Binding of sperm to the oocyte is mediated by complementary molecules on the surface of both gametes and involves the interaction of sperm protein receptors with the zona pellucida (ZP) saccharide structures. It has been shown that many proteins receptors are involved in the sperm-ZP interaction, and potential primary sperm receptors for ZP glycoproteins have been investigated in various mammals. The majority of proteins with identified sperm-ZP binding activity belong to the plasma membrane proteins. However, the exact methods for isolation of sperm membrane proteins are still to be standardized. This study is focused on investigating how employment of various isolation protocols leads to acquisition of various protein mixtures. Further in the work, two possible approaches towards identification of potential ZP-binding partners are implemented, in order to disclose novel primary ZP-binding receptor candidates. Sperm proteins of ejaculated and in vitro capacitated boar sperms were isolated by: Triton X-100, Triton X-114, acetic acid, sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS), N-octyl-β-D- glucopyranoside (OBG), rehydration buffer (RHB), and finally by freezing-thawing extraction and they were characterized by 1-D, 2-D protein profiles, glycoprotein staining and substrate zymographic methods. The results have...

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Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP) is a severe infectious disease caused by Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides small colony type (M. mycoides SC) and is a vast problem in Africa. Current CBPP prevention is based on attenuated live strain vaccines, but these are limited by factors such as short-term immunity, cold-chain dependence and retained virulence. CBPP can be diagnosed using post-mortem examination, identification of the agent using culture and PCR based methods as well as serological diagnostic methods, but the latter are generally not sensitive enough and there is also demand for an inexpensive, pen side field test.The research presented in this thesis was focused on using recombinantly expressed surface proteins from M. mycoides SC to characterize humoral immune responses to CBPP. Thereby candidate proteins to be used in development of serological diagnostic methods and possibly subunit vaccines could be identified. As a first step, five putative variable surface proteins of M. mycoides SC were expressed and purified from E. coli in Paper I. These proteins were analyzed using immunoblotting techniques and results showed that one protein, MSC_0364, was variably expressed on the surface of M. mycoides SC in vitro. Paper II presents expanded efforts including cloning and expression of 64 recombinant surface proteins and an assay for high throughput analysis of protein-specific IgG, IgA and IgM titers in hundreds of sera using a bead-based screening assay. The assay was evaluated by protein-specific inhibition experiments, comparisons to Western blotting and monitoring of immune responses over time in a study with sera taken from eight animals over 293 days from a previous vaccine trial.Papers III and IV present applications using the recombinant proteins and bead-based screening assay wherein proteins for diagnostic and vaccine development were identified. In Paper III, the assay was used to screen 61 proteins using well-characterized serum samples from cattle with CBPP and healthy controls, resulting in selection of eight proteins suitable for diagnostic use. These proteins were combined and evaluated in a proof-of-concept ELISA with a discriminative power that enabled 96% correct classification of sera from CBPP-affected and CBPP-free bovines. Paper IV reports the results and protein-specific analyses of a vaccine trial using the recombinant putative variable surface proteins presented in Paper I as a subunit vaccine. The vaccine conferred no protection, but a weak vaccine response could not be excluded as the cause of failure. In an effort to identity other protein candidates to be used in a subunit vaccine, protein-specific analysis of humoral immune responses elicited by the currently approved live strain vaccine, T1/44, were investigated. Here, five proteins with high IgG titers associated to immunity were identified: LppQ, MSC_02714, MSC_0136, MSC_0079 and MSC_0431. These proteins may be important in the development of a novel subunit vaccine against CBPP. / QC 20100719

Les probiotiques sont des « microorganismes vivants qui, lorsqu’ils sont ingérés en quantité suffisante, exercent un effet positif sur la santé de l’hôte ». Ils agissent en modulant le système immunitaire, en empêchant l’adhésion et/ou la croissance des bactéries pathogènes, en renforçant la barrière intestinale et en stabilisant sa microflore. Cependant, les mécanismes d’action de ces bactéries restent encore peu connus.Ce travail de thèse propose d’élucider les modes d’action de deux souches de Bacillus probiotiques humains : Bacillus clausii O/C et de Bacillus subtilis CU1.L’adhésion des probiotiques aux surfaces intestinales est un facteur important pour leur persistance dans l’organisme, l’immunomodulation et la compétition envers les agents pathogènes. B. clausii et B. subtilis présentent de fortes capacités d’adhésion sous forme de spores grâce à leurs protéines de surface préférentiellement impliquées dans les interactions avec l’hôte. En effet, celles-ci jouent un rôle prépondérant dans la stimulation de l’expression des gènes codant les cytokines dans les cellules Caco-2 et la production de cytokines par les cellules immunitaires, induite par les souches probiotiques, via la liaison avec des récepteurs de l’hôte. Des protéines S-layers, protéines ribosomales et protéases ont été identifiées à la surface de ces souches, ainsi qu’une grande quantité de flagelline à la surface de B. subtilis.Par ailleurs, les composés sécrétés par les souches stimulent également la production de cytokines chimiotactiques et anti-inflammatoires. B. clausii sécrète une protéase capable de neutraliser plusieurs types de toxines dont celles sécrétées par C. difficile et B. cereus. B. subtilis n’a montré aucune propension pour l’inhibition de l’adhésion des agents pathogènes testés, mais un essai clinique a démontré sa capacité à moduler le système immunitaire et la composition du microbiote intestinal. / Probiotic are ”live microorganisms, which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host”. They act by modulating the immune system, preventing the adhesion and / or growth of pathogenic bacteria, reinforcing the intestinal barrier and stabilizing the microbiota.However, the mechanisms of action of these bacteria are still poorly understood.This thesis proposes to elucidate the mode of action of two human probiotic strains of Bacillus : Bacillus clausii O / C and Bacillus subtilis CU1.The adhesion of probiotics to intestinal surfaces is an important factor for their persistence in the host, immunomodulation and competition with pathogens. B. clausii and B. subtilis have strong abilities to adhere as spores, through their surface-associated proteins which are preferentially involved in interactions with the host. Indeed, they play a key role in the up-regulation of gene expression encoding cytokines in Caco-2 cells and in the stimulation of cytokine production by immune cells, induced by probiotic strains, through binding with host receptors. Some S-layers proteins, ribosomal proteins and proteases have been identified on the surface of these strains, and a large quantity of flagellin on the surface of B. subtilis.In addition, secreted compounds of these probiotics also stimulate the production of chemotactic and anti-inflammatory cytokines. B. clausii secretes a protease able to neutralize several types of toxins, including those secreted by C. difficile and B. cereus. B. subtilis has not predisposition to compete with the adhesion of pathogens tested, but a clinical trial has demonstrated its ability to modulate the immune system and the composition of the intestinal microbiota.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T20:21:32Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 5298.pdf: 2436195 bytes, checksum: 47a2b6b8993059d60e028c4518c3ca75 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-05-24 / Universidade Federal de Sao Carlos / The citrus canker is an economically important disease for citrus crop. At the moment, there is no effective means of prevention or cure for this disease, which has contributed to citrus canker wide distribution around the world. The etiologic agents are bacteria of the genus Xanthomonas classified into two species, X. citri and X. fuscans. This study aimed to perform the differential proteomic analysis of cell surface proteins of Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri (XAC), the more virulent specie, between infectious (in vivo) and non-infectious (in vitro) conditions of growth. Additionally, the same analysis was performed by shotgun for XAC against the Xanthomonas fuscans subsp. aurantifolii type B (XauB), less virulent specie, both after growth in vivo. Initially, we performed growth curves of both bacteria on leaves of a common citrus host (Citrus aurantifolia) in order to investigate the dynamics of population growth in vivo and the efficiency of cell recovery by two different methods. For proteomic analysis, intact bacterial cells had their surface proteins labeled with fluorescence (DIGE CyDye Fluor minimal dyes), were then lysed and the total protein extract analyzed by differential gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE), as standardized in this study. Protein profiles were analyzed by DeCyder 7.0 software and spots differentially expressed (ANOVA p <0.05) were isolated from gels, identified by mass spectrometry and search in protein databases of the annotated genome sequence of the bacteria. Seventy-nine spots from XAC were analyzed and thirty different proteins were identified, of which 10 correspond to known membrane or cell surface proteins: Ton-B dependent receptors and OmpA-related proteins exhibited lower expression in infectious condition, differently of Ferric enterobactin receptors, 60 kDa chaperonin (GroEL) and DnaK which showed higher expression after host interaction. XAC and XauB total extraction analysis by shotgun identified just two XAC proteins. Cell surface proteins with increased in vivo expression in virulent strain (XAC) could provide future targets of biotechnological interest for fighting citrus canker for being possibly related to phytopathogenicity and/or host spectrum. / O cancro cítrico é uma doença economicamente importante para a citricultura. Devido à inexistência de medidas eficazes de prevenção e combate, o cancro cítrico ainda é uma doença de ampla distribuição. Os agentes etiológicos são bactérias do gênero Xanthomonas, sendo classificadas em duas espécies, X. citri e X. fuscans, as quais diferem em virulência e espectro de hospedeiros cítricos. Este trabalho teve como objetivo a análise diferencial do subproteoma da superfície celular de Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri (XAC), espécie mais virulenta e causadora da cancrose A, entre duas condições de crescimento, infectante (in vivo) e não infectante (in vitro). Adicionalmente, a análise proteômica total por shotgun (LC-MS/MS) foi realizada para comparação de XAC com Xanthomonas fuscans subsp. aurantifolii tipo B (XauB), espécie menos virulenta, ambas após crescimento in vivo. Inicialmente, foram realizadas curvas de crescimento de ambas as bactérias em folhas de um hospedeiro cítrico comum (Citrus aurantifolia) a fim de se conhecer a dinâmica de crescimento populacional in vivo e a eficiência da recuperação bacteriana por dois diferentes métodos. Para as análises proteômicas, células bacterianas intactas tiveram suas proteínas de superfície marcadas com fluorescência (CyDye DIGE Fluor minimal dyes) e em seguida foram lisadas, sendo o extrato proteico total analisado por eletroforese diferencial em gel bidimensional (2D-DIGE), técnica padronizada neste trabalho. Os perfis proteicos de XAC foram analisados pelo software DeCyder 7.0 (GE Healthcare) e spots com expressão diferencial (ANOVA p<0,05) foram isolados dos géis e identificados por espectrometria de massas seguida de busca pela ferramenta Mascot em bancos de proteínas anotadas a partir da sequência genômica. Dos 79 spots de XAC analisados foram identificadas 30 diferentes proteínas, sendo que 10 correspondem a proteínas reconhecidamente de membrana e/ou superfície celular: receptores dependentes de Ton-B e proteínas relacionadas a OmpA foram encontradas com menor expressão na condição in vivo, enquanto que receptor de enterobactina, chaperonina 60 kDa (GroEL) e DnaK apresentaram maior expressão após interação com hospedeiro cítrico. Em relação à comparação do extrato total de XAC e XauB por shotgun foi possível identificar apenas duas proteínas de XAC. Proteínas da superfície celular com maior expressão na linhagem virulenta (XAC) na condição in vivo poderão ser futuros alvos de interesse biotecnológico para combate ao cancro cítrico por estarem possivelmente relacionadas com a fitopatogenicidade e/ou maior espectro de hospedeiros cítricos.

Giardia intestinalis is a unicellular protozoan parasite responsible for 280 million gastrointestinal infections every year. When colonizing its host, Giardia interacts closely with the small intestine epithelium by attaching to enterocytes and releasing multiple proteins to the extracellular environment. Some of the released proteins have been shown to aid the parasite’s survival in the intestine by disrupting various host defense mechanisms. Here, we attempt to characterize the specific localization of five proteins after their secretion by Giardia. In parallel we aim to produce and identify parasite’s molecules potentially working as triggers of the immune response built during infection. To study the localization of specific secreted proteins during in vitro interactions with differentiated Caco-2 cells, we started by creating transgenic parasites expressing the ADI, EF1α and G3PD proteins with a downstream detectable tag. To identify candidate proteins from Giardia, thought by our lab to be involved in immune system activation, we established a mammalian expression system for the production of recombinant versions of the selected candidate giardial PAMPs. We achieved the expression of the VSP1267 protein, natively present on the parasite’s surface. However, we found that this protein was not secreted after expression, thus complicating its purification and later use in TLR-activation experiments. In the future, we aim to localize the tagged proteins, expressed by the produced transgenic trophozoites, and optimize the mammalian expression system in order to identify candidate immune triggers during giardiasis.