Understanding the effects of natural variation in environmental temperature on organisms and how those organisms evolve to live in different thermal environments is a central tenet of evolutionary physiology. Phenotypic differences among populations are the result of local adaptation, innate genetic differences between populations, and phenotypic plasticity, differential responses to the environment. Although not mutually exclusive, distinguishing between these paradigms can help illuminate species boundaries resulting from thermal limitations in physiology. For my dissertation, I examined geographic variation in measures of thermal physiology of the western fence lizard, Sceloporus occidentalis to understand the relative role of adaptation and acclimation in determining the thermal biology of populations of this species living in different thermal environments. To achieve this goal I measured three indices of physiological function; body temperature, thermal tolerance and heat shock protein (Hsp70) abundance, across geographic and seasonal variation in temperature. Furthermore, I examined variation in sprint speed performance before and after heat stress and its relationship to Hsp70 to determine if stress protein expression is a reliable indicator of whole organism physiological stress. I found that geographic location can have a major effect on thermal physiology and performance in S. occidentalis in that thermal tolerance, Hsp70, and sprint speed varied with site and season with warmer southern sites typically more heat adapted than cooler northern sites. I also found a trade off in thermal tolerance suggesting that specialization to temperature was occurring in these lizards. Finally, lizards with increased Hsp70 were typically slower after heat stress indicating that Hsp70 is a reliable indicator of organism stress. Despite these findings, there was no difference in body temperature among sites and seasonal patterns in thermal tolerance suggest that during certain times of the year plastic responses to temperature may mask adaptive differences. Here, I argue that temperature differences between sites has resulted in temperature adaptation at these sites, but that plastic responses to seasonal variation in temperature can become more important during certain times of the year. Although these relationships have been thoroughly studied in invertebrate organisms, further research should examine whether these patterns exist in other vertebrate ectotherm species.

Rhodococcus equi is an important pathogen in foals between one to six months of age and is a major cause of death in in these animals. In addition, R. equi has recently emerged as a significant opportunistic pathogen in immunosuppressed humans, especially those infected with HIV. Despite the ability of the organism to survive stressful growth conditions, for example, exposure to elevated temperature and oxygen radicals, the role of heat shock proteins in the pathogenesis of R. equi has not been well documented. In this project we developed and optimised methods to purify the heat shock protein DnaK from R. equi, using a combination of ion-exchange and affinity chromatography. The effectiveness of the purification protocols were assessed using SDS-PAGE and Western-blotting with anti-DnaK antibodies, and the enzymic activity of the purified DnaK was verified with an ATPase assay. ATPase assays were also used to investigate the roles of other heat shock proteins in enhancing the activity of DnaK.

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Although the eDNA sequences for the 10 k:Da (hsp 10, hsp 1 0) and the 60 k:Da (hsp60, cpn60) heat shock proteins have been obtained for a number of mammalian species, until very recently information was not available on the functional genes encoding these proteins. The primary objective of this work was to clone and sequence the functional genes for these proteins from CHO, Chinese hamster ovary cells. Screening of a lambda EMBL3 CHO genomic library with the CHO hsp 10 eDNA identified a clone containing the putative hsp 10 functional gene. A -5.5 kb fragment was isolated from one of these clones by enzymatic digestion and -3.3 kb was sequenced. The clone was found to contain consensus regulatory sequences upstream of the putative transcription initiation site, + 1, including two Sp 1 binding sites, a CAAT box, and a single heat shock element, HSE, but lacked a TATA box. The coding region consists of four exons, identical to the hsp10 CHO eDNA sequence, separated by three introns, of 200 bp, 600 bp and 1600 bp in size, containing conserved splice sites. Screening of the same EMBL3 CHO genomic library with the CHO hsp 10 eDNA also resulted in isolation of a full length processed pseudogene with -90 % identity to the eDNA. This pseudogene lacked introns, contained a poly(A) tract, as well as various single bp changes, additions and deletions. The upstream region of this pseudo gene was found to contain similarity to the human LINE sequence, a DNA repetitive element. PCR amplification ofCHO-WT genomic DNA resulted in isolation offive additional processed pseudogenes, corresponding to the central -270 bp of the CHO hsplO eDNA. All the pseudogenes displayed a high degree of similarity to the CHO hsp 10 eDNA sequence despite the presence of numerous mutations. Prior to this report, pseudogenes had not been found associated with hsp 10. The identification of these pseudogenes suggests the presence of a multi gene family for this heat shock protein in the CHO genome. Previously, a semi-processed pseudogene, Gel, was identified for hsp60 from CHO cells which contained a single -87 bp intron near its 3' end (Venner eta/., 1990). From this pseudo gene, a fragment containing the -87 bp intron was isolated for use as a probe to screen a lambda EMBL3 CHO genomic library. This resulted in isolation of several positive clones, two of which were purified, a -1.0 kb fragment amplified by PCR and then sequenced revealing two additional semi-processed pseudogenes, designated .A4 and .AS. These pseudo genes were found to be homologous to the GC 1 clone, containing many similar mutations as well as the -87 bp intron. Utilizing CHO-WT genomic DNA, a separate PCR amplification resulted in isolation of a -2.5 kb fragment which was partially sequenced and found to correspond to the putative hsp60 functional gene. The fragment contained one exon, which was identical to the CHO hsp60 eDNA in the region sequenced, and two introns of800 bp and 1500 bp. This fragment can now provide an ideal probe for isolation ofthe CHO hsp60 functional gene. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

<i>Brucella abortus</i> is capable of resisting the microbicidal mechanisms of phagocytic cells and growing within phagocytic cells, usually macrophages. <I>B. abortus</i>, like several other intracellular bacteria responds to the hostile environment in macrophages by producing heat shock proteins (HSPs) which are induced by environmental stresses. Bacterial HSPs are very immunogenic, eliciting both cellular and humoral immune responses in the infected host. The significance of host cellular and protective immune responses directed against these proteins is currently unresolved. Baculovirus recombinants were generated in <i>Sf9</i> insect cells for <i>B. abortus</i> HSPs and the protein expression was optimized. Humoral (Western blot), cell mediated (CMI, IFN-g- release by splenocytes, and CD3+CD4+, CD3+CD8+ T cell/ total splenocytes ratios) and protective immune responses of BALB/c mice (challenge with virulent <i>B. abortus</i> 2308) against these recombinants, against <i>B. abortus</i> superoxide dismutase (SOD) and ribosomal L7/L12 proteins, inoculated alone or in various combinations with complete Freund's, Ribi and recombinant IL-12 as adjuvants, were analyzed. Vaccinia virus-GroEL recombinant as priming immunogen, followed by baculovirus-GroEL-Ribi booster, was explored. Androstenediol, an immune up-regulator, was tested for its ability to induce resistance against challenge. None of the mice inoculated with individual, divalent or trivalent HSP-expressing <i>Sf9</i> cells combined with Freund's were protected against challenge and the <i>Sf9</i> cell-induced response masked the recombinant protein-specific CMI responses. Recombinant HSPs were purified and combined with Ribi. Although significant IFN-g release was induced by immunization with the HtrA-Ribi combination, no mice were protected against challenge. Priming with vaccinia virus-GroEl recombinant and boosting with purified baculovirus-GroEL protein-Ribi combination did not induce protection. Androstenediol did not enhance in vivo resistance to challenge. IL-12 alone did not activate splenocytes but induced significant IFN-g release in mice when combined with killed <i>B. abortu</i>s RB51 vaccine, purified recombinant HtrA or purified SOD proteins, or L7/L12 expressing <i>Escherichia coli</i> cells. Significant protection was induced by SOD combined with IL-12. No correlation was seen between IFN-g release by splenocytes and protection against challenge in the SOD/IL-12-immunized mice. The results suggest that <i>B. abortus</i> HSPs are not highly immunogenic in mice and though various immune responses may be induced by one or another HSPs, protective immune response, unfortunately, is not among them. The results of this study reflect the difficulties in experimenting with immune responses against single or a limited number of recombinant <i>B. abortus</i> proteins. This is particularly true when the task includes induction of a protective immune response and finding significant correlation between different types of immune response assays. / Ph. D.

Creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L.) is a major low-cut cool-season turfgrass used worldwide. The objectives of this research were to: 1) to gain insight into the diurnal fluctuation of N metabolism and effects of cytokinin (CK) and nitrate; 2) to characterize the impacts of N and CK on creeping bentgrass under heat stress; 3) to investigate the simultaneous effects of CK and N on the antioxidant responses of heat stressed creeping bentgrass; and 4) to examine the expression pattern of the major heat shock proteins (HSPs) in creeping bentgrass during different heat stress periods, and then to study the influence of N on the expression pattern of HSPs. The transcript abundance of nitrate reductase (NR), nitrite reductase (NIR), plastidic glutamine synthetase (GS2), ferredoxin-dependent glutamate synthase (Fd-GOGAT), and glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) and N metabolites in shoots were monitored during the day/night cycle (14/8 h). All the measured parameters exhibited clear diurnal changes, except GS2 expression and total protein. Both NR expression and nitrate content in shoots showed a peak after 8.5 h in dark, indicating a coordinated oscillation. Nitrate nutrition increased diurnal variation of nitrate content compared to control and CKHowever, CK shifted the diurnal in vivo NR activity pattern during this period. Grass grown at high N had better turf quality (TQ), higher Fv/Fm, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and chlorophyll concentration at both 15 d and 28 d of heat stress than at low N, except for TQ at 15 d. Shoot NO3-, NH4+, and amino acids increased due to the high N treatment, but not water soluble proteins. High N also induced maximum shoot nitrate reductase activity (NRmax) at 1 d. CK increased NDVI at 15 d and Fv/Fm at 28 d. In addition, grass under 100 µM CK had greatest NRmax at both 1 d and 28 d. Under high N with 100 µM CK, root tZR and iPA were 160% and 97% higher than under low N without CK, respectively. Higher O2- production, H2O2 concentration, and higher malonydialdehyde (MDA) content in roots were observed in grass grown at high N. The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and guaiacol peroxidase (POD) in roots were enhanced by high N at 19, 22, and 24% levels, respectively, relative to low N. Twenty-eight days of heat stress resulted in either the development of new isoforms or enhanced isoform intensities of SOD, APX, and POD in roots compared to the grass responses prior to heat stress. However, no apparent differences were observed among treatments. No CK effects on these antioxidant parameters were found in this experiment. At week seven, grass at medium N had better TQ, NDVI, and Fv/Fm accompanied by lower shoot electrolyte leakage (ShEL) and higher root viability (RV), suggesting better heat resistance. All the investigated HSPs (HSP101, HSP90, HSP70, and sHSPs) were up-regulated by heat stress. Their expression patterns indicated cooperation between different HSPs and that their roles in creeping bentgrass thermotolerance were affected by N level. / Ph. D.

Due to the fact that bone cells are highly responsive to mechanical stimuli, shear stress has been extensively studied for its ability to enhance osteogenic differentiation through mechanotransduction. In addition, thermal stress has also been explored as a conditioning method to stimulate cellular proliferation, differentiation, and cytoprotection through heat shock protein induction. Despite the beneficial effects observed with individual stress on cells, there has been little focus on the potential of a combination of stresses to improve cellular response. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of combined shear and thermal stress on preosteoblasts to stimulate an enhanced osteogenic response. To achieve this, MC3T3-E1 cells were exposed to one of the following protocols for an hour: no stress (control), shear stress at 1 dyne/cm2 using a parallel plate flow chamber, thermal stress in a 42°C incubator, or combined shear and thermal stress (1 dyne/cm2 at 42°C). Stress treatments were applied on Day 2, Day 6, and Day 10. To assess the early response of cells to stress treatments, we measured metabolic activity, expression of signaling factors, and HSPs following stress on Day 2. Despite an initial decrease in metabolism, combined stress stimulated a strong response in VEGF (12.49 RFI) COX-2 (12.32 RFI), HSPs (2-4 RFI) and increased PGE accumulation. The long-term cellular response to stress treatments was measured on Day 15 by evaluating the ability of combined stress to stimulate late stage markers of differentiation. Combined stress increased OPN gene and protein expression, yet OCN was minimally affected by stress treatments. However, mineralization was significantly decreased with combined stress. Overall, combined stress was able to stimulate an enhanced effect across a majority of the bone-related markers measured, whereas individual shear stress or thermal stress were limited in their response. This suggests that combined stress can provide the appropriate cues to modify osteoblast differentiation and generate an enhanced osteogenic response. / Master of Science

Laser therapies can provide a minimally invasive treatment alternative to surgical resection of tumors. However, therapy effectiveness is limited due to nonspecific heating of target tissue, leading to healthy tissue injury and extended treatment durations. These therapies can be further compromised due to heat shock protein (HSP) induction in tumor regions where non-lethal temperature elevation occurs, thereby imparting enhanced tumor cell viability and resistance to subsequent therapy treatments. Introducing nanoparticles (NPs), such as multi-walled nanotubes (MWNTs) or carbon nanohorns (CNHs), into target tissue prior to laser irradiation increases heating selectivity permitting more precise thermal energy delivery to the tumor region and enhances thermal deposition thereby increasing tumor injury and reducing HSP expression induction. This research investigates the impact of MWNTs and CNHs in untreated and laser-irradiated monolayer cell culture, tissue phantoms, and/or tumor tissue from both thermal and biological standpoints. Cell viability remained high for all unheated NP-containing samples, demonstrating the non-toxic nature of both the nanoparticle and the alginate phantom. Up-regulation of HSP27, 70 and 90 was witnessed in samples that achieved sub-lethal temperature elevations. Tuning of laser parameters permitted dramatic temperature elevations, decreased cell viability, and limited HSP induction in NP-containing samples compared to those lacking NPs. Preliminary work showed MWNT internalization by cells, which presents imaging and multi-modal therapy options for NT use. The lethal combination of NPs and laser light and NP internalization reveals these particles as being viable options for enhancing the thermal deposition and specificity of hyperthermia treatments to eliminate cancer. / Master of Science

La bactérie lactique Oenococcus oeni qui fait partie de la flore d’intérêt du vin, est responsable de la fermentation malolactique. Au cours de son développement dans le vin, Oenococcus oeni est confronté à des conditions physicochimiques drastiques (présence d’éthanol, pH 3,5, basse température, présence de composés soufrés, …). Sa capacité à s’adapter à ces conditions défavorables en fait un bon modèle d’étude de la réponse à de multiples stress chez les bactéries lactiques (Guzzo et al., 2000). L’un des mécanismes de résistance d’O. oeni fait intervenir une protéine de choc thermique de faible masse moléculaire ou sHsp (small Heat shock protein) nommée Lo18. La protéine Lo18 possède une activité de chaperon ATP-indépendante. C'est-à-dire que son association avec une protéine en cours de dénaturation permet de protéger la protéine et d’empêcher son agrégation. De plus elle est capable de s’associer avec les bicouches lipidiques et de stabiliser la structure lipidique.Les sHsp se caractérisent par la présence d’une région d’environ 90 acides aminés appelée α-cristallin impliquée dans l’activité de chaperon moléculaire in vitro. En général, les extrémités N- et C- terminales jouent un rôle essentiel dans le processus d’oligomérisation qui est nécessaire à l’activité chaperon. Dans l’optique d’étudier la relation entre la structure et la fonction de la sHsp Lo18, son activité et son oligomérisation ont été caractérisées à différents pH. Les résultats ont montré que le pH influe sur l’oligomérisation de Lo18 et également son activité de chaperon moléculaire. Des protéines Lo18 modifiées dans le domaine α-cristallin ont également été caractérisées. Elles ont permis de démontrer qu’une substitution d’acide aminé dans ce domaine altère l’activité de Lo18. Enfin des formes tronquées de Lo18 pour ses deux portions N- et C- terminales ont été construites, surproduites chez Escherichia coli, puis purifiées par chromatographie d’affinité hydrophobe.La capacité de Lo18 à empêcher l’agrégation des protéines et à stabiliser les membranes lipidiques nous a conduit à tester l’impact de Lo18 d’une part sur la surproduction in vivo chez Escherichia coli de protéines hétérologues d’intérêt, et d’autre part sur la formation d’un caillé laitier riche en caséine et lipides.La surproduction hétérologue de protéines chez E. coli est utilisée pour produire de grandes quantités de protéines à faibles couts. Cependant cette production n’est pas toujours efficace car l’accumulation d’une même protéine dans la cellule de la bactérie conduit souvent à son agrégation et à sa dégradation. Il apparait nécessaire de développer des systèmes permettant d’améliorer la solubilité des protéines surproduites chez E. coli. Nous avons donc testé les potentialités de Lo18 dans ce système, et montré une augmentation de la solubilité de protéines d’intérêt coproduites avec la sHsp Lo18 et/ou la Hsp GroEL/ES.Le lait comporte quatre composants dominants : l’eau, les matières grasses, les protéines et le lactose. En technologie fromagère, la coagulation correspond à une déstabilisation de l’état micellaire des protéines majoritaires du lait: les caséines. La prise en gel est suivie d’une phase d'égouttage, la synérèse, qui correspond à la perte d’une partie du lactosérum hors du gel. Les propriétés de chaperon moléculaire de la protéine Lo18 ont permis d’influencer l’agrégation des caséines in vitro. Nous avons donc appliqué Lo18 au modèle caillé laitier et décelé des applications industrielles possibles. Nous avons notamment montré en laboratoire une accélération de la phase de prise en gel, et une accélération du processus de synérèse. En modèle fromager nous avons mis en évidence que Lo18 permet de diminuer le taux d’humidité dans les fromages de type « pâtes molles » / The lactic acid bacteria Oenococcus oeni is part of the flora of interest in wine. It is responsible for malolactic fermentation. During its development in the wine, Oenococcus oeni is facing drastic physicochemical conditions (presence of ethanol, pH 3.5, low temperature, presence of sulfuric compounds). Its ability to adapt to these conditions makes of it a good model to study the response to multiple stress in lactic acid bacteria (Guzzo et al., 2000). One mechanism of resistance of O. oeni involves a Heat shock protein (Hsp) of low molecular weight or sHsp (small Heat shock protein) called Lo18.Lo18 protein has a chaperone activity ATP-independent. It is to say that its association with a protein during denaturation can protect the protein and prevent its aggregation. In addition Lo18 is able to bind with lipid bilayers and stabilize the lipidic structure.The sHsp are characterized by the presence of a region of about 90 amino acids, called α-crystallin, involved in molecular chaperone activity in vitro. In most cases, the N-and C-termini regions play an essential role in the oligomerization process that is necessary for the chaperone activity.In order to study the relationship between structure and function of Lo18, its activity and oligomerization were characterized at different pH. The results showed that the pH affects the oligomerization of Lo18 and also its molecular chaperone activity. Lo18 modified proteins in their α-crystallin region was also characterized. They have shown that a single amino acid substitution alters the activity of Lo18. Finally truncated forms of Lo18 in its two portions N-and C-termini were constructed, overproduced in Escherichia coli and purified by hydrophobic affinity chromatography.The ability of Lo18 to prevent aggregation of proteins and stabilize lipid membranes led us to test the impact of Lo18 for heterologous overproduction in Escherichia coli, and also in the formation of a curd milk rich in casein and fat.Overproduction of heterologous proteins in E. coli is widely used to produce large amounts of protein at low cost. However, this production is not easy because the accumulation of a protein in bacteria’s cell often leads to its aggregation and degradation. It appears necessary to develop systems to improve the solubility of proteins overproduced in E. coli. We therefore tested the potential of Lo18 in this system, and showed an increase in the solubility of proteins of interest coproduced with the sHsp Lo18 and / or the Hsp system GroEL / ES.Milk has four dominant components: water, fat, protein and lactose. In cheese technology, coagulation is a destabilization of the micellar state of the major proteins of milk: the caseins. Jellyfication phase is followed by a dripping phase called syneresis, which corresponds to the loss of part of the whey out of the gel.The properties of the sHsp Lo18 influenced the aggregation of the caseins in vitro. So we applied Lo18 on the curd milk model and detected possible industrial applications. In particular, we showed in laboratory an acceleration of the jellyfication phase, and an acceleration of the syneresis. In cheese model we have shown that Lo18 is able to reduce the humidity rate in cheeses