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Coccolithophores are single-celled marine phytoplankton, which produce intricate calcium carbonate platelets or ‘coccoliths’. Emiliania huxleyi is the most abundant and widespread coccolithophore, and is one of the most productive calcifying species on earth, playing a key role in global carbon, carbonate and sulphur cycles. Despite much research into coccolithophore biology, the underlying function of their coccoliths is still unknown. The main aim of the research reported in this thesis was to examine the impact of calcification on metabolism in coccolithophores. Calcification is a significant global process, so it is important to discover what effect it has on the metabolism of cells. The major metabolites each have different costs and benefits to the cell, which will vary depending on the habitat and environmental conditions the cell is in. By comparing the metabolite profiles of different strains, including calcifying, non-calcifying, haploid and diploid cells, differences in metabolite composition and potential patterns related to cell type were investigated. Low molecular weight (LMW) metabolites were characterised using a combination of metabolomic techniques. In agreement with previous research, dimethylsulphoniopropionate (DMSP) was the most abundant compound, followed by mannitol and glycine betaine (GBT). Less abundant sugars, polyols and amino acids were also identified. Environmental factors were manipulated to investigate how the principal metabolites were affected by salinity, different light intensities and nutrient (phosphate and nitrate) limitation. The data revealed a striking difference between haploid and diploid cells of the same strain, with the haploid containing lower concentrations of most of the major metabolites. Thus it is proposed that haploid cells have a different osmoregulatory strategy from the diploid cells. A negative correlation was found between DMSP and mannitol, suggesting that mannitol has a dual function, not only as a major storage compound but also as a principal compatible solute. Untargeted metabolite profiling is becoming a popular tool to investigate phenotypes and varying environmental conditions. LC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS analyses of a wide range of metabolites showed that it is an effective method to identify differences and similarities between E. huxleyi strains grown in different conditions. Strain and growth phase appear to be the more important factors in differentiating metabolite profiles. Surprisingly there were no obvious metabolite profiling differences between calcifying and non-calcifying cells. Untargeted analysis can, however, be used to identify the compounds that did display differences, and which may be important biomarkers, so warrant further investigation. A range of metabolite profiling techniques highlighted important differences between strains, which will hopefully lead onto further research into the metabolome of E. huxleyi, and the unravelling of important metabolic pathways. There has been little research into the LMW metabolites of E. huxleyi, and especially comparisons between strains. Thus the use of metabolomics is a novel way to investigate the difference between cell types and the possible functions of calcification.

Brevetoxins are natural neurotoxins that are produced by “red tide” algae. In this study, brevetoxin-1 and brevetoxin-2 were incubated with rat liver hepatocytes and rat liver microsomes, respectively. After clean-up steps, samples were analyzed by liquid chromatography-electrospray mass spectrometry (LC-ES-MS). Two metabolites were found for brevetoxin-1: brevetoxin-1-M1 (MW 900 Da), formed by converting one double bond in the E or F ring into a diol; and brevetoxin-1-M2 (MW 884 Da), a hydrolysis product of brevetoxin-1 involving opening of the lactone ring. The incubation study of brevetoxin-2 found two metabolites. Brevetoxin-2-M1 (MW 912 Da) was elucidated by negative mode LC-MS/MS to be the hydrolysis product of brevetoxin-2. The second metabolite (brevetoxin-2-M2, MW 896 Da) was deduced to be brevetoxin-3. All brevetoxins have high affinities for sodium ions. Attempts to obtain informative product ions from the collision induced decomposition (CID) of [M + Na]+ brevetoxin precursor ions only resulted in uninformative sodium ion signals. In our nano-electrospray experiments, the addition of ammonium fluoride resulted in the formation of the ammonium adduct or protonated brevetoxin with a concomitant decrease of the sodium adduct peak. Product ion spectra of [M + NH4]+ and [M + H]+ were similar and provided useful structural information. The optimal values for ammonium fluoride concentration and the cone voltage were experimentally determined. In negative mode electrospray, without additives, deprotonated molecules of brevetoxins do not appear in high abundances, and thus are not well-suited for CID experiments. Several anions were tested for their abilities to form brevetoxin-anion adducts by mixing ammonium salts of these anions with brevetoxin-2 and brevetoxin-3. Under CID, [M + Cl]-, [M + Br]-, [M + OAc]-, [M + HCOO]-, [M + NO3]- adducts all produced only the respective anions in CID experiments, and thus, gave no structural information. In contrast, upon CID, both [M + F]- and [M + HCO3]- precursor adducts gave structurally-informative fragment peaks that exhibited similarities to those of [M - H]- ions; the detailed fragmentation mechanisms are discussed. In comparison, fluoride is a better choice to study brevetoxins in negative ES-MS by the anionic adduct approach.

Os fungos endofíticos constituem uma fonte promissora para descoberta de novos compostos ativos de interesse biotecnológico. Nas últimas décadas, os fungos endofíticos têm recebido atenção no meio científico devido aos compostos que produzem, com estruturas únicas e atividades biológicas de relevância em diversas áreas, inclusive agronômica. Um dos maiores problemas nesta área são as doenças causadas por fungos fitopatogênicos que acometem as culturas. Dentre elas, a antracnose é uma das principais doenças que atinge diversas culturas no Brasil, gerando grandes perdas agrícolas, principalmente as culturas do morango, guaraná e citrus, causadas por fungos do gênero Colletotrichum. Esse trabalho teve como objetivo investigar extratos de linhagens dos fungos endofíticos Fusarium e Penicillium, isolados de folhas do guaranazeiro, com atividade à fitopatógenos do gênero Colletotrichum isolados das culturas de guaraná, morango e citrus. Para tanto foi realizado uma triagem inicial de duas linhagens de fungos, dentre nove, por ensaios biológicos in vitro de cultivo pareado na atividade antifúngica aos três fitopatógenos. As duas linhagens selecionadas, apresentaram os maiores índices de antagonismo contra os três fitopatógenos e foram identificadas como Fusarium sp e Penicillum pinophilum. Os extratos e as frações semipurificadas se mostraram com grande potencial na inibição do crescimento do fitopatógeno do gênero Colletotrichum, causador da antracnose, que provoca grandes perdas nas culturas de importância econômica do Brasil. / Endophitic fungi are a promising source for discovery of new active compounds of biotechnological interest. In recent decades, endophytic fungi have received attention in the scientific community because of compounds they produce, with unique structures and biological activities of relevance in several areas, including agronomy. One of the greatest problems in this is diseases caused by phytopathogenic fungi that affect the crops. Among them, anthracnose is a major disease that affects several crops in Brazil, generating large agricultural losses, especially strawberry crops, guarana and citrus caused by fungi of the genus Colletotrichum. This study investigated endophytic fungi strains of Fusarium and Penicillium extracts isolated from guarana leaves, with activity to phytopathogens of the genus Colletotrichum isolated from guarana crops, strawberry and citrus. For that, it was conducted an initial screening of two strains of fungi, among nine, using in vitro biological assays of cultivation paired in antifungal activity to the three pathogens. The two strains selected had the highest rates of antagonism against the three phytopathogens and were identified as Fusarium sp and Penicillium pinophilum. Extracts and semi-purified fractions were shown with great potential to inhibit pathogen growth of the genus Colletotrichum, which causes anthracnose and, thus, great losses to crops of economic importance in Brazil.

De nos jours, efficacité et précision des diagnostics médicaux sont des éléments essentiels pour la prévention en termes de santé et permettre une prise en charge rapide des maladies des patients. Les récentes innovations technologiques, particulièrement dans les domaines de la microélectronique et des sciences des matériaux ont permis le développement de nouvelles plateformes personnalisées de diagnostics portatifs. Les matériaux électroniques organiques qui ont déjà par le passé démontré leur potentiel en étant intégrés dans des produits de grande consommation tels que les écrans de smartphones ou encore les cellules solaires montrent un fort potentiel pour une intégration dans des dispositifs biomédicaux. En effet, de par leurs natures et leurs propriétés physiques et chimiques, ils peuvent être à la fois en contact avec les milieux biologiques et constituer l’interface entre les éléments biologiques à l’étude, et les dispositifs électroniques. L’objectif de mes travaux de thèse et d’étudier et évaluer les performances des matériaux organiques électroniques intégrés dans des dispositifs biomédicaux en étudiant leurs interactions avec des milieux biologiques et par l’utilisation et l’optimisation de ces dispositifs permettre la détection de métabolites tel que le glucose ou lactate par exemple. Pendant ma thèse, j’ai notamment créé une plateforme de diagnostics combinant à la fois microfluidique et électronique organique permettant la multi détection de métabolites présents dans des fluides corporels humains, j’ai également conçu des capteurs intégrant des transistors organiques au sein des circuits électroniques classiques afin de détecter la présence des cellules tumorales. D’autres applications biologiques ont également été envisagées telles que la détection d’acides nucléiques par l’utilisation d’une approche simple de biofonctionnalisation. Bien que l’objectif ma thèse était de de créer des capteurs biomédicaux en utilisant une approche in vitro, il pourrait être également possible d’intégrer ces dispositifs « in vivo » ou encore dans des e-textiles. / Rapid and early diagnosis of disease plays a major role in preventative healthcare. Undoubtedly, technological evolutions, particularly in microelectronics and materials science, have made the hitherto utopian scenario of portable, point-of-care personalized diagnostics a reality. Organic electronic materials, having already demonstrated a significant technological maturity with the development of high tech products such as displays for smartphones or portable solar cells, have emerged as especially promising candidates for biomedical applications. Their soft and fuzzy nature allows for an almost seamless interface with the biological milieu rendering these materials ideally capable of bridging the gap between electronics and biology. The aim of this thesis is to explore and validate the capabilities of organic electronic materials and devices in real-world biological sensing applications focusing on metabolite sensing, by combining both the right materials and device engineering. We show proof-of-concept studies including microfluidic integrated organic electronic platforms for multiple metabolite detection in bodily fluids, as well as more complex organic transistor circuits for detection in tumor cell cultures. We finally show the versatility of organic electronic materials and devices by demonstrating other sensing strategies such as nucleic acid detection using a simple biofunctionalization approach. Although the focus is on in vitro metabolite monitoring, the findings generated throughout this work can be extended to a variety of other sensing strategies as well as to applications including on body (wearable) or even in vivo sensing.

Os fungos endofíticos constituem uma fonte promissora para descoberta de novos compostos ativos de interesse biotecnológico. Nas últimas décadas, os fungos endofíticos têm recebido atenção no meio científico devido aos compostos que produzem, com estruturas únicas e atividades biológicas de relevância em diversas áreas, inclusive agronômica. Um dos maiores problemas nesta área são as doenças causadas por fungos fitopatogênicos que acometem as culturas. Dentre elas, a antracnose é uma das principais doenças que atinge diversas culturas no Brasil, gerando grandes perdas agrícolas, principalmente as culturas do morango, guaraná e citrus, causadas por fungos do gênero Colletotrichum. Esse trabalho teve como objetivo investigar extratos de linhagens dos fungos endofíticos Fusarium e Penicillium, isolados de folhas do guaranazeiro, com atividade à fitopatógenos do gênero Colletotrichum isolados das culturas de guaraná, morango e citrus. Para tanto foi realizado uma triagem inicial de duas linhagens de fungos, dentre nove, por ensaios biológicos in vitro de cultivo pareado na atividade antifúngica aos três fitopatógenos. As duas linhagens selecionadas, apresentaram os maiores índices de antagonismo contra os três fitopatógenos e foram identificadas como Fusarium sp e Penicillum pinophilum. Os extratos e as frações semipurificadas se mostraram com grande potencial na inibição do crescimento do fitopatógeno do gênero Colletotrichum, causador da antracnose, que provoca grandes perdas nas culturas de importância econômica do Brasil. / Endophitic fungi are a promising source for discovery of new active compounds of biotechnological interest. In recent decades, endophytic fungi have received attention in the scientific community because of compounds they produce, with unique structures and biological activities of relevance in several areas, including agronomy. One of the greatest problems in this is diseases caused by phytopathogenic fungi that affect the crops. Among them, anthracnose is a major disease that affects several crops in Brazil, generating large agricultural losses, especially strawberry crops, guarana and citrus caused by fungi of the genus Colletotrichum. This study investigated endophytic fungi strains of Fusarium and Penicillium extracts isolated from guarana leaves, with activity to phytopathogens of the genus Colletotrichum isolated from guarana crops, strawberry and citrus. For that, it was conducted an initial screening of two strains of fungi, among nine, using in vitro biological assays of cultivation paired in antifungal activity to the three pathogens. The two strains selected had the highest rates of antagonism against the three phytopathogens and were identified as Fusarium sp and Penicillium pinophilum. Extracts and semi-purified fractions were shown with great potential to inhibit pathogen growth of the genus Colletotrichum, which causes anthracnose and, thus, great losses to crops of economic importance in Brazil.

Esponjas do gênero Dysidea (Ordem: Dictyoceratida) caracterizam-se por apresentarem grande diversidade de metabólitos secundários, muitos dos quais apresentam potentes atividades biológicas. Este trabalho descreve o estudo de duas amostras de esponjas da espécie Dysidea robusta, DR1 e DR2, coletadas no litoral da Bahia em 1999. Tal estudo consistiu no fracionamento das amostras, nas análises de seus extratos brutos por LC-MS e técnicas de RMN- mono e bidimensionais. Dentre os extratos de DR1, a fração DR1-EP-5A obtida do extrato éter de petróleo apresentou uma mistura de três ceramidas saturadas (22, 23 e 24). Já da amostra DR2, as frações do extrato aquoso DR2-AQ-6B e DR2-AQ-6D mostraram ser constituídas por derivados do ácido pirodisinóico (18, 19, 20 e 21). Com exceção do ácido pirodisinóico (18), os demais compostos isolados ainda não foram relatados na literatura. / Sponges of the genus Dysidea (Order: Dyctioceratida) are characterized as sources of several biologically active secondary metabolites. This work describes the study of two samples of D.robusta, DR1 and DR2, both collected at the Bahia state coastline, in 1999. The investigation aimed the crude extract fractionation and analysis by LC-MS and by 1D and 2D NMR techniques. Among the extracts DR1, the fraction DR1-EP-5A obtained from the petroleum ether extract showed a mixture of three saturated ceramides, represented by 22, 23 and 24. From the DR2 sample, the fractions obtained from the aqueous extract DR2-AQ-6B and -6D presented pirodisinoic acid derivates 18, 19, 20 and 21. Except for pyrodisinoic acid (18), all other isolated compounds haven´t been reported in the literature yet.

Orientador: Alberto José Cavalheiro / Banca: Cíntia Duarte de Freitas Milagre / Banca: Marcelo Telascrêa / Resumo: As 5,6-diidro-2-pironas 6-substituídas, também conhecidas como estirilpironas, são uma importante classe de metabólitos secundários presentes em plantas. São substâncias biologicamente ativas, apresentando como, por exemplo, atividade anticâncer, antioxidante, antifúngica e antiviral. O gênero Cryptocarya, pertence à família Lauraceae e apresenta diversas estirilpironas em suas mais diversas partes: folhas, cascas, sementes e raízes. Foram selecionadas para análise as espécies C. mandioccana, C. moschata e C. botelhensis. Foram utilizadas apenas as folhas, por apresentarem facilidade para coleta e abundância. Este trabalho tem como objetivo a identificação das estirilpironas presentes em três espécies brasileiras de Cryptocarya com o uso das técnicas HPLC-DAD-MS. Foi desenvolvido método cromatográfico para análise do extrato hidroalcoólico das folhas de espécies de Cryptocarya por HPLC-DAD-MS utilizando etanol como fase orgânica na fase móvel. Com os espectros no UV foi possível identificar que as classes de metabólitos presentes nas amostras eram alcaloides, flavonoides e estirilpironas. Utilizando os dados de MS e MS/MS, foi possível a caracterização de estirilpironas presentes nos extratos, assim como a sugestão de suas fragmentações por espectrometria de massas, além da identificação dos íons m/z 163 e m/z 189 característicos da fragmentação das estirilpironas. Foi detectado o íon m/z 423 no extrato de C. moschata, referente a um possível dímero da goniotalamina, sem rela... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: The 6 - substituted 5,6 - dihydro - 2 - pyrones, also known as styryl py rone s, are an important class of secondary metabolites present in plants. They are biologically active substances, presenting, for examp le, anticancer, antioxidant, antifungal and antiviral activity. The genus Cryptocarya belongs to the family Lauraceae and presents several styrylpyrones i n its most diverse parts: leaves, barks, seeds and roots. The species C. mandioccana, C. moschata and C. botelhensis were selected for an alysis. We chose to use only leaves, because they are easy to collect and abu n dant . The objective of this work is to identify the styrylpyrones present in three Brazilian Cryptocarya species using the HPLC - DAD - MS technique s. A chromatographic method was developed to analyze the hydroal coholic extract from leaves Cryptocarya species by HPLC - DAD - MS using ethanol as the organic solvent in the mobile phase. With the UV spectra were possible to identify the classes of metabolites present in the samples as alkaloids, flavonoids and styrylpyrones . Addtitionaly, with the MS and MS 2 data, was possible to characterize the styrylpyrones present in the extracts, as well as the suggestion of their fragments by mass spectrometry, in additi on to the identification of íons m/z 163 and m/z 189 characteristics of the f ragmentation of styry lpi rones. The m/ z 423 ion detected in C. moschata extract was tentatively attributed to a goniotalamine dimer, with no previuous reports for Cryptocarya species. W ith the help of purified pirones obtained by the group, it was possible to compare their retention times with the data obtained from leaf extracts of the Cryptocarya species, helping to identify the substances present. Besides the styrylpyrones, the alkaloids menisperin and xantoplanin were also identified in the three species studied. There is a great difference in the amount of... / Mestre

Abstract Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. In some CRC patients, the presence of the tumor elicits a systemic inflammatory response and metabolic derangements that lead to progressive tissue wasting. Systemic inflammation has been associated with decreased survival independent of tumor stage. However, the mechanisms and downstream effects of systemic inflammation in CRC are uncertain. The aim of these studies was to examine the determinants of systemic inflammation in CRC. The study material consisted of tumor and serum samples collected from patients with stage I–IV CRC operated at the Oulu University Hospital (n=336). From preoperative serum samples, the levels of cell death marker keratin 18, matrix metalloproteinase 8 (MMP8), and ten metabolites (apolipoprotein A1 and nine amino acids) were measured. CRC patients with systemic inflammation, assessed using a modified Glasgow Prognostic Score, had elevated serum levels of MMP8 and phenylalanine. On the contrary, the concentrations of apolipoprotein A1, glutamine, and histidine were lower compared to patients without systemic inflammation. Increased serum keratin 18 level associated with systemic inflammation in patients with metastatic disease. Elevated keratin 18 and MMP8 levels and decreased apolipoprotein A1 level were independent predictors of worse survival. These studies describe biomarkers of systemic inflammation that provide insight into the mechanisms of systemic inflammation, have potential prognostic value in CRC, and are possible therapeutic targets. The results suggest that cell death and systemic inflammation are strongly connected in CRC, but the potential mechanistic link between them and tissues involved remain to be elucidated. / Tiivistelmä Paksusuolisyöpä on kolmanneksi yleisin syöpä ja toiseksi yleisin syöpäkuoleman aiheuttaja Suomessa. Osalla potilaista syöpään liittyy systeemisen tulehdusreaktion aktivoituminen ja aineenvaihduntahäiriö, joka johtaa yleiseen näivettymiseen. Systeemisen tulehduksen on havaittu olevan yhteydessä huonoon ennusteeseen riippumatta kasvaimen levinneisyydestä. Systeemisen tulehduksen aktivaatiomekanismit ja vaikutukset paksusuolisyövässä ovat kuitenkin huonosti tunnettuja. Tutkimuksen tarkoituksena oli selvittää systeemistä tulehdusta määrittäviä tekijöitä paksusuolisyövässä. Aineisto koostui Oulun yliopistollisessa sairaalassa leikattujen paksusuolisyöpäpotilaiden (syövän levinneisyysaste I–IV) kasvain- ja seeruminäytteistä (n=336). Seeruminäytteistä mitattiin solukuolemaa osoittavan keratiini 18:n pitoisuudet, matriksin metalloproteinaasi 8 (MMP8):n määrät sekä 10 metaboliitin (apolipoproteiini A1 ja 9 aminohappoa) tasot. Paksusuolisyöpäpotilailla, joilla systeemistä tulehdusta osoittava mGPS-indeksi oli korkea, seerumin MMP8- ja fenyylialaniinitasot olivat koholla. Sen sijaan apolipoproteiini A1:n, glutamiinin ja histidiinin pitoisuudet olivat matalammat verrattuna potilaisiin, joilla ei ollut systeemistä tulehdusta. Kohonnut keratiini 18 -pitoisuus oli yhteydessä systeemiseen tulehdukseen etäpesäkkeistä tautia sairastavilla potilailla. Kohonnut keratiini 18- ja MMP8-taso sekä matala apolipoproteiini A1-pitoisuus liittyivät potilaiden huonoon ennusteeseen. Tutkimuksessa löydettiin systeemisen tulehduksen merkkiaineita, jotka tuovat hyödyllistä tietoa systeemisen tulehduksen mekanismeista ja potilaiden ennusteesta paksusuolisyövässä, ja ovat mahdollisia terapeuttisia kohteita. Tulosten perusteella paksusuolisyövässä solukuolema liittyy vahvasti systeemiseen tulehdukseen, mutta lisätutkimuksia tarvitaan selvittämään näiden tapahtumien mahdolliset syy-seuraussuhteet sekä tapahtumaan liittyvät kudokset.

No description available.