Viruses are the most abundant biological entity on Earth and outnumber their hosts ten-to-one. Ocean viruses (phages) impact bacterial-driven global biogeochemical cycles through lysis, manipulating host metabolism, and horizontal gene transfer. However, knowledge of virus-host interactions and viral roles in ecosystems remains limited due to few cultured marine phage genomes and non-quantitative culture-independent metagenomes. Here, I develop and apply novel and well-tested bioinformatic techniques to explore Pacific Ocean viral communities using quantitative datasets derived from rigorously-tested preparation methods. To evaluate concentration and purification methods, I examined triplicate metagenomes from a single ocean sample using four protocols. Concentration protocols showed statistical differences in taxonomy whereas purification protocols did not. Specifically, TFF-concentrated metagenomes contained trace bacterial contamination and had fewer abundant taxa as compared to FeCl₃-precipitated metagenomes. K-mer analysis using the complete dataset revealed polymerase choice defined access to "rare" sequences.To explore unknown viral sequences, I organized known and unknown sequence space into 27K high-confidence protein clusters (PCs) from 32 diverse Pacific Ocean Virus (POV) metagenomes, which doubled available PCs and included the first pelagic deep-sea viral metagenomes. Using PCs as a whole-viral-community diversity metric revealed decreases from coastal to open ocean, winter to summer, and deep to surface, that correlate with data from microbial genetic diversity markers (no parallel viral markers exist).Biologically, POV metagenomes showed that viruses likely reprogram central metabolic pathways in microbial communities far beyond the "photosynthesis viruses" paradigm. Gene distribution patterns from 35 viral gene families (31 new) revealed niche-specific (photic vs aphotic zone) altered pathway carbon flux presumably optimized to best locally generate energy and drive viral replication. Further, these PCs define the first "core" (180 genes) and "flexible" (423K genes total) viral community genome. Functionally, core genes again suggest niche-differentation with extensive Fe-S cluster-related genes for electron transport and metabolic enzyme catalysis in photic samples, and manipulation of host pressure-sensitive genes in aphotic samples. Taxonomically, these data deconstruct the culture-based paradigm that tailed viruses dominate in the wild - instead they appear ubiquitous, but not abundant.

The complete genome sequence of bacteriophage VR7 has been determined. The genome sequence is 169,285 nt, with an overall G+C content of 40,3%, compared with 35.3 % of T4. VR7 encodes 293 putative protein-encoding open reading frames (ORFs) and tRNAMet. In total, 211 of the 293 VR7 open reading frames encode putative proteins that share 30% ‒ 97% amino acid sequence identity with those found in T4; 46 ORFs resemble genes from other T4-like phages, 9 show similarities to genes of non T4 type phages and 27 ORFs lack any database matches. Homologs to the T4 α-gt, β-gt, SegA, SegB, SegC, SegD, SegE, I-TevI, I-TevII, I-TevIII, gp42, Ac, NrdG, NrdD, Arn, IPI, IPII, IPIII, Mrh as well as the T4-specific tRNAs are all absent in VR7. The amino acid sequences of the three major structural proteins gp23, gp18 and gp19 of VR7 show 84.9%, 71.3% and 69.9% aa identity respectively with adequate proteins of T4. In total, 43 PE, 43 PM and 44 PL have been identified in VR7. Moreover, phage VR7 encodes homologues of all transcription-associated proteins of T4. The functional complementation experiments of VR7 MotA, sharing only 34% amino acid sequence identity with MotA of T4, have been performed. It has been demonstrated, that the presence of plasmid encoded VR7 MotA complements the T4motAΔ mutant for growth in E. coli, and activates middle-mode transcription during the growth of T4motA-. Bacteriophages VR5, VR7 and VR20 have been characterized. It has been demonstrated that these phages... [to full text] / Nustačius 169,285 b.p. bakteriofago VR7 genomo nukleotidų seką aptikta viena tRNRMET ir 293 hipotetiniai ASR. Du šimtai vienuolika šio fago genų koduoja baltymus, kurie yra 30% ‒ 97% homologiški atitinkamiems fago T4 baltymams. Keturiasdešimt šeši fago VR7 baltymai neturi analogų T4, bet yra homologiški įvairių kitų T4 giminingų fagų baltymams, 9 baltymai nėra artimi T4-giminingų fagų koduojamiems baltymams, o 27 bakteriofago VR7 ASR koduoja baltymus, kuriems homologų NCBI duomenų bazėje nėra. Fago VR7 genome nėra genų, koduojančių bakteriofago T4 : α ir β gliukoziltransferazes (α-gt , β-gt) , DNR endonukleazes SegA, SegB, SegC, SegD, DNR metilazę Dam, dCMP hidroksimetilazę gp42, atsparumą akriflavinui sąlygojantį baltymą Ac bei ląstelės šeimininkės σ32 fosforilinime dalyvaujančio mrh geno produkto. Nustatyta, kad GC sudaro 40,3% fago VR7 genominės DNR, kai tuo tarpu fago T4 - 35%. Taipogi nustatyta, kad VR7 gp18, gp19 ir gp23 yra tik 71.3% , 69.9% ir 84.9% homologiški atitinkamiems fago T4 baltymams. Tiriant bakteriofago VR7 transkripcijos reguliaciją buvo aptikti 43 ankstyvieji, 43 vidurinieji bei 44 vėlyvieji promotoriai. Šio fago genominėje DNR taip pat buvo identifikuoti visų fago T4 transkripcijos reguliacijoje dalyvaujančių baltymų homologai. Klonavus bakteriofago VR7 geną motA buvo atliktas funkcinės komplementacijos tyrimas fago T4motA- sistemoje in vivo. Nustatyta, kad plazmidėje koduojamas fago VR7 viduriniosios transkripcijos aktyvatorius MotA, kurio... [toliau žr. visą tekstą]

The Life Marker Chip instrument, which has been selected to fly as part of the 2018 ExoMars rover mission payload, aims to detect up to 25 organic molecules in martian rocks and regolith, as markers of extant life, extinct life, meteoritic in-fall and spacecraft contamination. Martian samples will be extracted with a solvent and the resulting liquid extracts will be analysed using multiplexed microarray-format immunoassays. The LMC is under development by an international consortium led by the University of Leicester and the work described within this thesis was carried out at Cranfield University as part of the consortium’s broader program of work preparing the LMC instrument for flight in 2018. Within this thesis four specific areas of LMC instrument development are addressed: the investigation of immunoassay compatible liquid extraction solvents, the study of likely interactions of martian sample matrix with immunoassays, the development of antibodies for the detection of markers of extinct life and demonstration of solvent extraction and immunoassay detection in a flight representative format. Cont/d.

L’athérosclérose est une maladie inflammatoire complexe qui résulte dans la formation de plaques d’athérome à risque de rupture. Le concept récent que ce risque soit lié au contenu de la plaque et non à sa taille se traduit par un nouvel impératif dans le domaine de l’imagerie moléculaire et de la thérapie ciblée. Aujourd’hui l’avènement des approches protéomiques et de criblage à haut débit de banques combinatoires permet l’identification à la fois de nouvelles cibles et d’agents bioactifs. Notre objectif consiste à identifier in situ chez des modèles animaux malades, des fragments d’anticorps capables de cibler spécifiquement les plaques vulnérables d’athérome par phage display in vivo. Ces anticorps seront à la base de nouveaux formats moléculaires pour des études de diagnostic et thérapeutique. / Atheroclerosis is a chronic and progressive inflammatory artery disease. These arteries have morphologically raised lesions: the atherosclerotic plaque. The early atherogenesis is characterized by formation of a lipid-rich core constituted by lipid-laden macrophages. These changes can thin the fibrous cap and render the plaque susceptible to rupture and thrombosis, and eventually if the thrombus occludes the vessels to an acute myocardial infarction. So, there still remains a great need to develop novel diagnosis and therapeutic tools to assess these molecular changes. We have applied a novel in vivo selection scheme to select Antibody-ligands that selectively home into atherosclerotic lesions induced in animal models. Such tissue-specific homing ligands may lead to the characterization of new up-regulated lesion-associated markers and open the way to diagnostic and therapeutic strategies based on non-invasive molecular imaging and selective drug delivery for early lesion detection.

In vitro protein selection has had major impacts in the field of protein engineering. Traditional screens assay individual proteins for specific function. Selection, however, analyzes a pool of mutants and yields the best variants. Phage display, a successful selection technique, also provides a reliable link between variant phenotype and genotype. It can also be coupled with high throughput sequencing to map protein mutations; potentially highlighting vital mutations in variants. We propose to apply this technique to cancer therapy. RAF, a serine/threonine kinase, is critical for cell regulation in mammals. RAF can be activated by oncogenic RAS, found in over 30% of cancers, to drive cancer proliferation. Rigosertib, a benzyl styryl sulfone in phase III clinical trials for myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), is an inhibitor of the RAS binding domain (RBD) in RAF. Phage display can be used to select RAF mutants for RAS binding affinity, in the presence of Rigosertib. High-throughput sequencing of these variants can provide a means of anticipating, and mapping resistance to this anti-cancer drug.

Protein p130Cas is the major tyrosine phosphorylated protein in cells transformed by v-crk and v-src oncogenes. P130Cas plays an important role in invasiveness and metastasis of Src-transformed cells. In breast cancer patients, high p130Cas levels are associated with higher recurrence of disease, poor response to tamoxifen treatment and lower overall survival. In non-transformed cells, after the stimulation of integrins, protein p130Cas is phosphorylated in substrate domain affecting cell migration and cytoskeletal dynamics. For this signalling is the SH3 domain of p130Cas indispensable. In this thesis, was for the first time using the Phage display method analysed and subsequently characterized the binding motif of SH3 domain of p130Cas. Based on this high-affinity motif [AP]-P-[APMS]-K-P-[LPST]-[LR]- [LPST], we predicted new interaction partners of protein p130Cas and subsequently confirmed the interaction with the Ser/Thr kinase PKN3. This kinase colocalizes with p130Cas in the nucleus and perinuclear region and could phosphorylate p130Cas. In this thesis, we also analysed the effect of phosphomimicking mutation of tyrosine from sequence ALYD, which is conserved in the sequence of SH3 domains, on ability of these domains to bind ligands. This mutation reduced binding by about 3 orders of...

Submitted by Cássia Santos (cassia.bcufg@gmail.com) on 2015-02-27T12:50:00Z No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Greice Japolla - 2014.pdf: 735093 bytes, checksum: 4795f79b674744556e9029a8e9b99c2f (MD5) license_rdf: 23148 bytes, checksum: 9da0b6dfac957114c6a7714714b86306 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Luciana Ferreira (lucgeral@gmail.com) on 2015-03-04T11:45:39Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Greice Japolla - 2014.pdf: 735093 bytes, checksum: 4795f79b674744556e9029a8e9b99c2f (MD5) license_rdf: 23148 bytes, checksum: 9da0b6dfac957114c6a7714714b86306 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-03-04T11:45:39Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Greice Japolla - 2014.pdf: 735093 bytes, checksum: 4795f79b674744556e9029a8e9b99c2f (MD5) license_rdf: 23148 bytes, checksum: 9da0b6dfac957114c6a7714714b86306 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-02-11 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / Bovine herpesvirus type 1 ( BHV - 1 ) is recognized as an important pathogen of economic losses in cattle , these animals causing diseases known as infectious bovine rhinotracheitis ( IBR ) , infectious pustular vulvovaginitis , infectious balanoposthitis and neurological disorders . For effective control of these diseases, the correct diagnosis is necessary, but none of the available tests enables a quick result made the field. Considering this, the aim of this study was to construct a combinatorial antibody library, for it to be used in the future development of new diagnostic approaches . Two breed White Leghorn chickens were immunized with 105.5 TCID50/ml of BoHV - 1, birds were necropsied , their spleens removed for total RNA extraction , cDNA synthesis , amplification of gene fragments encoding the light chain ( VL ) and heavy ( VH ) and production of scFv ( v) fragments. These fragments were cloned into vectors fagomidiais expressed as fusion proteins on filamentous phage and amplified by infection of E. coli. Selection of viral particles ( fused scFv) binding to the BHV -1 ( biopanning ) by six cycles were performed. The affinity of the scFv antibody library BHV -1 observed in ELISA shows that the produced fragments are reactive to HIV, the use of such antibodies in the development of new diagnostic platforms is possible . The sequencing results showed a reduction of variability in comparison to the dot blot previously performed, and a desirable feature of this process , however, it was possible to sequence the clones efficiently, it has been found , therefore, a need to further analyze the shape of results / O herpesvírus bovino tipo 1 (BoHV-1) é reconhecido como um importante patógeno de perdas econômicas em bovinos, causando nestes animais enfermidades conhecidas como Rinotraqueite Infecciosa Bovina (IBR), vulvovaginite pustular infecciosa, balanopostite infecciosa e desordens neurológicas. Para um efetivo controle destas enfermidades, o diagnóstico correto se faz necessário, porém nenhuma dos testes disponíveis possibilita um resultado rápido feito a campo. Considerando isto, o objetivo deste estudo foi construir uma biblioteca combinatorial de anticorpos, para que esta seja futuramente utilizada no desenvolvimento de novas abordagens diagnósticas. Duas galinhas da raça White Leghorn foram imunizadas com 105,5 DICC50/mL de BoHV-1, as aves foram necropsiadas, seus baços retirados para extração de RNA total, síntese de cDNA, amplificação dos fragmentos gênicos codificantes das cadeias leve (VL) e pesada (VH) e produção de fragmentos scF(v). Estes fragmentos foram clonados em vetores fagomidiais, expressos como proteínas de fusão em bacteriófagos filamentosos e amplificados pela infecção de bactérias E.coli. Foi realizada a seleção de partículas virais (scFv fusionados) ligantes ao BoHV-1 (biopanning) através de seis ciclos. A afinidade da biblioteca de anticorpos scFv ao BoHV-1 observada no teste de ELISA mostra que os fragmentos produzidos são reativos ao vírus, sendo possível a utilização destes anticorpos no desenvolvimento de novas plataformas de diagnóstico. Os resultados de sequenciamento mostraram uma diminuição da variabilidade em comparação ao dot blot realizado anteriormente, sendo uma característica desejável neste processo, porém não foi possível sequenciar os clones de modo eficiente, verificando-se, portanto, a necessidade de analisar de forma mais aprofundada os resultados obtidos .

L'utilisation de virus de bactéries ou bactériophages pourrait être un complément efficace à l’antibiothérapie. Mon travail a porté sur la caractérisation de bactériophages dirigés contre l’espèce Pseudomonas aeruginosa, pathogène opportuniste responsable d'infections des voies respiratoires des patients atteints de mucoviscidose.J'ai tout d'abord déterminé la sensibilité des souches mucoviscidosiques au Pyophage (un cocktail de phages thérapeutiques Géorgien) et identifié six phages lytiques de quatre genres différents. Environ 15% des souches sont résistantes au Pyophage. Ensuite, en utilisant les souches cliniques multi-résistantes aux phages comme bactérie d’enrichissement, 32 phages ont été obtenus à partir des eaux usées de France et Côte d’Ivoire. Tous les phages analysés sont caudés et distribués au sein de dix genres parmi lesquels six exclusivement lytiques. J'ai identifié des souches bactériennes qui demeurent insensibles à tous les phages. J'ai montré que le système CRISPRs-Cas n'est pas associé à la résistance des souches aux phages lytiques. / The use of viruses of bacteria commonly called bacteriophages could constitute an efficient complement to antibiotics. During my PhD, I have characterized phages infecting the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas. aeruginosa, responsible for lung infections in cystic fribrosis patients. Firstly, I investigated the efficiency of Pyophage (a cocktail of phages therapeutic Georgian) on clinical P. aeruginosa strains and recovered six lytic phages from four different genus. The Pyophage appears to be unactive on approximately 15% of clinical strains. Secondly, and using multi-phages resistant strains as enrichment bacteria, 32 phages were isolated from waste water of France and Côte d’Ivoire. All phages are tailed and distributed within ten different genus including six exclusively lytic. I identified bacterial strains which remain insensitive to all phages. I also demonstrated that the CRISPRs-cas system plays no role in the resistance of strains to lytic phages.

Les CRISPRs constituent une famille particulière d'éléments génétiques, retrouvés dans de nombreux génomes de procaryotes (la moitié des bactéries et presque toutes les archées). Des études récentes suggèrent que cette structure représente un système de défense contre les ADNs étrangers fonctionnant grâce à un mécanisme d'interférence ARN. Les CRISPRs consistent en la succession de régions très bien conservées (DR) dont la taille varie de 23 à 47 pb, séparées par des séquences uniques d'une taille similaire et ayant en général une origine virale. Le polymorphisme observé entre différentes souches de la même espèce fait du CRISPR un marqueur génétique intéressant pour des analyses comparatives de souches bactériennes très proches et pour des études phylogénétiques. Cette thèse décrira trois outils bioinformatiques accessibles à l'adresse (http://crispr.u-psud.fr) et leurs applications dans l'investigation et le typage des CRISPRs. Le premier outil est CRISPRFinder qui est un programme d'identification des CRISPRs à partir des séquences génomiques. Le deuxième est la base de données CRISPRdb et ses utilitaires qui fournissent un accès aux CRISPRs de tous les génomes procaryotes séquencés. le troisième outil est CRISPRcompar qui sert à identifier et comparer les CRISPRs dans des génomes proches pour faciliter la procédure de typage.

Chez Escherichia coli la terminaison de la transcription peut intervenir selon deux mécanismes distincts : tout d'abord la terminaison intrinsèque qui correspond à une séquence ADN, codant pour une structure en tige boucle riche en GC suivie d'une répétition d'uridine sur l'ARN, induisant le relargage de l'ARN polymérase. Le second mécanisme est gouverné par un facteur de terminaison nommé Rho qui gouverne environ 50 % des événements de terminaison chez E. coli. Au cours de ma thèse, je me suis intéressé à ce deuxième mécanisme, et plus particulièrement à sa régulation in vivo (antiterminaison). Rho, sous la forme d'un anneau héxamèrique, se fixe à l'ARN naissant au niveau d'un site d'entrée (également appelé RUT), puis utilise son activité ATPase pour longer l'ARN et dissocier le complexe ternaire d'élongation stoppé au niveau d'un site de pause. Les terminateurs Rho-dépendants sont assez mal définis et peu d'entre eux on été analysés en détail. Le terminateur du tR1 du phage lambda (λ) est le terminateur Rho-dépendant le plus étudié à la fois in vitro et in vivo. La terminaison Rho-dépendante au niveau de ce terminateur est gouvernée principalement par les séquences localisées en 5', codant deux régions du transcript nommées RUTA et RUTB. Ces deux régions sont séparées par le motif ARN BOXB qui n'est pas indispensable à l'action de Rho mais sert, dans le mécanisme d'antiterminaison, de site de fixation pour la protéine N du paghe λ. Grâce à un système minimal d'étude in vivo, nous avons montré que le motif BOXB possède une fonction double dans les mécanismes de terminaiso/antiterminaison au niveau de λtR1 régulant l'expression temporale du génome du phage λ. Sous la forme d'une tige boucle hautement structurée, BOXB agit comme un lien permettant de placer RUTA et RUTB l'un à côté de l'autre pour une interaction optimale avec Rho et une terminaison efficace. A l'inverse, la fixation de la protéine N sur BOXB induit l'antiterminaison au niveau de λtR1 en empêchant l'accès de Rho à l'ARN. Ce double rôle a été démontré in vivo en substituant au couple N/BOXB la « coat protein » du phage MS2 et son motif cible en tige boucle. En complément de ce travail, j'ai utilisé cette faculté d'un complexe ribonucléoprotéïque de bloquer la terminaison Rho-dépendante, pour développer une nouvelle approche d'étude in vivo, des complexe ARN-protéine.