Orientador: Pedro de Magalhães Padilha / Banca: Paulo Roberto Ramos / Banca: Lincoln Carlos de Oliveira / Resumo: No presente trabalho foi feito uma análise qualitativa de cálcio, ferro e zinco em spots de proteínas de amostras de tecido hepático de tilápia do Nilo (Oreochromis niloticus) por Fluorescência de Raios-X de Radiação Síncroton, após a separação das proteínas por Eletroforese Bidimensional em Gel de Poliacrilamida (2D-PAGE). Os espectros de fluorescência obtidos indicaram a presença de cálcio, ferro e zinco em doze, seis e oito spots protéicos das amostras de fígado, respectivamente. Os íons metálicos detectados nas amostras estão distribuídas principalmente em proteínas de massa molar menor que 45 kDa e com pI na faixa de 4,5 a 9,0. Além do cálcio, ferro e zinco foram detectados a presença de enxofre e fósforo, elementos não metálicos, que podem ser constituintes da estrutura das proteínas. As concentrações de cálcio, ferro e zinco ligados às proteínas foram determinadas por FAAS após a mineralização ácida dos spots protéicos, encontrando-se concentrações na faixa de 1,08 a 5,80 mg g-1, 2,02 a 8,03 mm g-1 e 1,60 a 8,55 mg g-1, respectivamente / Abstract: An investigation was made into calcium, iron and zinc in protein spots in samples of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) liver tissue obtained after protein separation by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2D-PAGE) and subsequent qualitative and quantitative evaluation by synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence (SRXRF) and graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). An analysis of the fluorescence spectra indicated the presence of calcium, iron and zinc in twelve, six and eight liver protein spots, respectively. The metal ions found were distributed mainly in proteins with a molar mass of less than 40.00 kDa and more than 12.00 kDa, with pI in the range of 4.70 to 9.40. The only exception was a spot presenting protein with a molar mass of 10.10 kDa. In addition to calcium, iron and zinc, sulfur and phosphorus - which are non-metals that may be part of the protein structure, were also detected. After microwave-assisted acid mineralization of the proteins spots, a FAAS estimation of the concentration of calcium, iron and zinc bound to these proteins indicated a range of 1.08 to 5.80 mg g-1, 2.02 to 8.03 mg g-1 e 1.60 to 8.55 mg g-1, respectively / Mestre

While great strides have been made in treating many classes of human disease, the late-onset neurodegenerative diseases continue to elude modern medicine. These diseases, which include Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), Huntington's disease (HD), the transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), involve accumulation of insoluble aggregates of one or more causative proteins, leading to progressive loss of central nervous system neurons, progressively worsening neurological symptoms, and eventual patient death. All of these diseases are currently incurable and fatal. In the case of ALS, progressive death of upper and lower motor neurons leads to full-body paralysis, respiratory difficulty, and patient death. Of the subset of ALS cases showing familial inheritance, approximately 20% are caused by mutations in the SOD1 gene, encoding the Cu, Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1). These mutations do not have the common property of impairing SOD1's normal function as a free radical scavenger. Instead, they are thought to increase the protein's likelihood of misfolding and aggregating via a poorly-understood aggregation cascade. It is believed that species populated along the misfolding and aggregation pathway may prove to be good targets for therapies designed to block accumulation of downstream toxic species, or to prevent aberrant protein-protein interactions responsible for neurotoxicity. In this thesis, several new techniques are developed to enable detailed elucidation of the SOD1 unfolding and misfolding pathways. Time-resolved measurements collected during SOD1 unfolding or misfolding of release of bound Cu and Zn, of changes in intrinsic fluorescence, of exposure of hydrophobic surface area, and of alterations in the chemical environment of histidine residues, are presented. A new mathematical analysis technique named the Analytical Laplace Inversion Algorithm is developed for rapid extraction of mechanistic information from these time-resolved signals. These tools are applied to the construction of the most detailed models to date of the unfolding and misfolding mechanisms of WT and ALS-causing mutant SOD1. The models presented identify several well-populated unfolding and misfolding intermediates that could serve as good targets for therapies designed to address the fundamental molecular mechanisms underlying SOD1-associated ALS, and to treat what is currently a devastating and incurable disease.

While great strides have been made in treating many classes of human disease, the late-onset neurodegenerative diseases continue to elude modern medicine. These diseases, which include Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), Huntington's disease (HD), the transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), involve accumulation of insoluble aggregates of one or more causative proteins, leading to progressive loss of central nervous system neurons, progressively worsening neurological symptoms, and eventual patient death. All of these diseases are currently incurable and fatal. In the case of ALS, progressive death of upper and lower motor neurons leads to full-body paralysis, respiratory difficulty, and patient death. Of the subset of ALS cases showing familial inheritance, approximately 20% are caused by mutations in the SOD1 gene, encoding the Cu, Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1). These mutations do not have the common property of impairing SOD1's normal function as a free radical scavenger. Instead, they are thought to increase the protein's likelihood of misfolding and aggregating via a poorly-understood aggregation cascade. It is believed that species populated along the misfolding and aggregation pathway may prove to be good targets for therapies designed to block accumulation of downstream toxic species, or to prevent aberrant protein-protein interactions responsible for neurotoxicity. In this thesis, several new techniques are developed to enable detailed elucidation of the SOD1 unfolding and misfolding pathways. Time-resolved measurements collected during SOD1 unfolding or misfolding of release of bound Cu and Zn, of changes in intrinsic fluorescence, of exposure of hydrophobic surface area, and of alterations in the chemical environment of histidine residues, are presented. A new mathematical analysis technique named the Analytical Laplace Inversion Algorithm is developed for rapid extraction of mechanistic information from these time-resolved signals. These tools are applied to the construction of the most detailed models to date of the unfolding and misfolding mechanisms of WT and ALS-causing mutant SOD1. The models presented identify several well-populated unfolding and misfolding intermediates that could serve as good targets for therapies designed to address the fundamental molecular mechanisms underlying SOD1-associated ALS, and to treat what is currently a devastating and incurable disease.

De nombreuses protéines possèdent des cofacteurs inorganiques contenant des métaux de transition. Les propriétés physico-chimiques de ces métaux permettent aux enzymes qui les portent de catalyser des réactions impossibles par l'utilisation des seules potentialités chimiques des vingt-deux acides aminés. Cependant, ces métaux sont toxiques pour la cellule lorsqu'ils sont libres. La synthèse et l'incorportion de ces cofacteurs dans les enzymes nécessitent alors des machineries protéiques complexes d'assemblage. Au cours de cette thèse, les mécanismes de synthèse des centres FeS par les machineries ISC (Iron-Sulfur Cluster) et Hyd (Hydrogenase) ont été étudiés. Le système ISC correspond à la machinerie primaire d'assemblage des centres FeS chez les bactéries, et un système équivalent existe chez les eucaryotes au niveau de la mitochondrie. Le système Hyd est la machinerie de maturation de l'hydrogénase à FeFe chez plusieurs eucaryotes inférieurs (algues et protistes) et dans une grande variété de bactéries. Dans un premier temps, nous nous sommes intéressés à la machinerie ISC d'Archaeoglobus fulgidus dont le coeur est composé de la cystéine désulfurase IscS et de la protéine échafaudage IscU ; IscS apportant le soufre nécessaire à l'assemblage du centre FeS sur IscU. Au cours de cette étude, il est apparu que IscS d'Archaeoglobus fulgidus ne possède pas d'activité cystéine désulfurase, mais qu'elle joue tout de même un rôle fondamental dans la synthèse du centre FeS sur le complexe IscSU en fournissant sa cystéine active en tant que ligand de l'agrégat. Dans un second temps, nous avons étudié la protéine à radical S-adénosyl-L-méthionine HydG, responsable de la synthèse des ligands CN- et CO du sous-agrégat à 2 Fe des hydrogénases à FeFe, qui était la seule maturase du système Hyd dont la structure n'était pas connue. Nos résultats structuraux et fonctionnels suggèrent que HydG synthétise successivement le ligand CN- dans un site actif basique, puis le ligand CO sur le cinquième Fe de son agrégat [5Fe-4S] C-terminal. Ce dernier pourrait être stabilisé par un ligand cystéine ou homocystéine. / Many proteins have inorganic cofactors containing transition metals. The physicochemical properties of these metals allow the enzymes, which carry them to catalyze reactions not possible when only using the chemical properties of the twenty-two amino acids. However, these metals are toxic to the cell when they are free. Consequently, the synthesis and incorporation of these cofactors into enzymes requires complex protein assembles. In this thesis, the FeS clusters synthesis mechanisms by the ISC (Iron-Sulfur Cluster) and Hyd (Hydrogenase) machineries were studied. The ISC system corresponds to the primary FeS clusters assembly machinery in bacteria, and a homologous system exists in mitochondria. The Hyd system is FeFe-hydrogenase active site maturation machinery found in several lower eukaryotes (algae and protists) and in a wide variety of bacteria. Initially, we studied the ISC machinery from Archaeoglobus fulgidus whose core is composed of the cysteine desulfurase IscS and the scaffold protein IscU; IscS delivers the sulfur needed for the FeS assembly to IscU. From this study we conclude that IscS from Archaeoglobus fulgidus has no cysteine desulfurase activity, but it still plays a fundamental role in FeS cluster synthesis by IscSU complex by providing a cysteine ligand to the nascent cluster. Secondly, we studied the radical S-adenosyl-L-methionine HydG, responsible for the synthesis of CN- and CO ligand of the active site [FeFe] subcluster, which was the only Hyd system maturase for which the structure was unknown. Our structural and functional results suggest that HydG successively synthesizes the CN- ligand at a basic site, and then the CO ligand at the unique fifth Fe ion of its C-terminal [5Fe-4S] cluster. The latter could be stabilized by either a cysteine or a homocysteine ligand.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:27:29Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2010-06-15Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T20:36:06Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 santos_fa_me_botfmvz.pdf: 1235942 bytes, checksum: 7b3f579b06b2874c741bde8ef170587e (MD5) / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) / Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) / O presente trabalho teve como objetivo investigar a presença de manganês e zinco em “spots” protéicos de amostras de plasma de tilápia do Nilo (Oreochromis niloticus) obtidos após separação das proteínas por eletroforese em gel de poliacrilamida em segunda dimensão (2D-PAGE) para posterior avaliação qualitativa e quantitativa utilizando fluorescência de raios-X com radiação síncrotron (SR-XRF) e espectrometria de absorção atômica em chama e em forno de grafite (FAAS/GFAAS). As análises dos espectros de fluorescência indicaram a presença de manganês e zinco em quatro e seis “spots” protéicos de plasma, respectivamente. Observou-se que os íons metálicos estão ligados em proteínas com massa molar na faixa de 19 a 70 kDa e com pI na faixa de 4,7 a 6,30. A concentração de manganês e zinco ligados a essas proteínas foi determinada por GFAAS após a mineralização ácida dos spots protéicos, encontrandose concentrações na faixa de 3,40 a 4,20 mg g-1 e 2,30 a 13,90 mg g-1, respectivamente / The aim of the present study was to investigate the presence of manganese and zinc in protein spots in samples of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) plasma obtained after protein separation by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2D PAGE) and subsequent qualitative and quantitative determination by synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence (SRXRF) and graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS). An analysis of the fluorescence spectra indicated the presence of manganese and zinc in four and six plasma protein spots, respectively. It was observed that the metal ions are bound in proteins with molecular weight ranging from 19 to 70 kDa and pI ranging from 4.7 to 6.30. The manganese and zinc concentrations bound to these proteins were determined by GFAAS after acid digestion of protein spots, finding concentrations ranging from 3.40 to 4.20 mg g-1 and 2.30 to 13.90 mg g - 1, respectively

Orientador: Pedro de Magalhães Padilha / Banca: Gustavo Rocha de Castro / Banca: Eduardo José de Arruda / Resumo: O presente trabalho teve como objetivo investigar a presença de manganês e zinco em "spots" protéicos de amostras de plasma de tilápia do Nilo (Oreochromis niloticus) obtidos após separação das proteínas por eletroforese em gel de poliacrilamida em segunda dimensão (2D-PAGE) para posterior avaliação qualitativa e quantitativa utilizando fluorescência de raios-X com radiação síncrotron (SR-XRF) e espectrometria de absorção atômica em chama e em forno de grafite (FAAS/GFAAS). As análises dos espectros de fluorescência indicaram a presença de manganês e zinco em quatro e seis "spots" protéicos de plasma, respectivamente. Observou-se que os íons metálicos estão ligados em proteínas com massa molar na faixa de 19 a 70 kDa e com pI na faixa de 4,7 a 6,30. A concentração de manganês e zinco ligados a essas proteínas foi determinada por GFAAS após a mineralização ácida dos spots protéicos, encontrandose concentrações na faixa de 3,40 a 4,20 mg g-1 e 2,30 a 13,90 mg g-1, respectivamente / Abstract: The aim of the present study was to investigate the presence of manganese and zinc in protein spots in samples of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) plasma obtained after protein separation by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2D PAGE) and subsequent qualitative and quantitative determination by synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence (SRXRF) and graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS). An analysis of the fluorescence spectra indicated the presence of manganese and zinc in four and six plasma protein spots, respectively. It was observed that the metal ions are bound in proteins with molecular weight ranging from 19 to 70 kDa and pI ranging from 4.7 to 6.30. The manganese and zinc concentrations bound to these proteins were determined by GFAAS after acid digestion of protein spots, finding concentrations ranging from 3.40 to 4.20 mg g-1 and 2.30 to 13.90 mg g - 1, respectively / Mestre

The transfer of a hydrogen atom is a crucial step in a wide variety of chemical and biological processes and modus operandi of many metalloenzymes. While several factors that govern the reactivity and selectivity were already clarified in the past century, a growing body of experimental and theoretical studies also revealed numerous gaps in our unified understanding. As a consequence, the direct functionalization of non-activated C-H bonds by synthetic catalysts is still very limited. In the thesis, the hydrogen-atom-abstraction (HAA) reactions are broken down into the elementary proton- and electron-transfer steps and the reactivity/selectivity of oxidants is analyzed with respect to their physico-chemical properties, acidity constants and reduction potentials. First, a quantum chemical (QM)-based computational protocol for calculation of reduction potentials of iron complexes is introduced and validated over a large series of experimental data, including a set of challenging mononuclear FeIV O species that provide direct connection to biomimetic non-heme iron catalysis. Next, the methodology is extended to deal with reduction potentials of transition-metal complexes possessing higher total molecular charges, experimentally measured in polar solvents. In such cases, the accurate description of solvation...

The aminoacid sequence of papain (EC 3.4.22.2) consists of 212 aminoacids. It has only one free sulfhydryl group, which is located in the active site of the protein. Some organometallic complexes could be bonded only to this free -SH group due to their structure. The artificial metalloproteins synthesised by this way may have different electrochemical properties. In this work, we have studied the electrochemical properties of papain and its derivatives. We compared the ability of papain and its three artificial derivatives to catalyse the hydrogen evolution by the chronopotenciometry. The work was completed by the study of the electrochemical properties of the organometallic complexes of ruthenium, which were used for the artificial metalloprotein preparation. The electrochemical properties of the compounds were never studied before. The process of the hydrogen evolution catalysed by the proteins is held in the adsorbed state of the catalyst. Due to this fact we have also studied the adsorption properties of papain on the substrates with different level of hydrofobicity. (In Czech)

À ce jour, nos connaissances sur les propriétés structurales et fonctionnelles des métalloprotéines sont essentiellement basées sur des structures résolues par des méthodes de diffraction à rayons X appliquées à des échantillons monocristallins. Cependant, certaines protéines ne cristallisent pas ou cristallisent sous une forme qui n’est pas manipulable ou compatible avec des techniques des diffraction, et même si une structure à très haute résolution est disponible, la nature de l’ion métallique, sa géométrie de coordination ou son état d’oxydation restent souvent indéterminés.La Résonance Magnétique Nucléaire en rotation à l’angle magique (MAS NMR) est une technique très performante pour l’étude de systèmes biologiques et pour la caractérisation de la structure du site actif des métalloprotéines paramagnétiques, mais son application à l’analyse des noyaux proches d’un site paramagnétique est limitée à cause de la résolution et de la sensibilité faibles.L’objectif de cette thèse a été de développer des méthodes RMN basées sur des hautes fréquences de rotation (60-111 kHz MAS) pour faire face à ces problématiques. Un répertoire de séquences d’impulsion pour la détection et l’attribution des noyaux à proximité d’un centre paramagnétique est proposé, et à l’aide de méthodes de calculs de pointes, les données expérimentales acquises sont converties en contraintes structurales afin de déterminer la géométrie du site actif à l’échelle atomique. Cette approche est validée avec l’analyse de sites actifs de deux protéines microcristallines contenants différents ions paramagnétiques : Fe, Cu et Co. Ensuite, des données préliminaires sur un transporteur membranaire d’ions métalliques divalents non cristalline sont présentées.Les méthodes analytiques présentées ici constituent un ensemble d’outils indispensable pour l’élucidation de la structure et la fonction des sites métalliques de systèmes macromoléculaires biologiques. / Most of our understanding of metalloproteins derives from atomic or molecular structures obtained from diffraction methods on single crystal samples. However, not all proteins are amenable for diffraction studies, and even when a highly-resolved structure is available, often the nature of the metal ion, its coordination geometry or its oxidation state are not determined. The aim of the present thesis is the investigation of structural properties of metal sites in paramagnetic metalloproteins by Magic-Angle Spinning Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (MAS NMR). MAS NMR is a powerful technique for the investigation of biological systems, and may represent a direct probe of the structure at the active site of paramagnetic metalloproteins. However, it suffers from limited sensitivity and resolution when applied to nuclei close to a paramagnetic center.In this thesis, we address these limitations by developing NMR methods based on ultra-fast (60-111 kHz) MAS rates. A “toolkit” of suitably designed pulse sequences is built for the detection and the assignment of nuclei in close proximity of a paramagnetic center. State-of-the-art computational techniques are also employed to convert the experimental data into structural restraints for obtaining atomic-resolution geometries of active sites. We benchmark this approach with the study of Fe, Cu and Co sites in two microcrystalline proteins, and we also provide preliminary data on a non-diffracting divalent metal ion transporter in lipid membranes. We anticipate that the techniques described here are an essential tool to elucidate many currently unanswered questions about structure and function of metal sites in structural biology.

Szeto Tsz Kwan Leo. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 112-120). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Abstract --- p.i / 摘要 --- p.iii / Acknowledgements --- p.v / Table of Contents --- p.vi / List of Tables --- p.ix / List of Figures --- p.x / Abbreviations --- p.xii / Chapter Chapter 1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Heavy metals contaminations in Shing Mun River --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Importance of copper regulation and role of liverin copper metabolism --- p.6 / Chapter 1.1.1 --- Role of copper --- p.6 / Chapter 1.1.2 --- Toxicity due to unbalanced copper regulation --- p.7 / Chapter 1.1.3 --- Function of liver in copper detoxification --- p.9 / Chapter 1.2 --- Aims and rationale of this research --- p.11 / Chapter Chapter 2 --- Heavy metal concentrations of tilapia samples collected from Shing Mun River --- p.12 / Chapter 2.1 --- Introduction --- p.12 / Chapter 2.1.1 --- Sampling sites - Fo Tan and Siu Lek Yuen Nullah --- p.12 / Chapter 2.1.2 --- Tilapia samples collected from the sites --- p.16 / Chapter 2.1.3 --- Tilapia as a study model --- p.18 / Chapter 2.1.4 --- Bioavailability of heavy metals in water --- p.19 / Chapter 2.1.5 --- Metal content in liver --- p.20 / Chapter 2.1.6 --- Aim of this chapter --- p.20 / Chapter 2.2 --- Materials and Methods --- p.22 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- Collection of control and field samples --- p.22 / Chapter 2.2.2 --- Heavy metal concentrations determination --- p.23 / Chapter 2.2.3 --- Homogenization of liver cells --- p.24 / Chapter 2.2.4 --- Subcellular fractionation --- p.24 / Chapter 2.2.5 --- Determination of copper and zinc content in each subcellular fraction --- p.253 / Chapter 2.3 --- Results --- p.27 / Chapter 2.3.1 --- Physical data --- p.27 / Chapter 2.3.2 --- Metal concentrations in liver and muscle --- p.27 / Chapter 2.3.3 --- Copper and zinc subcellular distribution in liver cell --- p.33 / Chapter 2.4 --- Discussion --- p.36 / Chapter 2.4.1 --- Difference in metal concentration between sites --- p.36 / Chapter 2.4.2 --- Copper contamination in water and fish organ (muscle and liver) from the Shing Mun River --- p.36 / Chapter 2.4.3 --- Comparison of metal content in muscle and liver at Fo Tan site with previous studies --- p.39 / Chapter 2.4.4 --- Copper and zinc concentrations in the liver of tilapia --- p.42 / Chapter 2.4.5 --- Copper and zinc sebcellular distribution in the liver of tilapia --- p.43 / Chapter Chapter 3 --- Column chromatography of hepatic proteins from tilapias --- p.44 / Chapter 3.1 --- Transport of metals from circulatory system to liver --- p.44 / Chapter 3.1.1 --- Copper transporting plasma proteins in vertebrates --- p.44 / Chapter 3.1.2 --- Copper uptake into hepatocytes --- p.45 / Chapter 3.1.3 --- Intracellular metabolism of copper --- p.48 / Chapter 3.1.4 --- Mechanism of copper toxicity following excess accumulation --- p.49 / Chapter 3.1.5 --- Aim of this chapter --- p.50 / Chapter 3.2 --- Materials and Methods --- p.51 / Chapter 3.2.1 --- Purification of liver cytosolic proteins by gel-filtration column chromatography --- p.51 / Chapter 3.2.2 --- Copper content detection in elution --- p.52 / Chapter 3.2.3 --- Analysis of peaks from elution profile using tricine gel SDS PAGE --- p.53 / Chapter 3.3 --- Results --- p.55 / Chapter 3.3.1 --- Gel-filtration liquid chromatography elution profiles --- p.55 / Chapter 3.3.2 --- SDS PAGE analysis of peaks in elution profiles --- p.51 / Chapter 3.4 --- Discussion --- p.54 / Chapter 3.4.1 --- Comparison of gel filtration profiles of sample liver cytosol between sites and sexes --- p.64 / Chapter 3.4.2 --- Possible proteins in peaks found in the gel filtration profiles --- p.64 / Chapter 3.4.3 --- Common copper-indeced proteins --- p.67 / Chapter 3.5 --- Conclusion --- p.70 / Chapter Chapter 4 --- Two-dimensional electrophoresis of hepatic cutosol of tilapias caught from Shing Mun River and copper-treated HEPA T1 cell --- p.72 / Chapter 4.1 --- Introduction --- p.72 / Chapter 4.1.1 --- The need of ´بin vitro' experiment --- p.72 / Chapter 4.1.2 --- Choice of cell line --- p.73 / Chapter 4.1.3 --- Aim of this chapter --- p.74 / Chapter 4.2 --- Materials and Methods --- p.76 / Chapter 4.2.1 --- HEPA T1 cell cultivation --- p.76 / Chapter 4.2.2 --- Copper exposure of HEPA T1 cell --- p.77 / Chapter 4.2.3 --- Subcellular protein extraction of the copper-treated HEPA T1 cells --- p.77 / Chapter 4.2.4 --- Bicinchoninic Acidic (BCA) Protein Assay --- p.79 / Chapter 4.2.5 --- Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis --- p.79 / Chapter 4.3 --- Results --- p.83 / Chapter 4.3.1 --- Graphical presentation of spots observed on 2-dimensional gel of field samples and copper-injected samples --- p.33 / Chapter 4.3.2 --- Graphical presentation of spots detected on 2-dimensional gel of HEPAT1 cells --- p.84 / Chapter 4.3.3 --- Comparison of matched spots on 2-dimensional gels among control and copper-treated HEPAT1 cells --- p.97 / Chapter 4.4 --- Discussion --- p.105 / Chapter 4.4.1 --- Comparison of the spot patterns between field sample and copperOtreated HEPA T1 cells --- p.105 / Chapter 4.5 --- Conclusion --- p.107 / Chapter Chapter 5 --- General Discussions --- p.108 / Chapter 5.2 --- Research Overview --- p.108 / Chapter 5.2 --- Characterization of metal binding proteins from the cytosol of liver of tilapia --- p.109 / REFERENCES --- p.112