In der vorliegenden Arbeit wurden chemische Modellsysteme zur Erarbeitung möglicher Metabolisierungswege für neue, als potentielle Antiparkinsonmittel entwickelte Benzilsäurederivate angewendet und die Anwendbarkeit solcher Systeme zur Modellierung der Biotransformation von Estrogenderivaten getestet. Die biomimetischen Umsetzungen wurden im wässrigen und nichtwässrigen Milieu mit Mangan- und Eisenporphyrinen als Katalysatoren, mit einer Stickstoffbase, in der Regel Imidazol, als Co-Katalysator und mit Wasserstoffperoxid, Iodosylbenzen oder tert-Butylhydroperoxid als Sauerstoffquelle durchgeführt. Als Substrate wurden die N-Methyl-4- und -3-piperidinylester der 3,4- und der 3,3´-Dimethoxybenzilsäure (1, 2, 3) und Denaverin (4) ausgewählt. Als Modellsubstrat mit Estrogenstruktur wurde Estronmethylether (5), sowie in weiteren Versuchen Ethinylestradiol und Mestranol (6, 7) umgesetzt. Die biomimetischen Umsetzungen der Estrogenderivate waren trotz zahlreicher Variationen des Modellsystems nicht erfolgreich. Als Reaktionsprodukt wurde lediglich 6-Oxoestron-methylether isoliert. Hauptumsetzungsprodukte der Benzilsäurederivate sind die N-Formylverbindungen, die N-Oxide, die N-Desmethylderivate, die freien Säuren und die entsprechenden Benzophenone. Ihre Strukturen wurden massenspektrometrisch und kernresonanzspektroskopisch abgesichert. Die zugrundeliegenden Funktionalisierungsreaktionen sind die N-Dealkylierung, N- und C-Oxidation, Esterspaltung und Decarboxylierung. Aromatischen Oxygenierung und O-Dealkylierung wurden nicht oder in sehr geringem Umfang beobachtet. Denaverin unterliegt weiterhin der oxidativen Deaminierung. Insgesamt zeigen die Benzilsäureabkömmlinge ein einheitliches biomimetisches Verhalten, welches ein weitgehend übereinstimmendes Metabolitenspektrum erwarten lässt. Für Denaverin wurden zwei neue, potentielle Biotransformationswege aufgezeigt und die entsprechenden Vergleichssubstanzen gewonnen. Für die Esterspaltung von 1 wurde der oxidative Mechanismus nachgewiesen. Die katalytische Aktivität unterschiedlicher Modellsysteme wurde über die Abnahme des Substrates quantifiziert. Maximal 48 % der Ausgangsverbindung wurden im nichtwässrigen und maximal 23 % im wässrigen Milieu biomimetisch umgesetzt. / In the present thesis the application of chemical model systems to assess metabolic pathways of new benzilic acid derivatives, developed as potential compounds for anti parkinson drugs, is reported. Furthermore the suitability of such systems to mimic the biotransformation of estrogens was investigated. Biomimetic reactions were performed with a (porphyrin) iron or -manganese as a catalyst, an N-base, mostly imidazol, as a co-catalyst and with hydrogen peroxide, iodosylbenzene or tert-butylhydroperoxide as O-donor in either aqueous or nonaqueous media. The following substrates were chosen: the N-methyl-4- and -3-piperidinyl ester of the 3,4- and 3,3´-dimethoxybenzilic acid (1, 2, 3) and Denaverine (4) for benzilic acid derivatives as well as Estrone methyl ether, Ethinylestradiole and Mestranole for the estrogens. The biomimetic studies with the estrogens remained unsuccessfully despite numerous variations within the chemical model system. Only the 6-Oxoestrone methyl ether could be isolated. The main products generated in the biomimetic reactions with the benzilic acid derivatives were the N-formyl compounds, the N-oxides, the N-demethyl derivatives, the free acids, and the benzophenones. The structure of all compounds was proven by mass-spectroscopic and nuclear magnetic resonance techniques. The biomimetic products correspond to metabolites formed by N-dealkylation, N- and C-oxidation, cleavage of the esther bond, and decarboxylation. Aromatic oxygenation or O-dealkylation of the substrates were not observed or only in trace amounts. For Denaverine a product of oxidative deamination was detected. In general, the benzilic acid derivatives showed the same biomimetic behaviour. Therefore a similiar metabolism for these compounds can be expected. Two new possible metabolites for Denaverine were isolated and can be used in further studies. For the cleveage of the ester bond of 1 an oxidative mechanism could be demonstrated. The catalytic activity of various model systems was determined by measuring the decrease of substrate 1. The maximal decrease was 48 % in the nonaqueous media compared to 23 % in the aqueous media.

The Parkinsonian Syndrome-inducing effects of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) on the body have been well-documented since its discovery. However, its mechanism of oxidation by monoamine oxidase B (MAO B) has been debated for just as long. Proponents of the single electron transfer (SET) pathway of oxidation faced severe critiques in that the hypothesized radical intermediates arising from the SET pathway were never directly observed. Work performed herein provides that exact evidence using biomimetics of MAO B. The first section of the dissertation will highlight the ability of one such biomimetic, 3-methyllumiflavin (3MLF), to provide a chemical model for the oxidation of -unsaturated tetrahydropyridines. Using a nontoxic analog of MPTP, 1-methyl-4-(1-methyl-1-H-pyrrol-2-yl)-1,2,3,6-tetra-hydropyridine (MMTP), reactions with 3MLF were performed under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions. The anaerobic studies of these reactions proved to be the key to the direct observations (by 1H NMR and EPR) of flavin-derived radical behavior. Armed with the knowledge of how to prepare reactions for the direct observation of flavin radical intermediates, studies of N-cyclopropyl substrate derivatives were subsequently conducted to gather evidence for the formation of radical substrate intermediates. If the hypothesized SET is the first step of the reaction mechanism, then the resulting aminyl radical cation could undergo a cyclopropyl ring opening. Several products derived from the substrate were observed; among them were ring-opened variations suggesting that the reaction does begin with a SET. Thermodynamically, this process is unfavorable, leading to the hypothesis that this reaction step may be better described as a proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET). The kinetics of this process were studied at length. Finally, to provide a more compelling argument for the fundamental reactivities, two other flavin biomimetics are investigated. Their reactions with tetrahydropyridines were put under the same scrutiny as 3MLF, leading to the conclusion that the chemistry discussed herein is not unique to 3MLF, but is much more broadly applicable to other flavin biomimetics and MAO B. / Doctor of Philosophy / First reported in 1982, Parkinsonian Syndrome related to the injection of the designer drug meperidine was linked to an impurity in the drug, 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine, MPTP. That compound was able to be oxidized in the brain by the enzyme monoamine oxidase B (MAO B) to form the neurotoxin 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP+). For many years, the way that oxidation occurred remained a mystery as MPTP is chemically very different than typical substrates of MAO B. One type of reaction, single electron transfer (SET), which involves the production of high-energy intermediates called radicals, was largely overlooked as it seemed chemically implausible, especially in a biological system. This dissertation will focus on providing evidence for the SET oxidation of MPTP-like molecules using a class of compounds called flavins. Flavins are biomimetics of MAO B, meaning they behave in reaction vessels the same way that MAO B behaves biologically. Evidence for the SET pathway comes primarily in two forms: nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). Each of these techniques allow us to "see" exactly what species are present in solution. In the case of 1H NMR, we will be able to see the "normal" molecules, while EPR allows us to see the high energy radical species in solution. Using these techniques, several substrate and flavin analogs were investigated to uncover a universal reaction mechanism by which MPTP and related compounds are oxidized by MAO B.

The development of a vasculature within a tissue-engineered construct is one of the largest hurdles to successful bone regeneration. This thesis investigates methods to increase vasculature of such transplanted constructs, based on in vivo transplant studies and in vitro analysis of cell behaviors. A syngeneic mouse model in immunocompetent mice was developed and analyzed for both osteogenesis and hematopoiesis. This study demonstrates that syngeneic bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) are not rejected by the host, provided the strain of mice is sufficiently inbred. Additionally, an effective protocol was developed for the isolation of endothelial cells (ECs) from the bone marrow of mice. Two different sets of materials for this study were analyzed, both collagen based, and the GelfoamTM scaffold was found to possess advantages over synthesized collagen or collagen/hydroxyapatite composites, although only for mouse and not human bone transplantation. In order to gain rapid and integrated vasculature formation within the transplant, attempts were made to increase both (de novo) vasculogenesis and angiogenesis (ingrowth) from the surrounding tissue. For the former, transplant studies were combined with in vitro osteogenic calcification studies. Direct co-culture of the BMSCs and ECs increased osteogenic calcification and was monitored by using both alizarin red S quantification and quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Angiogenesis (as assessed by cell migration) was studied by various motility and chemotaxis assays in vitro, as well as through use of a directed in vivo angiogenesis assay. Growth factors, particularly TGF-β1 and BMP-4, were found to increase cell movement in these systems. In conclusion, we show that although much work remains to be done in order to increase the vasculature in bone transplants, systematic combination of in vivo and in vitro assays can elucidate the nature behind this crucial process in this context.

In the post-genomic era, recognition of the importance of sugars is increasing in biological research. For the precise analysis of their functions, homogeneous materials are required. Chemical synthesis is a powerful tool for preparation of homogeneous oligosaccharides and glycoconjugates. Glycosidases are potent catalysts for this purpose because they realize high stereo- and regio- selectivities under conditions benign to biomolecules without repetitive protection/deprotection procedures. A glycosynthase is an aritificial enzyme which is derived from a glycosidase and is devised for glycosylation reaction. To suppress the mechanistically inherent oligomerization side reaction of this class of biocatalysts, a glycosidase with plastic substrate recognition was engineered to afford the first α-mannosynthase. This novel biocatalyst showed low occurrence of oligomerized products as designed and was applied to prepare a wide range of oligosaccharides. Glycosidases are also valuable tools for glycan engineering of glycoconjugates, which is a pivotal issue in the development of pharmaceutical agents, including immunoglobulin G (IgG)-based drugs. EndoS, an endo-β-N-acetylglucosaminidase from Streptococcus pyogenes, natively cleaves N-glycans on IgG specifically. When the latent glycosylation activity of this enzyme was applied, the N-glycan remodelling of full-length IgG was successfully achieved for the first time and a highly pure glycoform was obtained using the chemically synthesized oxazoline tetrasaccharide as glycosyl donor. This biocatalytic reaction allows development of a novel type of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) in which drug molecules are linked to N-glycans site-specifically. For this purpose, glycans with bioorthogonal reaction handles were synthesized and conjugated to IgG. A model reaction using a dye compound as reaction partner worked successfully and the synthetic method for this newly designed ADC was validated. Glycan trimming of glycoproteins expressed from Pichia pastoris was performed using exoglycosidases to derive homogeneous glycoform. Jack Bean α-mannosidase (JBM) trimmed native N-glycans down to the core trisaccharide structure but some of the glycoforms were discovered to be resistant to the JBM activity. Enzymatic analyses using exoglycosidases suggested that the JBM-resistant factor was likely to be β-mannoside. In summary, this work advanced application of modified glycosidases for preparation of oligosaccharides and also demonstrated biocatalytic utility of glycosidases to produce biologically relevant glycoconjugates with homogeneous glycoforms.

Biological organisms, phenomena and strategies, herein referred to as biological systems, provide a rich set of analogies that can be used to inspire engineering innovation. Biologically-inspired, or biomimetic, designs are publicly viewed as creative and novel solutions to human problems. Moreover, some biomimetic designs have become so commonplace that it is hard to image life without them (e.g. velcro, airplanes). Although the biologically- inspired solutions are innovative and useful, the majority of inspiration taken from nature has happened by chance observation, dedicated study of a specific biological entity (e.g., gecko), or asking a biologist to explain the biology in simple terms. This reveals a fundamental problem of working across the engineering and biological domains. The effort and time required to become a competent engineering designer creates significant obstacles to becoming sufficiently knowledgeable about biological systems (the converse can also be said). This research aims to remove the element of chance, reduce the amount of time and effort required to developing biologically-inspired solutions, and bridge the seemingly immense disconnect between the engineering and biological domains. To facilitate systematic biologically-inspired design, a design methodology that relies on a framework of tools and techniques that bridge the two domains is established. The design tools and techniques that comprise the framework achieve: Identification of relevant biological solutions based on function; translation of identified biological systems of interest; functional representation of biological information such that it can be used for engineering design activities; and conceptualization of biomimetic engineering designs. Using functional representation and abstraction to describe biological systems presents the natural designs in an engineering context and allows designers to make connections between biological and engineered systems. Thus, the biological information is accessible to engineering designers with varying biological knowledge, but a common understanding of engineering design methodologies. This work has demonstrated the feasibility of using systematic design for the discovery of innovative engineering designs without requiring expert-level knowledge, but rather broad knowledge of many fields. / Graduation date: 2011

L'objectif de ces travaux de thèse concerne l'étude de l'apport de la chimie supramoléculaire à différents niveaux de la science membranaire. Lors de la première partie de nos travaux, nous avons étudié les capacités d'auto-organisation dynamique de molécules bolaformes. Des études de caractérisations ont permis de déterminer différentes structures, dont la formation de canaux ioniques ou aqueux pour certaines. Les capacités de transport de ces molécules auto-assemblés au sein de bicouches lipidiques a été déterminé. Une autre étude concerne l'utilisation d'un milieu hydrophobe, par des interactions supramoléculaire de type forces de Van der Waals, pour confiner de nouvelles fonctionnalisations dans des matériaux mésoporeux. Différents matériaux, dont les utilisations varient avec les molécules confinées, ont été obtenus et caractérisés par plusieurs méthodes d'analyses. Suite à ces résultats, nous avons spécifiquement étudié et optimisé l'utilisation de matériaux silicés électrodéposés sur la surface d'électrodes, puis fonctionnalisés par des chaînes alkyles, pour former des capteurs électrochimiques en étudiant le cas du fullerène. / The main objective of this study concerns the contribution of supramolecular chemistry at different level of membrane science. During the first part of our work, we have studied the dynamic self-organizing capacities of bolaform molecules. Different characterization techniques allowed us to define different structures, including ion or water channels for some of them. Transport capacities of those self-assembling molecules through lipid bilayers have been determined by several tests. Another study is about the use of a hydrophobic environment, by supramolecular interactions such as Van der Waals forces, to confine new functionalization inside mesoporous materials. Different materials, which use is determined by the confined molecules, have been obtained and characterized by several analysis methods. Furthermore, we have studied and optimized the use of electrodeposited silice materials on electrodes surface, then functionalized by alkyl groups, to form electrochemical captors by studying specifically the fullerene case.

A synthetic investigation on the chemistry of cyclotryptamine derived natural products, with a particular focus on the synthesis of the trimeric-alkaloid, hodgkinsine. Methodology has been developed to tackle this complex natural product which utilises a desymmetrization approach; this strategy hinges on the development and applications of asymmetric C-N bond forming reactions. Chapter one examines elements of symmetry in natural products, looking in particular at the synthesis of compounds which contain cyclotryptamine functionality. Chapter two contains a brief review of enantioselective desymmetrization paying attention, if possible, on its application in the synthesis of natural products. In the remaining chapters we discuss our own progress and results in our pursuit of an efficient enantioselective total synthesis of hodgkinsine.

Tissue Engineering is a scientific discipline that aims to regenerate tissues and organs that are diseased, lost or congenitally absent. It encompasses the use of suitable synthetic equivalents of native extracellular matrix that may or may not be supplemented with cells or relevant growth factors. Such scaffolds are designed to reside at the site of implantation for a variable period of time during which they induce the regeneration of native tissue. During this time, they also provide a template for new cells to attach, infiltrate, differentiate into appropriate phenotype and eventually restore function of the concerned tissue. Among the factors that affect the outcome are the composition of scaffold, methods of fabrication, bulk properties of the scaffold and topography and architecture at the cellular level. Bone is unique in the body in that it is one of the few tissues capable of complete regeneration even in adults, as seen during fracture healing. However, certain conditions (non-union of fractures, congenital and acquired bone deficiencies) exist in which the regenerative capacities of bone are exceeded and appropriate intervention becomes necessary. Current treatment options include autologous bone grafts harvested from iliac crest or de-cellularized allografts or synthetic substitutes made from metals, ceramics and polymers. However these options have serious limitations: while autografts are limited in supply, necessitate second surgery and show inadequate vascularization, allografts can transmit viral infections. Metals, ceramics and polymers are in essence structural replacements without performing any biological function. Other problems associated with these synthetic materials include adverse immune reactions, corrosion, stress-shielding and secondary fractures due to inadequate osseo-integration. Bone tissue engineering is a specialized field of research that provides an alternative strategy to repair bone defects by exploiting the advances in engineering and better understanding of bone biology. Scaffold-based tissue engineering approach is a promising field that involves implantation of a biomaterial that is specifically matched in terms of biological and material properties to the tissue it replaces. This study explores the feasibility of using electrospinning as a potential fabrication strategy for bone tissue engineering applications, more specifically intended for cleft palate repair. This model represents a congenital deformity that affects both hard and soft tissues and presents unique challenges and opportunities. Among the challenges are: the need for the implant allow growth of the most complex areas of the facial skeleton, integrate and grow with the patient through adolescence, the ability of the implant to not interfere with vital functions including breathing and feeding. Further the implant should provide a flexible matrix that can effectively support erupting teeth. In spite of these extreme demands, maxilla is a non load-bearing membranous bone, a favorable consideration from materials engineering perspective. The present study is organized into three independent sections. The first section investigates developing strategies intended to improve the material properties of electrospun bone scaffold. Bone is composed of a high volume fraction (50%) of inorganic hydroxyapatite nanocrystals that is closely associated with collagen. The dispersal of brittle mineral is critical in not only strengthening the bone in compression but also contributes to the osteoconductivity of the matrix. Since loading of mineral in a bone scaffold is a serious limitation, we attempted to achieve improved loading of bone mineral by dual mineralization approach. We first incorporated nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite (nHA) directly into the scaffold by adding it to the electrospinning polymer solution. The second step involves inducing biomimetic mineralization of electrospun scaffolds by incubating them in simulated body fluid (SBF) for 2 weeks. The hypothesis was that the nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite seeded during electrospinning would act as sites for nucleation and further crystal growth when incubated in solution supersaturated with respect to calcium and phosphate ions. We tested this approach in two synthetic, biocompatible polymers-polydioxanone and poly (lactide: glycolide) and four formulations of SBF with differential loading of nHA (0-50% by wt. of polymer). A modified Alizarin Red S (ARS) staining that specifically binds to calcium was developed that allowed us to quantify the mineral content of 3D scaffold with great accuracy. Results indicated a unique combination of factors: PDO scaffolds containing 50% nHA incubated in 1x revised-SBF incubated under static conditions gave maximum mineralization over a period of two weeks. We then sought to exploit these findings to engineer a stiffer scaffold by stacking multiple layers together and cold welding them under high pressure. Electrospun scaffolds (1, 2 or 4 layered stacks) were either compressed before or after mineralizing treatment with SBF. After two weeks, scaffolds were analyzed for total mineral content and stiffness by uniaxial tensile testing. Results indicated while compression of multiple layers significantly increases the stiffness of scaffolds, it also had lower levels of mineralization partly due to increased density of fibers and loss of surface area due to fiber welding. However this can be offset to a reasonable degree by increasing the number of stacks and hence this strategy can be successfully adopted to improve the mechanical properties of electrospun scaffolds. The second section introduces a novel infrared imaging technique to quantify and characterize the biological activity of biomaterials, based on cell adhesion. Cells attach to the surface by the formation of focal contacts where multiple proteins including vinculin and talin assemble to signal critical processes like cell survival, migration, proliferation and differentiation. After allowing MG-63 osteoblasts to adhere to 2D biomaterial surface coated with extracellular matrix proteins (collagen, gelatin, fibronectin) cells were fixed and probed with antibodies for vinculin and talin. Secondary antibodies, tagged with infrared-sensitive fluorescent dyes, were used to quantify the molecules of interest. In addition, the kinetics of focal contact formation in these different substrates was followed. Successful quantification of focal contacts were made and further research revealed phosphorylation of vinculin at pY-822 as one potential mechanism for recruitment of vinculin to focal contacts. Hence it could represent a subset of vinculin and might serve as a specific molecular marker for focal contacts. As an extension, we evaluated the possibility of using such an assay to quantify 3D electrospun tissue engineering scaffolds. We fabricated scaffolds of graded biological activity by electrospinning blends of polydioxanone and collagen in different ratios. Vinculin and talin expressed by MG-63 cultured on these scaffolds for 24 hours were quantified in a similar manner. Results indicate that while talin does not show a significant difference in expression among different scaffolds, vinculin showed a positive correlation with increasing biological activity of scaffolds. In conclusion, we have identified vinculin as a reliable marker of focal contacts in 3D scaffolds while phosphovinculin (pY-822) was more specific to focal contacts in coated 2D substrates. In both instances, infrared imaging proved to be reliable in study of focal contacts. The third section aims to make the bone scaffolds osteoinductive- a property of a material to induce new bone formation even when implanted in subcutaneous and intramuscular heterotopic sites. Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMP) are potent cytokines that can induce migration, proliferation and differentiation of stem cells along osteoblastic lineage. The therapeutic efficacy of BMPs in the treatment of severe bone defects has been identified and is currently FDA approved for specific orthopedic applications. BMPs are clinically administered in a buffer form that not only makes the treatment expensive but less effective. Suitable delivery systems for BMP delivery have been an intense area of investigation. We rationalized electrospinning as a strategy to incorporate BMP within the scaffold and that would enable controlled release when implanted. One of the drawbacks of using electrospinning to deliver bioactive molecules is the potential denaturing effect and eventual loss of activity of BMPs. The final section of this dissertation tries to develop sensitive and relevant assays that could answer intriguing questions about solvent-protein interaction. We chose to use the BMP-2/7 heterodimer as the osteoinductive molecule of choice because of its superior potency compared to homodimer counterparts. We characterized the detection and quantification of BMP-2/7 using a slot blot technique. Further, we used a novel cell line (C2C12 BRA) to test the retention of activity of BMP-2/7 that has been exposed to organic solvents. Results indicate significant loss of activity when BMPs are exposed to organic solvents but complete recovery was possible by diluting the solvent with an aqueous buffer.

Ces travaux de thèse s'inscrivent dans le cadre d'un vaste projet qui vise à construire des membranes hybrides constituée d'un support solide nanoporeux et de protéines canal-ionique biologiques. Nous nous intéressons ici à un film polymère nanoporeux en polycarbonate et à la Gramicidine-A. La membrane ainsi réalisée est étudiée par des mesures expérimentales. Ce travail peut être divisé en deux parties. Dans la première, nous rapportons l'étude du confinement de la protéine canal ionique, au sein des nanopores du film « track-etched » en polycarbonate. Après imprégnation de gA, la membrane est étudiée par Spectroscopie de Fluorescence Confocale. Les premiers résultats expérimentaux particulièrement encourageants montrent que la gA est localisée dans les nanopores et non pas à la surface de la membrane. Dans la deuxième, les propriétés de transport ionique de la membrane hybride sont caractérisées par le biais de deux grandeurs : d'une part les coefficients de diffusion mesurés à partir d'une cellule et d'autre part les conductivités via la Spectroscopie d'Impédance Complexe (S.I.C). Les électrolytes aqueux étudiées sont : XCl(2) où X=Na, K, Mg et Ca à des concentrations comprises entre 5.10-3 à 1M. Une étude statistique approfondie des données obtenues par la méthode de la variance permet de déterminer les effets relatifs des différentes variables : nature et concentration du sel, présence de la Gramicidine A et traitement à l'éthanol de la membrane. Cette analyse révèle clairement que la présence de Gramicidine A au sein des nanopores de 15nm modifie de façon positive le transport ionique. Il est, par contre, difficile de conclure sur la nature sélective du transport ionique en présence de cette protéine. Ce travail de thèse ouvre un champ de recherche très prometteur dans le domaine de la nanofiltration. / This project of thesis is to build of a bio-inspired hybrid membrane made of a thin nanoporous polymer film in which a biological ionic channel is confined. Thus, this work may be divided in two parts. First, we report the confinement of the biological ionic channel, i.e. Gramicidin A, inside the nanopore of nanoporous thin film, i.e. a track etched polycarbonate film (Whatman NucleoporeTM). After impregnation with Gramicidine-A, the membrane is studied by means of confocal fluorescence spectroscopy. The results show the ionic channel is well located into the nanopores and not at the surface of the membrane. Secondly, ionic transport properties are measured by means of two experiments: on the one hand, ionic diffusion coefficients are measured using a cell and on the other hand, ionic dc conductivity is measured via Complex Impedance Spectroscopy (SIC). Various aqueous electrolytes (XCl(2) where X=Na,K, Mg et Ca) at different concentrations ranging from 5.10-3 à 1M are carried out. A statistical analysis of the data so-obtained allows to determine the relative effects of the different parameters: the nature and concentration of the electrolytes, the presence of Gramicidine A and the membrane pre-treatment with ethanol treatment. It is thus clearly pointed out that the presence of Gramicidine A inside the 15nm nanopores improves ion permeability. However, it is difficult to conclude about ionic selectivity of the hybrid membrane. Nevertheless, this work which is the first attempt ever to build such a bio-inspired system opens an extremely promising field of research in the domain of nanofiltration.

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) est une bactérie produisant des inclusions protéiques cristallines à pouvoir insecticide et elle est largement exploitée à l'échelle industrielle. Dans cette étude, des souches de Bt ont été isolées du sol libanais. Nous avons étudié en premier la présence des principaux gènes cry1A codant pour des δ-endotoxines actives sur les lépidoptères. Les souches possédant ces gènes ont été testées pour leur toxicité sur des larves d'Ephestia kuehniella (E. kuehniella). Une souche nommée Lip, étant quatre fois plus toxique sur ces larves que la référence mondiale Bt subsp. kurstaki HD1, fut sélectionnée pour une étude plus approfondie. Après clonage et séquençage, nous avons identifié une nouvelle toxine de type Cry1Aa : Cry1Aa22 et une nouvelle variante de la toxine Cry1Ac. Ces dernières se sont montrées plus toxiques sur des larves d'E. kuehniella, et plus stables en présence des protéases intestinales de ces larves que Cry1Aa et Cry1Ac de HD1 permettant d'expliquer la toxicité élevée de la souche sauvage. D'autre part, nous avons optimisé la construction d'un modèle de membrane biomimétique incluant la membrane de la bordure en brosse intestinale (BBM) des larves d'E. kuehniella. Ces membranes nous ont servi à l'étude de l'interaction des toxines Cry1Aa et Cry1Ac de Lip et celles de HD1. Les toxines de Lip ont interagit différemment et avec une plus grande affinité avec ces modèles que celles de HD1.Tous ces résultats montrent que Lip est une souche intéressante pour une exploitation industrielle et que le modèle de membrane biomimétique est une alternative permettant la prédiction de l'affinité des toxines Cry. / Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is a bacterium that synthesizes insecticidal proteic crystallin inclusions and is widely used at an industrial scale. In this study, Bt strains were isolated from Lebanese soil. We studied the presence of the main cry1A genes encoding for δ-endotoxins active on Lepidoptera. Strains harboring these genes were tested for their toxicity against Ephestia kuehniella (E. kuehniella) larvae. The strain named Lip, being four folds more toxic to the larvae than the reference strain Bt subsp. kurstaki HD1, was selected for further study. We identified a novel Cry1Aa toxin, Cry1Aa22, and a variety of the Cry1Ac toxin after cloning and sequencing of the corresponding genes. These toxins were more toxic to E. kuehniella larvae and more stable in the presence of these larvae's intestinal midgut juice than Cry1Aa and Cry1Ac of HD1. Moreover, we optimized the construction of a biomimetic membrane model based on the intestinal brush border membrane (BBM) of E. kuehniella larvae. These models were used to study the interaction of Cry1Aa and Cry1Ac of Lip and HD1. Toxins of Lip interacted differently and with a greater affinity with these model membranes than toxins of HD1.These results show that Lip is an interesting Bt strain that could be exploited at an industrial scale. On another hand, the biomimetic membrane constructed in this study could be an alternative allowing the prediction of the Cry toxin's affinity.