Alkaloids are a class of plant secondary metabolites produced in about 20% of plant families. Domesticated tobacco, Nicotiana tabacum produces nicotine as the predominant alkaloid. The biosynthesis of nicotine occurs exclusively in the roots of tobacco, yet accumulates in the leaves of tobacco where it is acts as a defense compound to deter insect herbivory. The research detailed in this dissertation addresses two aspects of nicotine physiology in tobacco: 1) an investigation of hypothesized protein-protein interactions among nicotine biosynthetic enzymes and 2) the characterization of a novel nicotine transporter. A hypothesized metabolic channel including the two nicotine biosynthetic enzymes putrescine N-methyltransferase (PMT), N-methylputrescine Oxidase (MPO) and the S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) recycling enzyme S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase (SAHH) has been proposed. To further explore this hypothesis, protein-protein interactions among nicotine biosynthetic enzymes PMT, MPO and SAHH were investigated using yeast two-hybrid assays and co-immunoprecipitation experiments. The yeast two-hybrid was conducted as both a directed screen to detect interactions between the hypothesized metabolic channel members and as a library screen to detect interactions between hypothesized metabolic channel members and proteins from a tobacco root cDNA library. Co-immunoprecipitation experiments were conducted using proteins produced in an in vitro transcription/ translation system and using native proteins from a tobacco root extract. The outcome of these experiments provided no further evidence of a nicotine metabolic channel and a discussion of the methods and outcomes of the experiments conducted is presented. The nicotine uptake permease, NUP1, was identified in tobacco roots and was shown to preferentially transport nicotine when expressed in Schizosaccharomyces pombe. This report presents the characterization of tobacco plants and hairy roots with diminished NUP1 transcripts created by using RNAi. The NUP1-RNAi hairy roots and plants showed a decreased level of nicotine and the hairy root cultures displayed an altered distribution of nicotine from the root to the culture medium. Additionally NUP1-GFP was used to determine that NUP1 localized to the plasma membrane of tobacco BY-2 protoplasts. Potential models for the role of NUP1 in nicotine physiology will be discussed. / Ph. D.

This thesis describes studies in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and collagenous colitis (CC). We investigated mucosal eosinophil and neutrophil granulocytes and T-cells involved in the inflammatory processes and aimed at determining whether these processes are reflected in the faecal (F) contents of specific proteins secreted by cells in the intestinal mucosa. Thus, we measured eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) and eosinophil protein X (EPX) and the neutrophil derived myeloperoxidase (MPO) and calprotectin (C); and in addition, chromogranin A (CgA), Chromogranin B (CgB) and secretoneurin (SN), derived from EEC cells and cells in the enteric nervous system. We found that a normalised FC level can serve as a surrogate marker for successful treatment in patients with IBD, but persistently high FC levels need further evaluation (study I). Furthermore, FC and F-MPO appear to relate better than F-EPX to treatment outcome in IBD. We evaluated F-ECP, F-EPX, F-MPO and FC as markers of disease activity and treatment outcome in patients with CC (study III) and concluded that F-ECP was the best discriminator of detecting active CC. Normalised F-ECP and F-EPX could serve as markers of successful treatment. We showed that the inflammation in CC is characterised by activated eosinophils, but that there is no neutrophil activity (study II). T-cells have a lower grade of activity in active CC than in control subjects. During budesonide treatment the normal activation of eosinophils and T-cells is restored, with concomitant clinical remission. The findings in studies II and III indicate that the eosinophils have an essential role in the pathophysiology of CC. Markedly higher values of F-CgA, F-CgB and F-SN were found in patients with CC than in those with IBD and controls (study IV) indicating a crucial role for the intestinal neuro-endocrine system in the pathogenesis of collagenous colitis.

This master’s thesis is concerned with analysis of cabling and cabling systems in data center and with their projection as follows. The part of the work is aimed at the measurement parameters of metal cables which are used in data center with noise. The first part is focused on analyzing the structure of the data center and cabling used in it. The structure of the data center is based on the TIA-942 and consists of an entrance room, main distribution area MDA, horizontal distribution area HDA , zone distribution area ZDA and the equipment distribution area EDA. Divided into backbone cabling and horizontal cabling and use standard and pre-terminated cabling. The measurement results of structured metal cabling with noise are discussed in the next part. There were used these types of cables UTP, FTP and S/FTP. The measurement was performed in the electricity substation and in the laboratory of electromagnetic compatibility. The third part of this work deals with the actual design of structured cabling for the data center. In the first design we use the standard installation, the second preterminated cabling. For both types of installation cost statement is processed (CAPEX). Thesis is also completed with DC design drawings and rack drawings.

Submitted by Ana Maria Fiscina Sampaio (fiscina@bahia.fiocruz.br) on 2012-08-29T21:11:40Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Silvana Sousa Paz Avaliação de marcadores....pdf: 756990 bytes, checksum: 5aac886be232eac44d86b25a30837ac4 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2012-08-29T21:11:40Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Silvana Sousa Paz Avaliação de marcadores....pdf: 756990 bytes, checksum: 5aac886be232eac44d86b25a30837ac4 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012 / Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Centro de Pesquisas Gonçalo Moniz. Salvador, Bahia, Brasil / As leucemias são malignidades hematopoiéticas, caracterizadas por subgrupos biologicamente distintos, sendo os tipos mais frequentes de cânceres em crianças e adolescentes. Polimorfismos em genes de enzimas que metabolizam xenobióticos podem estar relacionados com a inserções/deleções, polimorfismos de nucleotídeo simples (SNP’s) e variações no número de cópias e têm sido relacionados com a patogênese de algumas neoplasias hematológicas, como a leucemia linfóide aguda (LLA). O objetivo deste estudo foi o de determinar as frequências de polimorfismos em genes associados ao estresse oxidativo e metabolismo de xenobióticos (GSTT1, GSTM1, CYP2E1, NQO1 e MPO), em pacientes pediátricos com LLA, associando-as a aspectos clínicos e marcadores de evolução da doença. A casuística foi composta por 37 pacientes pediátricos seguidos na clínica ONCO e tratados pelo protocolo GBTLI-LLA 93. O perfil hematológico dos pacientes foi realizado ao diagnóstico e durante o tratamento e os polimorfismos gênicos foram investigados por reação da polimerase em cadeia - polimorfismo de tamanho de fragmento de restrição (PCR-RFLP) e por reação da polimerase em cadeia multiplex (PCR Multiplex). As análises estatísticas apresentaram significância para os valores de leucócitos totais nos D1 e D7 (p= 0,0016) e nos D1 e D14 (p= 0,0059); linfócitos nos D1 e D7 (p= 0,0088) e D1 e D14 (p= 0,0101); segmentados neutrófilos nos D1 e D7 (p= 0,0033) e D1 e D14 (p= 0,0252); blastos periféricos D1 e D7 (p< 0,0001) e D1 e D14 (p< 0,0001) e; para a contagem de blastos na medula óssea (MO) nos D1 e D15 (p<0,0001), D1 e D28 (p< 0,0001) e D15 e D28 (p= 0,0005). As frequências alélicas e genotípicas para os genes estudados estavam em equilíbrio de Hardy-Weinberg. A mutação do gene MPO foi associada a infiltração da MO (p= 0,0473) e presença de blastos no líquor (p= 0,0473). O polimorfismo do gene GSTT1 foi associado à contagem de leucócitos (p= 0,014) e plaquetas (p= 0,0034) no D1 e a contagem de leucócitos (p=0,037) e segmentados neutrófilos (p= 0,0008) no D7. A presença do polimorfismo no gene NQO1 foi associado à infiltração da MO (p= 0,0410) e a presença de blastos no líquor (p= 0,0410). Entretanto, o polimorfismo NQO1 apresentou associação com a presença de palidez (p=0,0096). Os dados encontrados corroboram em parte com dados encontrados na literatura, sendo necessária a realização de um estudo com numero maior de pacientes para confirmação dos achados relacionados aos genes investigados e a LLA. / Leukemia is characterized by biologically distinct subgroups and is the most frequent hematological malignity in childhood. Polymorphisms in genes of enzymes that metabolize xenobiotics may be related to insertions/ deletions, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP's) and gene copies variation and have been related to the pathogenesis of some hematologic malignancies, including acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). The aim of this study was to investigate genes polymorphisms associated with the oxidative stress and xenobiotic metabolism (GSTT1, GSTM1, CYP2E1, NQO1 and MPO) in a group of childhood ALL patients, associating them with clinical evolution and prognostic markers. The casuistic was compound by 37 pediatric patients followed and treated at the clinic ONCO with the protocol GBTLI-LLA 93. The hematological profile of patients was performed at diagnosis and during treatment and gene polymorphisms were investigated by Polimerase Chain Reaction - Restriction Fragment Length Polymorfism (PCR-RFLP) and Polimerase Chain Reaction Multiplex (Multiplex PCR). Statistical analyses were significant for values of total leukocytes in D1 and D7 (p= 0.0016) and in D1 e D14 (p= 0.0059); lymphocytes in D1 and D7 (p= 0.0088), D1 and D14 (p= 0.0101); neutrophils in D1 and D7 (p= 0.0033), D1 and D14 (p= 0.0252). It was also find statistical significance at the number of peripheral blasts in D1 and D7 (p< 0.0001), D1 and D14 (p< 0.0001); the blast count in bone marrow (BM) in D1 and D15 (p<0.0001), D1 and D28 (p< 0.0001) and D15 and D28 (p= 0.0005). The allelic and genotypic frequencies of all gene polymorphism investigated were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The MPO gene mutation was associated with infiltration of the BM in D28 (p= 0.0473) and the presence of blasts in the CSF (p= 0.0473). The GSTT1 gene polymorphism was associated with leukocyte (p= 0.014) and platelet counts (p= 0.0034) in D1 and with leukocytes (p=0,037) and neutrophils counts (p= 0.0008) in D7. The NQO1 gene polymorphism presence was associated with BM infiltration at D28 (p= 0.0410) and the presence of blasts in the CSF (p= 0.0410). However, the NQO1 polymorphism was associated with the presence of pallor (p=0.0096). Result described here corroborated in part with previous described data, being necessary to carry out additional study with a larger number of patients to confirm the finding related to genes polymorphism investigated and the clinical evolution of ALL patients.

The deleterious effects of MPO make it a new target for medicinal research. The aim of our study is to find promising inhibitors of MPO for using them as starting point of new anti-inflammatory drugs. Depending on previous researches on MPO inhibitors, we selected 5-fluorotryptamine as starting compounds. Using docking experiments, we designed a series of compounds derived from 5-fluorotryptamine. Two modifications were proposed: <p>& / Doctorat en Sciences biomédicales et pharmaceutiques / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

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