Orientador: João Alexandre Ribeiro Gonçalves Barbosa / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Biologia / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-15T21:46:33Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Souza_TatianadeArrudaCamposBrasilde_D.pdf: 2667585 bytes, checksum: 67a64b614fe46e32c061e0f43f20406e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010 / Resumo: Para que a divisão celular ocorra é necessário que uma célula passe por algumas etapas que possibilitem esta divisão. Ao conjunto destes processos denomina-se ciclo celular. A regulação espacial e temporal destes processos é fundamental para a preservação celular e do material genético. Falha neste processo pode levar à morte celular ou a alterações genéticas causando divisão desregulada e crescimento de tumores. Dentre diversas proteínas envolvidas no ciclo celular, encontram-se as septinas. Até o momento, foram encontrados em humanos 14 diferentes genes para septinas. Septinas são proteínas ligadoras de GTP, primeiramente caracterizadas em leveduras, que estão associadas a eventos biológicos importantes em eucariotos. Neste trabalho foram selecionadas três septinas humanas para estudos funcionais e estruturais: septina 6, septina 8 e septina 10. Nossos resultados deram origem a três artigos que descrevem: I) estratégias de clonagem, expressão, purificação e caracterização preliminar da septina humana 8; II) a capacidade das septinas 2, 6, 8 e 11 em ligar e hidrolisar GTP, mas com diferentes níveis de atividade GTPásica, sendo a septina 2 humana capaz de hidrolizar GTP mais rapidamente que as demais septinas e III) a interação entre a septina 10 humana e a proteína Promyelocytic leukemia zinc finger (PLZF), cuja expressão em linhagens celulares hematopoiéticas resultam na supressão do crescimento e interrupção do ciclo celular. A interação da septina 10 com a proteína PLZF foi confirmada in vitro por experimento de pull-down e a localização celular da septina 10 mostra que esta septina é expressa no citoplasma da célula. Além disso, resultados preliminares mostram a relação da ligação de GTP e formação de filamentos pela septina 6 e diversas estratégias para a cristalização das septinas estudadas como: microseeding, streak-seeding, variações de pH, precipitantes e aditivos, metilação de lisinas e screening de tampões, cujos resultados não foram satisfatórios para a resolução de uma estrutura de septina humana / Abstract: A cell passes through some steps to enable for cell division and all these processes are called Cell Cycle. The spatial and temporal regulation of this process is crucial to maintaining cellular and genetic material. Failure in this process can lead to cell death or genetic changes causing division and unregulated growth of tumors. Among several proteins involved in cell cycle, there are the septins. To date, 14 different human genes coding for septins were found. Septins are GTP binding proteins first characterized in yeast, which are associated with important biological events in eukaryotes. In this study we selected three human septins to study functionally and structurally: septin 6, septin 8 and septin 10. Our results led to three articles that describe: i) strategies for cloning, expression, purification and preliminary characterization of human septin 8; ii) the ability of septin 2, 6, 8 and 11 to bind and hydrolyze GTP, but with different levels GTPase activity, human septin 2 is capable of hydrolyzing GTP faster than the other septins and III) the interaction between the human septin 10 and promyelocytic leukemia zinc finger protein (PLZF), whose expression in hematopoietic cell lines results in growth suppression and cell cycle arrest. The interaction between septin 10 and PLZF was confirmed by in vitro pull down assay and the cellular localization of septin 10 shows that this septin is expressed in the cell cytoplasm. Furthermore, our studies preliminary results show the relation of GTP binding and filament formation of the septin 6 and several strategies for the crystallization of septins as micro-seeding, streak-seeding, variations in pH, precipitants and additives, methylation of lysine and screening of buffers, but the results were not satisfactory for the resolution of a human septin structure / Doutorado / Genetica de Microorganismos / Doutor em Genetica e Biologia Molecular

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Virginia, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 192-224). Also available online through Digital Dissertations.

Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, 2005. / Not embargoed. Vita. Bibliography: 198-212.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Virginia, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available online through Digital Dissertations.

Orientador: Jorg Kobarg / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campoinas, Instituto de Biologia / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-17T07:25:05Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Nakahira_Marcel_D.pdf: 11988351 bytes, checksum: e05bc17d15fd4fe6b9d016e36caed880 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010 / Resumo: Septinas são proteínas que apresentam um domínio bem característico de ligação ao nucleotídeo GTP (GTPase), bem como outros dois domínios variáveis (N e C-terminais). Sua principal característica é a habilidade de interagir entre si (septinas de grupos diferentes) e de formar filamentos. Esse fato está intimamente relacionado com as funções que desempenham na citocinese, exocitose, apoptose, entre outras. Além disso, elas são direta ou indiretamente envolvidas com situações patológicas, como o mal de Alzheimer e câncer. Acredita-se que uma das suas funções moleculares é a de atuar como "andaime" (scqffòld), promovendo assim a interação entre proteínas. Com isso as funções das septinas se tornaram muito mais amplas do que se acreditava inicialmente. Por isso nosso objetivo é identificar a diversidade de proteínas que interagem com as septinas 6 e 8. Achamos que essas duas septinas interagem com quase todas as outras septinas, exceto aquelas pertencentes ao mesmo "grupo 6". As septinas presas sempre apresentavam o domínio GTPase inteiro, mostrando sua importância na interação. Com isso propusemos baseado também em informação na literatura, um modelo para as unidades formadoras (trímero) dos filamentos, onde as septinas 6 e 8 possivelmente estejam sempre na unidade central do trímero, podendo ser permutadas por outras septinas do mesmo grupo (grupo 6). Ainda identificamos várias outras proteínas que sugerem um envolvimento das septinas em processos como a divisão celular, metabolismo, transcrição, e a degradação de proteínas, entre outros. A análise da presença das septinas 6,7,8 e 9 em células de mamíferos sugere que elas sejam encontradas em estruturas que parecem ser centrossomos, os quais são realacíonados com a divisão celular. Outro estudo realizado com a septina 1 inteira e sua região GTPase mostrou que ela se encontra em solução não como monômero mas sim como um trimero/tetrâmero. O domínio GTPase assim como a presença do nucleotídeo GTP no mesmo são fundamentais para a sua multimerização e estabilidade. Em comparação com dados da literatura a SEPT1 apresenta maior estabilidade sendo mais resistente ao desenovelamento térmico. Por fim, esses e outros resultados auxiliam na compreensão das funções das septinas e sua relação com os processos celulares. / Abstract: Septins have a central domain which binds GTP (GTPase domain) and two other variable domains at their N- and C-termim Their principal characteristic is the ability to bind to other septins, thereby forming filaments. This is intimately related to their functions in cytokinesis, exocytosis, and apoptosis, among others. They are also directly or indirectly associated to pathological processes such as the Alzheimer disease and cancer. It has been suggested that one of its molecular functions may be to act as a '"scaffold" protein to promote interactions among proteins. Thereby the functions of septins have turned out to be more diverse than initially predicted. Based on this our main objective here is lo identify the diversity of proteins thai interact with the human septins 6 and 8. We found that both interact with many other different septins, including almost all of them, except for septins of the same "group 6" (septins 6,8,10,11). The prey septins identified always contained the entire GTPase domain, indicating the importance of this domain for the observed interactions. Therefore, taking also into account data from the literature, we propose a model where the central unit of the trimeric septin is always occupied by septins of the group 6, specially septins 6 and 8. We also identified several other proteins to interact with septins 6 and 8, suggest involvement in processes such as cell division, metabolism, transcription, protein degradation, among others. The analysis of the expression of the septins 6,7,8 and 9 in mammalian cells suggests that they maybe localized to centrossomal structures, which are involved in cell division. Another study which involved full length as well as only the GTPase domain of Septin 1 showed that this septin is not found as a monomer but as a trimer/tetramer in solution. The GTPase domain as well as the presence of the bound nucleotide GTP, are fundamental for its multimerizalion and stability. In comparison to data from the literature, SEPT1 presents an elevated resistance to thermal denaturation. In summary, these and other data help us to understand the function of the septins and their relationship to cellular processes. / Doutorado / Bioquimica / Doutor em Biologia Funcional e Molecular

Guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) regulate and organize diverse cellular processes through their role in converting GTPases from the inactive GDP bound state to the active GTP bound state. An increasing number of GEFs undergo autoregulatory mechanisms through complex intramolecular interactions. Relief of autoinhibition involves specific phosphorylation or binding to lipid and/or effector proteins at sites distal from the catalytic domain, and is often coupled to membrane recruitment. In Cytohesin Arf GEFs, the catalytic Sec7 domain is autoinhibited by a linker region and C-terminal helix flanking a Pleckstrin Homology (PH) domain. Upon binding of the PH domain to low abundance phosphoinositides, the GTPase Arf6-GTP can both relieve autoinhibition and recruit Cytohesins to the plasma membrane. This thesis focuses on determining the molecular mechanism underlying both these functions. The structural mechanisms by which Arf6-GTP binding relieves autoinhibition were studied using biochemical and crystallographic studies. The crystal structure of the Grp1 PH domain in complex with Arf6 revealed that Arf6-GTP binding relieves autoinhibition through competitive sequestration of the inhibitory elements into grooves formed at the periphery of the interface. Importantly, the interaction orients all known membrane targeting components to a common surface. Detailed biochemical studies showed a common mode of binding among Cytohesin family members in which phosphoinositide head group binding primes the interaction with Arf6, and membrane recruitment of both stimulatory and substrate Arf enhances the effect. To assess changes in the Sec7 domain conformation upon activation, Size Exclusion Chromatography in line with Small Angle X-Ray Scattering (SEC-SAXS) was performed. The unique nature of this data led to the development of a novel data analysis and processing strategy. A graphically based, python-extensible software package was created for data normalization, buffer correction, Guinier Analysis, and constant background subtraction. As an unbiased substitute for traditional buffer subtraction, a method to reconstruct the protein scattering through singular value decomposition (SVD) and linear combination of the basis vectors was developed. These methods produced exceptional data quality and allowed versatility for application to other data collection techniques or systems, especially those lacking confident buffer matching or low signal. SEC-SAXS confirmed the overall structure of autoinhibited Grp1 in solution and showed only slight overall changes upon activation by deletion of the autoinhibitory Cterminal helix. Fusion of Arf6 with Grp1 produced a consistently elongated shape in the active state that was incompatible with the autoinhibited or theoretical active positions of the Sec7 domain. Monte Carlo and rigid body modeling using known structural domains revealed a requirement for Sec7-PH linker flexibility in addition to Sec7 domain mobility. These data support an integrated structural model whereby phosphoinositides and Arf-GTP support nucleotide exchange at membranes through allosteric activation, membrane recruitment, and large-scale rearrangement of the Sec7 domain. Overall, these findings offer insight into Cytohesin function that can be applied to assess relief of autoinhibition in the context of other GEFs and GTPases.