Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Millions of years ago many species had their populations isolated by geographic barriers, during the formation of the drainage systems of South America Rivers. Modifications in relief lead to the actual formation of the hydrographic basins from Rio Grande do Sul state. Since these basins do not have connection among them, species widely distributed, as Aegla uruguayana Schmitt, 1942, may have their genetic variability being influenced by the watersheds which do not allow gene flow to occur. The aim of this study was to verify the influence of geographic barriers to the genetic structure of different populations of A. uruguayana. The migration patterns of heteroduplex DNA were used to analyze two populations of A. uruguayana from two hydrographic regions of the state (East and West). A significant number of haplotypes was observed in each population, reflecting a high proportion of intrapopulation diversity in AMOVA (49,38%). The geographic barriers seem to be influencing the genetic differentiation of A. uruguayana populations, at least among the populations from Rivers Santa Maria, Ibirapuitã and Camaquã, which had FST values calculated. For the other populations it is necessary to analyze a greater number of individuals, what will make easier the verification of the genetic structure. The utilization of an ultra sensitive molecular marker, such as the microsatellites, will allow a more refined analysis about this question. Thus, microsatellite loci were isolated and characterized. The efficiency of the microsatellite isolation was high and primers were designed for three loci, two of these being polymorphic. Two loci, Au05 and Au13, successfully amplified and were highly polymorphic, with seven and eight alleles, respectively, making them promising for the evaluation of differences among A. uruguayana populations. These loci also successfully cross-amplificated in Aegla longirostri, and have potential for the evaluation of other species from the same gender. / Muitas espécies tiveram populações separadas por barreiras geográficas milhões de anos atrás durante a formação dos sistemas de drenagem dos Rios da América do Sul. Modificações no relevo levaram a atual formação das bacias hidrográficas do estado do Rio Grande do Sul. Como estas bacias não possuem ligação entre si, em espécies com distribuição ampla, como Aegla uruguayana Schmitt, 1942, os divisores de água podem estar influenciando a variabilidade genética das populações que não podem manter um fluxo gênico. O objetivo desta dissertação é verificar a influência das barreiras geográficas na estruturação genética de diferentes populações de A. uruguayana. Foi utilizado padrão de bandas de DNA heteroduplex para analisar populações de A. uruguayana de duas regiões hidrográficas do estado (Leste e Oeste). Foi observado um número significativo de haplótipos em cada população, refletindo uma alta proporção de diversidade intra-populacional na AMOVA (49,38%). As barreiras geográficas parecem estar influenciando na diferenciação genética das populações de A. uruguayana, ao menos entre as populações dos Rios Santa Maria, Ibirapuitã e Camaquã, as quais tiveram os valores de FST calculados. Para as outras populações será necessária a análise de um número maior de indivíduos, possibilitando a verificação da estrutura genética. A utilização de um marcador molecular ultra-sensível, como os microssatélites, permitirá uma análise mais refinada sobre esta questão. Para tanto, foram isolados e caracterizados locos de microssatélites. A eficiência do isolamento de microssatélites foi bastante alta, pois designamos primers para três locos, desses, dois se mostraram polimórficos. Os dois locos, Au05 e Au13, amplificaram com sucesso e foram bastante polimórficos, com 07 e 08 alelos respectivamente, o que os torna promissores para avaliar diferenças entre populações de A. uruguayana. Esses locos amplificaram com sucesso em Aegla longirostri, tendo potencial para avaliar outras espécies do mesmo gênero.

Background The Red proteins of lambda phage mediate probably the simplest and most efficient homologous recombination reactions yet described. However the mechanism of dsDNA recombination remains undefined. Results Here we show that the Red proteins can act via full length single stranded intermediates to establish single stranded heteroduplexes at the replication fork. We created asymmetrically digestible dsDNA substrates by exploiting the fact that Redα exonuclease activity requires a 5' phosphorylated end, or is blocked by phosphothioates. Using these substrates, we found that the most efficient configuration for dsDNA recombination occurred when the strand that can prime Okazaki-like synthesis contained both homology regions on the same ssDNA molecule. Furthermore, we show that Red recombination requires replication of the target molecule. Conclusions Hence we propose a new model for dsDNA recombination, termed "beta" recombination, based on the formation of ssDNA heteroduplexes at the replication fork. Implications of the model were tested using (i) an in situ assay for recombination, which showed that recombination generated mixed wild type and recombinant colonies; and (ii) the predicted asymmetries of the homology arms, which showed that recombination is more sensitive to non-homologies attached to 5' than 3' ends. Whereas beta recombination can generate deletions in target BACs of at least 50 kb at about the same efficiency as small deletions, the converse event of insertion is very sensitive to increasing size. Insertions up to 3 kb are most efficiently achieved using beta recombination, however at greater sizes, an alternative Red-mediated mechanism(s) appears to be equally efficient. These findings define a new intermediate in homologous recombination, which also has practical implications for recombineering with the Red proteins.

This thesis reports design, fabrication, and implementation of two different micro electrophoresis system architectures for DNA analyses. The first architecture is traditional single channel layout with several design alternatives for size-based separation of DNA fragments. The second one is novel double channel architecture specialized for rapid mutation detection using heteroduplex analysis (HDA) method with an application of a newly designed injection technique. Besides achieving high resolution separations within the length of 1 mm with single channel arrangement, HDA was successfully applied for 590 base pair (bp) long PCR sample with 3 bp mutations in a separation length of 50 &micro / m in less than 3 minutes with double channel structure. Microchannels were formed using parylene-C due to its conformal deposition, no surface treatment requirement, transparency, biocompatibility, low background fluorescence, etc. Using the advantage of parylene in fabrication, the microchannels were fabricated with an only three-mask process. New double channel architecture is obtained by dividing the 200 &micro / m-wide separation channel into two parts by a 20 &micro / m-thick wall between them. For sample injection, various techniques, such as traditional cross, double-T, and double-L were investigated and optimized for single channel architecture assisting with pullback injection method. For double channel architecture, a novel, u-turn injection technique was applied. Precise control of sample amount by adjusting the injection time was accomplished by this new technique. Using high resolution cross-linked polyacrylamide gel as sieving material, separations were achieved in a very short length and time. Electrophoresis was performed in both channels of the double channel microchips simultaneously under the same conditions. This gives the chance of having a control channel in microchip format, which is very critical for the accuracy and reliability of the results in genetic analyses.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2000. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 94-118).

Background The Red proteins of lambda phage mediate probably the simplest and most efficient homologous recombination reactions yet described. However the mechanism of dsDNA recombination remains undefined. Results Here we show that the Red proteins can act via full length single stranded intermediates to establish single stranded heteroduplexes at the replication fork. We created asymmetrically digestible dsDNA substrates by exploiting the fact that Redα exonuclease activity requires a 5' phosphorylated end, or is blocked by phosphothioates. Using these substrates, we found that the most efficient configuration for dsDNA recombination occurred when the strand that can prime Okazaki-like synthesis contained both homology regions on the same ssDNA molecule. Furthermore, we show that Red recombination requires replication of the target molecule. Conclusions Hence we propose a new model for dsDNA recombination, termed 'beta' recombination, based on the formation of ssDNA heteroduplexes at the replication fork. Implications of the model were tested using (i) an in situ assay for recombination, which showed that recombination generated mixed wild type and recombinant colonies; and (ii) the predicted asymmetries of the homology arms, which showed that recombination is more sensitive to non-homologies attached to 5' than 3' ends. Whereas beta recombination can generate deletions in target BACs of at least 50 kb at about the same efficiency as small deletions, the converse event of insertion is very sensitive to increasing size. Insertions up to 3 kb are most efficiently achieved using beta recombination, however at greater sizes, an alternative Red-mediated mechanism(s) appears to be equally efficient. These findings define a new intermediate in homologous recombination, which also has practical implications for recombineering with the Red proteins.

As novel or variant strains of HEV continue to evolve rapidly both in humans and other animals, it is important to develop a rapid pre-sequencing screening method to select field isolates for further molecular characterization. Two heteroduplex mobility assays (HMA) were developed to genetically differentiate field strains of swine HEV and avian HEV from known reference strains. It was shown that the HMA profiles generally correlate well with nucleotide sequence identities and with phylogenetic clustering between field strains and the reference swine HEV or avian HEV strains. Therefore, by using different HEV isolates as references, the HMA developed in this study can be used as a pre-sequencing screening tool to identify variant HEV isolates for further molecular epidemiological studies. Our previous study showed that avian HEV antibody is prevalent in apparently healthy chickens. A prospective study was conducted on a known seropositive but healthy chicken farm. Avian HEV was identified from the healthy chicken flock. Avian HEV isolates recovered from the healthy chicken share 70-97% nucleotide sequence identities with those isolates which cause hepatitis-splenomegaly (HS) syndrome based on partial helicase and capsid gene regions. Recovery of identical viruses from the experimentally inoculated chickens in the subsequent transmission study further confirmed our field results. The capsid gene of avian HEV isolates from chickens with HS syndrome were also characterized and found to be heterogeneic, with 76-100% nucleotide sequence identities to each other. The study indicates that avian HEV is enzootic in chicken flocks and spread subclinically among chicken populations, and that the virus is heterogeneic. As HEV can not be propagated <i>in vitro</i>, in order to further characterize avian HEV, an infectious viral stock with a known infectious titer must be generated. Bile and feces collected from specific-pathogen-free (SPF) chickens experimentally infected with avian HEV were used to prepare an avian HEV infectious stock. The infectivity titer of this infectious stock was determined, by intravenously inoculating one-week old SPF chickens, to be 5 x 10^4.5 50% chicken infectious doses (CID₅₀) per ml. Seroconversion, viremia as well as fecal virus shedding were observed in the inoculated chickens. Contact control chickens also became infected via direct contact with inoculated ones. Avian HEV infection in chickens was found to be dose-dependent. To determine if avian HEV can infect across species, one-week old SPF turkeys were intravenously inoculated each with 10^4.5(CID₅₀) of avian HEV. The inoculated turkeys seroconverted to avian HEV antibodies at 4-8 weeks postinoculation (WPI). Viremia was detected at 2-6 WPI, and fecal virus shedding at 4-7 WPI in inoculated turkeys. This is the first demonstration of cross-species infection by avian HEV. Little is known regarding the characteristics of the small ORF3 protein largely due to the lack of a cell culture system for HEV. To characterize the small protein, the ORF3 proteins of avian HEV and swine HEV were expressed in <i>Escherchia coli</i>, and purified by BugBuster His-Bind Purification System. Western blot analysis showed that avian HEV ORF3 protein is unique and does not share common antigenic epitopes with those of swine HEV and human HEV. However, swine HEV (genotype 3) and human HEV (genotype 1) ORF3 proteins cross-react with each other antigenically. To determine if the ORF3 protein is a virion protein, infectious stocks of avian HEV and swine HEV were first generated in SPF chickens and pigs, respectively. Virions were subsequently purified by sucrose density gradient centrifugation and virion proteins were characterized by SDS-PAGE and Western blot analysis. Two major forms of ORF2 proteins of avian HEV were identified: a 56 kDa and an 80 kDa proteins. Multiple immunoreactive forms of ORF2 proteins of swine HEV were also observed: 40 kDa, 53 kDa, 56 kDa and 72 kDa. However, the ORF3 protein was not detected from the native virions of avian HEV or swine HEV. These findings provide direct evidence that ORF2 indeed encodes a structural protein of HEV, whereas ORF3 does not. To search for other potential animal reservoirs for HEV, the prevalence of IgG anti-HEV antibody was determined in field mice caught in chicken farms to assess the possibility of mice as a potential reservoir for HEV infection in chickens. Three different recombinant HEV antigens derived from avian HEV, swine HEV, and human HEV were used in the ELISA assays. The anti-HEV seropositive rates in wild field mice (<i>Mus musculus</i>), depending upon the antigen used, are 15/76 (20%), 39/74 (53%), and 43/74 (58%), respectively. HEV RNA was also detected from 29 fecal and/or serum samples of mice. The HEV sequences recovered from field mice shared 72-100% nucleotide sequence identities with each other, 73-99% sequence identities with avian HEV isolates, and 51-60% sequence identities with representative strains of swine and human HEVs. However, attempts to experimentally infect laboratory mice (Mus musculus) with the PCR-positive fecal materials recovered from the wild field mice were unsuccessful. We also attempted to experimentally infect 10 Wistar rats each with avian HEV, swine HEV, and an US-2 strain of human HEV, respectively. However, the inoculated rats did not become infected as evidenced by the lack of viremia, virus shedding in feces or seroconversion. These data suggest that mice caught in chicken farms are infected by a HEV-like virus, but additional work is needed to determine the origin of the mouse virus as well as the potential role of rodents in HEV transmission. In summary, we developed two HMAs which are useful for differentiation and identification of variant strains of swine and avian HEVs. We genetically identified and characterized an avian HEV strain from apparently healthy chickens in seropositive flocks. We showed that avian HEV can cross species barriers and infect turkeys. Our data indicated that avian and swine HEV ORF2 genes encode structural proteins, whereas ORF3 genes do not. Evidence in this study also showed that HEV or HEV-like agent exists in field mice on a chicken farm. / Ph. D.

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is extremely severe malignant disease with a five-year survival of less than 5%. Currently there is no reliable tool for the diagnosis of PC in its early stages. At the time of clinical symptoms most patients are in an advanced stage of the disease and the treatment does not usually have a significant effect. For these reasons emphasis is gradually shifting to the search for the suitable molecular markers for improvement of the diagnosis and assessment of the survival prognosis with respect to a possibility of surgical treatment. MiRNA represent one of the most promising markers, although, their examination in pancreatic tissue is a complicated process. One of the reasons is the very small amount of the source material coming from a fine needle biopsy. A second cause of problems is the subtle character of the pancreatic tissue resulting in significantly lower yields of molecular genetic analysis when compared to other epithelial tissues. An additional negative factor is heterogeneity of the tissue resulting in disproportionate representation of tumor cells within the sample. A suitable choice of procedures for isolation of nucleic acids (NA) and subsequent analysis including quantification of tumor cells is critical for accurate evaluation of the miRNA levels. This work is...