Η απόκριση των κυττάρων στο στρες συνδέεται με την επαγωγή μιας ομάδας πρωτεϊνών που ονομάζονται θερμοεπαγόμενες πρωτεΐνες (Hsps). Οι πρωτεΐνες αυτές ανήκουν στην κατηγορία των κυτταρικών συνοδών μορίων (chaperons) και προστατεύουν τα κύτταρα από τη μετουσίωση και συσσωμάτωση των πρωτεϊνών τους. Οι περισσότερες Hsps συντίθενται και σε φυσιολογικές συνθήκες και παίζουν σημαντικούς ρόλους στην ορθή αναδίπλωση, μεταφορά και αποικοδόμηση των πρωτεϊνών του κυττάρου. Οι Hsps κατηγοριοποιούνται σε διακριτές οικογένειες σύμφωνα με τα μοριακά τους βάρη. Από τις οικογένειες αυτές η οικογένεια των μικρών Hsps (sHsps), με μοριακά βάρη12-43 kDa, χαρακτηρίζονται από την παρουσία μιας πολύ συντηρημένης επικράτειας της α-κρυσταλλίνης στο καρβoξυτελικό τους άκρο. Μία από τις πιο καλά μελετημένες sHsps είναι η Hsp27. Η Hsp27, εκτός από το κύριο ρόλο της ως μοριακού συνοδού, εμπλέκεται και σε άλλες κυτταρικές λειτουργίες όπως η διαφοροποίηση, η απόπτωση, ο σχηματισμός του κυτταροσκελετού και η ρύθμιση της οξειδωτικής ισορροπίας των κυττάρων. Από τα αποτελέσματα της παρούσας εργασίας φάνηκε ότι το γονίδιο Cchsp27 εκφράζεται κάτω από φυσιολογικές συνθήκες κατά την ανάπτυξη της μεσογειακής μύγας και ότι η έκφραση του ρυθμίζεται στα διάφορα αναπτυξιακά στάδια του εντόμου. Πειράματα στον εγκέφαλο, στις ωοθήκες και στους όρχεις ενηλίκων ατόμων έδειξαν ότι στον εγκέφαλο των αρσενικών ατόμων το Cchsp27 mRNA παρουσιάζει σημαντικά υψηλότερα επίπεδα έκφρασης συγκριτικά με τον εγκέφαλο των θηλυκών ατόμων. Ακόμη παρατηρήθηκαν υψηλότερα επίπεδα έκφρασης του Cchsp27 mRNA στους όρχεις από ότι στις ωοθήκες. Τα αποτελέσματα από την έκφραση του γονιδίου στους σιελογόνους αδένες προνυμφών έδειξαν υψηλά επίπεδα έκφρασης στους σιελογόνους αδένες 24 ώρες πριν την εκτίναξη των προνυμφών, ενώ σταδιακά η έκφραση μειώνεται μέχρι το στάδιο της εκτινασσόμενης προνύμφης. Η έκφραση του Cchsp27 mRNA αυξάνεται στο στάδιο του λευκού προβομβυκίου ενώ στη συνέχεια σταδιακά μειώνεται. Ύστερα από την καλλιέργεια σιελογόνων αδένων παρουσία εκδυσόνης φάνηκε ότι συμβαίνει καταστολή της έκφρασης γονιδίου σε υψηλές συγκέντρωσης της ορμόνης, ενώ παρατηρείται επαγωγή σε συγκέντρωση 10-6 M. Σε ότι αφορά στην καλλιέργεια ωοθηκών και όρχεων παρουσία εκδυσόνης, παρατηρήθηκε μέγιστη επαγωγή του Cchsp27 γονιδίου στις ωοθήκες στα νεοεκκολαπτόμενα θηλυκά, ενώ μέγιστη επαγωγή στους όρχεις παρατηρήθηκε στα αρσενικά άτομα δύο ημερών. Ακολούθως, δημιουργήθηκε ένα διαγονιδιακό στέλεχος που φέρει το υβριδικό γονίδιο hsp27-GFP υπό τον έλεγχο της ευρύτερης 5΄ περιοχής του hsp27 γονιδίου, με σκοπό την μελλοντική μελέτη της κυτταρικής και ενδοκυτταρικής κατανομής της πρωτεΐνης Hsp27 κατά την ανάπτυξη της μεσογειακής μύγας. Τέλος, μελετήθηκε η έκφραση των γονιδίων Cchsp27 και Cchsp23 σε συνθήκες ψυχρού στρες. Και τα δύο γονίδια έδειξαν σημαντική έκφραση αυξανόμενου χρόνου επώασης στους 0 οC, με το Cchsp27 να παρουσιάζει υψηλότερα επίπεδα έκφρασης σε σχέση με το Cchsp23. / The stress response in cells is connected with the induction of heat shock proteins (Hsps). The Hsps are part of the molecular chaperons system and their role is to protect the cells from the protein denaturation and aggregation. Most Hsps are produced under non-stress conditions and they play a significant role in the correct folding, transmission and degradation of the cell’s proteins. Hsps are being divided into families according to their molecular mass. One of these families is the small heat shock proteins (sHsps) with molecular mass 12-43 kDa. This family is being characterized with a highly conservative domain called α-crystallin, which is located in the C-terminal domain. One of the most well studied sHsp is Hsp27. Hsp27 has an important role as molecular chaperone but also it is implicated in other events such differentiation, apoptosis, cytoskeleton’s formation and the regulation of the oxidized balance of the cell. The results that had arisen from this project, have shown that the Cchsp27 gene is expressed under non-stress conditions during the medfly’s development and that its expression is being regulated during the insect’s developmental stages. Experiments that were performed in brain, ovaries and testes which were removed from individual adults, have shown that the Cchsp27 gene is expressed highly in the male brain and in testes, comparing with female brain and ovaries respectively. Experiments that were performed in larvae salivary glands have shown significant expression levels of the Cchsp27 gene, 24 hours before jumping stage. The expression levels of the Cchsp27 gene are being reduced until the jumping stage and then they increased in the white pupa stage. The expression levels of the Cchsp27 gene are being reduced for the next three stages. The salivary glands were incubated with the hormone ecdysone and the results from these cultures have shown that in high ecdysone concentrations there is a repression in the gene’s expression whereas in concentration of 10-6 M there has been an induction. Ovaries and testes were incubated also with ecdysone and the results indicate that the maximum Cchsp27 gene induction happens in ovaries that have been removed from newborn females, and in testes that have been removed from males of the age of two days. Also, part of this project was the construction of a transgenic strain that it carries the hybrid gene hsp27-GFP under the regulation of the 5΄upstream region of the hsp27 gene. This strain will be used in the future for the study of the cellular distribution of the Hsp27 protein during the medfly’s development. For the last part of this project we study the expression levels of Cchsp27 and Cchsp23 genes under cold shock conditions. Both genes are expressed and their expression levels are being raised as the time of incubation increases in 0 οC. The expression levels of Cchsp27 gene were higher in comparison with the expression levels of Cchsp23 gene.

Submitted by Jéssica Moraes Malheiros (jessicamalheiros@yahoo.com.br) on 2018-05-03T18:53:41Z No. of bitstreams: 1 TESE MALHEIROS, J. M..pdf: 1363679 bytes, checksum: 33291bc89815d196826e037eeda5b237 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Alexandra Maria Donadon Lusser Segali null (alexmar@fcav.unesp.br) on 2018-05-04T18:11:25Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 malheiros_jm_dr_jabo.pdf: 1400936 bytes, checksum: bf9a223495b522a13300edf9c4026a2e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-05-04T18:11:25Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 malheiros_jm_dr_jabo.pdf: 1400936 bytes, checksum: bf9a223495b522a13300edf9c4026a2e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-03-02 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) / O presente trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar a associação da expressão gênica e proteômica com a maciez da carne de bovinos da raça Nelore. A partir de uma população de 90 animais foram selecionados três grupos experimentais por meio da análise de força de cisalhamento (FC) e índice de fragmentação miofibrilar (MFI), sendo: carne moderadamente macia, carne moderadamente dura e carne muito dura. A expressão dos genes foi avaliada por meio da análise de PCR em tempo real e a análise proteômica foi realizada com base na separação de proteínas por meio da eletroforese bidimensional (2D-PAGE) e caracterizção por espectrometria de massas com ionização eletrospray (ESI-MS/MS). A expressão da isoforma da calpastatina (CAST2) mostrou-se up regulated (P<0,05) nos grupos de carne moderadamente dura e muito dura. Os genes HSP90AA1, DNAJA1 e HSPB1, os quais representam as proteínas de choque térmico Hsp90, Hsp40 e Hsp27, respectivamente, mostraram expressão down regulated (P<0,05) no grupo de carne moderadamente macia em relação ao grupo de carne muito dura. Na análise proteômica, a expressão do spot protéico das enzimas metabólicas TPI e PGM1, proteína estrutural PFN1 e aminiopeptidase LAP3 se mostraram up regulated (P<0,05) no grupo de carne moderadamente macia, enquanto que a expressão das proteínas estruturais (ACTA1, ACTB, ACTG1 e MLC1), estresse oxidativo (PRDX6, PRDX2, PRDX1 and PARK7), proteínas de choque térmico (HSP90AA1, HSP90AB1, HSPA1A, HSPA1B, HSPA1L, HSPD1 e HSPB1), e co-chaperonas e regulação celular (CD37, STIP1 e ARHGDIA) se mostraram down regulated (P>0,05) no mesmo grupo experimental. Estes resultados fornecem uma visão importante de novos possíveis marcadores biológicos atuantes no processo de amaciamento da carne, o que pode colaborar para melhor entender e gerar novas estratégias de seleção nos programas de melhoramento genético de bovinos Nelore. / The objective of this study was to evaluate the association of gene expression and proteomics with meat tenderness in Nellore cattle. From population of 90 animals three experimental groups were selected by shear force (SF) and/or myofibrillar fragmentation index (MFI): moderately tender meat, moderately tough meat and very tough meat. Gene expression was evaluated by real-time PCR and proteomics analysis was performed based on protein separation by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2D-PAGE) and characterisation by eletrospray ionisation mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS). Expression of the calpastatin isoform (CAST2) was up-regulated (P<0.05) in the moderately tough and very tough meat groups. Expression of the HSP90AA1, DNAJA1 and HSPB1 genes, wich represent the heat shock proteins Hsp90, Hsp40 and Hsp27, respectively, were down-regulated (P<0.05) in the moderately tender meat in relation to the very tough group. In the proteomics analysis, the expression of the protein spots of metabolism TPI1 and PGM1, structural protein PFN1, and aminopeptidase LAP3 were up regulated (P<0.05) in the moderately tender meat, while the expression of structural proteins (ACTA1, ACTB, ACTG1 and MLC1), oxidative stress (PRDX6, PRDX2, PRDX1 and PARK7), heat shock protein (HSP90AA1, HSP90AB1, HSPA1A, HSPA1B, HSPA1L, HSPD1 and HSPB1) and co-chaperones and cellular regulatory (CD37, STIP1 and ARHGDIA) were down regulated (P>0.05) in the same experimental group. The present results suggest an important view of possible new biological markers in the meat tenderization process, wich permit to unsderstand and generate new strategies for selection in Nellore cattle breeding programs. / FAPESP: 15/13021-1

Protein folding is the process in which polypeptides in their non-native states attain the unique folds of their native states. Adverse environmental conditions and genetic predisposition challenge the folding process and accelerate the production of proteotoxic misfolded proteins. Misfolded proteins are selectively recognized and removed from the cell by processes of protein quality control (PQC). In PQC molecular chaperones of the Heat shock protein 70 kDa (Hsp70) family play important roles by recognizing and facilitating the removal of misfolded proteins. Hsp70 function is dependent on cofactors that regulate the intrinsic ATPase activity of the chaperone. In this thesis I have used yeast genetic, cell biological and biochemical experiments to gain insight into the regulation of Hsp70 function in PQC by nucleotide-exchange factors (NEFs). Study I shows that the NEF Fes1 is a key factor essential for cytosolic PQC. A reverse genetics approach demonstrated that Fes1 NEF activity is required for the degradation of misfolded proteins associated with Hsp70 by the ubiquitin-proteasome system. Specifically, Fes1 association with Hsp70-substrate complexes promotes interaction of the substrate with downstream ubiquitin E3 ligase Ubr1. The consequences of genetic removal of FES1 (fes1Δ) are the failure to degrade misfolded proteins, the accumulation of protein aggregates and constitutive induction of the heat-shock response. Taken the experimental data together, Fes1 targets misfolded proteins for degradation by releasing them from Hsp70. Study II describes an unusual example of alternative splicing of FES1 transcripts that leads to the expression of the two alternative splice isoforms Fes1S and Fes1L. Both isoforms are functional NEFs but localize to different compartments. Fes1S is localized to the cytosol and is required for the efficient degradation of Hsp70-associated misfolded proteins. In contrast, Fes1L is targeted to the nucleus and represents the first identified nuclear NEF in yeast. The identification of distinctly localized Fes1 isoforms have implications for the understanding of the mechanisms underlying nucleo-cytoplasmic PQC. Study III reports on the mechanism that Fes1 employs to regulate Hsp70 function. Specifically Fes1 carries an N-terminal domain (NTD) that is conserved throughout the fungal kingdom. The NTD is flexible, modular and is required for the cellular function of Fes1. Importantly, the NTD forms ATP-sensitive complexes with Hsp70 suggesting that it competes substrates of the chaperone during Fes1-Hsp70 interactions. Study IV reports on methodological development for the efficient assembly of bacterial protein-expression plasmids using yeast homologous recombination cloning and the novel vector pSUMO-YHRC. The findings support the notion that Fes1 plays a key role in determining the fate of Hsp70-associated misfolded substrates and thereby target them for proteasomal degradation. From a broader perspective, the findings provide information essential to develop models that describe how Hsp70 function is regulated by different NEFs to participate in protein folding and degradation. / <p>At the time of the doctoral defense, the following paper was unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 3: Manuscript.</p>

Orientador: Osmar Malaspina / Resumo: As abelhas Apis mellifera africanizadas são consideradas importantes polinizadores no Brasil, uma vez que muitas culturas de alimentos dependem da polinização promovida por esses insetos. No entanto, com o crescimento da produtividade agrícola houve aumento do uso de agrotóxicos para o controle de pragas, os quais podem atingir também insetos não-alvo. Com a ação dos inseticidas como uma das possíveis causadoras da morte massiva desses polinizadores, pesquisas sobre o impacto dos agrotóxicos em abelhas receberam destaque. Diante do exposto, o presente estudo propôs investigar os efeitos de uma dose subletal de tiametoxam (TMX) (0,0227 ng de ingrediente ativo/μl de alimento), importante inseticida da classe dos neonicotinóides, no cérebro e no intestino de Apis mellifera africanizadas, por meio da avaliação da atividade de biomarcadores enzimáticos de exposição e de estresse oxidativo e pela ocorrência de peroxidação lipídica. O nível de estresse celular também foi investigado pela imunomarcação das proteínas de choque térmico HSP70 e HSP90 em conjunto com a detecção de morte celular pelo ensaio de TUNEL (Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling). Os dados mostraram que, no cérebro, o TMX aumentou a atividade de acetilcolinesterase (AChE) em 1, 3 e 5 dias de exposição, enquanto a carboxilesterase (CaE) diminuiu no primeiro dia e a glutationa s-transferase (GST) aumentou no quinto dia. Por sua vez, as enzimas antioxidantes foram menos atuantes no cérebro, se... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Africanized Apis mellifera bees are considered important pollinators in Brazil, since many food crops depend on the pollination by these insects. However, with the growth of agricultural productivity there has been an increase in the use of insecticides for pest control, which also can reach non-target insects. With the action of insecticides as one of the possible causes of the massive death of these pollinators, the studies of the effects of pesticides on bees were highlighted. Given the context, the present study aimed to investigate the effects of a sub lethal dose of thiamethoxam - TMX (0.0227 ng of active ingredient / μl of food), a insecticide of the class of neonicotinoids, in the brain and intestine of Africanized Apis mellifera, through the evaluation of the activity of enzymatic biomarkers of exposure and of oxidative stress and by the occurrence of lipid peroxidation. The level of cell stress was also investigated by the immunostaining of the HSP70 and HSP90 proteins together with the detection of cell death by the TUNEL (Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling) assay. The data showed that, in the brain, TMX increased acetylcholinesterase activity (AChE) at 1, 3 and 5 days of exposure, while carboxylesterase (CaE) decreased on the first day and glutathione s-transferase (GST) increased in the fifth day. On the other hand, antioxidant enzymes were less active in the brain, and only glutathione peroxidase (GPX) showed increased activity on the f... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Doutor

Heat shock proteins (Hsps) are a class of molecular chaperones which were first discovered as proteins up-regulated in response to heat stress in Drosophila. Later, it was found that these set of proteins get up-regulated as a general stress response associated with destabilization of native protein structures. Over a period of time, intricate involvement of Hsps in various biological processes has been well established. Heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) is one of the important representative of this class of proteins. Hsp90 is an essential molecular chaperone which is evolutionarily conserved. It has a selective set of proteins to chaperone called as clients, which majorly include transcription factors and protein kinases. Through its interaction with its clients it modulates cell cycle, signal transduction, differentiation, development and evolution. Previous studies from Candida, Leishmania and Plasmodium have implicated Hsp90 to be involved in stage transition and growth. It is also critically involved in regulating growth of other protozoans such as Dictyostelium, Entamoeba and Trypanosoma. Thus, selective inhibition of Hsp90 has been explored as an intervention strategy against important human diseases such as cancer, malaria and other protozoan diseases. In Plasmodium falciparum, Hsp90 plays a critical role in stage transition. The parasite inside the human RBC develops from ring to trophozoite to schizont stage and inhibition of Hsp90 using specific pharmacological inhibitor arrests the growth of parasite at ring stage. In Dictyostelium, it has been observed that Hsp90 function is required for development. Inhibition of Hsp90 causes mound arrest and stops the cells from entering to its next developmental stage, fruiting bodies. In parallel, Hsp90 in Candida has been shown to be involved in morphogenesis. In nature Candida exists as a single cell yeast form and upon entry into the human host these yeast forms undergo morphogenesis to form virulent filamentous fungi. Inhibition of Hsp90 mimics temperature mediated morphogenesis. All together, these studies suggest that Hsp90 functions in a context dependent manner and each biological system explored has given new insights into the Hsp90 biology. Giardia lamblia, a protozoan parasite of humans and animals, is an important cause of diarrheal disease causing significant morbidity and also mortality in tropical countries. In the present study we focus on the biology of Hsp90 from Giardia lamblia. Giardia has a biphasic life cycle with infective cyst stage and pathogenic trophozoite stage. These cysts are present in the environment and enter mammalian host through oral route. They undergo a process called as excystation in the intestine giving rise to trophozoites. The trophozoites so formed colonize the upper part of the small intestine which causes the symptoms of giardiasis. Some of the trophozoites escape from the nutrition rich milieu of the upper part of small intestine to the lower part. In this region, trophozoites undergo a process called as encystation, wherein each trophozoite forms a cyst which escapes through faeces back into the environment. As seen in the life cycle of Giardia there are two major biological transitions, excystation and encystation; and till date no definitive player or pathway is known to regulate these processes. With the knowledge of Hsp90 playing an important role in similar biological transitions in other organisms we were encouraged to study role of Hsp90 in Giardia lamblia. Trans-splicing based generation of a full length Hsp90 in Giardia lamblia To understand the role of Hsp90, we first carried out sequence alignment of Hsp90 predicted ORFs in Giardia genome with yeast Hsp90. On alignment we observed that Hsp90 in Giardia is discontinuous and is annotated to be encoded by two different ORFs. Hsp90 in most organisms is coded by a single ORF with none to many cis-spliced introns. In a relatively intron poor organism G. lamblia, cytosolic Hsp90 is coded by two different ORFs separated by 777 kb in the genome. On multiple sequence alignment, we noticed that these two ORFs correspond to two independent regions of the Hsp90 protein. The ORFs are designated as hspN and hspC, containing the N-terminal and the C-terminal region of the protein respectively. We began our study by sequencing whole genome of Giardia lamblia clinical strain. Our genome sequencing confirmed the split nature of hsp90 and showed high ‘synteny’ between the other sequenced isolates. Using PCR based approach we have ruled out the possibility of having a full length gene in the genome. In contradiction to the genome result, we have observed a higher molecular weight protein in the lysate on proteomic analysis which was further confirmed by western blotting. The protein was observed to have a molecular weight of 80 kDa which could be a resultant of combination of two ORFs, suggesting the presence of a full length mRNA for Hsp90. PCR amplification using primers against both the fragments resulted in amplification of 2.1 kb product from the RNA pool of Giardia. Sequencing of this product showed that hspN and hspC were stitched together to form a mature messenger for full length Hsp90. In total our results suggest a post transcriptional process, trans-splicing, to be involved in the construction of Hsp90. The transition marked by this fusion coincides with the canonical GU¬AG splice site transitions as observed in other eukaryotes. Interestingly, a 26 nt near-complementary region was observed inside and upstream of hspN and hspC ORFs respectively. Put together these results suggest that the 26 nt complementary region acts as the positioning element to bring these two precursors in spatial proximity. With efficient spliceosomal activity these two precursor forms are trans-spliced to generate a full length cytosolic Hsp90 in Giardia. There are only four genes which have cis-spliced introns in the Giardia genome and the core components of the spliceosomal machinery are also present. The presence of canonical splice site in both the transcripts suggests that these transcripts are fused together by the spliceosomal machinery by the phenomenon of trans-splicing. The formation of full length Hsp90 RNA by its fragmented gene is the first example of trans-splicing in Giardia. To understand, are there any other genes which are also similarly trans-spliced we have carried out shotgun proteomic analysis of the total cell lysate obtained from Giardia trophozoites. Using Hsp90 as template, in our proteomic datasets, we have designed an algorithm for identification of additional trans-spliced gene products at the protein level. We have identified a total of 476 proteins of which hypothetical proteins constitute the major class followed by metabolic enzymes. We have compared the theoretical molecular weights for the identified proteins with the experimentally determined mass. Any discrepancy in the molecular mass was further analyzed and we assigned a gene to be potentially trans-spliced based on three criteria: if they were encoded by two or more different ORFs (loci), absence of a single full length counterpart and presence of splice sites with branch point and positional elements. Using this algorithm we were able to identify dynein as a potential candidate of trans-splicing reaction which was confirmed by the nucleotide sequence analysis of the predicted ORFs. Interestingly, dynein gene fragments were observed to be scattered on different chromosomes with minor splice sites unlike hsp90 genes. In vivo Expression of Hsp90 sub-fragments, HspN and HspC In the mature Hsp90 mRNA formed upon trans-splicing, 33 additional codons are present right between hspN and hspC sequences and they were acquired from the upstream region of hspC ORF. The 33 codons encode for an important region of Hsp90 which harbours the conserved catalytic “Arg” residue; suggesting that the full length Giardia Hsp90 (GlHsp90) formed could be an active ATPase. To confirm the same we have carried out in vitro characterization of trans-spliced Hsp90. Towards this, we have cloned, expressed and purified His tag-GlHsp90. As a first step, highly purified protein was used to assess its efficiency in binding to it cognate ligand, ATP, and the known inhibitors. Our binding studies show that GlHsp90 binds to ATP with a dissociation constant of 628 M and to its inhibitors, GA and 17AAG with 1.5 μM and 17.5 μM respectively. The bound ATP will be subsequently cleaved by Hsp90 which is an essential step in the chaperone cycle. As determined in our ATPase assay we observed that GlHsp90 hydrolyzes bound ATP with the catalytic efficiency of 4.4 × 10-5μM-1.min-1which confirms that Hsp90 generated upon trans-splicing is an active ATPase. The uniqueness of the hsp90 gene arrangement in Giardia posed a new question. Do these gene fragments also get translated? Our results suggest that HspN and HspC are poly¬adenylated. In order to determine the levels of these transcripts we performed qRT-PCR using primers specific to HspN, HspC and GlHsp90. We have observed that, in comparison with HspN transcript level, HspC and GlHsp90 transcripts are 15 and 75 folds higher respectively. To check for the presence of translation products of these transcripts, we have re-analyzed our proteomic datasets wherein we could identify peptides corresponding to HspN and HspC in their respective molecular weight region, 45 to 35 kDa. To confirm the proteomic data, western blot analysis was performed for trophozoite lysate on both 1D and 2D gels using anti-HspN antibody. Two specific bands (1D) / spots (2D) corresponding to the full length Hsp90 and HspN were identified. Gel filtration analysis revealed that HspN co¬eluted with full length Hsp90 thereby suggesting that both the proteins are in a same complex. With the background that HspN and HspC are present at the protein level, we asked if these fragments in combination can hydrolyse ATP. We reconstituted recombinant HspN and HspC in equimolar amounts and scored for the hydrolysis of ATP. However, no Pi release was observed. To determine whether HspN and HspC could modulate Hsp90 function, ATPase activity was monitored in the presence of HspN or HspC, in vitro. It was observed that ATPase activity was inhibited by both the fragments thus suggesting that HspN and HspC negatively regulate Hsp90 ATPase activity. Role of Hsp90 in Giardia encystation Giardia has a biphasic life cycle with proliferative trophozoites and latent cyst stage. In Giardia, in vitro encystation was established nearly two decades back by modulating the medium conditions. However, the mechanism and triggers underlying this transition are not well characterized. To understand whether Hsp90 has any role in this transition, in vitro conversion of trophozoites to cysts was achieved. The cysts obtained showed all the characteristic features of mature Giardia cyst with cyst wall protein 1 (CWP1) on the cyst wall and four nuclei as determined by immunofluorescence analysis. Further, the levels of Hsp90 in trophozoites were compared with mature cysts at both transcript and protein levels and it was found that cysts show more than 50% reduction in the level of Hsp90 in comparison with normal trophozoites. In accordance, exogenous inhibition of Hsp90 using 17AAG promoted the formation of cysts in vitro by 60 folds in a dose dependent manner; however, the window period of Hsp90 function compromise plays an important role in this process. Higher numbers of cysts were obtained from the cells treated with inhibitors during pre-encystation condition but inhibition of Hsp90 during encystation did not affect the formation of cysts, suggesting that Hsp90 down-regulation plays an important role during commitment towards encystation. To further show that cyst formation is a specific response to Hsp90 inhibition we have carried out encystation in the presence of metranidazole and from heat shocked cells; however, in both the conditions we did not observe any significant change in cyst formation, thus confirming that Hsp90 plays an important role during encystation in Giardia lamblia. Summary In Conclusion, Our study throws light on a unique aspect of Hsp90 biology in Giardia Lamblia, wherein the formation of the full length protein is dependent on a unique trans splicing reaction of its gene components representing different domains. We have also shown that HsP90 fragments, HspN and HspC, are also expressed in Trophozoites. Our in vitro data suggests that these fragments possibly regulate the function of Hsp90. Furthermore, the full length of Hsp90 plays an important role in stage transition in Giardia wherein inhibition of Hsp90 induces encystations. The study has opened many new avenues for research. Understanding the exact role of HspN and HspC in vivo will provide better appreciation for the evolution of such a complex biogenesis of an essential protein.