Thesis (Ph. D.)--Marquette University, 1938. / "Annotated bibliography": p. 55-68.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Marquette University, 1938. / "Annotated bibliography": p. 55-68.

The goal of this experiment was to examine the role of glucuronic acid in the development of vascular damage in the kidneys and retinas of diabetic individuals. Glucuronic acid was provided to rats in their water at various concentrations in order to increase plasma levels of the compound. Kidneys and retinas were excised and compared to control specimens using microscopy to determine the effect of elevated blood glucuronic acid levels on the occurrence of microaneurysms in renal capillary networks. No differences were seen between the treatment and control groups. Further study needs to be conducted to determine a more suitable time frame for this experiment.

Thesis (PhD)--University of South Australia, 2001.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1975. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

The amount of urinary conjugated glucuronic acid excreted by a free-living male population and the effect of certain factors, i.e. vegetable, fruit, meat, and charbroiled food intake, tobacco, alcohol, caffeine, and marijuana use, exposure to chemicals and familial cancer incidence, were investigated. Urine was collected for 24 hours from 117 subjects who complied with the collection protocol and analyzed for each subject. Three days of urine were analyzed for a randomly selected subgroup of forty subjects. For the one-day sample, the mean conJugated glucuronic acid excreted was 0.725 mmole/24 hr or 0.0492 mole/mole creatinine. The values for the three-day sample were 0.848 mmole/24 hr or 0.0562 mole/mole creatinine. An analysis of the one-day data revealed a large degree of between-subject (inter-) variability: 47.1%. The corresponding coefficient of variation for the three-day data was 48.2% when three-day averages were compared. The within-subject (intra-) variability for the three-day data corresponded to a coefficient of variation of 29.2%. The large intervariability probably masked any effects of diet, environment, or genetics upon the observed urinary conjugated glucuronic acid excretion. Caffeine use, vegetable, and fruit intake did show differences between low, moderate, and high consumers, although the biological importance of these associations for the small sample sizes is questionable. Further research regarding conjugated glucuronic acid excretion and dietary, environmental, and genetic influences is therefore warranted. / M.S.

Thesis (M.S.)--Ohio University, March, 2010. / Title from PDF t.p. Includes bibliographical references.

Arabinogalactan proteins (AGPs) are proteoglycans heavily substituted by arabinogalactan polysaccharides. These are composed of arabinose and galactose, and minor sugars such as glucuronic acid (GlcA), fucose and xylose. The arabinogalactan polysaccharides do not decorate classical AGPs exclusively, but they can also be found decorating a wide range of proteins. Arabinogalactan proteins have been implicated in many processes of plant development. Recently, AGPs were proposed to bind and store calcium at the plasma membrane. They are extracellular, and are localised mainly at the plasma membrane via a GPI-anchor. They can also be soluble in the apoplast. Their low abundance, chemical similarity and high functional redundancy have hindered their study. My strategy to overcome these difficulties was to study knock-out Arabidopsis thaliana plants of glycosyltransferases that transfer sugars specifically onto AG-polysaccharides. Glucuronic acid makes up about 10% of the arabinogalactan polysaccharide structure in Arabidopsis thaliana cell culture AGPs. Previously, the glucuronic acid transferase A TGLCA T14A, a member of the CAZy Glycosyl Transferase 14 family, was shown to transfer GlcA specifically onto AGPs, and knock-out Arabidopsis plants showed a 30% reduction in [Me]GlcA substitution in AGP-enriched preparations. However, no clear growth phenotype was observed. The characterisation of knock-out plants of other GT14 family members and combinations thereof is described here. Based on previous studies (Lamport and Várnai, 2013), I assayed in vitro the calcium binding capacity of AGP extracts from WT and knock-out plants. The results showed that AGP extracts from knock-out plants can hold less calcium than WT plants in vitro. A wide range of plant growth phenotypes were identified. Growth phenotypes can be explained by changes in the cytoskeleton and deficiencies in calcium signaling. Our evidence suggests links between structural deficiencies of extracellular proteoglycans to extracellular calcium and cytoskeleton. This research has the potential to create a new model system for the study of molecular mechanisms dependent on calcium that drive cell expansion, division and differentiation in plants.

Um dos desafios relacionados à utilização de xilana para a fabricação de biofilmes, aditivos para fabricação de papéis, medicamentos e alimentos é a sua extração na forma polimérica e com alta pureza. Neste trabalho o material de partida para a obtenção de xilana foi o bagaço de cana-de-açúcar pré-tratado quimio-termomecanicamente com álcali e sulfito, visando aproveitar esta fração, que corresponde a aproximadamente 25% (m/m). A composição química das xilanas no material original foi determinada, bem como o tipo e a proporção dos grupos pendentes. A extração de xilanas do bagaço de cana pré-tratado foi feita utilizando uma endoxilanase recombinante da família GH30, denominada xilanase VI, com mecanismo de ação dependente da presença de ácidos urônicos para a clivagem da cadeia principal de xilana. Partindo-se do DNA genômico de Trichoderma reesei QM6a, que contém o gene da xilanase VI, foi feita a clonagem em um vetor e este foi inserido em Escherichia coli Rosetta-gami, Pichia pastoris e Aspergillus nidulans A773. Os melhores resultados de expressão da xilanase VI foram obtidos em E. coli, porém os estudos com este sistema serão conduzidos em outro trabalho. A xilanase VI expressa em A. nidulans A773 foi parcialmente purificada e exibiu ótimos de atividade em pH 4-5 à 50 oC. Esta xilanase apresentou maior ação em glucuronoxilana de beechwood e em arabinoglucuronoxilana extraída de bagaço de cana, quando comparado à xilana de oat spelts e à medula de cana. Os dados de Km e Vmax em xilana beechwood exibiram valores de 0,783 mg/ml e 0,4675 UI/ml, respectivamente, em 10 min de reação. A extração enzimática do bagaço de cana pré-tratado com sulfito alcalino solubilizou 14% das xilanas e após uma extração alcalina o rendimento aumentou para 32%. A massa molar média das xilanas extraídas na etapa enzimática foi de 4000 Da, produzindo oligossacarídeos em vez de xilobiose ou xilose, mesmo após longos tempos de reação. Esta enzima se mostrou eficaz para a extração de xilanas de cadeias longas quando se comparada às xilanas extraídas por xilanases de outras famílias. / One of the challenges related to the use of xylan for the manufacture of biofilms, papermaking additives, drugs and food is its extraction in polymer form with high purity. In this project, the starting material for xylan isolation was the sugarcane bagasse pretreated with alkali-sulfite chemothermomechanical process, to recover this fraction, which corresponds to approximately 25% (w/w). The chemical composition of original xylans was determined, as well as the type and proportion of the pendant groups. Xylan extraction from pre-treated sugarcane bagasse was performed using a recombinant endoxylanase from the GH30 family, named xylanase VI, with an appendage-dependent mechanism of action for the xylan backbone cleavage. Starting from the genomic DNA of Trichoderma reesei QM6a, which contains the xylanase VI gene, cloning was done in a vector that was inserted into Escherichia coli Rosetta-gami, Pichia pastoris and Aspergillus nidulans A773. The highest xylanase VI expression results were obtained in E. coli, but studies with this system it will be conducted in future works. Xylanase VI expressed in A. nidulans A773 was purified and showed the higher activity at pH 4-5 at 50 oC. This xylanase present higher activities on beechwood glucuronoxylan and on arabinoglucuronoxylan extracted from sugarcane bagasse than on oat spelts xylan and sugarcane pith. Data for Km and Vmax in xylan beechwood showed values of 0.783 mg / ml and 0.4675 IU / ml, respectively, in 10 min of reaction. The enzymatic extraction of alkaline sulphite pretreated sugarcane bagasse solubilized 14% of the xylans followed by an alkaline extraction with yield of 32%. The average molar mass of xylans extracted in the enzymatic step was 4000 Da, producing oligosaccharides instead of xylobiose or xylose, even after long reaction periods. This enzyme proved effective for xylan extraction of long chains when compared to xylan hydrolysates by xylanases from other families.

Understanding how plants respond to stress is of importance, considering the increasing need to feed a growing population and supply its energy. Plants have complex systems for detecting, and responding to stresses. One stress-responsive system involves myo-inositol (Ins). Ins is a precursor for cell wall components, inositol trisphosphate (Ins(1,4,5)P3) and phosphatidylinositol phosphate signaling molecules, and an alternate ascorbic acid (AsA) synthesis pathway. The enzyme, myo-inositol oxygenase (MIOX) is encoded by four genes in Arabidopsis and catalyzes the first step of Ins catabolism producing D-glucuronic acid (DGlcA). This research focuses on MIOX metabolism of Ins during plant growth and stress responses. I have examined miox mutants for alterations in metabolism and signaling. MIOX2 and MIOX4 expression patterns correlate with miox mutant root growth in varying nutrient conditions, and changes in flowering time. In miox2 mutants, I found an increase in Ins in most tissues, which was accompanied by cold- and abscisic (ABA)- sensitivity; however, miox4 mutants are ABA- insensitive, and have a small increase of Ins in flowers. MIOX2:GFP fusion protein accumulates in the cytoplasm and MIOX4:GFP accumulates in the cytoplasm and nucleus. Overexpresser MIOX4+ plants provide a model system to examine how directing carbon from Ins into DGlcA impacts Ins levels and Ins signaling. I have examined MIOX4+ plants for alterations in MIOX4 RNA and protein, and measured Ins by gas chromatography (GC). My results indicate that MIOX4+ tissues are impacted differently by the MIOX4 transgene, with decreases in Ins after seed imbibition, and increased Ins levels later in development. Ins depletion in seedlings was correlated with a decrease in Ins(1,4,5)P3. To determine the impact of reducing Ins and Ins(1,4,5)P3 in MIOX4+ seedlings, I examined processes known to involve Ins(1,4,5)P3 signaling. MIOX4+ seed have increased seed dormancy, NaCl-sensitivity, and ABA-insensitivity. These results suggest MIOX affects Ins signaling in response to ABA. Together, these data indicate that transcriptional control of MIOX2 and MIOX4 results in distinct roles in plant growth, and that MIOX2 and MIOX4 function in metabolic and signaling processes critical for growth, nutrient sensing, and stress responses. / Ph. D.