Chronic, noncommunicable diseases such as chronic fatigue syndrome (also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis) are rapidly becoming a worldwide epidemic that profoundly affects public health and productivity. Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is characterised by severe and debilitating fatigue and although its etiology is still unknown, recent studies have found considerable evidence that mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress might be responsible for the underlying energy deficit in these patients. Adenine and pyridine nucleotides could be used as potential biomarkers for energy related disorders such as chronic fatigue syndrome because of their various functions in the energy and redox pathways. The first part of this study focussed on developing a liquid chromatography electrosprayionisation tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) method for the quantification of these nucleotides in blood samples. Due to the instability of nucleotides in biological matrices it was also necessary to find a suitable extraction method that would be able to stop enzymatic activity via protein precipitation. Out of the four extraction methods investigated during this study, deproteinisation of whole blood samples with perchloric acid produced the highest nucleotide abundances. Although nucleotide standards were found to be stable in perchloric acid, nucleotide levels in blood samples were not stabilised by addition of perchloric acid. The second part of this study consisted of measuring the nucleotide levels in blood samples of controls and possible CFS patients in order to test the proof of concept of the new LCESI- MS/MS method. Despite changes in the nucleotide levels due to perchloric acid and problems with nucleotide instability, it was still possible to distinguish between the two groups based on the results obtained with the new LC-ESI-MS/MS method. The newly developed LC-ESI-MS/MS method proved to be reliable and adequate for nucleotide quantification in whole blood samples, thus the aim of this study was achieved. / MSc (Biochemistry), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Les champignons produisent une grande variété de composés/métabolites biologiquement actifs qui peuvent être utilisés à des fins médicinales et pharmaceutiques. Les mitorubrines, membres de la famille des azaphilones, constituent un ensemble particulièrement intéressant de métabolites secondaires, présentant une grande étendue d'activités biologiques (e.g. antimicrobienne, antibactérienne, antipaludique). Ce travail présente le développement de plusieurs approches de spectrométrie de masse permettant de résoudre la diversité structurelle naturelle et la complexité des azaphilones extraits des champignons Hypoxylon fragiforme. La première partie de ce manuscrit est dédiée au développement et à la validation d'une méthodologie analytique impliquant la chromatographie liquide couplée à la spectrométrie de masse haute résolution pour la détection efficace et précise de traces d'azaphilones dans des extraits fongiques complexes. En outre, des expériences de spectrométrie de masse en mode tandem (par dissociation induite par collision, CID) et d'échange hydrogène/deutérium ont été effectuées pour élucider et caractériser les azaphilones et leurs analogues azotés chez Hypoxylon fragiforme. La deuxième partie est consacrée à l'application de ces différentes stratégies analytiques pour la caractérisation approfondie d'une nouvelle famille de métabolites secondaires dérivés des azaphilones, les mitorubramines. Enfin, ces différents métabolites secondaires ont été purifiés pour confirmer leur structure chimique par spectroscopie RMN

Blumeria graminis f. sp. hordei is a biotroph pathogen that causes powdery mildew disease in barley. In this study, Pallas01 and Pallas03 barley lines having Mla1, Ml (Al2) and Mla6, Mla14 R-genes were inoculated with Bgh103(64/01) race of the Blumeria graminis f. sp. hordei having avirulence and virulence to Pallas01 and Pallas03, respectively. The proteins were isolated from the three biological replicates of 12, 24, and 48 hpi samples following the method in Rampitsch et al., 2006. These there biological replicates of three time points together with the mock inoculated plant proteins were separated on 2D-PAGE using IPG strips of 4-7 pH values as three technical replicates, resulting 108 gels. The gels were analyzed using PdQuest (Bio Rad) in order to assess up- or down-regulated protein spots by comparing against controls and the samples having resistance or susceptible responses with each other. According to the analysis, 36 proteins were found to be differentiated and among them 18 proteins were found up-regulated and 8 proteins were found down-regulated. The spots were manually v excised and subjected to the nano-LC-ESI-MS/MS analysis (Proteome Factory, Germany). The MASCOT algorithm was used for identification of the possible proteins. The experimental pI and MW values were used for selecting the differentiated proteins from the mass results. The relative abundance of each of the 38 identified polypeptides was calculated in terms of spot intensity. The majority of the most abundant proteins were found to be carbohydrate metabolism related. The relative distribution of the proteins into four main functional categories was taken into consideration. Statistical tests (Students&amp / #8223 / T-test) were carried among the identified proteins in order to reveal statistically significant proteins throughout the study. By making a WoLF PSORT search, subcellular localization of the proteins was predicted. Accordingly, most of the proteins were found to be located in cytoplasm or chloroplast.

Chronic, noncommunicable diseases such as chronic fatigue syndrome (also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis) are rapidly becoming a worldwide epidemic that profoundly affects public health and productivity. Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is characterised by severe and debilitating fatigue and although its etiology is still unknown, recent studies have found considerable evidence that mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress might be responsible for the underlying energy deficit in these patients. Adenine and pyridine nucleotides could be used as potential biomarkers for energy related disorders such as chronic fatigue syndrome because of their various functions in the energy and redox pathways. The first part of this study focussed on developing a liquid chromatography electrosprayionisation tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) method for the quantification of these nucleotides in blood samples. Due to the instability of nucleotides in biological matrices it was also necessary to find a suitable extraction method that would be able to stop enzymatic activity via protein precipitation. Out of the four extraction methods investigated during this study, deproteinisation of whole blood samples with perchloric acid produced the highest nucleotide abundances. Although nucleotide standards were found to be stable in perchloric acid, nucleotide levels in blood samples were not stabilised by addition of perchloric acid. The second part of this study consisted of measuring the nucleotide levels in blood samples of controls and possible CFS patients in order to test the proof of concept of the new LCESI- MS/MS method. Despite changes in the nucleotide levels due to perchloric acid and problems with nucleotide instability, it was still possible to distinguish between the two groups based on the results obtained with the new LC-ESI-MS/MS method. The newly developed LC-ESI-MS/MS method proved to be reliable and adequate for nucleotide quantification in whole blood samples, thus the aim of this study was achieved. / MSc (Biochemistry), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

In the past couple of decades, the discovery that iron is a limiting nutrient in large regions of the ocean has spurred much research into characterizing the biogeochemical controls on iron cycling. While Fe(II) is soluble at circumneutral pH, it readily oxidizes to Fe(III) in the presence of oxygen. Fe(III) is highly insoluble at circumneutral pH, presenting organisms with a bioavailability paradox stemming from the physiological challenge of using a solid phase mineral for assimilatory or dissimilatory purposes. Interestingly, dissolved organic-Fe(III) complexes can be stable in seawater in the presence of oxygen, and an active flux of these complexes has recently been measured in estuarine sediments. Their sources and biogeochemical role, however, remain poorly understood. In this work, a suite of field and laboratory techniques were developed to quantify diagenetic processes involved in the remineralization of carbon in marine sediments in situ, investigate the role of these organic-Fe(III) complexes in sediment biogeochemistry, and characterize the composition of the ligands possibly involved in the solubilization of Fe(III) in marine sediments. The first-of-its-kind in situ electrochemical analyzer and HPLC was used to better constrain diagenetic processes that may lead to the formation of dissolved organic-Fe(III) complexes in the Altamaha estuary and Carolina slope. An intensive study of the Satilla River estuary reveals that dissimilatory iron-reduction contributes to the formation of sedimentary organic-Fe(III) complexes, which are demonstrated to serve as an electron acceptor in subsequent incubations with a model iron-reducing microorganism. Similar observations in deep-sea slope and abyssal plain sediments fed by the Mississippi and Congo Rivers suggest that dissimilatory iron reduction may represent an important component of carbon remineralization in river-dominated ocean margin sediments that may be currently underestimated globally. To confirm that these organic-Fe(III) complexes are produced during microbial iron reduction, novel separation schemes were developed to extract and identify Fe(III)-binding ligands from sediment pore waters. Preliminary results reveal the presence of a few select low-molecular weight compounds in all pore waters extracted, suggesting they might be endogenous ligands secreted by iron-reducing bacteria to non-reductively dissolve Fe(III) minerals prior to reduction.

The catfish industry suffers losses primarily due to enteric septicemia of catfish and columnaris disease caused by Edwardsiella ictaluri and Flavobacterium columnare, respectively. Understanding the host-pathogen interactions is vital for prevention and eradication of these diseases. Hence, the overall objective of this study was to analyze whole cell proteomes of these two bacteria, and to determine the changes in E. ictaluri protein expression against in vitro iron-restriction and host serum treatment. High-throughput proteomic analysis of these bacteria was conducted using two-dimensional liquid chromatography followed by electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (2-D LC ESI MS/MS) and two-dimentional gel electrophoresis coupled with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-oflight mass spectrometry (2-DE MALDI TOF/TOF). Identified proteins were clustered into functional groups using clusters of orthologous groups, and subcellular locations as well as possible functional relationships were determined. A total of 788 unique E. ictaluri and 621 unique F. columnare proteins were identified, which represented 12 and 28 pathways, respectively. Vertebrate hosts tend to chelate free iron of their body and make the environment hostile for bacteria. Hence, reduced availability of iron may cause significant stress for pathogens and is considered a signal that leads to alteration in virulent gene expression. Similarly, E. ictaluri might use the catfish blood stream effectively for quick systemic invasion. Hence, exposure to catfish serum components might reveal the ability of E. ictaluri to protect against host defense mechanisms. Using two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis, responses of E. ictaluri due to in vitro iron-restriction and host serum treatment were determined. A total of 50 and 19 proteins were identified to be differentially expressed due to in vitro iron-restriction and catfish serum treatment, respectively. Among the differentially expressed proteins, several putative virulent determinants, immunogenic proteins, chaperones, and housekeeping genes were noted. To initiate functional studies, four differentially expressed E. ictaluri genes (lamB, glyS, malE, and sdhA) were mutated by inrame deletion. Results from this study provided experimental evidence for many predicted proteins. In addition, identification of differentially expressed proteins provided targets for further functional analysis, which could help elucidate pathogenic mechanisms of E. ictaluri.

no / Surfactants are commonly used as cleansing agents and yet there are concerns they may also have a role in skin irritation. Presently, the lack of suitable methods for quantitative and qualitative analysis of surfactant deposition on skin has hindered the in-depth investigation of such effects. Here, we report the application of reverse phase liquid chromatography electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry (LC/ESI-MS/MS) assays for two surfactants commonly used in consumer products, namely sodium lauryl ether sulphate (SLES) and laurylamidopropyl betaine (LAPB), to a baseline study aiming to assess deposition levels on human skin. The linearity of the assays was established at 3-20 ng, with coefficient of variation below 5%. Detection limits were 100 pg for LAPB and 1 ng for SLES; quantitation limits were 500 pg for LAPB and 2.5 ng for SLES. The baseline study was conducted using a panel of 40 healthy volunteers. Skin extract samples were taken in triplicate from forearms, using ethanol. SLES was detected on most volunteers, with 75% of them having SLES deposits in the range of 100-600 ng/cm2. LAPB was detected on the skin of all volunteers with 85% of them having deposit levels within the concentration range of 1-100 ng/cm2. These results demonstrate the extent to which commonly used surfactants remain on the skin during the day. The analytical methods reported here can be applied to the investigation of surfactants in relation to general skin condition and the development and optimisation of new consumer wash products. / EPSRC

no / Surfactants are commonly used as cleansing agents and yet there are concerns that they may also have a role in skin irritation. The lack of suitable methods for the quantitative and qualitative analysis of surfactant deposition on skin has hindered the in-depth investigation of such effects. Here, we report the application of reversed-phase liquid chromatography/electrospray ionisation tandem mass spectrometry (LC/ESI-MS/MS) assays for two surfactants commonly used in consumer products, namely sodium lauryl ether sulfate (SLES) and laurylamidopropyl betaine (LAPB), to a baseline study aiming to assess deposition levels on human skin. The linearity of the assays was established at 3-20 ng, with coefficient of variation below 5%. The detection limits were 100 pg for LAPB and 1 ng for SLES; quantitation limits were 500 pg for LAPB and 2.5 ng for SLES. The baseline study was conducted using a panel of 40 healthy volunteers. Skin extract samples were taken in triplicate from forearms, using ethanol. SLES was detected on most volunteers, with 75% of them having SLES deposits in the range of 100-600 ng/cm(2). LAPB was detected on the skin of all volunteers with 85% of them having deposit levels within the concentration range of 1-100 ng/cm(2). These results demonstrate the extent to which commonly used surfactants remain on the skin during the day. The analytical methods reported here can be applied to the investigation of surfactants in relation to general skin condition and to the development and optimisation of new consumer wash products. / EPSRC-DTA award / School Life Sciences

No description available.

no / Bioactive lipid mediators derived from polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and exhibit a range of tissue and cell-specific activities in many physiological and pathological processes. Electrospray tandem mass spectrometry coupled to liquid chromatography (LC/ESI-MS/MS) is a sensitive, versatile analytical methodology for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of lipid mediators. Here we present an LC/ESI-MS/MS assay for the simultaneous analysis of twenty mono- and poly-hydroxy fatty acid derivatives of linoleic, arachidonic, eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids. The assay was linear over the concentration range 1-100 pg/¿L, whilst the limits of detection and quantitation were 10-20 and 20-50 pg respectively. The recovery of the extraction methodology varied from 76-122% depending on the metabolite. This system is useful for profiling a range of biochemically-related potent mediators including the newly discovered resolvins and protectins, and their precursor hydroxy-eicosapentaenoic and hydroxy-docosahexaenoic acids, and, consequently, advance our understanding of the role of PUFA in health and disease. / Wellcome Trust, British Heart Foundation