In order to achieve efficient therapeutic effect, it is important to understand the structure of biomaterials that are used in the therapeutic delivery system. This dissertation is dedicated towards understanding the hydrolysis pattern of plasmid DNA (pDNA) delivery vehicles comprised of poly(glycoamidoamine)s (PGAAs) under physiological conditions and effects of subtle changes in the chemical structure of the PGAAs on its biological performance. The unusual hydrolysis of the tartarate and galactarate based PGAAs was investigated by studying the hydrolysis of small model molecules which mimic the repeat unit of the respective polymers. In the case of galactarate and tartarate based molecules with terminal amines showed faster hydrolysis of the amide bonds. In addition for the tartarate based compounds, it was also found that it is necessary to have terminal amine functionality for the intramolecular hydrolysis to occur. The model compounds consists of two amide bonds and were designed symmetric, however amide bond on only one side of the tartarate moiety show underwent hydrolysis. Further studies show that one side of the amine assists the hydrolysis of the amide bond on the other side of the tartarate moiety. The degradation of poly(L-tartaramidopentaethylenetetramine) (<strong>T4</strong>) was also used to study the sustained release of pDNA from the layer-by-layer constructs of <strong>T4</strong>/pDNA. The thickness of the constructs was characterized by ellipsometry while the UV-visible spectroscopy was used to characterize the loading capacity of the constructs for pDNA. The indirect sustained release of pDNA under the physiological conditions with respect to time was characterized by the cellular uptake studies in HeLa cells. The increase in the uptake of the Cy5 labeled pDNA was seen at extended period of eleven days. The integrity of the sustained released pDNA for the transgene expression was characterized with an assay to see the expression of the green fluorescent protein (GFP) from the <strong>T4</strong>/GFP-pDNA layer-by-layer constructs. PGAAs show a very efficient delivery of the pDNA in a non-toxic manner. The chemical structure of the polymer can dictate the binding with pDNA and also the release of the pDNA form the polymer-pDNA complexes. In order to better understand the fundamentals of the nucleic acid delivery and to better design the nucleic acid delivery vehicles, subtle changes in the chemical structure of the PGAAs were designed and studied for the biological activity. The effect of charge type was investigated by designing and synthesizing guanidine based polymer series analogues to galactarate and tartarate based PGAAs (<strong>G1</strong> and <strong>T1</strong>) which incorporate secondary amines as the charge type on the polymer backbone. The guanidine based polymer series, poly(glycoamidoguanidine)s (PGAGs), show very non toxic behavior in HeLa cells at all the different polymer to pDNA ratio (<i>N/P</i> ratio) studied. Interestingly PGAGs are the only non-toxic guanidine containing polymers which are reported in the literature to the date. The cellular uptake of pDNA assisted from the PGAGs is a little higher than PGAAs compared although both the series of polymers show similar transgene expression. The transgene expression in case of PGAGs also imply the release of the polymer-pDNA complexes from the endosome. In another study of structure-bioactivity relationship based on the degree of polymerization (DP) of poly(galactaramidopentaethylenetetramine) (<strong>G4</strong>), it was found that the increase in the DP of <strong>G4</strong> increases the toxicity of the polymers in the HeLa cells. / Ph. D.

The chiral vicinal diamine moiety is “privileged” and is widely found in catalysts and bio-active compounds. A series of seven chiral vicinal diamines with heterocyclic substituents have been synthesized with great enantiospecificity via the resonance assisted hydrogen bond driven diaza-Cope rearrangement reaction using 1,2-bis(2-hydroxyphenyl)-1,2-diaminoethane and heterocyclic aldehydes as starting materials. This thesis will also discuss the development of a new guanidine-based chiral shift rea-gent for determining the enantiopurity and the absolute configuration of α-amino acids by proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) spectroscopy. The chiral shift reagent is easily synthesized from the commercially-available 1,2-diphenyl-1,2-diaminoethane. This method is advantageous over many previously described procedures for determining amino acid enantiopurity as it does not require prior derivatization of the analyte.

The chiral vicinal diamine moiety is “privileged” and is widely found in catalysts and bio-active compounds. A series of seven chiral vicinal diamines with heterocyclic substituents have been synthesized with great enantiospecificity via the resonance assisted hydrogen bond driven diaza-Cope rearrangement reaction using 1,2-bis(2-hydroxyphenyl)-1,2-diaminoethane and heterocyclic aldehydes as starting materials. This thesis will also discuss the development of a new guanidine-based chiral shift rea-gent for determining the enantiopurity and the absolute configuration of α-amino acids by proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) spectroscopy. The chiral shift reagent is easily synthesized from the commercially-available 1,2-diphenyl-1,2-diaminoethane. This method is advantageous over many previously described procedures for determining amino acid enantiopurity as it does not require prior derivatization of the analyte.

Submitted by Vasti Diniz (vastijpa@hotmail.com) on 2017-09-08T14:21:13Z No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 1859059 bytes, checksum: b132aa4cd1f20f233d8bac438414a9bc (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-09-08T14:21:13Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 1859059 bytes, checksum: b132aa4cd1f20f233d8bac438414a9bc (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-04-30 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / The mutual ineffective for many antibiotics called multidrug resistance (MDR), has undermined the therapeutic value of existing antibacterial. With the identification and characterization of efflux systems that confer clinical resistance to antimicrobial, has emerged interest in developing a new class of agents enhancers the antibiotic action that act as inhibitors of efflux pumps, this are also called antibiotic activity modifiers or antibiotics adjuvantes. In this study, were evaluated synthetic guanylhydrazones derivatives as antibacterial and agents modulators of drug resistance in strains of Staphylococcus aureus. The bacterial strains used express the genes NorA, MrsA or TetK encoding proteins efflux for norfloxacin and ethidium bromide (NorA), erythromycin (MsrA) and tetracycline(TetK), respectively. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) values of the antibiotics and synthetic derivatives were determined in nutrient broth by the microdilution assay, and to evaluate the modulator activity, the MIC of antibiotics and ethidium bromide were determined in the absence and presence of subinibitory concentrations of guanylhydrazones. The compounds tested did not display relevant antibacterial activity for majority compounds at the concentrations tested, showing MIC ranging from (16 to > 256 μg/mL). When combined with the antibiotics tetracycline and erythromycin some compounds reduced their MIC 2-fold and 4-fold respectively. However, when combined with norfloxacin, except only one compound, all guanylhydrazones derivatives in different ratios and degrees of sensitivity, were able to potentiate the effect of this antibiotic, with three compounds which reduced its MIC 16-fold to norfloxacin, 32-fold to ethidium bromide and 8-fold for berberine used as positive controls for NorA pump. The molecular docking studies showed that both norfloxacin and compound 13 are recognized by the same binding site on the NorA pump, suggesting a competitive mechanism. The results presented here reported for the first time its great potential of guanylhydrazones derivatives to be putative inhibitors of bacterial efflux systems, especially for strains Staphylococcus aureus. / A ineficácia mútua para diversos antibióticos chamada de resistência múltipla as drogas (MDR), tem minado o valor terapêutico dos antibacterianos existentes. Com a identificação e caracterização de sistemas de efluxo que conferem resistência clínica aos antimicrobianos, tem surgido interesse no desenvolvimento de uma nova classe de agentes potenciadores da ação antibiótica que atuem como inibidores de bombas de efluxo, estes também são chamados de modificadores de atividade antibiótica ou adjuvantes de antibióticos. No presente trabalho, foram avaliados derivados sintéticos guanilhidrazônicos como antibacterianos e agentes moduladores da resistência à drogas em linhagens de Staphylococcus aureus. As linhagens bacterianas utilizadas expressam o gene norA, msrA ou tetK codificadores das proteínas de efluxo para norfloxacina e brometo de etídeo (NorA), eritromicina (MsrA) e tetraciclina (TetK), respectivamente. Foram determinadas por meio da técnica de microdiluição em caldo nutritivo os valores das concentrações inibitória mínima (CIM) dos antibióticos e dos derivados sintéticos, e para avaliar a atividade moduladora, as CIM dos antibióticos e do brometo de etídeo foram determinadas na ausência e na presença de concentrações subinibitórias dos compostos sintéticos. Os compostos ensaiados não mostraram atividade antibacteriana efetiva para a maioria dos compostos nas concentrações testadas, exibindo CIM variando entre (16 à >256 μg/mL). Quando combinados com os antibióticos tetraciclina e eritromicina alguns reduziram suas CIM em 2 e 4 vezes respectivamente. Entretanto quando combinado com norfloxacina, exceto apenas um composto, todos os derivados guanilhidrazônicos em diferentes proporções e graus de sensibilidade, foram capazes de potencializar o efeito deste antibiótico, apresentando três compostos que reduziram sua CIM até 16 vezes, 32 vezes para brometo de etídeo e 8 vezes para berberina usados como controles positivos para bomba NorA. Os estudos de docking molecular mostrou que tanto a norfloxacina quanto o composto 13 reconhecem o mesmo sítio de ligação na bomba NorA, sugerindo um mecanismo competitivo para atividade moduladora a drogas. Estes resultados aqui apresentados relatam pela primeira vez, o potencial de derivados guanilhidrazônicos em ser putativos inibidores dos sistemas de efluxo bacterianos, em especial para estirpes de Staphylococcus aureus.

This thesis focuses on preparation of novel compounds suitable for nonlinear optics (NLO). In particular, the target property is the second harmonic generation (SHG) and the group of interest are salts of the cations with delocalized electrons which can serve as carriers of the NLO properties. In particular, four derivatives of the highly interesting molecule of guanidine were selected and their NLO potential was proven by quantum chemical computations. In total, twenty new structures were described and those with the noncentrosymmetric structure assembly were examined for the SHG efficiency. Four of the prepared compounds exhibited a noticeable SHG efficiency, two of them even comparable to urea. The most promising compound, the guanylurea hydrogen phosphite (GUHP), was examined in more detail while many interesting NLO properties were revealed. The results of this work are presented also in 10 attached publications which are an integral part of the thesis. Keywords: nonlinear optics, second harmonic generation, guanidine derivatives, guanylurea, N-phenylbiguanide, N,N-dimethylbiguanide, N,N,N˝-triphenylguanidine

INTRODUÇÃO: A microbiota intestinal tem sido alvo de diversos estudos moleculares, principalmente através da introdução de plataformas de sequenciamento de nova geração, devido à sua importância e amplo relacionamento com o hospedeiro humano. Entretanto, o armazenamento de amostras fecais antes da extração do DNA é crítico ao caracterizar a composição da microbiota intestinal. Com base nesses dados, o presente estudo buscou compreender os efeitos de diferentes métodos de armazenamento de amostras fecais para caracterizar a microbiota intestinal através do sequenciamento da nova geração, bem como estabelecer um método alternativo de conservação do material genético bacteriano nessas amostras, utilizando guanidina. MÉTODO: Foram coletadas amostras de fezes de 10 voluntários saudáveis. Cada amostra foi dividida em cinco alíquotas, uma alíquota extraída imediatamente após a coleta (fresca) e duas alíquotas submetidas ao congelamento, à temperaturas de -20°C e -80°C e extraídas após 48 horas. As outras duas alíquotas restantes foram armazenadas em guanidina à temperatura ambiente e a 4°C e extraídas após 48 horas. Para observar a presença de alterações na microbiota intestinal, durante um período de armazenamento maior das amostras de fezes, três amostras foram armazenadas em guanidina à temperatura ambiente e a 4ºC e extraídas após o período de 60 dias. A região hipervariável v4 do gene 16S rRNA bacteriano foi amplificada por PCR. Os amplicons gerados foram sequenciados utilizando a plataforma Ion PGM Torrent e os dados analisados utilizando o software QIIME. A determinação da significância estatística foi realizada utilizando-se o teste não-paramétrico de Kruskal-Wallis. RESULTADOS: Não foram encontradas diferenças significativas em nenhum dos níveis taxonômicos (filo, classe, família, ordem e gênero) entre amostras frescas analisadas e os métodos de armazenamento testados. As análises de coordenadas principais (PCoA) mostraram que as amostras se agruparam de acordo com os indivíduos analisados, tendo as amostras referentes a cada indivíduo agrupado-se com maior proximidade do que com outras amostras do mesmo grupo de armazenamento. CONCLUSÃO: Nossos dados sugerem que o congelamento e o uso de guanidina para armazenamento de amostras de fezes, para a caracterização da microbiota intestinal, podem efetivamente preservar o material genético bacteriano nessas amostras ao longo de um período de 48 horas para amostras submetidas ao congelamento e durante 60 dias para amostras armazenadas em guanidina / INTRODUCTION: The gut microbiota has been the target of several molecular studies, mainly through the introduction of next generation sequencing platforms, due to its importance and wide relationship with the human host. However, the storage of fecal samples prior to DNA extraction is critical when characterizing the composition of the intestinal microbiota. Based on these facts, the present study aimed to understand the effects of different methods of storage of fecal samples to characterize the intestinal microbiota by next generation sequence, as well as establishing an alternative conservation method of the bacterial genetic material in these samples using guanidine. METHODS: Stool samples from 10 healthy volunteers were collected. Each collected sample was divided into five aliquots, one aliquot extracted immediately after collection (fresh) and two aliquots subjected to freezing at -20°C and -80°C temperatures and extracted after 48 hours. The others two remaining aliquots were stored in guanidine at room temperature and at 4°C and extracted after 48 hours. In order to observe the presence of alterations in the intestinal microbiota, during a longer storage period of the stool samples, three samples were stored in guanidine at room temperature and at 4°C and extracted after 60 day period. The v4 hypervariable region of bacterial and archeal 16S rRNA gene were amplified by PCR. The generated amplicons were sequenced using Ion PGM Torrent platform and the data analyzed using the software QIIME. Determination of statistical significance was performed using non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis test. RESULTS: No significant differences were found in any of the taxonomic levels (phylum, class, family, order and genus) between analyzed fresh samples and the others different storage methods. The principal coordinates analysis (PCoA) unweighted showed that the samples clustered based on the host each sample originated from, rather than by storage group. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that both freezing and the use of guanidine to store stool samples for gut microbiota characterization can effectively preserve the bacterial genetic material in these samples over a 48 hours period for samples subjected to freezing and for up to 60 days for samples stored in guanidine

Die fortschreitende Entwicklung auf dem Gebiet der kontrollierten Polymerisationstechniken ermöglicht heutzutage die Synthese definierter Makromoleküle. Durch das Design der Primärstruktur dieser Makromoleküle kann ein starker Einfluss auf die sich bildende Sekundärstruktur ausgeübt werden. Um den Grad der Kontrolle über den Polymerisationsprozess zu erhöhen sollten in dieser Arbeit photoschaltbare Azobenzolfunktionalitäten in Guanidin- und Thioharnstoffmotive integriert werden, so dass durch die reversibel photoschaltbare Ausbildung von Wasserstoffbrücken die vorliegenden Polymerisationsprozesse beeinflusst werden können. In einem Ansatz wurden dazu neuartige azobenzolverknüpfte Guanidin- und Thioharnstoffkatalysatoren für die Ringöffnungspolymerisation (ROP) von Lactid (LA) synthetisiert. Im Fall der photoschaltbaren Guanidinkatalysatoren wurde eine Synthesemethode entwickelt, welche die zu Beginn langwierige Aufreinigung der Katalysatoren bedeutend vereinfacht und somit die Darstellung mehrerer Katalysatorgenerationen ermöglichte. Die erste Guanidinkatalysatorgeneration zeigte keine katalytische Aktivität. Durch die Synthese von verschiedenen Referenzguanidinen und deren Einsatz in der ROP von LA konnten die aromatischen Substituenten der Guanidinfunktionalität als Ursache der katalytischen Inaktivität identifiziert werden. Daraufhin wurde eine mit zwei Alkylsubstituenten versehene zweite Generation synthetisiert und erfolgreich in der ROP von Lactid eingesetzt. In einem anderen Ansatz wurde versucht ein azobenzolverknüpftes Guanidinium-Carboxylat-Zwitterion so zu gestalten, dass es als photoschaltbares Monomer zur Bildung supramolekularer Polymere verwendet werden kann. Hierzu wurden zwei Generationen photoschaltbarer Zwitterionen synthetisiert. Die Eigenschaften der zweiten Generation wurden mit verschiedenen spektroskopischen Methoden untersucht. Dabei wurden Hinweise auf die Bildung eines supramolekualren Polymers gefunden. / Following the progressive development in the field of controlled polymerizations, it is now possible to synthesize well defined macromolecular structures. Controlling the primary structure in these macromolecules significantly influences the secondary structure, allowing the preparation of smart materials. In order to improve the achievable degree of control, this work aims to incorporate azobenzene functionalities into guanidine and thiourea moieties and, through the photo triggered reversible formation of hydrogen bridges, influence polymerization processes. Novel azobenzene substituted guanidine and thiourea catalysts for the ring opening polymerization (ROP) of lactide were synthesized. In the case of the photoswitchable guanidine catalysts, a new synthetic protocol was developed to overcome the difficult purification of the catalysts, allowing the facile preparation of multiple catalyst generations. The first generation of photoswitchable guanidines showed catalytic activity. Synthesis of reference guanidine catalysts demonstrated a negative effect between aromatic guanidine substituents and the catalytic performance. Following this observation, a second generation of alkyl substituted guanidine catalysts was synthesized and applied successfully in the ROP of lactide. In a concurrent approach, a guanidinium carboxylate zwitterion was rendered photoswitchable by the incorporation of an azobenzene functionality and used as a monomer in supramolecular polymerization processes. The first generation of photoswitchable zwitterions showed promising photochemical properties, but its poor solubility in apolar, aprotic solvents prevented a final proof of the concept. To achieve this, a second generation of photoswitchable zwitterions was synthesized, incorporating solubilizing functionalities into the molecular design. The properties of the second generation zwitterion were examined by various spectroscopical methods, indicating the formation of supramolecular polymers.

No description available.

INTRODUÇÃO: A microbiota intestinal tem sido alvo de diversos estudos moleculares, principalmente através da introdução de plataformas de sequenciamento de nova geração, devido à sua importância e amplo relacionamento com o hospedeiro humano. Entretanto, o armazenamento de amostras fecais antes da extração do DNA é crítico ao caracterizar a composição da microbiota intestinal. Com base nesses dados, o presente estudo buscou compreender os efeitos de diferentes métodos de armazenamento de amostras fecais para caracterizar a microbiota intestinal através do sequenciamento da nova geração, bem como estabelecer um método alternativo de conservação do material genético bacteriano nessas amostras, utilizando guanidina. MÉTODO: Foram coletadas amostras de fezes de 10 voluntários saudáveis. Cada amostra foi dividida em cinco alíquotas, uma alíquota extraída imediatamente após a coleta (fresca) e duas alíquotas submetidas ao congelamento, à temperaturas de -20°C e -80°C e extraídas após 48 horas. As outras duas alíquotas restantes foram armazenadas em guanidina à temperatura ambiente e a 4°C e extraídas após 48 horas. Para observar a presença de alterações na microbiota intestinal, durante um período de armazenamento maior das amostras de fezes, três amostras foram armazenadas em guanidina à temperatura ambiente e a 4ºC e extraídas após o período de 60 dias. A região hipervariável v4 do gene 16S rRNA bacteriano foi amplificada por PCR. Os amplicons gerados foram sequenciados utilizando a plataforma Ion PGM Torrent e os dados analisados utilizando o software QIIME. A determinação da significância estatística foi realizada utilizando-se o teste não-paramétrico de Kruskal-Wallis. RESULTADOS: Não foram encontradas diferenças significativas em nenhum dos níveis taxonômicos (filo, classe, família, ordem e gênero) entre amostras frescas analisadas e os métodos de armazenamento testados. As análises de coordenadas principais (PCoA) mostraram que as amostras se agruparam de acordo com os indivíduos analisados, tendo as amostras referentes a cada indivíduo agrupado-se com maior proximidade do que com outras amostras do mesmo grupo de armazenamento. CONCLUSÃO: Nossos dados sugerem que o congelamento e o uso de guanidina para armazenamento de amostras de fezes, para a caracterização da microbiota intestinal, podem efetivamente preservar o material genético bacteriano nessas amostras ao longo de um período de 48 horas para amostras submetidas ao congelamento e durante 60 dias para amostras armazenadas em guanidina / INTRODUCTION: The gut microbiota has been the target of several molecular studies, mainly through the introduction of next generation sequencing platforms, due to its importance and wide relationship with the human host. However, the storage of fecal samples prior to DNA extraction is critical when characterizing the composition of the intestinal microbiota. Based on these facts, the present study aimed to understand the effects of different methods of storage of fecal samples to characterize the intestinal microbiota by next generation sequence, as well as establishing an alternative conservation method of the bacterial genetic material in these samples using guanidine. METHODS: Stool samples from 10 healthy volunteers were collected. Each collected sample was divided into five aliquots, one aliquot extracted immediately after collection (fresh) and two aliquots subjected to freezing at -20°C and -80°C temperatures and extracted after 48 hours. The others two remaining aliquots were stored in guanidine at room temperature and at 4°C and extracted after 48 hours. In order to observe the presence of alterations in the intestinal microbiota, during a longer storage period of the stool samples, three samples were stored in guanidine at room temperature and at 4°C and extracted after 60 day period. The v4 hypervariable region of bacterial and archeal 16S rRNA gene were amplified by PCR. The generated amplicons were sequenced using Ion PGM Torrent platform and the data analyzed using the software QIIME. Determination of statistical significance was performed using non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis test. RESULTS: No significant differences were found in any of the taxonomic levels (phylum, class, family, order and genus) between analyzed fresh samples and the others different storage methods. The principal coordinates analysis (PCoA) unweighted showed that the samples clustered based on the host each sample originated from, rather than by storage group. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that both freezing and the use of guanidine to store stool samples for gut microbiota characterization can effectively preserve the bacterial genetic material in these samples over a 48 hours period for samples subjected to freezing and for up to 60 days for samples stored in guanidine

Made available in DSpace on 2014-07-29T15:12:45Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao Rubiane Marta Mayer Ferreira.pdf: 3757686 bytes, checksum: 18a8d13079b5ee2dd0758b888c456397 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-08-26 / NOTE: As programs do not copy or copy errors with certain symbols, formulas, formatting ... etc, to view the summary and the entire file, click PDF - dissertation at the bottom of the screen. / OBS: Como programas não copiam ou copiam com erros certos símbolos, fórmulas, formatações... etc, para visualizar o resumo e todo o arquivo, click em PDF - dissertação na parte de baixo da tela.