Septinas fazem parte de uma família de proteínas de ligação ao nucleotídeo guanina que atuam no ciclo de divisão celular e também são amplamente encontradas em doenças neurodegenerativas tais como mal de Parkinson e Alzheimer e em alguns tipos de câncer como leucemia, linfoma e tumores sólidos. Neste trabalho investigamos como a temperatura e a concentração impactam na agregação do domínio GTPase da septina 2 (SEPT2G), podendo levar a formação de bras amilóides, por espalhamento de luz (DLS) e Raios-X a baixos ângulos (SAXS). Resultados de DLS revelaram que a cinética de agregação da proteína é da ordem de segundos para temperaturas maiores que 25ºC. Os dados de SAXS da proteina a 0,5 mg/ml mostraram que a SETP2G é um dímero em solução aquosa a 4ºC e esta conguração se mantém estável por cerca de 1 hora de observação experimental. A 15ºC, os resultados de SAXS revelaram uma coexistência de três populações em solução compostas por 88% de dímeros, 10% de agregados pequenos tipo-cilindros (protobrilas), e 2% de agregados grandes maiores que a resolução da técnica. Após cerca de 30 minutos existe um rearranjo preferencial de dímeros em favor de agregados muito grandes cuja contribuição à curva de espalhamento torna-se 8%. A 25ºC, a porcentagem de dímeros decresce para 70% com uma contribuição de cerca de 30% de agregados grandes já no início das medidas experimentais. Nas temperaturas de 37ºC e 45ºC, dímeros e agregados muito grandes coexistem em solução desde o início das medidas experimentais, cujo equilíbrio se desloca rapidamente tal que após 20 minutos de observação a solução é composta majoritariamente por agregados muito grandes, identicados como estruturas amilóides pela técnica de uorescência da tioavina, que se intercala em estruturas cross-. A 1 mg/mL e temperatura de 4ºC, a proteína permaneceu estável durante cerca de 1 hora de observação sendo que existe um equilíbrio de dímeros (93%) com agregados alongados (contendo cerca de 80 monômeros) em solução. Com o aumento da temperatura para 15ºC, a maioria da população ainda é dimérica. Já a 25ºC, a presença de agregados muito grandes é bem significativa (da ordem de 30% coexistindo com dímeros e oligômeros). A 37ºC e 45ºC existe a formação de grandes agregados similar ao observado para a SEPT2G a 0,5 mg/mL. Em suma, os resultados de SAXS demonstraram que a SEPT2G tem uma cinética muito rápida de agregação a temperatura siológica, acentuada com o aumento de concentração da proteína em solução. / Septins are proteins from the GTP-binding family and participate in cell division cycle performing functions such as secretion and cytoskeletal division. They can also be found in neurodegenerative conditions as Alzheimer\'s and Parkinson\'s diseases and some kinds of cancer as leukemia, lymphoma and solid tumors. In this work, we investigated the influence of temperature and concentration on the septin 2 GTPase domain (SEPT2G) aggregation using dynamic light scattering (DLS) and small angle x-ray scattering (SAXS). DLS results revealed the protein aggregation kinetic is around seconds for temperatures above 25ºC. SAXS data of the protein at 0.5 mg/mL showed that SEPT2G is a dimer in aqueous solution at 4_C and this condition is kept stable for approximately one hour of experimental observation. At 15ºC, SAXS results revealed the coexistence of three populations in solution composed by 88% of dimers, 10% of cylinder-like smaller aggregates (protofibrils) and 2% of aggregates bigger than the technique detection. After 30 minutes there is a preferential rearrangement of dimers into very large aggregates which contribution on the scattering curve becomes 8%. At 25ºC, the dimers percentage decreases to 70% with a contribution of circa 30% of bigger aggregates, even at the beginning of data acquisition. At temperatures of 37ºC and 45ºC, dimers and very large aggregates coexist in solution since the beginning of data acquisition, which equilibrium quickly shifts in such a way that after 20 minutes of observation the solution is mostly composed by very large aggregates, indented as amyloid structures by the thioflavine fluorescence technique, which intercalates in the cross- structures. At 1 mg/mL and 4ºC, the protein was stable over 1 hour of observation where an equilibrium of dimers (93%) and elongated structures (composed by approximately 80 monomers) in solution takes place. Increasing the temperature to 15ºC, most of the protein remains dimeric. On the other hand, at 25ºC the very large aggregates contribution is around 30% coexisting with dimers and oligomers. At 37ºC and 45ºC there is the formation of large aggregates, similar to what was observed at 0.5 mg/mL. In conclusion, our SAXS results indicated that the aggregation process of SEPT2G in solution may follow different pathways depending on concentration and temperature.

Este trabalho teve por objetivo o preparo e estudo das propriedades de vidros fotocrômicos. Foram preparados vidros de aluminoborosilicatos de potássio (40\'SI\'\'O IND. 2\'.10\'AL IND. 2\'\'O IND. 3\'.(50-x)\'B IND. 2\'\'O IND. 3\'.X\'K IND. 2\'\'O\'- 14,9 < x < 17,7) dopados com \'AG\'\'CL\' e \'CU POT. 2+\'. As amostras foram fundidas em cadinho de platina, em forno de elementos resistivos de \'SI\'\'C\', a \'1400 GRAUS\'C por duas horas, sendo derramados sobre molde de aço inoxidável. Uma tentativa de análise química quantitativa dos componentes após a fusão foi feita por Retroespalhamento de Rutherford. A proporção de prata retida no vidro foi determinada por este método. Medidas de dilatometria e densidade foram feitas para amostras de composição base diferentes. As medidas de dilatometria permitem a obtenção do coeficiente de dilatação térmica, e os parâmetros típicos de vidros conhecidos como: temperatura de transição vítrea e temperatura de \"softening dilatométrico\". Tratamentos térmicos em temperaturas próximas do ponto de amolecimento (softening point) provocam a precipitação de partículas coloidais de \'AG\'\'CL\' na matriz vítrea. Estas são responsáveis pelo comportamento fotocrômico dos vidros. Fatias de uma amostra foram submetidas a programas de tratamento térmico de 0,5 h a várias temperaturas entre \'480 GRAUS\'C e \'620 GRAUS\'C e programas de vários intervalos de tempo entre 0,25 e 1,25h a \'600 GRAUS\'C. As propriedades de absorção óptica das várias fatias, antes e depois de exposição à luz UV, foram comparadas. As características morfológicas das partículas coloidais de \'AG\'\'CL\' produzidas pelos tratamentos térmicos foram investigadas por SAXS. Os raios R das partículas mostraram uma relação linear com a temperatura para tratamentos de 0,5 h entre 550 e \'620 GRAUS\'C e uma relação linear de \'R POT. 3\' com o tempo de tratamento a \'600 GRAUS\'C. Duas séries de amostras foram preparadas para estudar: 1. a influência da quantidade de cobre 2. a influência da proporção de \'K IND. 2\'\'O\' em relação a \'B IND. 2\'\'O IND. 3\'. As propriedades de absorção óptica (antes e depois de exposição à luz UV) das amostras das duas séries, submetidas a tratamentos térmicos a \'600 GRAUS\'C por diversos tempos entre 0,25 e 1,6 h foram comparadas. / The purpose of the present work was to prepare and study the properties of photochromic glasses. Potassium aluminoborosilicate glasses (40\'SI\'\'O IND. 2\'.10\'AL IND. 2\'\'O IND. 3\'.(50-x)\'B IND. 2\'\'O IND. 3\'.X\'K IND. 2\'\'O\'- 14,9 < x < 17,7) doped with \'AG\'\'CL\' and \'CU POT. 2+\' were prepared. The samples were melted in platinum crucible, in electric furnace with silicon carbide resistences, at \'1400 GRAUS\'C for two hours, and poured on stainless steel mold. An attempt to perform a quantitative chemical analisis of the components after melting was carried out by Rutherford Backscattering method. The amount of silver incorporated into the glass was determined by this method. Measurements of dilatometry and density were performed for samples of different base composition. The dilatometric measurements give the thermal expansion coefficient, and the typical glass parameters such as glass transition point and dilatometric softening point. Thermal treatments at temperatures near the softening point precipitate colloidal \'AG\'\'CL\' particles in the glass matrix. These particles are responsible for the photochromic characteristics of the glass. Slices of a sample were submitted to thermal treatments for 0.5 hours at temperatures between 480 and \'620 GRAUS\'C and treatments at \'600 GRAUS\'C for several) time intervals between 0.25 and 1.25 hours. The optical absorption properties of these slices, before and after UV light exposure, were compared. The morphological aspects of the \'AG\'\'CL\' coloidal particles were investigated by SAXS. The particle radii R presented a linear relation with the temperature for treatments for 0.5 hour at temperatures between 550 and \'620 GRAUS\'C and a linear relation of \'R POT. 3\' with time for treatments at \'600 GRAUS\'C. Two sample series were prepared to investigate: 1. the influence of the amount of copper 2. the influence of the amount of \'K IND. 2\'\'O\' in relation to the amout of \'B IND. 2\'\'O IND. 3\' The optical absorbances (before and after exposure to UV light) for samples of the two series, annealed at \'600 GRAUS\'C for different times between 0.25 and 1.6 hours were compared.

De nombreux systèmes biologiques sont intrinsèquement polydispersés, présentant de multiples espèces coexistantes, de taille, de forme ou de conformation différentes (c'est-à-dire, mélanges oligomèriques, des complexes faiblement liés se dissociant en composantes individuelles ou des espèces apparaissant lors de processus amyloïdogéniques). L'étude de tels systèmes complexes est une tâche difficile en raison de l'instabilité des espèces concernées, de leurs concentrations relatives faibles et interdépendantes et des difficultés rencontrées pour l'isolation des composantes pures. Dans cette thèse, j'ai développé des approches méthodologiques pour appliquer la diffusion des rayons X aux petits angles (SAXS), une technique de biologie structurale, à l'étude de systèmes polydispersés. SAXS est une technique additive et par conséquent, le diagramme de diffusion mesuré pour un échantillon polydispersé correspond à la somme pondérée en concentration des contributions de chacune des composantes individuelles du mélange. Cependant, la décomposition des données de SAXS en des spectres spécifiques des espèces et de leurs concentrations relatives est extrêmement laborieuse et ambigue. Dans cette thèse, je présente d'abord une approche objective pour solidement décomposer les jeux de données de SAXS en composantes individuelles. Cette approche adapte la méthode chimiométrique « Multivariable Curve Resolution Alternate Least Squares » (MCR-ALS) aux spécificités des données de SAXS. Notre méthode permet une décomposition rigoureuse et robuste des données de SAXS en introduisant simultanément différentes représentations de ces données et par conséquent, en mettant l'accent sur des changements moléculaires à différentes plages de temps et de résolution structurale. Nous avons appliqué cette approche, que nous appelons COSMiCS (Analyse structurelle objective complexe des systèmes multi-composants) pour étudier deux systèmes polydispersés: la fibrillation des protéines, et les fluctuations conformationnelles de protéines grâce à l'analyse de données obtenues à l'aide d’une technique de couplage de chromatographie d'exclusion de taille (SEC) avec le ligne de SAXS (SEC-SAXS). L'importance d'étudier les processus de fibrillation réside dans leur implication dans des pathologies amyloïdogéniques telles que les maladies de Parkinson ou d'Alzheimer. Il existe de fortes indications que les espèces oligomériques solubles, et non les fibrilles matures, sont la cause principale de la cytotoxicité et des dommages neuronaux. Cette observation souligne l'importance de caractériser les premiers stades des processus de fibrillation. Notre approche COSMiCS a permis d'étudier les processus amyloïdogéniques de l'insuline et du mutant familial E46K de l'α-synucléine, une protéine associée à la maladie de Parkinson. Cette analyse permet la caractérisation structurale des espèces présentes (y compris les espèces oligomériques) et la caractérisation cinétique de leurs transformations.La deuxième partie de la thèse est consacrée à l'utilisation de COSMiCS pour analyser des données de SEC-SAXS. Le SEC-SAXS est extrêmement populaire et a été implémenté sur plusieurs lignes de SAXS à travers le monde. En utilisant des données synthétiques, je démontre la capacité des approches chimiométriques à décomposer des profils chromatographiques complexes. À l'aide de cette approche, j'ai décomposé l’ensemble des données SEC-SAXS mesurés pour la Prolyl OligoPeptidase (POP).En résumé, cette thèse présente une nouvelle approche chimiométrique qui peut être généralement appliquée à tout mélange macromoléculaire pouvant subir une modifacation de son équilibre et pouvant être abordé par SAXS. Les complexes biomoleculaires transitoires, les processus de repliement, les réarrangements structuraux dépendants d’un ligand ou la formation de grands ensembles supramoleculaires peuvent être sondés de façon structurale en utilisant l'approche COSMiCS. / Many biological systems are inherently polydisperse, presenting multiple coexisting species differing in size, shape or conformation (i.e. oligomeric mixtures, weakly bound complexes, and species appearing along amyloidogenic processes). The study of such complex systems is challenging due to the instability of the species involved, their low and interdependent relative concentrations, and the difficulties to isolate the pure components. In this thesis, I have developed methodological approaches to apply Small-Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS), a low-resolution structural biology technique, to the study of polydisperse systems. As an additive technique, the SAXS pattern measured for a polydisperse sample corresponds to the concentration-weighted sum of the contributions from each of the individual components. However, decomposition of SAXS data into species-specific spectra and relative concentrations is laborious and burdened by ambiguity. In this thesis, I present an approach to decompose SAXS datasets into the individual components. This approach adapts the chemometrics Multivariate Curve Resolution Alternating Least Squares (MCR-ALS) method to the specificities of SAXS data. Our method enables the rigorous and robust decomposition of SAXS data by simultaneously introducing different representations of these data and, consequently, emphasizing molecular changes at different time and structural resolution ranges. We have applied this approach, which we name COSMiCS (Complex Objective Structural analysis of Multi-Component Systems), to study two polydisperse systems: amyloid fibrillation by analysing time-dependent SAXSdata, and conformational fluctuations through the analysis of data obtained using on-line size-exclusion chromatography coupled to SAXS (SEC-SAXS). The importance of studying fibrillation processes lies in their implication in amyloidogenic pathologies such as Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s diseases. There exist strong indications that soluble oligomeric species, and not mature fibrils, are the main cause of cytotoxicity and neuronal damage emphasizing the importance of characterizing early stages of fibrillation. The first application of our COSMiCS approach has allowed the study of the amyloidogenic mechanisms of insulin and the familial mutant E46K of ↵-synuclein, a Parkinson’s disease related protein. The analysis enables the structural characterization of all the species present as well as their kinetic transformations. The second part of the thesis is dedicated to the use of COSMiCS to analyze on-line SEC-SAXS experiments. Using synthetic data, I demonstrate the capacity of chemometric approaches to decompose complex chromatographic profiles. Using this approach, I have studied the conformational fluctuations in prolyl oligopeptidase (POP), a protein related to synaptic functions and neuronal development. In summary, this thesis presents a novel chemometrics approach that can be generally applied to any macromolecular mixture with a tuneable equilibrium that is amenableto SAXS. Transient biomolecular complexes, folding processes, or ligand-dependent structural rearrangements can be probed structurally using COSMiCS.

Cellulosomes are the most efficient plant cell wall degradation machines discovered to date. All cellulosomal components contain protein modules connected by linkers of varying lengths, which are predicted to be flexible. Consequently, structural studies of the cellulosome have employed a “dissect and build” strategy, whereby individual modules are studied in isolation with the hope to later model the intact complex. However, representative individual structures are now available for all of the cellulosome modules and many questions still remain. The studies described in this thesis depart from the ‘dissection’ stage and enter the ‘build’ stage of cellulosome structural studies of the cellulosome from Clostridium thermocellum. We first describe the crystal structure of a heterodimeric complex comprising the type-II cohesin (CohII) from cell surface anchoring protein SdbA and a trimodular C-terminal truncation of the CipA scaffoldin protein containing the ninth type-I cohesin module (CohI9), a linker, the X-module (X), and the type-II dockerin module (DocII). This structure revealed novel intertwining of scaffoldin molecules and extensive reciprocal contacts between the CohI9 and the X-module of another scaffoldin molecule. Sedimentation velocity experiments indicate dimerization also occurs in solution. We have carried out the crystallization and structural analysis of a heterotrimeric complex containing the CohI9—X-DocII:CohII complex bound to the type-I dockerin module (DocI) from the Cel9D enzyme, which represents the largest cellulosome fragment ever determined. Identical inter-scaffoldin interactions were observed in the heterotrimeric complex structure as were seen in the heterodimeric complex. However, small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) studies indicate that this dimerization does not occur in solution. The crystal structures and additional SAXS studies reveal flexibility in the CohI9—X linker that is surprisingly restricted to two dimensions. In addition, this structure provides the first evidence of an orientation bias in DocI binding. Finally, SAXS was used to investigate modular orientations and linker flexibility in several cellulosome fragments. These studies indicate that cellulosomal linkers exhibit restricted and in some cases highly restrained flexibility. Specifically, scaffoldin linkers display two dimensional motions, enzymes maintain close contact with their cognate DocI modules, and enzyme positions rotate about 90° relative to neighbouring enzymes on the scaffoldin. / Thesis (Ph.D, Biochemistry) -- Queen's University, 2010-09-02 02:50:11.12

The rheological and structural characteristics of gastric (MUC5AC) and duodenal (MUC2) mucin solutions, the structural basis of the adherent mucus layer in the two organs, and their interactions with polyphenols, the phytochemicals which are linked with a number of health benefits, were investigated using particle tracking microrheology and scattering techniques. We used biochemically well characterised porcine mucins as models for human mucins to characterise their viscoelasticity, structure and dynamics as a function of concentration and pH. Additionally, the mesoscopic forces that mediate the integrity of the network were investigated using reducing (dithiothreitol) and chaotropic agents (guanidinium chloride and urea). Mucins in solution were found to be flexible and three distinct viscoelastic regimes were identify ed. At neutral pH, both types of mucin were found to form flexible self-assembled semi-dilute networks above a critical concentration (c*) where the viscosity scales as c 0.53+-0.08 and c 0.53 +-0.06 for MUC5AC and MUC2 respectively. Above a second critical concentration, the entanglement concentration (Ce), the peptide backbones reptate and entangle and there is a sharp increase in viscosity, c 3.92+- 0.38 for MUC5AC and c 5.1 0+-0.08 for MUC2. At low pH, both types of mucin solution undergo a sol-gel transition, forming pH-switchable gels. The addition of tea-derived polyphenols and tea extracts to the mucin solutions has revealed the strong interaction of galloylated phenolic molecules with mucins, which eventually leads to the gelation of the solution. Cross-linking of mucins by galloylated polyphenols is thus expected to have an impact on the physicochemical environment of the stomach and small intestine; the alteration of the organisation of the mucin polymer network is expected to modulate the barrier properties of the two adherent mucus layers which will affect nutrient absorption and the viscoelastic microenvironment of intestinal bacteria.

<p>Recent advances in structural biology and biochemistry have identified proteins downstream of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) as promising drug targets. These proteins are highly regulated to ensure proper physiological responses from extracellular stimuli. Dysregulation of these signaling enzymes can have detrimental consequences, including cardiovascular disease and cancer. Understanding how these proteins are regulated from a structural and biochemical standpoint can therefore be exploited to develop new therapeutics.</p> <p>In this work, the molecular mechanism of regulation of two different proteins downstream of GPCRs is investigated. The first protein, Regulator of G Protein Signaling 17 (RGS17), is involved in numerous processes throughout the body, including the development and progression of lung cancer. This work presents the crystal structure of RGS17 bound to Ca²⁺. Ca²⁺ was found to bind to the same site as the predicted Ga binding surface and increases interactions between RGS17 and Ga_o. Therefore, Ca²⁺ positively regulates RGS17, supporting a mechanism in which Ca²⁺ increases the GTPase activating function of the RZ-family of RGS proteins to ultimately downregulate Ca²⁺ signaling.</p> <p>The second protein, phospholipase Ce (PLCe), has been implicated in cardiac hypertrophy through its production of second messengers. This process is regulated by the small GTPase Rap1A. This work presents insight into the molecular mechanism of Rap1A-dependent activation of PLCe, in which four conserved, hydrophobic residues on the surface of the RA2 domain of PLCe play an essential role. Furthermore, small angle X-ray scattering studies show that binding of Rap1A induces conformational changes in PLCe, resulting in a more compact activated complex. This supports a mechanism in which Rap1A is an allosteric activator of PLCe, inducing conformational changes in PLCe that increase lipid hydrolysis by relieving autoinhibitory interactions and/or by promoting interactions with the cell membrane.</p>

Novel casting alloys that retain their mechanical strength at temperatures up to 300 °C are needed in order to improve automotive engine efficiency. The addition of Zr and V is a promising combination as a means of introducing the thermally stable cubic Al3ZrxV1-x nano-precipitates. In this project, the evolution of the Al3ZrxV1-x precipitates in multi-component cast aluminium alloys was characterised in a statistically significant way using small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). Unlike established metallurgical techniques, such as transmission electron microscopy (TEM), SAXS measures billions of precipitates in a single experiment. Two Al-6.8Si (wt.%) alloys were employed. One contained 0.30 wt.% Zr and 0.30 wt.% V and the other 0.37 wt.% Zr and 0.34 wt.% V. The alloys were cast and isothermally aged at 400 °C for times ranging from 3 to 50 h. Synchrotron SAXS was undertaken at the Diamond Light Source (DLS). Direct evaluation methods of SAXS spectrum were employed in order to extract information about the average precipitate size, precipitate size distribution and their evolution with ageing time. These results were compared with the results provided via TEM, both validating the methodology, and demonstrating the benefits and drawbacks of SAXS.From the SAXS analysis, the Guinier radius, Rg, was found to increase with ageing time from around 2 nm at 3 h to approximately 9 nm at 50 h. Precipitate volume fraction also increased from 0.11 vol.% to 0.24 vol.% for the lower solute alloy and from 0.14 vol.% to 0.33 vol.% for the higher solute one. In both alloys, the precipitate number density was observed to continuously decrease with ageing time. For the higher solute alloy, the average precipitate radius from the TEM measurements was found to be consistently smaller than Rg. Such a study is important because it extends the experimental SAXS methodology previously used only in simplified alloys to multi-component cast alloys of industrial importance. Moreover, the findings from this investigation suggest that both alloys quickly enter a stage where the precipitate growth and coarsening overlap, and the precipitate number density continuously decreases with time. Finally, this study underlines the importance of preliminary SAXS data treatment and provides an analytical guide in order to successfully characterize low volume fraction of precipitates in multi-component cast alloys.

Ce travail de thèse porte sur l'étude d'oxydes (ZnO et SiO2) fabriqués par voie sol-gel. Dans un premier temps, nous avons étudié la cinétique de croissance des nanoparticules de ZnO en milieu aqueux. L'étude in-situ de la croissance d'oxyde de zinc par la technique de croissance en milieu aqueux (ACG) a été réalisée grâce à la radiation synchrotron de l'ESRF sur la ligne ID10B. Nous avons réalisé la diffraction de rayons X en incidence rasante sur un substrat plongé dans une solution constituée de nitrate de zinc hexahydraté [Zn(NO3)2,6H2O], d'hexamethylenetetramine (HMT) (C6H12N4) et de l'eau dé-ionisée comme solvant. Nous avons réussi à mettre en évidence l'existence de nanoparticules de ZnO dans la solution et suivre la cinétique de formation. La deuxième partie de ce travail est consacrée à l'étude des films minces de silice mésoporeux structurés par un tensioactif connu sous l'acronyme Brij58. Nous avons commencépar établir le diagramme de phase du Brij58 par la diffusion centrale des rayons X (SAXS), complété par l'établissement d'un diagramme d'état solide-liquide par la rhéologie. Grâce à ce diagramme de phase nous avons pu fabriquer des films minces de silice. L'étude de la structuration des films a été réalisée par la diffusion des rayons X en incidence rasante (GISAXS) et la réflectivité des rayons X. Nous avons finalisé ce travail par l'utilisation des films mésoporeux comme matrice hôte à deux fluides : l'eau et le CO2, et par l'insertion de nanocristaux de ZnO dans les pores de la matrice mésoporeuse.

Group II introns are a class of mobile ribozymes found in bacteria and eukaryotic organelles that self-splice from precursor RNAs. The resulting lariat intron RNA can then insert into new genomic DNA sites through a reverse splicing reaction. Collectively, this process of intron mobility is termed “retrohoming.” Mobile group II introns encode a reverse transcriptase (RT) that stabilizes the catalytically active form of the intron RNA for both the forward and reverse splicing reactions and also converts the integrated intron RNA into DNA. This work aims to elucidate the structure of bacterial group II intron-encoded RTs and ultimately determine how they function in intron mobility. Although efforts to crystallize group II introns RTs have been unsuccessful, small angle X-ray scattering studies in conjunction with homology modeling have provided new insights into the structure and function of these enzymes. / text

Cationic gemini surfactants have been used for delivery of DNA into cells. These cationic surfactants are known to strongly bind to DNA to form a complex. In the dilute regimen, when the gemini-DNA complexes are mixed with helper neutral lipids, they undergo spontaneous assembly to form particles that are able to transfect DNA into the cells. In this study, the structure of several gemini surfactants, gemini-DNA complexes and gemini-DNA-neutral lipids complexes were systematically examined by small angle x-ray scattering (SAXS). The gemini surfactants were found to form micelles of varying shapes and arrangements modulated by the nature of spacer region and tail lengths. This includes ellipsoidal and worm-like micelles (as in the case of the 12- s-12 series) and disk-shaped hexagonally packed micelles (as in the case of 16-3-16). In addition to the study of the gemini surfactants, the effect of varying the DNA: gemini charge ratio on the DNA-gemini assembly was studied. The scattering pattern has shown that in the presence of excess gemini surfactants, free unbound surfactants exist in the solution. Upon the addition of neutral lipids, DNA-gemini-neutral lipid complexes are formed. The scattering patterns of the latter showed evidence of a strong interaction of the neutral lipids with the free gemini surfactants and the overcharged DNA-gemini complexes. Effectively, overcharging DNA-gemini complexes seem to aid in its incorporation into the neutral lipid matrix. These findings shed the light on the structure of DNA-gemini-neutral lipid systems and provide insights into the factors that influence the spontaneity of the self-assembly process. More importantly, the presented work provides a general strategy that can be applied to the study of similar systems using small angle x-ray scattering. A helium and vacuum chambers were made to enable testing the feasibility of the technique at the Canadian Light Source. Further, a pipeline was written to automate the reduction and analysis of SAXS data.