu ímica, comparando-o com anticorpos monoclonais comerciais, visando minimização dos custos dessas técnicas. Foram utilizadas 50 amostras de sangue excedente de doadores para o grupo controle e 48 amostras de sangue de pacientes HIV+ para validação do AcMm em citometria de fluxo e analisados 114 fragmentos em lâmina de Tissue Microarray - TMA provenientes de 38 amostras de amígdalas para validação do AcMm em imunohistoqu ímica... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Monoclonal antibodies (mAb) are immunoglobulins produced by cell engineering through fusion of tumor cells and B lymphocytes from organisms previously immunized against the antigen of interest, generating thus hybridomas that indefinitely grow in culture since they aggregate immortality characteristics of tumor cells capable of secreting antibodies. The production of such antibodies consists of sequential steps, including immunization, fusion, screening, cloning, and specificity characterization. CD45 is a marker expressed in the surface of all human leukocytes: lymphocytes, eosinophils, monocytes, basophils, and neutrophils. Besides, CD45 is the major component of lymphocyte membranes, which increases the probability of obtaining mAb presenting such profile in immunization procedures using lymphocytes. This marker has been widely used in diagnosis through flow cytometry, besides monitoring of HIV+ patients, classification of leukemia and lymphomas, quantification of CD34+ cells for bone marrow transplantation, and also in immunohistochemistry, helping in subtyping of neoplasms, mainly lymphomas (Hodgkin’s, non-Hodgkin and other categories) and B- and T-cell leukemia. Thus, this work aimed to characterize the in-house-developed anti-CD45 monoclonal antibody besides its validation in diagnostic applications involving flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry through comparison with commercial monoclonal antibodies in order to reduce the costs of such techniques. Fifty samples of extra blood from donors were used in the control group, and 48 blood samples from HIV+ patients were used for mAb validation in flow cytometry. For mAb immunohistochemical validation, 114 fragments from 38 amygdala samples were analyzed in a Tissue Microarray - TMA slide. In flow cytometry, the commercial anti-CD45 and the likely in-house-obtained anti-CD45 (LINB5 clone) did not significantly differ concerning cell... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Orientador: Elenice Deffune / Coorientador: Marjorie de Assis Golim / Banca: Mirthes Uieda / Banca: Maria Aparecida Custódio Domingues / Mestre