No description available.

No description available.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Duquesne University, 2006. / Title from document title page. Abstract included in electronic submission form. Includes bibliographical references (p.157-190) and index.

The surface molecules (procyclins) of procyclic forms of African trypanosomes (Trypanosoma brucei spp.) are complex mixtures of lipid-anchored glycoconjugates. The procyclins are expressed differentially during the parasite life cycle within the tsetse fly vector. It has been hypothesised that these surface molecules are involved in interactions with molecules of the tsetse fly and may influence differentiation, cell death and tissue tropism. To understand procyclin functions it is necessary to identify and characterise them. This thesis presents a study of the biochemical and immunochemical characteristics of the major surface molecules of Trypanosoma simiae and Trypanosoma congolense, animal pathogens of the subgenus Nannomonas that share the same developmental cycle and tropism within the tsetse vector. Organic solvent extraction, reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography and enzyme-linked imnunosorbent assay using surface binding monoclonal antibodies were used to isolate membrane molecules of procyclic culture forms (PCF) of both trypanosome species. Gel electrophoresis of the purified molecules revealed two predominant molecular species from each parasite that were broadly similar yet showed different apparent molecular masses and staining characteristics. The molecules were shown to be glycosylphosphatidylinositol-lipid anchored glycoconjugates, comprised mainly of carbohydrates. Each moiety displayed surface-disposed carbohydrate epitopes that were recognised on the surface of both species of trypanosomes by monoclonal antibodies specific for procyclic parasites of the subgenus Nannomonas. The epitopes were previously shown to be displayed on the glutamic acid-alanine rich protein (GARP) of T. congolense, yet neither this protein (as detected either immunologically or by mass spectrometry) nor its encoding gene (as detected by Southern blot analysis) was present in T. simiae. The results indicate that although T. congolense and T. simiae share common carbohydrate surface epitopes, these are displayed on biochemically different molecules. I hypothesise that the surface disposed carbohydrate structures and not the polypeptide moieties are involved in parasite-tsetse interactions since these species have the same developmental cycles in the insect vector. In an attempt to obtain primary sequence information for the T. simiae PCF surface molecules, I identified and characterised an unique open reading frame. This was shown to be expressed as a protein in PCF and is likely a membrane-associated molecule of the subgenus Nannomonas. / Graduate

published_or_final_version / Pathology / Master / Master of Philosophy

Title from title page of PDF (University of Missouri--St. Louis, viewed Mar. 2, 2010). Includes bibliographical references.

This dissertation focuses on the synthesis and characterization of glyconanomaterials, as well as their applications in studying carbohydrate-protein interactions. A new and versatile method for coupling underivatized carbohydrates to nanomaterials including gold and silica nanoparticles was developed via the photochemically induced coupling reaction of perfluorophenylazide (PFPA). A wide range of carbohydrates including mono-, oligo- and poly-saccharides were conjugated to the nanoparticles with high yields and efficiency. New analytical methods were developed to determine the binding affinities of glyconanoparticles (GNPs) with lectins; these include fluorescence-based competition assay, dynamic light scattering (DLS) and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). Results showed that the multivalent presentation of carbohydrate ligands significantly enhanced the binding affinity of GNPs by several orders of magnitude compared to the free ligands. Systematic studies were carried out to investigate the impact of ligand presentation, i.e., the type and length of spacer linkage, the ligand density and the nanoparticle size on the binding affinity of the resulting glyconanoparticles. We used gold GNPs to study interactions with anti-HIV lectin cyanovirin-N (CV-N), and dye-doped silica nanoparticles for labeling glyans and developing high-throughput screening technique.

The synthesis of galactose clusters that are linked to a steroid moiety by a peptide-like spacer unit is described. The galactose cluster is obtained by Koenigs-Knorr glycosylation of TRIS-Gly-Fmoc (2b) under Helferich conditions. Peptide and ester bonds are formed after activation of carboxylic acids as diphenylthiophene dioxide (TDO) esters. 6a is synthesized in a convergent way by coupling of (Ac4Gal)3-TRIS-Gly (3e) with cholesteryl TDO succinate (5b). Coupling of (Ac4Gal)3-TRIS-Gly hydrogen succinate (3f) with Gly-O-Chol (5d) by means of EEDQ yields 6d. Reaction of (Ac4Gal)3-TRIS-Gly-SUCC-O-TDO (3g) with 25-hydroxycholesterol leads in a linear sequence to the oxysterol derivative 6f. Selective cleavage of the acetyl groups from galactose units yields the known compound 6b and the new derivatives 6e and 6g.

No description available.

L'incidence des maladies hépatiques est en augmentation, ce qui rend urgente la recherche de systèmes de vectorisation d'agents thérapeutiques vers le foie. La maladie sur laquelle porte notre étude est la maladie orpheline de Wilson. Elle induit une accumulation de cuivre (Cu) principalement dans les hépatocytes et les chélateurs de Cu systémiques utilisés à ce jour pour la traiter présentent de nombreux effets secondaires. C'est dans ce contexte que nous proposons une stratégie innovante qui consiste à piéger sélectivement le cuivre en excès dans les cellules hépatiques. Des chélateurs sélectifs du Cu(I), degré d'oxydation du Cu disponible intracellulaire, ont été conçus. Afin de cibler ces derniers vers les cellules hépatiques, nous avons focalisé notre intérêt sur le récepteur aux asialoglycoprotéines (ASGP-R), une lectine abondamment et presque exclusivement exprimée à la membrane des hépatocytes.Deux familles de glycoconjugués contenant une unité de ciblage associée à une unité de vectorisation des hépatocytes ont été développées : l'une possède une plateforme cyclodécapeptidique et l'autre une plateforme pseudopeptidique d'architecture tripodale. Les unités de ciblage sont composées de N-acétylgalactosamines présentés de manière multivalente, permettant une reconnaissance et une endocytose sélective des glycoconjugués dans les hépatocytes par l'intermédiaire de la lectine ASGP R. Les deux familles de composés ont montré leur capacité à entrer dans les cellules hépatiques et à faire diminuer le taux de Cu intracellulaire disponible.L'objectif de ce travail de thèse est l'étude et l'optimisation du système de ciblage. Les efficacités d'internalisation des deux familles de glycoconjugués dans les hépatocytes sont pour cela comparée. En outre, l'influence de la structure moléculaire des glycoconjugués sur l'efficacité de ciblage est étudiée. Plusieurs glycoconjugués appartenant à chacune des deux familles de composés ont donc été synthétisés, et leur propriétés d'internalisation dans les hépatocytes humains analysée par cytométrie en flux. / Regarding the increasing incidence of liver diseases in the past decades, the discovery of drug delivery systems is becoming a major research area. In particular, the Wilson disease is a liver dysfunction, which needs more specific treatments than those available nowadays. This genetic disorder induces a toxic copper overload in the hepatocytes. Because current copper chelating therapies present many side effects due to their lack of specificity, we propose an innovative strategy that would selectively detoxify copper in liver cells. Since excess intracellular Cu is in the +I oxidation state, we figured that a chelator that would enter the hepatocytes and be specific for Cu(I) could represent an efficient strategy. To selectively target the hepatic cells, we focus our interest on a lectin, which is highly and exclusively expressed in the membrane of the hepatocytes: the asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGP-R).Two different kinds of glycoconjugates that contain a Cu(I) chelating unit associated to liver targeting systems have been obtained : one has a cyclodecapeptide scaffold and the other a tripodal pseudopeptide core. The targeting units are composed of N-acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc) residues multivalently presented, allowing the selective recognition and endocytosis of the glyconconjugates thanks to ASGP-R. These two families of molecules were demonstrated to enter hepatocytes and to chelate intracellular copper.The aim of the present work is to study and optimise the targeting system. We have compared the efficiency of the targeting systems of the two families of molecules. Moreover the influence of several structural parameters on the internalisation efficiency was determined. Several compounds belonging to cyclodecapeptide and tripode families have been synthesised, and their ability to enter in human hepatocytes has been analysed by flow cytometry.