Orientador: Joaquim Mansano Garcia / Banca: Vera Fernanda Martins Hossepian de Lima / Banca: Claudia Lima Verde Leal / Resumo: O objetivo desse estudo foi avaliar a ação da demecolcina na composição de microtúbulos, maturação e desenvolvimento in vitro de oócitos bovinos, submetidos ao tratamento em metáfase I (MI) e metáfase II (MII). No experimento I, observamos que a concentração 0,05æg/mL foi a mais eficaz na indução de enucleação no grupo MI (15,2%) e na formação de protrusão no grupo MII (55,1%). No experimento II, verificamos manifestações da demecolcina em apenas 0,5 h de tratamento, pelo aumento significativo de categorias de oócitos sem microtúbulos. Houve nova polimerização dessas estruturas, quando oócitos expostos à droga em MII, foram cultivados em meio livre desse agente. No experimento III, evidenciamos influência negativa da demecolcina na maturação nuclear de oócitos tratados em MI, durante 12 horas (4,9% de oócitos em MII) e um diferente comportamento quanto à distribuição de grânulos corticais (GC); enquanto no grupo MI houve tendência à antecipação na migração de GC para a periferia, após 2 horas de exposição à droga, no grupo MII, observou-se nesse momento, ação prejudicial da mesma. Ainda, verificamos incompleta expansão das células do cumulus em oócitos expostos à demecolcina por 12 horas. No experimento IV, obtivemos alta eficácia da técnica de enucleação (90,6%) e grande variação quanto ao desenvolvimento até o estádio de blastocisto (12,5 a 47%), não verificando-se ação prejudicial da droga no desenvolvimento embrionário. / Abstract: The aim of this study was to evaluate demecolcine action on microtubules composition, maturation and in vitro development of bovine oocytes, submitted to the treatment in metaphase I (MI) and metaphase II (MII). In the experiment I, we observed that 0.05æg/mL was the most efficient concentration to induce the enucleation in group MI (15.2%) and protrusion formation in group MII (55.1%). In experiment II, we verified demecolcine manifestations already after 0.5 hour of treatment, supported by the significant increase of categories of oocytes without microtubules. There was new polymerization of these structures when oocytes exposed to the drug in MII were cultured in agent-free medium. In experiment III, we evidenced negative influence of demecolcine on nuclear maturation of oocytes treated on MI for 12 hours (4.9% of oocytes in MII) and a different behavior for cortical granules (CG) distribution; while in MI group there was a tendency for the anticipation of CG migration to periphery, after 2 hours of drug exposition, in the MIII group, was observed a harmful effect of the drug. Moreover, we verified incomplete expansion of cumulus cells in oocytes exposed to demecolcine for 12 hours. In experiment IV, we got high effectiveness of enucleation technique (90.6%) and wide variation for development to the blastocyst stage (12.5 to 47%), and no harmful effects of the drug on embryonic development were observed. / Mestre

Orientador: Jorg Kobarg / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Biologia / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-14T01:48:42Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Lanza_DanielCarlosFerreira_D.pdf: 39179290 bytes, checksum: cbd84a5b7ba74e985bc1fc48595debd6 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009 / Resumo: A proteína FEZ1 foi caracterizada inicialmente como um ortólogo da proteína UNC76 de C. elegans, responsável pelo desenvolvimento e fasciculação neuronal nesse verme. Estudos subsequentes demonstraram sua atuação em processos de desenvolvimento neuronal, polarização celular, mecanismos de transporte associado à kinesinas e transporte de vesículas e mitocôndrias. Outros trabalhos demonstraram que a superexpressão de FEZ1 interfere no ciclo de vida de alguns tipos de vírus como HIV e JCV. FEZ1 é capaz de interagir com mais de 51 proteínas diferentes, e participa em muitos processos celulares. Observamos que FEZ1 apresenta ausência de estrutura molecular rígida, sendo pertencente à classe das natively unfolded proteins, e é capaz de formar dímeros em solução. Essa observação condiz com sua extrema capacidade de interagir com muitas proteínas diferentes. A capacidade de FEZ1 interagir com outras proteínas é influenciada pela fosforilação da sua região C-terminal por diferentes isoformas de PKC. FEZ1 interage e colocaliza com NEK1 e com CLASP2 em células de mamífero, em uma região candidata ao centrossomo. Essas interações são dependentes da região coiled-coil presente na parte C-terminal de FEZ1, e ocorrem em regiões coiled-coil de CLASP2 e NEK1. A interação com CLASP2 é rompida quando FEZ1 é fosforilada por PKC. A superexpressão de FEZ1 causa o fenótipo flower like observado em células de alguns tipos de leucemia. Nós observamos que FEZ1 interage e colocaliza com a e ?-tubulinas e que a formação desse fenótipo em células HEK293 ocorre devido a uma alteração na organização dos microtúbulos causada pelo excesso de FEZ1. A formação do fenótipo flower like é influenciada por ativação das vias de PKC e PI3K. Os dados obtidos durante o nosso trabalho indicam que FEZ1 é uma proteína intrinsecamente desenovelada, que atua em processos celulares associados ao citoesqueleto e centrossomo em conjunto com NEK1 e CLASP2, e que defeitos em sua regulação, possivelmente pelas vias de PKC ou PI3K, causam alteração da organização dos microtúbulos originando núcleos flower like. / Abstract: FEZ1 was identified first as a orthologue of C elegans UNC-76 protein, that plays functions related to neuronal development in this worm. Subsequent studies, shows FEZ1 functions in neuronal development process, cell polarization, transport mechanisms associated to kinesins and vesicular and mitochondrial transports. Other works showed that FEZ1 superexpression interfere in the life cycle of some viral types such as HIV and JCV. FEZ1 is able to interact with more than 51 different proteins and participates in several cellular processes. We observed that FEZ1 has a mobile molecular structure, is a member of the natively unfolded protein class, and can form dimers in solution. This observation is in agreement with its capacity to interact with a large number of different proteins. The capacity of FEZ1 to interact with other proteins is influenced by different PKC isoforms phosphorylation in its C-terminal region. FEZ1 interacts and co-localizes with NEK1 and CLASP2 in a centrossomal candidate region of mammalian cells. These interactions are dependent of a coiled coil inside the C-terminal region of FEZ1, and occur in dependence of coiled coil regions of NEK1 and CLASP2. The interaction between FEZ1 and CLASP2 is abolished after FEZ1 phosphorylation by PKC. The FEZ1 overexpression causes the flower like phenotype observed in cells of some leukemias. We observed that FEZ1 interacts and co-localizes with _ and _-tubulins and that the phenotype formation in HEK293 cells is mediated by an atypical organization of microtubule spindles, caused by overexpression of FEZ1. The flower like phenotype formation is influenced by activation of PKC and PI3K pathways. The data generated by our work indicate that FEZ1 is an intrinsically unfolded protein, that works in cellular processes associated to the cytoskeleton in conjunct with NEK1 and CLASP2, and that defects in its regulation, maybe via the PKC or PI3K pathways, causes alterations in microtubule organization and formation of the "flower like" nuclei. / Doutorado / Bioquimica / Doutor em Biologia Funcional e Molecular

A combretastatina A4 é um promissor agente anticâncer. Na célula, inibe a polimerização dos microtúbulos, os quais são fundamentais nos processos de motilidade, manutenção estrutural e mitose. Essa inibição se dá a partir do sítio de interação da αβ-tubulina bloqueando o fluxo do sangue que alimenta os tumores, o que resulta na morte dos mesmos. Com estrutura semelhante às combretastatinas, as chalconas constituem uma classe de compostos que atuam no mesmo sítio de interação na tubulina. Baseando-se nos trabalhos experimentais de Ducki e colaboradores, estudou-se a estrutura molecular de 87 chalconas análogas à combretastatina A4 por meio do método quântico DFT com o propósito de desenvolver modelos de Relações Quantitativas Estrutura-Atividade (QSAR) aplicados a tais antagonistas. A partir dos métodos dos Mínimos Quadrados Parciais (PLS) e de Redes Neurais Artificiais (ANN), foram gerados modelos que conduzem à elucidação da relação dos compostos estudados com suas respectivas atividades biológicas. Os descritores eletrônicos e moleculares selecionados apresentam alta concordância com as características das moléculas, havendo predominância de comportamento linear com a atividade biológica, podendo, eventualmente, apresentar comportamento não-linear, o que torna o modelo gerado altamente consistente. / Combretastatin A4 is a promising anticancer agent. It inhibits the polymerization of microtubules in the cell, which are essential in the process of motility, structural maintenance and mitosis. This inhibition is given from the interaction site of αβ-tubulin blocking the blood flow that feeds the tumor, what results in its death. The chalcones, sharing a similar structure of the combretastatin, are also a class of compounds that act in the same site of interaction in the tubulin. Based on the experimental work of Ducki and co-workers, we proposed a molecular structure study of 87 chalcones similar to combretastatin A4 using the DFT method in order to develop Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationships (QSAR) applied to the given antagonists. Through Partial Least Squares (PLS) and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) methods, some models has been generated to lead the understanding on the relationship between the compounds studied and their respective biological activities. The electronic and molecular descriptors selected have high correlation with the molecule features, being linear most of the time, although with eventual non-linear behavior, which makes the generated model highly consistent.

Parmi les nombreux agents thérapeutiques utilisés en oncologie, le paclitaxel (Taxol®) est sans doute celui qui a suscité le plus d'intérêt. Il est utilisé en clinique pour le traitement des cancers de l'ovaire, du sein et des poumons. Il agit comme poison du fuseau mitotique en favorisant l'assemblage de la tubuline en microtubules et en stabilisant le polymère formé. Initialement extrait de l'if du Pacifique (Taxus Brevifolia) puis obtenu par hémisynthèse à partir de la 10-déacétylbaccatine III, il est aujourd'hui produit par un procédé biotechnologique de fermentation de cellules végétales. Le paclitaxel possède une structure chimique complexe basée sur un squelette tétracyclique taxane. Une approche visant à remplacer ce squelette taxane par une structure chimique plus simple a été entreprise afin d'identifier des mimes du paclitaxel. L'identification d'un fragment chimique (fragment based drug design) dérivé de la proline par une étude de modélisation moléculaire a permis de développer de nouvelles séries de mimes du paclitaxel. Parallèlement, le remplacement du squelette taxane par une matrice peptidique cyclique utilisant des dérivés de la proline a été réalisé. Les études de modélisation moléculaire, la synthèse des mimes du paclitaxel et leur évaluation biologique seront présentées. / Among the many therapeutic agents used in oncology, paclitaxel (Taxol®) is probably the one that generated the most interest. It is used clinically for the treatment of ovarian, breast and lung cancers and acts as a mitotic spindle poison by promoting the assembly of tubulin into microtubules and stabilizing the polymer formed. Initially extracted from the Pacific yew (Taxus Brevifolia) and obtained by semi-synthesis from 10-deacetylbaccatin III, it is now produced by a biotechnological process of cell plant fermentation. Paclitaxel has a complex chemical structure based on a tetracyclic taxane skeleton. A process to replace the taxane skeleton with a simpler chemical structure was undertaken to identify paclitaxel mimics. The identification of a chemical fragment (fragment based drug design) derived from proline by a molecular modeling study has led to the design of a new series of paclitaxel mimics. Meanwhile, replacing the taxane skeleton by a cyclic peptide scaffold using proline derivatives was performed. Molecular modeling studies, synthesis of paclitaxel mimics and biological evaluation will be presented.

The actin and microtubule cytoskeleton plays a critical role in the establishment of cell polarity. Cell processes like mitosis and migration rely on the reorganization of the cytoskeleton to properly function. One driver of cell polarity is the formin, Inverted Formin-1 (INF1). INF1 is able to induce F-actin formation, activate the Serum Response Factor (SRF) pathway, stabilize microtubules, associate with microtubules, and disperse the Golgi body. Regulation of INF1 is unique, since it does not possess conserved formin regulatory domains. However, INF1 does possess many potential phosphorylation sites. In this study, we demonstrate that INF1’s ability to induce F-actin stress fibers and activate SRF is inhibited by Microtubule-Affinity Regulating Kinase 2 (MARK2). Inhibition of INF1’s actin polymerization activity by MARK2 likely occurs near INF1’s C-terminus. However, MARK2 was unable to inhibit INF1’s ability to stabilize microtubules, associate with microtubules, and disperse the Golgi. Furthermore, we show that INF1 overexpression is associated with primary cilium absence and in some cases, the presence of long cilia, suggesting that INF1 plays a role in primary cilium formation.

Microtubules play a major role in intracellular trafficking of vesicles in endocrine cells. Detailed knowledge of microtubule organization and their relation to other cell constituents is crucial for understanding cell function. However, their role in insulin transport and secretion is currently under debate. Here, we use Fib-Sem to image islet beta cells in their entirety with unprecedented resolution. We reconstruct mitochondria, Golgi apparati, centrioles, insulin secretory granules and micro-tubules of seven beta cells, and generate a comprehensive spatial map of microtubule-organelle interactions. We find that micro-tubules form non-radial networks that are predominantly not connected to either centrioles or endomembranes. Microtubule number and length, but not microtubule polymer density, vary with glucose stimulation. Furthermore, insulin secretory granules are enriched near the plasma membrane where they associate with microtubules. In summary, we provide the first 3D reconstructions of complete microtubule networks in primary mammalian cells together with evidence regarding their importance for insulin secretory granule positioning and thus supportive role in insulin secretion.

Microtubules (MTs) are one of the essential cell structure that participate in a number of key events in the plant cells and their properties and functions are influenced and modified by many other proteins. These proteins belong to a group of microtubule- associated proteins (MAPs, microtubule-associated proteins). One of the MAPs, the molecular chaperone Hsp90, examines and fulfills a large number of different functions in the cell. Its colocalization with MTs has been demonstrated previously by Freudenreich and Nick (1998) and Petrášek et al. (1998). However, direct interaction with MTs was described only recently using cosedimentation assay. The specific cytosolic isoform of tobacco Hsp90 bound to MTs was called Hsp90_MT due to its ability to bind MTs. It has been also found that the binding to MTs is independent on the activity of ATP (Krtková et al., 2012). The authors also described a positive effect of Hsp90_MT on MT recovery after their exposure to cold stress. Although MT cytoskeleton dynamics is influenced by a large number of MAPs, it is surprising that the molecular mechanism of MAPs interaction with MTs and their MT-binding domains have not been described yet. Therefore, we decided to determine the tobacco Hsp90_MT MT-binding domain by production of a set of recombinant proteins...

On the basis of detailed phenotypic examination of fh1 and fh2 mutants we observed that the main housekeeping Arabidopsis thaliana formin AtFH1 (At3g25500) and its closest relative, AtFH2 (At2g43800) are involved in both actin filaments and microtubule dynamics. fh1 mutants showed increased sensitivity to the actin polymerization inhibitor Latrunculin B (LatB). Formin mutants had cotyledon pavement cells which exhibited more pronounced lobes compared to the wild type, and alterations in vascular tissue patterning were found. The double fh1 fh2 homozygote was not obtained, suggesting that at least one functional formin gene is required for proper gametophyte development. Methods used to observe and quantify both architecture and dynamics of the cortical cytoskeleton from confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and variable angle epifluorescence microscopy (VAEM) were standarized and allowed to find that mutants exhibited more abundant but less dynamic F- actin bundles and more dynamic microtubules than wild type seedlings, fh1 mutant phenotype observed in roots was further aggravated by a (heterozygous) fh2 mutation. The formin inhibitor SMIFH2 mimicked the alterations observed in fh1 mutants in plants, it has been the first report of this inhibitor in plants. Defects in membrane trafficking were...

Actin filaments and microtubules are involved in cell development and morphogenesis. Plant Class II formins regulate both cytoskeletal polymers. However their function has not yet been fully described. This study examines effects of LOF mutations in Arabidopsis thaliana FH13 (AT5G58160) and FH14 (AT1G31810) genes on early root system development using a pharmacological approach. Since measuring root length of numerous mutant lines in multiple conditions is laborious and time consuming, this thesis also involves optimization of this process with the aim to establish a reliable method of fast visualisation and measurement of Arabidopsis seedlings in a time series in the laboratory. Furthermore, statistical analysis for a large amount of data gathered in multiple conditions had to be optimized. While no significant phenotype in terms of root length was found in fh13, fh14 and double fh13 fh14 LOF mutants under standard conditions, treatment with cytoskeletal drugs revealed possible changes in lateral root branching in an fh14 mutant. Nevertheless, specific function of FH13 and FH14 remains a question.

The activation of bone marrow-derived mast cells (BMMCs) induces a number of cell processes such as degranulation, proliferation and cytoskeleton rearrangements. Although microtubules are important in these processes, molecular mechanisms that control changes in microtubule organisation during cell activation are unknown. Activation of BMMCs can be achieved in several ways. Under physiological conditions, the aggregation of IgE receptors (FcRI) on the surface of BMMCs leads to the initiation of specific signaling pathways. Cells can be also activated nonspecifically by a tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor pervanadate, or by thapsigargin that inhibits Ca2+ ATPase pumps located on the endoplasmic reticulum. In this diploma thesis it was found out that rapid morphological changes can be monitored when BMMC are immobilised on the fibronectin before their activation. It was proved that specific and nonspecific activation events lead to microtubule reorganization, as well as to generation of a large number of microtubule-dependent protrusions. In the course of FcRI aggregation, generation of microtubule protrusions depends on the activity of Src family protein tyrosine kinases and on the intracellular Ca2+ concentration. STIM1, an endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ sensor, which participates in the activation of...