Preliminary studies from our laboratory showed that cPLA2α may be responsible for approximately 50-60% of the PGE2 production in response to inflammatory cytokines. Thus, we hypothesized that a closely-related PLA2 is responsible for 40-50% of the PGE2 produced in response to inflammatory cytokines. To this end, we utilized RNAi technology, extensively optimized, to down regulate the expression of closely-related isoforms of phospholipase A2 in A549 cells and used an enzyme linked immuno sorbent assay (ELISA) to quantitate the PGE2 produced. These studies found that cytosolic phospholipase A2α (cPLA2α) regulated 97.7% of the prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) produced in response to inflammatory cytokines (e.g. IL-1β or TNFα), as well as regulating the basal levels of this prostanoid. Furthermore, cPLA2γ, cPLA2δ, and iPLA2 were found to also to regulate the basal levels of PGE2 production. On the other hand, cPLA2β was not involved in prostanoid synthesis in A549 cells either in the presence or absence of inflammatory cytokines. Thus, our studies show that cPLA2α plays the pivotal role in the production of PGE2 in response to inflammatory cytokines, and suggests that cPLA2α may be a possible drug target in diseases such as asthma, inflammation, and cancer.

Resumo: O aumento da glândula prostática canina com o envelhecimento pode ser decorrente de uma proliferação excessiva do estroma e epitélio acinar, uma diminuição na taxa de apoptose, entre outros. Esses processos celulares são mediados por hormônios, fatores de crescimento e proteínas, dentre elas podemos citar as proteínas CYR61 e p-ERK1/2 e os fatores de crescimento EGF, TGF- e EGFr. Próstatas originadas de 29 cães, com pesos variando entre 6 a 40 kg, foram retiradas, lavadas e pesadas e o volume medido, os valores variaram em 3,8 a 130 g e 2,4 a 90 cm3 respectivamente. Dos fragmentos avaliados 55,17% apresentaram diagnóstico de HPB-ep e 5,75% apresentaram diagnóstico normal. Exames de IHQ foram realizados e para a proteína CYR61 houve uma forte imunorreatividade nas FML, MLA e núcleo das células epiteliais dos fragmentos avaliados. Houve diferenças estatísticas entre grupos de HPB quanto a fração da área de marcação, no exame de W.B. a proteína teve como peso molecular médio 37,72 kDa. Quanto ao EGF houve uma predominância de marcação na FML e núcleo das células epiteliais, os pesos moleculares médio deste fator de crescimento foi de 47,03 e 41,65 kDa nos fragmentos prostáticos avaliados. O TGF- teve imunorreatividade nas FML e citoplasma das células epiteliais, e no exame de W.B. houve 2 bandas de pesos moleculares médios de 52,23 e 38,88 kDa. O receptor de membrana EGFr apresentou imunorreatividade nas FML e núcleo das células epiteliais, no W.B. houve apenas uma banda visível de peso molecular médio de 48,49 kDa. A proteína p-ERK1/2 esteve predominante nas FML e núcleo das células e no W.B. apresentou 3 bandas de pesos moleculares médios de 42,61; 39,56 e 37,26 kDa. Houve correlação positiva entre as proteínas e os fatores de crescimento. / Abstract: The canine prostate gland enlargement also aging could be resulting of excessive stroma and acinar epithelium proliferation, reduced apoptosis, among other. These cellular mechanisms are mediated by hormones, growth factors and proteins, like the proteins CYR61 and p-ERK1/2 and the growth factors EGF, TGF- e EGFr. Prostate from 29 dogs, weighing 6 to 40 kg, were collected, washed, wheighed and volume was measured, with average from 3,8 to 130 g and 2,4 to 90 cm3 respectively. Approximately 55,17% of samples were diagnosed with HPB-ep and 5,75% were normal. IHQ exams were accomplished and high CYR61 immunoreactivity in SMF, ASM and epithelial cells nucleus was observed. There were statistical differences between BHP groups related to immunoreactivity area, by means of W. B. and the mean molecular weight was 37,72 kDa. By analyzing EGF, immunoreactivity in SMF epithelial cells nucleus was prevalent, the mean molecular weights was 47,03 41,65 kDa. TGF- presented immunoreactivity in SMF and epithelial cells cytoplasm and W.B. showed two bands with mean weight 52,23 and 38,88 kDa. The EGFr membrane receptor presented immunoreactivity in SMF and epithelial cells nucleus, W.B. showed only one visible band with mean molecular weight 48,49 kDa. The p-ERK1/2 protein was prevalent in SMF and cell nucleus, W.B. showed three bands with mean molecular weights 42, 61; 39,56 and 37,26 kDa. There was positive correlation between proteins and growth factors. / Orientador: Gilson Hélio Toniollo / Coorientadora: Renée Laufer Amorin / Coorientador: José Félix Pérez Gutiérrez / Banca: Rosangela Zacarias Machado / Banca: Mirela Tinucci Costa / Banca: Eugênio Gonçalves de Araújo / Banca: Sebastião Roberto Taboga / Doutor

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:35:11Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2009-02-06Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T19:24:33Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 oliveira_ks_dr_jabo.pdf: 9693100 bytes, checksum: cbce02641faf86a0db97373d5c457eff (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) / O aumento da glândula prostática canina com o envelhecimento pode ser decorrente de uma proliferação excessiva do estroma e epitélio acinar, uma diminuição na taxa de apoptose, entre outros. Esses processos celulares são mediados por hormônios, fatores de crescimento e proteínas, dentre elas podemos citar as proteínas CYR61 e p-ERK1/2 e os fatores de crescimento EGF, TGF- e EGFr. Próstatas originadas de 29 cães, com pesos variando entre 6 a 40 kg, foram retiradas, lavadas e pesadas e o volume medido, os valores variaram em 3,8 a 130 g e 2,4 a 90 cm3 respectivamente. Dos fragmentos avaliados 55,17% apresentaram diagnóstico de HPB-ep e 5,75% apresentaram diagnóstico normal. Exames de IHQ foram realizados e para a proteína CYR61 houve uma forte imunorreatividade nas FML, MLA e núcleo das células epiteliais dos fragmentos avaliados. Houve diferenças estatísticas entre grupos de HPB quanto a fração da área de marcação, no exame de W.B. a proteína teve como peso molecular médio 37,72 kDa. Quanto ao EGF houve uma predominância de marcação na FML e núcleo das células epiteliais, os pesos moleculares médio deste fator de crescimento foi de 47,03 e 41,65 kDa nos fragmentos prostáticos avaliados. O TGF- teve imunorreatividade nas FML e citoplasma das células epiteliais, e no exame de W.B. houve 2 bandas de pesos moleculares médios de 52,23 e 38,88 kDa. O receptor de membrana EGFr apresentou imunorreatividade nas FML e núcleo das células epiteliais, no W.B. houve apenas uma banda visível de peso molecular médio de 48,49 kDa. A proteína p-ERK1/2 esteve predominante nas FML e núcleo das células e no W.B. apresentou 3 bandas de pesos moleculares médios de 42,61; 39,56 e 37,26 kDa. Houve correlação positiva entre as proteínas e os fatores de crescimento. / The canine prostate gland enlargement also aging could be resulting of excessive stroma and acinar epithelium proliferation, reduced apoptosis, among other. These cellular mechanisms are mediated by hormones, growth factors and proteins, like the proteins CYR61 and p-ERK1/2 and the growth factors EGF, TGF- e EGFr. Prostate from 29 dogs, weighing 6 to 40 kg, were collected, washed, wheighed and volume was measured, with average from 3,8 to 130 g and 2,4 to 90 cm3 respectively. Approximately 55,17% of samples were diagnosed with HPB-ep and 5,75% were normal. IHQ exams were accomplished and high CYR61 immunoreactivity in SMF, ASM and epithelial cells nucleus was observed. There were statistical differences between BHP groups related to immunoreactivity area, by means of W. B. and the mean molecular weight was 37,72 kDa. By analyzing EGF, immunoreactivity in SMF epithelial cells nucleus was prevalent, the mean molecular weights was 47,03 41,65 kDa. TGF- presented immunoreactivity in SMF and epithelial cells cytoplasm and W.B. showed two bands with mean weight 52,23 and 38,88 kDa. The EGFr membrane receptor presented immunoreactivity in SMF and epithelial cells nucleus, W.B. showed only one visible band with mean molecular weight 48,49 kDa. The p-ERK1/2 protein was prevalent in SMF and cell nucleus, W.B. showed three bands with mean molecular weights 42, 61; 39,56 and 37,26 kDa. There was positive correlation between proteins and growth factors.

Orientador: Wilma Aparecida Starke Buzetti / Banca: Caris Maroni Nunes / Banca: Maria Conceição Zocoller Seno / Resumo: Toxocara vitulorum é um parasita nematódeo de alta freqüência no trato intestinal de búfalos, particularmente em bezerros búfalos de um a três meses de idade. Devido à sua alta morbidade e mortalidade, causa consideráveis prejuízos a bubalinocultura. A pesquisa objetivou a obtenção de antígenos de extrato larval solúvel bruto (Ex), do material excretor-secretor (ES) de larvas infectantes e do líquido perientérico (Pe) de adultos de T. vitulorum, bem como a separação das frações protéicas na mistura pelo SDS-PAGE, seguida da análise imunológica por "Western blot" (WB), utilizando-se soros imunes e colostros de búfalos naturalmente infectados com T. vitulorum além de camundongos imunes. O acompanhamento do quadro parasitário dos bezerros búfalos também foi realizado. Pôde-se verificar que os três antígenos, Pe, Ex e ES, apresentaram mobilidades eletroforéticas pelo SDS-PAGE revelando nove (11,5, 14,2, 31, 38, 58, 76, 88, 112 e 165 KDa), onze (11,2, 13,3, 16,5, 22, 25, 32, 43, 53, 68, 82 e 96 KDa) e oito (19, 48, 56, 64, 90, 110, 150 e 190 KDa) bandas protéicas, respectivamente. A maioria dessas frações separadas pela eletroforese, foi reconhecida por todos as amostras de soros e pelo colostro, quando analisada pelo WB. No entanto, somente as bandas de alto peso molecular (68 - 190 KDa) persistiram nos grupos de bezerros búfalos que se encontravam no pico, declínio ou expulsão e na ausência ou autocura, à exceção do antígeno ES, que desapareceu durante o processo de autocura. Já os soros de bezerros búfalos com um de vida, que mamaram o colostro e os daqueles que se encontravam em fase de aparecimento ou ascensão, revelaram com as mesmas frações detectadas no soro e no colostro das búfalas. Os três antígenos reagiram de forma cruzada entre si, quando foram testados com soros homólogos e heterólogos de camundongos imunizados experimentalmente com estes antígenos de T. vitulorum / Abstract: Toxocara vitulorum is a nematode parasite of small intestine of cattle and water buffaloes particularly buffalo calves with one to three months of age, causing high morbidity and mortality. The purpose of this research was the antigen obtaintion and characterization of crude soluble larval extract (Ex), excretory-secretory (ES) of infective larvae, and perienteric fluid (Pe) from adults of T. vitulorum, as well as the separation of protein fractions from the antigenic mixture by SDS-PAGE and analysis of each band by Western blot (WB), using immune sera and colostrum of buffaloes naturally infected by T. vitulorum, and mice experimentally immunized. The parasitological status of the buffalo calves was also evaluated using sequentially coprological examinations. The results showed that three antigens, Pe, Ex and ES, revealed nine (11,5, 14,2, 31, 38, 58, 76, 88, 112, and 165 KDa), eleven (11,2, 13,3, 16,5, 22, 25, 32, 43, 53, 68, 82, and 96 KDa) and eight (19, 48, 56, 64, 90, 110, 150, and 190 KDa) protein bands by SDS-PAGE, respectively. The majority of these isolated bands were recognized by sera and colostrum of all groups of infected animals (buffalo cows one day post parturition and buffalo calves in five different periods of T. vitulorum infection) analyzed by WB. However, only the fractions of high molecular weight (68 - 190 KDa) persisted in the groups of buffalo calves at maximum peak of infection, expulsion and post-expulsion of the parasite or self-cure process, excepting ES antigen, that was not detected during the self-cure process. Sera of buffalo calves at one day of age, after suckling the colostrum and at the beginning of infection reacted with the same bands detected by serum and colostrum of the buffalo cows. The three antigens showed crossed reaction among themselves, when they were tested with homologous and heterologous sera of mice experimentally immunized with them / Mestre

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No. of bitstreams: 2 Tese - Leonardo Guimarães de Oliveira - 2016.pdf: 2541166 bytes, checksum: 5b0501be9f076d03111ca00fcf4980a7 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-03-24 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / The protein profile of hornless Nellore cattle from a segregating population for meat tenderness of extremes shear force, low extreme group (M) and extreme high (D) group, showed differentially expressed proteins. They had greater relative abundance of proteins of the glycolytic process in group M and proteins of the oxidative metabolism evidenced more expressed in group D, fact that probably is correlated to the final tenderness of the meat. Only identified in group D, the cytochrome c protein indicates induction of the apoptotic process in this group of animals. Structural proteins were identified in group M, indicating a possible greater proteolysis. Calpastatin was only identified in group D, this protein is highly related to the final meat tenderness because it is a natural inhibitor of the calpain. Separation of calpastatin by ion exchange column chromatography of two different muscles described two peaks of calpain inhibitory activity: peak 1 (CAST1) and peak 2 (CAST2). CAST 1 activity increased during the post-mortem period in Triceps brachii and showed no difference between days in Longissimus dorsi and on the other hand, total activity of calpastatin and CAST 2 decreased during post-mortem aging. The 115 kDa band of calpastatin decreased its intensity during post-mortem aging in both muscles with more than 70% of the change occurring on the first day. The mitochondrial ATP synthase beta subunit proteins increased and Succinyl CoA ligase decreased after aging and Adenylate kinase isoenzyme decreased on day 7. Calpastatin peaks had weak phosphorylated bands and had different IP and MW patches than 2D-SDS -PAGE. During the purification process of the calpastatin peaks the activity per mg of protein increased but lost half of the total activity presented during the first purification step. For peak 2 of calpastatin the specific activity increased 139.8 times and at the end of this process 36% of the total activity remained. Purified calpastatin was identified on the second-size gel having a molecular weight similar to the western blot. Spots from calpastatin peak 1 and two from calpastatin peak 2 were identified as peptides belonging to the calpastatin molecule. Sequence of peptides identified in Spot from purified peak 1 as part of the inhibitory domain III and IV and of the C-terminus and from the purified peak 2 a sequence of peptides identified as part of the inhibitory domain I, II and III. These results lead us to believe that both peaks, in this case, are degradation products of the intact molecule, and probably the small peptides are broken down during the process. The results of the present study show that purification of distinct forms of active calpastatin is possible, however, the intact form of calpastatin was not present in this purification. The presence of peptides was not conclusive to determine the origin and composition of each active peak. / O perfil protéico de animais da raça nelore mocho de uma população segregante para a maciez da carne de extremos valores de força de cisalhamento, grupo extremo baixo (M) e grupo extremo alto (D), apresentou proteínas diferentemente expressas as quais houve maior abundância relativa de proteínas do processo glicolítico no grupo M e proteínas do metabolismo oxidativo evidenciadas mais expressas no grupo D, fato que provavelmente está correlacionado à maciez final da carne. Apenas identificada no grupo D, a proteína citocromo c indica indução do processo apoptótico neste grupo de animais. Proteínas estruturais foram identificadas no grupo M, indicando uma possível maior proteólise. A calpastatina foi somente identificada no grupo D, esta proteína está altamente relacionada com a maciez final da carne por ser inibidora natural das calpaínas. A separação de calpastatina por cromatografia em coluna de troca iônica de dois músculos diferentes descreveu dois picos de actividade inibitória de calpaínas: pico 1 (CAST1) e pico 2 (CAST2). Atividade de CAST 1 aumentada durante o período post mortem no Triceps brachii e não apresentou diferença entre os dias em Longissimus dorsi e por outro lado, a atividade total de calpastatina e CAST 2 diminuiu durante o envelhecimento post mortem. A banda de 115 kDa da calpastatina diminuiu sua intensidade durante o envelhecimento post mortem em ambos os músculos com mais de 70% da alteração ocorrendo no primeiro dia. As proteínas mitocondriais da subunidade ATP sintase beta aumentaram e a Succinil-CoA ligase diminuiu após o envelhecimento e a Adenilato quinase isoenzima diminuiu no dia 7. Os picos de calpastatina apresentavam faixas fosforiladas fracas e apresentavam manchas em IP e MW diferentes do que 2D-SDS-PAGE. Durante o processo de purificação dos picos de calpastatina a actividade por mg de proteína aumentou mas perdeu metade da atividade total apresentada durante a primeira etapa de purificação. Para o pico 2 de calpastatina a actividade específica aumentou 139,8 vezes e no final deste processo permaneceu 36% da atividade total. A calpastatina purificada foi identificada no gel de segunda dimensão com um peso molecular semelhante ao western blot. Spots do pico 1 da calpastatina e dois do pico 2 da calpastatina foram identificados como peptídeos pertencentes à molécula da calpastatina. Sequêcia de peptídeos identificados em Spot a partir do pico 1 purificado como parte do domínio inibidor III e IV e do terminal C e do pico 2 purificado uma sequêcia de peptideos identificados como parte do domínio inibidor I, II e III. Estes resultados levam-nos a crer que ambos os picos, neste caso, são produtos de degradação da molécula intacta e, provavelmente, os pequenos peptideos são quebrados durante o processo. Os resultados do presente estudo mostram que é possível a purificação de formas distintas de calpastatina activa, contudo a forma intacta de calpastatina não estava presente nesta purificação. A presença de peptídeos não foi conclusiva para determinar a origem ea composição de cada pico ativo.

La présence de Leishmania infantum et Toxoplasma gondii en Provence Alpes Côte d’Azur (PACA) est connue depuis plus d’un siècle. Depuis, leur distribution évolue, l'environnement change, les populations touchées se déplacent, et de nouveaux outils techniques et statistiques permettent de mieux les saisir. Une réactualisation de nos connaissances paraissait donc nécessaire. Nous avons d’abord mené une revue de la littérature sur les leishmanioses viscérales. Ensuite, nous avons montré que la leishmaniose muqueuse à L. infantum est marquée par un probable sous-diagnostic, un caractère peu invasif localement et un risque de viscéralisation significatif. Puis une étude éco-épidémiologique a montré que les deux foyers de leishmaniose en PACA impliquaient des biotopes différents, avec une transmission en zone urbanisée dans le foyer marseillais. Enfin, une étude entomologique a confirmé cette transmission urbaine.Nous avons ensuite étudié la toxoplasmose congénitale. D’abord, nous avons essayé d'améliorer les performances techniques du dépistage en montrant l’intérêt pour le diagnostic moléculaire anténatal d’une extraction optimisée de l’ADN parasitaire sur liquide amniotique en utilisant NucliSENS easyMAG plutôt qu’une extraction manuelle utilisant QIAamp DNA minikit. Nous avons également montré l’apport pour le diagnostic néonatal de la toxoplasmose congénitale des IgM ciblant des antigènes de haut poids moléculaire lors de la comparaison des sera des mères et des enfants par Western Blot. Enfin, nous avons rapporté l’évolution sur 16 ans de 127 patients traités pour toxoplasmose congénitale et montré que 19% des enfants présentaient une choriorétinite au cours du suivi. / The epidemiology of Leishmania infantum and Toxoplasma gondii in the Mediterranean basin has been studied for more than a century. Yet, our understanding of these diseases must be updated because ongoing environmental modifications impact their distribution, because affected population change, and because new technical and statistical tools have become available. We first reviewed scientific literature about visceral leishmaniasis. Then, we conducted a clinical study about autochtonous mucosal leishmaniasis due to L. infantum: we showed that this disease was characterized by underrecognition, low local invasiveness, and risk of visceral spreading. Afterwards, an eco-epidemiological study showed that foci of leishmanisis involved different biotopes in South-Eastern France: we specifically highlighted a urban transmission in the Marseille focus. Finally, an entomological survey confirmed this urban transmission and addressed cocirculation with phleboviruses.Then, we studied congenital toxoplasmosis. We contributed to improve technical performances of current screening strategy: we first showed that an optimized extraction of Toxoplasma DNA from amniotic fluid using NucliSENS easyMAG proved superior to manual extraction using QIAamp DNA minikit. Then, we found that comparison of mother and child antibodies that target high-molecular-mass Toxoplasma gondii antigens by immunoblotting improves neonatal diagnosis. Finally, we reported the 16-year long evolution of 127 children congenitally infected with T. gondii and showed that despite early treatment 19% of children finally developed chorioretinitis.

The dual-specificity protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) play integral roles in the regulation of cell signaling. There is a need for new tools to study these phosphatases, and the identification of inhibitors potentially affords not only new means for their study, but also possible therapeutics for the treatment of diseases caused by their dysregulation. However, the identification of selective inhibitors of the protein phosphatases has proven somewhat difficult. PTP localized to mitochondrion 1 (PTPMT1) is a recently discovered dual-specificity phosphatase that has been implicated in the regulation of insulin secretion. Screening of a commercially available small-molecule library yielded alexidine dihydrochloride, a dibiguanide compound, as an effective and selective inhibitor of PTPMT1 with an in vitro concentration that inhibits response by 50% of 1.08 microM. A related dibiguanide analog, chlorhexidine dihydrochloride, also significantly inhibited PTPMT1, albeit with lower potency, while a monobiguanide analog showed very weak inhibition. Treatment of isolated rat pancreatic islets with alexidine dihydrochloride resulted in a dose-dependent increase in insulin secretion, whereas treatment of a pancreatic beta-cell line with the drug affected the phosphorylation of mitochondrial proteins in a manner similar to genetic inhibition of PTPMT1. Furthermore, knockdown of PTPMT1 in rat islets rendered them insensitive to alexidine dihydrochloride treatment, providing evidence for mechanism-based activity of the inhibitor. Taken together, these studies establish alexidine dihydrochloride as an effective inhibitor of PTPMT1, both in vitro and in cells, and support the notion that PTPMT1 could serve as a pharmacological target in the treatment of type II diabetes. / Dissertation

Studies have shown that the alternative splicing of caspase 9 and the phospho-status of SR proteins, a conserved family of splicing factors, are regulated by chemotherapy and de novo ceramide via the action of protein phosphatase-1 (PP1). Two RNA splice variants are derived from the caspase 9 gene, pro-apoptotic caspase 9a and anti-apoptotic caspase 9b, via alternative splicing by either the inclusion or exclusion of an exon 3, 4, 5, and 6 cassette. In this study, the link between SR proteins and the alternative splicing of caspase 9 was established. Sequence analysis of the exon 3, 4, 5, and 6 cassette of the caspase 9 gene identified five possible high affinity sequences for interaction with the SR protein, SRp30a, a well-established regulator of exon inclusion/exclusion. Replacement mutagenesis identified purine-rich sequences between exons 4 and 5 and wthin exon 6 as important for binding SRp30a and required for expression of the caspase 9a splice variant. In vitro binding assays coupled with competitor studies demonstrated specific binding of RNA trans-acting proteins and SRp30a with these sequences. Furthermore, SDS-PAGE analysis of cross-linked RNA trans-acting factors with these possible RNA cis-elements revealed the specific binding of an approximate 66, 56, 45, and 38 kDa protein/protein complex to these sequences. A previous application of RNAi technology to downregulate SRp30a in A549 lung adenocarcinoma cells induced an approximately 75% decrease in SRp30a expression and induced a dramatic change in the ratio of caspase 9a/caspase 9b. Therefore, these studies have identified SRp30a as a major regulator of the alternative splicing of caspase 9 directly linking de novo ceramide generation, PP1, and SRp30a as the signal transduction pathway regulating the expression of caspase 9.

Background: The secretory epithelial cells of the prostate gland use sophisticated vehicles named prostasomes to relay important information to sperm cells in semen. This prostasome-forming and secretory ability of the epithelial cells is also preserved in poorly differentiated prostate cancer cells. Aim: The aim of this thesis was to examine different characteristics of prostasomes, especially those derived from malignant prostate cells, linked to their potential role in diagnosis and prognostication of prostate cancer. Results: Serum samples of prostate cancer patients contained autoantibodies against seminal prostasomes in a higher concentration than did control sera. These autoantibodies were most frequently directed against 25 prostasome-associated proteins, but no one was prostate specific. Clusterin was one of the most frequently occurring prostasomal proteins. Elevated titers were however seen in both patients´ and control sera. Clusterin turned out to be a major antigen of seminal prostasomes. No prostate specific or prostate cancer specific protein was discovered upon proteomic analysis of prostasomes deriving from malignant cells of vertebral metastases of prostate cancer patients. Human chromosomal DNA was identified in both seminal prostasomes and PC-3 cell prostasomes and strong evidence existed that the DNA was localized inside the prostasomes. Four out of 13 DNA clones of seminal prostasomes featured gene sequences (31%). The corresponding figures for PC-3 cell prostasomes were 4 out of 16 clones (25%). Conclusions: Prostasomes are immunogenic and give rise to serum autoantibodies. The most frequently occurring autoantibodies were directed against 25 prostasomal proteins but none of these was exclusively prostate specific. Thirty different proteins were identified in prostate cancer metastasis-derived prostasomes but none of these proteins was prostate cancer specific. Human chromosomal DNA was identified in prostasomes of both normal and malignant cell origin.

Clostridium chauvoei is a gram-positive, spore-forming anaerobic bacterium. It is the pathogenic agent of blackleg, a disease causing serious toxemia and high mortality in cattle, sheep and many other domestic and wild animals. It is considered the most important Clostridium producing economic losses in livestock. Typically, animals infected with blackleg die rapidly without any signs of illness. Animals quickly die within 12 to 48 hours after contracting the disease. Therefore, the control of this disease is done by commercial vaccines consisting of whole formolized cultures. Immunity against C. chauvoei is associated with whole cell, including its somatic and flagellar antigens while in other clostridial diseases, protective immunity is obtained by the use of vaccines containing toxoids. Moreover, it is essential to obtain new information about the somatic antigens of C. chauvoei. Proteomics is the study of the proteome, the protein complement of the genome. The proteome has been defined as the entire complement of proteins expressed by a cell, organism, or tissue type, and accordingly, proteomics is the study of this complement expressed at a given time or under certain environmental conditions. 2-DE with Immobilized pH Gradients (IPGs) combined with protein identification by Mass Spectrometry (MS) is currently the workhorse for proteomics. Much of information about immunogenic component can be derived from proteomics coupled to Western blotting, namely immunoproteomics. Our study constitutes the first immunoproteomic analysis of C. chauvoei to identify candidate immunogenic antigens for development of new vaccines. Analyses were performed by Western blot and dot blot techniques against the whole cell extract proteins of C. chauvoei separated by 2-DE. Firstly, the growth conditions of two different strains, C. chauvoei ATCC 11957 and C. chauvoei 20 were optimized. After mice immunization studies with experimental vaccines prepared, sera were obtained for evaluation of the immunoglobulin G antibody level by ELISA. After high level of antibody response determination, 1-DE, 2-DE and immunoblot studies were performed for the characterization of immunogenic proteins. In the study, a total of 460 protein spots could be detected on the 2-DE gels by the help of Delta2D image analysis software and 30 of them were reacted with polyclonal antibodies against inactivated whole cells of C. chauvoei. Among these 30 spots, and 8 of them could be characterized by MALDI-TOF MS analyses. Of these 8 spots revealed four different gene products (distinct ORFs). Ornithine decarboxylase, methionine adenosyltransferase, glucose-6-phosphate isomerase, and flagellin protein FliB (C) are the characterized proteins. Glucose-6-phosphate isomerase has been identified as an immunogenic protein for a pathogenic microbe and in C. chauvoei for the first time. Methionine adenosyltransferase and ornithine decarboxylation were identified as immunogenic for C. chauvoei for the first time. The last defined protein is the flagellin protein FliB(C) which is known to be major immunogenic protein of C. chauvoei.