Aging is a multifactoral biological process of progressive and deleterious changes partially attributed to a build up of oxidatively damaged biomolecules resulting from attacks by free radicals. Methionine sulfoxide reductases (Msrs) are enzymes that repair oxidized methionine (Met) residues found in proteins. Oxidized Met produces two enantiomers, Met-S-(o) and Met-R-(o), reduced by MsrA and MsrB respectively. Unlike other model organisms, our MsrA null fly mutant did not display increased sensitivity to oxidative stress or shortened lifespan, suggesting that in Drosophila, having either a functional copy of either Msr is sufficient. Here, two Msr mutant types were phenotypically assayed against isogenic controls. Results suggest that only the loss of both MsrA and MsrB produces increased sensitivity to oxidative stress and shortened lifespan, while locomotor defects became more severe with the full Msr knockout fly. / by Kelli Robbins. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2009. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2009. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2003. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 164-177).

The processes that control the reductive dissolution of Mn0₂ by Fe(II) under conditions simulating the effects of acid mine drainage on subsurface environments and the subsequent precipitation of Fe(III) has been investigated. Results from real-time, in situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) flow-through reaction cell studies indicate that a mixed Fe/Mn solid phase with the local structure of the spinel mineral jacobsite (MnFe₂O₄) is formed after the Mn0₂ surfaces are coated with ferric precipitates. In the absence of previously precipitated Fe(III), no reduced manganese solid is formed. The ferric precipitates do not incorporate significant quantities of Mn(II) down gradient from the reactive Fe(II) front. The maximum amount of the original Mn0₂ incorporated into this jacobsite-like solid is 5%. Results from batch experiments showed similar results compared to the flow-through experiments, with an initially fast rate of Mn(II) release, followed by a much slower release after 5-10 min had elapsed. The reaction products, Fe(III)(aq) and Fe(III)(s) were found to decrease the initial reaction rate. A simple model was developed to describe the temporal concentrations of Mn(II)(aq), Fe(II)(aq), and Fe(III)(aq) that include a Langmurian blocking function to describe the effects of the ferric reaction products on the reaction rate. The model also allowed for a second order process to occur at long time that was dependent solely on the aqueous concentrations of Fe(II) and Mn02. The formation of the ferric reaction products were found to transform from aqueous sulfate complexes to (presumable) ternary surface complexes with sulfate. Within 10 h, these precipitates may have formed chains of edge-sharing octahedra on the order of 60 Å. The precipitates have large amount of sulfate associated with them, which may preclude the formation of ferrihydrite, and may indicate the formation of schwertmannite. The average Fe:SO₄ ratio was 4.4 ± 1.0, a value similar to that reported for schwertmannite. The presence of goethite was identified by X-ray diffraction as early as 50 d, indicating that sulfate is being excluded from the precipitates. The release of Mn(II), FeT, and sulfate was controlled by diffusion, which may also be the process that controls the rate of transformation.

Photosystem II (PSII) is the membrane-bound oxidoreductase peptide complex responsible for the oxidation of water to molecular oxygen and reduction of plastoquinone to plastoquinol. Primary electron transfer is initiated upon absorption of a photon by the primary donor chl resulting in electron transfer and production of a P680+QA charge separated state. P680+ is reduced by YZ (Y161 of the D1 polypeptide subunit), one of two redox-active tyrosine residues found in PSII. This produces a neutral tyrosyl radical (YZ ) which is subsequently reduced by electrons derived from water at the oxygen-evolving complex (OEC). The OEC is composed of four manganese, one calcium ion, and one chloride ion. Four photons are required to convert water to O2, each photon advancing the OEC through successive oxidation states or S states. The exact chemical mechanism of water oxidation in PSII is not known. However, proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) is thought to be one of the fundamental steps in driving the extraction of electrons and protons from water. Here, the mechanism of water oxidation is investigated with focus on PCET events using vibrational spectroscopy. Vibrational spectroscopy is sensitive to changes in protein structure, charge, and hydrogen bonding, and is ideal for the study of fast events coupled with light-induced electron transfer. The results presented here demonstrate the utility of time-resolved infrared spectroscopy in the detection of intermediates of photosynthetic water oxidation. We suggest that proton transfer may precede manganese oxidation during water oxidation based on time-resolved infrared and difference FT-IR spectroscopic results. The mechanism of PCET associated with YZ reduction is investigated. Using reaction-induced difference FT-IR spectroscopy, the identity of the chloride binding site is speculated through the use of bromide exchange at the OEC. Also, proton transfer reactions at the OEC are investigated using azide as a vibrational probe. The advances in the understanding of photosynthetic water oxidation gained in this work will aid in the elucidation of the chemical mechanism of this important reaction. Understanding the details of photosynthetic water oxidation will assist in the development of technology aimed at harnessing the energy of the sun for the benefit of humankind.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2005. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes bibliographical references (p. 164-174).

Orientador: Hiroshi Aoyama / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Biologia / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-06T06:33:37Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Sousa_RobertaReginaRuelade_M.pdf: 3257089 bytes, checksum: 29f24a432f8c0bfd7dd71af48cc7608a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2005 / Resumo: As proteínas tirosina fosfatases (PTP) (EC 3.1.3.48) são enzimas regulatórias chaves que participam na transdução de sinal e são essenciais na regulação do crescimento, diferenciação, ciclos celulares, na transcrição gênica, resposta imune e outros processos. Esta classe de enzimas, que contém cisteína no sítio ativo, pode ser inativada por agentes oxidantes. Neste trabalho, estudamos os efeitos de peróxido de hidrogênio e t-butil hidroperóxido, compostos que induzem estresse oxidativo, na atividade de uma PTP purificada de membranas de linfócitos humanos, indicativamente a CD45. A PTP foi purificada de membranas de linfócitos humanos através de cromatografias de troca iônica (DEAE Sepharose) e exclusão molecular (Sephacryl S-200). A purificação enzimática foi acompanhada por SDS-PAGE e eletroforese bidimensional. A atividade enzimática foi determinada através de incubação a 37°C por 30 min em pH 5,0 em presença de 5 mM de p-nitrofenil fosfato (pNPP) como substrato. A enzima obtida da cromatografia de exclusão molecular apresentou uma massa molecular relativa de aproximadamente 200 kDa, reconheceu mais eficientemente tirosina fosfato (cerca de 3,2 vezes) como substrato quando comparado ao pNPP, e foi inibida por inibidores específicos de PTP, tais como vanadato (40%), pervanadato (100%), p-cloromercuribenzoato (20%) and Cu2+ (95%). Ácido okadáico, um inibidor específico de serina e treonina proteína fosfatases, não afetou a atividade da PTP de membranas de linfócitos. Estes resultados de caracterização sugerem fortemente que a PTP purificada de membranas de linfócitos humanos é a CD45. Peróxido de hidrogênio e t-butil hidroperóxido inibiram a atividade dessa proteína com valores de IC50 (concentração do composto que produz 50% de inibição enzimática) de 50 µM e 16 mM, respectivamente. Glutationa reduzida (GSH) protegeu parcialmente a enzima contra estes oxidantes, porém proteções totais foram obtidas quando se adicionava 250 mM de desferoxamina ao meio de ensaio. Nossos resultados sugerem que essa proteína pode ser regulada por alteração do estado de oxidação dos grupos funcionais do sítio ativo e que esta regulação poderia fornecer um mecanismo de controle celular através de espécies reativas de oxigênio / Abstract: Protein phosphatases, that dephosphorylate proteins in residues of threonine, serine and tyrosine, are a class of enzymes that can be stressed by compounds present in oxidant or reductant environments. In particular, the protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTP) (EC 3.1.3.48) are key regulatory enzymes that participate in signal transduction and are essential for regulating cellular growth, differentiation, cell cycle, gene transcription, immune response and other processes. This class of enzymes, which contain cysteine in the active site, can be inactivated by oxidant reagents. In this work we have studied the effect of hydrogen peroxide and t-butyl hydroperoxide, compounds that induce oxidative stress, on a purified PTP (CD45) from membrane human lymphocytes. PTP was purified from human lymphocyte membranes through ion exchange (DEAE Sepharose) and molecular exclusion (Sephacryl S-200) chromatographies. The enzyme purification was followed by SDS-PAGE and 2D electrophoresis. The enzyme activity was determined by incubation at 37oC for 30 minutes at pH 5.0 in presence of 5 mM p-nitrophenylphosphate (pNPP) as substrate. The enzyme obtained from molecular exclusion chromatography had a relative molecular mass of approximately 200 kDa, recognized more efficiently tyrosine phosphate (about 3.2-fold) as substrate when compared with p-NPP, and was inhibited by specific PTP inhibitors, such as, vanadate (40%), pervanadate (100%), p-chloromercuribenzoate (20%) and Cu2+ (95%). Okadaic acid, a specific serine and threonine protein phosphatases inhibitor, did not significantly affect the lymphocyte membrane PTP activity. These characterization results strongly suggest that the membrane PTP purified from human lymphocytes was the CD45. Hydrogen peroxide and t-butyl hydroperoxide inhibited the CD45 activities with IC50 (concentration of compound that produces 50% enzyme inhibition) values of 50 µM and 16 mM, respectively. Reduced glutathione (GSH) partially protected the enzyme against these oxidations, but full protections were observed when 250 mM deferoxamine were added to the assay medium. Our results suggest that CD45 can be regulated by altering the oxidation state of active site functional groups, and that this regulation could provide a mechanism of cell control by reactive oxygen species / Mestrado / Bioquimica / Mestre em Biologia Funcional e Molecular

Orientador: Everardo Magalhães Carneiro / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Biologia / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-16T00:20:04Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Cappelli_AnaPaulaGameiro_M.pdf: 8746314 bytes, checksum: fffd531f3decda018f572cfc7c7f2be6 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009 / Resumo: A desnutrição protéica promove redução da secreção de insulina devida inúmeras alterações moleculares nas células B pancreáticas. Recentemente foi demonstrado que o estado redox pode modular a secreção de insulina em condições fisiológicas. No entanto, a correlação entre as alterações no estado redox e na secreção de insulina em ratos submetidos à desnutrição protéica não é conhecida. Assim, nosso objetivo foi avaliar o impacto do estresse oxidativo na secreção de insulina em ilhotas de ratos desnutridos. Ratos machos Wistar foram tratados com dieta normoprotéica (NP-17%) ou hipoprotéica (LP-6%) por 60 dias. Após isolamento das ilhotas, foi medida atividade e o conteúdo protéico das enzimas antioxidantes SOD, GPx e a CAT. Para a secreção estática de insulina, as ilhotas foram pré-incubadas em 5.6 mM de glicose (GLI) com ou sem H2O2, na ausência ou presença de n-acetil cisteína (NAC) e posteriormente incubadas em diferentes concentrações de GLI. Observamos aumento da atividade da SOD (21.18±2.1-30.5.±2 µmoles/min/mg proteína NP-LP respectivamente), redução na CAT (9±1.2-5.22±0.73 µmoles/min/mg proteína NP-LP respectivamente) e nenhuma alteração na GPx em ilhotas de ratos desnutrido comparada com ilhotas de ratos controle. Apesar de observarmos tendência de aumento no conteúdo protéico das enzimas antioxidantes em LP, não houve diferença significativa de nenhuma das enzimas. A secreção de insulina de ratos LP que ficaram expostas a 33mM de glicose na incubação, retornou a níveis basais (GLI 2.8 mM) quando préincubado com 100 µM de H2O2, enquanto para as ilhotas de ratos controle foi necessário a adição de 300 ?M de H2O2 na pré-incubação para retornar aos níveis basais. Na presença de 10 mM de NAC + 150 µM de H2O2, durante a pré-incubação, e posterior incubação em 33 mM de glicose, observou-se redução significante da secreção de NP e aumento em LP. Estes resultados sugerem que as ilhotas pancreáticas de ratos desnutridos pré tratadas com H2O2 e posteriormente expostas a altas concentrações de glicose, são mais sensíveis ao H2O2 possivelmente devido à capacidade reduzida de detoxificação de espécies reativas de oxigênio (EROS). / Abstract: Protein malnutrition induces pacreatic B-cells molecular alterations, reducing insulin secretion. It has been recently demonstrated that redox status may control insulin secretion under physiological conditions. However, protein malnutrition effects in redox modulation of insulin secretion is unknown. Thus, our aim was to evaluate oxidative stress impact upon insulin secretion in isolated islets from protein undernourished rats. Male Wistar rats were treated with normoproteic diet (NP-17%) or with a low protein diet (LP-6%) for sixty days. After islets isolation, it was measured antioxidant enzymes SOD, GPX and CAT activities and protein content. For insulin secretion measurement, islets were pre-incubated with glucose 5.6 (GLI) mM with or without H2O2 at the presence and absence of N-acetyl-cisteyne (NAC) and after that islets were incubated with diferent GLI concentration. SOD and CAT activities were significant increased (21.18±2.1-30.5.±2 µmoles/min/mg protein for NP-LP respectively) and decreased (9±1.2-5.22±0.73 µmoles/min/mg protein for NP-LP respectively) respectively, whereas GPX did not show any alteration. Despite a tendency of increase in the LP protein content of antioxidant enzymes, no significant differences were observed. When incubated with glucose 33mM, LP insulin secretion returned to baseline values (GLI 2.8 mM) when it was pre-incubated with H2O2 100 µM, whereas NP islets returned to baseline levels when pre-incubated with H2O2 300 ?M. When islets were pre-incubated with NAC 10 mM + H2O2 150 µM and further incubated with glucose 33 mM, insulin secretion was reduced in NP, whereas in LP it was increased. Taken together, these datasuggest that pancreatic islets from undernourished rats when pre-treated with H2O2 and thereafter challenged with high glucose concentrations are more sensitive to H2O2, probably due to their lower capacity to detoxify reactive oxygen species (ROS). / Mestrado / Fisiologia / Mestre em Biologia Funcional e Molecular

Thesis: Ph. D., Joint Program in Chemical Oceanography (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences; and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution), 2015. / Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. / Includes bibliographical references. / Tracing the evolution of Earth's redox history is one of the great challenges of geobiology and geochemistry. The accumulation of photosynthetically derived oxygen transformed the redox state of Earth's surface environments, setting the stage for the subsequent evolution of complex life. However, the timing of the advent of oxygenic photosynthesis relative to the Great Oxidation Event (GOE; -2.4 Ga) is poorly constrained. After the deep ocean became oxygenated in the early Phanerozoic, hydrogen sulfide, which is toxic to most aerobes, may have transiently accumulated in the marine photic zone (i.e. photic zone euxinia; PZE) during mass extinctions and oceanic anoxic events. Here, the molecular fossil evidence for oxygenic photosynthesis and eukaryotes is reevaluated, where the results imply that currently existing lipid biomarkers are contaminants. Next, the stratigraphic distribution of green and purple sulfur bacteria biomarkers through geologic time is evaluated to test whether these compounds reflect a water column sulfide signal, which is implicit in their utility as PZE paleoredox proxies. Results from a modern case study underscore the need to consider allochthonous and microbial mat sources and the role of basin restriction as alternative explanations for these biomarkers in the geologic record, in addition to an autochthonous planktonic source. / by Katherine L. French. / Ph. D.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / DNA double strand breaks (DSB) are among the most lethal forms of DNA damage and can occur as a result of ionizing radiation (IR), radiomimetic agents, endogenous DNA-damaging agents, etc. If left unrepaired DSB’s can cause cell death, chromosome translocation and carcinogenesis. In humans, DSB are repaired predominantly by the non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) pathway. Ku, a heterodimer consisting of Ku70 and Ku80, functions in the recognition step of this pathway through binding DNA termini. Ku recruits the DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs) to create the full DNA-PK heterotrimer. Formation of DNA-PK results in autophosphorylation as well as phosphorylation of downstream proteins of the NHEJ pathway. Previous work shows that the extreme C-terminus of Ku80 stimulates the kinase activity of DNA-PKcs, and Ku DNA binding is regulated as a function of redox via stimulation of a conformational change when oxidized resulting in a decrease in DNA binding activity. To further understand these methods of regulation of Ku and DNA-PK, a pair of mutants has been constructed; one consisting of full length Ku70 and truncated Ku80 (Ku70/80ΔC) lacking 182 C-terminal amino acids. The removal of these amino acids was shown to have little to no effect on the proteins expression, stability or DNA binding, as determined by SDS-PAGE, western blot analysis and electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA). When oxidized Ku70/80ΔC showed a decrease in DNA binding similar to that seen in wild type, however when re-reduced the mutant did not recover to the same extent as wild type. A second mutant was constructed, containing amino acids 590-732 of Ku80 (Ku80CTR), to further understand the mechanism by which Ku80 C-terminus interacts with the rest of the Ku heterodimer. Possible protein-protein interactions were evaluated by Ni-NTA affinity, gel filtration chromatography, fluorescence polarization and two forms of protein-protein cross-linking. Ni-NTA agarose affinity, and gel filtration chromatography failed to reveal an interaction in the presence or absence of DNA. However, photo-induced cross-linking of unmodified proteins (PICUP) as well as EDC cross-linking demonstrated an interaction which was not affected by DNA. The work presented here demonstrates that the interaction between Ku80CTR and Ku is rather weak, but it does exist and plays a relatively large role in the NHEJ pathway.

The inevitable aging process can be partially attributed to the accumulation of oxidative damage that results from the action of free radicals. Methionine sulfoxide reductases (Msr) are a class of enzymes that repair oxidized methionine residues. The two known forms of Msr are MsrA and MsrB which reduce the R- and S- enantiomers of methionine sulfoxide, respectively. Our lab has created the first genetic animal model that is fully deficient for any Msr activity. Previously our lab showed that these animals exhibit a 20 hour delay in development of the third instar larvae (unpublished data). My studies have further shown that the prolonged third-instar stage is due to a reduced growth rate associated with slower food intake and a markedly slower motility. These Msr-deficient animals also exhibit decreased egg-laying that can be attributed to a lack of female receptivity to mating. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2016. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection