Semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) have emerged as a new class of fluorescent probes and labeling agents for biological samples. QDs are bright, highly photostable and allow simultaneous excitation of multiple emissions. Owing to these properties, QDs hold exceptional promise in enabling intracellular biochemical studies and diagnosis with unprecedented sensitivity and accuracy. However, use of QD probes inside living cells remains a challenge due to difficulties in delivery of nanoparticles without causing aggregation and imaging single nanoparticles inside living cells. In this dissertation, a systematic approach to deliver, image and locate single QDs inside living cells is presented and the properties of molecular motor protein driven QD transport are studied. First, spectroscopic and imaging methods capable of differentiating single nanoparticles from the aggregates were developed. These technologies were validated by differentiating surface protein expression on viral particles and by enabling rapid counting of single biomolecules. Second, controlled delivery of single QDs into living cells is demonstrated. A surprising finding is that single QDs associate non-specifically with the dynein motor protein complex and are transported to the microtubule organizing center. Accurate localization and tracking of QDs inside cell cytoplasm revealed multiple dynein motor protein attachment resulting in increased velocity of the QDs. Further, spectrin molecule which is known to recruit dynein motor protein complex to phospholipid micelles was found to associate with the QDs. These results may serve as a benchmark for developing new QD surface coatings suitable for intracellular applications. Since, nanoparticles are similar in size to viral pathogens; better understanding of nanoparticle-cell interactions should also help engineer nanoparticle models to study virus-host cell interactions. (Contains AVI format multimedia files)

A significant focus of toxicological research is the identification of electrophiles that covalently modify DNA to form addition products (adducts). These products can be generated when aryl radical species react at the C8-site of 2'-deoxyguanosine (dG) to form C8-aryl-dG adducts, which are mutagenic lesions. While this form of DNA modification is detrimental, C8-aryl-dG adducts also possess intriguing properties that can be exploited for beneficial purposes. This thesis is an investigation of one mechanism believed to contribute to the mutagenicity of C8-aryl-dG adducts, as well as a study of the photophysical properties of adducts that allow for their application as fluorescent probes. A common property of C8-aryl-dG adduction is accompaniment of abasic site formation. To determine how the C8-aryl moiety contributes to sugar loss, UV-Vis spectroscopy has been employed to determine hydrolysis kinetics, with C8-aryl-dG adducts found to be more prone than dG to acid-catalyzed hydrolysis. Despite adduct reactivity in acidic media, all adducts are relatively stable at pH 7, suggesting they are unlikely intermediates of abasic site formation at physiological pH. These results have allowed for development of a new rationale for depurination observed upon C8-aryl-dG adduction within duplex DNA. The determination of photophysical parameters of C8-heteroaryl-dG adducts reveals that these nucleosides behave as fluorophores with high fluorescence quantum yields (φfl). These adducts also exhibit emission sensitivity to their solvent environment and H-bonding interactions. C8-Heteroaryl-dG adducts were incorporated in the oligonucleotide 5'-CTCG1G2CG3CCATC, at the G1 and G3 sites, that contains the recognition sequence of the NarI Type II restriction enzyme. Hybridization of the modified NarI oligonucleotides to the complementary strand containing either the C or G nucleobase opposite the adduct allowed for characterization of duplex structures by circular dichroism (CD), UV melting temperature analysis and fluorescence spectroscopy. Results suggest that the C8-heteroaryl-dG adduct favours an anti conformation with base-paired with C, while a syn conformation is favoured when base-paired to G. Adduct conformation of bulky C8-dG adducts is believed to be correlated with their known mutagenic activity. C8-Heteroaryl-dG modified nucleosides could therefore be used as fluorescent models of these adducts to aid in elucidation of adduct-induced mutagenesis in biological systems. / NSERC

A utilização de sondas fluorescentes para marcação ou detecção de biomoléculas de interesse em processos biológicos distintos, vem recebendo grande atenção em pesquisas biomédicas, de análises clínicas e biologia celular. Em geral, estas sondas fluorescentes são constituídas por moléculas orgânicas pequenas, as quais apresentam características fluorescentes e capacidade de conjugar-se com estas biomoléculas. Desta forma, esta dissertação descreve inicialmente a síntese de compostos 2-aril ou 2,5- diarilfuranos e tiofenos (3, 5, 7 e 9a-i), a partir de espécies orgânicas de telúrio (1, 4, 6 e 8) e sais de ariltrifluoroboratos de potássio (2a-i), via reação de acoplamento cruzado tipo Suzuki-Miyaura, sob catálise de paládio [ver a figura no arquivo original]. Em seguida, descreve a síntese de um derivado 2,5-diarilfurano assimétrico, o 2-(3-aminofenil)-5-(4-metoxifenil)furano 11, o qual apresenta propriedades químicas e luminescentes adequadas para atuar como uma nova e promissora sonda fluorescente em processos de marcação ou detecção biológica. A síntese desta nova sonda, também chamada de 3-AFA (3-AnililFuranoAnisol), foi realizada a partir da reação de acoplamento cruzado tipo Suzuki-Miyaura, sob catálise de paládio, entre o ácido (3-aminofenil) borônico 5e e o 2- (butiltelanil)-5-(4-metoxifenil)furano 10 em 65 % de rendimento. Esta nova sonda 3-AFA 11 foi conjugada com uma série de L-aminoácidos 12a-l, a partir de uma reação de acoplamento peptídico para formação dos respectivos produtos 13a-l em rendimentos satisfatórios. Estes produtos conjugados 13a-l, apresentam potencial para marcação fluorescente de enzimas proteolíticas de interesse [ver a figura no arquivo original]. Adicionalmente, foram caracterizadas propriedades fotofísicas importantes desta nova sonda 3-AFA 11, entre as quais seus espectros eletrônicos de absorção e emissão de fluorescência, que obtiveram valores de λex a 320 nm e λem a 400 nm, respectivamente. Por fim, foi testado o potencial de acúmulo intracelular da sonda 3-AFA 11 em sistemas celulares tais como: eritrócitos infectados com Plasmodium chabaudi e amastigotas de Leishmania L. amazonensis, sendo possível observar em todos os casos a marcação fluorescente dos respectivos parasitas. / The use of fluorescent probes for labeling or detection of biomolecules of interest in different biological processes, has received much attention in biomedical, clinical testing and cell biology research. In general, these fluorescent probes are composed of small organic molecules, which have fluorescent features and ability to combine with these biomolecules. Thus, this work initially describes the synthesis of 2-aryl or 2,5-diarylfurans and thiophenes (3, 5, 7 and 9a-i) from organic species of tellurium (1, 4, 6 and 8) and potassium organotrifluoroborate salts (2a-i) by palladium catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura crosscoupling reaction [see the figure in the original file]. After describe the synthesis of a unsymmetrical 2,5-diarylfuran derivative, the 2-(3-aminophenyl)-5-(4-methoxyphenyl)furan 11, which presents chemical and luminescent properties appropriate to act as a promising new fluorescent probes in processes of marking or biological detection. The synthesis of this new probe, also called 3-AFA (3-AnilylFuranAnisole), was performed from palladium catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction, between (3- aminophenyl) boronic acid 5e and 2-(butyltellanyl)-5-(4-metoxyphenyl)furan 10 in 65 % yields. This new probe 3-AFA 11 was combined with a series of Lamino acids 12a-l from a peptidic coupling reaction to obtain their products 13a-l in satisfactory yield. These combined products 13a-l show a potential for fluorescent marking of proteolitic enzymes [see the figure in the original file]. Additionally, important photo physical properties of this new probe 3-AFA 11 were characterized. These include their electronic spectra of absorption and fluorescence emission, who obtained values of λex to 320 nm and λem to 400 nm, respectively. Finally, we tested the potential of probe 3-AFA 11 for intracellular accumulation in cellular systems such as: erythrocytes infected with Plasmodium chabaudi and amastigotes of Leishmania L. amazonensis, in all cases the fluorescent uptake cellular of their parasites can be observed.

L'objectif de cette thèse est la conception et le développement de bras espaceurs auto-immolables originaux situés entre le substrat peptidique et un fluorophore à phénol. Une première partie de ces travaux porte sur le développement de bras réactifs auto-immolables adaptés à la détection d'exopeptidases et à leur application pour la synthèse de sondes destinées à l'imagerie in-vivo de la caspase 3, une enzime impliquée dans le processus apoptotique. La seconde partie de ce travail relate les efforts effectués afin d'étendre l'utilisation des bras réactifs auto-immolables à la détection des endopeptidases, notamment les MMPs, une famille d'enzimes fortement impliquée dans la progression cancéreuse. / The aim of this PhD work is the design and development of novel self-immolative species linking a peptide susbstrate to a phenolic fluorophore. A first part was dedicated to the development of self-immolative linkers for exopeptidases detection and their incorporation in caspase 3 probes to stain the apoptotic process. A second part was devoted to the extension of the strategy to endopeptidases, especially MMPs, an enzyme family mainly involved in cancer progression.

[pt] Nesta dissertação foram estudadas as propriedades ópticas, eletroquímicas, elétricas e morfológicas de novos compostos fluorescentes para o desenvolvimento de OLEDs. Para isto, foram estudadas algumas sondas moleculares fluorescentes utilizadas na área biomédica como agentes antitumorais e marcadores ópticos fluorescentes: a) N,N - diisonicotinoil-2-hidroxi-5 metilisoftaldeído diidrazona (DMD); b) 2-(5 -isotiocianato-2 -hidroxifenil)benzoxazol, (5ONCS); c) 1,1 -dipireno (DIPI) e d) 7,7 -terc-butil-1,1- dipireno (TDIPI). Todos estes compostos foram sintetizados por Grupos de pesquisa brasileiros e depositados termicamente em forma de filmes finos no nosso Laboratório. No decorrer do estudo de fabricação dos OLEDs, os dispositivos bicamada baseados no DMD e no 5ONCS se mostraram pouco eficientes devido principalmente à baixa condutividade do DMD e à elevada rugosidade da camada de 5ONCS. A solução destes problemas foi encontrada na técnica de codeposição, que consiste na evaporação simultânea de uma matriz orgânica e de um dopante (DMD ou 5ONCS) numa única camada. Desta forma, foi possível alcançar um aumento da mobilidade das cargas nas camadas co-depositadas alem de favorecer a transferência de energia da matriz para o dopante. Os OLEDs fabricados nestas condições permitiram observar, pela primeira vez, a eletroluminescência dos compostos DMD e 5ONCS. Já os OLEDs baseados nas moléculas DIPI e TDIPI apresentaram eletroluminescência sem a necessidade da co-deposição. Em particular, no caso do OLED baseado no TDIPI foi possível alcançar uma luminância de 1430 cd/m2 com uma eficiência de 2,65 porcento a 1mA. Os resultados deste trabalho evidenciam a potencialidade do uso destes materiais para a fabricação de OLEDs para aplicações na área de iluminação. / [en] In this study the optical, electrochemical, electrical and morphological properties of new fluorescent compounds were studied in order to develop OLEDs based upon these materials. For this purpose some fluorescent molecular probes used in the biomedical field as antitumor agents and fluorescent optical probes were studied: a) N,N diisonicotinoyl-2-hydroxy-5-methylisophthalaldehyde dihydrazone (DMD ), b) 2 - (5 -isothiocyanato -2-hydroxyphenyl) benzoxazole ( 5ONCS ), c) 1,1 - dipyrene (DIPI) and d) 7,7 -tertbutyl- 1,1-dipyrene (TDIPI ). All these compounds were synthesized by Brazilian research groups and then thermally deposited as thin films in our Laboratory. During the study for the fabrication of OLEDs, bilayer devices based on DMD and 5ONCS proved to have low efficiency mainly due to the low conductivity of the DMD and the high roughness of the 5ONCS layer. The solution of these problems was found in the codeposition technique, which consists in the simultaneous evaporation of an organic matrix (host) and a dopant (guest) (5ONCS or DMD) in a single layer. Thus, it was possible to achieve an increase in the charge mobility in the co-deposited layers as well as energy transfer from the guest to the host. The OLEDs fabricated in these conditions allowed the observation, for the first time, of the electroluminescence of DMD and 5ONCS. On the other hand, the DIPI and TDIPI based OLEDs presented good electroluminescence without the need for co-deposition. In particular, in the case of the TDIPI it was possible to achieve a luminance of 1430 cd/m2 with an efficiency of 2.65 percent at 1 mA. The results of this work showed the potential of these materials for the fabrication of OLEDs for lighting applications.

The diploma thesis is based on the study of hydrophobic interactions of the native hyaluronan with selected solutes. On the basis of a literature search were chosen fluorescent probes and fluorescing biologically active substances, which are useful for investigation of colloids as 6-(p-toluidino)-2-naphthalenesulfonic acid (polarity probe), lipophilic vitamin (±)-alpha-tocopherol, pyrene (polarity probe) and finally hydrophilic vitamin riboflavin. In the experimental part of this thesis was studied the influence of solvents with different polarities, or more precisely dielectric constant, on the emission spectra, as well. There were investigated interactions of native hyaluronan with TNS and then interactions, which were influenced by the ionic strength. Such influenced interactions were not observed, that was probably due to the strong solvation´s wrapping of the hyaluronan. Interactions were observed after the process of lyophilisation followed-up by the rehydratation of the samples. For the next study of interactions the riboflavin was chosen and was investigated the REES effect in the native hyaluronan in different concentrations of its different molecular weights. In this case were not observed any shifts in the emission maximum with the excitation wavelenght shift and that is why the interactions of hyaluronan with riboflavin were not demonstrated in the field of chosen concentrations. By using another probe alpha-tocopherol was investigated the associative behaviour of hyaluronan and moreover was observed anisotropy of alpha-tocopherol in different concentrations of different molecular weights of native hyaluronan. The anisotropy reached high values in contrast to the reference solute that was the mixture of glycerol and ethanol. The anisotropy depended more on the molecular weight than on the concentration of hyaluronan. Interactions of hyaluronan were also studied by using the polarity probe pyrene in different concentrations of different molecular weights of the hyaluronan. The pyrene 1:3 ratio did not show the concentration dependence within the chosen concentrations except for the molecular weight 253.9 kg mol–1. Both probes alpha-tocopherol and pyrene were performed by the process of lyophilisation followed-up by the rehydratation, which improved interactions of these probes with hyaluronan.

La plupart des bactéries vivent en communautés organisées, appelées biofilms, augmentant leur résistance aux traitements antibiotiques. Ainsi, la formation de biofilms sur les organes et matériels médicaux est considérée comme la cause de la majorité des infections bactériennes. Il est alors important de trouver des traitements pour empêcher ou perturber la formation de ces biofilms. Il a été proposé que les porines de P. Stuartii, Omp-Pst1 et Omp-Pst2, peuvent s’auto-assembler via un steric-zipper, étape responsable du développement initial du biofilm. Ainsi, notre objectif est de synthétiser des inhibiteurs d’interactions entre porines pour limiter ce contact intercellulaire. Nous avons développé des molécules peptidomimétiques basées sur la séquence LGNYR, active dans les deux porines. Pour cela, des réactions de chimie click sur phase solide ont été mises en oeuvre afin de synthétiser des analogues de cette séquence, comme la CuAAC pour introduire un motif triazole, dans une position variable au sein du peptide. Nous avons ainsi développé une méthode rapide et efficace afin de réaliser cette réaction par l’utilisation d’un catalyseur cuivre(I)-N-hétérocyclique carbène stable à l’air. Similairement, de nouvelles conditions ont aussi été mises au point en phase solide afin d’obtenir régiosélectivement des peptides comportant un motif isoxazole 3,4- ou 3,5-disubstitué, par la réaction entre un alcyne et un oxyde de nitrile. Ces cycloadditions 1,3-dipolaires nous ont ainsi permis d’obtenir une première librairie de peptidotriazoles et de peptidoisoxazoles. Il sera enfin possible d’étudier les biofilms grâce à la synthèse de sondes fluorescentes basées sur les inhibiteurs montrant de fortes affinités avec la cible, couplées à un fluorophore dérivé de coumarine. / In the environment, most of bacteria live as organized communities, known as biofilms, enhancing their resistance to antibiotic treatments. Thus the formation of biofilms on organ and indwelling medical devices is considered to cause the majority of bacterial infections in the human body. Thus, to enhance antibiotics efficacy, there is a high need to find treatments to prevent or disrupt biofilm formation. It has been proposed that P. stuartii porins, Omp-Pst1 and Omp-Pst2, can self-associate through a steric zipper, being responsible for the initial development of biofilms. Thus, our objective is to synthesize porin’s self-matching interactions (PSMI) inhibitors to counterfeit this intercellular contact. We developed peptidomimetic molecules based on the LGNYR sequence, that have shown to be active in both porins. Then we used click chemistry to synthesize on solid phase analogues of this sequence, as the solid phase Cu(I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) to introduce a triazole moiety into the peptide chain at different positions. We thus developed a fast and efficient method to perform this reaction using a stable copper(I)-N-heterocyclic carbene catalyst. Similarly, new conditions were developed on solid phase to synthesize regioselectively peptides containing a 3,4- or 3,5-disubstituted isoxazole moiety, through the reaction between an alkyne and a nitrile oxide. These 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions allowed us to developed a first library of peptidotriazoles and peptidoisoxazoles. We also obtained fluorescent probes based on the inhibitors showing higher affinity for the target as tools to study biofilm formation.

No description available.

Tesis por compendio / El presente proyecto de investigación está enfocado al desarrollo de sensores químicos fluoro-cromogénicos, para la detección y determinación de especies químicas de interés biológico, industrial y medioambiental de forma selectiva y con alta sensibilidad. En forma general, se busca el diseñar nuevos sistemas sensores basados en compuestos (receptores) formados por dos unidades: una unidad coordinante que interacciona con el anión a determinar y una unidad generadora de señal que alerta del reconocimiento molecular efectuado. Durante este estudio se están preparando diversas moléculas receptoras funcionalizandas con grupos modificadores de estructura para evaluar su influencia sobre las capacidades de detección y selectividad como receptores de especies específicas en diferentes condiciones y medios. Las diferentes aproximaciones en prueba implican a su vez el diseño y síntesis molecular, así como el análisis de las diferentes señales ópticas producidas en el reconocimiento, con el fin de diseñar sistemas de alta eficacia y eficiencia, y con posibilidades reales de aplicación. / Santos Figueroa, LE. (2014). New approaches for the development of chromo-fluorogenic sensors for chemical species of biological, industrial and environmental interest [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/43216 / TESIS / Premios Extraordinarios de tesis doctorales / Compendio