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Study of regulatory mechanisms of selected protein kinases
Petrvalská, Olívia ; Obšil, Tomáš (advisor) ; Jiráček, Jiří (referee) ; Schneider, Bohdan (referee)
Through binding interactions with more than 300 binding partners, 14-3-3 proteins regulate large amount of biologically relevant processes, such as apoptosis, cell cycle progression, signal transduction or metabolic pathways. The research discussed in this dissertation thesis was focussed on investigating the role of 14-3-3 proteins in the regulation of two selected protein kinases ASK1 and CaMKK2. The main goal was to elucidate the mechanisms by which phosphorylation and 14-3-3 binding regulate functions of these protein kinases using various biochemical and biophysical methods, such as site-directed mutagenesis, enzyme activity measurements, analytical ultracentrifugation, small-angle X-ray scattering, chemical crosslinking, nuclear magnetic resonance and fluorescence spectroscopy. A structural model of the complex between the catalytic domain of protein kinase ASK1 with 14-3-3ζ, which was calculated using the small-angle X-ray scattering and chemical crosslinking data, suggested that this complex is conformationally heterogeneous in solution. This structural model together with data from time-resolved fluorescence and nuclear magnetic resonance suggested that the 14-3-3ζ protein interacts with the catalytic domain of ASK1 in the close vicinity of its active site, thus indicating that the complex...
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Role of protein-protein interactions in regulation of signalling proteins and enzymes
Košek, Dalibor ; Obšil, Tomáš (advisor) ; Karpenko, Vladimír (referee) ; Pompach, Petr (referee)
EN Protein-protein interactions have an exceptional position among other mechanisms in the regulation of signal transduction. Their systematic investigation is very important and logical step in the process of understanding to the transduction and its mechanisms at a molecular level. During my Ph.D. I was particularly interested in three important processes. ASK1 kinase is well-known initiator of the apoptosis. Under physiological conditions it is maintained in an inactive state by its two interaction partners the 14-3-3 protein and TRX1. These two proteins dissociate in the presence of reactive oxygen species by unclear mechanism and the kinase is therefore activated. The next process is an interaction between the 14-3-3 protein and phosducin and investigation of their role in the G protein signalling especially important in the biochemistry of vision. The third process is an activation of protein Nth1 through the interaction with Bmh1, yeast analog of the 14-3-3 protein, and calcium cations. I employed various biophysical method, particularly analytical ultracentrifugation, in order to explain molecular mechanisms of described processes. These techniques were used to solve the low-resolution structures of complexes TRX1 and the 14-3-3 protein with corresponding binding domains of ASK1. These...
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Tandemová hmotnostní spektrometrie sfingolipidů s aplikací pro metabolické studie a diagnostiku sfingolipidos
Kuchař, Ladislav
In recent years, mass spectrometry (MS) become the dominant technology in lipidomic analysis and widely influenced research and diagnosis of diseases of lipid metabolism, e.g. lysosomal storage disorders (LSD) characterized by impairment of the lysosomal functions. Defects in lysosomal processing of sphingolipids SFL belong to the category of sphingolipidoses. This condition has severe and even fatal clinical outcome. The primary aim of this work was to establish quantitative and qualitative methods of SFL analysis useful for research and diagnosis of LSD. At first, semisynthesis of mass labeled lipid standards utilizing immobilized sphingolipid ceramide N-deacylase was performed. Established methods of quantitative analysis were then used to prove the increased excretion of urinary SFL in LSD with characteristic storage in the kidney. Determination of excreted urinary SFL was found useful for differential diagnosis of prosaposin and saposin B deficiences for which routine enzymology is failing. MS also enabled monitoring of individual molecular species (isoforms) of SFL, which led to the finding that their urinary pattern is changing in some LSD. This resulted in the development of new screening method in dry urinary samples based on isoform profile evaluation. Another MS application referred to...
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Nutritional biology of synanthropic mites (Acari: Acaridida)
Erban, Tomáš ; Smrž, Jaroslav (advisor) ; Grubhoffer, Libor (referee) ; Šustr, Vladimír (referee)
Ph.D. THESIS TITLE Nutritional Biology of Synanthropic Mites (Acari: Acaridida) ABSTRACT Several attempts to describe the nutritional biology of acaridid mites were undertaken, however full understanding of these processes remains incomplete. The objective of this Ph.D. thesis was to expand our knowledge concerning digestive physiology of stored product and house dust mites and to apply this knowledge to their nutritional biology. The research approach adopted in this Ph.D. thesis includes in vitro characterization of enzymatic activity in whole mite extracts (WME) and spent growth medium extracts (SGME), evaluation of the enzyme activities with respect to the gut physiological pH, enzyme inhibition experiments, in vivo localization of enzyme activities in the mite gut, determination of effects of nutrient or antifeedant additives in experimental diets on mite population growth and determination of the feeding preferences of synanthropic mites as assessed by in vitro and in vivo analyses. The gut contents of twelve species of synanthropic acaridid mites were determined to be within a pH range of 4 to 7 and showed a pH gradient from the anterior to the posterior midgut. The pH in digestive tract of synanthropic acaridid mites corresponds to the activity of proteases, α-glucosidases, α-amylases and...
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Tandemová hmotnostní spektrometrie sfingolipidů s aplikací pro metabolické studie a diagnostiku sfingolipidos
Kuchař, Ladislav ; Ledvinová, Jana (advisor) ; Stiborová, Marie (referee) ; Holčapek, Michal (referee)
In recent years, mass spectrometry (MS) become the dominant technology in lipidomic analysis and widely influenced research and diagnosis of diseases of lipid metabolism, e.g. lysosomal storage disorders (LSD) characterized by impairment of the lysosomal functions. Defects in lysosomal processing of sphingolipids SFL belong to the category of sphingolipidoses. This condition has severe and even fatal clinical outcome. The primary aim of this work was to establish quantitative and qualitative methods of SFL analysis useful for research and diagnosis of LSD. At first, semisynthesis of mass labeled lipid standards utilizing immobilized sphingolipid ceramide N-deacylase was performed. Established methods of quantitative analysis were then used to prove the increased excretion of urinary SFL in LSD with characteristic storage in the kidney. Determination of excreted urinary SFL was found useful for differential diagnosis of prosaposin and saposin B deficiences for which routine enzymology is failing. MS also enabled monitoring of individual molecular species (isoforms) of SFL, which led to the finding that their urinary pattern is changing in some LSD. This resulted in the development of new screening method in dry urinary samples based on isoform profile evaluation. Another MS application referred to...
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The effect of uranium on carbohydrate metabolism of cultivated plants.
Lábusová, Jana ; Lipavská, Helena (advisor) ; Lhotáková, Zuzana (referee)
Nowadays, the environmental pollution by heavy metals is very serious problem all around the world. Radionuclides, including uranium, are heavy metals that cause both chemical and radioactive pollution. Naturally occurring uranium is not so dangerous for living organisms. Human activities, especially uranium ore mining and use of phosphate fertilizers, have increased its concentration in the environment with consequent contamination of soil, water and air. Compared to other countries, the Czech Republic is relatively rich in deposits of uranium ore. Extensive mining results in large contaminated areas, containing not only uranium but also other heavy metals and xenobiotics that need to be removed from the environment. One way how to decontaminate soils and waters is phytoremediation. This eco-friendly and cost-effective technique exploits the ability of plants to take up, translocate, transform and sequester xenobiotics. In order to provide functional phytoremediation, it is necessary to understand the mechanisms of plant responses to stress caused by xenobiotics. Therefore in my master thesis, I focused on the impact of uranium on physiological processes of uranium-stressed plants, with the emphasis on carbohydrate metabolism and antioxidative defense mechanism. Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)
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Immobilization of protease V8 on magnetic particles for application to proteolytic cleavage of pepsin A
Čepa, Adam ; Pacáková, Věra (advisor) ; Tichá, Marie (referee)
This thesis is part of a long-standing research in the field of diagnosis of the stomach diseases, which is based on the gastric enzyme pepsin A mapping. It was found that a phosphorylation in the primary structure of this enzyme may serve as a marker of incipient stage of carcinogenesis. This thesis is focused on the immobilization of protease V8 isolated from microorganism Stafylococcus aureus to magnetic agarose beads. Protease V8 is a promising candidate for producing peptide maps of pepsin A. The influence of pH, temperature and reaction time on the enzyme to activity has been studied and the optimal conditions for hydrolytic catalysis of formation of peptide fragments of pepsin A.
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Enzymatic Studies of Organohalogen Formation By Model Compounds
Blažková, Ivona ; Tesařová, E. ; Forczek, Sándor
Research in recent years has demonstrated that halogenated organic compounds are formed in\nnature due to biotic and abiotic processes. One of the most known sources of these substances are\nfrom the reaction catalyzed by haloperoxidases which include chloroperoxidase enzyme (CPO)\nisolated from Caldariomyces fumago. CPO enzyme was incubated with chloride or bromide, in the\npresence of hydrogen peroxide and organic substrates. Experiments were conducted with three\nsubstrates (acetone, acetic acid, and glucose), and different concentrations of halides.\nMeasurement of the samples by gas chromatography with an ECD detector showed the influence\nof the substrate type and halide concentration on the formation of the organohalogen products.
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Study on protective effect of 3-hydroxybutyrate and its derivatives
Černá, Klára ; Smilek, Jiří (referee) ; Obruča, Stanislav (advisor)
The aim of this thesis is the study of chemical chaperones, as a preservative enzymes before denaturing processes. In the experimental part of the study we investigated the protective effects of five selected potential protective compounds – derivatives of 3-hydroxybutyrate – two model enzymes: lipase and lysozyme. Protective effects of potential chemical chaperones were investigated by dynamic light scattering (DLS), which was determined by the size distribution of the aggregates lipase produced depending on the temperature at the heat-induced denaturation. Further we have been used differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), which was determined by the temperature of the denaturation of lysozyme in the presence or absence of potentially protective substances. The last parameter was to determine the effect of potentially protective agents at different concentrations on the catalytic activity of lipase and determining the residual lipase activity after application of denaturing two factors – the high temperature and freezing. Of all tested structural analogues of 3-hydroxybutyrate was the highest protective effect observed (stabilization of enzyme molecules) with the succinate, which has two carboxyl groups. Conversely, 1,3-butanediol showed virtually no protective activity, indicating that the presence of carboxyl groups on the protective effect of essential. The low protective efficacy butyrate further indicates that it is essential that an effective protectant in addition to the carboxyl group contained as a further functional group – either carboxyl or hydroxyl. More significant protective effect was observed in 3-hydroxybutyrate than in 2-hydroxybutyrate. Interestingly, the effective protectant while at higher concentrations strongly inhibit the enzyme activity of the model enzyme, which is probably related to the solvation and conformations of the protein in the presence of protectant and the availability of the active site for the substrate.
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Microbial Degradation of Polycaprolactone-based Materials
Damborský, Pavel ; Stratilová, Eva (referee) ; Hermanová, Soňa (advisor)
Diplomová práce se zabývá vlivem nutričních a aeračních faktorů na produkci lipáz bakterií Bacillus subtilis (CCM 1999). Produkce lipáz byla studována zejména z hlediska katalytického působení lipáz při degradaci polyesterových řetězců. Mezi studované parametry patřily: růst bakterií, lipolytická aktivita, pH optimum, teplotní optimum, tepelná stabilita, proteolytická aktivita, množství bílkovin, atd. a to v různých typech živných medií zaočkovaných Bacillus subtilis. Jedna série vzorků kultivačních médií pro BS na bázi: pepton a kvasničný extrakt (NB), pepton, kvasničný extrakt s 2% přídavkem (w/v) glukózy (NBG) a minerální médium s kvasničným extraktem (MS-YE) obsahovala jeden PCL vzorek o definovaných rozměrech (Mn = 10 kDa, = 1.4). Experimenty probíhaly po dobu 21 dnů pří rychlosti třepání 160 a 200 rpm. Přítomnost PCL způsobila v obou typech médií (NB, NBG) inokulovaných BS zvýšení lipolytické aktivity, což naznačuje, uvolnění a následné uplatnění se nízko-molekulekulárních řetězců PCL jako substrátů pro BS. BS kultivovaný v MS-YE medium vykazoval ve srovnání s NB a NBG médii nízké hodnoty lipolytické aktivity a to i v přítomnost PCL. Během experimentů se hodnota pH posunula z neutrální (pH 7.0) do alkalické (pH 8.5-9.3) oblasti a to ve všech typech médií s i bez přítomnosti PCL vzorku v důsledku metabolických pochodů BS využívajících různé substráty. Lipolytické enzymy stanovené v supernatanech bez bakteriálních buněk vykazují dvě pH optima v přítomnosti PCL, pH 7 a 9. V nepřítomnosti polymeru vykazují pouze jedno pH optimum při pH 7. Na základě měření tepelné stability bylo prokázáno, že extracelulární lipázy jsou relativně termostabilní enzymy, zejména v nepřítomnosti polymeru. Dále byla provedena základní proteomická analýza lipáz produkovaných bakterií Bacillus subtilis v NBG médiu pomocí metody peptidového mapování (PMF). Byla ověřena přítomnost proteinů s molární hmotnosti (19.3 kDa) pomocí FPLC. SDS-PAGE a IEF-PAGE prokázaly přítomnost těchto proteinů v obou studovaných mediích inokulovaných BS (NBG vs. NBG/PCL). Zásadní rozdíly proteinového složení v přítomnosti PCL nebyly potvrzeny a identifikace pomoci MALDI-TOF hmotnostní spektrometrie nestanovila žádnou lipázu. Proces degradace v PCL vzorcích byl vyhodnocen také na základě hmotnostních úbytků, které byly zjištěny ve všech typech médií inokulovaných BS pravděpodobně v důsledku synergického účinku enzymaticky-katalyzované a biotické hydrolýzy v alkalickém prostředí. . Modelová degradační studie PCL a jeho kompozitu s oxidem grafenu (2.7 hm.%, GO) byla provedena v přítomnosti bakterie Bacillus subtilis v NBG při 30 °C a počátečním pH 7 po dobu tří týdnů. Hmotností úbytky PCL filmů se postupně zvyšovaly během celého degradačního testu až ke 12 hm%. Degradace PLC/GO kompozitu probíhala pomaleji, což je prokázáno maximální hmotnostním úbytkem 5 hm%. Podobný charakter elučních křivek PCL a jeho kompozitu stanovený pomocí SEC potvrzoval snížení molární hmotnosti po degradaci.
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