Esta tese descreve estudos realizados na tentativa de purificar e caracterizar enzimas envolvidas na BL de fungos, além de trabalhos conduzidos a fim de investigar o mecanismo da bioluminescência de fungos. Inicialmente, tentou-se isolar as duas enzimas supostamente responsáveis pala reação bioluminescente em fungos. Parâmetros de atividade ótima (pH e temperatura) e comportamento cinético foram investigados. Todavia, com a descoberta de que a luciferina fúngica é o derivado hidroxilado da hispidina (3-hidróxihispidina), novas estratégias foram abordadas. Os esforços se concentraram na purificação da luciferase, visto que a hidroxilase não faz parte do sistema bioluminescente de fungos. Avaliação da interação da luciferase fúngica com a luciferina ou derivados dela sugeriram comportamento relativamente promíscuo da enzima. Os resultados indicaram que a reação luciferina-luciferase é favorecida em meio básico (pH ~8), a ~20 °C. Ensaios com 18O2 revelaram que a inserção de oxigênio na molécula de luciferina produz um intermediário cuja descarboxilação gera a oxiluciferina. Paralelamente, a síntese da hispidina in vitro a partir de ácido cafeico na presença de malonil-CoA e de extrato de micélios bioluminescentes resultou na emissão de luz, confirmando que a luciferina é reciclada no processo. / This work describes studies performed to purify and characterize enzymes responsible for the fungal bioluminescence. Also, it shows important data that contributes to understand the mechanism for bioluminescence reaction in fungi. First, we tried to isolate two enzymes suspected of being involved on fungal bioluminescence. Optimum activity parameters (pH and temperature) and kinetic behavior were investigated. However, the discovery that fungal luciferin is the hispidin derivative 3-hydroxyhispidin demanded adaptations in the project. First of all, concentrates efforts to luciferase purification was priority, since hydroxylase is not part of the bioluminescent system of fungi. Studies on the luciferase interaction with different substrates showed some promiscuity for the enzyme. The results indicated higher intensity of light from luciferin-luciferase reaction in alkaline solutions (pH ~ 8) at ~ 20 °C. The reaction in medium with 18O2 revealed that insertion of oxygen into the luciferin structure produces an intermediate whose decarboxylation generates oxyluciferin. In parallel, the in vitro synthesis of hispidin using caffeic acid and malonyl-CoA with the mycelium extract resulted in the emission of light, confirming that luciferin is recycled in the process.

Esta tese descreve estudos realizados na tentativa de purificar e caracterizar enzimas envolvidas na BL de fungos, além de trabalhos conduzidos a fim de investigar o mecanismo da bioluminescência de fungos. Inicialmente, tentou-se isolar as duas enzimas supostamente responsáveis pala reação bioluminescente em fungos. Parâmetros de atividade ótima (pH e temperatura) e comportamento cinético foram investigados. Todavia, com a descoberta de que a luciferina fúngica é o derivado hidroxilado da hispidina (3-hidróxihispidina), novas estratégias foram abordadas. Os esforços se concentraram na purificação da luciferase, visto que a hidroxilase não faz parte do sistema bioluminescente de fungos. Avaliação da interação da luciferase fúngica com a luciferina ou derivados dela sugeriram comportamento relativamente promíscuo da enzima. Os resultados indicaram que a reação luciferina-luciferase é favorecida em meio básico (pH ~8), a ~20 °C. Ensaios com 18O2 revelaram que a inserção de oxigênio na molécula de luciferina produz um intermediário cuja descarboxilação gera a oxiluciferina. Paralelamente, a síntese da hispidina in vitro a partir de ácido cafeico na presença de malonil-CoA e de extrato de micélios bioluminescentes resultou na emissão de luz, confirmando que a luciferina é reciclada no processo. / This work describes studies performed to purify and characterize enzymes responsible for the fungal bioluminescence. Also, it shows important data that contributes to understand the mechanism for bioluminescence reaction in fungi. First, we tried to isolate two enzymes suspected of being involved on fungal bioluminescence. Optimum activity parameters (pH and temperature) and kinetic behavior were investigated. However, the discovery that fungal luciferin is the hispidin derivative 3-hydroxyhispidin demanded adaptations in the project. First of all, concentrates efforts to luciferase purification was priority, since hydroxylase is not part of the bioluminescent system of fungi. Studies on the luciferase interaction with different substrates showed some promiscuity for the enzyme. The results indicated higher intensity of light from luciferin-luciferase reaction in alkaline solutions (pH ~ 8) at ~ 20 °C. The reaction in medium with 18O2 revealed that insertion of oxygen into the luciferin structure produces an intermediate whose decarboxylation generates oxyluciferin. In parallel, the in vitro synthesis of hispidin using caffeic acid and malonyl-CoA with the mycelium extract resulted in the emission of light, confirming that luciferin is recycled in the process.

Le récepteur mélanocortine de type 4 (MC4R) est un récepteur couplé aux protéines G impliqué dans la régulation de la prise alimentaire et de l’homéostasie énergétique. Quatre-vingt pour cent des mutants du MC4R reliés à l’obésité morbide précoce (OMP) sont retenus à l’intérieur de la cellule. Le système de contrôle de qualité (SCQ) est probablement responsable de cette rétention, par la reconnaissance d’une conformation inadéquate des mutants. Le rétablissement de l’expression à la surface cellulaire et de la fonctionnalité de ces mutants est donc d’intérêt thérapeutique. Dans cette optique, des composés lipophiles spécifiques pour le MC4R ont été sélectionnés sur la base de leur sélectivité. Nous avons démontré qu’ils agissent à titre de chaperone pharmacologique (CP) en rétablissant l’expression à la surface cellulaire et la fonctionnalité des récepteurs mutants S58C et R165W, et qu’ils favorisent leur N-glycosylation complexe (maturation). Le suivi par BRET du site d’action des CP du MC4R suggère une action en aval de l’interaction calnexine-MC4R. De manière générale, une CP peut avoir un effet différent selon le mutant traité en induisant des conformations distinctes du récepteur plus ou moins aptes à se dissocier du SCQ et à activer la voie de signalisation, et un mutant peut répondre différemment selon la CP utilisée par des différences d’affinité pour le ligand, la CP et les effecteurs. Une meilleure compréhension du mode d’action des CP pourrait aider au développement de nouvelles approches thérapeutiques non seulement pour l’OMP, mais aussi pour d’autres maladies conformationnelles causées par le mauvais repliement de protéines. / The MC4R is a G-protein coupled receptor involved in the central regulation of food intake and energy homeostasis. Eighty percent of childhood obesity-related MC4R mutants are retained intracellularly, probably via the quality control system acting on misfolded receptors. Thus, rescuing cell surface targeting and functionality of these mutant receptors could be of therapeutic value. Cell permeable MC4R selective ligands have been tested and were able to restore cell surface expression and signalling activity of S58C and R165W MC4R mutants. Those compounds, according to their mode of action, are described as pharmacological chaperones (PC). The MC4R-PCs also helps to rescue the glycosylation pattern (maturation) of the MC4R mutants. The site of action of MC4R-PCs of the MC4R mutants monitored by BRET suggests an action downstream of the calnexin-MC4R interaction, most likely at the level of the Golgi apparatus. Generally, a CP can have different effects according to the mutant by stabilizing distinct conformations of the receptor that are more or less able to exit the quality control system and to activate the signaling pathway, and a mutant can respond differently according to the CP used by its distinct affinity to the ligand, the CP itself and the effectors. A better understanding of PCs’ mode of action could help in the design of novel therapeutic approaches not only for early-onset morbid obesity (EOMO) but also for other conformational diseases resulting from protein misfolding.

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