Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2007. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes bibliographical references (p. 134-148).

Thèse (Ph. D.)--Université Laval, 2004. / Bibliogr.: f. [130]-146. Publié aussi en version électronique.

Η συνεισφορά των πρωτεϊνικών θειολών στη διαμόρφωση της θειολικής οξειδοαναγωγικής κατάστασης είναι πολύ σημαντική και αλλαγές της τελευταίας μπορεί να επιφέρουν καθοριστικές μεταβολές στη κυτταρική λειτουργία. Στόχος της παρούσας μελέτης είναι η βελτίωση προηγούμενων μεθόδων ποσοτικοποίησης των πρωτεϊνικών θειολών με τη χρήση νέων αντιδραστηρίων αναγωγής δισουλφιδικών δεσμών και ανίχνευσης -SH ομάδων. Σχεδιάστηκε μια νέα φωτομετρική μέθοδος προς την κατεύθυνση της ακριβούς ποσοτικοποίησης των πρωτεϊνικών θειολών PSH, PSSP και PSSNP. Ο νέος αναγωγικός πάραγοντας που αναδείχθηκε είναι το tributylphosphine (TBP) και το νέο αντιδραστήριο- ανιχνευτής ελεύθερων -SH ομάδων, το DPS ή 4- Aldrithiol. / The protein thiols contribution in the regulation of the thiol redox status is very important and changes in the last can produce serious cell disfunction. The purpose of this study was the improvement of precedent protein thiol quantification methods using new reagents of disulfide bonds reductants and –SH group tracers. A new photometric method has been planned leading to the exact quantification of protein thiol compounds such as PSH, PSSP and PSSNP. The new reductant used is tributylphosphine (TBP) and the new free -SH tracer reagent is DPS or 4- Aldrithiol.

Mitochondria are key generators of cellular ATP, vital to complex life. Historically, mitochondrial generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was considered to be an unregulated process, produced by dysfunctional mitochondria. More recently, mitochondrial ROS generated by complex I, particularly by the process of reverse electron transfer (RET), has emerged as a potentially biologically relevant signal that is tightly-regulated and dependent on mitochondrial status. ROS production by RET is reported to play a role in the innate immune response and lifespan extension in fruit flies. One way in which mitochondrial ROS may behave as a signal is by altering the activity of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), a key metabolic sensor and regulator of cell metabolism, which is activated when cellular ATP levels decrease during energy demand. Mitochondria can signal to AMPK via the magnitude of the cellular ATP/AMP and ATP/ADP ratios, which alter in response to mitochondrial function. Our view is mitochondria may also signal to AMPK via ROS. Important studies have helped to clarify the role of exogenous or cytosolic ROS in AMPK regulation. However, the effects of mitochondrial ROS on AMPK activity, specifically that generated by complex I, remain unclear and is the main focus of this thesis. I characterized the effects of exogenous H2O2 on cellular AMPK activity, ATP/ADP ratios and cellular redox state in a cell model. I then compounded this with selective mitochondria generated ROS by the mitochondria-targeted redox-cycler, MitoParaquat (MPQ). AMPK activity appeared to correlate with decreasing cell ATP/ADP ratios, indicating that both sources of ROS primarily activate AMPK in an AMP/ADP-dependent mechanism. In parallel, I developed an approach for analyzing the redox state of candidate proteins, an important step in determining if a protein is directly regulated by ROS. I also initiated development of a cell model for studying the downstream effects of mitochondrial ROS production by RET, by expressing alternative respiratory enzymes in a mammalian cell line.

Orientador: Marcelo Ganzarolli de Oliveira / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Quimica / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-15T02:21:46Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Sassonia_RogerioCorte_D.pdf: 2947110 bytes, checksum: fc316c83bed9508d2e27063d89528d56 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009 / Resumo: Este trabalho apresenta os resultados da aplicação da titulação calorimétrica isotérmica na caracterização termodinâmica de reações de S-nitrosação de tióis e de interações proteínaproteína e proteína-íon. Foram estudadas as reações de S-nitrosação da N-acetil-L-cisteína (NAC), L-cisteína (CYS), L-glutationa (GLU) e do ácido mercaptosuccínico. Também foram avaliadas as interações entre a proteína sinalizadora Shc (Src homology collagen-like) e as proteínas glutationa S-transferase (GST) e a ciclofilina A (CypA) e a interação entre a região Cterminal da proteína humana EFHC1 (EFHC1-C) com íons Ca e Mg. Os valores da variação de entalpia revelaram que a S-nitrosação é um fenômeno exotérmico e ocorre com diminuição de entropia. Estes dados termodinâmicos revelam que as reações de S-nitrosação investigadas são entalpicamente dirigidas a 25 °C (1 atm) e possuem valores semelhantes de variações de entalpia, entropia e energia livre, apesar das diferenças entre as estruturas químicas dos tióis. Verificou-se que a proteína EFHC1C liga-se tanto a íons Ca quanto Mg numa estequiometria de 1:1, com afinidades definidas por diferentes contribuições entálpicas e entrópicas. Este dado confirmou a existência de um suposto domínio EF-hand ligante de Ca na porção C-terminal previsto pela seqüência primária da EFHC1C. Por outro lado, a EFHC1C perde sua capacidade de interação com íons Ca e Mg em solução sem 1,4-ditiotreitol (DTT), provavelmente, devido à formação de dímeros. A ausência de sinais térmicos de ITC mostrou que nem a proteína GST, nem a proteína CypA interagem com a proteína Shc nas condições experimentais usadas. / Abstract: This work presents the results of isothermal titration calorimetry application in the thermodynamic characterization of thiol nitrosation reactions, protein-protein and protein-ion interactions. The S-nitrosation reactions of N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC), L-cysteine (CYS), Lglutathione (GLU) and acid mercaptosuccinic were studied. The interactions of the signaling protein Shc (Src homology collagen-like) with glutathione S-transferase (GST) and ciclofilina A (CypA) and of the EF-hand motif from human EFHC1C with Caand Mg ions were also evaluated. Enthalpy change values revealed that the S-nitrosation reaction is an exothermic phenomenum associated to a decrease in entropy. These thermodynamic data show that the S-nitrosation reactions investigated are enthalpically driven at 25 °C (1 atm) and have similar enthalpic, entropic and free energy change values, despite the differences among the chemical structures of the thiols. It was verified that the EFHC1C protein binds to both Ca and Mg ions in a 1:1 stoichiometry with affinities defined by different enthalpic and entropic contributions. These data confirmed the presence of a putative EF-hand Ca-binding motif at the C-terminal portion as expected by the primary sequence of EFHC1C. On the other hand, EFHC1C losses its ability to interact with Ca and Mgions in solution without 1,4-ditiotreitol (DTT) likely due to protein dimerization. The absence of ITC thermal signals showed that neither GST nor CypA interact with the Shc protein in the experimental conditions used. / Doutorado / Físico-Química / Doutor em Ciências

Le sujet de cette thèse concerne la spintronique moléculaire. Des jonctions tunnel magnétiques formées par une barrière tunnel moléculaire (monocouche auto-assemblée) insérée entre deux électrodes métalliques ferromagnétiques ont été étudiées. Afin de fabriquer les dispositifs, un procédé de greffage des molécules sur des substrats ferromagnétiques a été mis en place et une technique de lithographie a été développée pour définir des jonctions de taille submicronique. L’ensemble de ce travail expérimental a permis l’obtention de jonctions non court-circuitées et mesurables, où le transport électronique est bien du transport par effet tunnel.Les mesures de magnétotransport de ces échantillons ont amené des résultats intéressants et nouveaux : les jonctions, dont la barrière est formée par des alcanes-thiols, présentent de la magnétorésistance à température ambiante, allant jusqu’à 12%. Une partie de la thèse s’attelle à la compréhension des différents comportements magnétorésistifs observés : un modèle de barrière tunnel à deux niveaux est proposé pour les décrire.La dernière partie du travail présente des résultats préliminaires obtenus lorsque la barrière moléculaire est formée par des molécules aromatiques ou commutables et met en évidence des phénomènes nouveaux par rapport au cas précédent.L’ensemble des résultats prouve le fonctionnement de jonctions tunnel magnétiques à base de monocouches moléculaires à température ambiante et ouvre la voie à l’utilisation de molécules plus complexes pour une électronique de spin moléculaire multifonctionnelle. / This thesis work enters within the molecular spintronic fields. Magnetic tunnel junctions based on molecular self assembled monolayers have been investigated. The devices structure is a molecular monolayer inserted between two ferromagnetic electrodes.A process to graft molecules on a ferromagnet’s surface and a lithography technique have been developed to define the junctions. This experimental work has led to non short-circuited and measurable junctions, in which an electronic tunnel transport has been demonstrated.Interesting and new results have been found out from magnetoresistance measurement of the samples: junctions made with alkanes-thiols barrier have shown magnetoresistance signal at room temperature (up to 12%). In order to explain the magnetoresistive behaviour, a simple model where the barrier is discribed by two levels has been proposed.The last part of the thesis reports preliminary results obtained when the barrier is made of aromatic molecules or switchable molecules and it points out new phenomenons compared to the alkanes case.The overall work proves that devices made from magnetic tunnel junctions with self-assembled monolayers work at room temperature. It is then possible to consider switchable molecules to build multifunctional molecular spintronics devices.

La chimie des thiols est un outil puissant et polyvalent pour la préparation de polymères et de matériaux fonctionnels. La fonction thiol est cependant incompatible avec la polymérisation radicalaire. Au cours de cette thèse, l'évaluation de fonctions thiocarbonyl et thioester en tant que groupements protecteurs de thiols lors de polymérisations radicalaires contrôlées a montré que le groupement xanthate, ou dithiocarbonate, est un excellent groupement protecteur. Des copolymères polythiol linéaires bien définis ont ainsi pu être synthétisés à partir d'un monomère méthacrylate portant une fonction xanthate. Les polythiols pouvant conduire à des réactions de réticulation via la formation de ponts disulfure, des séquences monotopes de déprotection par aminolyse et fonctionnalisation des polythiols via différentes réactions thiol-X ont ensuite été mises au point. Les monomères fonctionnels xanthate ont ensuite été mis à profit pour synthétiser des polymères branchés. L'aminolyse d'une partie des xanthates avant la polymérisation permet en effet d'obtenir des monomères thiol et ainsi d'introduire du transfert aux thiols lors de la polymérisation. Les polymères branchés fonctionnels obtenus présentent des viscosités plus faibles, ainsi qu'une structure plus compacte, que leurs analogues linéaires. / Thiol chemistry is a versatile and powerful tool for the preparation of functional polymers and materials. However, thiols are incompatible with radical polymerization. In this thesis, thiocarbonyl and thioester moieties were evaluated as thiol protecting groups for controlled radical polymerizations. The xanthate, or dithiocarbonate, moiety proved to be the best all-around protecting group, and well-defined polythiol copolymers were prepared from a methacrylate monomer carrying a xanthate moiety. As polythiol are prone to gel formation due to the formation of disulfide bridges, one-pot deprotection and functionalization were carried out via aminolysis and subsequent functionalization with different thiol-X reactions. The functional monomer carrying a xanthate group was then used to prepare branched polymers. Partial aminolysis of the xanthate moieties leads to monomers carrying a thiol group, which introduced transfer to thiol during the polymerization. The functional branched polymers obtained have lower viscosities and a more compact structure than their linear analogues.

Cumulative clinical and experimental evidence indicates that volatile sulphur compounds (VSC) the principal components of oral malodour, may play an important role in the pathogenesis of periodontal disease. As their (H₂S and CH₃SH) concentrations in gingival sulci increase with the severity of periodontal involvement, the objective of this investigation is to ascertain if they exert an effect on the permeability of oral mucosa. Permeability determinations were performed on excised porcine sublingual mucosal specimens which consisted of non-keratinized epithelium, basal membrane and connective tissue layers mounted in a two compartment perfusion apparatus. Using radioactive and fluorescent-labelled penetrants, it was found that exposure of the epithelial surface to an atmosphere containing physiological concentrations of both thiols (15 ng H₂S or CH₃SH / ml of 95% air - 5% C0₂) increased the permeability of the mucosa to (³⁵S)-S0₄⁻², (³H)-prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂) and fluorescein isothiocyanate labelled E. coli lipopolysaccharide (F-LPS). A three hour exposure of the mucosa to H₂S and CH₃SH resulted in a 75% and 103% increase respectively in permeability to (³⁵S)-labelled sulphate ion. Similarly, the mercaptan induced up to a 70% increase in permeability of the mucosa to (³H)-prostaglandin E₂. The magnitude of changes in the permeability were found to depend on duration of exposure to the thiols and to their concentration. Studies using (³⁵S)-H₂S suggest that the observed changes in the tissue permeability are related to the reaction of the thiols with tissue components. In addition, the (³⁵S)-H₂S is capable of perfusing through all three layers of the mucosa at 12.3 ng / cm². In contrast to H₂S , the CH₃SH effect was irreversible in control air / C0₂ environment. This infers that CH₃SH is potentially a more deleterious agent to the tissue barrier. However, its effect can also be reversed by treatment of tissues with 0.22% ZnCl₂ either prior to or after exposure to mercaptan. This suggests that Zn⁺² ion may be useful in preventing the potentially harmful effects of VSC. Fluorescent studies with F-LPS indicate that thiols can also potentiate the penetration of endotoxin. Whereas the fluorescence of the F-LPS in control systems was confined to the superficial epithelial layer in contact with the endotoxin, the CH₃SH- exposed mucosa exhibited fluorescence throughout the epithelial and connective tissue layers. Fluorescent staining of the mucosal specimens with fluorescein diacetate followed by counter staining with ethidium bromide provides evidence of membrane impairment to some cells by CH₃SH. Collectively these observations provide strong experimental evidence that the VSC, products of putrefaction produced in the gingival sulcus by oral microflora, may adversely affect the integrity of the crevicular barrier to deleterious agents and thus contribute to the etiology of periodontal disease. / Dentistry, Faculty of / Graduate

Title: Cobalt phthalocyanines as sensors for determination of thiol groups Annotation: The possibility of employment of cobalt phthalocyanine as a material for the modification of HOPG electrode for construction of a sensor for quantification of thiol groups was studied. Thiol groups are occurring in various biologically active substances (sulfur amino acids). The electrochemical behavior of cobalt tetraneopentoxy-phthalocyanine (CoTNPc) in the water/organic phase system was studied, and individual peaks of cyclic voltammogram of the compound were identified. The electrodeposition of CoTNPc on HOPG electrode was found as a suitable method for construction of the sensor for quantification of thiol groups. The reproducibility of fabrication of the sensor and its time-stability was studied. The calibration dependencies for model analytes (cysteine hydrochloride and homocysteine) were measured. Key words: thiols, phthalocyanines, amperometric sensor, cyclic voltammetry

Glutathione (GSH) is an important biological thiol, it performs significant biological functions such as serving an antioxidant which protect cells from oxidative stress by trapping free radicals which damage DNA and RNA. It is known that abnormal plasma levels of GSH have been linked to various human diseases. Therefore, the rapid, sensitive and highly selective detection of GSH is of great importance for investigating its functions in diseases diagnosis. Interestingly, we found in cetyl trimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) medium, the resorufin-based probe shows an extremely fast, highly selective response to GSH. The result indicates that this dye can be employed to detect GSH in biological samples such as human plasma. Cysteine (Cys) is another important biological thiol which is involved in a variety of significant cellur functions, including protein synthesis, detoxication, and metabolic process, etc. Abnormal levels of Cys are related to many diseases, such as slowed growth, Alzheimer's disease and cardiovascular disease. Thus, the detection and quantification of Cys in physiological media is of great importance. In this thesis, I am going to present two organic fluorescent probes (Resorufin-based probe and SNF probe) for the detection and quantification of Cys. In addition, we prove that they can directly quantify Cys in human plasma. The chemical mechanisms involved in the detection of Cys are discussed.