Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T12:43:42Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 / Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T13:57:43Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 06555.pdf: 4601344 bytes, checksum: d54da5711d592aac4fbdb3cbb1ac8e1a (MD5) / Tese (Doutoramento) / IPEN/T / Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares - IPEN/CNEN-SP

Oocyte activation deficiency (OAD) is an infertile condition observed in patients who have experienced recurrent total fertilisation failure (TFF) following intracytoplasmic sperm injection treatment. This condition was considered to be an idiopathic factor for a long time but strong clinical evidence now suggests that dysfunctional forms of phospholipase C zeta (PLCζ) may be predominant causative factors for OAD. Genetic contribution has played a role in patients suspected of having OAD, as four PLCζ exonic mutations have been discovered and characterised as being the cause of infertility. In this study, a novel nonsense mutation, PLCζK322Stop, was identified in the PLCζ XY-linker region of Patient LR. This variant results in the truncation of approximately half of PLCζ, therefore was non-functional when activity was tested. Patient LR, which also exhibited a previously reported mutation, PLCζH233L, may suggest that the patient is sub-fertile, as opposed to being infertile, as initially expected. Although research has purely focused upon the coding regions of PLCζ, it was obvious that our knowledge of PLCζ regulatory elements remain very limited. Next generation sequencing (NGS) was therefore employed to detect variants in the non-coding regions of PLCζ, promoter and introns, which may have resulted in the observed phenotypic diversity of PLCζ expression in fertile and infertile patients. As a result of mapping failure, an alternative approach was considered to identify variants within human PLCζ, and this involved using the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) database. Over 2500 SNPs were localised in the intronic regions of PLCζ and thus, it could be speculated that these variants may help elucidate the wide variation of PLCζ expression reported. Additionally, two particular patients with TFF (79 and 107) were investigated in this study to identify an association with PLCζ and their infertile state. For Patient 79, multiple PLCζ immunofluorescence analysis was performed and a significant improvement in PLCζ expression was observed one year after his first investigation. This may have been the result of an external factor, which influenced protein expression. As for Patient 107, a novel substitution mutation, PLCζV193E, was identified and was predicted to affect PLCζ stability and folding. There is global interest to create a safer and alternative OAD therapy, namely a human recombinant PLCζ protein (hrPLCζ). The first method, using a bacterial cell line resulted in successful purification and identification but the product proved to be inactive following mouse oocyte microinjection. The second method involved production of a mammalian-expressed hrPLCζ, which was successfully purified and identified but due to time restrictions, could not be tested for functionality. Concurrently, the findings in this thesis have reinforced the association between PLCζ and OAD, and provided improved options for the diagnosis and treatment of OAD.

Orientador: Marcos Hikari Toyama / Resumo: Os acidentes ofídicos foram recentemente incorporados na lista de doenças tropicais negligenciadas pela Organização Mundial de Saúde (OMS). No Brasil, uma parcela significativa destes acidentes (10%) é ocasionada pela serpente Crotalus durissus terrificus (Cdt), popularmente conhecida como cascavel. Dentre os componentes do veneno, a fosfolipase A2 secretória (sPLA2) representa aproximadamente 35% da massa do veneno seco. A Cdt sPLA2 responde pela atividade mais importante e clinicamente significativa que inicia com o processo inflamatório logo após o contato com a peçonha. Quando não tratada, a peçonha pode fazer com que o indivíduo sofra com insuficiência renal aguda, a qual não é neutralizada em curto espaço de tempo, nem mesmo pelo antiveneno específico. O processo inflamatório em diversas doenças humanas, está altamente relacionado com a formação de altas quantidades de espécies reativas de oxigênio e nitrogênio (EROs e ERNs), conhecido como explosão oxidativa/nitrosativa. Este processo é combatido por moléculas de baixo peso molecular como (vitaminas D e E, e glutationa), como também por enzimas antioxidantes, como a catalase (Cat), superóxido dismutase (Sod) e peroxirredoxinas (Prx). Já foi demonstrado que as sPLA2 humanas compartilham grande similaridades bioquímicas e farmacológicas com seus homólogos de serpentes e são capazes de induzir a formação de EROs e ERNs em células de mamíferos, mas nenhum estudo até o presente momento abordou de forma sistemática danos em... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Snake envenomation have recently been added to the list of tropical neglected diseases by the World Health Organization (WHO). In Brazil, a significant portion of ophidian accidents (~ 10%) is caused by the Crotalus durissus terrificus (Cdt) snake, popularly known as rattlesnake. Among the components of the venom, secretory phospholipase A2 (sPLA2) accounts for approximately 35% of the mass of the dry venom. Cdt sPLA2 accounts for the most important clinical damages and to the ingflammmatory proccess. When untreated, venomation can cause acute renal failure, which is not neutralized in a short time, not even by the specific antivenom. The inflammatory process, which is very well characterized in several human diseases, is highly related to the formation of high amounts of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS and RNS), known as oxidative / nitrosative burst. This process is counteracted by low molecular weight molecules such as vitamins D and E and glutathione, as well as antioxidant enzymes such as peroxiredoxins (Prx). human sPLA2 share high biochemical and pharmacological similarities with their snake homologs and are able to induce the formation of ROS and RNS in mammalian cells, but no study to date has systematically addressed damage to biomolecules carried out by ROS and RNS and the expression of peroxiredoxins in response to sPLA2 administration of snakes. We have recently shown that the administration of polyphenolic extracts of Laguncularia racemosais able to in... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

Affibody® molecules are small therapeutic proteins which mimics antibody functionality. This is a report of several methods for increasing productivity and yield in recombinant production of Affibody® molecules. This literature study shows several steps in the production line which can be optimised, several novel methods for cultivating and harvesting cells and purication of proteins. There is also a section about validation of therapeutic protein production according to The International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH) are presented.

abstract: ATP synthase is a large multimeric protein complex responsible for generating the energy molecule adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in most organisms. The catalysis involves the rotation of a ring of c-subunits, which is driven by the transmembrane electrochemical gradient. This dissertation reports how the eukaryotic c-subunit from spinach chloroplast ATP synthase has successfully been expressed in Escherichia coli and purified in mg quantities by incorporating a unique combination of methods. Expression was accomplished using a codon optimized gene for the c-subunit, and it was expressed as an attachment to the larger, more soluble, native maltose binding protein (MBP-c1). The fusion protein MBP-c1 was purified on an affinity column, and the c1 subunit was subsequently severed by protease cleavage in the presence of detergent. Final purification of the monomeric c1 subunit was accomplished using reversed phase column chromatography with ethanol as an eluent. Circular dichroism spectroscopy data showed clear evidence that the purified c-subunit is folded with the native alpha-helical secondary structure. Recent experiments appear to indicate that this monomeric recombinant c-subunit forms an oligomeric ring that is similar to its native tetradecameric form when reconstituted in liposomes. The F-type ATP synthase c-subunit stoichiometry is currently known to vary from 8 to 15 subunits among different organisms. This has a direct influence on the metabolic requirements of the corresponding organism because each c-subunit binds and transports one H+ across the membrane as the ring makes a complete rotation. The c-ring rotation drives rotation of the gamma-subunit, which in turn drives the synthesis of 3 ATP for every complete rotation. The availability of a recombinantly produced c-ring will lead to new experiments which can be designed to investigate the possible factors that determine the variable c-ring stoichiometry and structure. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Biochemistry 2011

La partie oligosaccharidique des glycoconjugués, présents à la surface des cellules eucaryotes, intervient dans de nombreux processus biologiques de reconnaissance et d'adhésion cellulaire. L'essor de la glycobiologie au cours des vingt dernières années a permis de définir, à partir de l'implication de ces structures glycaniques, de nombreuses applications thérapeutiques potentielles. Cependant la fabrication de nouveaux médicaments à partir d'oligosaccharidiques requiert leur disponibilité en grande quantité mais leurs obtentions par purification ou par méthode de synthèse chimique et enzymatique restent difficiles et couteuses et donnent un rendement faible. Le laboratoire CERMAV a récemment développé une technologie cellulaire, non polluante, capable de produire rapidement et en grande quantité un certain nombre d'oligosaccharides d'intérêt biologique. Le procédé baptisé « usine cellulaire » repose sur la co-expression de glycosyltransférases recombinantes chez la bactérie Escherichia coli. La sulfatation des glycanes est un élément important de leurs propriétés biologiques. Celle-ci dépend de l'activité de sulfotransférases, dont l'activité chez Escherichia coli a été peu étudiée. Par contre, ces enzymes utilisent des accepteurs oligosaccharidiques dont la synthèse est maîtrisée par le procédé d'usine cellulaire. Nous avons exprimé des gènes de sulfotransférases afin de permettre in vivo la sulfatation d'accepteurs oligosaccharidiques endogènes produits dans la bactérie. Les familles de molécules synthétisées dériveront des motifs GlcAlac, Lacto-N-néotétraose, et LewisX dont la synthèse in vivo est maîtrisée. Nous avons également réalisé une synthèse combinée chimio-enzymatique d'une néoglycoprotéine porteuse d'un analogue de l'épitope HNK-1, déterminant sulfaté impliqué notamment dans la régénération des motoneurones. Finalement nous avons entrepris une étude préliminaire d'adaptation du procédé d'« usine cellulaire » à la synthèse de glycanes sulfatés chez Saccharomyces cerevisiae. / The oligosaccharide moety of glycoconjugates, present on the eukaryotic cell surface, is involved in many biological processes of recognition and cell adhesion. The rise of glycobiology over the last twenty years has helped to define, from the involvement of these glycan structures, many potential therapeutic applications. However, the manufacture of new drugs from oligosaccharide requires their availability in large quantities but their varieties by purification or by method of chemical and enzymatic synthesis remain difficult and expensive and lead to low yield. CERMAV has recently developed a clean and fast cell technology, which is able of producing large quantities of several oligosaccharides of biological interest. The process called "cell factory" is based on the co-expression of recombinant glycosyltransferases in Escherichia coli. Sulfation of glycans is an important part of their biological properties and depends on the activity of sulfotransferase, whose activity in Escherichia coli has not been well studied. But these enzymes use oligosaccharide acceptor whose synthesis is controlled by the process of cell factory. We expressed genes of sulfotransferase to allow the in vivo sulfation of endogenous oligosaccharide acceptor produced in the bacterium. Families of molecules synthesized drift patterns of GlcAlac, Lacto-N-neotetraose, and Lewisx whose synthesis in vivo is controlled. We also performed a combined chemo-enzymatic synthesis of a neoglycoprotein bearing an analogue of the epitope HNK-1, involved particularly in the regeneration of motoneurons. Finally we tried to adapt the method of "cell factory” for the synthesis of sulfated glycans in a eukaryotic organism such as yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / Nitric Oxide (NO) influences a wide range of physiological processes in plants including growth and development, responses to abiotic and biotic stress and pathogen responses. NO binds to the heme group of the mammalian soluble guanylyl cyclase, which activates the enzyme to convert guanosine 5’ triphosphate (GTP) to a second messenger guanosine 3’, 5’ cyclic monophosphate (cGMP). Cyclic GMP further activates other signalling cascades including the regulation of protein kinases, ion gated channels and phosphodiesterases. In plants, a few GCs have been identified and these include AtGC1, AtBRI1, AtWAKL10, and AtPSKR1, however, a GC that contains a heme binding motif that senses NO has yet to be identified. In order to identify such molecules, a search motif based on conserved HNOX domains and the conserved and functionally assigned amino acid residues in the catalytic centres of annotated GCs was designed and used to search the Arabidopsis thaliana proteome. Several candidate molecules were identified including a flavin-containing monooxygenase (FMO)-like protein and the At5g57690 which is currently annotated as a diacylglycerol kinase. FMOs found in bacteria, yeast, and animals are the most important monooxygenases since they are involved in xenobiotic metabolism and variability in drug response. FMOs in plants are implicated in catalysing specific steps in auxin biosynthesis,metabolism of glucosinolates and pathogen defense mechanisms. The human diacylglycerol kinase acts as a lipid kinase that mediates a wide range of biological processes which include cell proliferation, differentiation and turmogenesis. In prokaryotes, the structure of Escherichia coli lipid kinase has been solved however, its function has not yet been demonstrated. So far, the occurrence of the diacylglycerol kinases in plants has not yet been reported, and their structure and function also remain elusive. The domain architecture of the 2 molecules (AtNOGC1 and At5g57690) identified by the HNOX-based search strategy revealed that these molecules contain a GC and a heme-binding motif that is conserved among all known heme-binding proteins.In this study, the role of AtNOGC1, a novel NO binding protein in higher plants was investigated and the results showed that this molecule contains an NO-dependant active GC domain. The sequence was first analysed and the location of the HNOX and the GC motifs highlighted. The protein was then recombinatly expressed as a His-SUMO fusion protein and the purification optimised by a second step of ion exchange chromatography. Electrochemical techniques such as cyclic voltammetry and square wave voltammetry were used to demonstrate the binding of NO and O2 to the AtNOGC1. Electrochemical data revealed that AtNOGC1 has a lower affinity for O2 and a higher affinity for NO, an important signalling molecule in plants.The presence of the GC activity in AtNOGC1 was investigated by conducting GC activity assays in vitro in the presence or absence of NO. The GC activity assays demonstrated that AtNOGC1 can synthesize cGMP from GTP in vitro. It was also noted that NO was required for the maximum activation of AtNOGC1 catalytic activity. NO-activated catalysis resulted in a >2 fold excess of cGMP production compared to an NO-independent GC activity assay. The effect of calcium in regulating the GC activity was also investigated and an increase in cGMP levels was observed however, this was just a preliminary finding that requires further experimentation.3 Homology models for both the FMO-like (AtNOGC1) and the diacylglycerol kinase(At5g57690) were built using Modeller program, and important amino acid residues underlying the heme-binding and GC motifs were identified. Residues corresponding to the motifs, which give signature to AtNOGC1 as an FMO, were also noted. In addition,computational functional prediction also suggested the role of AtNOGC1 in a number of processes which include ion binding and functioning as an FMO.Taken together, these findings suggest that AtNOGC1 is a novel Arabidopsis thaliana hemebinding protein that senses NO with higher affinity than for O2. Though AtNOGC1 is currently annotated as a FMO-like protein, it contains a NO-sensitive GC activity and shares limited sequence similarities with mammalian sGC and the recently identified HNOX domains. Homology modelling strongly suggests that AtNOGC1 and At5g57690 belong to the families of FMOs and diacylglycerol kinases respectively. The domain organisation of AtNOGC1 suggests that more of its functions still remain to be identified. The cloning and characterisation of the At5g57690 gene will provide possible means for further experimentation as well as affording more insights into the exact functions of lipid kinases in plants.

O herpesvírus bovino tipo 1 (BoHV-1) é um dos principais agentes causadores de prejuízos econômicos em criações de bovinos. A vacinação tem sido amplamente utilizada para minimizar as perdas causadas por infecções pelo BoHV-1. Dentre as vacinas disponíveis, as vacinas desenvolvidas a partir de amostras virais recombinantes apresentam a vantagem de permitirem a diferenciação entre animais infectados e imunizados. Anteriormente, foi desenvolvida uma vacina recombinante diferencial com uma amostra de BoHV-1 brasileira baseada na deleção do gene que codifica a glicoproteína E (gE). No primeiro capítulo do presente trabalho, a segurança e imunogenicidade desta vacina recombinante inativada foi avaliada. Os experimentos de imunização, desafio e reativação da vacina diferencial em animais experimentalmente inoculados demonstraram que a vacina recombinante foi segura e eficiente ao minimizar ou mesmo prevenir os efeitos da infecção pelo BoHV-1. No segundo capítulo, a segurança da vacina gE- foi avaliada, através da imunização intramuscular (IM) de 22 vacas (14 BoHV-1 soronegativas e 8 soropositivas) prenhes. Foi observada soroconverão, mas não abortos e nem anormalidades fetais nos animais imunizados. Na segunda parte do mesmo estudo foi analizada a capacidade do vírus recombinante difundir-se em um rebanho bovino. Quatro terneiros foram inoculados pela rota intranasal (IN) com a amostra recombinante gE- e, posteriormente, adicionados a outros 16 animais com mesma idade e semelhante condição corporal durante 180 dias. Todos os animais foram monitorados diariamente em busca de sintomatologia clínica. Foi observada soroconversão apenas nos animais imunizados. Estes resultados indicam que, nas condições deste estudo, a amostra recombinante não causou nenhum dano nas vacas prenhes ou em seus terneiros e não foi capaz de difundir-se horizontalmente no rebanho. No terceiro capítulo foi avaliada a patogenicidade de uma amostra recombinante de BoHV-1 com deleção no gene Us9, utilizando coelhos como modelo experimental. Coelhos com quatro semanas de idade foram divididos em quatro grupos (A, B, C, D). Dois grupos (A e B) foram infectados via intranasal (IN) e dois (C e D) infectados via intraocular (IO). Em cada via de infecção, um grupo foi infectado com o vírus recombinante e o outro com o vírus selvagem (wt). Após a infecção IO, todos os animais, de ambos os grupos, desenvolveram intensa conjuntivite entre os dias 3 a 10 pós-inoculação (pi). Vírus infeccioso foi consistentemente isolado a partir dos suabes oculares entre os dias 1 a 10 pi chegando a um título máximo de 103,05 TCID50/mL. Nos grupos infectados pela via IN com BoHV-1 wt, 4/4 coelhos apresentaram sintomatologia característica da doença, tais como: pirexia, apatia, anorexia, tosse, secreção nasal severa (entre os dias 2 e 8 pi). Animais inoculados com o recombinante apresentaram apatia, anorexia e descarga nasal (entre os dias 3 e 7 pi). Vírus infeccioso foi isolado em diversos tecidos tanto nos animais inoculados com o vírus wt como recombinante. Ambos os vírus foram capazes de replicar nas mucosas. Análises histológicas dos tecidos dos animais demonstraram lesões em ambos os grupos. Este estudo apresentou que a proteína Us9 não tem um papel significante na patogenicidade in vivo. / Bovine herpesvirus type 1 (BoHV-1) is an the major cause of losses in cattle. Vaccination has been widely applied to minimize losses induced by BoHV-1 infections. Vacines developed from recombinant strains have the advantage of allow the differentiation between immunized and infected animals. Previously, a recombinant differential BoHV-1 vaccine based on a glycoprotein E deleted (gE) virus was developed. In the first chapter of the present work, the safety and immunogenicity of such recombinant, as a inactivate vaccine, was evaluated. The experiments showed that the DIVA vaccinne was safe and efficient in order to minimize or even prevent the clinical signs of the infection by BoHV- 1. In the second chapter of the present study, the safety of the gE- vaccine during pregnancy was evaluated by the intramuscular inoculation into 22 pregnant dams (14 BoHV-1 seronegative; 8 seropositive). Seroconversion was detected but no abortions, stillbirths or fetal abnormalities were seen after vaccination. In the second part of the same study, the potential of the gE- vaccine virus to spread among beef cattle under field conditions was examined. Four heifers were inoculated intranasally (IN) with the gE- vaccine and mixed with other 16 animals at the same age and body conditions, for 180 days. All animals were daily monitored for clinical signs.. Seroconversion was observed only in vaccinated heifers. These results indicate that, under the conditions of the present study, the gE vaccine virus did not cause any noticeable harmful effect on pregnant dams and on its offspring and did not spread horizontally among cattle. In the third chapter the pathogenicity of a US9 negative recombinant strain BoHV-1 using rabbits as an experimental model was avaluated. Rabbits four weeks old were divided in four groups (A, B, C, D) within four rabbits per group. Two groups were infected IN route and two via intraocular (IO). In each route, one group was infected by recombinant virus and the other infected by wild type (wt) virus. After IO infection, all rabbits developed intense conjunctivitis between days 3 to 10 pos infection (pi). Infective virus was consistently isolated from ocular swabs on days 1 to 10, reaching a maximum of 103.05 TCID50/mL. Animals infected in the IN rote with BoHV-1 wt, 4/4 rabbits showed characteristic signs of disease, which included pyrexia, apathy, anorexia, cough, severe nasal secretion between days 2 to 8. Rabbits inoculated with recombinant virus showed apathy, anorexia, nasal secretion (between days 3 and 7pi). Infectious virus was isolated in differents tissues as much as animals inoculated with wt and recombinant virus. Both virus were capable of replication in the mucosa nasal and ocular of the inoculated rabbits. Histopatological lesions were evident in both groups. In the present study showed which the US9 protein have not significantly in the pathogenicity in vivo.

Submitted by Priscila Nascimento (pnascimento@icict.fiocruz.br) on 2012-11-14T17:12:41Z No. of bitstreams: 1 luciana-carreiras-norte.pdf: 1395438 bytes, checksum: 31a432f41d7dee6ad0313c1c37736102 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2012-11-14T17:12:41Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 luciana-carreiras-norte.pdf: 1395438 bytes, checksum: 31a432f41d7dee6ad0313c1c37736102 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007 / Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto de Tecnologia em Imunobiológicos. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil / Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil. / Nesta avaliação, realizaram-se ensaios cromatográficos de purificação de eritropoetina humana recombinante, a partir do sobrenadante de cultura de células de mamíferos da linhagem CHO (células de ovário de hamster chinês), produtoras deste biofármaco. Compararam-se as membranas comerciais de troca iônica Sartobind (MA) Q e D, com o objetivo de avaliar a sua aplicabilidade a processos de purificação de EPO. Ambas as membranas apresentaram-se capazes de adsorver EPO nas condições avaliadas. EPO foi detectada nas amostrasde eluído de ambas as membranas, tendo-se verificado que o imunoensaio dotipo dot-blotfoi aquele que forneceu as informações mais conclusivas. Já nas análises de eletroforese, verificou-se um perfil difuso das bandas do eluído das membranas, o que foi creditado à heterogeneidade glicídica da EPO, como anteriormente demonstrado na literatura. / In the present work, the purification of recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO) from CHO (Chinese hamster ovary) cell culture supernatant was investigated using anion-exchange chromatography. Commercial membrane adsorbers (Sartobind D and Q) were compared, with the aim of evaluating their aplicability to EPO purification processes. Both membranes were able to adsorb EPO under the conditions evaluated in this work. EPO was detected in the eluate of both membranes. The immunoassay dot-blot was the most interesting analytical tool, giving the most conclusive results. Electrophoretic analyses showeda diffuse band, probably due to glycan heterogeneity in the EPO molecules, as previously reported in the literature.

A doença de Chagas é uma zoonose causada pelo protozoário flagelado Trypanosoma cruzi. Estima-se que 8 milhões de pessoas estão infectadas com o T. cruzi em todo o mundo, principalmente na América Latina. Testes tradicionais de diagnóstico estão sendo gradualmente substituídos por métodos inovadores. A utilização de antígenos recombinantes foi proposta nos anos 90, e várias combinações foram testadas com soros de pacientes com diferentes formas clínicas de diferentes regiões da América Latina. Apesar do ganho em especificidade, estes testes apresentaram menor sensibilidade, frustrando expectativas. Este estudo objetivou analisar a variabilidade genética dos genes KMP11 e 1F8 que codificam antígenos comumente utilizados em diagnóstico experimental. Cepas de T. cruzi pertencentes a diferentes sub-grupos taxonômicos e de diferentes regiões foram analisadas para avaliar o impacto da variação antigênica em testes de diagnóstico. Maximizando a sensibilidade, evitar reatividade cruzada com epítopos de outros agentes patogênicos deve permitir a concepção de melhores testes rápidos. Num primeiro passo, DNA genômico foi extraído das seguintes cepas: Dm28c, Colombiana, Y, 3663, 4167, LL014 e CL Brener e foi realizada a amplificação dos genes 1F8 e KMP11 que codificam antígenos a partir destas cepas. Em seguida foram realizadas a clonagem, sequenciamento, expressão e detecção dos antígenos recombinantes. Na etapa final, análises de estruturas secundárias e terciárias, a última apenas para o antígeno 1F8, visualizaram as diferenças nas sequências de aminoácidos obtidas a partir de sequenciamento de DNA. Os resultados apresentados neste estudo mostram que o antígeno KMP11 de T. cruzi possui uma similaridade na sequência de aminoácidos muito elevada com o T. rangeli, mostrando a necessidade de um mapeamento antigênico desta proteína em todos os tripanosomatídeos que apresentaram alta similaridade com o antígeno de T. cruzi, como o T. rangeli, para verificar a presença de epítopos específicos de T. cruzi. O antígeno 1F8 pode ser uma ferramenta útil no diagnóstico da doença de Chagas e que será necessário aprofundar os conhecimentos sobre os determinantes antigênicos para futuramente elaborar poli-epítopos sintéticos adaptados de um maior número possível de antígenos, obtendo a maior especificidade e sensibilidade nos testes de diagnóstico sorológico e de teste rápido da doença de Chagas. Este estudo representa um passo crucial para a otimização de antígenos recombinantes para o diagnóstico da doença de Chagas. / Chagas disease is a zoonosis caused by the flagellate protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi. An estimated 8 million people are infected with T. cruzi worldwide, mostly in Latin America. Traditional diagnostic tests are gradually being replaced by more innovative methods, such as rapid tests and Real Time PCR. The use of recombinant antigens in serology or rapid tests has been proposed in the 90s, and several combinations were tested with sera from patients with different clinical forms in different regions in Latin America. Despite the gain in specificity, these tests showed lower sensitivity, frustrating expectations. This study aims to analyze the genetic variability of KMP11 and 1F8 genes coding for antigens commonly used in such experimental diagnostic. T. cruzi strains belonging to different taxonomic sub-groups and different regions were analyzed in order to assess the impact of antigenic variation in diagnostic tests. Maximizing sensitivity and avoiding cross-reactive epitopes for other pathogens should allow for the design of better rapid tests. In a first step, genomic DNA was extracted from the following strains: DM28c, Colombiana, Y, 3663, 4167, LL014 and CL Brener and we performed amplification of the 1F8 and KMP11 antigen encoding genes from these strains. Gene fragments were cloned, sequenced, and subcloned in expression vectors, followed by detection of the recombinant antigens. Using structural prediction and modeling, secondary and tertiary structures were analyzed the latter only for the 1F8 antigen, to visualize the differences in the amino acid sequences revealed from DNA sequencing. The results presented in this study show that the KMP11 T. cruzi antigen, has a very high similarity in amino acid sequence with T. rangeli, showing the need for antigenic mapping of this protein in all trypanosomatids that showed high similarity with the T. cruzi and T. rangeli, for the presence of specific epitopes of T. cruzi. The 1F8 antigen may be a useful tool in the diagnosis of Chagas disease and will need to know more about the antigenic determinants to further develop poly-epitope synthetic adapted from a larger number of possible antigens, obtaining the highest specificity and sensitivity in tests serological diagnosis and rapid test for Chagas disease.This study represents a crucial step for the optimization of recombinant antigens for the diagnosis of Chagas disease.