Thesis (M.App.Sc.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Applied and Molecular Ecology, 2001? / Bibliography: leaves 174-191.

Bibliography: leaves 174-191.

Submitted by Rodrigo Martins Cruz (rodrigo.cruz@ufvjm.edu.br) on 2014-12-18T17:01:07Z No. of bitstreams: 2 carlos_felipe_reis_costa_guimaraes.pdf: 3938293 bytes, checksum: e0cdf597f1d9513ef2531c8a0cd6278f (MD5) license_rdf: 22974 bytes, checksum: 99c771d9f0b9c46790009b9874d49253 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Rodrigo Martins Cruz (rodrigo.cruz@ufvjm.edu.br) on 2014-12-18T17:56:25Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 carlos_felipe_reis_costa_guimaraes.pdf: 3938293 bytes, checksum: e0cdf597f1d9513ef2531c8a0cd6278f (MD5) license_rdf: 22974 bytes, checksum: 99c771d9f0b9c46790009b9874d49253 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Rodrigo Martins Cruz (rodrigo.cruz@ufvjm.edu.br) on 2014-12-18T18:01:44Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 carlos_felipe_reis_costa_guimaraes.pdf: 3938293 bytes, checksum: e0cdf597f1d9513ef2531c8a0cd6278f (MD5) license_rdf: 22974 bytes, checksum: 99c771d9f0b9c46790009b9874d49253 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-18T18:01:44Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 carlos_felipe_reis_costa_guimaraes.pdf: 3938293 bytes, checksum: e0cdf597f1d9513ef2531c8a0cd6278f (MD5) license_rdf: 22974 bytes, checksum: 99c771d9f0b9c46790009b9874d49253 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013 / Neste trabalho foi estudada a influ?ncia dos efeitos estruturais na rea??o de dimeriza??o associada ? obten??o do pept?deo antimicrobiano homotarsinina (Htr), bem como foram realizados ensaios hemol?ticos e de toxicidade desse pept?deo perante c?lulas humanas. Primeiramente foi realizada a s?ntese da cadeia monom?rica da homotarsinina (Htr-M), empregando-se a estrat?gia Fmoc de s?ntese em fase s?lida. Em seguida, o produto foi purificado por cromatografia l?quida de alta efici?ncia em fase reversa (CLAE-FR), tendo sido o homod?mero obtido sequenciado e caracterizado por espectrometria de massas (MALDI-ToF). Foram realizados estudos das prefer?ncias conformacionais da Htr-M por dicro?smo circular (CD) em diferentes meios e condi??es, como na presen?a de tamp?o Tris-HCl aquoso, em diferentes misturas de TFE-H2O e na presen?a de micelas de SDS. Realizou-se ent?o a rea??o de dimeriza??o do mon?mero em tr?s meios: (i) solu??o tamp?o Tris-HCl 100 mmol?L-1 pH 8,5, (ii) solu??o micelar de SDS 350 mmol?L-1 em tamp?o Tris-HCl 100 mmol?L-1 pH 8,5 e (iii) solu??o TFE:H2O 40:60 (v/v) em Tris-HCl 100 mmol?L-1 pH 8,5. O acompanhamento cin?tico das rea??es de dimeriza??o foi realizado por CLAE-FR. Como resultado, foi observado que em solu??o micelar de SDS a rea??o se completa em aproximadamente 6h (rendimento de 62%), enquanto que em solu??o tamp?o e em solu??o de TFE:H2O s?o necess?rias 24h e 48h (rendimentos de 66% e 85%), respectivamente. Os resultados de CD obtidos para a Htr-M em condi??es similares ?s empregadas nas rea??es de dimeriza??o mostraram que a Htr-M apresenta predominantemente conforma??o rand?mica em tamp?o Tris-HCl aquoso, enquanto adota predominantemente estrutura de h?lice ? em solu??o de TFE:H2O (40:60) ou na presen?a de micelas de SDS. Assim, os resultados do acompanhamento cin?tico da rea??o de dimeriza??o indicam que a conforma??o predominantemente rand?mica da Htr-M em tamp?o Tris-HCl aquoso, bem como a diminui??o de sua mobilidade e maior intera??o com a superf?cie das micelas de SDS e os efeitos de agrega??o que ocorrem em solu??o de TFE:H2O influenciam diretamente na forma de aproxima??o das cadeias monom?ricas, atuando de maneiras diferentes na forma??o da liga??o dissulfeto. Por fim, foram realizados ensaios de toxicidade em c?lulas humanas, os quais mostraram que Htr-M e Htr n?o apresentam toxicidade a leuc?citos mononucleares, al?m do que tamb?m n?o apresentam atividade hemol?tica. / Disserta??o (Mestrado) ? Programa de P?s-Gradua??o em Qu?mica, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, 2013. / ABSTRACT This dissertation is mainly related to studies concerning the role of the structural effects on the dimerization reaction that leads to the antimicrobial peptide homotarsinin (Htr). Besides, hemolytic assays as well as the toxicity of this peptide against human cells have also been investigated. Firstly, the monomeric chain (Htr-M) was obtained by Fmoc solid-phase synthesis. The product was purified by reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) and then sequenced and characterized by mass spectrometry (MALDI-ToF). Circular dichroism (CD) studies regarding the Htr-M conformational preferences were performed for the peptide in different media and conditions, such as Tris-HCl aqueous buffer, TFE:H2O mixtures, as well as in the presence of SDS micelles. The dimerization reaction was then performed in three distinct media, namely: (i) Tris-HCl aqueous buffer 100 mmol?L-1 pH 8.5, (ii) SDS micellar solution of 350 mmol?L-1 in Tris-HCl 100 mmol?L-1 pH 8.5 and (iii) TFE:H2O 40:60 in Tris-HCl 100 mmol?L-1 pH 8.5. CD studies performed in similar conditions indicated that Htr-M presents predominantly random conformations in aqueous Tris-HCl buffer, whereas it adopts ?-helical arrangements in either TFE:H2O (40:60) solution or in the presence of SDS micelles. The kinetic monitoring of the dimerization reactions was carried out by RP-HPLC. The results indicated that the reaction is completed in about 6 h (yield 62%) in the presence of SDS micelles, whereas 24 h and 48 h (yields 66% and 85%) are necessary for the dimerizations performed in the aqueous Tris-HCl and in the TFE:H2O solutions, respectively. Therefore, the kinetic studies indicated that the predominantly random conformation of Htr-M in Tris-HCl aqueous buffer, as well as the mobility decrease alongside with the peptide-micelle interactions in the presence of SDS, as well as the aggregation effects in the TFE:H2O solution directly affect the inter-chain approach process, which leads to different pathways of the disulfide bond formation. Finally, toxicity assays were performed in human cells and the results showed that both Htr-M and Htr are not toxic against mononuclear leukocytes and also do not show hemolytic activity.

Pygmy tarsiers (Tarsius pumilus) of Central Sulawesi, Indonesia are the only species of tarsier known to live exclusively at high altitudes. This study was the first to locate and observe multiple groups of this elusive primate. This research tested the hypothesis that variation in pygmy tarsier behavior and morphology correlates with measurable ecological differences that occur along an altitudinal gradient. As a response to decreased resources at higher altitudes and the associated effects on foraging competition and energy intake, pygmy tarsiers were predicted to exhibit lower population density, smaller group sizes, larger home ranges, and reduced sexually selected traits compared to lowland tarsiers. Six groups containing a total of 22 individuals were observed. Pygmy tarsiers were only found between 2000 and 2300 m, indicating allopatric separation from lowland tarsiers. As expected, the observed pygmy tarsiers lived at a lower density than lowland tarsier species, in association with decreased resources at higher altitudes. The estimated population density of pygmy tarsiers was 92 individuals per 100 ha, with 25 groups per 100 ha. However, contrary to expectation, home range sizes were not significantly larger than lowland tarsier home ranges, and average NPL was smaller than those of lowland tarsiers. The average home range size for the observed pygmy tarsiers was 2.0 ha, and the average nightly path length (NPL) was 365.36 m. Pygmy tarsiers exhibited a nonrandom, clumped distribution near forest edges. While insect abundance and biomass were found to decrease as altitude increased, insect abundance and biomass was higher along anthropogenic edges. Thus, tarsiers within the study area may mitigate the decreased availability of insects at high altitudes by remaining close to forest edges, which in turn may be related to smaller than expected home range sizes. Further, estimates of pygmy tarsier abundance may be inflated because of increased insect abundance along anthropogenic edges. Contrary to the prediction for smaller group sizes as a response to feeding competition, the observed pygmy tarsiers lived in relatively large groups with multiple adult males. However, in support of the prediction for energetic constraints on body proportions, the observed pygmy tarsiers did not exhibit sexually selected traits. The pygmy tarsiers exhibited low sexual dimorphism and small relative testes mass, a trend opposite from lowland tarsier species, which may indicate a constraint on the development of those traits. Considered together, these results suggest that the observed pygmy tarsiers have adapted to life in an environment with limited resources. Future studies should explore the possible contributing effects of seasonality and topography.