Orientador: Luciana Gonzaga de Oliveira / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Química / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-22T05:28:22Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Rampasio_RaquelRodrigues_M.pdf: 2052024 bytes, checksum: 07f4cd2fcba87af264e6efceab06d527 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012 / Resumo: Epóxidos enantiopuros e dióis vicinais têm sido utilizados na síntese de inúeras moléculas bioativas. Dessa forma, as epóxido-hidrolases microbianas capazes de hidrolisar enantioseletivamente epóxidos racêmicos emergiram como uma alternativa promissora na obtenção destes compostos. Recentemente, a linhagem P. stipitis CCT 2617 foi selecionada por apresentar atividade hidrolítica frente a epóxidos terminais e teve seu genoma completo publicado. Assim, esta levedura foi selecionada para o trabalho de clonagem e expressão de sua epóxido hidrolase. Neste trabalho, a clonagem do gene SEH1, que codifica para a epóxido hidrolase de P. stipitis, foi efetuada com sucesso em P. pastoris, tanto no vetor pPICZa A, quanto no vetor pPICZ B. A clonagem da proteína com a cauda de histidina deve auxiliar na detecção da expressão. A detecção de uma banda, referente a uma proteína de 46 kDa, no gel de eletroforese foi um indício de que a expressão da enzima SEH (contendo o fator a) ocorreu, porém, não conseguimos reproduzir este resultado posteriormente. Além disso, buscamos melhores alternativas para a detecção da atividade enzimática, como o teste de adrenalina e o ensaio baseado em substrato fluorogênico, que devem ser aperfeiçoados para a utilização com células íntegras. A modelagem computacional da estrutura tridimensional da PSEH resultou em um modelo contendo 40% de hélices a e 12% de folhas b. Determinamos que os resíduos que devem fazer parte do sítio ativo são Tyr319, Asp209, Asp352 e His383 e, tendo em vista que a PSEH deve se apresentar na forma de um homodímero com sítio ativo similar ao das EHs de P. aeruginosa, A. radiobacter e A. niger, nossa hipótese é que esta enzima deve hidrolisar epóxidos pouco volumosos e aromáticos com algum nível de enantiosseletividade / Abstract: Enantiopure epoxides and vicinal diols have been used to prepare a number of bioactive molecules. Thus, the microbial epoxide hydrolases able to enantioselectivity hydrolyze racemic epoxides emerged as a promising alternative in the synthesis of these compounds. Recently, the P. stipitis CCT2617 strain was selected due to the presence of hydrolytic activity against terminal epoxides and had its genome completely described. Therefore, this yeast was selected for cloning and expression of the gene SEH1, which was annoted as epoxide hydrolase. In this work, the cloning of SEH1 gene, codifying for the epoxide hydrolase of P. stipitis, was done with success in P. pastoris, both in pPICZa A and pPICZ B vectors. The cloning of the protein with a histidine tag should help in the detection of expression. The detection of a protein with 46 kDa evidenced that the expression of SEH enzyme (containing the a factor) is occurring, however, this result was not reproducible due to the sample degradation. Furthermore, better alternatives for the detection of enzyme activity were performed, as adrenaline test and fluorogenic assay, which must be optimized for application with whole cells. The 3D structure computational modeling of PSEH resulted in a model that contains 40% of a helices and 12% of b sheets. Our hypothesis is that the residues that make part of the active site are Tyr319, Asp209, Asp352 and His 383. And, considering that the PSEH should be in the homodimeric form with an active site similar to that of the EHs of P. aeruginosa, A. radiobacter and A. niger, this enzyme should hydrolyze small and aromatic epoxides probably with some enantioselectivity / Mestrado / Quimica Organica / Mestre em Química

Made available in DSpace on 2014-07-29T15:16:31Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao Lorena Cardoso Cintra.pdf: 4143916 bytes, checksum: 422ca8b39c01e66c797228b6083cedf8 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-08-27 / The termodimorphic fungus Paracoccidioides brasiliensis is the etiological agent of paracoccidioidomycosis, a human systemic mycosis of high prevalence in Latin America. P. brasiliensis is exposed to oxidative stress (OS) caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by the defense cells of the human host. When the invasion by pathogens occurs, the host defense system generates ROS to fight the invader. Inside the human host, P. brasiliensis is phagocytosed by macrophages, facing an extremely hostile environment due to nitric oxide and hydrogen peroxide. The Trx1 is an intracellular redox protein, which participates in the maintenance of cell redox homeostasis, both in terms of OS as reducer. It is ubiquitous and is characterized by typical CXXC active site, responsible for oxidation, reduction, or isomerization of proteins disulfide bonds. In a previous work, it was isolated, characterized and cloned into expression vector pGEX-4T-3 cDNA coding for TRX1 of P. brasiliensis (accession number AY376435). The recombinant protein (recPbTRX1) was produced and partially purified and the yeast cells of P. brasiliensis showed increased expression of the gene coding for PbTRX1 in response to OS. This study aimed the heterologous expression of cDNA of a thioredoxin of the fungus P. brasiliensis in Pichia pastoris, in order to obtain it in larger amounts for their subsequent biochemical characterization and application in biotechnological processes. The P. brasiliensis thioredoxin 1 (trx1) cDNA was obtained via PCR using the plasmid pGEX-Trx1 as template and cloned into expression vector pHIL-D2 and pPIC9 (for intracellular and extracellular expression). The insertion of the interested gene in the correct orientation was verified by sequencing and the homology was observed with Trx1 P. brasiliensis. These vectors were used to transform the P. pastoris yeast strain SMD1168 with his4- genotype. The presence of the cassette s expression was confirmed in the yeast s genome. No transformants able to secrete the protein from the building with the vector pPIC9 were detected and the intracellular production was carried from the pHIL-D2 vector. / O fungo termodimórfico Paracoccidioides brasiliensis é agente etiológico da paracoccidioidomicose, uma micose sistêmica humana, com alta prevalência na América Latina. P. brasiliensis está sujeito a estresse oxidativo (EO) causado pelas espécies reativas de oxigênio (EROs), produzidas pelas células de defesa do hospedeiro humano. O sistema de defesa do hospedeiro quando da invasão por patógenos gera EROs para combater este invasor. P. brasiliensis ao penetrar no hospedeiro humano é fagocitado pelos macrófagos, enfrentando um ambiente extremamente hostil devido ao oxido nítrico e peróxido de hidrogênio. A Trx1 é uma proteína redox, intracelular, que participa da manutenção da homeostase redox da célula, tanto em condições de EO quanto redutor. É ubiquitária e caracterizada pelo sítio ativo típico CXXC, responsável pela oxidação, redução, ou isomerização das pontes dissulfeto de proteínas. Em trabalho realizado anteriormente, foi isolado, caracterizado e clonado em vetor de expressão pGEX4T-3 o cDNA codificante para Trx1 de P. brasiliensis (número de acesso AY376435). A proteína recombinante (recPbTRX1) foi produzida e parcialmente purificada e as células leveduriformes de P. brasiliensis apresentaram expressão aumentada do gene codificante para Pbtrx1 em condições de EO. O presente trabalho teve como objetivo a expressão heteróloga de uma tiorredoxina do fungo P. brasiliensis em Pichia pastoris, visando sua obtenção em maior quantidade para sua a posterior caracterização bioquímica e aplicação em processos biotecnológicos. O cDNA do gene da tiorredoxina 1 (trx1) de P. brasiliensis foi obtido via PCR utilizando como molde o plasmídeo pGEX-Trx1 e clonado no vetor de expressão pHIL-D2 e pPIC9 (para expressão intracelular e extracelular). A inserção do gene de interesse na orientação correta foi verificada por seqüenciamento, apresentando homologia com a Trx1 de P. brasiliensis. Estes vetores foram utilizados para transformar a linhagem SMD1168 da levedura P. pastoris com genótipo his4-. A presença do cassete de expressão foi confirmada no genoma da levedura. Não foram detectados transformantes capazes de secretar a proteína a partir da construção com o vetor pPIC9 e a produção intracelular foi realizada a partir do vetor pHIL-D2.

Thesis (MSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study describes: • The UPLC-MS/MS analyses and quantification of novel 5α-reduced steroids using response factors. • The kinetic characterisation of human steroid 5α-reductase type 1 (SRD5A1), expressed in HEK-293 cells, towards 11OHA4 and 11OHT and their keto derivatives by progress curve analysis. • The subcloning, transformation and functional expression of SRD5A1 in the yeast expression system, P. pastoris. • The conversion of 11OHA4 and 11OHT and their keto derivatives by SRD5A1 expressed in P. pastoris. • The endogenous enzymatic activity in P. pastoris towards the 5α-reduced metabolites in the 11OHA4- and alternate 5α-dione pathways. • The potential application of P. pastoris as a biocatalyst in the production of 5α- reduced C19 steroids. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie ondersoek beskryf: • Die UPLC-MS/MS analise en kwantifisering van nuut-ondekte 5α-gereduseerde steroïede met behulp van responsfaktore. • Die kinetiese karakterisering van menslike steroïed 5α-reduktase tipe 1 (SRD5A1), uitgedruk in HEK-293 selle, vir 11OHA4 en 11OHT en hul ketoderivate deur middel van progressiekurwe-analise. • Die subklonering, transformasie en funksionele uitdrukking van SRD5A1 in die gis P. pastoris. • Die omsetting van 11OHA4 en 11OHT en hul ketoderivate deur SRD5A1 uitgedruk in P. pastoris. • Die omsetting van 5α-gereduseerde steroïede in die 11OHA4 en alternatiewe 5α-dioon paaie deur endogene ensieme in P. pastoris • ‘n Ondersoek na die toepassing van die gisuitdrukkingstelsel as ‘n moontlike OR potensiële biokatalis vir die produksie van 5α-gereduseerde C19 steroïede.

NK (natural killer) cells, with their ability to identify antigens and extraneous substances, available in the organism through various moleculary receptors, are an important component of the immune system. The NKR-P1A and NKR-P1B proteins belong to the lectin receptors of natural killer cells. Primary ligands of lectin receptors comprise terminal oligosaccharides of glycoproteins on the surface of target (e.g. tumor) cells. The interaction between carbohydrate structures on the surface of antigens and their binding partners on NK receptors is followed by triggering the effector function of NK cells against the targets. The NK cells and NK receptors findings and their interactions with ligands are greatly utilized in the treatment of cancer, viral and autoimmune diseases. Heterologous protein production in the eukaryotic organism brings a lot of advantages. Unlike the prokaryotic organism, the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris has the capability of performing many posttranslational modifications resulting in production of biological active protein molecule. Usually, the P. pastoris expression system disposes of high level protein expression and is also generally regarded as being faster, easier, and less expensive to use than expression systems derived from other eukaryotes. In this thesis, I...

Rutinosides are very common glycosidic aroma precursors. The glycosidic moiety influences wine aroma, flavour and taste of juices, so its cleavage has many consequences. These interesting insights led us to a diglycosidase - the extracellular β-rutinosidase from Aspergillus niger. The purified β- rutinosidase was partly analyzed by MALDI-TOF/TOF. The insert encoding for β-rutinosidase was ligated into the expression vector pPICZα A. Pichia pastoris KM71H was used as an expression system. It was find out, that β rutinosidase gene consists of a 1137 bp, encoding protein with 379 amino acids. The enzyme was determined to have relative molecule mass 60 kDa by sodium dodecylsulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The pH and temperature optima of the enzyme were found to be 3,0 and 50 řC, respectively. p-Nitrophenyl-β-rutinoside was used as a substrate Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)

In dieser Arbeit konnten grundlegende Erkenntnisse über die Wirkung elektrischer Felder auf Membranen von eukaryotischen Zellen gewonnen werden. Dieses Wissen ermöglichte eine detaillierte Aufklärung der Mechanismen der Elektropermealisierung und der Elektrofusion. Maßgeblich hierfür war die dielektrische Analyse von Pflanzen- bzw. Hefeprotoplasten durch umfassende Messungen auf Basis der Elektrorotationsmethode. Mithilfe dieser Methode wurden die elektrischen Eigenschaften wie die flächenspezifische Membrankapazität und die innere Leitfähigkeit von Pichia pastoris Protoplasten ermittelt. Die Kenntnis dieser Zelleigenschaften verhalf dazu, einerseits das Sammelfeld im Hinblick auf seine Feldstärke und Frequenz einzustellen. Damit wurde ein optimaler Kontakt der Zellmembranen während der Fusion ermöglicht und störende Einflüsse, wie beispielsweise die Multizellrotation, minimiert. Anderseits wurde der Durchbruchpuls bezüglich der Pulslänge und der Feldstärke den Anforderungen für die Elektrofusion der relativ kleinen Protoplasten angepasst. In Folge dessen war es möglich, ein Protokoll zur Herstellung von Riesenzellen aus Pichia pastoris Protoplasten zu erstellen. Diese Erkenntnisse sind besonders interessant, da der Einsatz von Riesenzellen die Erforschung der aktiven elektrischen Eigenschaften von Zellmembranen durch kombinierte Anwendung intrazellulärer Mikroelektroden mit etablierten elektrophysiologischen Techniken ermöglicht. Als Beispiele seien hier „current-„ und „voltage-clamp“, „patch clamp“ sowie die Ladungspulsmethode genannt. Die erhebliche Vergrößerung der Membranoberfläche bei Riesenzellen führt zu einer Erhöhung der Gesamtzahl von Membranproteinen wie beispielsweise Transmembrankanäle. Daher kann erwartet werden, dass kanalvermittelte Signale deutlich stärker ausfallen und ihre Untersuchungen erleichtert werden. Die komplexen Ergebnisse der Elektrorotation von vakuolisierten BY-2 Protoplasten konnten sehr genau mit Hilfe des Dreischalenmodells erklärt werden, welches die Struktur der pflanzlichen Zellen, insbesondere die zwei seriell geschalteten Kapazitäten des Plasmalemmas und des Tonoplasten, berücksichtigt. Die Anwendung dieses Modells erlaubte eine getrennte Berechnung der Potentialprofile über das Plasmalemma (Up) und den Tonoplasten (Ut), welche durch einen kurzen Gleichstrompuls induziert wurden. Anhand dieser Potentialprofile war es möglich, die Abhängigkeit des Ca2+-Einstromes in das Cytoplasma aus der Vakuole oder dem extrazellulären Raum vom applizierten elektrischen Feld und der externen Leitfähigkeit zu erklären. Es konnte außerdem gezeigt werden, dass die Aufladung des Plasmalemmas und des Tonoplasten und daraus folgend der elektrischen Membrandurchbruch der jeweiligen Membran stark von der externen Leitfähigkeit abhängen. Die Tatsache, dass elektrische Pulssequenzen von niedriger Intensität einen erhebliche Anstieg der cytosolischen Ca2+-Konzentration bewirken können und sich durch Modulation ihrer Amplitude reizspezifische Ca2+-Signaturen simulieren lassen, eröffnet eine schonende Möglichkeit zur Untersuchung von Veränderungen des cytosolischen Ca2+-Spiegels unabhängig von persistierenden exogenen Stimuli. Da Ca2+ in Pflanzen ein wichtiger „second messenger“ ist, bieten sich elektrische Felder als neues wirksames Werkzeug zur Kontrolle zellinterne Signalwege für die Grundlagenforschung sowie für Anwendungen in der Biotechnologie, wie beispielsweise Elektrotransfektion und -fusion, an. Als wichtige Konsequenz kann aus den hier gewonnen Erkenntnissen gezogen werden, dass Behandlungen pflanzlicher Zellen mit elektrischen Feldern in niedrig leitende Medien durchgeführt werden, um eine minimale Freisetzung von Ca2+ und anderen Inhaltstoffen aus der Vakuole zu gewährleisten. / In this study fundamental findings could be obtained about the effects of electrical fields on membranes of eukaryotic cells. This knowledge enabled a detailed clarification of the mechanisms of Electropermeabilization and Electrofusion. This was achieved by the dielectric analysis of protoplasts obtained from plants and yeast based on the Electrorotation method. With this method the electrical characteristics of Pichia pastoris protoplasts like the area-specific membrane capacity and the internal conductivity were determined. The knowledge of these cell characteristics on the one hand helped to adjust the collecting field with regard to its field strength and frequency. Thus an optimal contact of the cell membranes was enabled during the fusion and disturbing influences, as for example the multi-cell rotation, were minimized. On the other hand the breakdown pulse was adapted to the requirements for the Electrofusion of the relatively small protoplasts concerning the pulse length and the field strength. In consequence it was possible to elaborate a protocol for the production of giant cells from protoplasts of Pichia pastoris. These findings are particularly interesting, since the use of giant cells allows the study of the active electrical characteristics of cell membranes by combination of intracellular microelectrodes with established electrophysiological techniques like current and voltage clamp, patch clamp as well as the charge-pulse method. The substantial enlargement of the membrane surface of giant cells leads to an increase of the total number of membrane proteins as for example transmembrane channels. So it can be expected that channel-mediated signals occur more strongly and their investigations are facilitated. The complex results of the Electrorotation of vacuolated BY-2 protoplasts could be explained very accurately with the help of the three-shell model. This model regards the structure of the plant cells, in particular the two serially connected capacities of the plasmalemma and the tonoplast. The application of this model permitted a separate calculation of the potential profiles induced by a short direct current pulse over the plasmalemma (Up) and the tonoplast (Ut). Based on these potential profiles it was possible to explain the dependency of the Ca2+ fluxes into the cytoplasma out of the vacuole or the extracellular media on the applied electrical field and the external conductivity. In addition it could be shown that the charging of the plasmalemma and the tonoplast and thereby the electrical breakdown of the respective membranes strongly depend on the external conductivity. Electrical pulse sequences of low intensity resulted in a substantial rise of the cytosolic Ca2+-concentration and the modulation of the pulse amplitude enabled the simulation of stimulus-specific Ca2+-signatures. These observations disclose an effective and gentle method for the investigation of changes of cytosolic Ca2+ which is independent of persisting exogenous stimuli. Since Ca2+ is an important second messenger in plants, electrical fields present themselves as new effective tools to study cellular signal pathways for the basic research as well as for applications in the biotechnology, as for example to Electrotransfection and Electrofusion. In consequence these findings show that treatment of plant cells with electric fields have to be performed in low conductive media in order to ensure a minimum release of Ca2+ and other contents from the vacuole.

Malaria is one of the biggest current global health problems, and with the increasing occurance of drug resistant Plasmodium falciparum strains, there is an urgent need for new antimalarial drugs. Given the important role of carbonic anhydrase in Plasmodium falciparum (PfCA), it is a potential novel drug target. Heterologous expression of malaria proteins is problematic due to the unusual codon usage of the Plasmodium genome, so to overcome this problem a synthetic PfCA gene was designed, optimized for expression in Pichia pastoris. This gene was also modified to avoid glycosylation, and cloned into the vector pPICZαA under the control of the methanol inducible promoter AOX1. To facilitate export of the protein into the growth medium, the gene was fused in-frame with the α-factor secretion signal from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The construct was successfully integrated in the genome of P. pastoris GS115, and attempts were made to express the protein and purify it using immobilized metal ion affinity chromatography.In this work, no expression of the PfCA protein could be detected, so further research should focus on optimization of expression conditions, or redesign of the expression vector.

El presente trabajo está centrado en el análisis y modelización del metabolismo central de la levadura Pichia pastoris. Concretamente, el objetivo de este trabajo consistió en analizar la distribución de flujos en las principales vías metabólicas del metabolismo central de esta levadura mediante distintas aproximaciones experimentales y matemáticas basadas en un modelo metabólico estequiométrico y compartimentalizado. Los datos experimentales fueron obtenidos en su mayor parte del trabajo de tesis de A. Solà (Solà, 2004, tesis doctoral, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona), centrado en experimentos de marcaje isotópico con 13C de cultivos de P. pastoris operados en quimiostato a μ=0,05 y 0,16 h-1 con diferentes fuentes de carbono (glucosa, glicerol, metanol y mezclas de glicerol/metanol). Los datos fisiológicos experimentalmente obtenidos en dicho estudio se han reconciliado a través de ecuaciones de balances elementales y por grado de reductancia; además, se ha propuesto una ecuación estequiométrica para la formación de biomasa para cada condición de cultivo estudiada. Los datos reconciliados a través de ecuaciones de balances elementales se han usado para el análisis de flujos metabólicos; en primer lugar, se ha utilizado la metodología clásica; los resultados obtenidos en esta primera aproximación se compararon con datos experimentales previamente obtenidos mediante técnicas de marcaje isotópico de 13C por A. Solà. El segundo estudio ha consistido en el cálculo de flujos metabólicos introduciendo restricciones derivadas de cocientes de flujos metabólicos estimados experimentalmente mediante técnicas de 13C-RMN. Dado el reducido número de restricciones derivadas de experimentos de 13C-RMN que se pueden aplicar en este modelo metabólico (3 o 4), en un tercer estudio se ha realizado una primera aproximación a metodologías de simulación y optimización del diseño de experimentos de marcaje isotópico con el objetivo de implementar un procedimiento experimental que permitiera obtener datos suficientes para determinar con más precisión los flujos a través de determinadas rutas de la red, particularmente los relacionados a la vía de las pentosas fosfato (PP). Concretamente, para explorar esta estrategia se han realizado estudios para la optimización de un experimento de marcaje para un cultivo operado en quimiostato utilizando glicerol como fuente de carbono a μ=0,05h-1; la estrategia de marcaje optimizada se llevó posteriormente a cabo en el laboratorio y se analizó los patrones de marcaje de los principales metabolitos (incluyendo algunos aminoácidos) y aminoácidos proteinogénicos mediante LC-MS/MS y 2D-RMN, respectivamente. Ello ha permitido comparar y combinar datos experimentales obtenidos mediante dos estrategias de análisis para la estimación de flujos metabólicos. Así, globalmente, este trabajo permite concluir que el análisis clásico de flujos metabólicos (MFA) es una herramienta de cálculo que está limitada a redes poco complejas; sin embargo cuando se aplican restricciones derivadas del análisis por 13C-RMN al MFA, se observa que esta metodología de análisis presenta alta sensibilidad para la determinación de distribución de flujos metabólicos en el ciclo de los ácidos tricarboxílicos (TCA) y reacciones de transporte entre el citoplasma y la mitocondria. Por el contrario, utilizando una metodología de 13C-MFA basada en datos derivados de 13C-LC-MS, se observa que este método presenta poca sensibilidad en redes metabólicas compartimentalizadas, pues no permite distinguir los pools de metabolitos de un compartimiento dado (mitocondria/citoplasma). Sin embargo, este método presenta alta sensibilidad para la determinación de flujos a través de la vía de las PP. Así pues, la combinación de distintas metodologías basadas en datos de experimentos de marcaje isotópico ha permitido mejorar la información sobre el comportamiento del sistema. Finalmente, se ha llevado a cabo un análisis estructural de la red metabólica a través de la metodología del análisis de módulos elementales, así como una primera aproximación para su combinación con el análisis de flujos metabólicos basados en datos de marcaje isotópico con el objetivo de facilitar la interpretación fisiológica de los resultados, es decir, determinar cuales son las principales vías metabólicas activas bajo un estado fisiológico dado y cual es el flujo a través de dichas rutas. / This study is focused on the analysis and modelling of the central carbon metabolism of the yeast Pichia pastoris. In particular, the major aim of this study was to analyze de flux distribution through the main metabolic pathways of the central metabolism of this yeast by jeans of different experimental and mathematical approaches, based on a stoichiometric and compartmentalized metabolic model. Experimental data was mostly obtained from previous studies from A. Solà (Solà, 2004, PhD thesis, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona), describing isotopic labelling experiments with 13C of P. pastoris cells growing on chemostat cultures at a growth rate of μ=0.05 and 0.16 h-1, on different carbon sources (glucose, glycerol, methanol and mixtures of glycerol/methanol). The experimental physiological data obtained in A. Solà's study have been reconciliated by means of elementary and grade of reductance balance equations; moreover, a stoichiometric equation for the formation of biomass has been proposed for each of the studied growth condition. The data reconciliated by elementary balance equations have been used for metabolic flux analysis. First, the classic metabolic flux analysis methodology has been applied; the obtained results in this first approximation were compared with the experimental data previously generated from 13C-labeling experiments by A. Solà. Second, metabolic fluxes have been calculated introducing a number of restrictions derived from metabolic flux ratios experimentally estimated by 13C-NMR. Third, given the reduced number of restrictions derived from these experiments that are actually aplicable to the defined metabolic model (3 or 4), we performed a first approximation to methodologies for simulation and optimisation of isotopic labeling experiments; the aim of such approach was to implement an experimental procedure to allow for the generation of labelling data needed for the precise determination of fluxes through some pathways of the network, particularly those related to the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP). In order to explore this strategy, studies for the optimisation of a labelling experiment of cells growing on glycerol in chemostat cultures at a growth rate of 0.05 h-1 were performed. The optimised labelling strategy was subsequently implemented in the laboratory; the labelling patterns of the major metabolites (including some amino acids) of the central carbon metabolism and, of the proteinogenic amino acids, were analysed by LC-MS/MS and 2D-NMR, respectively. This allowed us comparing and combining experimental labelling data derived from two analytical strategies for the calculation of metabolic fluxes. Overall, this study illustrates that classic metabolic flux análisis (MFA) is a mathematical tool limited to networks of low complexity. Nevertheless, when restrictions derived from 13C-NMR analyses are introduced MFA, this methodology shows a high sensitivity for the calculation of the metabolic flux distribution in the tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA) and transport reactions of TCA intermediates between cytoplasm and mitochondria. In contrast, by using a 13C-MFA methodology using data derived from 13C-LC-MS, we observe that this method shows low sensitivity for compartimentalized metabolic networks, as it did not allow distinguishing pools of a given metabolite found in different compartments (e.g. mitochondria/cytoplasm). Nevertheless, this method shows high sensitivity for determining fluxes through the PPP. In summary, the combination of different methodologies based on the use of data obtained from isotopic labelling experiments has allowed us to improve the information on the system's behaviour. In addition, a structural analysis of the metabolic network has been performed using the methodology of elementary modes analysis; moreover, a first approximation to its combination with metabolic flux analysis based on 13C-derived data has been proposed, with the objective to facilitate the physiological interpretation of the results, i.e. to assess which are the major active pathways under a given physiological state and to calculate the carbon fluxes through these pathways.

The aim of this study is to develop a metabolically engineered P. pastoris strain for production of an active extracellular thermostable glucose isomerase (GI) enzyme by using genetic engineering techniques. For this purpose, research program was performed in two sub-programs. In the first sub-program, xylA gene from Thermus thermophilus was amplified and inserted into pPICZ&alpha / -A expression vector. Thereafter, this pPICZ&alpha / -A::xylA vector was cloned into AOX1 locus in P. pastoris genome and expressed under alcohol oxidase promoter which is induced by methanol. After constructing the recombinant P. pastoris strains, the best producing strain was selected according to the specific enzyme activity assay and SDS-PAGE analyses in batch shaker-bioreactor experiments. The selected recombinant P. pastoris clone carrying xylA gene in its genome was named as eP20. Using recombinant P. pastoris eP20 clone, effects of salt and sorbitol concentration on the cell growth and recombinant GI activity were investigated. The data obtained from the experiments showed that the maximum cell and GI activity values were obtained in production medium that contained 30 g L-1 sorbitol, 4.35 g L-1 ammonium sulphate, 0.1 M potassium phosphate buffer (pH 6.0), 14.9 g L-1 MgSO4&bull / 7H2O, 1.17 g L-1 CaSO4 &bull / 2H2O, 1 ml L-1 chloramphenicol and 4.35 ml L-1 PTM1 / where, the maximum biomass and recombinant GI activity were calculated , respectively, as 6.3 g L-1 and 3.21 U L-1. Moreover, the research program related with the effect of initial sorbitol concentration shows that optimum initial sorbitol concentration, CS0 is 50 g L-1 that resulted a cell concentration and recombinant GI activity which are 7.32 g L-1 and 3.6 U L-1, respectively. In the second part of the M.Sc. of the study, a pilot scale bioreactor experiment in a working volume of 1 L was performed in controlled bioreactor system. The variations in the cell growth, recombinant GI activity, AOX activity, total protease activity and organic acid concentrations throughout the fermentation were analyzed whereas the specific growth rates, yield coefficients and specific consumption rates were also calculated. The results showed that a pH and oxygen controlled operation enabled an important increase in recombinant GI activity. In this context, recombinant GI activity was increased as 56.1-fold and resulted in 202.8 U L-1 at t=12 whereas the maximum biomass concentration was obtained as 85.2 g L-1 at t=36. In this study, an active thermostable recombinant GI enzyme was produced extracellularly by a yeast cell, i.e. recombinant P. pastoris, for the first time.

<p>Malaria is one of the biggest current global health problems, and with the increasing occurance of drug resistant <em>Plasmodium falciparum</em> strains, there is an urgent need for new antimalarial drugs. Given the important role of carbonic anhydrase in <em>Plasmodium falciparum</em> (PfCA), it is a potential novel drug target. Heterologous expression of malaria proteins is problematic due to the unusual codon usage of the <em>Plasmodium </em>genome, so to overcome this problem a synthetic PfCA gene was designed, optimized for expression in <em>Pichia pastoris</em>. This gene was also modified to avoid glycosylation, and cloned into the vector pPICZαA under the control of the methanol inducible promoter AOX1. To facilitate export of the protein into the growth medium, the gene was fused in-frame with the α-factor secretion signal from <em>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</em>. The construct was successfully integrated in the genome of <em>P. pastoris</em> GS115, and attempts were made to express the protein and purify it using immobilized metal ion affinity chromatography.In this work, no expression of the PfCA protein could be detected, so further research should focus on optimization of expression conditions, or redesign of the expression vector.</p>