The phytopathogenic fungus <i>Leptosphaeria maculans</i> can cause blackleg disease on crucifers, which results in significant yield losses. Fungal diseases involve interactions between pathogenic fungi and host plants. One aspect of these interactions is mediated by secondary metabolites produced by both fungi and host plants. Phytotoxins and elicitors as well as phytoanticipins and phytoalexins are metabolites produced by fungi and plants, respectively. This thesis describes and discusses the isolation, structure, biological activity and biosynthesis of the secondary metabolites produced by L. maculans.<p> The elicitor-toxin activity bioassay guided isolation of elicitors and phytotoxins produced by <i>L. maculans</i> in a chemically defined medium lead to the isolation of general elicitors, <i>sirodesmin PL</i> (165) and <i>deacetylsirodesmin PL</i> (166), and specific elicitors, <i>cerebrosides C</i> (14) and D (31) from minimum medium (MM) culture under standard conditions. The known phytotoxins sirodesmin PL (165) and deacetylsirodesmin PL (166) induced the production of <i>phytoalexin spirobrassinin</i> (122) in both resistant plant species (brown mustard, <i>Brassica juncea</i> cv. Cutlass) and susceptible plant species (canola, B. napus cv. Westar). A mixture of cerebrosides C (14) and D (31) induced the production of the phytoalexin rutalexin (127) in resistant plant species (brown mustard, B. juncea cv. Cutlass) but not in susceptible plant species (canola, B. napus cv. Westar). New metabolites leptomaculins A-E (267-269, 272 and 274) and deacetylleptomaculins C-E (270, 273 and 275) were isolated from elicitor-phytotoxin active fractions but did not display detectable elicitor activity or phytotoxicity after purification.<p> New metabolites maculansins A (299) and B (300), which were not detected in cultures of L. maculans incubated in MM, were isolated from cultures of <i>L. maculans</i> incubated in potato dextrose broth (PDB). Maculansins A (299) and B (300) displayed higher phytotoxicity on brown mustard than on canola and white mustard (<i>Sinapis alba cv. Ochre</i>) but did not elicit detectable production of phytoalexins in either brown mustard or canola. Metabolite 2,4-dihydroxy-3,6-dimethylbenzaldehyde (212) was produced in higher amount in cultures of L. maculans incubated in PDB than in MM and displayed strong inhibition effect on the root growth of brown mustard and canola. <i>L. maculans</i> incubated in MM amended with high concentration of NaCl produced a new metabolite, 8-hydroxynaphthalene-1-sulfate (293), and a known metabolite, bulgarein (294), which are likely involved in the self-protection. The potential intermediates involved in the biosynthesis of sirodesmin PL (165) were investigated using deuterium labeled precursors: [3,3-2H2]-L-tyrosine (251a), [3,3-2H2]O-prenyl-L-tyrosine (312a), E-[3,3,5,5,5-2H5]O-prenyl-L-tyrosine (312b), [5,5-2H2]phomamide (171a), [2,3,3-2H3]-L-serine (233d) and [5,5-2H2]cyclo-L-tyr-L-ser (252a). Intact incorporation of [5,5-2H2]phomamide (171a) into sirodesmin PL (165) suggested that leptomaculin D (272) and E (274), and deacetylleptomaculin D (273) and E (275) are not intermediates in the biosynthesis of sirodesmin PL (165). They are more likely the catabolic metabolites of sirodesmin PL (165). Phomamide (171), the intermediate in the biosynthetic pathway of sirodesmin PL (165), is likely biosynthesized by coupling of prenyl tyrosine (312) with serine (233) rather than prenylation of cyclo-L-tyr-L-ser (252). When [3,3-2H2]-L-tyrosine (251a), [3,3-2H2]O-prenyl-L-tyrosine (312a), and E-[3,3,5,5,5-2H5]O-prenyl-L-tyrosine (312b) were fed into cultures of L. maculans, a â proton exchange was detected by 1H NMR through intrinsic steric isotope effect, which occurs before the formation of phomamide (171). The biosynthesis and catabolism of sirodesmin PL (165) were proposed based on the results obtained in this work.

Submitted by RONIVALDO RODRIGUES DA SILVA (rds.roni@yahoo.com.br) on 2016-03-01T13:46:53Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Tese Doutorado RONIVALDO R. SILVA.pdf: 3318357 bytes, checksum: 82fadd527a2ede34e2a0a237a881e8f8 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Ana Paula Grisoto (grisotoana@reitoria.unesp.br) on 2016-03-01T18:27:48Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 silva_rr_dr_sjrp.pdf: 3318357 bytes, checksum: 82fadd527a2ede34e2a0a237a881e8f8 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-03-01T18:27:48Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 silva_rr_dr_sjrp.pdf: 3318357 bytes, checksum: 82fadd527a2ede34e2a0a237a881e8f8 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-02-12 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Aspártico (E.C. 3.4.23), cisteíno (E.C. 3.4.22) e serino peptidases (E.C. 3.4.21) são endopeptidases, cujos modos de ação são dependentes de resíduos de ácido aspártico, cisteína e serina presentes no sítio catalítico, respectivamente. Atualmente, vários estudos são realizados na busca por novas enzimas com relevantes propriedades bioquímicas para aplicação industrial. Neste contexto, nós propomos a produção de enzimas em bioprocesso submerso, purificação, estudo das propriedades bioquímicas e determinação da especificidade catalítica das peptidases secretadas pelos fungos filamentosos Rhizomucor miehei, Phanerochaete chrysosporium e Leptosphaeria sp. Inicialmente, após produção por bioprocesso submerso, estas enzimas foram purificadas utilizando cromatografias de exclusão molecular e troca iônica. Em ensaios de inibidores na atividade enzimática, notamos inibição das peptidases por pepstatina A (R. miehei), ácido iodoacético/N-Etilmaleimida (P. chrysosporium) e fluoreto de fenil metil sulfonila (Leptosphaeria sp), sendo então definidas como aspártico, cisteíno e serino peptidases, respectivamente. Por SDS-PAGE (12%), as massas moleculares foram estimadas em 37 kDa (aspártico), 23 kDa (cisteíno) e 35 kDa (serino). O máximo de atividade proteolítica foi alcançado em pH 5,5 e 55 ºC para peptidase aspártica secretada por R. miehei; pH 7 e faixa de temperatura 45-55 ºC para cisteíno peptidase secretada por P. chrysosporium, e pH 7 e 45 ºC para serino peptidase secretada por Leptosphaeria sp. Sob efeito de incubação a diferentes pH, a peptidase aspártica mostrou-se estável em condições ácidas (pH 3-5); cisteíno peptidase foi estável em ampla faixa de pH (pH 4-9), e serino peptidase mostrou-se mais estável em condições com tendências alcalinas e pH ligeiramente ácido (pH 5-9). Em todas estas faixas de pH citadas, as peptidases apresentaram atividade proteolítica acima de 80% por 1 hora de incubação. Quanto à estabilidade térmica, a cisteíno peptidase mostrou-se mais termoestável dentre as três enzimas e serino peptidase descreveu a menor tolerância à temperatura. Em incubação com agentes desnaturantes, observamos redução na atividade proteolítica sob efeito de surfactantes iônicos (0,02-1%): dodecil sulfato de sódio (SDS) e brometo de cetil-trimetil amônio (CTAB); íon cobre II (5 mM); Ditiotreitol (DTT) e guanidina (ambos na faixa de 10-200 mM) para todas as peptidases. Por último, em estudo de especificidade catalítica destas enzimas, observamos a preferência por aminoácidos aromáticos (F e W), básicos (K e R) e apolares (em particular, resíduo de metionina) para peptidase aspártica. Alta especificidade descrita por cisteíno peptidase, cuja preferência catalítica é notória por aminoácidos básicos (K, H e R), especialmente na posição P3 e lisina-dependência para catálise na posição P'3. Em serino peptidase, notamos maior aceitação por aminoácidos apolares (G, I, L, M e V), básicos (H e R) e polares neutros (N e Q) para as diferentes posições avaliadas no substrato. / Aspartic (EC 3.4.23), cysteine (EC 3.4.22) and serine peptidases (EC 3.4.21) are endopeptidases whose modes of action are dependent on aspartic acid, cysteine and serine residues present in the catalytic site, respectively. Currently, several studies are conducted in the search for new enzymes with relevant biochemical properties for industrial application. In this context, we propose the production of enzymes in submerged bioprocess, purification, the study of biochemical properties and determining the catalytic specificity peptidases secreted by the filamentous fungus Rhizomucor miehei, Phanerochaete chrysosporium and Leptosphaeria sp. Initially, after production submerged bioprocess, these enzymes have been purified using size-exclusion and ion exchange chromatographies. In the effect of inhibitors on enzyme activity, we note peptidase inhibition by pepstatin A (R. miehei), iodoacetic acid/ N-Ethylmaleimide (P. chrysosporium) and phenyl methyl sulfonyl fluoride (Leptosphaeria sp), suggesting that these enzymes are aspartic, cysteine and serine peptidases, respectively. For SDS-PAGE (12%), molecular weights were estimated at 37 kDa (aspartic), 23 kDa (cysteine) and 35 kDa (serine). Maximum proteolytic activity was achieved at pH 5.5 and 55 °C for aspartic peptidase secreted by R. miehei; pH 7 and temperature range 45-55 °C for cysteine peptidase secreted by P. chrysosporium and pH 7 and 45 °C for serine peptidase secreted by Leptosphaeria sp. Under incubation at different pH effect, aspartic peptidase was stable under acidic conditions (pH 3-5); cysteine peptidase was stable in wide pH range (pH 4-9), and serine peptidase was more stable under alkaline conditions and pH slightly acidic (pH 5-9). In all these pH ranges mentioned, peptidases showed proteolytic activity above 80% by 1 hour incubation. As regards the thermal stability, cysteine peptidase was more thermostable enzyme and serine peptidase described the lowest temperature tolerance. In incubation with denaturing agents, we observed a decrease in proteolytic activity under the effect of ionic surfactant (0.02-1%) sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) bromide and cetyl-trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB); copper (II) ion (5 mM); Dithiothreitol (DTT) and guanidine (both in the range of 10-200 mM) for all peptidases. Finally, the study of catalytic specificity of these enzymes, we found a preference for aromatic amino acids (F and W), basic (K and R) and nonpolar (in particular, methionine residue) to aspartic peptidase. High specificity described by cysteine peptidase, which a catalytic preference is notorious for basic amino acids (K, R and H), especially in position P3 and lysine-dependence for catalysis at position P'3. In serine peptidase, for different evaluated positions, we noticed greater acceptance by nonpolar amino acids (G, I, L, M and V), basic (M and R) and neutral polar (N and Q).