Submitted by MARIA LAURA VIOLA AUGUSTO (marialauraa@gmail.com) on 2018-06-15T17:16:40Z No. of bitstreams: 1 augusto_mlv_dr_jabo.pdf: 1777889 bytes, checksum: 32d8b34f05ca40dec4ae93cca2a67527 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Neli Silvia Pereira null (nelisps@fcav.unesp.br) on 2018-06-15T18:34:35Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 augusto_mlv_dr_jabo.pdf: 1777889 bytes, checksum: 32d8b34f05ca40dec4ae93cca2a67527 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-06-15T18:34:35Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 augusto_mlv_dr_jabo.pdf: 1777889 bytes, checksum: 32d8b34f05ca40dec4ae93cca2a67527 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-05-14 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) / O controle da broca da cana, Diatraea saccharalis (Fabricius, 1794) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), pode ser feito pela aplicação de inseticidas químicos, mas o uso dessa tática de manejo pode resultar em danos ambientais e ao homem. De forma alternativa e com efeitos negativos reduzidos, o manejo de D. saccharalis e outros insetos-praga pode ser feito pela utilização do entomopatógeno Bacillus thuringiensis. Além do uso de formulações de B. thuringiensis para o controle de pragas, um ou mais genes que codificam proteínas inseticidas Cry e Vip de B. thuringiensis estão presentes nas plantas transgênicas com resistência a insetos comercialmente disponíveis no Brasil. Apesar de alta adoção, efeitos colaterais reduzidos e eficiência das plantas Bt, o uso desta tecnologia pode resultar na seleção de populações de insetos resistentes às plantas transgênicas. Por isso, a busca por novas proteínas e combinações de proteínas com diferentes modos de ação para retardar a evolução da resistência deve ser constante. Nesse cenário, uma quitinase de B. thuringiensis apresenta potencial para ser incorporada em uma nova geração de plantas transgênicas. Quitinases são enzimas que apresentam domínios catalíticos para hidrólise de quitina e domínios ligantes em quitina (CBD) que podem estar envolvidos com a atividade inseticida. A atividade inseticida das quitinases é relacionada com a desestruturação da membrana peritrófica dos insetos e consequente perda de suas propriedades e funções. Além da descoberta de proteínas inseticidas com diferentes modos de ação, é de interesse que essas apresentem interações positivas com outras proteínas inseticidas. No presente trabalho, duas formas de uma quitinase de B. thuringiensis - ChiΔSP (sem o peptídio sinal) e ChiΔSP.CBD (sem o peptídio sinal e sem o domínio ligante em quitina) - foram produzidas de forma heteróloga em Escherichia coli para avaliações bioquímicas e biológicas sobre D. saccharalis. Ensaios bioquímicos das enzimas ChiΔSP e ChiΔSP.CBD indicam que a atividade quitinolítica sobre quitina coloidal de ChiΔSP (3,07±0,15 U/nmol) foi maior que de ChiΔSP.CBD (1,83±0,06 U/nmol), a ligação de ChiΔSP à quitina coloidal também foi superior à ligação de ChiΔSP.CBD e as maiores atividades (60-100% da atividade total) de ChiΔSP e ChiΔSP.CBD foram detectadas a 30 e 40°C em uma ampla faixa de pH (4,0-9,0). Após estimar a CL50 da proteína Vip3Aa42 sobre lagartas neonatas de D. saccharalis em 352,132 ng/cm2 de dieta, foram avaliadas interações entre Vip3Aa42 e ChiΔSP ou ChiΔSP.CBD. Os resultados indicam que a adição isolada de 2,41 nmol/cm2 de ChiΔSP ou ChiΔSP.CBD não resultou na mortalidade de lagartas de D. saccharalis. A combinação da CL50 de Vip3Aa42 com 2,41 nmol/cm2 de ChiΔSP apresentou efeito sinérgico para mortalidade das lagartas (mortalidade de 90%), mas nenhum efeito (aditivo, sinérgico ou antagônico) foi observado para a combinação da CL50 de Vip3Aa42 com 2,41 nmol/cm2 de ChiΔSP.CBD. A ausência do CBD em ChiΔSP.CBD e consequentes alterações bioquímicas impediu sinergismo de ChiΔSP.CBD com Vip3Aa42 sobre lagartas de D. saccharalis. / Chemical control is applied to manage the sugarcane borer, Diatraea saccharalis (Fabricius, 1794) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae). However, this control tactic may result in great damages to the environment and non-target species, including men. Alternativelly, the use of the entomopathogen Bacillus thuringiensis can be made to manage D. saccharalis and other insect pests with reduced undisarable side effects. Beyond the use of formulations of B. thuringiensis for pest control, one or more genes of insecticidal proteins from B. thuringiensis such as Cry and Vip are incorporated into commercially available transgenic plants with insect resistance in Brazil. Despite of the high adoption rate, reduced side effects, and high efficency, the intensive use of this technology may result in the selection of insect-resistant populations to transgenic plants. For this reason, the search for new genes with different modes of action to delay the evolution of resistance must be constant. In this scenario, a chitinase from B. thuringiensis has potential to be incorporated into a new generation of transgenic plants. Chitinases are enzymes of the family of glycosyl hydrolases which catalyze the hydrolysis of chitin. Chitinases present catalytic domains responsible for the hydrolysis of chitin and chitin-binding domains (CBD), both associated to insecticidal activity. Insecticidal activity of chitinases is related to the disruption of the peritrophic membrane of insects, which results in the loss of properties and functions of this structure. In addition to the discovery of insecticidal proteins with different modes of action, positive interactions with other insecticidal proteins is desirable for pest management. In the present work, two forms of a chitinase of B. thuringiensis - ChiΔSP (without signal peptide) and ChiΔSP.CBD (without signal peptide and without the chitin-binding domain) - were produced by heterologous expression in Escherichia coli for biochemical and biological analyses. Chitinolytic activity of ChiΔSP (3.07 ± 0.15 U/nmol) was higher than that observed for ChiΔSP.CBD (1.83 ± 0.06 U/nmol) towards colloidal chitin. The binding of ChiΔSP to colloidal chitin was also higher than that observed for ChiΔSP.CBD, and the ChiΔSP or ChiΔSP.CBD chitinolytic activity (60-100% of total chitinolytic activity) was detected at 30 and 40°C in a broad pH range (4.0-9.0). After estimating the LC50 of the Vip3Aa42 protein at 352,132 ng/cm2 of diet, interactions between combinations of Vip3Aa42 and ChiΔSP or ChiΔSP.CBD were evaluated. Results indicate that the adition of 2,41 nmol/cm2 of ChiΔSP or ChiΔSP.CBD do not result in larval mortality of D. saccharalis. The combination of the LC50 of Vip3Aa42 with 2,41 nmol/cm2 nmol of ChiΔSP resulted in a synergic effect (mortality of 90%), but no effect (aditive, sinergic or antagonic) was observed when the LC50 of Vip3Aa42 was combined to 2,41 nmol/cm2 nmol of ChiΔSP.CBD. Lack of CBD in ChiΔSP.CBD resulted in biochemical changes in this form of B. thuringiensis chitinase which impacted on the sinergic effect of this protein with Vip3Aa42 against D. saccharalis. / CNPq: 140093/2015-0

Une fois ingérées par un insecte sensible, les toxines insecticides du bacille de Thuringe doivent être activées par les protéases intestinales de cet insecte. Leur premier domaine, un ensemble de sept hélices-α amphipathiques, est responsable de leur insertion dans la membrane luminale de certaines cellules de l’intestin médian, ce qui crée des pores peu sélectifs. La toxicité et la capacité à former des pores d’une telle toxine, la Cry9Ca, de ses mutants simples R164A et R164K et d’un fragment de 55 kDa résultant d’un clivage protéolytique au niveau de son résidu 164 ont été étudiées à l’aide d’une combinaison de modélisation par homologie, de bioessais, d’expériences de gonflement osmotique avec des vésicules de membrane en bordure en brosse de larves de sphinx du tabac et de mesures électrophysiologiques sur des intestins isolés. Ni les mutations simples ni le clivage protéolytique n’ont altéré la toxicité de la Cry9Ca. Dans une solution à faible force ionique, toutefois, la formation des pores dépend fortement du pH : une augmentation de celui-ci de 6,5 à 10,5 a entraîné une baisse irrégulière et par étapes successives de la perméabilité membranaire. Les quatre préparations de toxine ont néanmoins dépolarisé la membrane apicale d’intestins médians fraîchement isolés baignant dans une solution contenant 122 mM de KCl à pH 10,5. L’activité de la Cry9Ca, et des mutants R164A et R164K, a été grandement stimulée lorsque les expériences ont été effectuées en présence de suc intestinal, de lipides extraits d’un volume équivalent de suc intestinal ou d’un cocktail d’inhibiteurs de protéases solubles dans l’eau. De plus, le rôle des boucles inter-hélicales du Domaine I lors de l’insertion dans la membrane a été étudié avec des mutants doubles de la Cry9Ca dont les mutations introduisaient, neutralisaient ou renversaient une charge électrique. À l’exception de trois d’entres eux, tous ces mutants ont conservé une toxicité et une capacité à former des pores comparables à celles de la toxine parentale. L’ensemble de ces résultats suggère que le micro-environnement de l’intestin médian contribue à minimiser l’influence des charges de surface portées par les résidus des boucles inter-hélicales du Domaine I sur la capacité des toxines du bacille de Thuringe à former des pores. Il indique aussi que, d’une part, selon le site de clivage et les conditions expérimentales utilisées, des protéolyses supplémentaires de la toxine Cry9Ca activée peuvent soit stimuler, soit nuire à son activité et que, d’autre part, le suc intestinal du sphinx du tabac contient probablement un inhibiteur de protéases qui pourrait jouer un rôle important dans l’activité des toxines du bacille de Thuringe. / Once ingested by susceptible insects, Bacillus thuringiensis insecticidal toxins must be activated by the insect’s intestinal proteases. Their first domain, a bundle of seven amphipathic -helices, is responsible for their insertion into the luminal membrane of midgut cells, thereby creating poorly selective pores. The toxicity and pore-forming ability of one such toxin, Cry9Ca, its single-site mutants, R164A and R164K, and of the 55-kDa fragment resulting from its proteolytic cleavage at residue 164 were investigated using a combination of homology modeling, bioassays, osmotic swelling experiments with Manduca sexta larval midgut brush border membrane vesicles and electrophysiological measurements on isolated midguts. Neither the single mutations nor the proteolytic cleavage altered Cry9Ca toxicity. In low ionic strength solutions however, pore formation was highly dependent on pH: increasing pH from 6.5 to 10.5 resulted in an irregular step-wise decrease in membrane permeabilization. All four toxin preparations nevertheless depolarized the apical membrane of freshly isolated midguts bathing in a solution containing 122 mM KCl at pH 10.5. The activity of Cry9Ca, R164A and R164K was greatly enhanced when the experiments were conducted in the presence of midgut juice, the lipids extracted from an equivalent volume of midgut juice or a cocktail of water-soluble protease inhibitors. Additionally, the role of the interhelical loops of Domain I in membrane insertion was investigated with Cry9Ca double mutants with mutations that either introduced, neutralized or reversed an electrical charge. All but three mutants retained a toxicity and a pore-forming ability that were comparable to those of their parental toxin. Overall, the results suggest that the midgut microenvironment contributes to minimizing the influence of surface charges carried by Domain I interhelical loop residues on B. thuringiensis toxins pore-forming ability. They also indicate that, depending on the cleavage site and on the experimental conditions used, further proteolysis of the activated Cry9Ca toxin can either stimulate or be detrimental to its activity and that M. sexta midgut juice probably contains protease inhibitors that could play a major role in the activity of B. thuringiensis toxins in the insect midgut.

Une fois ingérées par un insecte sensible, les toxines insecticides du bacille de Thuringe doivent être activées par les protéases intestinales de cet insecte. Leur premier domaine, un ensemble de sept hélices-α amphipathiques, est responsable de leur insertion dans la membrane luminale de certaines cellules de l’intestin médian, ce qui crée des pores peu sélectifs. La toxicité et la capacité à former des pores d’une telle toxine, la Cry9Ca, de ses mutants simples R164A et R164K et d’un fragment de 55 kDa résultant d’un clivage protéolytique au niveau de son résidu 164 ont été étudiées à l’aide d’une combinaison de modélisation par homologie, de bioessais, d’expériences de gonflement osmotique avec des vésicules de membrane en bordure en brosse de larves de sphinx du tabac et de mesures électrophysiologiques sur des intestins isolés. Ni les mutations simples ni le clivage protéolytique n’ont altéré la toxicité de la Cry9Ca. Dans une solution à faible force ionique, toutefois, la formation des pores dépend fortement du pH : une augmentation de celui-ci de 6,5 à 10,5 a entraîné une baisse irrégulière et par étapes successives de la perméabilité membranaire. Les quatre préparations de toxine ont néanmoins dépolarisé la membrane apicale d’intestins médians fraîchement isolés baignant dans une solution contenant 122 mM de KCl à pH 10,5. L’activité de la Cry9Ca, et des mutants R164A et R164K, a été grandement stimulée lorsque les expériences ont été effectuées en présence de suc intestinal, de lipides extraits d’un volume équivalent de suc intestinal ou d’un cocktail d’inhibiteurs de protéases solubles dans l’eau. De plus, le rôle des boucles inter-hélicales du Domaine I lors de l’insertion dans la membrane a été étudié avec des mutants doubles de la Cry9Ca dont les mutations introduisaient, neutralisaient ou renversaient une charge électrique. À l’exception de trois d’entres eux, tous ces mutants ont conservé une toxicité et une capacité à former des pores comparables à celles de la toxine parentale. L’ensemble de ces résultats suggère que le micro-environnement de l’intestin médian contribue à minimiser l’influence des charges de surface portées par les résidus des boucles inter-hélicales du Domaine I sur la capacité des toxines du bacille de Thuringe à former des pores. Il indique aussi que, d’une part, selon le site de clivage et les conditions expérimentales utilisées, des protéolyses supplémentaires de la toxine Cry9Ca activée peuvent soit stimuler, soit nuire à son activité et que, d’autre part, le suc intestinal du sphinx du tabac contient probablement un inhibiteur de protéases qui pourrait jouer un rôle important dans l’activité des toxines du bacille de Thuringe. / Once ingested by susceptible insects, Bacillus thuringiensis insecticidal toxins must be activated by the insect’s intestinal proteases. Their first domain, a bundle of seven amphipathic -helices, is responsible for their insertion into the luminal membrane of midgut cells, thereby creating poorly selective pores. The toxicity and pore-forming ability of one such toxin, Cry9Ca, its single-site mutants, R164A and R164K, and of the 55-kDa fragment resulting from its proteolytic cleavage at residue 164 were investigated using a combination of homology modeling, bioassays, osmotic swelling experiments with Manduca sexta larval midgut brush border membrane vesicles and electrophysiological measurements on isolated midguts. Neither the single mutations nor the proteolytic cleavage altered Cry9Ca toxicity. In low ionic strength solutions however, pore formation was highly dependent on pH: increasing pH from 6.5 to 10.5 resulted in an irregular step-wise decrease in membrane permeabilization. All four toxin preparations nevertheless depolarized the apical membrane of freshly isolated midguts bathing in a solution containing 122 mM KCl at pH 10.5. The activity of Cry9Ca, R164A and R164K was greatly enhanced when the experiments were conducted in the presence of midgut juice, the lipids extracted from an equivalent volume of midgut juice or a cocktail of water-soluble protease inhibitors. Additionally, the role of the interhelical loops of Domain I in membrane insertion was investigated with Cry9Ca double mutants with mutations that either introduced, neutralized or reversed an electrical charge. All but three mutants retained a toxicity and a pore-forming ability that were comparable to those of their parental toxin. Overall, the results suggest that the midgut microenvironment contributes to minimizing the influence of surface charges carried by Domain I interhelical loop residues on B. thuringiensis toxins pore-forming ability. They also indicate that, depending on the cleavage site and on the experimental conditions used, further proteolysis of the activated Cry9Ca toxin can either stimulate or be detrimental to its activity and that M. sexta midgut juice probably contains protease inhibitors that could play a major role in the activity of B. thuringiensis toxins in the insect midgut.