La chromoblastomycose (CBM) et la sporotrichose (SPT) sont des infections fongiques chroniques des tissus sous-cutanés. Elles touchent surtout les membres, après blessure végétale ou souillure tellurique. Les principaux agents fongiques responsables de CBM appartiennent aux genres Fonsecaea et Cladophialophora tandis que Sporothrix est à l’origine de la SPT. A Madagascar, les études menées entre 1955 et 1994 ont montré une prévalence de la CMB à 0,5/100 000 habitants faisant considérer ce pays comme le premier foyer mondial. Depuis, aucune donnée n’a permis d’actualiser ces observations. Malgré les nombreux cas de SPT observés par les médecins, son épidémiologie à Madagascar n’a jamais été décrite.L'objectif général était d'évaluer l’incidence actuelle de ces mycoses à Madagascar. Les objectifs spécifiques étaient de caractériser les espèces fongiques responsables et de mettre en place un réseau clinico-biologique pérenne permettant une gestion adaptée des patients et l’utilisation de méthodes moléculaires pour l’identification des souches.Une étude prospective conduite entre mars 2013 et juin 2017 a donné lieu à des consultations dans les régions ou dans le service de dermatologie de l’hôpital universitaire d’Antananarivo et a permis d’inclure des patients présentant des lésions sous-cutanées chroniques. Les méthodes conventionnelles de diagnostic mycologique ont été complétées par des méthodes moléculaires (PCR, séquençage, MALDI-TOF-MS). Les cas ont été classés au cours de réunions de concertation clinico-biologique.Au total, 148 patients d’âge moyen de 41 ans avec une prédominance d’hommes (75,0%) ont été inclus : 63 cas de SPT (42,5%) et 50 cas de CBM (33,8%) ont été confirmés. L’incidence annuelle de le CBM a été estimée à 0,38/100 000 habitants dans la région Sava au Nord où les cas prédominent avec au niveau du district Anosibe An’Ala (à l’Est) une incidence maximale de 1,12/100 000. Alors que la CBM était prédominante dans le Nord-Est, l'Est et le Sud de l'île, étonnamment, la SPT était presque exclusivement localisée sur les hautes terres centrales. L’incidence globale moyenne de SPT était de 0,17/100 000 habitants dans les hauts plateaux et de 0,07/100 000 pour l’ensemble de Madagascar. Pour la SPT, le risque est plus élevé chez les jeunes (< 18 ans) et les formes cutanéo-lymphatiques des membres supérieurs sont les plus fréquentes. Pour la CBM, le risque de contamination est élevé chez les agriculteurs et les professions de services et la majorité des lésions (82,9%) était localisée au niveau des membres inférieurs. Sur le plan mycologique, 63 Sporothrix schenckii, 7 Cladophialophora carrionii, 29 Fonsecaea sp dont 22 F. nubica ont été identifiés. Pour le genre Fonseceae, l’identification de l’espèce nubica remplace l‘espèce pedrosoi initialement proposée pour les isolats malgaches et souligne l’importance de l’identification moléculaire pour une classification précise des espèces.Cette première étude sur la SPT humaine à Madagascar a permis d’actualiser les données épidémiologiques mondiales et de classer Madagascar avec un niveau endémique modéré alors qu’il était considéré comme faible jusque-là. La CBM persiste à une incidence élevée et comparable à celle décrite jusqu’en 1994, illustrant l’absence de contrôle de cette mycose dans le pays. La constitution d’un réseau clinico-biologique local stable et les nouveaux outils diagnostics mis en place dans ce travail (PCR et le MALDI-TOF MS), vont faciliter la conduite de programmes de surveillance et de contrôle alors que l’OMS a récemment classé la CBM en maladie tropicale négligée. Une enquête environnementale est en cours pour détecter les sources de contamination dans l’environnement. Le réseau mis en place permettra dans un futur proche de nouvelles études thérapeutiques (nouveaux schémas thérapeutiques) ou génétique (facteurs d’hôtes) sur la CBM et SPT mais également sur d’autres mycoses endémiques et encore négligées à Madagascar / Chromoblastomycosis (CBM) and sporotrichosis (SPT) are chronic subcutaneous or cutanéo-lymphatic infections found mostly in tropical and subtropical regions. Studies carried out by the Institut Pasteur of Madagascar between 1955 and 1994 provided an inventory of the number of cases of CBM and identified this country as the leading focus of this mycosis worldwide. Mean incidence was estimated at about 0.5/100,000 inhabitants at the time. No new data have been obtained to update the epidemiological situation. About SPT, only sporadic cases have been reported in Madagascar, due to the absence of specific surveillance. CBM is usually caused by dematiaceous fungi, principally Fonsecaea spp. and Cladophialophora spp. The causal agent of SPT is Sporothrix schenckii, a dimorphic hyphomycete.The objectives of this study was to update the data on epidemiology and to evaluate the current burden of these two fungal infections. In addition, we aimed to set up a durable local bio-clinical network and to implement molecular tools to ensure reliable species identification (PCR, sequencing, mass spectrometry).A prospective study, involving the recruitment of patients with suspect lesions was undertaken from March 2013 to June 2017. Patients were included in the dermatology department of the univerity hospital of Antananarivo and through field campaigns in rural areas. Clinical samples were collected and analyzed with conventional mycological methods and molecular tools. Classification of the cases was achieved by the confrontation of mycological and clinical features.Among the 148 patients (mean age 41; male 75.0%): 63 SPT cases (42.5%) and 50 CBM cases (33.8%) were diagnosed. The highest annual incidence of CBM was estimated at 0.38/100,000 inhabitants in the Sava region located to the north. At the district level, the peak incidence was 1.12/100,000 at Anosibe An’Ala, eastern part of the country. Whereas CBM predominated at the periphery of the island, SPT was surprinsgly concentrated in the highlands where the mean incidence was 0.17/100,000 inhabitants. The incidence in the whole country was 0.07/100,000. SPT likelihood of infection was higher in young (<18 years) and the cutaneo-lymphatic forms of the upper limbs were the most frequent. For CBM, farmers and service workers were at high risk and the lesions were mostly (82.9%) located to the lower limbs. The mycological analyses revealed 63 strains of Sporothrix schenckii, 7 of Cladophialophora carrionii, 29 of Fonsecaea sp including 22 F. nubica. F. nubica identification corrected the one of F. pedrosoi previously found in Madagascar, highlighting the need for a molecular analysis of the strains.This is the first study describing human SPT in Madagascar. The SPT burden can now be considered as moderate instead of low as it was described before. It reveals an unexpected concentration of the patients in the central highlands. CBM burden was found at a high level, regrettably similar to the one described 20 years ago, showing the lack of control of this infection. The implementation of a durable bio-clinical network and of the new molecular tools (PCR et le MALDI-TOF MS) developed in this work will easy the development of surveillance programs, especially as the WHO recently added CBM in the neglected tropical diseases list. The network that was built for this work will be used for further therapeutic trials on new schedules of treatment, new drugs or new formulations as well as genetic studies about predisposing factors of CBM and SPT and others deep fungal infections that are still neglected in Madagascar. Yet, an environmental survey is ongoing to describe the sources of contamination.

I den här studien har metoder för att separera immunoglobulin (IgG) utvecklats med hjälp av kapillärelektrofores (CE) och Ultra högupplösande vätskekromatografi-Mass spektrometri (UHPLC-MS). Vid analysen av peptider från IgG spjälkat av trypsin (IgG TD) detekterades 26 glykopepeptider med UHPLC-MS genom att använda olika gradienter och mobilfaser. Dessutom analyserades fyra olika koncentrations av IgG TD för att testa detektionsgränsen. Resultatet visade att glykopeptider kunde detekteras i alla fyra koncentrationer men antalet detekterade glykopeptider minskade med minskande koncentration. Den sista delen av UHPLC-MS analysen var en selektivitetsanalys där en blandning av bovint serumalbumin spjälkat av trypsin (BSA TD) och IgG TD analyserades i olika koncentrationer. Selektivitetsanalysen visade att ungefär samma antal IgG glykopeptider detekterades som vid analys av IgG TD. Vid CE-analysen användes tre olika kapillärer, varav två av dem var polyvinylalkohol-coated och olika buffertlösningar (BGE) användes. De slutgiltiga resultaten visade 5 toppar som skulle kunna representera IgG gykopeptider men eftersom ingen MS utfördes kunde inga slutsatser dras. Slutligen, användes Matrix-Assisted Laser desorption/ionisation-time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) för att analysera proverna innan analys och för att jämföra resultaten med UHPLC-MS. / In this study, methods to separate immunoglobulin G (IgG) glycopeptides were developed using capillary electrophoresis (CE) and ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-Mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS). In the UHPLC-MS- analysis, 26 glycopeptides were detected during the analysis of trypsin digested IgG (IgG TD) using different gradients and mobile phases. Moreover, a limit of detection study with four different concentrations (0.01, 0.1, 0.5 and 2mg/mL) was performed. Although the number of detected glycopeptides decreased with decreasing concentration, glycopeptides were detected in the 0.01 mg/mL IgG TD sample. Lastly, a selectivity study was performed, in which two trypsin digested Bovine serum albumin (BSA TD) and IgG TD mixtures with different concentrations were analysed. The results showed that approximately the same number glycopeptides were detected as in the IgG sample suggesting that the BSA sample did not interfere with the detection of glycopeptides. Moreover, the CE-analysis included three different capillaries and several background electrolytes (BGEs). Two of the capillaries were polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) coated. The final electropherogram showed five peaks possibly representing IgG glycopeptides but no MS were performed on the CE part leading to no conclusions for the CE-part. Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionisation- time-of flight (MALDI-TOF) was performed throughout the project to control the samples and for comparison to the UHPLC-MS analysis.

Les bactéries Planctomycetes sont des bactéries qui ne possèdent pas de peptidoglycane dans leur paroi cellulaire, se reproduisent par bourgeonnement et présentent une compartimentalisation intracellulaire. Malgré quelques études rapportant la présence d'ADN de bactéries Planctomycetes au sein des microbiomes cutanées et intestinaux, les relations existantes entre l'Homme et ces bactéries n'étaient pas encore spécifiquement explorées. L'objectif de cette étude était donc d'explorer cette relation par la détection et l'isolement de bactéries Planctomycetes chez l'Homme. De nouveaux outils basés sur le gène de l'ARNr 16S ont été spécifiquement développés pour la détection des Planctomycetes. Ils ont permis de montrer que l'ADN des bactéries Planctomycetes était présent au sein du microbiome intestinal humain avec une prévalence variant de 0,4 à 1,8%. De plus, une importante diversité a été observée au sein des microbiomes avec une majorité d'organismes proche du genre Gemmata. Ces mêmes outils ont été utilisés lors de dépistage de sérum de patient aplasique fébrile. Sur 100 sérums de patients testés, deux sérums ont donné des résultats positifs. Une entité clinique a pu être identifiée incluant leucémie aigüe myéloïde, fièvre, éruptions cutanées, diarrhées, pneumonies micronodulaires et colites neutropéniques. De nouveaux outils ont également été testés et développés pour faciliter l'isolement et l'identification des bactéries Planctomycetes. La possibilité d'isoler par coculture avec les amibes a été ainsi évaluée. Ces tests ont cependant montré leur inefficacité. En effet, les cinq espèces de Planctomycetes testées ont été phagocytées et lysées après 17h d'incubation. / Planctomycetes are peptidoglycan-less bacteria with budding reproduction and intracellular compartmentation. Despite some study reporting Planctomycetes DNA presence in intestinal and cutaneous microbiome, relationship between Human and these bacteria were not specifically explored. The objective of this study was therefore to explore this relationship by detection and isolation of Planctomycetes bacteria in Human. New 16S rRNA gene-based tools were specifically developed for the Planctomycetes detection. They showed that Planctomycetes DNA was present in the Human intestinal microbiome with 0.4 to 1.8% prevalence. Moreover, an important diversity was observed in microbiomes with a majority of organisms closed to the Gemmata genus. Same tools were used during a febrile aplasic patients' blood screening and 2% (2/100) samples were positive. A clinic entity was identified including acute myeloid leukemia, fever, rash, diarrhea, micronodular pneumonia and neutropenic colitis. New tools were also developed to facilitate the isolation and identification of Planctomycetes. The possibility to isolate by coculture with amoeba was evaluated. These tests showed the inefficiency of this method. Indeed, the five Planctomycetes species tested where phagocyted and lysed after 17H of incubation. Antibiotic sensibility profile was also determined. Planctomycetes bacteria showed an important antibiotic resistance, offering interesting selection tools. Due to expensive, laborious and time consuming characteristic of 16S rRNA gene-based identification, a new tool was developed.

Neste trabalho é descrito um método prático e eficiente para dissociar, em subunidades &alpha; e &beta;, quantidades pequenas (da ordem de microgramas) dos hormônios foliculotrofina (hFSH), luteotrofina (hLH) e tireotrofina (hTSH) humana, nativos e recombinantes. A dissociação destes hormônios foi conseguida incubando-os, durante 16 horas, a 37ºC, com diferentes concentrações de ácido acético: 3M, 5M e 0,4M respectivamente para o hFSH, hLH e hTSH. Nestas condições, uma eficiência de dissociação acima de 98% foi obtida. Esta eficiência foi calculada com base nas determinações de massa dos heterodímeros e das subunidades, realizadas por MALDI-TOF-MS. Uma separação rápida e quantitativa das subunidades, com rendimentos da ordem de 80-90%, foi conseguida por cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência em fase reversa (RP-HPLC) em uma coluna C4. As subunidades foram caracterizadas quanto à pureza, hidrofobicidade, massa molecular e distribuição de carga por HPLC de exclusão molecular e fase reversa, SDS-PAGE e focalização isoelétrica. Quando analisadas quanto à hidrofobicidade, as subunidades mostraram-se aproximadamente iguais, enquanto as subunidades &beta; dos três heterodímeros apresentaram a seguinte escala de hidrofobicidade: &beta;-hFSH < &beta;-hTSH < &beta;-hLH. Com relação à massa molecular relativa (Mr), as subunidades &alpha; e &beta; do hFSH apresentaram as maiores Mr enquanto as subunidades do hLH as menores. A distribuição dos isômeros de carga das subunidades dos três hormônios ocorreu em uma região ácida, para o hFSH, em uma região básica, para o hLH e em uma região intermediária, para o hTSH. As subunidades &alpha; dos três hormônios, quando analisadas via SDS-PAGE, apresentaram praticamente a mesma mobilidade eletroforética, enquanto as subunidades &beta; apresentaram diferentes taxas de migração (mR), sendo mR &beta;-hFSH < mR &beta;-hTSH < mR &beta;-hLH. Diferenças relativas à massa molecular, hidrofobicidade, migração eletroforética e distribuição de carga foram encontradas entre as preparações recombinantes e hipofisárias dos três hormônios. O método descrito é suave, prático e flexível e pode ser adaptado à dissociação de outras glicoproteínas heterodiméricas recombinantes ou nativas. Permite não só estudos e caracterização direta de cada subunidade, como também detectar a presença de subunidades livres em preparações farmacêuticas, que são contaminantes indesejáveis, sendo, portanto, uma ferramenta extremamente útil para o controle de qualidade de produtos farmacêuticos. / In this work a practical and efficient method for the dissociation into &alpha;-and &beta;-subunits of small amounts (microgram range) of pituitaryderived and recombinant human follicle-stimulating hormone (hFSH), human luteotropin (hLH) and human thyrotropin (hTSH) is described. Dissociation was achieved by overnight treatment of the glycoproteins, at 37ºC, with acetic acid in different concentrations: 3M, 5M and 0,4M for hFSH, hLH and hTSH respectively. In these conditions, a dissociation efficiency of > 98% was attained. This efficiency was calculated on the basis of relative mass determinations of the heterodimers and subunits carried out via mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). The &alpha;-and &beta;-subunits were rapidly and quantitatively separated by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) on a C4 column with yields of the order of 80-90%. The isolated subunits were characterized concerning their purity, hidrophobicity, molecular mass and charge distribution, via size exclusion and RP-HPLC, SDS-PAGE and isoelectric focusing. When analyzed with relation to the hydrophobicity, the &alpha;-subunits presented approximately the same hydrophobicity, while &beta;-subunits showed the following scale: &beta-hFSH < &beta;-hTSH < &beta;-hLH. Concerning molecular mass, &alpha;- and &beta;-subunits of hFSH were shown to have the highest while hLH subunits the lowest. Charge isomers of the subunits of the three glycohormones were predominantly distributed in an acidic region for hFSH, in a basic region for hLH, and in a wider pH range (acidic and basic) for hTSH. Similar migration rates (mR), analyzed via SDS-PAGE, were observed for the &alpha;-subunits of the three hormones. A greater variation was found for the &beta;-subunits: mR &beta;-hFSH < mR &beta;-hTSH < mR &beta;-hLH. Differences between recombinant and pituitary preparations of three hormones were observed with relation to molecular mass, hydrophobicity, electrophoretic migration and charge distribution. The described method is mild, practical and flexible and can be adapted to dissociate any recombinant or native heterodimeric glycoprotein, allowing studies and direct characterization of each subunit as well as the detection of free subunits that are undesired contaminants in pharmaceutical preparations, being also an extremely useful tool for the quality control of pharmaceutical products.

A aplicação de microrganismos capazes de adsorver metais se destaca dentre as técnicas para biorremediação ambiental. O objetivo deste trabalho foi isolar e identificar bactérias com potencial de emprego nesta tecnologia. A partir de amostras de solo, água e sedimentos coletadas da mina Sossego da VALE em 4 eventos de coleta, foram isoladas 73 bactérias resistentes à altas concentrações de Cu2+. Para a identificação dos isolados utilizaram-se diversos métodos: MALDI-TOF; sequenciamento de parte dos genes 16S rRNA e rpoD; construção de árvores filogenéticas; e provas bioquímicas. Foram selecionadas 12 bactérias pertencentes a pelo menos, 8 espécies diferentes, sendo a maioria pertencente ao gênero Cupriavidus. 75% dos isolados apresentou resistência a Cu2+ superior a de C. metallidurans CH34, bactéria mais resistente a Cu2+ conhecida. Valores de adsorção de Cu2+ superiores aos desta bactéria também foram observados em 5 isolados. Os resultados obtidos indicam que os isolados selecionados apresentam alto potencial para aplicação em biorremediação ambiental. / The application of microorganisms capable of adsorbing toxic metals stands out from other bioremediation techniques. This study aimed to isolate and identify bacteria with potential for bioremediation of environments contaminated by copper ions. From soil, water and sediment samples collected at VALE`s Sossego mine collected at 4 different occasions, 73 copper resistant bacteria were isolated. For the identification of the isolates, various methods were used: MALDI-TOF, sequencing of part from the genes rRNA and rpoD; construction of phylogenetic trees; and biochemical tests. 12 bacteria that belong to at least 8 different species were selected. 75% of the isolates were resistant to Cu2+ exceeding C. metallidurans CH34, the, most resistant bacteria to Cu2+ known. The ion adsorption capacity of 5 isolates was greater than those for C. metallidurans. The results obtained for the bacterial isolates indicate that they have a high potential for application in environmental bioremediation.

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / Alguns Bastonetes Gram-negativos não fermentadores (BGNNF) costumam ser considerados clinicamente pouco significantes e a sua implicação em infecções é subestimada. Devido à similaridade fenotípica, mudanças taxonômicas, baixa reatividade bioquímica e limitações nos bancos de dados em sistemas comerciais, a identificação de BGNNF é frequentemente equivocada, culminando com a denominação de diferentes micro-organismos apenas como BGNNF, por falta de melhor diferenciação. O objetivo desse estudo foi avaliar, por métodos fenotípico convencional, proteômico e molecular, a identificação de BGNNF incomuns isolados em hemoculturas de pacientes atendidos em um hospital universitário no Rio de Janeiro. Foram selecionadas 78 amostras isoladas de hemoculturas caracterizadas no laboratório clinico como BGNNF para a identificação por sequenciamento dos genes 16S RNA e recA, por um conjunto amplo de testes fenotípicos manuais e por MALDI-TOF MS. Os micro-organismos predominantes na amostragem foram genotipados pela técnica de eletroforese em gel de campo pulsado (PFGE). Pelo sequenciamento do gene 16S rRNA, a maioria das amostras (n=31; 40%) foi incluída no gênero Burkholderia, seguido de Pseudomonas stutzeri (10%) e Delftia acidovorans (4%). Os demais isolados foram agrupados em 27 diferentes espécies. O sequencimento do gene recA identificou a maioria das espécies de Burkholderia como Burkholderia contaminans (n=19; 24%). Os testes fenotípicos incluíram as 31 amostras apenas no CBc e para as outras 47 amostras, a concordância com o sequenciamento do gene 16S rRNA em nível de espécie foi de 64% (n=30) e apenas em gênero a concordância foi de 17% (n=8). A análise comparativa geral da identificação por MALDI-TOF MS com o sequenciamento do gene16S rRNA mostrou que 42% (n=33) das 78 amostras foram concordantes em nível de espécie e 45% (n=35) apenas em gênero. Excluindo as amostras do CBc, houve um aumento da concordância em nível de espécie para 60%. As discordâncias parecem ser devido às diferenças nos perfis proteicos das amostras em relação às amostras-referência do banco de dados do equipamento e podem ser aprimorados com a atualização de perfis no sistema. A análise do polimorfismo genético de B. contaminans mostrou a ausência de um clone disseminado causando surto, além da provável origem ambiental das infecções. Os setores de nefrologia e hemodiálise contribuíram com maior número de pacientes com amostras positivas (5 pacientes e 9 amostras). Os grupos clonais BcoD e BcoE foram encontrados em pacientes assistidos no mesmo setor com diferença de quatro meses (BcoD, nefrologia) e 1,5 ano (BcoE, hemodilálise), entre as culturas, respectivamente. As discordâncias entre as técnicas ocorreram principalmente devido a dificuldade de identificação das espécies do CBc. Os BGNNF incomuns são de difícil caracterização independente da metodologia usada e nenhum método por si só foi capaz de identificar todas as amostras. / Some nonfermenting Gram-negative Bacilli (NFGNB) are considered of low clinical significance, and their implication in infections is usually underestimated. Due to their phenotypic similarities, frequent taxonomic changes and low biochemical reactivity, as well as to limitations of bacterial identification commercial system databases, these NFGNB are frequently misidentified and are collectively referred to as NFGNB group, in the lack of a better differentiation. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the performance of the conventional phenotypic method, the proteomic matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight mass spectometry method (MALDI-TOF MS) and of molecular methods (16S RNA and recA gene sequencing) in the identification of 78 unusual NFGNB isolated from blood cultures of pacients treated at an university hospital in Rio de Janeiro. Clonality of the predominant species identified within these isolates was determined by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). By the 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, most strains (n = 31; 40%) were included in the Burkholderia spp. followed by Pseudomonas stutzeri (n = 8; 10%), Delftia acidovorans (n = 3; 4%) and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (n = 3; 4%). The remaining bacterial isolates were included in 27 different species. By the recA gene sequencing technique, most bacteria from the Burkholderia cepacia complex (BCC), samples were classified as Burkholderia contaminans (n=19; 24%). Phenotypic tests provided accurate identification of all 31 isolates included in the BCC by the 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. For the other 47 samples, agreement of the results obtained with these two techniques in species and genus level identifications occurred in 30 (63,8%) and 17 samples (36,2%), respectively. The results obtained by the MALDI-TOF MS and 16S rRNA gene sequencing methods agreed at species and genus levels in 33 (42%) and 35 isolates (45%), respectively. When bacteria from the BCC were excluded from the analysis, the agreement between the two techniques at species level increased to 60%. Misidentification by the MALDI-TOF MS method may be due to differences in protein spectra between the samples and the reference strains in the equipment database. PFGE analysis of B. contaminans isolates revealed the absence of a disseminate clone causing an outbreak, and the probable environmental source of infections. The nefrology ang dialisis sectors contributed to the greatest number of patients with positive cultures (5 pacients and 9 isolates). Clones BcoD and BcoE were found in blood cultures of pacientes treated in a same sector with differences of 4 months (BcoD, nefrology) and 1.5 year (BcoE, dialisis). The misidentifications occurred mainly due to the hard differentiation of BCC species. Unusual NFGNB are of difficult characterization whatever the methodology used and no method alone was able to identify all the isolates.

Infection fongique opportuniste, l’aspergillose pulmonaire invasive reste redoutée au sein des services hospitaliers d’onco-hématologie, de réanimation ou de transplantations d’organes. Le diagnostic, tant clinique que biologique, souffre globalement d’un manque de sensiblité et de spécificité. De ce fait, le développement de nouveaux marqueurs d’infection semble nécessaire pour améliorer la prise en charge des patients à risque. Dans ce sens, nous avons d’abord mis au point un modèle murin nous permettant d’explorer la maladie aspergillaire avec reproductibilité. Nous avons ensuite étudié le compartiment pulmonaire des rats grâce à deux techniques permettant l’exploration protéomique de leurs liquides de lavages broncho-alvéolaires (LBA). La spectrométrie de masse MALDI-TOF a premièrement dessiné des profils protéiques reproductibles, spécifiques de l’état infecté. L’électrophorèse bidimensionnelle, suivie d’une étude comparative statistique, a ensuite sélectionné 20 spots protéiques surrepreséntés au cours de l’aspergillose expérimentale. Leur caractérisation en spectrométrie de masse a abouti à l’identification de 16 protéines, dont une présentait un intérêt tout particulier car jamais décrite jusqu’ici : ITIH4. Une analyse par western blotting a confirmé la surabondance de cette protéine dans tous les LBA de rats malades, ainsi que son augmentation relative dans le sérum après initiation de l’aspergillose expérimentale. De même, une tendance similaire a été observée dans des LBA d’origine humaine. / Opportunistic fungal infection, invasive aspergillosis is still much feared in the hematologyoncology departments, intensive care units and organ transplant centres. Diagnosis globally suffers from a lack of sensibility and specificity. Therefore, the development of new markers of infection seems necessary to improve the management of patients at risk. In this sense, we first developed a rat model which closely mimics the human disease. We were then able to study the pulmonary compartment of infected rats by the means of two proteomic techniques carried out within their bronchial-oalveolar lavage fluids (BALF). MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry first designed reproducible protein profiles of infected BALF, like a finger print. Two-dimensional electrophoresis, followed by a comparative statistical study, then selected 20 spots overrepresented in experimental aspergillosis. Their characterization by mass spectrometry led to the successful identification of 16 proteins. One of them was of a particular interest because never described so far: ITIH4. Analysis by western blotting confirmed the overabundance of this protein in all infected rat BALF, as well as a relative increase in the serum after initiation of the experimental aspergillosis. Likewise, a similar trend was observed in BALF of human origin.

Neste trabalho é descrito um método prático e eficiente para dissociar, em subunidades &alpha; e &beta;, quantidades pequenas (da ordem de microgramas) dos hormônios foliculotrofina (hFSH), luteotrofina (hLH) e tireotrofina (hTSH) humana, nativos e recombinantes. A dissociação destes hormônios foi conseguida incubando-os, durante 16 horas, a 37ºC, com diferentes concentrações de ácido acético: 3M, 5M e 0,4M respectivamente para o hFSH, hLH e hTSH. Nestas condições, uma eficiência de dissociação acima de 98% foi obtida. Esta eficiência foi calculada com base nas determinações de massa dos heterodímeros e das subunidades, realizadas por MALDI-TOF-MS. Uma separação rápida e quantitativa das subunidades, com rendimentos da ordem de 80-90%, foi conseguida por cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência em fase reversa (RP-HPLC) em uma coluna C4. As subunidades foram caracterizadas quanto à pureza, hidrofobicidade, massa molecular e distribuição de carga por HPLC de exclusão molecular e fase reversa, SDS-PAGE e focalização isoelétrica. Quando analisadas quanto à hidrofobicidade, as subunidades mostraram-se aproximadamente iguais, enquanto as subunidades &beta; dos três heterodímeros apresentaram a seguinte escala de hidrofobicidade: &beta;-hFSH < &beta;-hTSH < &beta;-hLH. Com relação à massa molecular relativa (Mr), as subunidades &alpha; e &beta; do hFSH apresentaram as maiores Mr enquanto as subunidades do hLH as menores. A distribuição dos isômeros de carga das subunidades dos três hormônios ocorreu em uma região ácida, para o hFSH, em uma região básica, para o hLH e em uma região intermediária, para o hTSH. As subunidades &alpha; dos três hormônios, quando analisadas via SDS-PAGE, apresentaram praticamente a mesma mobilidade eletroforética, enquanto as subunidades &beta; apresentaram diferentes taxas de migração (mR), sendo mR &beta;-hFSH < mR &beta;-hTSH < mR &beta;-hLH. Diferenças relativas à massa molecular, hidrofobicidade, migração eletroforética e distribuição de carga foram encontradas entre as preparações recombinantes e hipofisárias dos três hormônios. O método descrito é suave, prático e flexível e pode ser adaptado à dissociação de outras glicoproteínas heterodiméricas recombinantes ou nativas. Permite não só estudos e caracterização direta de cada subunidade, como também detectar a presença de subunidades livres em preparações farmacêuticas, que são contaminantes indesejáveis, sendo, portanto, uma ferramenta extremamente útil para o controle de qualidade de produtos farmacêuticos. / In this work a practical and efficient method for the dissociation into &alpha;-and &beta;-subunits of small amounts (microgram range) of pituitaryderived and recombinant human follicle-stimulating hormone (hFSH), human luteotropin (hLH) and human thyrotropin (hTSH) is described. Dissociation was achieved by overnight treatment of the glycoproteins, at 37ºC, with acetic acid in different concentrations: 3M, 5M and 0,4M for hFSH, hLH and hTSH respectively. In these conditions, a dissociation efficiency of > 98% was attained. This efficiency was calculated on the basis of relative mass determinations of the heterodimers and subunits carried out via mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). The &alpha;-and &beta;-subunits were rapidly and quantitatively separated by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) on a C4 column with yields of the order of 80-90%. The isolated subunits were characterized concerning their purity, hidrophobicity, molecular mass and charge distribution, via size exclusion and RP-HPLC, SDS-PAGE and isoelectric focusing. When analyzed with relation to the hydrophobicity, the &alpha;-subunits presented approximately the same hydrophobicity, while &beta;-subunits showed the following scale: &beta-hFSH < &beta;-hTSH < &beta;-hLH. Concerning molecular mass, &alpha;- and &beta;-subunits of hFSH were shown to have the highest while hLH subunits the lowest. Charge isomers of the subunits of the three glycohormones were predominantly distributed in an acidic region for hFSH, in a basic region for hLH, and in a wider pH range (acidic and basic) for hTSH. Similar migration rates (mR), analyzed via SDS-PAGE, were observed for the &alpha;-subunits of the three hormones. A greater variation was found for the &beta;-subunits: mR &beta;-hFSH < mR &beta;-hTSH < mR &beta;-hLH. Differences between recombinant and pituitary preparations of three hormones were observed with relation to molecular mass, hydrophobicity, electrophoretic migration and charge distribution. The described method is mild, practical and flexible and can be adapted to dissociate any recombinant or native heterodimeric glycoprotein, allowing studies and direct characterization of each subunit as well as the detection of free subunits that are undesired contaminants in pharmaceutical preparations, being also an extremely useful tool for the quality control of pharmaceutical products.

Les moisissures d’altération sont à l’origine de pertes alimentaires et économiques importantes et certaines espèces peuvent présenter un danger pour la santé humaine et animale avec la production de mycotoxines. Dans ce contexte, la maîtrise de la qualité et de la sécurité des aliments passe par une bonne connaissance des espèces impliquées. Cette connaissance repose sur une identification fiable et rapide et l’obtention d’informations sur les facteurs abiotiques impactant leur développement, tels que les conservateurs, largement utilisés dans l’industrie. Dans ce cadre, les objectifs de thèse étaient de développer l’utilisation de la spectrométrie de masse MALDI-TOF pour l’identification des moisissures et d’évaluer son application à la résolution de complexe d’espèces et au typage, et enfin d’évaluer la néphélométrie laser pour mesurer en haut-débit leur croissance en présence de conservateurs. Dans un premier temps, une base de données robuste a été construite avec près de 6500 spectres correspondant à 136 espèces fongiques. Dans un deuxième temps, la technique MALDI-TOF a été appliquée avec succès à la différenciation de 23 espèces du complexe Aspergillus section Flavi et a permis de différencier des isolats de Penicillium roqueforti appartenant à 3 populations génétiquement différenciées. Enfin, la néphélométrie laser a permis un suivi haut-débit de la croissance de 14 espèces fongiques d’altération en présence de 3 conservateurs et ainsi d’obtenir des informations sur les concentrations minimales inhibitrices de ces derniers. Ces travaux ont démontré l’applicabilité de techniques alternatives permettant d’identifier et de caractériser les moisissures d’altération. / Spoilage fungi represent a major cause of food and economic losses and certain species, which may produce mycotoxins, may also pose a threat to human and animal health. Thus, food safety and quality management relies notably on a good knowledge of the involved species. This knowledge is notably based on their fast and reliable identification and on the study of abiotic factors affecting their growth such as food preservatives, which are commonly used in the food industry. In this context, the objectives of this PhD. thesis were to develop MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry for mold identification and to evaluate its potential for species complex differentiation and strain typing, and finally, to evaluate the use of laser nephelometry to monitor fungal growth in the presence of food preservatives.First, a robust database was developed with 6500 spectra corresponding to 136 spoilage fungi. Then, MALDI-TOF MS was successfully applied to differentiate 23 species of Aspergillus section Flavi and Penicillium roqueforti isolates belonging to 3 genetically distinct populations.Finally, in 14 fungal species, laser nephelometry allowed a high-throughput monitoring of their growth after exposition to 3 different food preservatives and the determination of their associated minimal inhibitory concentrations.Overall, the obtained results demonstrate the usefulness of alternative techniques for identification and characterization of food spoilage fungi.

<p>This study reports on a proteomic analysis of sorghum proteomes in response to salt and hyperosmotic stresses. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DE) in combination with mass spectrometry (MS) was used to separate, visualise and identify sorghum proteins using both sorghum cell suspension cultures and whole plants. The sorghum cell suspension culture system was used as a source of culture filtrate (CF) proteins. Of the 25 visualised CBB stained CF spots, 15 abundant and well-resolved spots were selected for identification using a combination of MALDI-TOF and MALDI-TOFTOF MS, and database searching. Of these spots, 14 were positively identified as peroxidases, germin proteins, oxalate oxidases and alpha-galactosidases with known functions in signalling processes, defense mechanisms and cell wall metabolism.</p>