Le répertoire des bactéries est mal connu en Afrique du fait des méthodes d’étude essentiellement basées sur des techniques de culture sur milieux simples associées à des tests biochimiques, ce qui ne permet pas son exploration. Il a néanmoins été récemment bouleversé par l’usage systématique de la spectrométrie de masse de type MALDI-TOF MS.Au cours de nos travaux de thèse de doctorat, nous avons utilisé deux types de spectromètres de masse: le MALDI-TOF Vitek MS, nouvellement installé à Dakar; le MALDI-TOF Microflex LT, installé à Marseille. Les résultats que nous avons obtenus ont montré, pour la première fois, que la technique du MALDI-TOF est efficace et tout à fait adaptée en Afrique pour le diagnostic spécifique de routine. Cette performance a conduit le laboratoire clinique de l’HPD à opter pour son utilisation à la place des traditionnelles techniques d’identification phénotypique telles que les galeries API. Nous avons également confirmé que le MALDI-TOF est un puissant outil d’identification des espèces bactériennes rarement impliquées dans les maladies infectieuses humaines. De plus, cet outil nous a permis de détecter sept nouvelles espèces de bactéries isolées pour la première fois chez l’homme. En Afrique, il faudrait donc multiplier l’installation de spectromètre de masse MALDI-TOF, ou mettre en place des réseaux autour de plateformes MALDI-TOF sous-régionales partagées entre plusieurs structures sanitaires et/ou de recherche. / The Africa bacteria repertory is unfamiliar because the available tools in this region are not allowed its best knowledge. In fact, bacteria are most often identified using culture techniques on simple media and biochemical tests which enable the identification of some common characters. These methods do not facilitate an exhaustive knowledge of the bacterial repertory; consequently they have recently been revolutionized by the systematic use of MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry (MS).In our thesis we used two mass spectrometers, respectively, MALDI-TOF Vitek MS currently installed at Dakar (Senegal) and MALDI-TOF Microflex LT installed in Marseille (France). In addition we have also confirmed that MALDI-TOF is a powerful tool for identifying bacterial species rarely involved in human infectious diseases. Thus in adopting the MALDI-TOF as a first-line tool in bacterial identification before Gram staining or other techniques of phenotypic identifications based on chemical characteristics, we discovered seven new species of bacteria isolated for first time in humans. Microbial identification using MALDI-TOF MS is currently feasible in Africa. Its performance and effectiveness in routine diagnosis of clinical microbiology laboratories have been proven. It is necessary either to increase the installation of MALDI-TOF, or establishing a network around a shared MALDI-TOF platform between several structures located in the same area, especially in the underdeveloped countries of Africa amortization of investment costs of the device, because it allowed reducing the time of reporting results and indirectly facilitating better care for patients.

La chromoblastomycose (CBM) et la sporotrichose (SPT) sont des infections fongiques chroniques des tissus sous-cutanés. Elles touchent surtout les membres, après blessure végétale ou souillure tellurique. Les principaux agents fongiques responsables de CBM appartiennent aux genres Fonsecaea et Cladophialophora tandis que Sporothrix est à l’origine de la SPT. A Madagascar, les études menées entre 1955 et 1994 ont montré une prévalence de la CMB à 0,5/100 000 habitants faisant considérer ce pays comme le premier foyer mondial. Depuis, aucune donnée n’a permis d’actualiser ces observations. Malgré les nombreux cas de SPT observés par les médecins, son épidémiologie à Madagascar n’a jamais été décrite.L'objectif général était d'évaluer l’incidence actuelle de ces mycoses à Madagascar. Les objectifs spécifiques étaient de caractériser les espèces fongiques responsables et de mettre en place un réseau clinico-biologique pérenne permettant une gestion adaptée des patients et l’utilisation de méthodes moléculaires pour l’identification des souches.Une étude prospective conduite entre mars 2013 et juin 2017 a donné lieu à des consultations dans les régions ou dans le service de dermatologie de l’hôpital universitaire d’Antananarivo et a permis d’inclure des patients présentant des lésions sous-cutanées chroniques. Les méthodes conventionnelles de diagnostic mycologique ont été complétées par des méthodes moléculaires (PCR, séquençage, MALDI-TOF-MS). Les cas ont été classés au cours de réunions de concertation clinico-biologique.Au total, 148 patients d’âge moyen de 41 ans avec une prédominance d’hommes (75,0%) ont été inclus : 63 cas de SPT (42,5%) et 50 cas de CBM (33,8%) ont été confirmés. L’incidence annuelle de le CBM a été estimée à 0,38/100 000 habitants dans la région Sava au Nord où les cas prédominent avec au niveau du district Anosibe An’Ala (à l’Est) une incidence maximale de 1,12/100 000. Alors que la CBM était prédominante dans le Nord-Est, l'Est et le Sud de l'île, étonnamment, la SPT était presque exclusivement localisée sur les hautes terres centrales. L’incidence globale moyenne de SPT était de 0,17/100 000 habitants dans les hauts plateaux et de 0,07/100 000 pour l’ensemble de Madagascar. Pour la SPT, le risque est plus élevé chez les jeunes (< 18 ans) et les formes cutanéo-lymphatiques des membres supérieurs sont les plus fréquentes. Pour la CBM, le risque de contamination est élevé chez les agriculteurs et les professions de services et la majorité des lésions (82,9%) était localisée au niveau des membres inférieurs. Sur le plan mycologique, 63 Sporothrix schenckii, 7 Cladophialophora carrionii, 29 Fonsecaea sp dont 22 F. nubica ont été identifiés. Pour le genre Fonseceae, l’identification de l’espèce nubica remplace l‘espèce pedrosoi initialement proposée pour les isolats malgaches et souligne l’importance de l’identification moléculaire pour une classification précise des espèces.Cette première étude sur la SPT humaine à Madagascar a permis d’actualiser les données épidémiologiques mondiales et de classer Madagascar avec un niveau endémique modéré alors qu’il était considéré comme faible jusque-là. La CBM persiste à une incidence élevée et comparable à celle décrite jusqu’en 1994, illustrant l’absence de contrôle de cette mycose dans le pays. La constitution d’un réseau clinico-biologique local stable et les nouveaux outils diagnostics mis en place dans ce travail (PCR et le MALDI-TOF MS), vont faciliter la conduite de programmes de surveillance et de contrôle alors que l’OMS a récemment classé la CBM en maladie tropicale négligée. Une enquête environnementale est en cours pour détecter les sources de contamination dans l’environnement. Le réseau mis en place permettra dans un futur proche de nouvelles études thérapeutiques (nouveaux schémas thérapeutiques) ou génétique (facteurs d’hôtes) sur la CBM et SPT mais également sur d’autres mycoses endémiques et encore négligées à Madagascar / Chromoblastomycosis (CBM) and sporotrichosis (SPT) are chronic subcutaneous or cutanéo-lymphatic infections found mostly in tropical and subtropical regions. Studies carried out by the Institut Pasteur of Madagascar between 1955 and 1994 provided an inventory of the number of cases of CBM and identified this country as the leading focus of this mycosis worldwide. Mean incidence was estimated at about 0.5/100,000 inhabitants at the time. No new data have been obtained to update the epidemiological situation. About SPT, only sporadic cases have been reported in Madagascar, due to the absence of specific surveillance. CBM is usually caused by dematiaceous fungi, principally Fonsecaea spp. and Cladophialophora spp. The causal agent of SPT is Sporothrix schenckii, a dimorphic hyphomycete.The objectives of this study was to update the data on epidemiology and to evaluate the current burden of these two fungal infections. In addition, we aimed to set up a durable local bio-clinical network and to implement molecular tools to ensure reliable species identification (PCR, sequencing, mass spectrometry).A prospective study, involving the recruitment of patients with suspect lesions was undertaken from March 2013 to June 2017. Patients were included in the dermatology department of the univerity hospital of Antananarivo and through field campaigns in rural areas. Clinical samples were collected and analyzed with conventional mycological methods and molecular tools. Classification of the cases was achieved by the confrontation of mycological and clinical features.Among the 148 patients (mean age 41; male 75.0%): 63 SPT cases (42.5%) and 50 CBM cases (33.8%) were diagnosed. The highest annual incidence of CBM was estimated at 0.38/100,000 inhabitants in the Sava region located to the north. At the district level, the peak incidence was 1.12/100,000 at Anosibe An’Ala, eastern part of the country. Whereas CBM predominated at the periphery of the island, SPT was surprinsgly concentrated in the highlands where the mean incidence was 0.17/100,000 inhabitants. The incidence in the whole country was 0.07/100,000. SPT likelihood of infection was higher in young (<18 years) and the cutaneo-lymphatic forms of the upper limbs were the most frequent. For CBM, farmers and service workers were at high risk and the lesions were mostly (82.9%) located to the lower limbs. The mycological analyses revealed 63 strains of Sporothrix schenckii, 7 of Cladophialophora carrionii, 29 of Fonsecaea sp including 22 F. nubica. F. nubica identification corrected the one of F. pedrosoi previously found in Madagascar, highlighting the need for a molecular analysis of the strains.This is the first study describing human SPT in Madagascar. The SPT burden can now be considered as moderate instead of low as it was described before. It reveals an unexpected concentration of the patients in the central highlands. CBM burden was found at a high level, regrettably similar to the one described 20 years ago, showing the lack of control of this infection. The implementation of a durable bio-clinical network and of the new molecular tools (PCR et le MALDI-TOF MS) developed in this work will easy the development of surveillance programs, especially as the WHO recently added CBM in the neglected tropical diseases list. The network that was built for this work will be used for further therapeutic trials on new schedules of treatment, new drugs or new formulations as well as genetic studies about predisposing factors of CBM and SPT and others deep fungal infections that are still neglected in Madagascar. Yet, an environmental survey is ongoing to describe the sources of contamination.

Over the last decades organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) and organic solar cells (OSCs) have gained considerable attention as efficient, flexible, lightweight, and potentially low-cost technology for lighting and display applications or as a renewable energy source, respectively. However, achieving long-term stability remains challenging. Revealing and understanding aging processes is therefore of great interest. This work presents fundamental investigations to understand and circumvent organic device degradation. In the first part, single materials used in organic devices were investigated. By tailoring an attenuated total reflection infrared (ATR-IR) spectrometer to the specific needs and subsequent measurements, it is shown that the tris(8-hydroxyquinoline)aluminum (Alq3) molecule, a well known fluorescent green emitter, degrades during air exposure by the formation of carbonyl groups. By using a laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometer (LDI-TOF-MS) it was shown that a,w-bis-(dicyanovinylen)-sexithiophen (DCV6T-Bu4), a well known small-molecule material which is used as part of the active layer, reacts with oxygen during ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. By using climate boxes and a sun simulator the impact of dry and humid air as well as sunlight on C60, a widely-used acceptor molecule in organic solar cells, was investigated. The breaking of the C60 cage to C58 and C56 and the further reaction of these components with oxygen as well as the dimerization of C58 and C56 molecules were found. The degradation products such as C58O increase with air exposure time but they are independent of the humidity level of the ambient air as well as sunlight irradiation. Subsequent annealing leads to a decrease of the C58O concentration. Many efficient n-dopants are prone to degradation in air, due to the low ionization potentials, thereby limiting the processing conditions. It was found that the air exposure of the highly efficient n-dopant tetrakis(1,3,4,6,7,8-hexahydro-2H-pyrimido[1,2-a]pyrimidinato)ditungsten(II) (W2(hpp)4) leads to oxidation reactions of the molecule to [W(hpp)2 + O] and other degradation products. The decay constant of W2(hpp)4 and the matching mean growth time of the [W(hpp)2 + O] degradation as well as a second very quick degradation of the dopant could be determined. The two decay constants can be explained by the assumption that W2(hpp)4 molecules, which are involved in the charge transfer, do degrade slower due to the fact that the charge transfer leads to a downshift of the energy levels of the W2(hpp)4 molecule. Apart from the properties of the organic materials, other effects such as the impact of different purification systems on the material purity as well as the dependence of material purity on the OLED lifetime has been investigated. No correlations between the purification grade and the amount of impurities were found. OLEDs which contain N,N\'-di(naphthalen-1-yl)-N,N\'-diphenyl-benzidine (alpha-NPD) purified in a vertically interlaced stainless steel sublimation systems shows slightly higher external quantum efficiencies compared to tube-based vacuum sublimation systems. The devices which contain alpha-NPD purified by a sublimation system have an extended lifetime. Finally, the impact of residual gases during device fabrication on OLED lifetime and electrical characteristics was investigated. It was found that water vapor introduces an additional series resistance to the OLED, while the other gases do not influence the electric characteristics. The presence of nitrogen or oxygen impacts the lifetime of the OLEDs by the same amount. Nitrogen is non-reactive, this leads to the conclusion that the influence of nitrogen and oxygen on the OLED lifetime is of non-chemical nature, such as changes in the morphology of the organic layers. Water vapor introduces an additional, even faster degradation process within the first hours of OLED operation. As major sources of device degradation, the dimerization of 4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline (BPhen) as well as the complexation reaction of alpha-NPD with a bis(1-phenylisoquinoline)iridium(III) (Ir(piq)2) fragment was identified.

Neste trabalho é descrito um método prático e eficiente para dissociar, em subunidades &alpha; e &beta;, quantidades pequenas (da ordem de microgramas) dos hormônios foliculotrofina (hFSH), luteotrofina (hLH) e tireotrofina (hTSH) humana, nativos e recombinantes. A dissociação destes hormônios foi conseguida incubando-os, durante 16 horas, a 37ºC, com diferentes concentrações de ácido acético: 3M, 5M e 0,4M respectivamente para o hFSH, hLH e hTSH. Nestas condições, uma eficiência de dissociação acima de 98% foi obtida. Esta eficiência foi calculada com base nas determinações de massa dos heterodímeros e das subunidades, realizadas por MALDI-TOF-MS. Uma separação rápida e quantitativa das subunidades, com rendimentos da ordem de 80-90%, foi conseguida por cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência em fase reversa (RP-HPLC) em uma coluna C4. As subunidades foram caracterizadas quanto à pureza, hidrofobicidade, massa molecular e distribuição de carga por HPLC de exclusão molecular e fase reversa, SDS-PAGE e focalização isoelétrica. Quando analisadas quanto à hidrofobicidade, as subunidades mostraram-se aproximadamente iguais, enquanto as subunidades &beta; dos três heterodímeros apresentaram a seguinte escala de hidrofobicidade: &beta;-hFSH < &beta;-hTSH < &beta;-hLH. Com relação à massa molecular relativa (Mr), as subunidades &alpha; e &beta; do hFSH apresentaram as maiores Mr enquanto as subunidades do hLH as menores. A distribuição dos isômeros de carga das subunidades dos três hormônios ocorreu em uma região ácida, para o hFSH, em uma região básica, para o hLH e em uma região intermediária, para o hTSH. As subunidades &alpha; dos três hormônios, quando analisadas via SDS-PAGE, apresentaram praticamente a mesma mobilidade eletroforética, enquanto as subunidades &beta; apresentaram diferentes taxas de migração (mR), sendo mR &beta;-hFSH < mR &beta;-hTSH < mR &beta;-hLH. Diferenças relativas à massa molecular, hidrofobicidade, migração eletroforética e distribuição de carga foram encontradas entre as preparações recombinantes e hipofisárias dos três hormônios. O método descrito é suave, prático e flexível e pode ser adaptado à dissociação de outras glicoproteínas heterodiméricas recombinantes ou nativas. Permite não só estudos e caracterização direta de cada subunidade, como também detectar a presença de subunidades livres em preparações farmacêuticas, que são contaminantes indesejáveis, sendo, portanto, uma ferramenta extremamente útil para o controle de qualidade de produtos farmacêuticos. / In this work a practical and efficient method for the dissociation into &alpha;-and &beta;-subunits of small amounts (microgram range) of pituitaryderived and recombinant human follicle-stimulating hormone (hFSH), human luteotropin (hLH) and human thyrotropin (hTSH) is described. Dissociation was achieved by overnight treatment of the glycoproteins, at 37ºC, with acetic acid in different concentrations: 3M, 5M and 0,4M for hFSH, hLH and hTSH respectively. In these conditions, a dissociation efficiency of > 98% was attained. This efficiency was calculated on the basis of relative mass determinations of the heterodimers and subunits carried out via mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). The &alpha;-and &beta;-subunits were rapidly and quantitatively separated by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) on a C4 column with yields of the order of 80-90%. The isolated subunits were characterized concerning their purity, hidrophobicity, molecular mass and charge distribution, via size exclusion and RP-HPLC, SDS-PAGE and isoelectric focusing. When analyzed with relation to the hydrophobicity, the &alpha;-subunits presented approximately the same hydrophobicity, while &beta;-subunits showed the following scale: &beta-hFSH < &beta;-hTSH < &beta;-hLH. Concerning molecular mass, &alpha;- and &beta;-subunits of hFSH were shown to have the highest while hLH subunits the lowest. Charge isomers of the subunits of the three glycohormones were predominantly distributed in an acidic region for hFSH, in a basic region for hLH, and in a wider pH range (acidic and basic) for hTSH. Similar migration rates (mR), analyzed via SDS-PAGE, were observed for the &alpha;-subunits of the three hormones. A greater variation was found for the &beta;-subunits: mR &beta;-hFSH < mR &beta;-hTSH < mR &beta;-hLH. Differences between recombinant and pituitary preparations of three hormones were observed with relation to molecular mass, hydrophobicity, electrophoretic migration and charge distribution. The described method is mild, practical and flexible and can be adapted to dissociate any recombinant or native heterodimeric glycoprotein, allowing studies and direct characterization of each subunit as well as the detection of free subunits that are undesired contaminants in pharmaceutical preparations, being also an extremely useful tool for the quality control of pharmaceutical products.

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / Alguns Bastonetes Gram-negativos não fermentadores (BGNNF) costumam ser considerados clinicamente pouco significantes e a sua implicação em infecções é subestimada. Devido à similaridade fenotípica, mudanças taxonômicas, baixa reatividade bioquímica e limitações nos bancos de dados em sistemas comerciais, a identificação de BGNNF é frequentemente equivocada, culminando com a denominação de diferentes micro-organismos apenas como BGNNF, por falta de melhor diferenciação. O objetivo desse estudo foi avaliar, por métodos fenotípico convencional, proteômico e molecular, a identificação de BGNNF incomuns isolados em hemoculturas de pacientes atendidos em um hospital universitário no Rio de Janeiro. Foram selecionadas 78 amostras isoladas de hemoculturas caracterizadas no laboratório clinico como BGNNF para a identificação por sequenciamento dos genes 16S RNA e recA, por um conjunto amplo de testes fenotípicos manuais e por MALDI-TOF MS. Os micro-organismos predominantes na amostragem foram genotipados pela técnica de eletroforese em gel de campo pulsado (PFGE). Pelo sequenciamento do gene 16S rRNA, a maioria das amostras (n=31; 40%) foi incluída no gênero Burkholderia, seguido de Pseudomonas stutzeri (10%) e Delftia acidovorans (4%). Os demais isolados foram agrupados em 27 diferentes espécies. O sequencimento do gene recA identificou a maioria das espécies de Burkholderia como Burkholderia contaminans (n=19; 24%). Os testes fenotípicos incluíram as 31 amostras apenas no CBc e para as outras 47 amostras, a concordância com o sequenciamento do gene 16S rRNA em nível de espécie foi de 64% (n=30) e apenas em gênero a concordância foi de 17% (n=8). A análise comparativa geral da identificação por MALDI-TOF MS com o sequenciamento do gene16S rRNA mostrou que 42% (n=33) das 78 amostras foram concordantes em nível de espécie e 45% (n=35) apenas em gênero. Excluindo as amostras do CBc, houve um aumento da concordância em nível de espécie para 60%. As discordâncias parecem ser devido às diferenças nos perfis proteicos das amostras em relação às amostras-referência do banco de dados do equipamento e podem ser aprimorados com a atualização de perfis no sistema. A análise do polimorfismo genético de B. contaminans mostrou a ausência de um clone disseminado causando surto, além da provável origem ambiental das infecções. Os setores de nefrologia e hemodiálise contribuíram com maior número de pacientes com amostras positivas (5 pacientes e 9 amostras). Os grupos clonais BcoD e BcoE foram encontrados em pacientes assistidos no mesmo setor com diferença de quatro meses (BcoD, nefrologia) e 1,5 ano (BcoE, hemodilálise), entre as culturas, respectivamente. As discordâncias entre as técnicas ocorreram principalmente devido a dificuldade de identificação das espécies do CBc. Os BGNNF incomuns são de difícil caracterização independente da metodologia usada e nenhum método por si só foi capaz de identificar todas as amostras. / Some nonfermenting Gram-negative Bacilli (NFGNB) are considered of low clinical significance, and their implication in infections is usually underestimated. Due to their phenotypic similarities, frequent taxonomic changes and low biochemical reactivity, as well as to limitations of bacterial identification commercial system databases, these NFGNB are frequently misidentified and are collectively referred to as NFGNB group, in the lack of a better differentiation. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the performance of the conventional phenotypic method, the proteomic matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight mass spectometry method (MALDI-TOF MS) and of molecular methods (16S RNA and recA gene sequencing) in the identification of 78 unusual NFGNB isolated from blood cultures of pacients treated at an university hospital in Rio de Janeiro. Clonality of the predominant species identified within these isolates was determined by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). By the 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, most strains (n = 31; 40%) were included in the Burkholderia spp. followed by Pseudomonas stutzeri (n = 8; 10%), Delftia acidovorans (n = 3; 4%) and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (n = 3; 4%). The remaining bacterial isolates were included in 27 different species. By the recA gene sequencing technique, most bacteria from the Burkholderia cepacia complex (BCC), samples were classified as Burkholderia contaminans (n=19; 24%). Phenotypic tests provided accurate identification of all 31 isolates included in the BCC by the 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. For the other 47 samples, agreement of the results obtained with these two techniques in species and genus level identifications occurred in 30 (63,8%) and 17 samples (36,2%), respectively. The results obtained by the MALDI-TOF MS and 16S rRNA gene sequencing methods agreed at species and genus levels in 33 (42%) and 35 isolates (45%), respectively. When bacteria from the BCC were excluded from the analysis, the agreement between the two techniques at species level increased to 60%. Misidentification by the MALDI-TOF MS method may be due to differences in protein spectra between the samples and the reference strains in the equipment database. PFGE analysis of B. contaminans isolates revealed the absence of a disseminate clone causing an outbreak, and the probable environmental source of infections. The nefrology ang dialisis sectors contributed to the greatest number of patients with positive cultures (5 pacients and 9 isolates). Clones BcoD and BcoE were found in blood cultures of pacientes treated in a same sector with differences of 4 months (BcoD, nefrology) and 1.5 year (BcoE, dialisis). The misidentifications occurred mainly due to the hard differentiation of BCC species. Unusual NFGNB are of difficult characterization whatever the methodology used and no method alone was able to identify all the isolates.

Les travaux présentés dans cette thèse portent premièrement sur la caractérisation de nouveaux photosensibilisateurs par des méthodes spectroscopiques. Ainsi les cinétiques de la réaction d'oxydation entre deux photosensibilisateurs à l'état triplet, imidazole-2-carboxaldehyde et 6-carboxypterine, et trois halogénures ont été déterminées par photolyse laser. La réactivité de l'état singulet de la 6- carboxypterine avec les halogénures et quatre acides organiques a été étudiée par fluorimétrie. Ces photosensibilisateurs sont relevants pour la photochimie à la surface de l'océan, mais également à la surface des particules atmosphériques. Les réactions mises en évidence mènent à la formation d'espèces radicalaires très réactives, influençant ainsi la composition de la phase condensée et gazeuse de l'environnement marin. La suite de cette étude s'est focalisée sur l'analyse des produits formés à partir de processus photo-induites à interface air-eau en présence d'une microcouche de surface d'un organique, utilisant deux organiques différents, l'octanol et l'acide nonanoique. En présence d'un photosensibilisateur et de lumière UVA, les changements en phase gaz ont été suivi par SRI-ToF-MS en ligne et en phase condensée par UPLC-(ESI)-HRMS. Ainsi on a démontré que la photochimie à la surface mène à la formation de produits fonctionnalisés et insaturés initiée par une abstraction d'hydrogène sur l'organique surfactant. Ces produits, observés en phase condensée et gazeuse, ont le potentiel de contribuer à la formation d'aérosols. Etonnamment, des produits ont également été observés dans les deux phases sans l'ajout d'un photosensibilisateur et montrant une activité photochimique de l'acide nonanoique seul à l'interface air-eau. Les mécanismes potentiels et les conséquences environnementales sont discutés / The works presented in this thesis concern firstly the characterization of two new photosensitizers by spectroscopic methods. This way the kinetics of the oxidation reaction between the triplet state of the photosensitizers, imidazole-2-carboxaldehyde and 6-carboxypterin, and three halides have been determined by laser flash photolysis. Also, the reactivity of the singlet state of 6-carboxypterin with halides and four organic acids has been studied by static fluorimetry. These photosensitizers are relevant for the photochemistry at the surface of the ocean, but also at the surface of atmospheric particles. The reactions evidenced by these studies lead to the formation of very reactive radical species influencing the composition of the condensed and gas phase of the marine environment. This study then focalized on the analysis of the products formed at the organic coated air-water interface through photo-induced processes. Two different organics were used as surfactants, octanol and nonanoic acid. In the presence of a photosensitizer and UVA light, the changes in the gas phase were monitored online by SRI-ToF-MS and in the condensed bulk phase by UPLC-(ESI)-HRMS offline analysis. These analysis showed that photochemical reactions at the interface lead to the formation of functionalized and unsaturated compounds initiated by a hydrogen abstraction on the organic surfactant. These products, observed in the condensed and gas phase have the potential to contribute to the formation of aerosols. Surprisingly, some of these products were also observed in the two phases without the presence of a photosensitizer, bringing into evidence a photochemistry of nonanoic acid at the air-water interface. Potential formation mechanisms of the products and environmental consequences are discussed

Neste trabalho é descrito um método prático e eficiente para dissociar, em subunidades &alpha; e &beta;, quantidades pequenas (da ordem de microgramas) dos hormônios foliculotrofina (hFSH), luteotrofina (hLH) e tireotrofina (hTSH) humana, nativos e recombinantes. A dissociação destes hormônios foi conseguida incubando-os, durante 16 horas, a 37ºC, com diferentes concentrações de ácido acético: 3M, 5M e 0,4M respectivamente para o hFSH, hLH e hTSH. Nestas condições, uma eficiência de dissociação acima de 98% foi obtida. Esta eficiência foi calculada com base nas determinações de massa dos heterodímeros e das subunidades, realizadas por MALDI-TOF-MS. Uma separação rápida e quantitativa das subunidades, com rendimentos da ordem de 80-90%, foi conseguida por cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência em fase reversa (RP-HPLC) em uma coluna C4. As subunidades foram caracterizadas quanto à pureza, hidrofobicidade, massa molecular e distribuição de carga por HPLC de exclusão molecular e fase reversa, SDS-PAGE e focalização isoelétrica. Quando analisadas quanto à hidrofobicidade, as subunidades mostraram-se aproximadamente iguais, enquanto as subunidades &beta; dos três heterodímeros apresentaram a seguinte escala de hidrofobicidade: &beta;-hFSH < &beta;-hTSH < &beta;-hLH. Com relação à massa molecular relativa (Mr), as subunidades &alpha; e &beta; do hFSH apresentaram as maiores Mr enquanto as subunidades do hLH as menores. A distribuição dos isômeros de carga das subunidades dos três hormônios ocorreu em uma região ácida, para o hFSH, em uma região básica, para o hLH e em uma região intermediária, para o hTSH. As subunidades &alpha; dos três hormônios, quando analisadas via SDS-PAGE, apresentaram praticamente a mesma mobilidade eletroforética, enquanto as subunidades &beta; apresentaram diferentes taxas de migração (mR), sendo mR &beta;-hFSH < mR &beta;-hTSH < mR &beta;-hLH. Diferenças relativas à massa molecular, hidrofobicidade, migração eletroforética e distribuição de carga foram encontradas entre as preparações recombinantes e hipofisárias dos três hormônios. O método descrito é suave, prático e flexível e pode ser adaptado à dissociação de outras glicoproteínas heterodiméricas recombinantes ou nativas. Permite não só estudos e caracterização direta de cada subunidade, como também detectar a presença de subunidades livres em preparações farmacêuticas, que são contaminantes indesejáveis, sendo, portanto, uma ferramenta extremamente útil para o controle de qualidade de produtos farmacêuticos. / In this work a practical and efficient method for the dissociation into &alpha;-and &beta;-subunits of small amounts (microgram range) of pituitaryderived and recombinant human follicle-stimulating hormone (hFSH), human luteotropin (hLH) and human thyrotropin (hTSH) is described. Dissociation was achieved by overnight treatment of the glycoproteins, at 37ºC, with acetic acid in different concentrations: 3M, 5M and 0,4M for hFSH, hLH and hTSH respectively. In these conditions, a dissociation efficiency of > 98% was attained. This efficiency was calculated on the basis of relative mass determinations of the heterodimers and subunits carried out via mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). The &alpha;-and &beta;-subunits were rapidly and quantitatively separated by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) on a C4 column with yields of the order of 80-90%. The isolated subunits were characterized concerning their purity, hidrophobicity, molecular mass and charge distribution, via size exclusion and RP-HPLC, SDS-PAGE and isoelectric focusing. When analyzed with relation to the hydrophobicity, the &alpha;-subunits presented approximately the same hydrophobicity, while &beta;-subunits showed the following scale: &beta-hFSH < &beta;-hTSH < &beta;-hLH. Concerning molecular mass, &alpha;- and &beta;-subunits of hFSH were shown to have the highest while hLH subunits the lowest. Charge isomers of the subunits of the three glycohormones were predominantly distributed in an acidic region for hFSH, in a basic region for hLH, and in a wider pH range (acidic and basic) for hTSH. Similar migration rates (mR), analyzed via SDS-PAGE, were observed for the &alpha;-subunits of the three hormones. A greater variation was found for the &beta;-subunits: mR &beta;-hFSH < mR &beta;-hTSH < mR &beta;-hLH. Differences between recombinant and pituitary preparations of three hormones were observed with relation to molecular mass, hydrophobicity, electrophoretic migration and charge distribution. The described method is mild, practical and flexible and can be adapted to dissociate any recombinant or native heterodimeric glycoprotein, allowing studies and direct characterization of each subunit as well as the detection of free subunits that are undesired contaminants in pharmaceutical preparations, being also an extremely useful tool for the quality control of pharmaceutical products.

Ein genereller Ansatz zur Charakterisierung von biologischen Systemen bietet die Untersuchung des Metaboloms, dessen Analyse als „Metabolomics“ bezeichnet wird. “Omics”- Technologien haben das Ziel, ohne Selektionskriterien möglichst alle Bestandteile einer biologischen Probe zu detektieren (identifizieren und quantifizieren), um daraus Rückschlüsse auf nicht vorhersehbare und somit neuartige Korrelationen in biologischen Systemen zu ziehen. Ein zentrales Dogma in der Biologie besteht in der Kausalität zwischen Gen – Enzym – Metabolite. Perturbationen auf einer Ebene rufen systemische Antworten hervor, die in einem veränderten Phänotyp münden können. Metabolite sind die Endprodukte von zellulären regulatorischen Prozessen, deren Abundanz durch die Resonanz auf genetische Modifikationen oder Umwelteinflüsse zurückzuführen ist. Zudem repräsentieren Metabolite ultimativ den Phänotyp eines Organismus und haben die Fähigkeit als Biomarker zu fungieren. Die integrale Analyse verschiedenster Stoffwechselwegen wie Krebszyklus, Pentosephosphatzyklus oder Calvinzyklus offeriert die Identifikation von metabolischen Mustern. In dieser Arbeit wurden sowohl das targeted Profiling via GC-TOF-MS als auch das untargeted Profiling via GC-TOF-MS und LC-FT-MS als analytische Strategien genutzt, um biologische Systeme anhand ihrer Metabolite zu charakterisieren und um physiologische Muster als Resonanz auf endogene oder exogene Stimuli zu erkennen. Dabei standen die metabolische, phänotypische und genotypische Plastizität von Pflanzen im Fokus der Untersuchungen. Metabolische Varianzen eines Phänotyps reflektieren die genotyp-abhängige Resonanz des Organismus auf umweltbedingte Parameter (abiotischer und biotischer Stress, Entwicklung) und können mit sensitiven Metabolite Profiling Methoden determiniert werden. Diese Anwendungen haben unter anderem auch zum Begriff des „Environmental Metabolomics“ geführt. In Kapitel 2 wurde der Einfluss biotischer Interaktionen von endophytischen Bakterien auf den Metabolismus von Pappelklonen untersucht; Kapitel 3 betrachtet die metabolische Plastizität von Pflanzen im Freiland auf veränderte biotische Interaktionsmuster (Konkurrenz/Diversität/Artenzusammensetzung); Abschließend wurde in Kapitel 4 der Einfluss von spezifischen genetischen Modifikationen an Peroxisomen und den daraus resultierenden veränderten metabolischen Fluss der Photorespiration dargestellt. Aufgrund der sensitiven Analyse- Technik konnten metabolische Phänotypen, die nicht zwingend in einen morphologischen Phänotyp mündeten, in drei biologischen Systemen identifiziert und in einen stoffwechselphysiologischen Kontext gestellt werden. Die drei untersuchten biologischen Systeme – in vitro- Pappeln, Grünland- Arten (Arrhenatherion-Gesellschaft) und der Modellorganismus (Arabidopsis) – belegten anschaulich die Plastizität des Metabolismus der Arten, welche durch endogene oder exogene Faktoren erzeugt wurden. / A general approach to characterise biological systems offers the analysis of the metabolome, named “metabolomics”. “Omics”- technologies are untargeted approaches without any selection criteria which aim to detect every potential analyte in a sample in order to draw conclusions about new correlations in biological systems. A central dogma in biology is the causality between gene – enzyme – metabolite. Perturbations on one level are reflected in systemic response, which possibly result in a changed phenotype. Metabolites are end products of its gene expression and metabolism, whose abundance is determined as a resonance of genetic modifications or environmental disturbance. Furthermore metabolites represent the ultimate phenotype of an organism and are able to act as a biomarker. The integral analysis of distinct metabolic pathways like TCA, Pentose phosphate and Calvin cycle consequently leads to the identification of metabolic patterns. In this work targeted profiling via GC-TOF-MS as well as untargeted profiling via GC-TOF-MS and LC-FT-MS were used as analytical strategies to characterise biological systems on the basis of their metabolites and to identify physiological patterns as resonance of endogenic or exogenic stimuli. The focus of the investigations concentrates on the metabolic, phenotypic and genotypic plasticity of plants. Metabolic variance of a phenotype is reflected in the genotypic dependence response of an organism on environmental parameters which may be detected via sensitive metabolic profiling methods. In chapter 2 the influence of biotic interaction of endophytic bacteria on the metabolism of their poplar host was analyzed; chapter 3 explores the metabolic plasticity of field-grown grassland species as a consequence of biotic interaction pattern (competition / diversity / species composition); In conclusion, chapter 4 illustrates the influence of specific genetic modifications on peroxisomes and the consequent changed metabolic flux in the photorespiration pathway. Due to the sensitive analytic methods, metabolic phenotypes in all three biological systems could be identified and classified in a physiological context. The three biological systems – in vitro poplar plants, field-grown grassland species and the model organism Arabidopsis – demonstrate the plasticity of the metabolism of species in response to stimuli.

<p>This study reports on a proteomic analysis of sorghum proteomes in response to salt and hyperosmotic stresses. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DE) in combination with mass spectrometry (MS) was used to separate, visualise and identify sorghum proteins using both sorghum cell suspension cultures and whole plants. The sorghum cell suspension culture system was used as a source of culture filtrate (CF) proteins. Of the 25 visualised CBB stained CF spots, 15 abundant and well-resolved spots were selected for identification using a combination of MALDI-TOF and MALDI-TOFTOF MS, and database searching. Of these spots, 14 were positively identified as peroxidases, germin proteins, oxalate oxidases and alpha-galactosidases with known functions in signalling processes, defense mechanisms and cell wall metabolism.</p>

<p>This study reports on a proteomic analysis of sorghum proteomes in response to salt and hyperosmotic stresses. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DE) in combination with mass spectrometry (MS) was used to separate, visualise and identify sorghum proteins using both sorghum cell suspension cultures and whole plants. The sorghum cell suspension culture system was used as a source of culture filtrate (CF) proteins. Of the 25 visualised CBB stained CF spots, 15 abundant and well-resolved spots were selected for identification using a combination of MALDI-TOF and MALDI-TOFTOF MS, and database searching. Of these spots, 14 were positively identified as peroxidases, germin proteins, oxalate oxidases and alpha-galactosidases with known functions in signalling processes, defense mechanisms and cell wall metabolism.</p>