Thesis (doctoral)--Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 2003. / Appendix includes reprints of five manuscripts, four co-authored with others. Includes bibliographical references. Also partially issued electronically via World Wide Web in PDF format; online version lacks appendix.

[Truncated abstract] A range of biotic and abiotic stresses increase levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in plants due to perturbations of chloroplast and mitochondrial metabolism and the generation of ROS in defence responses. The polyunsaturated fatty acids of membrane lipids are susceptible to ROS induced peroxidation yielding various aldehydes, alkenals and hydroxyalkenals including the cytotoxic compound 4-hydroxy- 2-nonenal (HNE). HNE has the potential to cause substantial oxidative damage in cells via its reactivity with sulfhydryl groups of cysteine (Cys) and lipoic acid, the imidazole group of histidine (His) and the ?-amino group of lysine (Lys) protein residues. Analysis of the components of the plant respiratory electron transport chain to HNE revealed a particular susceptibility to inhibition of activity of the alternative oxidase (Aox). Incubation with HNE prevented dimerisation of Aox protein, suggesting that one site of modification was the conserved cysteine residue involved in dimerisation and activation of this enzyme (Cys1). However, a naturally occurring isoform of Aox lacking Cys1 and unable to dimerise, LeAox1b from tomato, was equally sensitive to HNE inhibition, showing that other amino acid residues in Aox also interact with HNE and are likely responsible for inactivation of the enzyme. ... The broader impact of HNE on the whole Arabidopsis mitochondrial proteome was examined by use of various 2-dimensional gel separation techniques coupled with use of HNE-adduct antibodies. 32 proteins involved in a number of mitochondrial functions were found to be susceptible to modification by HNE, including components of the electron transport chain, the TCA cycle, as well as proteins involved amino acid metabolism and stress-responses. Implications of modification of these proteins by HNE are discussed. As HNE is produced in vivo during oxidative stress, the profile of mitochondrial targets of HNE was examined from Arabidopsis cell cultures exposed to various oxidative stress inducers. Menadione and hydrogen peroxide induced oxidative stress throughout the cell, while antimycin A initiated a mitochondrial targeted stress. A differential profile of mitochondrial proteins was observed to be modified by HNE in the various treatments. These results also showed that induction of stress within a whole cell can impact lipid peroxidation within the mitochondria. Overall, this work showed the presence and production of HNE in plant cells, and that HNE, both exogenous and endogenous, has the ability to modify a specific subset of mitochondrial proteins. In several cases this HNE modification was shown to have functional or structural consequences.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Western Australia, 2007.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Montana, 2007. / Title from title screen. Description based on contents viewed Oct. 9, 2008. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 1998. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 128-141). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 1998. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 128-141). Also available on the Internet.

No description available.

Orientador: Maria Lígia Rodrigues Macedo / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Biologia / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-25T23:17:16Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Bezerra_CezardaSilva_M.pdf: 16272882 bytes, checksum: c9bdf2bf628fb555d1bc1ccc47c972c5 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014 / Resumo: Os inibidores de proteases de plantas têm sido amplamente estudados como uma alternativa para o controle de insetos-praga devido à capacidade de inibir enzimas envolvidas na digestão. Assim sendo, o objetivo deste trabalho foi estudar a atividade biológica do inibidor de tripsina de sementes de Inga vera (IVTI) sobre o desenvolvimento, fisiologia nutricional e atividade enzimática de Anagasta kuehniellla. Larvas neonatas (n=40) foram mantidas em dieta artificial sem inibidor (controle) ou contendo 1% de IVTI (p/p) até atingirem o quarto e quinto instares. As análises realizadas determinaram o efeito sobre o desenvolvimento destas, desde período larval até emergência dos adultos. Através de outras aferições elaboramos uma tabela de parâmetros nutricionais. A atividade proteolítica do homogenato intestinal e fecal foi analisada através de zimograma e ensaios enzimáticos in vitro, utilizando BApNA e Suc-AAPF-pNA como substratos para tripsina e quimotripsina, respectivamente. IVTI foi incubado com o homogenato intestinal larval para verificar a degradação do mesmo. O consumo de IVTI pelas larvas provocou uma redução de cerca de 50% no peso médio larval e uma redução significativa taxa de sobrevivência de 15%, bem como o prolongamento do período larval em 8 dias. A análise dos índices nutricionais revelou uma redução na eficiência de conversão do alimento ingerido e digerido e um aumento no custo metabólico, sugerindo que IVTI apresenta efeito antinutricional para esta espécie. IVTI alterou a atividade proteolítica intestinal das larvas com a redução atividade tríptica e o aumento da atividade quimotríptica. Na análise fecal, os níveis da atividade tríptica foram semelhantes tanto nas fezes das larvas alimentadas em dieta controle quanto contendo inibidor, entretanto foi observado um aumento no nível da atividade quimotríptica nas larvas alimentadas com inibidor. IVTI não foi degradado pelas enzimas intestinais, sendo excretado nas fezes e permanecendo com sua atividade inibitória ativa. O zimograma não revelou nenhuma forma variante de enzima nas larvas alimentadas com inibidor, mas foi possível observar quais sofreram influências pelo mesmo. Com base nesses resultados, IVTI apresentou uma atividade tóxica e antinutricional contra A. kuehniella / Abstract: Plant protease inhibitors have been extensively studied as an alternative for the control of insect pests because of their ability to inhibit enzymes digestive enzymes. In this work, the biological activity of trypsin inhibitor of Inga vera seed (IVTI) on the development, nutritional physiology and enzyme activity of Anagasta kuehniellla was evaluated. Neonate larvae (n=40) were maintained on artificial diet without inhibitor (control) or containing 1% IVTI (w / w) until fourth and fifth instar. This bioassay determined the effect on the development from the larval period to adult emergence. Through other measurements prepared a table of nutritional parameters. The proteolytic activity of intestinal and fecal homogenate was analyzed by zymography and enzymatic assays, in vitro, using BApNA and Suc-AAPF-pNA as substrates for trypsin and chymotrypsin, respectively. IVTI was incubated with the larval gut and check the degradation of the inhibitor. IVTI consumption by the larvae resulted in a reduction of about 50% of larval weight and a significant larval survival rate of 15%, as well as the extension of the larval period to 8 days. Nutritional analyses showed a reduction of efficiency of conversion of food eaten and digested and an increase in metabolic cost, suggesting that IVTI produces an anti-nutritional effect for this specie. IVTI changed the proteolytic activity in the gut of the larvae with decrease of trypsin activity and increase of chymotrypsin activity. Fecal analyses, the levels of trypsin activity were similar in the feces of larvae fed on control diet as containing inhibitor, however there was an increase in the level of chymotrypsin activity in larvae fed with inhibitor. IVTI was not degraded by intestinal enzymes, but it excreted in the feces and their inhibitory activity remained active. Zymogram revealed no variant form of the enzyme in the larvae fed inhibitor, but was observed which were influenced by it. Based on these results, IVTI presented an anti-nutritional and toxic activity against A. kuehniella / Mestrado / Bioquimica / Mestre em Biologia Funcional e Molecular

M.Sc. / Field grown plants are constantly challenged with a variety of stressful factors, such as high temperatures, drought and pathogen infection that adversely affect crop production and quality. These stresses seldom occur as single entities in plants and in warm climates, heat stress is often a common dominator in combinatorial stress. The heat shock (HS) response in plants has priority over other stress responses, including the pathogen-induced stress response. Activation of the HS response prevents the normal plant defence strategy, leaving the plant vulnerable to pathogen attack. However, prior exposure to elevated temperatures confers protection from subsequent, otherwise lethal, temperatures (thermotolerance) and a variety of other stress conditions including heavy-metals, chilling injury and certain pathogens (cross tolerance). In general, litterature supports a central role for heat shock proteins (HSP), in particular the 70 kDa HSP (Hsp70), in thermotolerance. Incompatible host-pathogen interactions lead to the activation of an array of defence mechanisms, including the promotion of phenylpropanoid metabolism. Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase is a key regulator of this metabolic pathway, influencing the production of salicylic acid, lignin and phytoalexins among other essential defence products. In this study it was hypothesised that prior exposure to non-lethal HS confers protection from subsequent heat-related suppression of the phenylpropanoid pathway, induced as a defence mechanism during an incompatible plant-pathogen interaction. This hypothesis was verified by analysing the effect of thermotolerance on pathogen-related stimulation of PAL promoter activity, enzyme activity and lignin deposition. The tomato, Lycopersicon esculentum cultivar UC82B and Ralstonia solanacearum, the causative agent of bacterial wilt, were used as host-pathogen model. Specific objectives in the study were: (1) Development of PAL promoter-GUS reporter transformed Lycopersicon esculentum. (2) Establishment of a thermotolerance protocol that ensures optimal Hsp70 levels at subsequent HS. (3) Evaluation of the influence of prior heat treatment on phenylpropanoid metabolism after exposure to HS in combination with Ralstonia solanacearum. Results obtained support the hypothesis indicating that thermotolerance protects phenylpropanoid metabolism, in particular PAL promoter and enzyme activity, and to a certain extent lignin production, induced by avirulent Ralstonia solanacearum during a second severe HS. In contrast, HS without a prior heat treatment, suppressed phenylpropanoid metabolism. The protective potential of prior heat treatment during subsequent infection under hyperthermic conditions support the application of HSP in the development of novel plant protection strategies.

M.Sc. / Plants are in constant conflict with pathogens and have evolved intricate mechanisms to protect themselves against pathogens. The gene-for-gene response is regarded as the first line of defence when plant and pathogen meet. This interaction leads to the induction of defence proteins such as PR proteins that protect the plant from invading pathogens. A seemingly unrelated topic to plants and pathogens is heat shock proteins (HSP). HSP are a highly conserved group of defence proteins induced in all organisms in response to a variety of environmental stresses to provide protection from, and adaptation to cellular stress. HSP are in general not considered to be part of the defence response classically induced by avirulent pathogens and whether they are induced and play a role in plant-pathogen interactions is controversial. The protective chaperoning capacity of HSP makes them ideal proteins to exploit to target as endogenous defence proteins in the search for new strategies in the management of infectious diseases. In humans, HSP induction during infection is a complex phenomenon depending on the pathogen, whether the infection is acute or chronic, the host cell type and its differentiative state as well as environmental factors. In this investigation the expression of the inducible and constitutive isoforms of the 70kDa HSP (Hsp70/Hsc70) was investigated in tomato, Lycopersicon esculentum in response to virulent and avirulent strains of Ralstonia solanacearum, the causative agent of bacterial wilt. Expression of Hsp70 was studied in conjunction with the accumulation of PR-la and host cell viability. A quick, non-toxic, tetrazolium-based assay was developed from the Alamar Blue assay, commonly used in mammalian cells, and applied for the evaluation of host cell viability. The results shown suggest Hsp70/Hsc70 is significantly induced in tomato cell suspensions during an incompatible interaction 24h to 48 h following co-cultivation with the avirulent R. solanacearum strain compared to normal levels at this interval in cells exposed to the virulent strain. In both compatible and incompatible interactions Hsp70/Hsc70 levels eventually (72 h) accumulated correlating significantly with decreased viability. PR-la accumulation was significantly induced from 6 h to 18 h by the virulent as well as the avirulent R. solanacearum strains. In general, comparable results were obtained using leaf discs as an in vivo model. Based upon the differential induction of Hsp70/Hsc70 by virulent and avirulent pathogens it is proposed that HSP may play an important role in determining the outcome of the interaction between tomato and R. solanacearum. Successful defence may not only involve a limited number of defence genes but may result from a concerted action of a large number of defence genes.