by Sung Ying-Man, Mandy. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 112-125). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Acknowledgments --- p.I / List of Abbreviations --- p.II / Abstract --- p.IV / 摘要 --- p.VII / Chapter Chapter 1 --- Introduction / Chapter 1.1 --- Epidemiology --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Aetiological factors --- p.4 / Chapter 1.2.1 --- Hepatitis B infection --- p.4 / Chapter 1.2.2 --- Aflatoxin exposure --- p.5 / Chapter 1.2.3 --- Alcohol consumption --- p.5 / Chapter 1.2.4 --- Genetic risk factors --- p.6 / Chapter 1.3 --- Aims of the study --- p.7 / Chapter Chapter 2 --- Polymorphisms of candidate genes in Interleukin- signalling pathway in HCC --- p.6 / Chapter 2.1 --- Introduction --- p.9 / Chapter 2.2 --- Materials and Methods --- p.15 / Samples and Genomic DNA isolation --- p.15 / PCR-PFLP --- p.15 / dHPLC --- p.16 / Direct Sequencing --- p.17 / Stattistical Analysis --- p.17 / Chapter 2.3 --- Results --- p.25 / Chapter 2.3.1 --- Known IL6 polymorphisms --- p.25 / Chapter 2.3.2 --- IL-6R and gp130 polymorphisms --- p.28 / Chapter 2.3.3 --- Stat-3 polymorphisms --- p.29 / Chapter 2.3.4 --- SOCS-1 polymophisms --- p.32 / Chapter 2.3.5 --- Mutation screening of IL-6 gene --- p.34 / Chapter 2.3.6 --- Mutation screening of SOCS-1 gene --- p.39 / Chapter 2.4 --- Discussion --- p.40 / Chapter 2.4.1 --- Interleukin-6 --- p.40 / Chapter 2.4.2 --- Gp130 and IL6-R --- p.43 / Chapter 2.4.3 --- STAT-3 --- p.44 / Chapter 2.4.4 --- SOCS-l --- p.46 / Chapter Chapter 3 --- Methylation status of SOCS-1 gene in Chinese HCC patients / Chapter 3.1 --- Introduction --- p.49 / Chapter 3.2 --- Methods and Materials --- p.53 / Tissue Sampling --- p.53 / Methylation specific PCR (MSP) --- p.53 / Chapter 3.3 --- Results --- p.55 / Chapter 3.4 --- Discussion --- p.56 / Chapter Chapter 4 --- Polymorphisms of enzyme encoding genesin steroidogenesis in Chinese / Chapter 4.1 --- Introduction --- p.59 / Chapter 4.1.1 --- Steroid 5a reductases (SRD5A) --- p.62 / Chapter 4.1.1a --- Steroid 5a reductase type II (SRD5A2) --- p.63 / Chapter 4.1.1b --- Steroid 5a reductase type I (SRD5A1) --- p.65 / Chapter 4.1.2 --- Cytochrome P450al7 (CYP17) --- p.67 / Chapter 4.1.3 --- "Cytochrome P450, family 1，subfamily A polypeptide1 (CYP1A1)" --- p.69 / Chapter 4.1.4 --- "Cytochrome P450, subfamily IIIA (niphedipine oxidase) polypeptide 4 (CYP3A4)" --- p.71 / Chapter 4.2 --- Materials and Methods --- p.74 / Samples and Genomic DNA isolation --- p.74 / PCR-PFLP --- p.74 / Direct Sequencing --- p.74 / Statistical Analysis --- p.74 / Chapter 4.3 --- Results --- p.77 / Chapter 4.3.1 --- SRD5A2 --- p.77 / Chapter 4.3.2 --- Linkage Disequilibrium in SRD5A2 gene --- p.83 / Chapter 4.3.2 --- SRD5A1 --- p.84 / Chapter 4.3.3 --- CYP17 --- p.87 / Chapter 4.3.4 --- CYP1A1 --- p.89 / Chapter 4.3.5 --- CYP3A4 --- p.92 / Chapter 4.3.6 --- Logistic regression --- p.95 / Chapter 4.4 --- Discussion --- p.96 / Chapter 4.4.1 --- SRD5A2 --- p.96 / Chapter 4.4.2 --- SRD5A1 --- p.99 / Chapter 4.4.3 --- CYP17 --- p.101 / Chapter 4.4.4 --- CYP1A1 --- p.103 / Chapter 4.4.5 --- CYP3A4 --- p.106 / Chapter 4.4.6 --- Logistic Regression --- p.107 / Chapter Chapter 5 --- Conclusions and Future Prospect --- p.108 / Chapter 5.1 --- Conclusions --- p.108 / Chapter 5.2 --- Future works and prospect --- p.111 / References --- p.113

Nós investigamos os efeitos da saliva de Lutzomyia longipalpis capturados no campo e colonizados em laboratório, na evolução da lesão e imunomodulação da infecção por Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis, uma espécie que é endêmica na América do Sul, onde causa Leishmaniose Cutânea, Leishmaniose Cutânea Disseminada Bordeline e Leishmaniose Cutânea Difusa Anérgica, com conseqüências graves aos pacientes. Com o intuito de comparar o efeito dos dois tipos de extrato de glândula salivar, camundongos C57BL/6 foram inoculados subcutaneamente no coxim plantar das patas traseiras e nas orelhas com 106 formas promastigotas de Leishmania (L.) amazonensis na presença de extrato de glândula salivar de vetores de captura e de colônia. O tamanho da lesão foi significantemente menor nos camundongos infectados com extrato de glândula salivar de vetores capturados, o que também determinou uma infiltração menos proeminente de macrófagos nas lesões e uma resposta Th2 mais branda quando comparada com aqueles inoculados com extrato de glândula salivar de vetores colonizados. Recentemente, foi mostradas diferenças nos compostos protéicos das glândulas salivares que poderiam parcialmente justificar a expressão da lesão. Portanto, nossos achados ressaltam que a extrato de glândula salivar de flebótomos provavelmente não desempenha um papel importante na exacerbação da infecção por Leishmania já que a transmissão natural do parasito ocorre através de vetores selvagens e não através de vetores colonizados em laboratório / We investigated the effects of Lutzomyia longipalpis saliva of vectors captured in the field and colonized in laboratory on the lesion evolution and immunomodulation of the infection by Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis, a species that is endemic in South America where it causes cutaneous leishmaniasis, borderline disseminated cutaneous leishmaniasis and anergic diffuse cutaneous leishmaniasis, with devastating consequences to the patients. In order to compare the effect of both salivas, C57BL/6 mice were inoculated subcutaneously into the hind footpads or into the ear dermis with 106 promastigotes in the presence of salivary gland homogenate from wildcaught and lab-colonized vectors. Lesion size was significantly lower in the mice infected with saliva from wild-caught sandflies that also determined a less prominent infiltration of macrophages in the lesions and a weaker Th2 response in comparison with those co-inoculated with colonized saliva. Recently, differences were shown in the protein compounds in the salivary glands that could partially account for the lesion size outcome. In conclusion, our findings highlight that phlebotomine saliva probably does not play an important role in the exacerbation of Leishmania infection as the natural parasite transmission occurs through wild and not laboratory colonized vectors.

Submitted by Maria Beatriz Vieira (mbeatriz.vieira@gmail.com) on 2017-08-29T13:17:11Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) tese_ivy_bastos_ramis.pdf: 1360974 bytes, checksum: 5f055cbf4d5ce0a95672ccdf092907c8 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Aline Batista (alinehb.ufpel@gmail.com) on 2017-08-29T19:50:35Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) tese_ivy_bastos_ramis.pdf: 1360974 bytes, checksum: 5f055cbf4d5ce0a95672ccdf092907c8 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Aline Batista (alinehb.ufpel@gmail.com) on 2017-08-29T19:50:44Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) tese_ivy_bastos_ramis.pdf: 1360974 bytes, checksum: 5f055cbf4d5ce0a95672ccdf092907c8 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-08-29T19:50:52Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) tese_ivy_bastos_ramis.pdf: 1360974 bytes, checksum: 5f055cbf4d5ce0a95672ccdf092907c8 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-11-21 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / Helicobacter pylori é uma bactéria que infecta a mucosa gástrica de aproximadamente 50% da população humana mundial. A infecção por H. pylori tem sido associada a uma variedade de doenças, tais como gastrite, doença ulcerosa péptica e carcinoma gástrico. Acredita-se que a combinação de variáveis ambientais/comportamentais, fatores genéticos do hospedeiro e genes de patogenicidade bacteriana possa interferir na gravidade da lesão gástrica e no desfecho clínico de infecção por H. pylori. Desta forma, o presente trabalho objetivou determinar a frequência e potenciais fatores de risco da infecção por H. pylori, assim como identificar os polimorfismos nos genes da interleucina (IL)-1, IL-6, IL-8 e IL-10 e suas associações com infecção por H. pylori, com cytotoxin associated gene A (gene cagA) de H. pylori e com patologias gástricas. Para isso, foi conduzido um estudo transversal, incluindo amostras de biópsia gástrica de 227 pacientes, submetidos à endoscopia digestiva alta. Um questionário foi aplicado aos pacientes antes da endoscopia. O diagnóstico de H. pylori baseou-se na histologia e na polymerase chain reaction (PCR). O gene cagA foi identificado por PCR. Os polimorfismos nos genes da IL-1B (nas posições -511, -31 e +3954), IL-6 (na posição -174), IL-8 (na posição -251) e IL-10 (nas posições -819 e -592) foram detectados por PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP). A análise do polimorfismo variable number of tandem repeat (VNTR) no gene IL-1RN foi realizada por PCR, seguida por eletroforese em gel de agarose. Dos 227 pacientes incluídos neste estudo, 151 foram positivos para H. pylori e 76 negativos. Com base nos questionários aplicados aos pacientes, verificou-se existir associação significativa entre a presença de H. pylori e a aglomeração familiar, a idade, e os diagnósticos endoscópicos e histológicos. Quanto aos fatores genéticos do hospedeiro observou-se que os polimorfismos nas regiões promotoras dos genes IL-1B e IL-8 estavam significativamente relacionados à infecção por H. pylori. As cepas de pacientes H. pylori positivos portadores do gene cagA foram significativamente associadas com o polimorfismo da IL-1B na posição -511. Adicionalmente, na presença da infecção pelo H. pylori, demonstrou-se que os polimorfismos na região promotora do gene IL-1B estiveram correlacionados com um risco aumentado de gastrite, enquanto aqueles nos genes da IL-8 e da IL-10 foram associados a um risco elevado da doença ulcerosa péptica. Conclui-se que, provavelmente, os polimorfismos genéticos do hospedeiro exerçam influência sobre o curso e a gravidade das doenças gástricas. Espera-se que os resultados deste trabalho possam contribuir, em breve, tanto para a prevenção dessas desordens quanto para uma terapia mais adequada e eficiente, isto porque o conhecimento das bases moleculares do hospedeiro e do microrganismo viabiliza o desenvolvimento de testes moleculares, os quais poderão ser aplicados em prol de um correto prognóstico das patologias gástricas. / Helicobacter pylori is a bacterium that infects the gastric mucosa of approximately 50% of the world´s human population. H. pylori infection has been associated with a variety of diseases such as gastritis, peptic ulcer disease and gastric carcinoma. It is believed that the combination of environmental/behavioral variables, host genetic factors and bacterial pathogenicity genes can interfere in the severity of gastric damage and in the clinical outcome of H. pylori infection. In this sense, the present study aimed to determine the frequency and potential risk factors of the H. pylori infection, even as identify polymorphisms in the interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6, IL-8 and IL-10 genes and their associations with H. pylori infection, with cagA gene of H. pylori, and with gastric pathologies. For this, it was conducted a cross-sectional study, including gastric biopsy samples from 227 patients, submitted to upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. A questionnaire was applied to the patients before endoscopy. The diagnosis of H. pylori was based in histology and in polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The cagA gene was identified by PCR. The polymorphisms in the genes of IL-1B (at positions -511, -31 and +3954), IL-6 (at position -174), IL-8 (at position -251) and IL-10 (at positions -819 and -592) were detected by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). The analysis of the variable number of tandem repeat (VNTR) polymorphism in the IL-1RN gene was performed by PCR followed by electrophoresis agarose gel. Of the 227 patients included in this study, 151 were positive for H. pylori and 76 negative. Based on the questionnaires applied to the patients, it was found a significant association between the presence of H. pylori and the household crowding, the age, and the diagnoses histological and endoscopic. As for host genetic factors was observed that polymorphisms in the promoter region of the IL-1B and IL-8 genes were significantly related with H. pylori infection. The strains from patients H. pylori positive carrying the cagA gene were significantly associated with the polymorphism of IL-1B at position -511. Additionally, in the presence of H. pylori infection, it was demonstrated that polymorphisms in the promoter region of the IL-1B gene were correlated with an enhanced risk of gastritis, while those in the IL-8 and IL-10 genes were associated with higher risk of peptic ulcer disease. We conclude that probably, the host genetic polymorphisms exert influence in the course and gravity of gastric diseases. It is hoped that the results of this work may contribute soon, to the prevention of these diseases and for a more appropriate and effective therapy, this because the knowledge of the molecular basis of the host and the microorganism enables the development of molecular tests that may to be applied toward a correct prognosis of gastric pathologies.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa é uma gamaproteobactéria ubíqua capaz de infectar indivíduos imunocomprometidos e causar infecções hospitalares. Entre duas repetições diretas situadas na ilha de patogenicidade PAPI-1 da linhagem PA14, encontram-se dois grupos de genes transcritos em direções opostas. O primeiro, composto de pvrS, pvrR, rcsC e rcsB, codifica proteínas de sistemas de dois componentes e está relacionado com virulência, enquanto o segundo compreende cinco genes (cupD1-D5) e codifica uma fímbria do tipo chaperoneusher, com alta similaridade com o grupo cupA, envolvido na formação de biofilme em outras linhagens de P. aeruginosa. Fímbrias da mesma família são importantes na patogenicidade de outras bactérias. Com o objetivo de estudar a relação entre esses dois grupos de genes, procurou-se caracterizar sua organização por ensaios de RT-PCR, que possibilitaram observar a disposição dos genes dos sistemas de dois componentes em dois operons distintos (pvrRS e rcsCB) e, pelo menos, cupD1-cupD2 como uma unidade transcricional, com indícios apontando para a organização de cupD1-D5 em um único operon. Os inícios de transcrição e as regiões promotoras de cada operon foram caracterizados por experimentos de RACE 5 e extensão de oligonucleotídeo marcado em busca de seqüências relevantes para a ativação da expressão desses genes. Visando investigar a regulação da expressão da fímbria CupD pelos sistemas de dois componentes codificados pelos genes adjacentes, foram realizados ensaios de qRT-PCR, os quais mostraram uma menor expressão de cupD na linhagem mutante para rcsB. RcsB apresenta um domínio de ligação a DNA e, apesar da falta de sucesso em ensaios de ligação dessa proteína à região promotora de cupD, os dados obtidos por qRT-PCR 1 indicam fortemente que essa proteína funciona como um ativador de transcrição dos genes da fímbria. Corroborando esses achados, somente quando se utilizou RNA extraído de P. aeruginosa PA14 superexpressando RcsB foi possível visualizar no gel a banda referente ao início de transcrição de cupD1-D2 no ensaio de extensão de oligonucleotídeo. Ao contrário do efeito positivo de RcsB observado na transcrição de cupD1, cupD2 e cupD5, a histidina quinase RcsC atua negativamente na expressão dos genes da fímbria, sugerindo que, nesse caso, sua atividade predominante sobre RcsB seja a de fosfatase. PvrS e PvrR parecem atuar de forma indireta e positiva sobre cupD. Como um segundo objetivo do trabalho, ensaios de virulência de P. aeruginosa no hospedeiro-modelo Dictyostelium discoideum foram otimizados, com o estabelecimento de uma técnica para se testar alguns genes estudados no laboratório que podem ser relevantes para a virulência dessa bactéria. Resultados desses ensaios confirmaram a atenuação de mutantes para uma suposta metiltransferase, já observada em modelos de planta, camundongo e drosófila. Em conjunto, os resultados desse trabalho tornam-se informações valiosas para serem usadas na pesquisa de controle de infecções por P. aeruginosa, que depende de fímbrias para colonizar com sucesso superfícies abióticas que servem de veículo de disseminação desse agente infeccioso e para que as bactérias possam persistir no organismo do hospedeiro. / Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a ubiquitous gammaproteobacteria able to infect immunocompromised individuals and to cause nosocomial infections. Between two direct repeats in the PAPI-1 pathogenicity island present in strain PA14, there are two gene clusters transcribed in opposite directions. The first, composed of pvrS, pvrR, rcsC and rcsB, encodes two-component systems proteins and is implicated in virulence, whereas the second comprises five genes (cupD1-D5) encoding a chaperone-usher fimbria with high similarity to cupA, a gene cluster involved in biofilm formation in other strains of P. aeruginosa. Fimbriae belonging to the same family of Cup are related to pathogenicity of other bacteria. In order to study the relationship between these two clusters, the organization of the genes in operons was characterized using RT-PCR, which results lead to the conclusion that the twocomponent systems genes are arranged into two different operons (pvrSR and rcsCB) and that cupD1-D2 share the same promoter, with some evidences that the operons extends from cupD1 to cupD5. The transcription start sites and the promoter regions of each operon were characterized with RACE 5 and primer extension assays to look for sequences that could be relevant to the activation of expression of these genes. Quantitative RT-PCR assays were carried out to investigate whether the expression of CupD fimbriae is regulated by the twocomponent systems encoded by the adjacent genes and the results showed a lower expression of cupD in the rcsB mutant strain than in the wild-type. RcsB bears a DNA-binding domain and, although our assays of DNA-protein interactions have failed, data obtained by qRT-PCR 1 strongly indicate that this protein functions as a transcription activator of fimbrial genes. These findings were corroborated by the primer extension assay, in which the band corresponding to the transcriptional start of cupD1-D2 was visible only when the reaction was performed with the RNA extracted of P. aeruginosa overexpressing RcsB. Unlike the effect observed for RcsB in cupD1, cupD2 and cupD5 transcription, the histidine quinase RcsC acts negatively in the fimbrial genes expression, suggesting that it might function predominantly as a RcsB phosphatase. PvrS and PvrR seem to regulate cupD positively and indirectly. As a second aim of this work, virulence assays of P. aeruginosa in the model host Dictyostelium discoideum were optimized, and a technique for testing genes studied in the laboratory that could be important for Pseudomonas virulence was established. These assays confirmed the attenuation-in-virulence of strains mutant in a putative methyltransferase gene, as observed before in plant, mouse and drosophila models. The results obtained in this work may contribute to P. aeruginosa infection control research, since this bacterium depends on fimbriae to successfully colonize abiotic surfaces that act as a dissemination vehicle, and to allow the bacteria to persist into the host organism.

RESUMO: Determinadas espécies de fungos são responsáveis por diversas doenças no ser humano. Estudos epidemiológicos avaliam essas infecções tanto superficiais quanto profundas, e alguns destes avaliam em relação ao trabalho e condição de vida e saúde de trabalhadores de diversas áreas. Entretanto a contaminação por fungos filamentosos na região da cavidade oral com relação à atividade laboral rural não apresenta referência. OBJETIVOS: Avaliar a incidência de contaminação fúngica na região orofaringe normal de trabalhadores agrícolas das culturas de cana-de-açúcar, laranja e abacaxi do município de Frutal, Minas Gerais. MÉTODOS: Esse é um trabalho longitudinal, prospectivo, tipo coorte, não randomizado, em que os participantes eram migrantes vindos para trabalho temporário nas culturas referidas. Foram selecionados 60 participantes no momento das contratações após realizados os exames pré-admissionais. Avaliou-se as características sociodemográficas dos participantes. A coleta de material investigativo seguiu a ordem: região do sulco gengivo - labial, próximo à região do freio superior e freio inferior; material da mucosa jugal direita e esquerda, com um swab para cada região e dispostos na placa de Petri, respeitando a anatomia descrita. A coleta e análise do material dos trabalhadores e do meio ambiente seguiram os tempos de cada cultura, determinados de (t0), (t1), (t2). Também foram usados para caracterizar cada fase de coleta, cultura e análise das amostras. As amostras foram semeadas em meio Agar Sabouraud Dextrose. Após o crescimento dos isolados, as culturas filamentosas foram submetidas às técnicas de colônias gigantes e microcultivo. Os fungos foram identificados no microscópio com objetiva de 40 vezes. RESULTADOS: Não houve diferença entre idade e sexo nos três grupos analisados. Houve predomínio de homens afrodescendentes nas culturas de cana e laranja quando comparados ao abacaxi, que apresentou um predomínio de caucasianos. Trabalhadores de origem oriental foram detectados apenas na cultura de abacaxi. Quanto à renda, os trabalhadores de abacaxi recebem salários mais elevados do que os outros dois grupos de trabalhadores. Não houve diferença em relação ao tabagismo e a ingestão de álcool entre os três grupos analisados. Em relação à contaminação do meio ambiente, tanto na planta quanto no ar, encontrou-se um maior índice de placas de Petri contaminadas nas plantações de abacaxi e cana-de-açúcar, respectivamente. Observou-se um predominio de F. moniliforme na cultura de cana-de-açúcar e de F.subglutians nas culturas de laranja e de abacaxi nos tempos definidos dessa pesquisa. A contaminação dos trabalhadores ocorreu no segundo tempo da pesquisa. A respeito dos voluntários das plantações de abacaxi, 13,3% dos trabalhadores foram infectados entre os sessenta analisados; todos os trabalhadores foram contaminados com F.subglutinans. Na cultura de cana-de-açúcar, 8,3% deles foram encontrados infectados, sendo 5% por A. niger e 3,3% por F.moniliforme. Dois voluntários infectados pelo A. niger apresentaram infecção concomitante com C. albicans. Na lavoura de laranja 1,6% foram infectados por F.subglutians. CONCLUSÕES: Esse estudo demonstrou que trabalhar na cultura do abacaxi se mostrou um fator de risco para infecção fúngica na mucosa oral quando comparado às atividades na cultura da laranja. Houve também contaminação fúngica na cultura de cana-de-açúcar quando comparado ao grupo de referência. Outros fatores como idade, ingestão de álcool, tabagismo, renda familiar ou etnia não se mostraram estatisticamente significativos para incidência da infecção / ABSTRACT: Certain species of fungi are responsible for several diseases in humans. Epidemiologic studies rate those infections, both superficial and profound, and some of them rate regarding the occupation and life and health conditions of workers from several areas. However, the filamentous fungal infection in the oral cavity regarding laboral activity presents no reference. OBJETIVE: To rate the incidence of fungal contamination in the normal oropharynx of agricultural workers of sugar cane, orange and pineapple crops in the municipal district of Frutal, Minas Gerais. METHODS: This is a longitudinal, prospective and cohort work, in which the participants were migrants to temporary work in the aforesaid crops. Sixty participants were selected in the hiring moment after pre-admission examinations. The participants\' sociodemographic features were rated. The gathering of investigative materials followed the order: region of the gingival sulcus, close to the upper and lower lip curb region; material from the right and left jugal mucous with a swab for each region and arranged in a Petri dish, respecting the anatomy described. The gathering and analysis from workers and environment material followed the time of each culture, determined of (t0), (t1), (t2). They were also used to feature each stage of gathering, culture and analysis of samples. The samples were sown amid Sabouraud Dextrose Agar. After the growth of the isolates, the filamentous cultures were subjected to the techniques of giant colonies and microcultivation. The fungi were identified in the microscope with a 40x magnification. RESULTS: There was no difference between age and sex in the three groups studied. There was a predominance of African descent men in cane and orange crops compared to pineapple, which showed a predominance of Caucasians. Oriental workers were detected only in pineapple crop. As for income, the pineapple workers receive higher wages than the other two groups of workers. There was no difference regarding smoking and alcohol intake among the three groups analyzed. Regarding the environment contamination, both in the plant and in the air, a higher rate was found in Petri dishes contamined in pineapple and sugar cane crops, respectively. There was a predominance of F. moniliforme in the sugar cane crop and of F.subglutians in orange and pineapple crops in the times defined in this research. Contamination of workers occured in the second half of the research. Regarding the volunteers of pineapple crops, 13,3% workers were infected among the sixty analyzed; all workers were contamined with F. subglutinans. In the sugar cane crop, 8,3% of them were found infected, 5% by A. niger and 3,3% by F. moniliforme. Two volunteers infected by the A. niger presented concomitant infection with C. albicans. A worker of the orange crop was infected (1,6% ) by F. subglutians. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that working in the pineapple crop showed a risk factor for the fungal infection in the oral mucosa when compared to the activities in the orange crop. Also, there was a fungal contamination in the sugar cane crop when compared to the reference group. Other factors such as age, alcohol intake, smoking, family income or ethnicity were not statistically significant for the incidence of infection

Pseudomonas aeruginosa é uma gamaproteobactéria ubíqua capaz de infectar indivíduos imunocomprometidos e causar infecções hospitalares. Entre duas repetições diretas situadas na ilha de patogenicidade PAPI-1 da linhagem PA14, encontram-se dois grupos de genes transcritos em direções opostas. O primeiro, composto de pvrS, pvrR, rcsC e rcsB, codifica proteínas de sistemas de dois componentes e está relacionado com virulência, enquanto o segundo compreende cinco genes (cupD1-D5) e codifica uma fímbria do tipo chaperoneusher, com alta similaridade com o grupo cupA, envolvido na formação de biofilme em outras linhagens de P. aeruginosa. Fímbrias da mesma família são importantes na patogenicidade de outras bactérias. Com o objetivo de estudar a relação entre esses dois grupos de genes, procurou-se caracterizar sua organização por ensaios de RT-PCR, que possibilitaram observar a disposição dos genes dos sistemas de dois componentes em dois operons distintos (pvrRS e rcsCB) e, pelo menos, cupD1-cupD2 como uma unidade transcricional, com indícios apontando para a organização de cupD1-D5 em um único operon. Os inícios de transcrição e as regiões promotoras de cada operon foram caracterizados por experimentos de RACE 5 e extensão de oligonucleotídeo marcado em busca de seqüências relevantes para a ativação da expressão desses genes. Visando investigar a regulação da expressão da fímbria CupD pelos sistemas de dois componentes codificados pelos genes adjacentes, foram realizados ensaios de qRT-PCR, os quais mostraram uma menor expressão de cupD na linhagem mutante para rcsB. RcsB apresenta um domínio de ligação a DNA e, apesar da falta de sucesso em ensaios de ligação dessa proteína à região promotora de cupD, os dados obtidos por qRT-PCR 1 indicam fortemente que essa proteína funciona como um ativador de transcrição dos genes da fímbria. Corroborando esses achados, somente quando se utilizou RNA extraído de P. aeruginosa PA14 superexpressando RcsB foi possível visualizar no gel a banda referente ao início de transcrição de cupD1-D2 no ensaio de extensão de oligonucleotídeo. Ao contrário do efeito positivo de RcsB observado na transcrição de cupD1, cupD2 e cupD5, a histidina quinase RcsC atua negativamente na expressão dos genes da fímbria, sugerindo que, nesse caso, sua atividade predominante sobre RcsB seja a de fosfatase. PvrS e PvrR parecem atuar de forma indireta e positiva sobre cupD. Como um segundo objetivo do trabalho, ensaios de virulência de P. aeruginosa no hospedeiro-modelo Dictyostelium discoideum foram otimizados, com o estabelecimento de uma técnica para se testar alguns genes estudados no laboratório que podem ser relevantes para a virulência dessa bactéria. Resultados desses ensaios confirmaram a atenuação de mutantes para uma suposta metiltransferase, já observada em modelos de planta, camundongo e drosófila. Em conjunto, os resultados desse trabalho tornam-se informações valiosas para serem usadas na pesquisa de controle de infecções por P. aeruginosa, que depende de fímbrias para colonizar com sucesso superfícies abióticas que servem de veículo de disseminação desse agente infeccioso e para que as bactérias possam persistir no organismo do hospedeiro. / Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a ubiquitous gammaproteobacteria able to infect immunocompromised individuals and to cause nosocomial infections. Between two direct repeats in the PAPI-1 pathogenicity island present in strain PA14, there are two gene clusters transcribed in opposite directions. The first, composed of pvrS, pvrR, rcsC and rcsB, encodes two-component systems proteins and is implicated in virulence, whereas the second comprises five genes (cupD1-D5) encoding a chaperone-usher fimbria with high similarity to cupA, a gene cluster involved in biofilm formation in other strains of P. aeruginosa. Fimbriae belonging to the same family of Cup are related to pathogenicity of other bacteria. In order to study the relationship between these two clusters, the organization of the genes in operons was characterized using RT-PCR, which results lead to the conclusion that the twocomponent systems genes are arranged into two different operons (pvrSR and rcsCB) and that cupD1-D2 share the same promoter, with some evidences that the operons extends from cupD1 to cupD5. The transcription start sites and the promoter regions of each operon were characterized with RACE 5 and primer extension assays to look for sequences that could be relevant to the activation of expression of these genes. Quantitative RT-PCR assays were carried out to investigate whether the expression of CupD fimbriae is regulated by the twocomponent systems encoded by the adjacent genes and the results showed a lower expression of cupD in the rcsB mutant strain than in the wild-type. RcsB bears a DNA-binding domain and, although our assays of DNA-protein interactions have failed, data obtained by qRT-PCR 1 strongly indicate that this protein functions as a transcription activator of fimbrial genes. These findings were corroborated by the primer extension assay, in which the band corresponding to the transcriptional start of cupD1-D2 was visible only when the reaction was performed with the RNA extracted of P. aeruginosa overexpressing RcsB. Unlike the effect observed for RcsB in cupD1, cupD2 and cupD5 transcription, the histidine quinase RcsC acts negatively in the fimbrial genes expression, suggesting that it might function predominantly as a RcsB phosphatase. PvrS and PvrR seem to regulate cupD positively and indirectly. As a second aim of this work, virulence assays of P. aeruginosa in the model host Dictyostelium discoideum were optimized, and a technique for testing genes studied in the laboratory that could be important for Pseudomonas virulence was established. These assays confirmed the attenuation-in-virulence of strains mutant in a putative methyltransferase gene, as observed before in plant, mouse and drosophila models. The results obtained in this work may contribute to P. aeruginosa infection control research, since this bacterium depends on fimbriae to successfully colonize abiotic surfaces that act as a dissemination vehicle, and to allow the bacteria to persist into the host organism.

The genus Salmonella includes facultative intracellular pathogens. Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi (S. Typhi) causes typhoid fever in humans killing about 2,00,000 people globally every year. Salmonella enterica serovars Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) and Enteritidis (S. Enteritidis) cause food poisoning in humans. Salmonellae also cause disease in animals of economic importance like poultry and cattle. Treatment of diseases caused by these notorious pathogens is becoming more and more difficult because of the emergence of drug resistant strains. Thus, it is vital to understand the virulence mechanisms of Salmonella which can lead us to potential drug targets and also help us design effective vaccines. Salmonella has evolved many strategies to enter the host, to evade intracellular and extracellular antimicrobial activities of the host and to extract nutrition in the stringent and hostile environment of the host. These strategies have enabled Salmonella to survive and multiply in the host making it a successful pathogen. Present study deals with four such survival strategies of Salmonella. S. Typhimurium causes a systemic disease in mice that is similar to typhoid fever caused by serovar Typhi in humans. This serves as a good model system to study and understand the pathogenesis of Salmonellae. This model system has been used throughout this study. In the present thesis attempts have been made to identify some novel survival strategies of Salmonella. The thesis is divided into five chapters. Chapter 1 gives an introduction into the basic biology of these notorious pathogens. The diseases caused by Salmonellae are introduced in this chapter. Typhoid fever is discussed in detail covering its epidemiology, clinical features, diagnosis, treatment and prevention. Next section covers the virulence determinants of Salmonella. In this section, Salmonella pathogenicity islands are discussed in detail. This chapter concludes with an overview of molecular pathogenesis of Salmonella covering its invasion strategy and its dangerous life inside the host cell. Salmonella stays and multiplies inside a specialized endosomal compartment of the host cell known as Salmonella-containing vacuole (SCV). It is believed that Salmonella multiplies inside SCV resulting in single big vacuole containing multiple bacteria. The results of Chapter 2 challenge this notion. Using transmission electron microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy we show that SCV also divides along with the division of Salmonella resulting in multiple SCVs containing single bacterium per vacuole. We also show that this division is mediated by the molecular motor dynein. This chapter concludes with a discussion on the advantages of SCV division with respect to Salmonella. Successful intracellular pathogens must have some strategy either to avoid lysosomal fusion or to endure the toxic molecules of lysosomes. In case of Salmonella, it is well accepted that SCV-lysosome fusion is blocked. However, the exact mechanism of this process is still unclear. The results of Chapter 3 enhance our understanding of this issue. This chapter explores an interesting possibility of Salmonella reducing the lysosomal number and thereby reducing the chances of SCV-lysosome fusion. Using flowcytometry and confocal laser scanning microscopy, we show that Salmonella decreases the number of acidic lysosomes in murine macrophages. Thus, our results suggest that there is an imbalance in the ratio of vacuoles to acidic lysosomes which decreases the probability of SCV-lysosome fusion thereby helping Salmonella avoid lysosomes. Multicellular organisms use various defense strategies to protect themselves from microbial infections; production of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) is one of them. Being cationic in nature, AMPs interact and cause pores in the bacterial membrane eventually killing the bacteria. Pathogenic micro-organisms like Salmonella have evolved many strategies to counteract the AMPs they encounter upon their entry into the host systems. S Typhimurium genome has a gene cluster consisting of yejA, yejB, yejE and yejF genes which encode a putative ABC transporter. Chapter 4 deals with the detailed characterization of these genes. Our study shows that these genes constitute an operon. We have deleted the yejF gene which encodes the ATPase component of this putative ABC transporter. The ΔyejF strain showed increased sensitivity to AMPs like protamine, melittin, polymyxin B and human defensins and was compromised to proliferate inside activated macrophages and epithelial cells. In murine typhoid model, the ΔyejF strain displayed decreased virulence when infected intragastrically. These findings suggest that the putative transporter encoded by the yejABEF operon is involved in counteracting AMPs and contributes to the virulence of Salmonella. An important biochemical property of Salmonella that distinguishes it from the closely related E. coli is its inability to ferment lactose. In E. coli, lactose fermentation is carried out by the products of lac operon which is regulated by a repressor encoded by lacI. Salmonella does not have the lac operon and lacI. It has been proposed that S.enterica has lost lac region (lacI and lacZYA) during its evolution. Chapter 5 deals with the evolutionary and physiological significance behind the loss of lac region by S.enterica. We show that expression of LacI in S. enterica suppresses its virulence by interfering with the expression of SPI-2 virulence genes. We also observed that the genome of S. bongori which does not have the virulence genes of SPI-2 has a homologue of LacI. Our results suggest that presence of lacI has probably hindered the acquisition of virulence genes of SPI-2 in S. bongori, whereas absence of lacI has facilitated the same in S. enterica making it a successful systemic pathogen. Thus, lacI has played a remarkable role in the evolution of Salmonella virulence. Brief summary of four studies that are not directly related to survival strategies of Salmonella are included in Appendix. First two studies analyze molecular evolution of SPIs to understand the mechanism of host specificity in Salmonella and the last two studies explore the signaling of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) derived from Salmonella.

No description available.

農林水産研究情報センターで作成したPDFファイルを使用している。

Trichoderma spp. is one of the most researched fungi as biocontrole agent of diseases, being antagonistic to several phytopathogens in different crops. The soilborne pathogen Fusarium oxysporum causes wilt in several crops, including chrysanthemum, is of difficult control, due mainly to its survival capacity in the soil for long periods, even without the presence of the host. Studies about the population dynamics of Trichoderma spp. and Fusarium spp. and of the associated native microbiota they necessary, especially, to observe the impact of the biocontrols addition in the soil. Ornamental plants, such chrysanthemum, are cultivated in Rio Grande do Sul, but they are susceptible to several diseases, among them, the wilt of Fusarium oxysporum, mainly in protected environment. Aiming at the biocontrol of the wilt caused by F. oxysporum in chrysanthemum, as well as the understanding of the population dynamics of the microbiota in this patossystem, this work had for objectives: to study the dynamics of the fungic population present in soil used in the chrysanthemum cultivation in greenhouse in presence and ausence of wilt symptoms; to select and identify isolates of Fusarium pathogenic to chrysanthemum; to isolate and select antagonists, of the gender Trichoderma, effective in the biocontrol of Fusarium oxysporum in vitro; to verify, in vivo, the effectiveness of the antagonists tested in vitro in control of F. oxysporum; to evaluate the survival of Trichoderma sp. in substract with the incorporation of biological products of the fungus; to analyze the population dynamics of Fusarium sp. and Trichoderma sp. in sterilized soil and with addition of bioprotector; to identify the isolates of Trichoderma sp. used in the biocontrol of the pathogen; to evaluate the effect of administrations of Trichoderma sp. in non-target organisms. The soil sampling cultivated with chrysanthemum in greenhouse showed variation in the fungic populations of Trichoderma sp. and Fusarium sp. as a function of the occurrence of wilt symptoms in plants. Of the isolates of Fusarium sp. inoculated, 25,3% were pathogenic to chrysanthemum, which were found at points with visible symptoms of the disease on the plants. The biological products of Trichoderma sp. used varied in their effectiveness in the control of the wilt of chrysanthemum, being able to reach 100% of biocontrol as in the case of isolate UFSMT15.1. The desinfestation of the soil with methyl bromide reduced the population of Trichoderma, Fusarium and other fungi. The incorporation of the biological products in the soil promoted population growth of Trichoderma sp. and inhibited the growth of Fusarium sp. The molecular characterization of the isolates of Trichoderma indicated that the region of ITS of isolates UFSMT15.1, UFSMT16 and UFSMT17 of Trichoderma sp. it presents a simple band with a fragment of approximately 600 bp and the isolate UFSMT17 present high phylogenetic similarity with the specie Trichoderma aureoviride. In the rats treated with biological product of active Trichoderma sp., no viable spores of the fungus werw found in the sampled tissues after a hour of the administration of the bioproduct. / Trichoderma spp. Persson é um dos fungos mais pesquisados como agente de biocontrole de doenças, sendo antagonista a vários fitopatógenos em diferentes culturas. O patógeno de solo Fusarium oxysporum Link causador de murcha vascular em várias culturas, inclusive em crisântemo, é de difícil controle, devido principalmente à sua capacidade de sobrevivência no solo por longos períodos, mesmo sem a presença do hospedeiro. Estudos sobre a dinâmica populacional de Trichoderma spp. e de Fusarium spp. e da microbiota nativa associada são necessários, em especial, para observar-se o impacto da adição de biocontroladores no solo. Plantas ornamentais, como o crisântemo, são cultivadas no Rio Grande do Sul, mas são suscetíveis a várias doenças, dentre as quais, a murcha por Fusarium tem se destacado, principalmente, em ambiente protegido. Visando o biocontrole da murcha vascular causada por F. oxysporum em crisântemo, bem como, o entendimento da dinâmica populacional da microbiota nesse patossistema, este trabalho teve por objetivos: estudar a dinâmica da população fúngica presente em solo utilizado no cultivo de crisântemo em estufa na presença e ausência de sintomas de murcha; selecionar e identificar isolados de Fusarium patogênicos ao crisântemo; isolar e selecionar antagonistas, do gênero Trichoderma, eficazes no biocontrole de Fusarium oxysporum em teste in vitro; verificar a eficácia in vivo dos antagonistas testados no controle in vitro de F. oxysporum; avaliar a sobrevivência de Trichoderma sp. em substrato com incorporação de biopreparados desse fungo; analisar a dinâmica populacional de Fusarium sp. e Trichoderma sp. presentes em solo esterilizado e povoado com bioprotetores utilizados no cultivo de crisântemo em ambiente protegido; caracterizar molecularmente os isolados de Trichoderma sp. utilizados no biocontrole do patógeno; avaliar o efeito de administrações de Trichoderma sp. em organismos não-alvo. A amostragem de solo cultivado com crisântemo em estufa mostrou variação nas populações fúngicas de Trichoderma sp. e de Fusarium sp., em função da ocorrência de sintomas de murcha nas plantas. Dos isolados de Fusarium sp. inoculados, 25,3% foram patogênicos ao crisântemo, os quais foram amostrados em pontos com sintomas visíveis da doença nas plantas. Os biopreparados de Trichoderma sp. utilizados variaram em sua eficácia no controle da murcha do crisântemo, podendo atingir 100% de biocontrole como no caso do isolado UFSMT15.1. A desinfestação do solo com brometo de metila reduziu a população de Trichoderma, Fusarium e outros gêneros fúngicos. A incorporação do biopreparado no solo promoveu crescimento populacional de Trichoderma sp. e inibiu o crescimento de Fusarium sp. A caracterização molecular dos isolados de Trichoderma indicou que a região do ITS dos isolados UFSMT15.1, UFSMT16 e UFSMT17 de Trichoderma sp. apresenta uma banda simples com um fragmento de aproximadamente 600 pares de bases e o isolado UFSMT17 possui alta similaridade filogenética com a espécie Trichoderma aureoviride. Nos ratos tratados com o biopreparado de Trichoderma sp. ativo, não foram encontrados conídios viáveis do fungo nos tecidos amostrados após uma hora da administração do bioproduto.