No description available.

Cryopreservation of human red blood cells (RBCs) extends the storage time from 42 days (hypothermic storage limit) to a maximum of 10 years. While this reduces the possibility of RBC shortages in emergency situations, this preservation method is currently limited to individuals with rare blood phenotypes, patients who require autologous blood transfusions, and military applications. Furthermore, cryopreservation is associated with a high degree of cellular damage, which can subsequently reduce the viability of cells post-thaw. The cellular damage incurred upon cryopreservation is primarily attributed to the process of ice recrystallization. To reduce the degree of cellular damage, cryoprotective agents (CPAs) are used. Currently, 10 % dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) and 40 % glycerol are used for the cryopreservation of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and human RBCs respectively. Unfortunately, these CPAs do not provide protection against ice recrystallization. The biological antifreezes (BAs) consisting of antifreeze proteins (AFPs) and antifreeze glycoproteins (AFGPs) were identified as the first inhibitors of ice recrystallization. Consequently, the Ben laboratory is interested in synthesizing small molecule carbohydrate-based inhibitors of ice recrystallization that can be used as an alternative to glycerol or DMSO for the cryopreservation of various cell types. Therefore, this thesis focuses on elucidating important structural features of carbohydrate-based derivatives that are responsible for IRI activity. The first part of this study examines the importance of the anomeric oxygen atom of aryl glycosides for IRI activity. Our laboratory previously demonstrated that the O-linked aryl glycosides are effective inhibitors of ice recrystallization. However, the influence of stereoelectronic effects at the C1 position of aryl glycosides on IRI activity has not been investigated. As a result, N- and S-linked aryl glycosides were synthesized in this study and their IRI activities were compared to that of the O-linked aryl glycosides. These results suggest that a stronger exo-anomeric effect exhibited by the C1 nitrogen derivatives reduces the IRI activity of aryl glycosides. The second part of this study focuses on the synthesis of AFGP disaccharide analogs. While the β-(1,3) glycosidic linkage found in native AFGP-8 was previously assessed for its influence on IRI activity, an extensive structure-function analysis of AFGP disaccharide analogs has not yet been performed. As a result, an AFGP disaccharide analog was designed whereby a para-methoxyphenyl (PMP) substituent was incorporated. This was done to assess whether the PMP substituent could enhance the lack of IRI activity exhibited previously with AFGP disaccharide analogs. Although the synthesis of this disaccharide target was not completed, a number of advantageous developments have been made regarding the glycosylation of N-acetyl-D-glycosamine derivatives. In addition, the PMP-GlcNAc intermediate encountered in disaccharide synthesis was assessed for its IRI activity, confirming that the acetamido (NHAc) function is not required for IRI activity.

Nesta dissertação, uma revisão dos modelos cosmológicos newtonianos e neo-newtonianos baseados na formulação da hidrodinâmica clássica é apresentada, com especial ênfase para os resultados básicos e as limitações mais importantes dessas abordagens. Em seguida, mostramos que a descrição Lagrangiana clássica proposta por Lima, Moreira e Santos (1998) para fluidos simples, pode ser generalizada para incluir modelos com misturas de fluidos, e portanto, cosmologias mais realísticas contendo bárions, matéria escura e energia escura, bem como qualquer forma de interação entre essas componentes. Neste trabalho propomos uma descrição lagrangiana clássica para modelos relativísticos do tipo FRW. Nesta descrição, o comportamento dinâmico do fator de escala a(t), como previsto pelas cosmologias relativísticas, é substituído pelo movimento unidimensional de uma partícula teste de massa m sob a ação de um potencial clássico, V(x), onde x é a coordenada unidimensional da partícula. O tratamento pode ser aplicado para os mais diversos cenários de energia escura. Para exemplificar, discutimos com detalhe os seguintes modelos contendo matéria escura e energia escura: XCDM, X(z)CDM, Lambda CDM, Lambda(t) e gás de Chaplygin. Por completeza, modelos multidimensionais do tipo FRW também são considerados. Em todos esses modelos, o parâmetro de curvatura k das seções espaciais das cosmologias determina a energia total da partícula teste pela relação, E=-mk/2, tal como ocorre nos modelos de fluidos simples. As propriedades dinâmicas associadas com o presente estágio de aceleração do universo são univocamente descritas em termos da função potencial do sistema. Finalmente, utilizando os dados da distância de luminosidade provenientes das supernovas do tipo Ia, discutimos como o potencial unidimensional pode ser reconstruído a partir das observações. / In this dissertation, a review of the Newtonian and neo-Newtonian cosmological models based on the classical hydrodynamics formulation is presented with special emphasis to the basic results and the main limitations of such approaches. Next, we show that the classical Lagrangian description as proposed by Lima, Moreira & Santos (1998) for simple fluids, can be generalized to include fluid mixtures, and, therefore, more realistic cosmologies containing baryons, dark matter and dark energy, as well as, any kind of interaction among such components. In the lagrangian description, the dynamic behavior of the scale factor a(t), as predicted by the relativistic cosmologies, is replaced by the unidimensional motion of a test particle with mass m under the action of a classical potential, V(x), where x(t) is the coordinate of the particle. The treatment can be applied for many different scenarios of dark energy. In order to exemplify, we discuss with detail the following models containing dark matter and dark energy: XCDM, X(z)CDM, Lambda(t)CDM and the Chaplygin gas. For completeness, FRW type multidimensional models are also considered. For all these models, the curvature parameter k of the spatial sections in the relativistic cosmologies determines the total energy by the relation, E=-mk/2, as occurs in the simple fluid models. The dynamic property associated with the present accelerating stage of the Universe are univocally described in terms of the potential function of the system. Finally, by using the data from luminosity distance of supernovae type Ia, we discuss how the unidimensional potential can be reconstructed from the observations.

Prior work in the Durst group had generated more than forty analogs of the potent anticonvulsant isoxylitone isolated isolated from a medicinal plant Delphinium denudatum Wall. The nitrile designated as TD532 was the most potent compound generated by A. Saikaley. The starting material for the synthesis of TD532 is isophorone. The observation that TD532 showed considerable potential as an anticonvulsant suggested that other cyclohexenones might have have similar activity. During this project close to fifty derivatives of cyclohex-2-enone, focusing mainly on 3-arylcylohex-2-enones, were prepared. The synthesis of these compounds is described and structure activity relationships are discussed. Based on all the available structure activity data, we have designated the indicated portion of structure A as the pharmacophore for anticonvulsant and anti-epileptic activity. The ester designated as TD561 (compound 40) showed excellent potential in both in vitro and in vivo assays. It has been shown to be a pro-drug of the corresponding acid TD562 (compound 48). These two compounds and the sodium salt of TD562 are currently undergoing final pre-clinical studies at the Center for Drug Research and Development in Vancouver. Five analogs, including TD561 are also under investigation by the Epilepsy and Seizure Division of the US National Institutes of Health.

La recherche de nouvelles molécules à visée thérapeutique est un enjeu majeur pour la communauté scientifique et actuellement, 60% des médicaments utilisés cliniquement sont des produits naturels ou leurs analogues. Dans ce contexte, afin d’être capable de générer rapidement une bibliothèque de composés, le développement d’outils de synthèse efficaces est fondamental et c’est dans cette optique que s’inscrit le travail mené au cours de cette thèse. Les produits d’origine marine sont une source d’inspiration considérable dans le domaine de la création de nouveaux médicaments. Lors de ce travail, une attention particulière a été accordée à la ningaline B et à ses analogues avec pour objectif de mettre au point une voie d’accès simple et efficace. En effet, si la capacité de la forme hexaméthyléther à reverser la résistance aux anticancéreux par inhibition de la glycoprotéine-P a déjà été rapportée dans la littérature, l’étude d’analogues n’a été que peu exploitée.Dans ce contexte, une voie de synthèse reposant sur une étape clé de double couplage de Suzuki-Miyaura sur un dérivé (pseudo)dihalogéné symétrique a été proposée. Cette étape a fait l’objet d’une étude approfondie en envisageant deux approches. La première approche, basée sur des travaux antérieurs réalisés au laboratoire, a été de type simultané. Ainsi, à la manière d’une réaction multicomposante, tous les réactifs sont introduits dès le départ dans le milieu réactionnel. Cette méthode a montré des résultats intéressants dans le cas où deux dérivés borés électroniquement différents sont employés. En revanche, il a été montré que l’utilisation d’espèces borés électroniquement similaires était peu viable avec l’obtention d’un mélange statistique en produits de dicouplage. Toutefois, la préparation des cibles visées requérant l’utilisation d’aryles borés riches en électrons, une autre approche, séquentielle, a été envisagée. Après un travail d’optimisation sur des substrats simplifiés, avec pour objectif de disposer de conditions efficaces, adaptables, faciles avec des réactifs standards, une méthode de monoarylation de dérivés (pseudo)dihalogénés symétriques a été mise en place. Le champ d’application a ensuite été élargi en incluant les noyaux pyrroles nécessaires à la synthèse de la ningaline B et de ses dérivés. Ces travaux ont permis d’accéder aux molécules ciblées. En effet, une fois, les teraryles préparés, quelques étapes de manipulations fonctionnelles permettront d’avoir rapidement accès à de nombreux analogues. D’autre part, les motifs pouvant être obtenus par ce type de séquence réactionnelle pourraient être facilement dérivatisables afin de générer une bibliothèque d’analogues. / New therapeutic targets inversigation is one of the most serious challenges for the scientific community. Nowadays, 60% of clinically used drugs are natural products or their analogs. Thus, the development of new efficient synthetic tools to easily access such library of compounds is crucial. Marin natural products are an important source of inspiration for original drug design. Here we focused on development of an easy and efficient synthesis of ningalin B and its analogs. Indeed, while the literature reports the potential of the hexamethyl ether form to reverse multidrug resistance inhibing P-glycoprotein, only few studies have been done on analogs.Thereby, here we suggest a synthesis based on double Suzuki-Miyaura couplings on symmetrical dihaloarenes as a key step. This is a step to deal with studies in depth and two approaches have been envisaged. The first one relies on a previous simultaneous work in the laboratory. Thus, like a multicomponent reaction, all the starting materials are introduced in the mixture at the beginning of the reaction. This method show promising results when opposed electronic aryl boron derivatives are employ. Nevertheless, using electronic similar boron derivatives, a statistical mixture of dicoupling products is obtained. Since the preparation of our targets only needs the introduction of electron rich aryl moieties, a sequential approach has been envisaged. Preliminary optimizations afford optimal monocoupling conditions on symmetrical dihaloarenes. The scope of the reaction has then been studied including pyrrol nucleuses that are required for the synthesis of ningalins.This work led to desired molecules and analogs can be easily access in a few steps to fulfil a library of compounds.

Les imidazolones sont des molécules étudiées de longue date, soit en tant que molécules bioactives, soit pour leurs propriétés de fluorescence, l'exemple le plus connu étant la GFP. De nombreuses synthèses étaient déjà décrites, en particulier la condensation d'une amine avec une oxazolone (méthode d'Erlenmeyer). Au cours de ce travail, nous avons non seulement amélioré le protocole d'Erlenmeyer, mais surtout développé une synthèse originale consistant à utiliser l'arylation C-H de 2-H imidazolones. Dans cet objectif, il a fallu tout d'abord mettre au point un protocole de synthèse des 2-H imidazolones, jusqu'alors très peu décrites, puis mettre au point les conditions d'arylation et de vinylation directe de ces molécules. Deux séries d'imidazolones ont été étudiées et publiées séparément : en premier lieu, les 4,4'-dialkyl-imidazolones, fréquemment employées pour leurs propriétés biologiques, puis, au cours du travail qui a suivi, l'arylation et la vinylation des 4- arylidène-2-H imidazolones. / Imidazolones have been studied for a long time, either as bioactive molecules or for their fluorescence properties, the best known example being the Green Fluorescent Protein or GFP. Numerous syntheses are already described, in particular the condensation of an amine with an oxazolone (Erlenmeyer method). In this work, we not only improved the condensation protocol but also developed an original synthesis consisting in using 2-H imidazolones CH arylation. To this end, it was first necessary to develop a protocol for the synthesis of 2-H imidazolones, hitherto very little described, and then to develop the conditions for arylation and direct vinylation of these molecules. Two sets of imidazolones have been studied and published separately: first, the 4,4'- dialkylimidazolones, frequently used for their biological properties, followed by arylation and vinylation of 4-arylidene-2-H imidazolones.

Depuis ces dix dernières années, notre laboratoire a développé une expertise dans le domaine de la fonctionnalisation de liaisons carbone-hydrogène (dite fonctionnalisation C-H) d’hétérocycles par catalyse aux métaux de transition. Le sujet de thèse s’inscrit dans un programme de recherche dirigé vers les hétérocycles pro-aromatiques à système N-acylamidine. Les travaux antérieurs ont porté sur les 4-alkyl et 4-arylidène imidazolones avec la production de nouvelles sondes GFP. Le présent travail de thèse vise à poursuivre le développement méthodologique en série pyrimidin-4-ones,encore très peu concernée dans ce domaine de recherche. Une méthode d’arylation C2-H de lapyrimidin-4-one substituée sur l’atome d’azote par divers chélates directeurs a été mise au point en utilisant une catalyse coopérative Pd(0)-Cu(I) et des halogénures d’aryles comme partenaires de couplage. L’étendue de la réactivité a été examinée de façon exhaustive puis la méthodologie a été évaluée pour l’arylation C2-H d’analogues structurels fonctionnalisés en positions C5. Une seconde étude s’inscrit dans le projet de rigidification des sondes GFP à coeur 4-arylidène imidazolone. Un travail préliminaire d’ortho-palladation C-H a été effectué en collaboration avec le Dr Esteban Urriolabeitia de l’université de Saragosse en Espagne. Les propriétés photophysiques des palladacycles originaux ainsi préparés ont été déterminées et leurs réactivités aux agents de couplage et aux oxydants évaluées. / Since past decade, our laboratory is concerned with transition-metal catalyzed C-H functionalization of heterocycles. A recent research program is dedicated to the class of N-acyl amidine pro-aromatic heterocycles. This present thesis work is first directed to the pyrimidin-4-one series that remains highly sparsely evaluated. As main results, Pd(0)-catalyzed and Cu(I)-assisted C2-H arylation of pyrimidin-4-one flanked with picolinyl and other ortho-directed groups at the nitrogen atom was set up using arylhalides as coupling partners. The C5-substituted pyrimidin-4-ones were also evaluated. To pursue recent investigations in 4-alkyl and 4-arylidene imidazolone series leaing ding to innovative GFP probes, the second work aims at evaluating the first step of an ultimate intramolecular C-H/C-H coupling to stiffen the 4-arylidene imidazolone core. For that, the intramolecular ortho-palladation was achieved in collaboration with Dr. Esteban Urriolabeitia of the University of Zaragoza in Spain providing a broad panel of original imidazolone-based palladacycles. Their photophysical properties were determined and their reactivity towards cross-coupling as well as oxidating agents were also evaluated.

Ghrelin analogs in food intake regulation Ghrelin, to date the only known peripherally produced and centrally acting peptide that stimulates food intake, is mainly synthesized in the stomach and acts through growth- hormone-secretagogue receptor (GHS-R). In addition to its orexigenic effect, ghrelin stimulates growth hormone (GH) release, gastric motility and acid secretion. The diverse functions of ghrelin raise the possibility of its clinical application for GH deficiency, eating disorders, and gastrointestinal diseases. Ghrelin agonists could be a promising therapeutics in cachexia occurring at cancer or chronic inflammatory diseases. Octanoylation of Ser3 is crucial for preservation of ghrelin activity. In this study, biological properties (binding to GHS-R, food intake stimulation in mice) of full length and shorter ghrelin analogues with octanoic acid coupled to diaminopropionic acid (Dpr) replacing Ser3 or without octanoic acid were followed. This substitution resulted in a prolonged stability and orexigenic effect of above mentioned ghrelin analogues. Importance of N-terminal part of ghrelin and octanoylation peptide was also confirmed.

No description available.

The subsurface igneous biome contains a vast portion of Earth's total biomass, yet we still know so little about it. Igneous environments such as iron-rich ocean crust and lava tubes may also host analogs to chemolithotrophically-driven life on other planets, so studying life in this biome is essential to understanding how life may survive on other planets. In this study, three igneous surface and subsurface environments were investigated for microbial preference for olivine, microbial physiologies and phylotypes present on olivine, and microbial growth on olivine in the laboratory via iron oxidation. These environments include a subseafloor borehole drilled into the ocean crust basalt basement, a lava tube with perennial ice, and a trio of Columbia River basalt-hosted freshwater terrestrial habitats. The subseafloor borehole (IODP Hole 1301A) is situated on the eastern flank of Juan de Fuca Ridge (JFR) and was used in the first long-term deployment of microbial enrichment flow cells using osmotically-driven pumps. The flow cells contained igneous minerals and glasses, for which cell density and microbial abundances were evaluated. Total cell density and viable oligotrophs were highest for Fe(II)-rich olivines. Organotrophic bacterial isolates were capapble of iron oxidation and nitrate reduction, and grew on olivine in the laboratory. Putative neutrophilic iron oxidizers were also isolated from igneous riparian and cave environments in northwest and central Oregon. Isolated bacteria from all three environments were capable of chemolithotrophic growth with olivine and oxygen or nitrate in the laboratory. Bacteria isolated from river basalt were putatively capable of producing alteration textures on olivine surfaces in culture. Microbial life in the igneous subsurface preferentially attach to Fe²⁺-rich minerals, which suggests that life in the subsurface is heterogeneously distributed. The isolation of oligotrophic iron oxidizers that grow on olivine suggests that olivine supports a chemolithotrophic subsurface community based on primary productivity via iron oxidation. This generation of biomass on olivine surfaces creates organic carbon-rich coated mineral surfaces that may support a more complex community. The identification of Mars analogs living in Oregon lava tubes and the discovery that iron oxidizers may produce biosignatures on olivine surfaces are key findings that may provide the foundation for a new chapter in the search for life on Mars.