by Chan Chi Wai, Michael. / "July 2002." / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 238-272). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, MI : ProQuest Information and Learning Company, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / Abstracts in English and Chinese.

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by Wu Che-yuen Justin. / "September 2000 (amendment)." / Thesis (M.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2000. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 237-267). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Mode of access: World Wide Web.

A HP1076 null mutant has been constructed to provide a better understanding of the biological significance of HP1076 in H. pylori . The DeltaHP1076 mutant displays impaired motility and resistance to the antibiotic drug metronidazole. Using a proteomic study, an overall of 40 differentially expressing proteins involved in metabolism and pH homeostasis for bacterial survival, adhesion for colonization, virulence factor to gastric epithelial cells and antigenic proteins have been identified. The virulence factor, Cag pathogenicity island protein (Cag 26) and urease UreA and UreB are confirmed to have enhanced and reduced expression in null mutants. These findings may provide new insight into the infection of H. pylori. / FliS is an export chaperone that binds to flagellin molecules in cytosol in order to prevent pre-mature polymerization. Disruption of FliS would result in formation of shorter flagella and impaired adhesion ability to epithelial cells. Previous yeast two-hybrid study has identified various FliS associated proteins in H. pylori, but with no known implications. Here, we have demonstrated the interaction of FliS and a hypothetical protein HP1076 by biochemical and biophysical methods. Moreover, HP1076 possesses anti-aggregation ability on insoluble FliS-mutants and chaperone activity. Thus, HP1076 is proposed to be a co-chaperone that promotes the folding and chaperone activity of FliS. FliS is demonstrated to have a broad range of substrate specificity that binds to flagellin and flagellar related proteins which may play a key role in flagellar export system different from other flagellated bacteria. / Helicobacter pylori is a pathogenic bacterium and adheres to the gastric mucosal cells. Chronic infection would lead to gastritis or peptic ulceration and is one of the leading causes of gastric cancer. Formation of functional flagella is essential for infection, that it aids in motility of bacteria and colonization on gastric epithelial cells. The process is complex and involves more than 50 proteins in assembly of structural proteins, regulatory proteins, an export apparatus, a motor and a sensory system. Cytosolic chaperones are required to bind to exported proteins in order to facilitate the export or prevent the aggregation of proteins in cytosol. Divergence is found in flagellar system H. pylori that may account for survival inside gastric environment. / The crystal structures of FliS, HP1076 fragment and FliS/HP1076 complex are determined at 2.7A, 1.8A and 2.7A resolution respectively to provide better understanding of their molecular interactions. FliS consists of four helices and HP1076 consists of helical rich bundle structure with three helices and three beta strands that share similar fold to that of a flagellin homologue, hook-associated protein and FliS, suggesting HP1076 is involved in flagellar system. The FliS/HP1076 complex reveals an extensive electrostatic and hydrophobic binding interface which is distinct from the flagellin binding pocket on FliS. HP1076 stabilizes two alpha helices of FliS and therefore the overall bundle structure. Our findings provide new insights into the flagellar export chaperones and other secretion chaperones in Type III secretion system. / Lam, Wai Ling. / Adviser: An Wing-Ngor. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 73-02, Section: B, page: . / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2010. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 223-243). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. [Ann Arbor, MI] : ProQuest Information and Learning, [201-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstract also in Chinese.

CoordenaÃÃo de AperfeiÃoamento de Pessoal de NÃvel Superior / A infecÃÃo pelo Helicobacter pylori acomete mais da metade da populaÃÃo mundial, sendo esta bactÃria reconhecida como carcinÃgeno do grupo I pela OrganizaÃÃo Mundial de SaÃde-OMS. Familiares em primeiro grau de pacientes com cÃncer gÃstrico tÃm um maior risco de desenvolver cÃncer gÃstrico. Avaliamos a prevalÃncia de lesÃes precursoras do cÃncer gÃstrico e do Helicobacter pylori nos familiares em primeiro grau de pacientes com cÃncer gÃstrico, quando comparado a controles sem histÃria familiar. Cento e quatro familiares foram recrutados à partir de 40 casos de cÃncer gÃstrico tipo nÃo-cÃrdia e foram comparados com cento e dezoito controles, nÃo havendo diferenÃas estatisticamente significantes entre os dois grupos com relaÃÃo a idade, sexo, tabagismo, etilismo e condiÃÃes socioeconÃmicas garantindo a homogeneidade da amostra. Todos os pacientes foram submetidos a avaliaÃÃo endoscÃpica e biÃpsias seguindo o protocolo de Sydney. A anÃlise histopatolÃgica foi realizada pÃr um Ãnico patologista experiente e mascarado quanto a origem das amostras. Ainda que a prevalÃncia da atrofia e da metaplasia intestinal tenha ocorrida de forma similar nos dois grupos, a associaÃÃo destas lesÃes foi mais encontrada nos familiares que nos controles (p=0,021). A metaplasia intestinal tipo incompleta foi mais significante nos familiares (p=0,001), assim como a displasia (p=0,025). O padrÃo de gastrite encontrado nos familiares foi o de pangastrite associada a presenÃa de folÃculos linfÃides, padrÃo este jà definido como o de fenotÃpico de maior risco para a carcinogÃnese gÃstrica. NÃo houve diferenÃa estatisticamente significante entre os dois grupos com relaÃÃo a prevalÃncia do H. pylori , porÃm a topografia da infecÃÃo envolvendo antro e corpo foi maior nos familiares (p=0,001). De acordo com os resultados obtidos neste estudo, encontramos que familiares de pacientes com cÃncer gÃstrico tÃm uma maior prevalÃncia de alteraÃÃes histopatolÃgicas, estando estas alteraÃÃes confinadas a presenÃa do Helicobacter pylori / Infection by Helicobacter pylori, a bacterial species classified by WHO as being carcinogenic (group I) affects more than half the world population. First-degree relatives to patients with gastric cancer are at increased risk of developing gastric cancer. The present study evaluated the prevalence of precursor lesions of gastric cancer and infection by Helicobacter pylori in first-degree relatives to patients with gastric cancer as compared to controls with no family history of gastric cancer. One hundred four first-degree relatives to 40 patients with noncardiac gastric cancer were enrolled in the study and compared to 108 controls. The groups were statistically homogenous in terms of age. All patients were submitted to endoscopic evaluation and biopsy as described in the Sydney protocol. The histopathological analysis was carried out by a single, experienced pathologist blinded to the origin of the samples. Although the prevalence of atrophy and intestinal metaplasia was similar for the two groups, association with these lesions was more common among relatives than controls (p=0.021). Incomplete intestinal metaplasia was also more significant among relatives (p=0.001), as was displasia (p=0.025). The group of relatives presented a pattern of pangastritis associated with lymphoid follicles characteristic of increased risk for gastric carcinogenesis. There was no statistically significant difference between the groups with regard to the prevalence of H. pylori, though infection involving body and antrum was more prevalent among relatives (p=0.001). Our findings suggest that relatives to patients with gastric cancer present a greater prevalence of histopathological changes associated with the presence of H. pylori