Langmuir-monolayer formation at the air/water interface (A/W) can be achieved by spreading amphiphilic molecules on a liquid subphase and compressing them into an ordered arrangement. The use of the Langmuir-Blodgett technique (LB) to prepare ultra thin films on solid surfaces from monolayers at A/W has considerable utility for studying surface interactions. In particular, the phase behavior of polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS) was examined using a combination of LB and Brewster angle microscopy (BAM).Polymer fillers have been shown to reduce the cost and often improve the properties of high performance polymer composites. The utility of POSS as a potential nanofiller in blends with polymers such as poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) and poly(vinylacetate) (PVAc) was explored using surface pressure-area per monomer isotherms (P-A) and BAM. Substantial morphological differences are seen between polymer blends with heptasubstituted trisilanol-POSS and fully condensed octasubstituted-POSS due to differences in subphase affinity.Several poly(1-alkene-alt-maleic anhydride) (PXcMA) polymers were studied at both the gas/liquid interface as Langmuir films and at the gas/solid interface as Langmuir-Blodgett thin films on silicon substrates. A 0.01 M HCl solution (pH~2) was used during film deposition to ensure the carboxylic acids were fully protonated. The PXcMA polymers included X=1-hexene, 1-octene, 1-decene, and 1-octadecene (represented as PHcMA, POcMA, PDcMA, and PODcMA respectively). The P-A isotherms of these polymers were consistent with those obtained previously.1Tensiometry was used to determine the critical micelle concentrations (c.m.c.) of variable molar mass poly(dimethylsiloxane-b-(3-cyanopropyl)methylsiloxane-b-dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS-PCPMS-PDMS) triblock copolymers and a poly(dimethylsiloxane-b-2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) diblock copolymer. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) corroborated interfacial tension results. The polymers exhibited well-defined temperature-independent c.m.c.'s. These measurements ensured that the synthesis of cobalt nanoparticles for biocompatible magnetic fluids occurred above the c.m.c. / Master of Science

Thesis (MSc)--University of Stellenbosch, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: High molar mass tannin extracts are complex mixtures which are distributed in both molar mass and chemical composition. Condensed tannins from quebracho and mimosa and hydrolysable tannins of tara, chestnut wood and turkey gall were studied. Application of a single analytical technique is not sufficient to elucidate the complete structures present in the extracts. 13C Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionisation Time-of-Flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry were applied in order to determine the chemical composition and molar mass, respectively. A new mass spectrometric method that can uniquely determine the oligomer microstructure was developed using Collision Induced Dissociation (CID) experiments. Bulk analysis only showed the average composition of the extracts, in order to obtain specific information on the molar mass and chemical composition distributions. Hydrophilic Interaction Liquid Chromatography (HILIC) was used for analysis of the condensed tannins and for the hydrolysable tannins Normal Phase Liquid Chromatography (NP-LC) was utilised. The HILIC separation was up-scaled and the fractions were collected and analysed by MALDI-TOF, and this coupling revealed that separation occurs by molar and chemical composition. For separation of the molecules only by size, Size Exclusion Chromatography (SEC) analyses were carried out; this allowed for relative comparison of the tannin molecules. In conclusion, for characterisation of high molar mass tannins a multi-dimensional approach was necessary since the various distributions present in these extracts are superimposed. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hoë molekulêre massa tannienekstrakte is komplekse mengsels, in terme van beide molekulêre massa en chemiese samestelling. Gekondenseerde tanniene vanaf quebracho en mimosa, en hidroliseerbare tanniene vanaf tara, kastaaiinghout en Turksegal is bestudeer. Die gebruik van ‘n enkele analitiese tegniek is nie voldoende om die volledige struktuur van komponente teenwoordig in die ekstrakte te analiseer nie. 13C KMR-spektroskopie en MALDI-TOF-massaspektroskopie is gebruik om die chemiese samestelling en molekulêre massa, onderskeidelik, te bepaal. ‘n Nuwe metode is ontwikkel vir die bepaling van die oligomeer-mikrostruktuur deur gebruik te maak van botsings-geïnduseerde dissosiasie eksperimente. Grootmaat analise het net die gemiddelde samestelling van die ekstrak bepaal. Hidrofiliese-interaksie-vloeistofchromatografie (HILIC) is gebruik vir die analise van gekondenseerde tanniene en gewone fase-vloeistofchromatografie is gebruik vir die hidroliseerbare tanniene. Die HILIC-skeiding is op groter skaal uitgevoer en die fraksies is versamel en gebruik vir MALDI-TOF analise. Hierdie koppeling het getoon dat skeiding plaasvind op grond van molekulêre massa en chemiese samestelling. Grootte-uitsluitingschromatografie is gebruik vir die skeiding van molekules alleenlik op grootte. Hierdeur kon ‘n relatiewe vergelyking van die tannienmolekules gemaak word. Vir die karakterisering van hoë molekulêre massa tanniene is ‘n multi-dimensionele benadering nodig aangesien die verskeie verspreidings teenwoording in hierdie ekstrakte supergeponeerd is.

<p>Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common joint disorder causing chronic disability in the world population. By the year 2030, an estimated one fifth of this population will be affected by OA. Although OA is regarded as a multi-factorial disorder with both environmental and genetic components, the exact pathogenesis remains unknown. </p><p> In this study, we hypothesize that biomarkers associated with OA can be used as quantitative traits of OA, and provide enough power to identify new genes or replicate known gene associations for OA. We established an extensive family called the CARRIAGE (CARolinas Region Interaction of Aging, Genes and Environment) family. Then, we measured and analyzed seven OA-related biomarkers (HA, COMP, PIIANP, CPII, C2C, hs-CRP and GSP) in this extensive family to evaluate their association with OA clinical phenotypes. These findings suggest that OA biomarkers can reflect hand OA in this large multigenerational family. Therefore, we performed nonparametric variance components analysis to evaluate heritability for quantitative traits for those biomarkers. Finally, based upon OA biomarkers with high heritability, we performed a genome-wide linkage scan. Our results provide the first evidence of genetic susceptibility loci identified by OA-related biomarkers, indicating several genetic loci potentially contributing to the genetic diversity of OA. </p><p> Meanwhile, we identified joint hypermobility as a factor which reduces OA risk and has an inverse association with serum COMP levels in this family. The relationship between lower serum COMP and OA have been further validated in another Caucasian GOGO (Genetics of Generalized Osteoarthritis) population. Therefore, we further hypothesize that joint hypermobility, having the characteristic of a decreased OA risk, can serve as a quantitative trait for identifying protective loci for OA. Then, we performed nonparametric variance components analysis to evaluate the heritability of joint hypermobility. The result also shows joint hypermobility has substantial heritable components in this family. Lastly, based on the same genome-wide linkage scan, we identify genetic susceptibility loci for joint hypermobility. </p><p> In conclusion, our work provides the first linkage study to identify genetic loci associated with OA using biological markers. Furthermore, we have also shown genetic susceptibility loci for joint hypermobility, possibly implying protective loci for OA.</p> / Dissertation

Traditional fluorosilicones contain a siloxane backbone and pendant fluorinated group leading to low temperature ductility and excellent thermal stability. However, acidic or basic catalysts can reduce the thermal stability from a potential 350 °C to 150 °C. The predominant decomposition mechanism is through chain scission and it is hypothesized that preventing this will result in polymers with higher thermal stability. Three approaches were taken to prevent chain scission. First, a series of hybrid fluorosilicones based on (trifluorovinyl)benzene were synthesized through condensation polymerization with initial decomposition temperatures of approximately 240 °C. These were compared to similar aromatic polyethers and removal of the ether oxygen lowered the initial decomposition temperature by approximately 190 °C demonstrating the importance of this oxygen to the stability of polyethers. Second, reverse fluorosilicone (fluorinated backbone and pendant siloxane) terpolymers of chlorotrifluoroethylene (CTFE), vinyl acetate (VAc) and methacryloxypropyl-terminated polydimethylsiloxane (PDMSMA) were synthesized in supercritical CO2 (scCO2) or by emulsion polymerization. Chain scission was prevented as initial decomposition occurred between 231 and 278 °C. In both the emulsion and scCO2 cases, VAc was essential in facilitating cross-propagation between CTFE and PDMSMA and the branching was similar suggesting polymerization media does not affect polymer structure. Emulsion-based polymers had higher molar masses and thermal stability whereas comparable scCO2 polymers had higher yields and incorporated more PDMSMA. Third, a series of homo-, co-, and terpolymers of CTFE, VAc and methacryloxypropyl-terminated silsesquioxane (POSSMA) were synthesized representing the first synthesis of POSSMA containing polymers in scCO2 and demonstrating reverse fluorosilicones can be synthesized without VAc. Chain scission was prevented as initial decomposition occurred from 244 to 296 °C with thermal stability increasing with CTFE content to a limit. Decomposition of the polymers was examined and mechanism elucidated. In air, the copolymers give 40 to 47 wt% char since the silsesquioxane oxidizes to SiO2 while in N2, no residue is seen. In contrast, the terpolymers give a carbonaceous residue of approximately 20 wt% in N2. The flammability and surface properties of the polymers were examined with the terpolymers having flammability similar to p(CTFE) and surface properties comparable to p(POSSMA) giving a low-flammability, hydrophobic polymer.

Traditional fluorosilicones contain a siloxane backbone and pendant fluorinated group leading to low temperature ductility and excellent thermal stability. However, acidic or basic catalysts can reduce the thermal stability from a potential 350 °C to 150 °C. The predominant decomposition mechanism is through chain scission and it is hypothesized that preventing this will result in polymers with higher thermal stability. Three approaches were taken to prevent chain scission. First, a series of hybrid fluorosilicones based on (trifluorovinyl)benzene were synthesized through condensation polymerization with initial decomposition temperatures of approximately 240 °C. These were compared to similar aromatic polyethers and removal of the ether oxygen lowered the initial decomposition temperature by approximately 190 °C demonstrating the importance of this oxygen to the stability of polyethers. Second, reverse fluorosilicone (fluorinated backbone and pendant siloxane) terpolymers of chlorotrifluoroethylene (CTFE), vinyl acetate (VAc) and methacryloxypropyl-terminated polydimethylsiloxane (PDMSMA) were synthesized in supercritical CO2 (scCO2) or by emulsion polymerization. Chain scission was prevented as initial decomposition occurred between 231 and 278 °C. In both the emulsion and scCO2 cases, VAc was essential in facilitating cross-propagation between CTFE and PDMSMA and the branching was similar suggesting polymerization media does not affect polymer structure. Emulsion-based polymers had higher molar masses and thermal stability whereas comparable scCO2 polymers had higher yields and incorporated more PDMSMA. Third, a series of homo-, co-, and terpolymers of CTFE, VAc and methacryloxypropyl-terminated silsesquioxane (POSSMA) were synthesized representing the first synthesis of POSSMA containing polymers in scCO2 and demonstrating reverse fluorosilicones can be synthesized without VAc. Chain scission was prevented as initial decomposition occurred from 244 to 296 °C with thermal stability increasing with CTFE content to a limit. Decomposition of the polymers was examined and mechanism elucidated. In air, the copolymers give 40 to 47 wt% char since the silsesquioxane oxidizes to SiO2 while in N2, no residue is seen. In contrast, the terpolymers give a carbonaceous residue of approximately 20 wt% in N2. The flammability and surface properties of the polymers were examined with the terpolymers having flammability similar to p(CTFE) and surface properties comparable to p(POSSMA) giving a low-flammability, hydrophobic polymer.

Os modos de interação de silsesquioxano poliédrico oligomérico (POSS) de gaiolas fechadas com distintos grupos funcionais foram avaliados na nanoestruturação de polipropileno isotático (iPP) via processamento reativo. Analisaram-se POSS com grupos substituintes isobutila, alila e vinila em concentrações de 0,5, 1, 2 e 5%m misturados a iPP fundido utilizando peróxido de dicumila (DCP) como iniciador. Na caracterização dos nanocompósitos foram utilizadas diversas técnicas. A morfologia foi avaliada através de cromatografia por exclusão de tamanho, espectroscopia de infravermelho com transformada de Fourier, microscopia de transmissão e difração de raios X. O comportamento viscoelástico dos materiais no estado fundido foi medido por reologia oscilatória e no estado sólido por análises dinâmico-mecânicas. As transições térmicas foram levantadas tanto por análises dinâmico-mecânicas como por calorimetria diferencial de varredura. Modificações morfológicas e viscoelásticas importantes foram observadas para os nanocompósitos em dependência do tipo e teor de POSS empregado. A adição do Octaisobutil-POSS (OI) sugere ação estabilizante radicalar e lubrificante para este POSS. Os efeitos da incorporação do Alilisobutil-POSS (AL) indicam que este atuou como agente plastificante em função da concentração. Com Octavinil-POSS (OV) os nanocompósitos parecem adquirir estrutura ramificada ou interligada em dependência da concentração. A ativação radicalar promovida pelo DCP mostrou-se fundamental na enxertia de alguns POSS. Assim, a forma e intensidade das interações entre nanocargas e matriz foram definidas pelos grupos funcionais e concentração dos POSS. Alterações observadas na morfologia, propriedades térmicas e viscoelásticas são resultantes dessas formas e graus de interação. Deste modo, foi possível propor mecanismos de interação e arranjos morfológicos entre iPP, DCP e POSS pela avaliação do conjunto de resultados obtidos. / Submitted by Ana Guimarães Pereira (agpereir@ucs.br) on 2015-10-06T16:44:04Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao Sergio Graniero Echeverrigaray.pdf: 3289598 bytes, checksum: f804be75d287c3fd55eeb0690f47dfab (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-10-06T16:44:04Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao Sergio Graniero Echeverrigaray.pdf: 3289598 bytes, checksum: f804be75d287c3fd55eeb0690f47dfab (MD5) / The interaction modes of polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) of closed cages with distinct functional groups were evaluated on isotactic polypropylene (iPP) nanostructuration via reactive processing. POSS were analyzed with isobutyl, allyl and vinyl substituent groups in concentrations of 0.5, 1, 2 and 5m% mixed with melting iPP using dicumil peroxide (DCP) as initializer. Several techniques were used to characterize the nanocomposites. The morphology was evaluated through size exclusion chromatography, Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The samples viscoelastic behavior in melting state was measured by oscillatory rheometry and in solid state by dynamic mechanical analysis. The thermal transitions were obtained through dynamic mechanical analysis and differential scanning calorimetry. Important morphology and viscoelastic modifications were observed in nanocomposites by dependency on the type and content of POSS used. The addition of OctaIsobutyl-POSS (OI) suggests lubricant and radicalar stabilizing action for this POSS. The AllylIsobutyl-POSS (AL) incorporation effects indicate that this one acted as plasticizing agent in function of concentration. With OctaVinyl-POSS (OV), the nanocomposites seem to acquire ramified or interlinked structure in dependency on concentration. The radicalar activation promoted by DCP was decisive in the grafting efficiency for some POSS. Therefore, the mode and the interaction intensity between nanoparticles and polymeric matrix were defined by functional groups and POSS concentration. Changes observed in morphology, thermal and viscoelastic properties as in solid state as in melting state are results of these modes and interaction degrees. It was possible to propose interaction mechanisms and morphology arrangements among iPP, DCP and POSS by evaluation of the obtained results as a whole.

Os modos de interação de silsesquioxano poliédrico oligomérico (POSS) de gaiolas fechadas com distintos grupos funcionais foram avaliados na nanoestruturação de polipropileno isotático (iPP) via processamento reativo. Analisaram-se POSS com grupos substituintes isobutila, alila e vinila em concentrações de 0,5, 1, 2 e 5%m misturados a iPP fundido utilizando peróxido de dicumila (DCP) como iniciador. Na caracterização dos nanocompósitos foram utilizadas diversas técnicas. A morfologia foi avaliada através de cromatografia por exclusão de tamanho, espectroscopia de infravermelho com transformada de Fourier, microscopia de transmissão e difração de raios X. O comportamento viscoelástico dos materiais no estado fundido foi medido por reologia oscilatória e no estado sólido por análises dinâmico-mecânicas. As transições térmicas foram levantadas tanto por análises dinâmico-mecânicas como por calorimetria diferencial de varredura. Modificações morfológicas e viscoelásticas importantes foram observadas para os nanocompósitos em dependência do tipo e teor de POSS empregado. A adição do Octaisobutil-POSS (OI) sugere ação estabilizante radicalar e lubrificante para este POSS. Os efeitos da incorporação do Alilisobutil-POSS (AL) indicam que este atuou como agente plastificante em função da concentração. Com Octavinil-POSS (OV) os nanocompósitos parecem adquirir estrutura ramificada ou interligada em dependência da concentração. A ativação radicalar promovida pelo DCP mostrou-se fundamental na enxertia de alguns POSS. Assim, a forma e intensidade das interações entre nanocargas e matriz foram definidas pelos grupos funcionais e concentração dos POSS. Alterações observadas na morfologia, propriedades térmicas e viscoelásticas são resultantes dessas formas e graus de interação. Deste modo, foi possível propor mecanismos de interação e arranjos morfológicos entre iPP, DCP e POSS pela avaliação do conjunto de resultados obtidos. / The interaction modes of polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) of closed cages with distinct functional groups were evaluated on isotactic polypropylene (iPP) nanostructuration via reactive processing. POSS were analyzed with isobutyl, allyl and vinyl substituent groups in concentrations of 0.5, 1, 2 and 5m% mixed with melting iPP using dicumil peroxide (DCP) as initializer. Several techniques were used to characterize the nanocomposites. The morphology was evaluated through size exclusion chromatography, Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The samples viscoelastic behavior in melting state was measured by oscillatory rheometry and in solid state by dynamic mechanical analysis. The thermal transitions were obtained through dynamic mechanical analysis and differential scanning calorimetry. Important morphology and viscoelastic modifications were observed in nanocomposites by dependency on the type and content of POSS used. The addition of OctaIsobutyl-POSS (OI) suggests lubricant and radicalar stabilizing action for this POSS. The AllylIsobutyl-POSS (AL) incorporation effects indicate that this one acted as plasticizing agent in function of concentration. With OctaVinyl-POSS (OV), the nanocomposites seem to acquire ramified or interlinked structure in dependency on concentration. The radicalar activation promoted by DCP was decisive in the grafting efficiency for some POSS. Therefore, the mode and the interaction intensity between nanoparticles and polymeric matrix were defined by functional groups and POSS concentration. Changes observed in morphology, thermal and viscoelastic properties as in solid state as in melting state are results of these modes and interaction degrees. It was possible to propose interaction mechanisms and morphology arrangements among iPP, DCP and POSS by evaluation of the obtained results as a whole.

Orientador: Goran Neshich / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Biologia / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-20T22:35:51Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Moraes_FabioRogeriode_D.pdf: 15399723 bytes, checksum: 4f1315f86b2c74d078c5105b299a9750 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012 / Resumo: Dentro do ambiente celular, há uma variedade de moléculas e a interação entre si regulam praticamente todos os processos necessários e essenciais para a manutenção da vida. Interações entre proteínas estão envolvidas no controle de vários processos intra e intercelulares, como regulação metabólica e da expressão gênica, reconhecimento antígeno-anticorpo etc. que definem as características biológicas do funcionamento da vida entre os diversos organismos. Ao conhecer a interface de interação de uma proteína chave para desenvolvimento de casos patológicos, é possível desenhar drogas com alta especificidade com o sítio de ligação. Para avançar nessa frente, o conhecimento da estrutura proteica é fundamental, porém não suficiente. É necessário conhecermos o sítio de ligação alvo para cada parceiro de interação. Este estudo visa entender as características do nano-ambiente das interfaces proteicas - área através da qual as macromoléculas se comunicam e exercem sua funcionalidade. Propomos utilizar uma abordagem de estudo das características físico-químicas e estruturais dos resíduos formadores de interfaces de complexos conhecidos e com estrutura quaternária resolvida experimentalmente, utilizando um conjunto de dados sem redundância sequencial, extraindo os parâmetros/descritores que descrevem de forma objetiva as diferentes classes de complexos, revelando as características principais sobre interações proteína-proteína. A finalidade deste trabalho é de conhecer os detalhes que definem uma área como interface e aplicá-lo em uma ferramenta preditiva para todas as proteínas com arranjo estrutural conhecido e/ou modelado. Propomos de forma pioneira, o uso de classificadores específicos para cada tipo de aminoácido e independente do uso de descritores sobre conservação de aminoácidos. Resultados obtidos com classificador linear e por ensemble de redes neurais destacam a nossa abordagem, desenhada e aplicada nesta tese, como uma com os melhores indicadores de desempenho na predição precisa dos resíduos de aminoácido na interface entre as abordagens descritas recentemente na literatura. Ainda, enquanto os outros métodos dependem de descritores sobre conservação de aminoácidos, é mostrado aqui que nenhum ganho de desempenho é obtido com a incorporação de tais descritores em nosso modelo classificador. Esse resultado indica que o uso de descritores puramente físico-químicos e estruturais é suficiente para explicar o grau de conservação dos aminoácidos / Abstract: Inside cells, there is a variety of molecules and their interactions regulate virtually all necessary and essential processes to the maintenance of life. Interactions among proteins are involved in the control of several processes within and out of the cell, such as, metabolic and gene expression regulation, anti-body and antigen recognition, etc. that defines biological characteristics of life among many organisms. If the protein interface amino acids of a key protein related to a given pathologic phenomenon are known, it is possible to rationally design drugs with high specificity for a specific binding site. To gain insight in this field, the knowledge of the protein three-dimensional structure is mandatory, but not sufficient. It is also necessary to know the interface between the target protein and its partners. This study focuses in understanding the characteristics of the area through which the macromolecules communicate to each other and exercise their function. Here, it is proposed an approach to study the physicochemical and structural characteristics of the interface forming residues with known quaternary structure (experimentally solved). It was selected a sequence non-redundant dataset and by extracting parameters/descriptors, that objectively describe different complex classes, it was possible to unravel the basic characteristics of protein-protein binding. The goal of this study is to unravel the details that outline a specific area as interface and apply it in a form of a predictive tool for all proteins with known atomic structure. It is proposed by the first time, the use of amino acid specific classifiers regarding amino acid type and free of amino acid conservation attributes. The results obtained here by employing linear and ensemble of neural network classifiers show that, based on purely physicochemical and structural descriptors, it is possible to get precise predictions about interface forming residues in protein-protein assemblies. Comparatively, the method described here retains better performance indicators than the ones recently described in the literature. In addition, we showed that, for our method, adding "conservation" attributes does not induce any performance gain, which is a major difference if compared to other described methods. This result indicates the purely physicochemical and structural descriptors are sufficient to explain how conserved amino acids are / Doutorado / Bioinformatica / Doutor em Genetica e Biologia Molecular

M42 aminopeptidases are dinuclear enzymes widely found in prokaryotes but completely absent from eukaryotes. They have been proposed to hydrolyze peptides downstream the proteasome or other related proteolytic complexes. Their description relies mainly on the pioneering work on four M42 aminopeptidases from Pyrococcus horikoshii. Their quaternary structure consists of twelve subunits adopting a tetrahedral-shaped structure. Such a spatial organization allows the compartmentalization of the active sites which are only accessible to unfolded peptides. The dodecamer assembly results from the self-association of dimers under the control of the metal ion cofactors. Both oligomers have been shown to co-exist in vivo and heterododecamers with broadened substrate specificity may even occur. Yet, the molecular determinants behind the dodecamer assembly remain unknown due the lack of a high-resolution structure of a stable dimer. In addition, the bacterial M42 aminopeptidases are still ill-described due to the paucity of structural studies. This work focuses mainly on the characterization of TmPep1050, an M42 aminopeptidase from Thermotoga maritima. As expected, TmPep1050 adopts the genuine tetrahedral-shaped structure with twelve subunits. It also displays a leucyl-aminopeptidase activity requiring Co2+ as a cofactor. In addition to its catalytic function, Co2+ has a role in the enzyme thermostability and oligomerization. The absence of Co2+ provokes the disassembly of active TmPep1050 dodecamers into inactive dimers. The process, however, is reversible since Co2+ triggers the self-association of dimers into dodecamers, as shown by native MS. The main achievement of this work is the determination of the first high-resolution structure of a dimer, allowing to better understand the dimer-dodecamer transition. Several structural motifs involved in oligomerization are displaced or highly flexible in the TmPep1050 dimer structure. Furthermore, a loop bringing two catalytic relevant residues is displaced outside the catalytic site. These residues are the catalytic base and a ligand involved in the Co2+ binding at the M1 site. The metal ion binding sites have been further investigated to define how they influence the oligomerization of TmPep1050. A mutational study shows that the M1 site strictly controls the dodecamer formation while the M2 site contributes only partly to it. A strictly conserved aspartate residue of the M2 site second shell also plays an important structural role in maintaining the active site integrity. Indeed, its substitution prevents the formation of dodecamer probably due to the lack of stabilization of the active site loop. The characterization of TmPep1050 supports that bacterial M42 aminopeptidases probably share the quaternary structures and dodecamer assembly with their archaeal counterparts. The dimer structure highlights several structural modifications occurring in the dimer-dodecamer transition. Yet, based on current knowledge, no general rules can be drawn for the role of the M1 and M2 sites in oligomerization. Besides, the physiological function of the M42 aminopeptidases is under-examined albeit the proposed link to the proteasome. In this work, this has been investigated using the Escherichia coli M42 aminopeptidases as a model. Yet, no phenotype has been associated to the deletion of their coding genes. Preliminary results have shown that the three enzymes (i) display a redundant substrate specificity, (ii) could be localized partly to the membrane, and (iii) form heterocomplexes. Further experiments are still required to crack the function of these M42 aminopeptidases. / Option Biologie moléculaire du Doctorat en Sciences / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

<p>Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1D), a chronic disease affecting over 1.5 million Americans, is characterized by the autoimmune destruction of insulin-producing β-cells within pancreatic islets. Islet/β-cell replacement therapies, where replenishable β-cell sources are implanted within protective microenvironments, have the potential to provide a long-term solution for individuals with T1D by restoring glucose-sensitive, insulin release and overall glycemic control. However, most conventional encapsulation materials elicit an immune reaction, known as a foreign body response (FBR), which compromises β-cell health and function. In this dissertation, we designed and evaluated various formulations of a polymerizable collagen, namely type I oligomeric collagen (Oligomer), as encapsulation materials for minimally invasive, subcutaneous delivery of replacement β-cells. Preclinical validation in chemically-induced diabetic mice demonstrated rapid (within 24 hours) reversal of diabetes for beyond 90 days with no signs of rejection or FBR after subcutaneous delivery of both allogeneic and xenogeneic (rat) islets. To further define this uncommon mechanism of protection, the tissue response to Oligomer, in comparison to commercial synthetic and collagen-based materials, was evaluated following subcutaneous implantation within rats, a well-established biocompatibility model. Histological and transcriptomics analyses were used to define the immune response at both cellular and molecular levels. Interestingly, Oligomer showed minimal and transient activation of innate immune cells similar to the sham surgical control, with no evidence of foreign body giant cell formation, inflammatory-mediated bioresorption, or fibrosis. Overall, this work evaluates preclinical efficacy and demonstrates mechanistic understanding of immune tolerance for Oligomer materials for β-cell replacement therapy and other regenerative medicine applications.</p>