O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito dos diferentes níveis de nucleotídeos sobre o desempenho de frangos de corte alimentados com probióticos. Para o trabalho, foi utilizado um delineamento inteiramente casualizado com cinco repetições dentro de cada tratamento. Foram utilizados 1050 frangos machos da linhagem Ross 308 totalizando trinta e cinco aves por boxe. As aves foram criadas até 42 dias de idade que receberam as rações experimentais a base de milho e farelo de soja contendo seis diferentes níveis de nucleotídeos (0; 100; 200; 300; 400 e 500 gramas por tonelada de ração). Os diferentes níveis de nucleotídeos foram utilizados na fase inicial (1 a 21 dias de idade) e crescimento (22 a 35 dias de idade). Durante a fase final (36 a 42 dias de idade) foi fornecido rações sem nucleotídeo para todos os tratamentos. Os resultados experimentais demonstraram que houve melhora linear no desempenho dos frangos de corte no período de 1 a 21 dias de idade, indicando que, quanto maior o nível de nucleotídeos na dieta de frangos de corte, maior foi o peso corporal das aves. A conversão alimentar também é melhorou linearmente no período de 1 a 21 dias de idade à medida que aumentou o nível de nucleotídeos na ração. O peso no período de 35 dias de idade, também teve um comportamento linear, semelhante ao período de 1 a 21 dias, indicando que, quanto maior o nível de nucleotídeos na dieta de frangos de corte, maior o desempenho das aves. Quanto aos níveis plasmáticos de ácido úrico, pôde-se observar efeito quadrático no período de 1 a 21 dias de idade, indicando o valor de 231,59 gramas de nucleotídeos por tonelada de ração, como o melhor, em níveis mínimos de ácido úrico, por outro lado, no período de 35 dias de idade, estima-se o nível de 208,99 g de nucleotídeos por tonelada de ração; como o melhor em níveis mínimos de ácido úrico no sangue. No período final (35 a 42 dias de idade) e período total (1 a 42 dias de idade) não foi possível o observar efeito dos contrastes testados em nenhum dos parâmetros avaliados. / The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the influence of different nucleotides levels in the rations of broilers containing probiotics on response of the birds and its influence on the performance. Birds were allocated in a randomized experimental design with five replications of each treatment. It was used 1,050 chicks of a day of age, males, distributed in 30 experimental boxes with 35 birds each. The chickens were reared from 1 to 42 days of age and the diets contained corn and soybean meal with one of six different nucleotídes levels (0; 100; 200; 300; 400 and 500 grams for ton of ration). The different nucleotides levels were used in the initial phase (1 to 21 days of age) and growth (22 to 35 days of age). During the final phase (36 to 42 days of age) it was supplied rations without nucleotides for all of the treatments. The experimental results demonstrated that there was improvement on broilers performance in the period from 1 to 21 days of age, demonstrating proportionality between nucleotides level in the diet of broilers and body weight of the birds. Feed conversion at 21 days of age was directly proportional to nucleotides level in the diet. Body weight at 35 days of age, also had a linear behavior, similar to the period from 1 to 21 days, indicating that, as higher the nucleotides level in the diet of broilers, higher the acting of the birds. Acid plasmatic uric levels, demonstrated quadratic effect at 21 days of age, indicating 231,59 grams of nucleotides for ton of ration, and at 35 days of age, it was considered the level of 208,99 g of nucleotides for ton of ration. In the final period (35 to 42 days of age) and total period (1 to 42 days of age) it was not demonstrated effect of the contrasts tested in none of the appraised parameters.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito dos diferentes níveis de nucleotídeos sobre o desempenho de frangos de corte alimentados com probióticos. Para o trabalho, foi utilizado um delineamento inteiramente casualizado com cinco repetições dentro de cada tratamento. Foram utilizados 1050 frangos machos da linhagem Ross 308 totalizando trinta e cinco aves por boxe. As aves foram criadas até 42 dias de idade que receberam as rações experimentais a base de milho e farelo de soja contendo seis diferentes níveis de nucleotídeos (0; 100; 200; 300; 400 e 500 gramas por tonelada de ração). Os diferentes níveis de nucleotídeos foram utilizados na fase inicial (1 a 21 dias de idade) e crescimento (22 a 35 dias de idade). Durante a fase final (36 a 42 dias de idade) foi fornecido rações sem nucleotídeo para todos os tratamentos. Os resultados experimentais demonstraram que houve melhora linear no desempenho dos frangos de corte no período de 1 a 21 dias de idade, indicando que, quanto maior o nível de nucleotídeos na dieta de frangos de corte, maior foi o peso corporal das aves. A conversão alimentar também é melhorou linearmente no período de 1 a 21 dias de idade à medida que aumentou o nível de nucleotídeos na ração. O peso no período de 35 dias de idade, também teve um comportamento linear, semelhante ao período de 1 a 21 dias, indicando que, quanto maior o nível de nucleotídeos na dieta de frangos de corte, maior o desempenho das aves. Quanto aos níveis plasmáticos de ácido úrico, pôde-se observar efeito quadrático no período de 1 a 21 dias de idade, indicando o valor de 231,59 gramas de nucleotídeos por tonelada de ração, como o melhor, em níveis mínimos de ácido úrico, por outro lado, no período de 35 dias de idade, estima-se o nível de 208,99 g de nucleotídeos por tonelada de ração; como o melhor em níveis mínimos de ácido úrico no sangue. No período final (35 a 42 dias de idade) e período total (1 a 42 dias de idade) não foi possível o observar efeito dos contrastes testados em nenhum dos parâmetros avaliados. / The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the influence of different nucleotides levels in the rations of broilers containing probiotics on response of the birds and its influence on the performance. Birds were allocated in a randomized experimental design with five replications of each treatment. It was used 1,050 chicks of a day of age, males, distributed in 30 experimental boxes with 35 birds each. The chickens were reared from 1 to 42 days of age and the diets contained corn and soybean meal with one of six different nucleotídes levels (0; 100; 200; 300; 400 and 500 grams for ton of ration). The different nucleotides levels were used in the initial phase (1 to 21 days of age) and growth (22 to 35 days of age). During the final phase (36 to 42 days of age) it was supplied rations without nucleotides for all of the treatments. The experimental results demonstrated that there was improvement on broilers performance in the period from 1 to 21 days of age, demonstrating proportionality between nucleotides level in the diet of broilers and body weight of the birds. Feed conversion at 21 days of age was directly proportional to nucleotides level in the diet. Body weight at 35 days of age, also had a linear behavior, similar to the period from 1 to 21 days, indicating that, as higher the nucleotides level in the diet of broilers, higher the acting of the birds. Acid plasmatic uric levels, demonstrated quadratic effect at 21 days of age, indicating 231,59 grams of nucleotides for ton of ration, and at 35 days of age, it was considered the level of 208,99 g of nucleotides for ton of ration. In the final period (35 to 42 days of age) and total period (1 to 42 days of age) it was not demonstrated effect of the contrasts tested in none of the appraised parameters.

Fluorescent nucleic acid base analogues (FBAs) are an important class of molecule used to study the structure and dynamics of DNA and RNA. These base analogues are molecules with structures that resemble one of the natural bases but which, unlike the natural bases, have high fluorescence quantum yields. 2-Aminopurine (2AP) has long been the most widely used fluorescent base analogue and is one of the few base analogues commercially available. One problem with 2AP is that it undergoes significant quenching when incorporated into DNA: the quantum yield decreases 100 fold from that of the free base, thus becoming too low for use in, for example, single molecule studies. A secondary problem is that the 305 nm absorption peak requires excitation in the UV. A variety of new fluorescent base analogues are being produced, with a view to remedying the deficiencies of 2AP and expanding the current range of use. The first part of this thesis explores the one-photon photophysical properties of several of these novel FBAs. The first of these novel FBAs is the 6-aza-uridine family. These compounds, analogues of uridine, have large Stokes shifts and their absorption and emission spectra are red-shifted in comparison to 2AP; their quantum yields as free bases have been shown to exceed that of 2AP and their environmental sensitivity has been demonstrated. Time-resolved measurements reported in this thesis indicate the presence of multiple emitting species. A density functional theory (DFT) study has been carried out to rationalise these emitting species as rotational isomers. Similar fluorescence lifetime measurements were made on a second class of FBAs, the quadracyclic adenine analogues, qANs; these results also indicated the presence of multiple emitting species. Experimental results show that these FBAs undergo excited-state proton transfer. The final FBA studied in this thesis is pentacyclic adenine, pA. This FBA showed some of the most promising characteristics of all the analogues investigated, such as a high quantum yield in both polar and non-polar solvents. A time-resolved investigation into pA-containing oligonucleotides indicated that in an oligonucleotide pA adopts multiple stacked conformations and its behaviour is highly sequence dependent. Several of these aforementioned fluorescent base analogues have absorption spectra in a region that makes them accessible to two-photon (2P) excitation with a Ti:Sapphire laser. In biological systems, multiphoton excitation has several advantages over one-photon excitation. By avoiding the use of ultraviolet light there is reduced phototoxicity. Out of focus photobleaching and autofluorescence are also minimised which leads to a higher signal-to-background ratio and allows deeper tissue penetration to be achieved. Fluorescent base analogues tend to have small Stokes shifts; this is another problem that can be overcome by using two-photon excitation. To be of potential use in multiphoton microscopy, a FBA must have a high two-photon absorption cross-section and a high two-photon brightness. Previously, the highest two- photon brightness measured for a fluorescent base analogue was less than 2 GM. Amongst the base analogues investigated here, are several that have higher two-photon brightness than ever reported for FBAs; these include pA which is shown to have the highest 2P brightness of a FBA in an oligonucleotide, 1.3 GM, and a member of the 6-azauridine family which as a free base has a 2P brightness of 18 GM. Detection of individual molecules represents the ultimate level of sensitivity and enables details about a molecular system that would otherwise be concealed using conventional ensemble techniques to be revealed. With the improved 2P brightness of the molecules measured in this thesis, it has become feasible to detect single FBA molecules using 2P excitation. To maximise the chance of detection, ultrafast, shaped laser pulses have been used as the excitation source. For the first time, the signal has been high enough and the molecule of interest sufficiently photostable such that 2P fluorescence correlation spectroscopy of a fluorescent base analogue in an oligonucleotide could be measured. In summary, this thesis reports the fluorescence lifetimes and two-photon cross-sections of a series of novel fluorescent base analogues, as well as fluorescence correlation spectroscopy measurements of the most promising candidates.

Les molécules d’intérêt biologique ont pour caractéristique principale de participer aux processus biologiques, que ce soit au sein d’un organisme du monde du vivant, ou bien dans l’espace (exobiologie). Dans ces deux cas, l’eau joue un rôle prépondérant sur les propriétés des systèmes considérés. Les simulations numériques constituant désormais un élément incontournable pour l’interprétation des expériences, l’objectif de cette thèse sera de tenter de reproduire par des méthodes de chimie quantique les spectres IR expérimentaux relatifs à deux systèmes hydratés : les aérosols de nitrate, présents dans l’atmosphère, ainsi que les bases d’acides nucléiques microhydratées. Ce travail présente une même démarche afin d’obtenir la meilleure adéquation possible entre théorie et expérience. Tout d’abord, le modèle géométrique permettant de représenter au mieux nos systèmes a été recherché à partir de l’utilisation du code GSAM développé au laboratoire. Puis, nous nous sommes attachés à déterminer la méthode théorique la plus adaptée à l’étude de chacun des systèmes. Pour ce faire, différentes méthodes de calcul de structure électronique (dont B3LYP et ses analogues prenant en compte les interactions à moyenne et longue portée B3LYP-D et CAMB3LYP), de traitement vibrationnel (VPT2, VCI-P ou bien DM) ont été testées. L’évolution expérimentale observée pour les nombres d’onde associés aux cinq modes de vibration de l’ion nitrate en fonction du nombre de molécules d’eau au sein de l’aérosol est ainsi reproductible en utilisant un modèle d’agrégats d’agrégats du type (NaNO3,nH2O)3 au niveau calculatoire B3LYP/6-311+G(d,p) à 15cm-1 près. En ce qui concerne les bases d’acides nucléiques (X=C, T, U, A et G) microhydratées, la meilleure représentation d’un environnement aqueux est constitué d’un modèle explicite du type X,nH2O avec n=1 à 5 -déterminé à partir de l’application du code GSAM-, associé à un modèle implicite tel que PCM. La comparaison des nombres d’onde dans la zone de signature vibrationnelle 1000-1800cm-1 pour chaque base et à deux niveaux calculatoires différents B3LYP et B3LYP-D a conduit globalement à favoriser la première. En revanche, les méthodes de traitement vibrationnel dépendantes et indépendantes du temps donnent des résultats voisins dans cette zone, avec un coût calculatoire moins important pour la méthode VPT2. / Molecules with biological interest participate to biological processes in living organisms or in space (exobiology). Water plays a predominant part on properties of considered systems.Since computations take an important part in interpretation of experiments, the aim of this phD will be to try to reproduct IR experimental spectra with methods of quantum chemistry for two different hydrated systems : nitrate aerosols and microhydrated nucleic acid bases. This work presents a same approach to obtain the best agreement between experience and theory. First, the geometrical model for representation of hydration was investigated with the GSAM code developed at the laboratory. Then, the most adapted theoretical method was determined for studies of each system. Different methods of determination of electronic structure, especially B3LYP and their analogs considering medium and long range interactions B3LYP-D and CAMB3LYP, and vibrational treatments (VPT2, VCI-P and MD) were tested. The experimental evolution observed for wavenumbers associated to the five vibrational modes of the nitrate ion depending on the number of water molecules within the aerosol is reproducible using a model of aggregates of molecular clusters labeled (NaNO3,nH2O)3 at the B3LYP/6-311+G(d,p) level of theory : the average discrepancy between theory and experience reaches 15cm-1. Concerning microhydrated nucleic acid bases (X=C, T, U, A et G), the best representation of aqueous environment is made of an explicit model labeled X,nH2O with n=1 to 5 -determined from the application of the GSAM code-, with an implicit one like the PCM model. The comparison of wavenumbers calculated at the B3LYP and B3LYP-D levels of theory in the 1000-1800cm-1 spectral region which represents the vibrational signature for each base favoured the first method. But time-dependent and time-independent methods of vibrational treatment provide comparable results in this region, with a computational cost less important for the VPT2 approach.