MARTINS, Thiago Fernandes. Purificação e caracterização bioquímica de um inibidor tipo Bowman-Birk de sementes Luetzelburgia auriculata (Allemão) Ducke. 2015. 102 f. Dissertação (mestrado em bioquímica)- Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza-CE, 2015. / Submitted by Elineudson Ribeiro (elineudsonr@gmail.com) on 2016-03-18T20:49:01Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2016_dis_tfmartins.pdf: 2013799 bytes, checksum: b9c6f661705801d01e9be5b261d014c0 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by José Jairo Viana de Sousa (jairo@ufc.br) on 2016-04-28T20:46:41Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 2016_dis_tfmartins.pdf: 2013799 bytes, checksum: b9c6f661705801d01e9be5b261d014c0 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-28T20:46:41Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2016_dis_tfmartins.pdf: 2013799 bytes, checksum: b9c6f661705801d01e9be5b261d014c0 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015 / Plant protease inhibitors are proteins of low molecular weight, usually present in high concentrations in storage tissues, particularly in seeds of species belong to the Fabaceae family. In this study, a Bowman-Birk protease inhibitor (LzaBBI) was purified from the saline extract of the Luetzelburgia auriculata seeds After boiling of this saline extract, the inhibitor was purified by affinity chromatography on Sepharose® 4B-anhydrotrypsin, followed by ion exchange chromatography on DEAE Sepharose and reverse phase chromatography. Under reducing conditions or not, LzaBBI showed an apparent molecular mass of 17.3 kDa and a single polypeptide chain. The NH2-terminal sequencing of the LzaBBI showed high similarity with other Bowman-Birk inhibitors of legumes. LzaBBI remained stable after boiling at 98 °C for 120 min and also remained stable with trypsin inhibitory activity after incubation in pH buffers with pHs varying from 2 to 11. In addition to its relevant structural stability, of importance in future biotechnological applications, LzaBBI showed negative impact on the Staphylococcus aureus development when at low doses. / Inibidores de proteases vegetais são proteínas de baixa massa molecular, geralmente presentes em altas concentrações nos tecidos de armazenamento, particularmente em sementes de plantas pertencentes à família Fabaceae. Neste estudo, um inibidor de proteases pertencente à família Bowman-Birk (LzaBBI) foi purificado a partir do extrato salino de sementes de Luetzelburgia auriculata. Após fervura desse extrato salino, o inibidor foi purificado por cromatografia de afinidade em matriz de anidrotripsina-Sepharose® 4B, seguido de cromatografia em matriz de troca iônica (DEAE Sepharose) e cromatografia em fase reversa. Em condições redutoras, ou não, o LzaBBI apresentou massa molecular aparente de 17,3 kDa, e uma única cadeia polipeptídica. Sua sequência NH2-terminal possui alta similaridade com inibidores do tipo Bowman-Birk de leguminosas. O LzaBBI permaneceu estável após fervura a 98 °C por 120 min, bem como após incubado na faixa de pHs entre 2 a 11. Além de possuir relevante estabilidade estrutural, de importância para futuras aplicações biotecnológicas, apresentou efeito negativo no crescimento da bactéria Staphylococcus aureus, quando em baixas concentrações.

BEZERRA, Lady Clarissa Brito da Rocha. Prospecção de moléculas com potencial nutracêutico em sementes de enterolobium contortisiliquum (VELL.) morong.: purificação e caracterização parcial de três inibidores de quimotripsina. 2010. 97 f. Dissertação (Mestrado em Bioquímica) - Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza-CE, 2010. / Submitted by Eric Santiago (erichhcl@gmail.com) on 2016-06-01T12:44:59Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2010_dis_lcbrbezerra.pdf: 1826588 bytes, checksum: df35a29a0078f414afc02a541cfda647 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by José Jairo Viana de Sousa (jairo@ufc.br) on 2016-07-12T23:30:59Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 2010_dis_lcbrbezerra.pdf: 1826588 bytes, checksum: df35a29a0078f414afc02a541cfda647 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-07-12T23:30:59Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2010_dis_lcbrbezerra.pdf: 1826588 bytes, checksum: df35a29a0078f414afc02a541cfda647 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010 / Leguminous seeds are main sources of food proteins for humans and animals. Other interests in these plant proteins concerning their nutraceutical properties have been raised, since many bioactive proteins, previously referred only as anti-nutritional factors, have exerted beneficial effects on health, acting as chemopreventive agents against several diseases. Among these are protease inhibitors, which play important roles in plant defense and have biological properties of interest for biotechnological applications in pharmaceutical and medical areas. This study aimed to evaluate the nutritional and nutraceutical potential of Enterolobium contortisiliquum seeds, focusing on the purification and partial characterization of chymotrypsin inhibitors and assess their antiproliferative effect against human tumor cells. E. contortisiliquum seeds are an excellent protein source, with about 50% of this macronutrient on a dry basis. The presence of protease inhibitors in high quantities suggests that these molecules may exert a nutraceutical application. Three chymotrypsin inhibitors, denominated EcCI1, EcCI2 and EcCTI were purified and partially characterized. EcCI1, EcCI2 and EcCTI show molecular weights of 17, 17 and 19 kDa, respectively. EcCI1 and EcCI2 are non-competitive inhibitors with ki of 4 x 10-8 and 2.5 x 10-8 M, respectively, while EcCTI inhibits chymotrypsin competitively with ki of 5 x 10-8 M. Only EcCTI was able to inhibit trypsin (98%). EcCI1 and EcCI2 successfully inhibited leukocyte elastase (about 70%), but EcCTI (20%). The three inhibitors slightly inhibited pancreatic elastase (about 20%) and none was able to inhibit papain. The three inhibitors have a high thermal stability (37 to 90 °C for EcCI2 and 37 to 100 °C for EcCI1 and EcCTI), pH (2 to 12) and DTT concentrations ranging from 1 to 100 mM for EcCI1 and EcCTI and from 1 to 10 mM for EcCI2. Further studies are needed to better characterize these inhibitors. None of the inhibitors promoted antiproliferative effect against four tumorigenic cell lines tested. / Sementes de leguminosas constituem uma das principais fontes de proteína na alimentação humana e animal. Outros interesses têm sido despertados para o potencial nutracêutico inerente a essas proteínas vegetais, uma vez que muitas proteínas bioativas, até então referidas apenas como fatores antinutricionais, têm exercido efeitos benéficos no organismo, atuando na cura e/ou prevenção de várias doenças. Dentre esses, destacam-se os inibidores de proteases, os quais desempenham importantes funções na defesa de plantas e apresentam propriedades biológicas de interesse para aplicações biotecnológicas nas áreas farmacológica e médica. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o potencial nutricional e nutracêutico de sementes de Enterolobium contortisiliquum, enfocando a purificação e caracterização parcial de inibidores de quimotripsina e avaliar seu efeito antiproliferativo contra células tumorigênicas humanas. As sementes de E. contortisiliquum são uma excelente fonte de proteínas, apresentando cerca de 50% desse macronutriente em base seca. A presença de inibidores de proteases em quantidades elevadas sugere que essas moléculas possam vir a ter uma aplicação nutracêutica. Dessa forma, foram purificados três inibidores de quimotripsina, denominados EcCI1, EcCI2 e EcCTI, os quais foram parcialmente caracterizados. As massas moleculares aparentes determinada para os três inibidores é de 17, 17 e 19 kDa, respectivamente. EcCI1 e EcCI2 são inibidores do tipo não competitivo e apresentam ki de 4 x 10-8 e 2,5 x 10-8 M, respectivamente. Em contrapartida, EcCTI inibe a quimotripsina de forma competitiva e apresenta ki de 5 x 10-8 M. Apenas EcCTI foi capaz de inibir a tripsina (98%). EcCI1 e EcCI2 inibiram satisfatoriamente a elastase neutrofílica (ca. de 70%), mas não EcCTI (20%). Os três inibidores inibiram sutilmente a elastase pancreática (ca. de 20%) e nenhum foi capaz de inibir a papaína. Os três inibidores são altamente estáveis às condições extremas de temperatura (de 37 a 90 °C para EcCI2 e de 37 a 100 °C para EcCI1 e EcCTI ), pH (2 a 12) e DTT nas concentrações de 1 a 100 mM para EcCI1 e EcCTI e de 1 a 10 mM para EcCI2. Outros estudos são necessários para melhor caracterizar esses inibidores. Nenhum dos inibidores promoveu efeito antiproliferativo contra as quatro linhagens de células tumorigênicas testadas.

La malaria est la 1ère parasitose mondiale du fait de son taux de morbidité et de mortalité. Elle est responsable de 198 millions de cas dont 584 000 décès en 2013 (OMS). La forme la plus sévère est due à l’apicomplexe Plasmodium falciparum. Etant donné l’absence d’un vaccin efficace et l’augmentation des résistances aux traitements, il est crucial d’approfondir nos connaissances sur la biologie de P. falciparum afin de trouver de nouvelles cibles thérapeutiques. Le cycle de vie complexe avec deux hôtes nécessite une régulation précise et dynamique de l’expression des gènes et des modifications post-traductionnelles. Dans ce contexte, il a été montré que les kinases et les phosphatases, impliquées dans les processus de phosphorylation et de déphosphorylation respectivement, jouent un rôle crucial pour la survie du parasite. Chez les eucaryotes, les phosphatases sont impliquées dans la croissance cellulaire, la différentiation et la division. Parmi elles, PP1, une des principales sérine/thréonine phosphatases, est composée d’une sous-unité catalytique (PP1c) et d’une sous-unité régulatrice. Ces régulateurs sont essentiels et confère à PP1 une localisation, une spécificité et une régulation de son activité. La majorité des régulateurs interagissent avec PP1c via différents motifs tel que le motif RVxF. Chez P. falciparum, PP1 (PfPP1c) est exprimée et semble être essentielle au niveau du stade érythrocytaire, en particulier dans la libération des mérozoïtes infectieux. Pour mieux comprendre la fonction de PfPP1c, nous étudions les régulateurs de PP1 chez le parasite. Nos études précédentes nous ont permis de caractériser 3 régulateurs au niveau moléculaire et fonctionnel. Dans ce contexte, nous avons montré que PfLRR1 et PfI2 inhibent l’activité de PP1 alors que PfI3 l’active. Des études de génétique inverse suggèrent que ces régulateurs sont aussi essentiels que la PP1c elle-même. Récemment, nous avons identifié dans le génome de P. falciparum le facteur d’initiation de la traduction de type 2 sous-unité ß (eIF2ß) qui pourrait être un partenaire/régulateur potentiel de PfPP1. Dans la 1ère partie de cette étude, l’objectif principal a été d’étudier la présence de motifs additionnels de fixation à PfPP1c dans PfI2 et leur impact sur sa fonction. En utilisant la RMN, un troisième motif d’interaction FxxR/KxR/K a été identifié. Ce motif a été montré comme agissant de concert avec le motif canonique RVxF. En effet, la mutation des deux motifs abolie complètement l’interaction avec PfPP1. De plus, en utilisant le modèle d’ovocytes de Xénope, nous avons montré que ces motifs sont nécessaires à PfI2 pour réguler l’activité de PP1. Finalement, l’utilisation d’un peptide dérivé du motif d’interaction FxxR/KxR/K de PfI2 a montré une accumulation dans les érythrocytes infectés et un effet anti-plasmodial a été observé. Dans la 2ème partie de cette étude, nous avons étudié eIF2β, un autre régulateur potentiel de PfPP1. Par des expériences de GST pull-down, nous avons montré l’interaction entre PfeIF2β/PfPP1 et deux motifs d’interaction ont été identifiés : RVxF et FxxR/kxR/K. De plus, en utilisant le modèle d’ovocytes de Xénope, nous avons démontré que PfeIF2ß est impliqué dans la transition G2/M, suggérant un rôle inhibiteur sur l’activité de PP1. La mutation d’un des deux motifs n’empêche pas la formation du complexe alors que la mutation des deux abolie l’interaction avec PP1. Afin de déterminer la fonction de PfeIF2ß in vivo chez Plasmodium, des expériences de génétique inverse ont été réalisées. Nous avons montré l’accessibilité au locus du PfeIF2ß par Knock-in et des expériences d’interruption du gène elf2ß chez Plasmodium falciparum et berghei (espèce spécifique aux rongeurs) sont actuellement en cours afin de déterminer l’essentialité de cette protéine dans le développement du parasite. / Malaria is still the most severe infectious disease in the world because of its high rate of morbidity and mortality. Malaria is responsible for 198 million cases among which 584 000 deaths in 2013 (WHO). The most deadly parasite is the Apicomplexa Plasmodium falciparum. Given the lack of efficient vaccine with long-lasting protection and the increase of resistance against current treatments it is crucial to further deepen our understanding the biology of Plasmodium falciparum to find new means of control. The complex life cycle within two hosts necessitates a highly accurate and dynamic regulation of gene expression and of post translational modifications. In this context, it has been shown that kinases and phosphatases, involved in phosphorylation/dephosphorylation processes respectively, play a key role in parasite survival. In eukaryotes, phosphatases have been shown to be involved in cell growth, differentiation and division. Among them, Protein phosphatase type 1 (PP1) has been reported as one of the major serine/threonine phosphatase proteins involved in diverse cellular functions. PP1 is composed of a single catalytic subunit (PP1c) with a capacity to interact with a high number of regulatory subunits. These regulators are essential as they are key players in different roles of PP1c, including its trafficking, activity and specificity. Most of regulators interact with PP1c via several binding motifs including the RVXF motif. In Plasmodium falciparum, PP1c (PfPP1c) is expressed and seems to be essential for blood stage parasite, in particular merozoïte liberation. To better understand the function of PfPP1c, we investigated the regulators of protein phosphatase type I in this parasite. Our earlier studies have characterized three regulators at the molecular and functional levels. In this context, we have shown that PfLRR1 and PfI2 inhibit PP1 activity while PfI3 activates it. Reverse genetic studies suggested that these regulators are as essential as the PP1c itself. Recently, we found in P. falciparum genome the eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2 subunit ß (eIF2ß) which could be a potential partner/regulator of PfPP1. In the first part of this study, the main objective was to further explore in PfI2 the presence of additional motifs of binding to PfPP1c and their impacts on its function. Using NMR spectroscopy, a third motif was identified: FxxR/KxR/K. This motif has been found to act together with the canonical motif RVxF. Indeed, mutations in both motifs abolished completely the interaction with PfPP1. In addition, using Xenopus oocytes model, we showed that both motifs were necessary for PfI2 to regulate the activity of PP1. Finally the use of a peptide spanning the FxxR/KxR/K motif of PfI2 regulator showed an accumulation in infected erythrocytes and an antiplasmodial effect was observed.In the second part, we investigated eIF2ß as a potential regulator of PfPP1. By GST pull-down assays, we have shown the interaction between PfeIF2ß/PfPP1 and two binding motifs were identified : RVxF and FxxR/KxR/K motifs. Moreover, using Xenopus oocytes model, we demonstrated that PfeIF2ß is involved in G2/M transition, suggesting an inhibitor function of PP1 activity. Mutation of one of two motifs did not prevent the interaction while mutation of both abolished this binding. To gain more insights on the function of PfeIF2ß in Plasmodium, reverse genetic experiments were carried out. We have shown the accessibility of PfeIF2ß locus by Knock-in and we are performing Knock-out experiments on Plasmodium falciparum and berghei (specific species of the rodents) to determine the essentiality of this protein for parasite development.

Le kinome humain comprend 518 protéines. Elles participent au processus de phosphorylation des protéines qui joue un rôle important dans les voies de signalisation cellulaire. Leur dérégulation est connue comme étant une cause de nombreuses maladies graves telle que les cancers. Du fait de leur grande similarité structurale des protéines kinases, il est difficile de développer des inhibiteurs qui soient à la fois efficaces et sélectifs. L’absence de sélectivité conduit le plus souvent à des effets secondaires particulièrement néfastes pour l’organisme. Au cours de cette thèse, nous avons d’abord développé de nouvelles métriques dont le but est de déterminer la sélectivité d’inhibiteurs à partir de données d’inhibition. Elles présentent l’avantage, comparées à d’autres métriques, d’être applicables sur n’importe quel type de données. Dans un deuxième temps, nous avons développé une approche protéométrique dans le but de comprendre pourquoi certaines protéines kinases ne sont jamais inhibées par des inhibiteurs de Type II. Le modèle statistique mis en place nous a permis d’identifier plusieurs résidus discriminants dont certains déjà décrits expérimentalement dans la littérature. Dans un troisième temps, nous avons développé un nouveau descripteur 3D de protéines kinases avec lequel nous avons mis en place et validé des modèles protéo-chimiométriques visant à étudier et découvrir de nouveaux inhibiteurs. / The human kinome contains 518 proteins. They share a common mechanism of protein phosphorylation known to play an important role in cellular signaling pathways. Impaired kinase function is recognized to be involved in severe diseases like cancer. Due to high structural similarity between protein kinases, development of potent and selective kinase inhibitors is a challenging task. The selectivity of kinase inhibitors may lead to side effects potentially harmful. In this thesis, we first developed new selectivity metrics to determine inhibitor selectivity directly from biological inhibition data. Compared to existing metrics, the new selectivity scores can be applied on diverse inhibition data types. Second, we developed a proteometric approach in order to understand why some protein kinases are never inhibited by Type II inhibitors. The statistical model built for this purpose allowed us to identify several discriminant residues of which few of them correspond to experimentally described residues of interest. Third, using a new 3D protein kinase descriptor, we developed and validated novel proteo-chemometrics approaches to study and discover new kinase inhibitors.

Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences / Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology / Yunjeong Kim / Coronaviruses are pathogens that cause diverse diseases in humans and animals. The studies in this dissertation are focused on feline coronavirus (FCoV), ferret coronavirus (FRCoV) and mink coronavirus (MCoV). FCoV and FRCoV infections typically cause enteritis in cats and ferrets, respectively. However, a 100% fatal systemic disease called feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) can develop in some FCoV infected cats and a fatal systemic disease resembling FIP can develop in some FRCoV infected ferrets. MCoV causes enteritis which results in significant economic loss to mink farmers. No effective vaccine or treatment is available despite the increasing importance of these viral diseases. We have previously reported the synthesis of inhibitors against 3C-like protease (3CLpro) of FCoV and demonstrated the antiviral efficacy of a 3CLpro inhibitor for treating FIP. FRCoV and MCoV 3CLpro are closely related to FCoV 3CLpro. Therefore, we investigated the structure-function relationships of our 3CLpro inhibitors to identify the struc-tural requirements of inhibitors for FRCoV and MCoV. This is the first report of antiviral com-pounds against FRCoV and MCoV. We have previously conducted a field trial with a potent 3CLpro inhibitor, GC376, in cats with naturally occurring FIP. Comparison of the FCoV 3CLpro amino acid sequences from the pre- and post-treatment samples in one cat showed amino acid changes in 3CLpro. Hence, we generated recombinant 3CLpros carrying the amino acid changes and characterized the effects of these amino acid changes in FCoV 3CLpro on its susceptibility to GC376. We observed that these amino acid changes did not markedly affect the activity of GC376 in fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) assay, explaining the absence of clinical drug resistance in this cat during the field trial.

No presente trabalho analisa-se o comportamento do aço de reforço ante à corrosão, com o uso dos inibidores: nitrito de sódio, fosfato de sódio e etalonamina, na água de poros contaminada com cloreto, e no concreto com a finalidade de analisar seus resultados e seus mecanismos diferenciados. Para cumprir este objetivo o presente trabalho divide-se em duas etapas: uma primeira etapa baseada em simular sinteticamente a água de poro de um concreto, cuja solução é KOH 28g/l+NaOH 4g/l. Essa água de poro é simulada em ambiente marinho, cuja solução é KOH 28g/l + NaOH 4g/l+NaCl 35g/l, e a esta solução referência incorporamse os inibidores (20g/l da cada um). Realizaram-se ensaios de espectroscopia de impedância eletroquímica (EIE) (após 3 e 72 horas de imersão) e curvas de polarização (após 72 horas de imersão) com vistas a obter respostas da cinética da corrosão ante a cada solução. Obteve-se o melhor comportamento para a água de poros. No caso da água de poro contaminada por cloretos, o melhor comportamento se obteve para o inibidor nitrito de sódio. Na segunda etapa adotou-se apenas o inibidor nitrito de sódio, pois estatisticamente as eficiências dos três inibidores foram muito similares. Analisou-se o nitrito de sódio em amostras reais de concreto armado contaminado com cloreto de sódio. Para isso se elegeram dois tipos de cimentos (CP IV e CP V) e três relações água-cimento (a/c-0.4, a/c-0.5, a/c- 0.65). Para simular o ambiente marinho, realizaram-se ensaios acelerados de cloretos. Comparam-se métodos de análises simuladas sinteticamente e reais, concluindo-se em ambos meios, embora fossem um solido e outro líquido o inibidor Nitrito de Sódio aumento a sua eficiência com os ciclos de exposição. / In this paper it is analyzed the behavior of reinforcing steel against corrosion using inhibitors: sodium nitrate, sodium phosphate and ethanolamine in water contaminated with chlorides pore and concrete, in order to analyzing the results and different mechanisms. To meet the objective of this work, it was divided into two stages, a first stage based on synthetically simulate the pore water of a concrete, through the following solution KOH 28g/l+NaOH 4g/l, this same solution simulated pore water to a marine environment it would be KOH 28g/l + NaOH 4g/l+NaCl 35g/l, it is then incorporated into both reference solutions inhibitors in a proportion, (20g/l de cada um). Assays were performed electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIE) (last 3 hours and 72 hours of immersion) and polarization curves (last 72 hours of immersion) in order to obtain responses corrosion kinetics in each solution. the best performance was obtained in the pore water. In the case of water contaminated with chlorides pore, the best performance was obtained in the presence of sodium nitrite inhibitor. In the second step was performed only with the inhibitor sodium nitrate, as statistically efficiencies of the three inhibitors were similar. Sodium nitrate was analyzed in real samples of reinforced concrete contaminated with chlorides of sodium. So they were chosen two types of cement CP- IV and CP-V, cement water three relationships 0.4, a/c-0.5, a/c- 0.65. In this case to simulate the marine environment, accelerated tests were performed chloride. They were compared the methods of analysis, simulated synthetically and simulated in real concrete.

Les protéines à domaine PDZ, en très grand nombre dans le génome humain, sont impliquées dans des interactions protéine-protéine. Elles participent ainsi à véhiculer des signaux à l’origine de différentes pathologies (cancer, douleur….). L’interruption de l’interaction entre la protéine à domaine PDZ, PSD-95, et le récepteur de la sérotonine, 5-HT2A, entraîne une réduction de l’hyperalgie chez le rat neuropathique. Le développement de molécules capables d’inhiber cette interaction pourrait donc conduire à une nouvelle classe d’antalgiques.Nous avons réalisé, au cours de ces travaux, la synthèse de trois générations de ligands, comportant un noyau indolique, capables d’interagir avec le site S0, site très conservé des protéines à domaines PDZ. Dans un premier temps, nous avons préparé 15 biligands possédant un noyau indolique polysubstitué lié, via un espaceur de longueur variable (2 à 6 atomes de carbone), à différents acides aminés, dans le but d’interagir avec le site S1, montrant beaucoup de diversité en fonction du domaine. Nous avons ensuite, après une étude de relation structure/activité, développé deux autres générations d’indoles polysubstitués présentant notamment des substituants hydrophobes en position 5.Nous avons montré, par RMN HSQC 1H/15N et chromatographie d’affinité, que deux de ces composés sont des inhibiteurs de l’interaction PSD-95/5-HT2A et présentent de fortes interactions avec le site S0 de PSD-95. Ces molécules présentent également des propriétés antalgiques particulièrement intéressantes in vivo. Nous avons également déterminé, par RMN NOESY, la structure du complexe protéine/ligand pour ces deux composés. L’orientation d’une de ces molécules dans le site de la protéine nous permet d’envisager le développement d’une nouvelle génération d’indoles polysubstitués, pouvant interagir avec le site S1 de la protéine et permettant ainsi d’obtenir des inhibiteurs sélectifs de l’interaction PSD-95/5-HT2A. / Protein-protein interactions play a central role in the regulation of biological processes and represent a promissing class of therapeutic targets. It has been recently reported that disrupting the interaction between the PDZ protein PSD-95 and the serotonin receptor 5-HT2A induced an antihyperalgesic effect in diabetic rats. In this context, the development of original ligands capable to inhibit specifically this interaction could lead to a new class of analgesic compounds.We carried out the synthesis of three generations of ligands possessing an indole moiety in order to interact with the highly conserved carboxylate-binding loop (GLGF loop) of PSD-95. Two generations of compounds were developed to find out the position and the nature of the substituents furnishing the best interactions. One generation consists of a family of 15 biligands possessing a substituted indole moiety, coupled with a linker (having from 2 to 6 carbon atoms) via an amid function, ended with various amino acids to interact with the S1 site of the protein, in order to obtain specific ligands.By various biological evaluations, NMR HSQC 1H/15N, chromatography affinity assays and in vivo experiments, we identified two promising inhibitors of the interaction PSD-95/5-HT2A with strong interactions with S0 site of PSD-95. For these compounds, we determined the structure of the complex protein/ligand by NMR NOESY experiments. The orientation of one of these molecules in the S0 site allows us to envisage a new generation of ligands capable to interact with the S1 site of the protein.

A semente da Araucaria angustifolia, denominada pinhão, é consumida no Sul e Sudeste do Brasil, como farinha em pratos regionais ou cozida. Há relativamente pouca informação a respeito da composição química e do valor nutricional da semente e de sua farinha. Neste trabalho, a farinha de pinhão, obtida através de diferentes tratamentos térmicos foi avaliada como complemento protéico em um experimento biológico com ratos recém-desmamados. Os animais experimentais consumiram cinco dietas (n=6) com diferentes fontes de proteína: dieta com caseína (CAS), dieta com 80% caseína e 20% (w/w) proteína de farinha de pinhão (PF) sem tratamento térmico (NATPIN), considerando 33.1 ± 1.4 g de proteína/kg desta farinha, dieta com 80% caseína e 20% PF seca a 50°C por 16 horas (PF50), considerando 49.2 ± 0.6 g de proteína/Kg desta farinha, dieta com 80% caseína e 20% PF seca a 80°C por 16 horas (PF80), considerando 50.5 ± 0.8 g de proteína/kg desta farinha e dieta aprotéica (APROT). Os valores de ganho de peso, ingesta de alimento, Coeficiente de Eficácia Alimentar (PER) e Razão Protéica Líquida (NPR) foram similares para as dietas CAS e FP80. O escore químico de aminoácidos corrigido pela digestibilidade protéica (PDCAAS) da PF80 foi o mais alto nas farinhas de pinhão testadas. O escore químico (CS) da farinha de pinhão se mostrou semelhante ao encontrado em outros cereais, sendo a lisina o principal aminoácido limitante, seguida da histidina. Valores mais baixos em todos os parâmetros nutricionais foram encontrados nos animais alimentados com dietas onde foi usada a farinha de pinhão. A farinha de pinhão seca a 80°C por 16 horas mostrou resultados similares nos parâmetros nutricionais ao grupo CAS, e pode ser utilizada, substituindo até 20% de uma proteína de alto valor biológico (AVB) em formulações alimentares. / The seeds of Araucaria angustifolia, namely “pinhão”, are consumed in South and Southeast of Brazil, like flour in regional dishes or baked. There is relatively few information about the chemical composition and nutritional value of the seed and its flour. In this work, “pinhão” flour obtained by different heat treatments was evaluated as an additive in biological experiment for growing rats. Wistar rats were fed five experimental diets (n=6) containing different protein sources: only casein (CAS), diet with 80% casein supplemented with 20% (w/w) “pinhão” flour (PF) protein without heat treatment (NATPIN), considering 33.1 ± 1.4 g of protein/kg of this flour, diet with 80% casein and 20% PF dried at 50°C for 16 hours (PF 50), considering 49.2 ± 0.6 g of protein/kg of this flour and diet with 80% casein and diet with 20% PF dried at 80°C for 16 hours (PF80), considering 50.5 ± 0.8 g of protein/kg of this flour and one aproteic diet (APROT). Values for weight gain, feed ingest, Protein Efficiency Ratio (PER) and Net Protein Ratio (NPR) were similar for diets CAS and PF80, and acoording to this, the Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino acid Score (PDCAAS) of PF80 was the highest of all the “pinhão” flours tested. The Chemical Score (CS) of “pinhão” flour showed similarity to the results found for other cereals, being lysine the limiting amino acid, folowed by histidine. Lowest values for all nutritional parameters were observed for diets complemented with “pinhão” flour. “Pinhão” flour heated at 80°C for 16 hours and used as supplementary in diet had the most similar results in all nutritional parameters to casein-based diets, and can be used as complementary source, substituting until 20% of a high biological value protein in food formulations.

In 2015, an estimated 46.8 million people were living with dementia, a number predicted to increase to 74.7 million by 2030 and 131.5 million by 2050. Whilst there are numerous causes for the development of dementia, Alzheimer's disease is by far the most common, accounting for approximately 50-70% of all cases. Current therapeutic agents against Alzheimer's disease are palliative in nature, managing symptoms without addressing the underlying cause and thus disease progression and patient death remain a certainty. Whilst the main underlying cause for the development of Alzheimer's disease was originally thought to be an abnormal deposition of insoluble amyloid-β peptide derived plaques within the brain, the failure of several high-profile therapeutic agents, which were shown to reduce the plaque burden without improving cognition, has recently prompted a shift in focus to soluble oligomeric forms of amyloid-β peptide. Such soluble oligomers have been shown to be toxic in their own right and to precede plaque deposition. Soluble amyloid-β oligomers have been identified in various subcellular compartments, including the mitochondria, where they form a complex with the 17β-HSD10 enzyme resulting in cytotoxicity. Interestingly, hallmarks of this toxicity have been shown to be dependent on the catalytic activity of the 17β-HSD10 enzyme, suggesting two therapeutic approaches may hold merit in treating Alzheimer's disease: disrupting the interaction between the 17β-HSD10 enzyme and amyloid-β peptide, or directly inhibiting the catalytic activity of the 17β-HSD10 enzyme. In 2006, Frentizole was identified as a small molecule capable of disrupting the 17β-HSD10/amyloid interaction. The work described herein details the generation of a robust screening assay allowing the catalytic activity of the 17β-HSD10 enzyme to be measured in vitro. This assay was subsequently employed for small molecule screening using two methodologies; first in a targeted approach using compounds derived from the Frentizole core scaffold, and second in an explorative manner using a diverse library of compounds supplied by the National Cancer Institute. As a result, a range of novel small molecule inhibitors of the 17β-HSD10 enzyme have been identified and the most promising characterised in terms of potency and mechanism of action. De-selection assays were developed to allow the efficient triage of hit compounds and work was begun on a cellular based assay which would allow the ability of compounds of interest to reverse a disease relevant phenotype to be assessed in a cellular environment. As such, we now have a number of hit compounds which will form the basis for the generation of subsequent series of derivatives with improved potency and specificity, as well as the robust assays required to measure such criteria, potentially leading to the generation of novel therapeutic agents against Alzheimer's disease.

Master of Science / Department of Agronomy / Antonio R. Asebedo / Johanna A. Dille / Field experiments were conducted in 2016 and 2017 across nine locations in Kansas to develop and evaluate a procedure for variable-rate applications (VRA) of soil-applied herbicides in corn and grain sorghum based on soil properties. Soil electrical conductivity (EC) and soil organic matter (SOM) data were collected at each location using a Veris MSP3. Soil EC was correlated to soil texture and herbicide algorithms were developed for two different tank-mixes for corn and for grain sorghum. Three algorithms were evaluated in the field for each tank-mix based only on SOM (alg-SOM), SOM and soil texture (alg-SOMtex), or a flat rate based on the average soil properties for the entire field. Rates for each tank-mix were based on the maximum usage rate (MUR) allowed. When soil variability across a field was adequate, VRA based on algorithms were effective at five of the nine locations. Across these five locations, alg-SOM resulted in the same or better weed control at 8 weeks after treatment (WAT) compared to the flat rate and reduced herbicide use by 12% for both tank-mixes in grain sorghum. Using alg-SOMtex reduced herbicide use by 24% in grain sorghum, but had less weed control at several locations compared to the flat rate. VRA was practical at Morganville, KS in 2017. Both alg-SOM and alg-SOMtex increased the amount of herbicide applied compared to the flat rate, but alg-SOMtex resulted in greater Palmer amaranth control (92%) compared to the flat rate (71%). Separate greenhouse and field experiments were conducted in 2017 to evaluate the activity of soil-applied herbicides on controlling HPPD-inhibitor resistant Palmer amaranth populations. A dose-response greenhouse experiment of soil-applied mesotrione and isoxaflutole was performed using resistant (Stafford County) and susceptible (Riley County) Palmer amaranth populations. Reduced susceptibility was observed with resistant-to-susceptible ratios being 7.2 for mesotrione and 4.1 for isoxaflutole. Field experiments were conducted at two locations in KS with one field having HPPD-resistant (Barton County) and the other HPPD-susceptible (Reno County) Palmer amaranth populations. Treatments were three HPPD-inhibiting herbicides [mesotrione (¼X, ½X, and 1X = 210 g ha-1), isoxaflutole (½X and 1X = 105 g ha-1), and bicyclopyrone (1X = 50 g ha-1 and 2X in formulated tank-mix with bromoxynil at 700 and 1400 g ha-1)] in comparison to other soil-applied herbicides commonly used for Palmer amaranth control. HPPD-inhibitor treatments were applied alone and tank-mixed with atrazine (2240 g ha-1). Overall, control of Palmer amaranth was reduced for HPPD-resistant compared to -susceptible populations. All treatments of mesotrione and isoxaflutole at 4 WAT resulted in 81 to 99% control in Reno County, but only 55 to 89% control in Barton County. For mesotrione and isoxaflutole treatments across both sites, Palmer amaranth control at 4 WAT was greater when 1X was applied (89%) compared to 0.5X (81%). Tank-mixing atrazine with mesotrione and isoxaflutole increased Palmer amaranth control from 82 to 88%. Soil-applied HPPD-inhibitors were most effective when applied at field usage rate in combination with atrazine for both populations. When using soil-applied HPPD-inhibitors, management recommendations should be the same regardless of Palmer amaranth population.