Os ecossistemas aquáticos são afetados por processos que ocorrem em escalas finas (locais) e amplas (regionais). Os processos locais incluem, por exemplo, filtros ambientais e interações interespecíficas, enquanto que os regionais abrangem principalmente questões relacionadas à dispersão de indivíduos. O entendimento de como esses processos atuam sobre comunidades, populações e interações em peixes de riachos é fundamental para a conservação dos ecossistemas aquáticos, pois permite predizer as consequências de alterações antrópicas e fornece subsídios para ações de manejo e políticas de conservação. Na presente tese, eu desenvolvi cinco estudos em distintas escalas espaciais. Cada um é apresentado em capítulos distintos. Nos capítulos 1 e 2, eu abordei questões relacionadas à compreensão de como alterações antrópicas feitas em distintas escalas espaciais influenciam as diversidades alfa e beta de comunidades de peixes de riachos. No capítulo 3, eu procurei entender como processos previstos na teoria de metacomunidades influenciam mudanças temporais na composição e abundâncias de espécies em comunidades locais. No capítulo 4, eu estudei como os impactos antrópicos levam a alterações no papel trófico e no intestino de populações de uma espécie generalista e persistente. Por fim, no capítulo 5, eu usei uma abordagem de aninhamento, desenvolvida inicialmente na Ecologia de Comunidades, para avaliar a ocupação de larvas de uma espécie de quironomídeo (Diptera) sobre o corpo de seu hospedeiro (uma espécie de peixe da família Loricaridae). / Aquatic ecosystems are influenced by processes that occur at fine (local) and broad (regional) scales. Local processes include, for example, environmental filters and interspecific interactions, whereas regional processes encompass mainly questions regarding individual dispersion. Knowledge on how these processes affect communities, populations and interactions in stream fish is essential for conservation of aquatic ecosystems, as it allows predicting consequences of human-alterations and provides subsidy for management actions and conservation policies. In this dissertation, I developed five studies using distinct spatial scales. I presented each one in a separate chapter. In the 1st and 2nd chapters, I addressed questions concerned with the understanding of how human alterations at different spatial scales influence alpha and beta diversity of stream fish communities. In the 3rd chapter I looked for understanding how processes predicted in metacommunity theory influence mid- to long-term changes in composition and species abundances of local communities. In the 4th chapter, I studied how anthropic impact drives modification in the trophic role and intestine of a generalist and persistent fish species. Lastly, in the 5th chapter, I employed nestedness approach previously developed for Community Ecology to evaluate occupation of chironomid species larvae (Diptera) on the body of its host (an armored catfish species of the family Loricariidae).

A demanda por aumento da eficiência energética vem obrigando empresas e centros de pesquisa a desenvolver e utilizar novos materiais buscando a redução de peso. Entre esses materiais, destacam-se as ligas de magnésio, com aproximadamente dois terços da densidade do alumínio e a melhor relação peso/resistência entre os metais. Porém, a utilização do magnésio em altas temperaturas tem suas limitações, devido à baixa resistência a fluência e a formação do precipitado -Mg17Al12 que tem baixo ponto de fusão, tornando as ligas de magnésio mais suscetíveis aos efeitos de deslizamento nos contornos de grãos. Algumas ligas de magnésio contendo elementos terras raras foram desenvolvidas para melhorar a resistência a fluência. O trabalho em questão visa analisar o comportamento da liga Mg6Al3La1Ca, correlacionando os parâmetros de solidificação com as propriedades mecânicas: dureza, alongamento específico, limite de escoamento e limite de resistência à tração. Para isso, foram solidificados unidirecionalmente, com atmosfera de argônio, três lingotes da liga Mg6Al3La1Ca a partir de sobreaquecimento de 780°C, 715°C e 650°C. O resfriamento dos lingotes ocorreu no forno e por resfriamento forçado. Os resultados obtidos de limite de resistência à tração, limite de escoamento e dureza tem uma relação direta com a temperatura de vazamento onde os melhores resultados foram obtidos com as temperaturas mais elevadas. Portanto, conclui-se que na temperatura de 780°C com resfriamento forçado foram obtidas as melhores propriedades mecânicas. / The demand for increased energy efficiency is forcing companies and research centers to develop and use new materials aimed at reducing weight. Among these materials, there is magnesium alloys, because it has about two-thirds of the density of aluminum and the best weight/resistance between the metals. However, the use of magnesium at elevated temperatures has its limitations due to low resistance to creep; the formation of -Mg17Al12 precipitate which has a low melting point makes the magnesium alloy more susceptible to slip around the grains. Some magnesium alloys containing rare earth elements have been developed to improve resistance to creep. The work in question is to analyze the behavior the Mg6Al3La1Ca alloy, correlating the parameters of solidification with the mechanical properties: hardness, specific elongation, limits yield strength and tensile strength. For that, three ingots of the alloy Mg6Al3La1Ca were solidified unidirectionally using argon atmosphere with overheating of 780°C, 715°C and 650°C. The cooling of ingots occurred in the furnace and by forced cooling. The results of limit tensile strength, yield strength and hardness have a direct relation with the pouring temperature where the best results were obtained with higher temperatures. Therefore, it is concluded that the best mechanical properties were obtained at temperature of 780°C with forced cooling.

IRS-2 is the inhibitor of serine proteases from the Ixodes ricinus tick. My task in this thesis was to find out the effect of the IRS-2 on dendritic cells activated by TLR4 ligand or by Borrelia afzelii. This effect was studied on several levels. I focused on the cytokine production, the expression of costimulatory molecules and cell signaling pathways. The results show that the IRS-2 may inhibit the expression of costimulatory molecules CD-80 a CD-86 on the cell surface, but this finding needs to be confirmed again. The production of cytokines was not affected by the IRS-2. The effect of the IRS-2 on the activity of p38, Erk1/2 nor NF-?B in LPS stimulated cells vas not observed. The fosforylation of STAT 3 in cells activated by the B. afzelii was lowered by the IRS-2.

Tick saliva contains a lot of molecules with antihemostatic and immunosupressive effects.The goal of this thesis is to test the effects of tick salivary cystatins from I.ricinus and I.scapularis on TLR - induced maturation of bone-marrow derived dendritic cells and production of chosen cytokines. Over all, the supressive effect of tick cystatins was observed in relation to TLR-induced maturation of DC. In addition, cystatins enhanced production of IL-10 and attenuated induction of IL-12 cytokines.

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / A síndrome da imunodeficiência adquirida (AIDS), causada pelo vírus da imunodeficiência humana (HIV), é uma das epidemias mais impactantes do milênio e, desde o início, o número de mulheres jovens infectadas vem aumentando vertiginosamente, principalmente nos países em desenvolvimento onde muitas destas engravidam precocemente. Apesar da grande maioria dos casos de AIDS pediátrico no mundo resultar da transmissão vertical, aproximadamente dois terços dos neonatos expostos ao HIV durante a vida fetal não são contaminados. Neste sentido, seguindo as recomendações do consenso brasileiro (Ministério da Saúde), toda criança cuja transmissão vertical tenha sido descartada laboratorialmente não necessita de acompanhamento ambulatorial particularizado. Entretanto, resultados anteriores obtidos pelo nosso grupo demonstraram que, gestantes infectadas pelo HIV-1 que não controlam a carga viral plasmática (CVP), apresentam níveis elevados de citocinas inflamatórias e, no presente estudo, resultados revelam que neonatos não-infectados nascidos dessas gestantes apresentam anormalidades imunofuncionais no compartimento das células T do cordão umbilical quando expostos in vitro a ativadores policlonais, mas não aos antígenos do HIV-1. Ademais, quando comparada a neonatos não expostos, a ativação in vitro das células T de neonatos expostos ao HIV-1 com anti-CD3/anti-CD28 induziu a produção de níveis elevados de IL-17 e reduzidos de IL-10. Interessantemente, essa tendência das células T em secretar IL-17 parece estar relacionada à liberação de níveis elevados de IL-23 pelas células dendríticas derivadas de monócitos do sangue do cordão umbilical estimuladas com lipopolissacarídeo bacteriano. Uma ausência de sensibilização uterina aos antígenos do HIV-1 sugere que essas alterações possam traduzir um efeito adverso da produção elevada de citocinas inflamatórias maternas sobre o sistema imune do neonato, o que pode desequilibrar os eventos envolvidos na maturação e homeostasia imune fetal e neonatal, favorecendo o predomínio de fenótipos Th anômalos, tal como Th17. Essa hiper-responsividade das células Th17 pode vir a comprometer não apenas a capacidade da criança em responder de forma adequada a diferentes estímulos antigênicos ao longo de sua vida, como também pode torná-la mais suscetível a desordens imunomediadas / The acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), caused by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), is one of the most impelling epidemic in the world, and the HIV-infection in young women has been increasing fast in the recent times, mainly in developing countries where most of them become pregnant precociously. Although the great majority of the pediatric AIDS cases all over the world results from vertical transmission, approximately, two thirds of the children exposed to HIV during fetal life are not contaminated. In this context, following brazilian consensus recommendations (Health Ministry), every child whom vertical transmission had been laboratorialy discarded does not need a specific ambulatorial follow up. However, our previous results demonstrated that HIV-1-infected pregnant women who did not control their plasma viral load presented elevated levels of inflammatory cytokines, and in the present study our results revealed that non-infected neonates, born from these pregnant women display immune functional abnormalities in umbilical cord T cells compartment when exposed in vitro to policlonal activators, but not to HIV-1 antigens. Furthermore, when compared to non-exposed neonates, T cell in vitro activation with anti-CD3/anti-CD28 from neonates exposed to HIV-1 induced production of high IL-17 levels and decreased of IL-10. Interestingly, this T cell bias in secreting IL-17 seem to be related to liberation of high IL-23 levels by dendritic cells derived from umbilical cord blood monocytes following stimulation with bacterial lipopolysacharide (LPS). The lack of uterine sensitization to HIV-1 antigens suggests that, these alterations, may translate an adverse effect of a high level maternal inflammatory cytokines production on neonates immune system, which may unbalance events related to neonatal and fetal immune maturation and homeostasis, favoring Th anomalous phenotypes predominance, such as Th17. This Th17 hyper-responsiveness may then compromise not only the childs capacity to respond in an adequate way to different antigenic stimuli through life, as well as becoming them more susceptible to immune-mediated disorders

Le suivi des changements dans les populations de cellules immunitaires tels que les lymphocytes, monocytes et cellules dendritiques (DC) au cours de maladies infectieuses comme le virus de l'immunodéficience humaine (VIH) chez l’homme ou son équivalent chez le singe (VIS) est crucial. Grâce aux récentes avancées technologiques en cytométrie en flux, il est maintenant possible de mesurer et d’analyser simultanément jusqu'à 14 paramètres individuels à l’échelon cellulaire. L'objectif de ce travail consiste en la mise au point de 2 panels multicouleurs de 12 anticorps permettant d'analyser simultanément les principales populations de cellules immunitaires, respectivement chez l’humain et le macaque rhésus. Au terme de ce travail, il est maintenant possible de mesurer précisément tous les principaux acteurs du système immunitaire, à savoir les lymphocytes T CD4+ et T CD8+, les lymphocytes B, les cellules NK et NKT, les sous-populations de monocytes, et toutes les sous-populations de cellules dendritiques connues à ce jour, en utilisant une approche multiparamétrique de cytométrie en flux. Ce protocole d’analyse est réalisé sur du sang total, il est rapide, il n’implique pas de technique d’isolation cellulaire, et requiert une quantité minimum de sang. De plus, l’analyse de chaque population cellulaire est plus précise grâce à une contamination minimum entre les populations séparées. L’intérêt de ce travail est d’étudier les interactions entre les différentes populations de cellules immunitaires durant l’infection par VIH chez l’homme, ou VIS chez le singe ou potentiellement d‘autres maladies, et en particulier de mieux comprendre le rôle important que les cellules dendritiques jouent dans la progression de ces maladies. / Monitoring changes in immune cell populations such as lymphocytes, monocytes and dendritic cells (DC) during infectious diseases like human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or its counterpart in rhesus monkeys (SIV) is crucial. Thanks to recent technological advances in flow cytometry, it is now possible to measure and analyze simultaneously up to 14 individual parameters at the single cell level.The goal of this work is to develop 2 multicolor flow cytometry panels comprising of 12 antibodies, allowing measuring simultaneously the main immune cells population, respectively in humans and rhesus monkeys. After 2 years of development and optimization, we can now measure precisely all the main actors of the immune system, that is CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes, B lymphocytes, NK and NKT cells, the 3 monocyte subsets, and all the dendritic cell subsets known today, by using a multicolor flow cytometry approach. This assay is done on whole blood, it is rapid to do, it does not involve a cell isolation technique, and it requires only a minimum amount of blood. Moreover, the analysis of each population is much more precise because of a minimum contamination between different cell populations. The advantage of this work is to study interactions between different cell populations of immune cells during HIV infection in humans, or SIV infection in monkeys, or potentially other diseases, and in particular to better understand the important role that dendritic cells might play in disease progression.

As principais incapacidades funcionais que se observam após o Acidente Vascular Encefálico (AVE), sob o ponto de vista clínico, decorrem da hemiparesia, da incoordenação, da hipertonia espástica dos membros superior e inferior contralaterais à lesão e da fraqueza ipsilateral e contralateral ao hemisfério lesado. Evidências sugerem que o aprendizado e a realização de tarefas motoras de habilidade podem induzir mudanças comportamentais e neurofisiológicas, o que ocorre tanto em animais intactos quanto naqueles submetidos às lesões do SNC. Nesse sentido, alguns trabalhos evidenciam a participação da atividade dendrítica, observada pelo aumento da imunorreatividade a MAP2, induzida por experiências comportamentais. Sendo assim, o objetivo do presente estudo foi avaliar o desempenho motor e a expressão da MAP2 no córtex motor primário, em ratos sham ou submetidos à HIC e aos treinamentos de habilidade do alcance (TH) ou ao treinamento de não-habilidade (TNH). Para tanto, ratos Wistar adultos foram inicialmente adaptados às diferentes tarefas motoras empregadas ao longo de três semanas, sendo, posteriormente, submetidos à cirurgia de indução da hemorragia intracerebral (HIC) por meio da administração intra-estriatal de colagenase tipo IV ou de veículo (animais Sham) (S). Em seguida, os animais dos grupos S_TH e HIC_TH foram submetidos ao treinamento da tarefa de habilidade do alcance e preensão, os animais dos grupos S_TNH e HIC_TNH foram submetidos ao treinamento da tarefa de não-habilidade e os animais S_ST e HIC_ST não receberam nenhum tipo de treinamento durante 4 semanas. Ao longo desse período, os animais foram testados pelo teste do Staircase quanto ao desempenho motor ao final da 2° e 4° semana de treinamento. Encerrado o período de treinamento, os animais foram profundamente anestesiados, perfundidos e tiveram seus encéfalos processados para a análise imunoistoquímica. Os resultados mostram que a realização da tarefa de habilidade do alcance e preensão foi capaz de aumentar a imunorreatividade da MAP2 no córtex motor primário (M1) em ambos os hemisférios, tanto em animais lesados quanto em animais não-lesados. Além disso, os animais HIC e HIC_TNH apresentaram também aumento da imunorreatividade à MAP2 em ambos os hemisférios. Porém, apenas os animais HIC_TH apresentaram recuperação funcional dos movimentos do membro anterior afetado, avaliados pelo teste comportamental. Concluindo, o presente estudo demonstra que o treino de habilidade induz plasticidade dendrítica no M1 em condições normalidade e lesão e, como estratégia de reabilitação, mostra-se superior ao treino de não-habilidade, na recuperação funcional do membro anterior após a HIC experimental. / Under clinical view, the main functional impairment observed after stroke is resulting from the hemiparesis, incoordination, spastic hypertonia and from ipsilateral and contralateral weakness . Evidences suggest that learning and achievement of motor tasks ability may induce behavioral and neurophysiological changes, which occur in both intact and injured animals. Accordingly, some studies reveal the participation of dendritic activity, observed by increasing the immunoreactivity to MAP2, induced by behavioral experiences. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the motor performance and the expression of MAP2 in primary motor cortex (M1), in rats submitted or not to the IHC and rehabilitation using skilled (SK) or unskilled (US) training. Animals were initially adapted to different motor tasks employed over three weeks, and, subsequently, submitted to surgery for the induction of intracerebral hemorrhage (IHC) by means of administration of bacterial collagenase type IV or vehicle (animals Sham) (S) into the striatum . Then, animals in groups S_SK and IHC_SK were submitted to the training skilled forelimb reaching, animals in groups S_US and IHC_US were submitted to the training unskilled and animals S and HIC received no type of training during 4 weeks. Throughout that period, the reaching ability was tested using the Staircase test at the end of 2nd and 4thweek of training. At the end of the rehabilitation period, animals were deeply anesthetized, perfused and the immunohistochemistry was processed. Results show that the achievement of the task skilled forelimb reaching was able to increase the MAP2 immunoreactivity in primary motor cortex (M1) in both hemispheres, both in injured animals as in intact animals. In addition, animals form IHC and IHC_US groups also presented increased immunoreactivity to MAP2 in both cerebral hemispheres. However, only IHC_SK animals presented functional recovery of movements of the forelimb, evaluated by test behavioral. In conclusion, this study shows that training of skills tasks can induce modifications in M1 under conditions of normality and lesion and, as a strategy of rehabilitation, induced higher plasticity than the unskilled training correlated with functional recovery of the forelimb after IHC experimental.

L’objectif de cette thèse a été d’optimiser la réponse immunitaire anti-tumorale induite par les cellules dendritiques (DC) et les cellules iNKTs, en réponse à la prise en charge du KRN7000 (a-galactosyl-céramide) par la molécule CD1d située sur les DCs. Le premier axe de travail visait à synthétiser de nouveaux analogues du KRN7000, en fonctionnalisant la position C6 du sucre et en greffant un groupement phényl sur l’une des chaînes grasses. Les études in vitro ont montré que les modifications apportées par rapport au KRN7000 n’ont pas altéré la prise en charge des molécules obtenues par les DCs. Dans tous les cas, une sécrétion de cytokines a pu être observée. Des études complémentaires visant à décrire le profil cytokinique in vivo sont en cours. Le second axe a consisté en la mise au point d’une stratégie de vectorisation du KRN7000 afin de favoriser sa présentation aux DCs, en l’associant à des molécules d’intérêt comme un peptide spécifique d’une tumeur, une molécule de ciblage des DCs ou des ligands des TLRs. Dans les conditions utilisées, le phénomène d’anergie induit classiquement par l’administration répétée du KRN7000 n’a pas pu être levé. Cependant, nous avons montré d’une part que le KRN7000 vectorisé dans les liposomes est toujours pris en charge par les cellules dendritiques, et d’autre part qu’une réponse immunitaire se traduisant par la production de cytokines par les cellules iNKTs est induite. / The aim of this project was to optimize the anti-tumor immune response induced by dendritic and iNKTs cells, in response to KRN7000 (a-galactosyl-ceramide), which interacts with CD1d molecule situated on DCs. At first we synthesized new analogues of KRN7000, by functionalizing the C6 position of the carbohydrate moiety and by grafting a phenyl group on one of the fatty chain. In vitro studies indicated that chemical modifications of KRN7000 did not alter its interaction with CD1d. In all cases, cytokine secretion was observed. Further studies are in progress to describe the in vivo cytokine profile. In a second step, we developed liposomal constructs incorporating KRN7000 to optimize its presentation to DCs. Some constructions containing KRN7000 were able to associate a peptide, a targetting molecule of DCs or TLR ligands. Even if the anergy phenomenon induced by repeated administrations of KRN7000 could not be regulated by the use of liposomes, we have shown that encapsulated KRN7000 is still supported by DCs and that an immune response resulting in cytokines secretion by iNKT cells is induced.

Intricate interactions among constituent components are defining hallmarks of biological systems and sculpt physiology across different scales spanning gene networks to behavioural repertoires. Whereas interactions among channels and receptors define neuronal physiology, interactions among different cells specify the characteristic features of network physiology. From a single-neuron perspective, it is now evident that the somato-dendritic plasma membrane of hippocampus pyramidal neurons is endowed with several voltage-gated ion channels (VGICs) with varying biophysical properties and sub cellular expression profiles. Structural and physiological interactions among these channels define generation and propagation of electrical signals, thereby transforming neuronal dendrites to actively excitable membrane endowed with complex computational capabilities. In parallel to this complex network of plasma membrane channels is an elegantly placed continuous intraneuronal membrane of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) that runs throughout the neuronal morphology. Akin to the plasma membrane, the ER is also endowed with a variety of channels and receptors, prominent among them being the inositol trisphosphate (InsP3) receptors (InsP3Rs) and ryanodine receptors (RyR), both of which are calcium release channels. Physiological interactions among these receptors transform the ER into a calcium excitable membrane, capable of active propagation of calcium waves and of spatiotemporal integration of neuronal signals. Thus, a neuron is endowed with two continuously parallel excitable membranes that actively participate in the bidirectional flow of intraneuronal information, through interactions among different channels and receptors on either membrane. Although the interactions among sets of channels and receptors present individually on either membrane are very well characterized, our understanding of cross-membrane interactions among channels and receptors across these two membranes has been very limited. Recent literature has emphasized the critical nature of such cross-membrane interactions and the several physiological roles played by such interactions. Such cross-channel interactions include ER depletion-induced signaling involving store-operated calcium channels, generation and propagation of calcium waves through interactions between plasma membrane and ER membrane receptors, and the plasticity of plasma membrane VGICs and receptors induced by ER Ca2+. Such tight interactions between these two membranes have highlighted several roles of the ER in the integration of intraneuronal information, in regulating signalling microdomains and in regulating the downstream signaling pathways that are regulated by these Ca2+ signals. Yet, our understanding about the functional interactions between the ion channels and receptors present on either of these membranes is very limited from the perspective of the combinatorial possibilities that encompass the span of channels and receptors across these two membranes. In this context, the first part of this thesis deals with two specific instances of such cross-membrane functional interactions, presented as two subparts with each probing different direction of impact. Specifically, whereas the first of these subparts deals with the impact of plasma membrane VGICs on the physiology of ER receptors, the second subpart presents an instance of the effect of ER receptor activation on plasma membrane VGIC. In the first subpart of the thesis, we establish a novel role for the A-type potassium current in regulating the release of calcium through inositol triphosphate receptors (InsP3R) that reside on the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of hippocampus pyramidal neurons. Specifically, the A-type potassium current has been implicated in the regulation of several physiological processes including the regulation of calcium influx through voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs). Given the dependence of InsP3R open probability on cytosolic calcium concentration ([Ca2+]c) we asked if this regulation of calcium influx by A-type potassium current could translate into the regulation of release of calcium through InsP3Rs by the A-type potassium current. To answer this, we constructed morphologically realistic, conductance-based neuronal models equipped with kinetic schemes that govern several calcium signalling modules and pathways, and constrained the distributions and properties of constitutive components by experimental measurements from these neurons. Employing these models, we establish a bell-shaped dependence of calcium release through InsP3Rs on the density of A-type potassium current, during the propagation of an intraneuronal calcium wave initiated through established protocols. Exploring the sensitivities of calcium wave initiation and propagation to several underlying parameters, we found that ER calcium release critically depends on dendrite diameter and wave initiation occurred at branch points as a consequence of high surface area to volume ratio of oblique dendrites. Further, analogous to the role of A-type potassium channels in regulating spike latency, we found that an increase in the density of A-type potassium channels led to increases in the latency and the temporal spread of a propagating calcium wave. Next, we incorporated kinetic models for the metabotropic glutamate receptor (miler) signalling components and a calcium-controlled plasticity rule into our model and demonstrate that the presence of mGluRs induced a leftward shift in a BCM-like synaptic plasticity profile. Finally, we show that the A-type potassium current could regulate the relative contribution of ER calcium to synaptic plasticity induced either through 900 pulses of various stimulus frequencies or through theta burst stimulation. These results establish a novel form of interaction between active dendrites and the ER membrane and suggest that A-type K+ channels are ideally placed for inhibiting the suppression of InsP3Rs in thin-caliber dendrites. Furthermore, they uncover a powerful mechanism that could regulate biophysical/biochemical signal integration and steer the spatiotemporal spread of signalling micro domains through changes in dendritic excitability. In the second subpart, we turned our focus to the role of calcium released through InsP3Rs in regulating the properties of VGICs present on the plasma membrane, thereby altering neuronal intrinsic properties that are dependent on these VGICs. Specifically, the synaptic plasticity literature has focused on establishing necessity and sufficiency as two essential and distinct features in causally relating a signalling molecule to plasticity induction, an approach that has been surprisingly lacking in the intrinsic plasticity literature. Here, we complemented the recently established necessity of inositol trisphosphate (InsP3) receptors (InsP3R) in a form of intrinsic plasticity by asking if ER InsP3R activation was sufficient to induce plasticity in intrinsic properties of hippocampus neurons. To do this, we employed whole-cell patch-clamp recordings to infuse D-myo-InsP3, the endogenous ligand for InsP3Rs, into hippocampus pyramidal neurons and assessed the impact of InsP3R activation on neuronal intrinsic properties. We found that such activation reduced input resistance, maximal impedance amplitude and temporal summation, but increased resonance frequency, resonance strength, sag ratio, and impedance phase lead of hippocampus pyramidal neurons. Strikingly, the magnitude of plasticity in all these measurements was dependent upon [InsP3], emphasizing the graded dependence of such plasticity on InsP3R activation. Mechanistically, we found that this InsP3-induced plasticity depended on hyperpolarization-activated cyclic-nucleotide gated (HCN) channels. Moreover, this calcium-dependent form of plasticity was critically reliant on the release of calcium through InsP3Rs, the influx of calcium through N-methyl-D -aspartate receptors and voltage-gated calcium channels, and on the protein kinase A pathway. These results delineate a causal role for InsP3Rs in graded adaptation of neuronal response dynamics through changes in plasma membrane ion channels, thereby revealing novel regulatory roles for the endoplasmic reticulum in neural coding and homeostasis. Whereas the first part of the thesis dealt with bidirectional interactions between ER membrane and plasma membrane channels/receptors within a neuron, second part focuses on cross-cellular interactions, specifically between ER membrane on astrocytes and dendritic plasma membrane of neurons. Specifically, the universality of ER-dependent calcium signalling ensures that its critical influence extends to regulating the physiology of astrocytes, an abundant form of glial cells in the hippocampus. Due to the presence of calcium release channels on ER membrane, astrocytes are calcium excitable, whereby they respond to neuronal activity by increase in their cytosolic calcium levels. Specifically, astrocytes respond to the release of neurotransmitters from neuronal presynaptic terminals through activation of metabotropic receptors expressed on their plasma membrane. Such activation results in the mobilization of cytosolic InsP3 and subsequent release of calcium through InsP3 on the astrocytes ER membrane. These ER-dependent [Ca2+]c elevations in astrocytes then result in the release of gliotransmitters from astrocytes, which bind to corresponding receptors located on neuronal plasma membrane resulting in voltage-deflections and/or activation of signaling pathways in the neuron. Although it is well established that gliotransmission constitutes an important communication channel between astrocytes and neurons, the impact of gliotransmission on neurons have largely been centered at the cell body of the neurons. Consequently, the impact of the activation of astrocytic InsP3R on neuronal dendrites, and the role of dendritic active conductances in regulating this impact have been lacking. This lacuna in mapping the spatial spread of gliotransmission in neurons is especially striking because most afferent synapses impinge on neuronal dendrites, and a significant proportion of information processing in neurons is performed in their dendritic arborization. Additionally, given that active dendritic conductances play a pivotal role in regulating the impact of fast synaptic neurotransmission on neurons, we hypothesized that such active-dendritic regulation should extend to the impact of slower extrasynaptic gliotransmission on neurons. The second part of the thesis is devoted to testing this hypothesis using dendritic and paired astrocyte-neuron electrophysiological recordings, where we also investigate the specific roles of active dendritic conductances in regulating the impact of gliotransmission initiated through activation of astrocytic InsP3Rs. In testing this hypothesis, in the second part of the thesis, we first demonstrate a significantly large increase in the amplitude of astrocytically originating spontaneous slow excitatory potentials (SEP) in distal dendrites compared to their perisomatic counterparts. Employing specific neuronal infusion of pharmacological agents, we show that blocking HCN channels increased the frequency, rise-time and width of dendritically-recorded spontaneous SEPs, whereas blockade of A-type potassium channels enhanced their amplitude. Next, through paired neuron-astrocytes recordings, we show that our conclusions on the differential roles of HCN and A-type potassium channels in modulating spontaneous SEPs also extended to SEPs induced through infusion of InsP3 in a nearby astrocyte. Additionally, employing subtype-specific receptor blockers during paired neuron-astrocyte recordings, we provide evidence that GluN2B-and GluN2D-containing NMDARs predominantly mediate perisomatic and dendritic SEPs, respectively. Finally, using morphologically realistic conductance-based computational models, we quantitatively demonstrate that dendritic conductances play an active role in mediating compartmentalization of the neuronal impact of gliotransmission. These results unveil an important role for active dendrites in regulating the impact of gliotransmission on neurons, and suggest astrocytes as a source of dendritic plateau potentials that have been implicated in localized plasticity and place cell formation. This thesis is organized into six chapters as follows: Chapter 1 lays the motivations for the questions addressed in the thesis apart from providing the highlights of the results presented here. Chapter 2 provides the background literature for the thesis, introducing facts and concepts that forms the foundation on which the rest of the chapters are built upon. In chapter 3, we present quantitative analyses of the physiological interactions between A-type potassium conductances and InsP3Rs in CA1 pyramidal neurons. In chapter 4, using electrophysiological recordings, we investigate the role of calcium released through InsP3Rs in induction of plasticity of intrinsic response dynamics, and demonstrate that this form of plasticity is consequent to changes in neuronal HCN channels. In chapter 5, we systematically map the spatial dynamics of the impact of gliotransmission on neurons across the somato-apical trunk, also unveiling the role of neuronal HCN and A-type potassium channels in compartmentalizing such impact. Finally, chapter 6 concludes the thesis highlighting its major contributions and discussing directions of future research.

Submitted by LISIERY NEGRINI PAIATTO null (lisy_paiatto@hotmail.com) on 2017-10-23T19:38:26Z No. of bitstreams: 1 DISSERTAÇÃO LISIERY NEGRINI PAIATTO.pdf: 2873819 bytes, checksum: 5b03d17f06d1cc030a85241da7535ae7 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Luiz Galeffi (luizgaleffi@gmail.com) on 2017-10-26T12:04:52Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 paiatto_ln_me_rcla.pdf: 2873819 bytes, checksum: 5b03d17f06d1cc030a85241da7535ae7 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-10-26T12:04:52Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 paiatto_ln_me_rcla.pdf: 2873819 bytes, checksum: 5b03d17f06d1cc030a85241da7535ae7 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-08-31 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) / A quebra da tolerância imunológica a antígenos próprios é um mecanismo gerador comum às respostas imunes deletérias. Várias estratégias têm sido propostas para modular respostas autoimunes, entre as quais se destacam a administração oral de antígenos relacionados à doença, a transferência adotiva de células tolerogênicas e/ou o tratamento com citocinas reguladoras. Nesse contexto, tem sido mostrado que a ingestão de antígenos proteicos presentes na dieta pode gerar efeitos indiretos sobre o sistema imune do hospedeiro, caracterizados pela supressão da resposta imune a proteínas antigenicamente não relacionadas, conhecidos como supressão bystander. O presente projeto teve por objetivo analisar os efeitos indiretos da tolerância oral induzida pela ingestão de ovalbumina (OVA) e a transferência adotiva de células dendríticas isoladas de animais tolerantes a OVA (tDC) na colite induzida por TNBS em camundongos. Os resultados mostraram que o tratamento de camundongos com OVA por via oral, antes ou após a indução da colite e a transferência adotiva de tDC, foram capazes de reduzir sinais da doença, tais como a perda de peso, bem como preservar parcialmente a integridade do tecido colônico, quando comparados aos animais colíticos não tratados com OVA (controles). A supressão bystander relacionada ao consumo de OVA foi associada à expansão da frequência de células T reguladoras (regs) e de células T secretoras de interleucina (IL) -10, possíveis mecanismos de regulação das manifestações clínicas da colite induzida por TNBS. As DC obtidas de animais tolerantes a OVA apresentaram expressão aumentada de CD80, compatível com perfil tolerogênico. A transferência dessa população de células para animais colíticos foi capaz de reduzir os sinais clínicos e histológicos da colite, mimetizando os efeitos da tolerância oral. A transferência adotiva de tDC levou a redução da frequência de células Th17, redução de secreção de IL-17 e IL-9 e aumento de secreção de IL-10 e IL-4 in vitro. Até onde é de nosso conhecimento, não existem dados na literatura mostrando o efeito da tolerância oral e a transferência adotiva de tDC no tratamento de colite. / The breakdown of immune tolerance to self antigens is a common mechanism for deleterious immune responses. Several interventions have been proposed to modulate autoimmune responses, such as oral administration of disease-related antigens, adoptive transfer of tolerogenic cells and/or treatment with regulatory cytokines. In this context, it has been demonstrated that the ingestion of protein antigens can generate indirect effects on the immune system of the host, characterized by suppression of the immune response to antigenically unrelated proteins, known as bystander suppression. The present project aims to analyze the indirect effects of oral tolerance induced by ovalbumin (OVA) and by adoptive transfer of tolerant dendritic cells (tDC) in TNBS induced colitis in mice. Our results showed that the treatment of oral OVA mice before or after induction of colitis and the adductive transfer of tDC were able to reduce the signs of the disease, such as weight loss, as well as partially preserve the integrity of the Compared to non-OVA treated animals (controls). The bystander suppression related to OVA consumption appears to favor the expansion of regulatory (regs) T and interleukin (IL)-10 secreting T cells responsible for reducing the clinical manifestations of TNBS-induced colitis. On the other hand, DC obtained from OVA-tolerant animals showed increased expression of CD80. Administration of this cells population to colitic animals was able to reduce the clinical and histological signs of colitis, possibly by reducing Th17 cells, reduction of secretion of Il-17 and IL-9 and augment of IL-10 and IL-4. To the best of our knowledge, there are no data in the literature showing the effect of oral tolerance and the adoptive transfer of tDC in the treatment of colitis. / FAPESP: 2013/20258-2