Les pyréthrinoïdes et les pyréthrines sont des insecticides neurotoxiques auxquels on attribue également des effets néfastes sur les systèmes immunitaire, hormonal et reproducteur. Ils sont abondamment utilisés en agriculture, mais aussi en horticulture, en extermination et dans le traitement d’infestations parasitaires humaines et animales (gale, poux). Il y a donc un intérêt en santé environnementale à connaître l’ampleur de l’exposition humaine à ces pesticides. La mesure des métabolites urinaires des pyréthrinoïdes et des pyréthrines apparaît une approche de choix pour arriver à cette fin puisqu’elle permet, en théorie, d’obtenir un portrait global de l’exposition. Or,traditionnellement et par soucis de simplicité les concentrations volumiques ou ajustées pour la créatinine) de ces biomarqueurs dans des urines ponctuelles sont déterminées, mais l’effet de l’utilisation de ces unités sur la validité des estimations de dose quotidienne absorbée n’a jamais été vérifié. L’objectif général de cette thèse était donc de développer, appliquer et valider une nouvelle stratégie de mesure et d’analyse de biomarqueurs pour améliorer la précision et la fiabilité des évaluations de l’exposition individuelles et populationnelles aux pyréthrinoïdes et pyréthrines. Les objectifs spécifiques étaient : i) de caractériser l’exposition humaine à ces contaminants en région urbaine et rurale au Québec et ii) de comparer la validité de la nouvelle stratégie de mesure et d’analyse de biomarqueurs urinaires proposée avec les autres méthodes plus usuelles utilisées pour estimer l’exposition individuelle et populationnelle et les doses absorbées de pyréthrinoïdes. Des adultes et des enfants, recrutés dans la population de l’Île de Montréal et de la Montérégie ont recueilli leurs urines pendant une période d’au moins douze heures et complété un questionnaire documentant les sources potentielles d’exposition. Les quantités de métabolites de pyréthrinoïdes et pyréthrines (pmol) mesurées dans les urines ont été ajustées pour une période de douze heures exactement et pour le poids corporel. Les quantités excrétées en région urbaine ont été comparées à celles excrétées en région rurale et les données individuelles et populationnelles ont été comparées à celles qui auraient été obtenues si des concentrations volumiques ou ajustées pour la créatinine avaient été mesurées. Les résultats montrent que l’exposition à ces pesticides est ubiquiste puisque plus de 90% des participants excrétaient les principaux métabolites de pyréthrinoïdes et pyréthrines à un niveau supérieur au seuil de détection analytique. Les résultats suggèrent que l’alimentation pourrait être à l’origine de ce niveau de base puisque les autres sources d’exposition connues n’ont été que rarement rapportées. Au Québec, l’exposition en milieu rural apparaissait légèrement plus importante qu’en milieu urbain et certains facteurs d’exposition, comme l’utilisation de pesticides domestiques, ont été rapportés plus fréquemment en milieu rural. Enfin, il a été démontré que la mesure des concentrations volumiques ou ajustées pour la créatinine de biomarqueurs est une approche qui peut entraîner des biais importants (jusqu’à 500% d’erreur et plus) en particulier lors de l’évaluation de l’exposition individuelle. Il est évident que les autorités de santé publique et de santé environnementale employant des biomarqueurs urinaires afin d’évaluer l’exposition aux pyréthrinoïdes et aux pyréthrines (ainsi qu’à d’autres molécules ayant des demi-vies d’élimination similaire)devraient diriger leurs efforts vers la mesure des quantités excrétées pendant une période d’au moins douze heures pour obtenir un portrait le plus valide possible de l’exposition. Il serait aussi souhaitable de mieux documenter la toxicocinétique de ces molécules chez l’humain afin d’établir avec une plus grande confiance la relation entre les quantités excrétées de biomarqueurs et les doses absorbées de ces contaminants. / Pyrethroids and pyrethrins are neurotoxic insecticides also considered to have negative effects on the immune, endocrine and reproductive systems. They are abundantly used for agricultural and horticultural purposes, for pest control and to treat human and animal parasitic infestations (scabies, lice). Consequently, there is in environmental health an interest in evaluating the extent of human exposure to these pesticides. The measurement of pyrethroid and pyrethrin metabolites in urine seems to be the best approach because it provides in theory a global depiction of the exposure. Because of it straightforwardness, it is common practice to use the biomarkers volume-weighted or creatinine-adjusted concentrations in spot urine samples, however the validity of daily doses estimates derived from these units has yet to be assessed. The main goal of this research was to develop, apply and validate a new approach to the measurement and analysis of biomarkers to improve the precision and the reliability of estimates of pyrethroid and pyrethrin exposure at the individual and population levels. The specific objectives were: i) to characterize human exposure to these contaminants in urban and rural populations in Quebec and ii) to assess the validity of this new strategy of measurement and analysis of urinary biomarkers with the biological monitoring strategies generally used to assess individual and population pyrethroid exposure and absorbed doses. Adults and children recruited in the population of the Island of Montreal and of Monteregie collected their urines for at least twelve hours and filled a questionnaire about their potential sources of exposure. The amounts of pyrethroid and pyrethrin metabolites measured in urine (pmol) were adjusted to a fixed twelve hour period and for the body weight. The amounts excreted in the urban area were compared to those from the rural area and individual and population data were compared to those that would have been obtained if volume-weighted or creatinine-adjusted concentrations would have been used. Results show that exposure to these pesticides is very common, with more than 90% of the participants excreting the main pyrethroid and pyrethrin metabolites above the analytical limit of detection. These results also suggest that the diet could be the main contributor to this base level because the other known sources of exposure were rarely reported. In the province of Quebec, the exposure in a rural area seemed slightly more important than in an urban area and some exposure factors, like the use of household pesticides, were reported more frequently in rural area. Finally, it was shown that the measurement of volume-weighted or creatinine-adjusted concentrations is an approach that can lead to an important bias (an error of up to 500% and more) especially for the assessment of individual exposure. It becomes obvious that public health and environmental health authorities using urinary biomarkers to assess pyrethroid and pyrethrin exposure (or other compounds with similar half-lives) should focus their efforts on measuring the amounts excreted during a period of at least twelve hours to obtain the best picture of the exposure. It would also be pertinent to increase the knowledge of the toxicokinetic behaviour of these compounds in humans in order to establish with greater confidence the relation between the excreted amounts and the absorbed doses of these contaminants.

<p> Mass spectrometry (MS) has become one of the most powerful and versatile tools for chemical analysis due to its ultra-high sensitivity, high throughput, ease of automation, and the large amount of information obtained. Nowadays, MS is extensively used in many tasks, such as identification and quantitation of drug metabolites, analysis of the products of biomass pyrolysis, and study of reactive intermediates, to name a few. However, these mass spectrometric analyses are not without challenges. For example, the requirement for quantifying trace amounts of substances in a complex mixture constantly pushes the detection limit of mass spectrometers, and the increased sample complexity demands higher and higher mass resolution. Therefore, MS is constantly evolving to address more difficult analytical challenges. A variety of MS techniques have been developed over the years, including soft ionization methods that facilitate mass spectrometric analysis of macromolecules, such as proteins and antibodies that enables the development of new therapeutic agents, benchtop high-resolution mass spectrometers, such as the orbitraps that can be used to analyze some of the most complex mixtures, and portable mass spectrometers which can be used in the home and garden and even in cancer surgery. Besides its applications in chemical analysis, MS can serve as a unique tool for the fundamental study of gas-phase ion/molecule reactions, these gas-phase reactions can be used to better understand the reactivities of many reactive intermediates and to obtain structural information for unknown analytes.</p><p></p><p> This thesis is aimed at addressing challenges involved in mass spectrometric analyses of isomeric drug metabolites (Chapter 4), quantitation of drug metabolites by using tandem mass spectrometry coupled with liquid chromatography (LC-MS/MS) (Chapter 5), delineating cellulose depolymerization mechanisms upon fast pyrolysis by using pyrolysis-tandem mass spectrometry (py-MS/MS) (Chapter 6), and studying the reactivities of vinyl cation intermediates (Chapter 7). An overview of the dissertation research is given in Chapter 1, the instrumentation and principles of linear quadrupole ion trap (LQIT) mass spectrometer are discussed in Chapter 2, and the organic synthesis performed for several studies is detailed in Chapter 3.</p>

Aspergillus niger souche G131 est un champignon qui produit en quantité des métabolites secondaires appartenant à la famille des naphtho-gamma-pyrones (NγPs). Ces NγPs sont des pigments qui présentent des intérêts industriels de par leurs importants potentiels antiradicalaires. L’objectif de ce doctorat est la production à l’échelle pilote et en continu de NγPs à travers la culture du champignon sur milieu solide. Le choix de la fermentation en milieu solide (FMS) comme processus de culture repose sur des aspects d’ordre qualitatif et quantitatif de production, ainsi que sur des raisons économiques et éthiques, relatives à la protection de l’environnement avec notamment la possibilité de valoriser des coproduits agricoles comme milieu de culture pour le champignon. Dans un premier temps, ce travail s’intéresse à la caractérisation de la composition et des potentialités associées aux molécules produites par la souche. Ces potentialités incluent les activités anti-radicalaires et les mesures de cytotoxicité. La thèse porte également sur la caractérisation de la physiologie de croissance de la souche en FMS et sur l’optimisation des conditions de culture par la méthodologie des plans d’expériences pour l’augmentation de la production de NγPs. Une stratégie originale d’optimisation adaptée aux contraintes posées par la FMS est d’ailleurs proposée. Finalement, un transfert d’échelle de production est réalisé au moyen d’un bioréacteur prototype innovant permettant la production à l’échelle pilote de milieu fermenté en continu. Dans son dernier chapitre, ce travail s’intéresse donc à la mise au point des paramètres opératifs qui entourent la production continue de NγPs par FMS. / Aspergillus niger strain G131 is a non-ochratoxigenic filamentous fungus producing high quantities of secondary metabolites known as naphtha-gamma-pyrones (NγPs). NγPs are pigments of industrial interest in reason of their high antioxidant properties. The aim of this dissertation is the continuous, pilote-scaled production of these NγPs through the cultivation of the fungus on solid medium. The choice of solid state fermentation (SSF) as cultivation method is not only driven by quantitative and qualitative considerations, but also by economical and ethical concerns related to environmental protection. SSF allows, in fact, a direct valorization of agricultural byproducts as the solid medium for the fungal growth. First, this work deals with the characterization of the composition and potentialities associated with the molecules produced by the strain, which include antioxidant and cytotoxic activities. Second, the dissertation focuses on the characterization of the fungal growth’s physiology on solid medium and on the optimization of the culture conditions using experimental methodology in order to increase NγPs production. For this purpose, an original optimization strategy is proposed to overcome specific constraints connected to SSF. Finally, a scale transfer of the production is advanced by means of an innovative prototype bioreactor continuously producing fermented material. The final chapter of this work addresses the development of parameters regarding the continuous NγPs production using SSF.

Os microrganismos atraem considerável atenção por serem uma fonte de compostos biotecnológicos e farmacêuticos. Diversos produtos naturais peptídicos produzidos por fungos e bactérias são sintetizados por grandes enzimas, conhecidas como peptídeo sintetase não ribossômica (NRPS) e policetídeo sintase (PKS). A bioprospecção dos microrganismos isolados do solo de Terra Preta Antropogênica (TPA) da Amazônia Ocidental é de grande importância para o conhecimento deste bioma tropical. Este estudo correlacionou a presença de sideróforos e de compostos antimicrobianos produzidos pelos microrganismos isolados de TPA e dos solos adjacentes com a presença dos genes que codificam para NRPS e PKS. Linhagens bacterianas foram isoladas das amostras do solo coletadas de 10, 20 e 40 cm de profundidade. Os isolados foram cultivados em meio líquido específico por 2 dias a 28oC. Um total de 143 isolados foi testado para a atividade de sideróforo e para isso, as linhagens foram inoculadas em um meio com baixa concentração de ferro (MM9) contendo o complexo cromoazurol S-Fe3. Do total, 72 isolados apresentaram reação positiva para a produção de sideróforo. O DNA genômico dos isolados foi extraído e a amplificação por PCR foi realizada usando iniciadores específicos para NRPS e PKS. Os resultados mostraram que quinze isolados apresentaram o gene que codifica para NRPS, vinte isolados para PKS e somente dez isolados apresentaram ambos os genes. A presença de genes de NRPS e PKS em 31% dos isolados testados sugere que a produção dos sideróforos possa ocorrer pela via não ribossomal. Dois isolados foram selecionados para estudos de identificação e caracterização dos compostos. O isolado TP11 foi identificado como Pseudomonas putida através de seqüenciamento do 16S rRNA e apresentou resultado negativo para hidroxamato e catecol, sugerindo que o tipo de sideróforo não possui nenhum destes grupos funcionais. O isolado TP16 foi identificado como Pseudomonas putida e apresentou produção de sideróforo do tipo catecol e hidroxamato, sugerindo a produção de mais de um sideróforo. Além disso, esta linhagem produziu um composto antimicrobiano, com atividade de sideróforo identificado por espectrometria de massas como pseudomonina com massa molar de 330 Da. / Microorganisms have attracted considerable attention as a source for biotechnological and pharmaceutical agents. Several peptidic natural products synthesized by fungi and bacteria are assembled by large enzymes, referred as nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) and polyketide synthase (PKS). Bioprospection of microorganisms isolated from Anthropological Dark Earth soil of Brazilian Occidental Amazon is of great importance to the knowledge of this tropical biome. This study aimed to correlate the presence of siderophores and antimicrobial compounds produced by microorganisms isolated from Dark Earth and adjacent soils of Brazilian Amazon with the presence of genes encoding NRPS and PKS. Bacterial strains were isolated from soil samples collected at 10, 20 and 40 cm depth. The isolates were grown in specific liquid medium for 2 d at 28oC. A total of 143 isolates were screened for siderophore activity and for this, bacterial strains were inoculated on plates containing an iron-limited medium (MM9) amended with a chromeazurol S-Fe3 complex. From the total, seventy-two isolates showed positive reaction for siderophore production. Genomic DNA of the isolates was extracted and PCR amplification was carried out using specific primers for NRPS and PKS. The results showed that fifteen isolates presented NRPS, twenty isolates presented PKS and only ten isolates showed both genes. The presence of NRPS and PKS genes in 31% of the isolates tested suggests that production of siderophores may occur by a nonribosomal pathway. Two isolates were selected for further studies. Isolate TP11 was identified as Pseudomonas putida by 16S rDNA sequencing analysis and was negative for hydroxamate and catechol, suggesting that the siderophore type has no hydroxamate- or catechol-type functional groups. The isolate TP16 was identified as Pseudomonas putida and showed the production of catechol and hydroxamate siderophore-type, suggesting the production of more than one siderophore. In addition, this strain produced an antimicrobial compound, with siderophore activity identified through mass spectrometry as pseudomonine with a molar mass of 330 Da.

Pharmazeutisch aktive Stoffe (PhACs) sind in allen anthropogen beeinflussten Oberflächengewässern ubiquitär (> 1 µg/l) nachzuweisen. Mehr als 80 verschiedene PhACs und ihre Metaboliten konnten in Oberflächengewässern vor. Es wurden weltweit verschiedene Substanzen in Flüssen detektiert, welche sich in verschiedene Wirkklassen unterscheiden lassen: Schmerzmittel, Lipidsenker, Antiepileptika, Beta-Blocker (ß-Blocker), Beta-Agonisten, Hormontherapeutika und Antibiotika. Über den Verbleib der PhACs, ihre Akkumulation und ihre biologische Wirksamkeit in Makrophyten, ist bisher wenig bekannt. Ein Ziel dieser Arbeit besteht darin, dem freischwimmenden Makrophyten Ceratophyllum demersum (C. demersum), erstmalig die biologische Wirksamkeit von PhACs darzustellen. In der hier vorgestellten Arbeit wurden folgende Ergebnisse zur Klärung der Fragestellung herausgearbeitet: - Ob und wieviel von den jeweiligen PhACs akkumuliert und von den Makrophyten umgewandelt werden können? IBU und LNG weisen eine Aufnahme in dem Nicht-Ziel-Organismus C. demersum auf. Bei CBZ und MET hingegen kommt es zur Bioakkumulation in der Makrophyte. Die Formation von hydroxy-IBU (OH-IBU) und O-desmethyl MET (O-des MET) können in den freischwimmenden Makrophyte nachgewiesen werden. - Welche Auswirkungen PhACs auf Chlorophyll als Stressmarker haben? Die Chlorophyll Pigmente sind nicht stark beeinflusst worden. CBZ, IBU, LNG und MET wiesen eine Tendenz zur Inhibition auf, wobei die größte Sensitivität bei MET auftrat: - Ob die Enzyme der Zelldetoxifikation auf die Anwesenheit von PhACs reagieren? Die aktuelle Studie demonstriert Vorkommen von physikalischen Veränderungen während der oxidativen Antwort bei den freischwimmenden Makrophyten durch CBZ-, IBU-, LNG- und MET-Expositionen. Das Enzym mGST wurde nicht beeinträchtigt bei der niedrigeren Konzentration der getesteten PhACs. / Pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) are detected, in all anthropogenic impacted surface waters (> 1µg/l). More than 80 different PhACs and their metabolites are detected in aquatic ecosystems. PhACs from human medicine or veterinary reach the environment primarily through sewage treatment plants (STP). The relevant substances are analgesic, lipid lowering agents, anti-epileptic drugs, beta-blockers, hormone therapeutics and antibiotics. Therefore, the PhACs which were chosen to be analysed were Carbamazepine (CBZ), Ibuprofen (IBU), Levonorgestrel (LNG) and Metoprolol (MET). In comparison to the amount of available analytical data, little is known about their accumulation and the biologically potency in the aquatic environment. The aim of the study was to assess whether PhACs might cause effects on the aquatic non-target organism, the free-floating macrophyt Ceratophyllum demersum. The following hypotheses were used for clarification: - If and how much of the chosen PhACs are accumulated and metabolized? IBU and LNG were shown to be taken up by C. demersum. CBZ and MET demonstrated incidences of bioaccumulation in C. demersum. The formation of first step metabolites (OH-IBU and O-desmethyl MET) were shown in the submerged macrophyte species C. demersum. - Which effects have PhACs on chlorophylle pigments? In C. demersum, chlorophyll pigments were not significantly affected. The results indicated that PhACs (CBZ, IBU, LNG, and MET) can influence chlorophyll pigments, whereby C. demersum showed a higher sensitivity to MET - If cell detoxification enzymes of C. demersum reacts in response to PhACs? The study demonstrated the occurrence of physiological changes in the oxidative stress response of C. demersum due to CBZ, IBU, LNG, and MET exposure. The enzyme mGST was not strongly affected during the exposure with the low concentrations of the PhACs used.

Die vorliegende Arbeit beschäftigt sich mit Heterosis in der Frosttoleranz von Arabidopsis-Kreuzungen. Die genetische Basis von Heterosis, der Verbesserung heterozygoter F1-Hybriden gegenüber den homozygoten Eltern, ist unbekannt. Vermutet werden Dominanz, Überdominanz oder Epistasie. Die zur Kreuzung verwendeten Parentalakzessionen entstammen unterschiedlichen Klimaten und differieren stark in ihrer Frosttoleranz (Lethaltemperatur, LT50). Von 24 reziproken Kreuzungen mit C24 und Col-0 wurden LT50, Prolin- und Zuckergehalt bestimmt. Die Untersuchungen an nicht akklimatisierten und kälteakklimatisierten Pflanzen zeigen häufiger Heterosis in C24- als in Col-Hybriden mit klarem Anstieg nach dem Akklimatisieren. Es besteht eine klare Abhängigkeit der Frosttoleranz zum Zucker-, Prolin- und Flavonoidgehalt, sowie zwischen der Stärke der Heterosis in Frosttoleranz und Metabolitgehalten. GCMS-Messungen bestätigen diese Ergebnisse. Es wurden 40 Metabolite detektiert, von denen viele signifikant mit der Frosttoleranz korrelieren und/oder deren Heterosis mit der Heterosis der LT50 korreliert. Sechs dieser Stoffe sind wichtige Komponenten des Citratzyklus, was auf eine Rolle von Teilen des Zyklus in der Heterosis der Frosttoleranz und eine Veränderung seiner Flussraten hindeutet. / We investigated heterosis in freezing tolerance of 24 reciprocal Arabidopsis-crosses with C24 and Col-0. The underlying genetic mechanisms of Heterosis, the enhancement of F1-hybrids in comparison to their homozygous parents, are unknown. Different mechanisms such as dominance, overdominance or epistasis are suggested. Parental freezing tolerance (LT50) was shown to correlate with the original habitat temperature. Besides the LT50, proline and sugar contents (glc, fru, suc, raf) have been measured on non-acclimated and cold-acclimated plants. Metabolite profiling and flavonoid measurements revealed significant stronger heterosis in C24- than in Col-crosses. Heterosis increases after cold acclimation. Freezing tolerance clearly correlate with the contents of sugars, proline and several flavonols, as well as the strength of heterosis in freezing tolerance with the metabolite content. GCMS-measurement confirmed these results. Fourty metabolites, of which many significantly correlate with LT50 and/or with heterosis in metabolite content and in LT50, were found. Six of these are important compounds in the TCA-cycle. Changes in flux rates of the TCA-cycle could be connected to Heterosis for the first time. Negative correlation between Heterosis in freezing tolerance and metabolite accumulation, points to a role of parts of the cycle in crosses and to a change of flux rates.

Os micro-organismos que habitam o interior das plantas (endofíticos ou endófitos) tornaram-se foco de interesse por estarem envolvidos na produção de compostos químicos como enzimas, alcalóides, antibióticos, anticancerígenas e diferentes metabólitos. Os ecossistemas de regiões tropicais tem sido alvo de busca de compostos naturais por causa da riqueza de espécies e nichos ecológicos presentes nestas comunidades. O objetivo deste trabalho o isolamento, identificação e a bioprospecção de fungos endofíticos obtidos de Combretum leprosum e a detecção nos extratos de planta e micro-organismos da presença do composto combretastatin (CA4). Folhas, galhos, frutos e raízes de C. leprosum foram coletados de cinco estados dentro da zona de semiárido brasileiro: Bahia, Piauí, Ceará, Paraíba, Rio Grande do Norte. Partes das amostras foram triturados e submetidos à maceração primeiramente em diclorometano, seguidos de tetrahidrofurano e acetona de acordo com Pettit et al.(1987) para possível extração da CA4. Além disso, para avaliação in vitro da atividade citotóxica e antimicrobiana foram realizadas extrações em acetato de etila, clorofórmio e metanol. Foram detectados a possível presença da CA4 em todos os órgãos das plantas extraídos com tetrahidrofurano e as maiores concentrações foram observadas nas folhas. A atividade antitumoral dos extratos vegetais apresentaram as maiores inibições contra carcinoma (ovário IC50 10&micro;g/mL-1, rim IC50 8,7&micro;g/mL-1 e mama IC50 14,1&micro;g/mL-1) e glioma.IC50 13,5&micro;g/mL-1. A outra parte das amostras (folhas, caules e raízes) foram desinfetadas, fragmentadas e colocadas em meios de cultivo (Martin, BDA, Agar água) por 60 dias, 28&deg;C. Foram isolados 405 fungos endofíticos e 159 apresentaram atividade contra fitopatogênicos, 72% para Rhizoctonia solani e 28% para Pythium aphanidermatum. As vinte e três linhagens que apresentaram as melhores atividades antifitopatogênicas foram submetidas a crescimento em Czapec em cultura estacionaria, por 30 dias, a 28&deg;C, os respectivos metabólitos foram obtidos em múltiplo (3.0 e 11.0) e avaliados a atividade antimicrobiana contra bactérias patogênicas e fungos. Quatro linhagens foram selecionadas, identificadas pelo sequenciamento da região 18S, CFE177 como Fusarium oxysporum, CFE03 como Hypocrea koningii, linhagem CFE108 como Aspesgillus oryzae e CFE391 como Fusarium solani e avaliadas in vitro pelos testes biológicos: atividade antitumoral, antioxidante e antimicobactéria. Os compostos produzidos por A. oryzae CFE108 apresentaram potencial para bioprospecção, e de acordo com as atividade citotóxicas as maiores ações foram contra as linhagens linfoma histiocística (J744), mieloma murino (B16F10) e baixa citotóxidade para carcinoma de bexiga (ECV304) e leucemia eritroblástica humana (k562) na concentração de 1mg/mL-1. Foram isolados dois compostos: SS-XL-32-01 identificado como bis-(2-etilhexil) ftalato (DEHP) e SS-XL-20-1 identificado como fenol, 2.2 metilenobis[6-(1,1-dimetiletil)-4- etil], ambos com atividade anticâncer para células HeLa com percentual de ate 98% e 71%, de morte, respectivamente. Alem disso, a modificação através da reação de metilação do composto SS-XL-32-1 resultou na quebra do anel aromático, formação de 4 subprodutos e perda da atividade, sendo um indicativo do sitio ativo da molécula responsável pela atividade observada. Portanto, fungos endofíticos de 18 plantas do semiárido brasileiro podem ser considerados fonte de bioprospecção para novas moléculas bioativas com atividade antitumoral. / The micro-organisms that reside in the aerial tissues and roots of plants (endophytic or endophyte) became the focus of interest for being involved in the chemical production such as enzymes, alkaloids, antibiotics, anticancer and different metabolites. The ecosystems of tropical region have been targeted search of natural compounds because of the richness of species and ecological niches present in these communities. The aim of this work was the isolation, identification and bioprospection for endophytic fungi from Combretum leprosum and detection in extracts of the plant and micro-organisms for the presence of the combretastatin (CA4). Leaves, stems, fruits and roots of C. leprosum were collected from five states within the semi-arid zone of Brazil: Bahia, Piaui, Ceara, Paraiba, Rio Grande do Norte. Part of the samples were crushed and subjected to maceration in dichloromethane, followed by tetrahydrofuran and acetone according to Pettit et al. (1987) for extracting the possible CA4. Moreover, for in vitro evaluation of the cytotoxic and antimicrobial activity extractions were carried out in ethyl acetate, chloroform and methanol. Were detected the possible presence of CA4 all plant organs extracted with tetrahydrofuran and the highest concentrations were observed on the leaves. The antitumor activity of plant extracts showed the highest inhibition against carcinoma (ovary IC50 10&micro;g/mL-1, kidney IC50 8.7 &micro;g/mL-1 and breast IC50 14.1 &micro;g/mL-1) glioma IC50 and 13.5 mg-/mL-1. The other part of the samples (leaves, stems and roots) were disinfected, fragmented and placed in culture media (Martin, PDA, water agar) for 60 days, 28&deg;C. 405 Endophytic fungi were isolated and 159 showed activity against phytopathogenic, 72% for Rhizoctonia solani and 28% for Pythium aphanidermatum. Twenty-three strains that showed good activities antiphytopathogenic, were grow on medium Czapec in static culture, for 30 days at 28&deg;C, the respective metabolites were obtained in multiples pH (3.0 and 11.0) and evaluated the antimicrobial activity against pathogenic bacteria and fungi. Four strains were selected, identified by sequencing the 18S region, CFE177 as Fusarium oxysporum, CFE03 as Hypocrea koningii, strain CFE108 as Aspesgillus oryzae and CFE391 Fusarium solani, and evaluated by in vitro biological tests: antitumor, antioxidant and antimicobactérium activity. The compounds produced by A. oryzae CFE108 had biological potential and in accordance with the cytotoxic activity, showed the highest activities against lymphoma lines (J744), murine myeloma (B16F10) and low cytotoxicity for carcinoma of the bladder (ECV304) and leukemia erythroblastic human (K562) in 1mg/mL-1 concentration. Two compounds were isolated: SS-XL-32- 01 identified as bis-(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP), and SS-XL-20-1 as phenol 2.2methylenobis [6-(1,1-dimethylethyl) - 4-ethyl], both with anticancer activity for HeLa cells with a percentage of up to 98% and 71%, of death, respectively. In addition, modified by methylation reaction of the compound SS-XL-32-1 resulted in the breaking of the aromatic ring and result in formation of four product and loss of activity being indicative of the active site of the molecule can be the aromatic ring. Therefore, endophytic fungi in semiarid Brazil plant can be considered a source of bioprospection for new bioactive molecules with anticancer activity.

Les cyclodipeptides et leurs dérivés, les dicétopipérazines (DKP), constituent une large classe de métabolites secondaires aux activités biologiques remarquables qui sont essentiellement synthétisés par des microorganismes. Les voies de biosynthèse de certaines DKP contiennent des synthases de cyclodipeptides (CDPS), une famille d’enzymes récemment identifiée. Les CDPS ont la particularité de détourner les ARNt aminoacylés de leur rôle essentiel dans la synthèse protéique ribosomale pour les utiliser comme substrats et ainsi catalyser la formation des deux liaisons peptidiques de différents cyclodipeptides. Le travail de thèse présenté dans ce manuscrit a pour objectif de caractériser la nouvelle famille des CDPS. Dans un premier temps, la caractérisation tant structurale que mécanistique de la première CDPS identifiée, AlbC de Streptomyces noursei, est présentée. Puis, les résultats obtenus avec trois autres CDPS, chacune de ces enzymes ayant des caractéristiques adéquates pour approfondir l’étude de la famille des CDPS, sont décrits. Ainsi, la CDPS Ndas_1148 de Nocardiopsis dassonvillei a permis d’étendre nos connaissances sur les bases moléculaires de la spécificité des CDPS. La CDPS AlbC-IMI de S. sp. IMI 351155 est un bon modèle pour analyser l’interaction de chacun des deux substrats nécessaires à la formation d’un cyclodipeptide. Enfin, la caractérisation de la CDPS Nvec-CDPS2 chez l’animal Nematostella vectensis a permis de fournir le premier exemple d’enzyme d’origine animale impliquée dans la synthèse peptidique non ribosomale. / Cyclodipeptides and their derivatives, the diketopiperazines (DKPs), constitute a large class of secondary metabolites with noteworthy biological activities that are mainly synthesized by microorganisms. The biosynthetic pathways of some DKPs contain cyclodipeptide synthases (CDPSs), a newly defined family of enzymes. CDPSs hijack aminoacyl-tRNAs from their essential role in ribosomal protein synthesis to catalyze the formation of the two peptide bonds of various cyclodipeptides. The aim of the work presented in this thesis manuscript is to characterize the CDPS family. At first, the structural and mechanistic characterization of the first identified CDPS, AlbC of Streptomyces noursei, is presented. Then, the results obtained with three other CDPSs, each of which having suitable properties to increase our understanding of the CDPS family, are described. The CDPS Ndas_1148 of Nocardiopsis dassonvillei extends our knowledge of the molecular bases of the CDPS specificity. The CDPS AlbC-IMI of S. sp. IMI 351155 is a good model to analyze the interaction of each of the two substrates required for the formation of a cyclodipeptide. Finally, the characterization of the CDPS Nvec-CDPS2 from Nematostella vectensis provides the first example of enzymes of animal origin involved in nonribosomal peptide synthesis.

Metabolomics is the study of metabolites and metabolic processes. Due to the diversity of structures and polarities of metabolites, no single analytical technique is able to measure the entire metabolome - instead a varied set of experimental designs and instrumental technologies are used to measure specific portions. This has led to the development of many distinct data analysis and processing methods and software. There is hope that metabolomics can be utilized for clinical applications, in toxicology and to measure the exposome. However, for these applications to be realised data must be high quality, sufficiently standardised and annotated, and FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reproducible). For this purpose, it is also important that standardised, FAIR software workflows are available. There has also recently been much concern over the reproducibility of scientific research, which FAIR and open data, and workflows can help to address. To this end, this thesis aims to assess current practices and standards of sharing data within the field of metabolomics, using metascientific approaches. The types of functions of software for processing and analysing metabolomics data is also assessed. Reporting standards are designed to ensure that the minimum information required to un- derstand and interpret the results of analysis are reported. However, poor reporting standards are ignored and not complied with. Compliance to the biological context Metabolomics Standards Initiative (MSI) guidelines was examined, in order to investigate their timeliness. The state of open data within the metabolomics community was examined by investigating how much publicly available metabolomics data there is and where has it been deposited. To explore whether journal data sharing policies are driving open metabolomics data, which journals publish articles that have their underlying data made open was also examined. However, open data alone is not inherently useful: if data is incomplete, lacking in quality or missing crucial metadata, it is not valuable. Conversely, if data are reused, this can demonstrate the worth of public data archiving. Levels of reuse of public metabolomics data were therefore examined. With greater than 250 software tools specific for metabolomics, practitioners are faced with a daunting task to select the best tools for data collection and analysis. To help educate researchers about what software is available, a taxonomy of metabolomics software tools and a GitHub pages wiki, which provides extensive details about all included software, have been developed.

From its first use in the field of biochemistry, instrumental analysis offered a variety of invaluable tools for the comprehensive description of biological systems. Multi-selective methods that aim to cover as many endogenous compounds as possible in biological samples use different analytical platforms and include methods like gene expression profile and metabolite profile analysis. The enormous amount of data generated in application of profiling methods needs to be evaluated in a manner appropriate to the question under investigation. The new field of system biology rises to the challenge to develop strategies for collecting, processing, interpreting, and archiving this vast amount of data; to make those data available in form of databases, tools, models, and networks to the scientific community.<br><br> On the background of this development a multi-selective method for the determination of phytohormones was developed and optimised, complementing the profile analyses which are already in use (Chapter I). The general feasibility of a simultaneous analysis of plant metabolites and phytohormones in one sample set-up was tested by studies on the analytical robustness of the metabolite profiling protocol. The recovery of plant metabolites proved to be satisfactory robust against variations in the extraction protocol by using common extraction procedures for phytohormones; a joint extraction of metabolites and hormones from plant tissue seems practicable (Chapter II).<br><br> Quantification of compounds within the context of profiling methods requires particular scrutiny (Chapter II). In Chapter III, the potential of stable-isotope in vivo labelling as normalisation strategy for profiling data acquired with mass spectrometry is discussed. First promising results were obtained for a reproducible quantification by stable-isotope in vivo labelling, which was applied in metabolomic studies.<br><br> In-parallel application of metabolite and phytohormone analysis to seedlings of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana exposed to sulfate limitation was used to investigate the relationship between the endogenous concentration of signal elements and the ‘metabolic phenotype’ of a plant. An automated evaluation strategy was developed to process data of compounds with diverse physiological nature, such as signal elements, genes and metabolites – all which act in vivo in a conditional, time-resolved manner (Chapter IV). Final data analysis focussed on conditionality of signal-metabolome interactions. / Die instrumentelle Analytik stellt mit ihrem unschätzbaren Methodenreichtum Analysenwerkzeuge zur Verfügung, die seit ihrem Einzug in die Biologie die Aufzeichnung immer komplexerer ‚Momentaufnahmen’ von biologischen Systemen ermöglichen. Konkret hervorzuheben sind dabei vor allem die sogenannten ‚Profilmethoden’. Die Anwendung von Profilmethoden zielt darauf ab, aus einer bestimmten Stoffklasse so viele zugehörige Komponenten wie nur möglich gleichzeitig zu erfassen. <br><br> Für die Auswertung derart komplexer Daten müssen nun auch entsprechende Auswertungsmethoden bereit gestellt werden. Das neu entstandene Fachgebiet der Systembiologie erarbeitet deshalb Strategien zum Sammeln, Auswerten und Archivieren komplexer Daten, um dieses gesammelte Wissen in Form von Datenbanken, Modellen und Netzwerken der allgemeinen Nutzung zugänglich zu machen.<br><br> Vor diesem Hintergrund wurde den vorhandenen Profilanalysen eine Methode zur Erfassung von Pflanzenhormonen hinzugefügt. Verschiedene Experimente bestätigten die Möglichkeit zur Kopplung von Pflanzenhormon- und Pflanzeninhaltsstoff(=metabolit)-Profilanalyse. In weiteren Untersuchungen wurde das Potential einer innovativen Standardisierungstechnologie für die mengenmässige Erfassung von Pflanzeninhaltsstoffen in biologischen Proben betrachtet (in vivo labelling mit stabilen Isotopen).<br><br> Hormon- und Metabolitprofilanalyse wurden dann parallel angewandt, um Wechselwirkungen zwischen der Konzentration von Signalkomponenten und der Ausprägung des Stoffwechsels in Keimlingen der Modellpflanze Arabidopsis thaliana zu untersuchen. Es wurde eine Prozessierungsmethode entwickelt, die es auf einfache Art und Weise erlaubt, Daten oder Komponenten verschiedenen Ursprungs wie Signalelemente, Gene und Metabolite, die in biologischen Systemen zeitlich versetzt aktiv oder verändert erscheinen, im Zusammenhang zu betrachten. Die abschließende Analyse aller Daten richtet sich auf die Abschätzung der Bedingtheit von Signal-Metabolismus Interaktionen.