LEE- Moleküler Biyoloji-Genetik ve Biyoteknoloji-Yüksek Lisans
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ÖgeImmunoreceptors modulate eosinophilic functions in viral immunity(Graduate School, 2022-11-09)Immunity a term used as resistance to pathogens, also referred to reactions of the body to noninfectious compounds such as tumors, harmless environmental substances and even sometimes host's components, each of which are called as tumor immunity, allergy and autoimmunity, respectively. The whole components like cells, tissues and molecules that generate this immunity is defined as the immune system and the immune response is coordinated by these components to foreign substances. Providing protection against infections or eradication of the infectious compounds from the body is the major physiological function of the immune system. Besides, growth of some tumors and cancers can be inhibited by stimulating immune reactions against cancer cells. The human defense system against pathogens can be divided into 3 levels: physical and chemical barriers, innate immunity and adaptive immunity. The innate immunity relies on a finite number of receptors for detecting the invading pathogens. These limited number of receptors target large groups of pathogens by recognizing conserved microbial patterns. Furthermore, activation of adaptive immune response is achieved by innate immune response. Innate immune cells include both hematopoietic and nonhematopoietic origin which make them different from adaptive immunity which relies on T and B lymphocytes. Innate immune response development involves hematopoietic cells that differentiate into monocytes, macrophages, mast cells, dendritic cells, natural killer cells, natural killer T cells, basophils, neutrophils and eosinophils. Moreover, hematopoietic cells include skin and epithelial cells reside in respiratory, genitourinary and gastrointestinal tracts. Innate immunity depends a few germline encodedreceptors which sense pathogen specific structural motifs. These receptors are collectively called pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) and microbial components recognized by PRRs are called pathogen associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) and damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs). PRRs can exist in various cellular compartments like cell membrane and endosomal membranes, or cytosol. Moreover, they can be found in extracellular environment such as bloodstream or interstitial fluids. They are mainly divided into four major types: 1) Toll-like receptors (TLRs), 2) Nucleotide binding and oligomerization domain-like receptors (NLRs), 3) Retinoic acid-inducible gene 1-like receptors (RLRs), 4) C-type lectin receptors (CLRs). Activation of these receptors of the innate immune cells result with induction of adaptive immune cells. Hence, PRRs help to generate immune response to eradicate infectious agents, for example they induce the death of the infected cells. Humans are constantly under the threat ofinvasive opportunistic microorganisms including viruses, fungi, bacteria and parasites. The detection and development of an appropriate immune response against invading viruses are crucial for the outcome of virus infections. Recognizing viral nucleic acids is the first step for sensing virus infection. This recognition mainly depends on the genetically predetermined and germline encoded PRRs. There are TLR protein family members recognize viral genetic material such as TLR3, TLR7, TLR8 and TLR9. Upon recognition of viral nucleic acids or proteins by PRRs, production of type I IFN is induced resulting in the activation of target cells in both autocrine and paracrine manners. TLR7 and TLR8 have the ability to detect the existence of various single stranded RNA (ssRNA) viruses. These viruses include influenza, vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), HIV, Sendai virus (SV) and a number of coronaviruses and flaviviruses. TLR3 is an endosomal nucleotide sensor which is located on endosomes and activated by double stranded RNA (dsRNA). As dsRNA is the genome for many viruses or they synthesize dsRNA during their life cycles, TLR3 also detects the existence of dsRNA and DNA viruses. Unlike TLRs, RLRs are RNA detectors locolized in the cytosol. RLR protein family includes three members: RIG-I, MDA5 and LGP2. Upon viral RNA association and oligomerization, RLRs bind to mitochondrial antiviral signaling protein (MAVS) through its CARD. MAVS has an essential role in RLR signal transduction as an adaptor protein whichinduces TBK1 and IKKε leading to the activation of IRF3 and IRF7. These transcription factors and NF-κB, together, activate the production of type 1 IFNs. Moreover, NLRs are important part of the cytosolic innate immunity and have a role in various key pathways such as inflammasome, MAPK, NF-κB and type 1 IFN signaling. Activation of inflammasome complexes is essential because it induces inflammation by leading to the production and secretion of IL1β and IL18 also known as inflammasome dependent cytokines. Eosinophils attract considerable attention with their identified roles in many pathological processes such as acute and chronic infections, cancer and thrombosis. Although their accepted roles in parasitic infections, involvement of eosinophils in fungal, bacterial and viral infections is an on-going research topic in the field of immunology. These granulocytes contain and generate substances with antiviral functions such as RNases and they may also involved in adaptive immunity with their potential antigen-presenting ability. Together, findings about eosinophils indicate potential antiviral role for eosinophils which need to be explored further. Despite the studies on animal models and primary human eosinophils demonstrating the importance of eosinophils against viral infections, the question of how eosinophilic functions are regulated following he viral infections is still ambiguous. Thus, the aim of the study is to investigate the changes in eosinophilic functions upon activation of TLR3, TLR7 and TLR8 with proper ligands, poly(I:C), R848, and ssRNA40, respectively. low number of eosinophils in blood (1-6%) makes them difficult to study in vitro. Therefore, we utilized EoL-1 human eosinophil line as a model in our study which was previously shown to serve an ideal model due to the expression of eosinophilic markers In this study we initially determined the activation of Eol-1 cells upon treatment with viral ligands, eosinophilic PRRs and immune receptors. Secondly, surface markers of eosinophils were determined to further understand the eosinophilic functions. Also, cytokines that they released were analyzed to understand the potential involvement in the induction of adaptive immunity. Moreover, production of matrix metalloproteinases was measured. We observed significant increase in IL-6 and IFN-γ secretion upon TLR8 activation. Also, the number of IL5Rα and PDL1 expressing Eol-1 cells were augmented with TLR3, TLR7/8 and TLR8 inductions. Our data suggested roles for TLR3, TLR7 and TLR8 in eosinophilic functions. We then investigated the changes in granule content of eosinophils during viral infections. We showed that ECP mRNA levels were upregulated upon the ssRNA40 treatment in Eol-1 cells. This data also, demonstrate the possible roles of ECP on the regulation of antiviral eosinophilic functions. MMPs are matrix-degrading enzymes which have roles in leukocyte recruitment to chemokines during microbial infections. In addition to their functions in immune regulation, MMPs can also lead to tissue damage as a result of persistant pathogen infections or spread. Furthermore, CD147 is a matrix metalloproteinase inducer that plays critical roles in various viral infections. Recently, CD147 was shown as an alternative receptor for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), Therefore, we also investigated the MMPs and MMP inducer CD147to better understand their roles in eosinophilic antiviral immune responses. The results from RT-qPCR showed a relationship between both CD147 and TLR activation as well as the data obtained from gelatin zymography clearly indicated the relationship between MMP-9 and TLR activation in Eol-1 cells. All stimulants tested in this study elevatedthe CD147 at mRNA level in Eol-1 cells. Additionally, TLR3 and TLR8 ligands significantly increased the Pro-MMP9 production at 24 hours post-induction in EoL-1 cells. Upregulation of TLR8 led us investigate the potential adaptor molecules which may have roles in downstream signaling pathways through TLRs in eosinophils. CARD9 is a multifunctional adaptor protein which participates in different phases of the immune system including fungal, bacterial and viral infections. Thus, we investigated the CARD9 expression in Eol-1 cells upon TLR3, TLR7/8 and TLR8 inductions. Despite the decreased mRNA expressions of CARD9, there was a significant increase in CARD9 expression at protein level in Eol-1 cells. Next, we measured the expression levels of cytosolic PRR RIG-I at protein level because of its well-known roles in antiviral immunity. We observed 1.49-fold increase in the cells stimulated with TLR8 agonist (ssRNA40, 2 μg/ml). Then, we measured NOD2 as it is already known as the interaction partner for CARD9. Numerous studies formerly showed the NOD2 involvement in response to many RNA virus infections such as parainfluenza virus, VSV, RSV and IAV. Here we showed that NOD2 protein expression was significantly increased after induction with TLR7/8 and TLR8 ligands in Eol-1 cells. Overall, of all the stimuli we tested, ssRNA40 (TLR8 signaling) was the most potent in inducing the mRNA expressions of ECP and CD147, and protein expression of immune receptors, surface markers of eosinophils and cytokines. Interestingly, CARD9 which is a critical adaptor against fungi infections was significantly increased after induction with TLR7/8 ligands, suggesting an important role for TLR7 and TLR8 rather than TLR3 in antiviral immune response generated by eosinophils. Our findings will pave the way for future studies focusing on eosinophil related infectious diseases.
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ÖgeProduction of antibacterial biobased blends for biomedical use(Graduate School, 2023-05-26)Nowadays, it is getting harder and harder to meet the medical needs of the rapidly increasing world population. The recent global epidemic crisis has once again revealed that it is difficult to meet this need with traditional methods. For this reason, studies on the research of new drug systems and drugs have gained popularity today. Drug delivery systems are carrier systems that prevent the active substance used in the treatment of disease from being degraded by the body while being delivered to the target tissue, and enable the active substance to affect the target tissue instead of the whole body. The drug delivery systems produced today generally deliver the active ingredients to the target area through the digestive tract, injection and implantation. It has been demonstrated in scientific studies that drugs taken by these methods affect healthy organs, cells and natural microflora, as well as diseased organs, cells and pathogens. In addition, the disadvantages such as rapid drug release and rapid removal from the body in traditional drug systems models reduce the efficiency of the active substance used and cause multiple dosing. This, in addition to the increase of the mentioned negative effects caused by the active substance, brings with it increased drug resistance in bacteria that researchers frequently mention.Increasing drug resistance in bacteria reduces the effectiveness of antibiotic use and poses a serious threat to human health. However, the natural antibiotic properties of herbal active substances can be quite effective in fighting these resistant bacteria. Herbal treatments, especially against antibiotic-resistant bacteria, may be more effective in the long run. In addition, the side effects of plant-derived active substances are less than antibiotics and offer the opportunity to treat the body without harming it. Electrospinning is a method in which fibrous active substance carriers are produced at nanoscale with the help of electrical forces from a polymer or polymer mixtures. This method stands out due to its advantages such as high surface-to-volume ratio, diversity in polymeric and active materials that can be combined, easy workability, reasonable cost, and high efficiency production in a short time. Curcumin and oleuropein are natural compounds found in plant sources and are particularly known for their antioxidant properties. Curcumin is a compound found in the turmeric plant and has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Studies have shown that curcumin can be beneficial in the treatment of a variety of diseases, including cancer, Alzheimer's disease, depression, diabetes, and heart disease. Oleuropein is a compound found in olive leaves and olive oil. Besides its anti inflammatory and antioxidant properties, it has a variety of health benefits such as lowering blood pressure, reducing the risk of heart disease and anti-cancer effects. In this study, it was aimed to produce bio-based drug-loaded antibacterial blends for use in medical conditions such as skin injuries. The limited number of studies in the literature on the use of curcumin and oleuropein with nanocarriers for medical purposes increases the scientific importance of the study. In order to increase the treatment efficiency of the produced transport system, natural and bio-based synthetic polymers were used together. The fact that there is no information in the literature about the poly(ω-pentadecalactone-co-δ-valerolactone) copolymer synthesized by the enzymatic polymerization method has added to the originality of the study. The synthesized hydrophobic and biocompatible copolymer was used to make the polymer drug delivery system resistant to uncontrolled water intake. Gelatin, on the other hand, was blended with the copolymer synthesized for use in electrospinning in order to increase the biocompatibility and hydrophilic character of nanofiber drug-loaded membranes. In this study, Candida antarctica B lipase was immobilized to rice husk ash, on which surface modifications were applied using the immobilization methods used in previous studies, primarily to be used in enzymatic polymerization reactions. ω pentadecalactone-co-δ-valerolactone copolymer was produced by ring-opening polymerization using immobilized enzyme from ω-pentadecalactone and δ valerolactone at different reaction times and temperatures, using monomer ratios of 75-25%, 50-50%, 25-75%. Monomer conversion ratios of the produced copolymers were determined by proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-NMR), and molecular weights were determined by gel permeation chromatography (GPC). Based on the advantages of molecular weight in drug delivery systems in the literature, the sample with the highest molecular weight was selected and analyzed in order to determine its thermal properties by using thermal gravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry methods. Water contact angle measurement was analyzed to examine its hydrolytic properties. From the results obtained, it was concluded that an alternative ω-pentadecalactone-co-δ-valerolactone copolymer was synthesized to the ω-pentadecalactone-co-ε-caprolactone copolymer synthesized in previous studies and could be used in medical studies. In the second stage of the study, a blend of the highest molecular weight copolymer and gelatin natural polymer produced for use in the electrospinning process was obtained. While forming the copolymer and gelatin blend, 1,1,1,3,3,3- Hexafluoroisopropanol, which was used in previous studies, was used as the solvent. The blend was prepared with 15% copolymer and 8% gelatin by weight. Nanofiber membrane was produced from the produced blend by electrospinning process at a flow rate of 2 ml/hour, under 23-28 kV. Scanning electron microscopy was used to examine the nanofiber morphologies of the produced membrane. Since no bead-like structure was observed in the nanofibers produced in the images, it was seen that the electrospinning process was successful and smooth nanofibers were produced. The average diameter of the nanofibers was measured as 546.1±193.1 nm. In order to increase the durability of the produced nanofiber membranes in the aqueous environment, a 2-hour cross-linking process was applied in glutaraldehyde vapor as applied in previous studies. Afterwards, the membranes were immersed in a pH 7.4 phosphate buffer solution and their in vitro degradation properties were investigated. Cross-linked samples immersed in phosphate buffer were placed in a shaking water bath. Cumulative weight loss was calculated at 7 , 14 , 21 , 28 days intervals. At the end of the 28th day, the cumulative weight loss percentage in the cross-linked membrane was calculated as 22.9% and the cumulative weight loss percentage in the non-crosslinked membrane was 92.8%, it was concluded that the cross-linking process increased the durability of the membranes in the aqueous environment. The characterizations of the produced copolymer/gelatin nanofiber membranes and the copolymer/gelatin nanofiber membranes after the crosslinking process were made by thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), water contact angle measurement. As a result of the water contact measurement, it was observed that the gelatin of the nanofiber membrane obtained from the hydrophobic copolymer and gelatin blend was hydrophilic, and the hydrolytic resistance increased after cross-linking. In the DSC results, the melting enthalpy decreased due to the changed crystallinity caused by the gelatin added to the blend. On the other hand, the melting enthalpy of the cross-linked nanofiber copolymer/gelatin membrane increased compared to the non-crosslinked nanofiber copolymer/gelatin membrane. From these results, it was concluded that the crosslinking process increased the thermal endurance of the nanofiber membrane. TGA results also support this assessment. According to all these characterization analyzes, it was observed that crosslinking increased the hydrolytic and thermal resistance of the copolymer/gelatin nanofiber membrane and the crosslinking resulted successfully. Finally, SEM images were examined in order to evaluate the morphology of the produced nanofibers, and it was concluded that the synthesized copolymer and gelatin were mixed properly by dispersing throughout the whole structure and smooth fibers were produced. In addition to these, the release studies of the produced curcumin membranes were arranged. Using the Box-Behnken method, release experiments with pH, temperature, concentration factors were designed and the effects of these factors on cumulative release were investigated by deducing the reaction surface methodology. Release studies were carried out at 5%, 15% and 25% curcumin concentrations at pH=5.5, 7.0, 8.5 and 33,35,37 °C parameters, corresponding to the normal, wound inflammation and subsequent pH-temperature values of the skin. As a result of the correlation coefficients (R 2 ) comparison of the obtained and estimated results, and the designed release experiments were found to be statistically appropriate. While examining the release kinetics, non-linear regression was applied and it was observed that the two mathematical models (Higuchi and Korsmeyer-Peppas) best fit and non-Fickian type diffusion occurred in the nanofibers. The fact that the best cumulative curcumin release was found in normal skin and inflamed wound parameters, at 25% curcumin concentration, showed that the produced curcumin-loaded nanofiber membranes could be used with high efficiency in the protection of skin health and wound treatment. As a result, it has been proven that gelatinous curcumin/oleuropein loaded membranes obtained from enzymatically synthesized copolymer can be used in the protection of skin health due to their antibacterial properties. It has been demonstrated that curcumin-loaded copolymer/gelatin nanofibers can be used to promote cell proliferation in the treatment of wound inflammations as well as maintaining skin health. It is thought that the use of oleuropein in different nanocarriers such as nanofibers may support the durability and thermal properties of the structure in aqueous media.
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ÖgeCharacterization of BAG-1S/C-raf interaction targeting peptide(Graduate School, 2022-07-25)ERK/MAPK cascade is one of the most important cellular pathways, which regulates many distinct physiological functions such as cell proliferation, migration, differentiation, and apoptosis. Since it has vital roles in many cellular functions, dysregulation of its members usually results in uncontrolled proliferation and development of cancer cells such as breast cancer. Ras and Raf serine/threonine protein kinases are mostly deregulated components of this pathway and mutations in both proteins have been identified approximately one-third of all human cancer types. Although there are several inhibitors against oncoproteins, because of the improving drug resistance, there is a need for the development of new drugs. One of the emerging interest is to target protein-protein interactions (PPIs) related with cancers. Human Raf kinase family has three isoforms: A-Raf, B-Raf, and C-Raf. C-Raf and B-Raf are the important members of ERK pathway. Although B-Raf is dysregulated mostly, C-Raf has ability to suppress apoptosis and hence, both of the Raf kinase is vital for the cancer progression. The Raf kinases are regulated by several phosphorylation events and also, interactions with some proteins like BAG-1. Bcl-2 associated athanogene 1 (BAG-1) which is an anti-apoptotic co-chaperone protein is usually overexpressed in several cancer types making it possible oncoprotein. Moreover, its known that the interaction between BAG-1 and C-Raf promotes the C-Raf activation and stabilization. Therefore, targeting this interaction with small molecules and/or peptides would be effective therapeutics against different cancer types. In our previous studies, the interaction surface between BAG-1S and C-Raf was determined and a peptidomimetic which coded as Pep3 was designed against the BAG-1S from natural sequence of C-Raf. The aim of this study was to characterize the interaction between BAG-1S and Pep3 and also, the interaction between BAG-1S and TPep3 which is cell penetrating form of Pep3. Firstly, His-tagged BAG-1S proteins were produced in mammalian and bacterial cells. Then, BAG-1S proteins were purified by Ni-NTA affinity purification in two steps. After first step, His-tag was cleaved with TEV protease and tagless proteins were eluted as flow-through in second step while the impurities and TEV proteases were remained bound to resin. Then, the purities of both proteins (produced in mammalian and bacterial) were calculated as >80% by SDS-PAGE. Secondary structure analysis of proteins was performed with circular dichroism and both of the proteins has been folded and showed primarily ɑ-helix characteristics. After BAG-1S proteins were characterized. Pep3 and TPep3 characterization were performed by mass spectrometry and circular dichroism analysis. Pep3 and TPep3 has been synthesized by Fmoc-based solid phase peptide synthesis and they were dissolved in 20 mM AMBIC and water respectively since the Pep3 shows hydrophobic characteristics. Molecular weights of peptides were measured as 2.066 kDa for Pep3 and 3.653 kDa for TPep3 which were compatible with the theoretical calculations. Both of the peptides showed β-sheet characteristics approximately 30% combined with random coils. The interaction between BAG-1S and peptides were confirmed by crosslinking reaction with medium length crosslinker DSS (disuccinimidyl suberate). BAG-1S proteins were incubated with peptides separately to form interaction. After they formed interaction, the crosslink reaction was performed with 50-fold molar excess of DSS. The reactions were analyzed by immunoblotting. BAG-1S was shifted 2 kDa when interacts with Pep3 and 4 kDa with TPep3 comparing to the BAG-1S only reaction. These results were confirmed the interaction of BAG-1S with two peptides. The binding kinetics of BAG-1S and Pep3 was measured by Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) with multi-cycle kinetics method. BAG-1S protein was captured on Protein G chip with Anti-BAG-1 and different concentrations of Pep3 was injected. Binding kinetics was calculated as 68.56 nM by 1:1 binding model showing that Pep3 binds BAG-1S with high affinity. The effects of TPep3 on MAPK pathway and cell viability of MCF-7 breast cancer cells were analysed. MCF-7 cells were treated with different concentrations (0 uM to 50 uM) of TPep3 and total proteins were analysed with immunoblotting. C-Raf and p-C-RAf (S338) levels were decreased with the increasing concentration of TPep3. As a result of p-C-Raf inactivation, p-MEK levels were also decreased which showed the decrease in ERK pathway. Moreover, B-Raf and p-B-Raf (S446) levels were decreased. So, it can be said that peptide does not only affect the activitation of C-Raf but also B-Raf. To see the effects of peptide on other cell survival pathways, Akt and p-Akt (S473) levels were analysed and it was seen that their levels remained unchanged even with the highest peptide concentration. Lastly, the IC50 value was calculated as approximately 18 uM from the cell viability MTT assay. Together with all the results, TPep3 and Pep3 peptides have potential to be a promising therapeutics for cancer types relying on ERK pathway since the activity of pathway was decreased with the peptide treatment.
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ÖgeRecombinant production and characterization of chitinase enzyme from Pseudomonas mandelii KGI_MA19(Graduate School, 2022-06-24)Biological catalysts, generally found in protein structure, that catalyze the biochemical reactions necessary for life are called enzymes. They increase the reaction rate by lowering the activation energy of the reaction catalysed. In recent years, enzymes have gained a large share in different industrial areas, like food, agriculture, pharmacy, cosmetics, waste removal, leather processing, detergent, and medical applications. Enzymes can minimize the formation of unwanted by-products, they are environmentally friendly and cheap, and have biodegradable properties. They are also considered safe for the cleaning, health, and food industries. In addition to their preferred properties, enzymes that remain active at low/high temperatures, in the presence of organic solvents, at different salt concentrations and pH values, and with an affinity for different substrates are attracting the attention of the industry. Meeting the increasing demand for the use of biomolecules with different properties in the industry is possible with the development of the physical and biochemical properties of the biocatalysts defined today with the help of protein engineering, metagenomics, advanced DNA technologies, nanotechnology, and finally, the discovery of new biocatalysts. Scientific research has been increasing in this direction, especially because enzymes from living things that live in extreme conditions can be used in a wide range of industries. Chitin (C8H13O5N)n is an inelastic, hard, white, non-elastic biopolymer formed by the bonding of N-Acetyl-D-glucosamine monomers (Glc-NAc) with β-1,4 glycosidic bonds, which ranks second after cellulose among the most abundant biopolymers in nature. It is a nitrogen-containing polysaccharide. Chitin is found in the cell wall of fungi, the outer shells of insects, the shells of sea creatures such as lobster, crab, shrimp, and the mouth areas of cephalopods such as cuttlefish and octopus which have a high annual production in the world. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO, 2019) data, 10.5 million chitin-rich shellfish (12.3%) are grown in aquaculture. The need for converting chitin wastes, which are rising in quantity by the day, into biologically useful products develops. In recent years, the employment of biocatalysts in the removal of chitin wastes instead of chemical methods, which are poisonous to the environment and expensive, has allowed for a safe conversion for the environment. Chitinase enzymes (EC 3.2.1.14), in the hydrolase class, catalyse the destruction of β-1-4 glycosidic bonds in chitin (C8H13O5N)n and separate N-acetyl-D-glucosamine molecules from the polysaccharide chain. The chitinase enzyme, which is one of the most common hydrolase enzymes in nature, is found in insects, plants, fungi and viruses. It is also commonly found in different bacterial genera such as Aeromonas, Arthrobacter, Bacillus, Chromobacterium, Flavobacterium, Pseudomonas, Sanguibacter, Serratia, and Streptomyces. With the increase in green and environmentally-friendly technology in recent years, the interest in chitinases is increasing day by day. Chitinase enzymes, which have agricultural importance, replace chemicals and pesticides used in agriculture with their ability to be used as biocontrol agents. It creates a positive effect on the marine ecosystem by recycling marine waste. Due to their pharmaceutically antifungal and antibacterial properties, they are used in the production of anti-inflammatory and anti-fungal drugs, anti-cancer and immune-enhancing agents, wound dressings, contact lenses, and surgical sutures. It is a bioprotective additive used to increase shelf life in the food industry. Antarctica with the highest elevation and lowest temperature has recently become a popular research area. 70% of the freshwater resources on the Antarctic continent, which has not been touched by human hands until lately, are in the form of ice. It also features powerful winds, extremely cold temperatures, and is exposed to low temperatures in the winter and high UV rays in the summer. It has a natural and distinct habitat as a result of these factors. Because of the harsh circumstances, it is unavoidable to uncover new species and enzymes and genes. Extremophiles are living systems that can thrive in harsh environments. Biocatalysts derived from extremophilic organisms and demonstrating catalytic activity even under adverse circumstances have been dubbed extremozymes. Psychrophiles and psychrotolerants are extremophilic microorganisms that can live at 0-20 °C and 0-30 °C, respectively. Because of their low energy needs, flexibility, and high catalytic activity, cold-compatible enzymes derived from psychrophilic and psychrotolerant organisms are crucial for commercial applications. Biotechnological approaches help the identification of novel and diverse extremophiles and extremozymes from Antarctica that has not been described in the literature yet. In the study, which was carried out using Antarctic sediment samples collected within the scope of the 2nd National Antarctic Science Expedition (TAE-2), 12 sediment samples taken from 8 different regions were cultured and enriched. Subsequently, freeze-thaw stress was applied to each cultured sample. After the applied freeze-thaw stress, it was observed that five cultures were resistant to stress. Two morphologically different colonies were selected from each stress-resistant sample, DNA isolations were made and 16S rRNA analyzes were carried out. The sample with the lowest similarity rate according to 16S rRNA analysis was sent for whole-genome analysis and according to the results of the analysis, a new strain of Pseudomonas mandelii, Pseudomonas mandelii KGI_MA19, was identified. Phenotypic and biochemical characterizations of the identified KGI_MA19 strain were performed. The next step was the recombinant production and the characterization of the chitinase enzyme of the psychrotolerant Pseudomonas mandelii KGI_MA19. The gene region of the chitinase enzyme of Pseudomonas mandelii KGI_MA19 was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) by designing gene-specific primers containing SacI and NotI restriction sites. The amplified gene region of interest and the pET-28a (+) vector were cut with SacI and NotI restriction enzymes. T4 DNA ligase enzyme was used for ligation of the cut PCR product and expression vector. Plasmid pET-28a (+) containing the PCR product was transformed into Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) competent cells. The colony PCR method was applied to determine the colonies containing the relevant gene as a result of the transformation, and plasmid isolation of two colonies selected from among the colonies thought to be positive was performed. Then, to understand whether the colonies contain the gene product or not, the plasmid was cut with the EcoRV endonuclease enzyme, which has a fast-cutting feature. The DNA sequencing results showed that the chitinase gene-specific PCR product was correctly inserted into the pET-28a (+) plasmid. The Magic MediaTM (Invitrogen), which is commercially available and used in the expression of E.coli cells, was used to monitor the expression level of the chitinase gene in E.coli BL21 cells. At the end of Magic Media incubation, cells were treated with lysis (0.1M Tris-HCl, pH 8.0, 0.3M NaCl) buffer, and homogenization was performed by ultrasonication using the M73 probe. A high amount of produced chitinase enzyme was purified by the His-Tag affinity chromatography method using the His-Trap column. The activity of the chitinase enzyme obtained in high purity was determined by the 3,5-Dinitrosalicylic acid (DNS) method which allows one to determine the amount of reducing sugars expected to be released as a result of the reaction performed by the usage of colloidal chitin as a substrate. Biochemical characterization including optimum pH, pH stability, and optimum temperature, thermal stability has been completed. A new, psychrotolerant strain, Pseudomonas mandelii KGI_MA19, was identified from sediment samples from the Antarctic King George Island, and its molecular, phenotypic, morphological, and biochemical characterization was completed. In addition, the chitinase enzyme which has an increasing impact in the industrial field has been successfully produced and biochemically characterized by using recombinant DNA methods. The cold-adaptive chitinase enzyme of the Pseudomonas mandelii KGI_MA19 strain, which was obtained for the first time within the scope of this thesis, is thought to be a promising potential biocatalyst for industrial applications.
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ÖgeBiochemical characterisation of truncated amylopullulanase from Thermoanaerobacter brockii brockii(Graduate School, 2022-06-24)The last point reached as a result of the chemical transformation carried out by nature is life. Enzymes are responsible biomolecules for the chemical transformation that makes life possible. People had benefited from the reactions carried out by enzymes to obtain various products in many fields throughout history, from the times when they did not know the existence of these catalysts. Over time, people had understood how great potential these biocatalysts have with the structure and working principles. Since then the characterisation of novel enzymes and the usage area of these enzymes have been expanded day by day. Today, more than 3.000 enzymes are used in biotechnological and industrial fields and it is reported that the size of this enzyme market has reached 6 billion USD in 2021. The enzymes that dominate this market with a share of 30 % are those used in the food and beverage industry and the ones that have the upper hand in this group are the enzymes used in starch processing applications. Starch, the main component of many agricultural products and the primary source of carbohydrates for most people, is the main source of carbon in the world. In addition to starch, oligosaccharides, disaccharides and monosaccharides obtained as a result of hydrolysis are also used in various fields such as food, pharmaceuticals and biofuels. To obtain these hydrolysis products, starch is subjected to a three-step process: gelatinisation, liquefaction and saccharification. The viscous solution which is obtained by hydrolysis of α-1,4- and α-1,6- glycosidic bonds in the starch structure and gelatinisation is achieved by using α-amylase, β-amylase, glucoamylase and pullulanase enzymes during the liquefaction. During all these processes to remain the enzymes stable for a long time and maintain their activity, pH adjustment and the addition of Ca2+ ionsare required . Remove both the formed salt as a result of pH adjustments and excess Ca2+ ions causes additional steps and all of these lead to an increase in the cost of production. To eliminate these steps and perform a one-step liquefaction-saccharification process can be possible with an alternative enzyme. Amylopullulanases (E.C. 3.2.1.1/41) are enzymes capable of hydrolysing both α-1,4- and α-1,6- glycosidic bonds, while those obtained from extremophilic organisms can maintain their activities under harsh industrial conditions. In this study, the amylopullulanase (TbbApu) enzyme belonging to the Thermoanaerobium brockii brockii organism, is one of the strong candidates for starch hydrolysis processes, is examined. Previously, for the recombinant production of TbbApu, the whole apu gene had been obtained by using the primary walking method by our group and the optimisation of expression studies was in progress. As a result of the studies, pET-28 a (+) vector and E. coli BL21 (DE3) were chosen as the appropriate expression vector and and E. coli BL21 (DE3) the appropriate host, respectively. Additionally, the variants TbbApuΔSH3 without SH3 domain and TbbApuΔCBM20 without CBM20 domain were constructed to investigate the effect of SH3 and CBM20 domains. In the scope of this thesis, apart from TbbApuΔSH3 and TbbApuΔCBM20 variants, four additional truncated constructs namely TbbApuΔX25-1-SH3, TbbApuΔX25-2-SH3, TbbApuΔX25-1 and TbbApuΔX25-2-CBM20 were also obtained to disclose the effects of X25 domain. The biochemical characterisation, raw starch binding ability and kinetic studies of TbbApu and its six variants have been accomplished. The function of the X25 domain on substrate binding, activity and stability of the enzyme has been revealed for the first time with this study. The genes belonging to each construct were amplified by PCR with specific forward and reverse primers that have SacI and NotI restriction sites at their 5' ends and using the whole apu gene as a template. As a result of the amplification, tbbApuΔX25-1-SH3, tbbApuΔX25-2-SH3, tbbApuΔX25-1-CBM20 and tbbApuΔX25-2-CBM20 genes with a length of 4065, 3750, 3375 and 3060 base pairs, respectively, were obtained. Then, the obtained genes and the pET-28 a (+) expression vector were cut with SacI and NotI enzymes to form sticky ends and the ligation reactions were set up for the insertion of the genes into the pET-28 a (+) expression vector. Then, transformation was performed using competent E. coli BL21 (DE3) host cells. For the determination of positive colonies from the colonies obtained as a result of the transformation, half of the colonies were inoculated on agar plates containing red pullulan. 1 µM IPTG and 40 µg/mL kanamycin were also included in the agar plate for induction and selection respectively. For the control of detected positive colonies from the PRR plate, the other half of the colonies were inoculated into Luria-Bertani (LB) medium and plasmid isolation was performed from these cells. Then, the isolated plasmids were cut with FastDigest SacI enzyme and linearised to determine the length of the plasmids. By linearisation, tbbApuΔX25-1-SH3 - pET-28 a (+) vector with a length of 9434 base pairs; 9119 base pairs long tbbApuΔX25-2-SH3 -pET-28 a (+) vector, 8744 base pairs tbbApuΔX25-1-CBM20- pET-28 a (+) vector and 8429 base pairs tbbApuΔX25-2-CBM20- pET-28 a (+) vector were obtained from all selected colonies. After the cloning, TbbApu, TbbApuΔSH3, TbbApuΔCBM20, TbbApuΔX25-1-SH3, TbbApuΔX25-2-SH3, TbbApuΔX25-1-CBM20 and TbbApuΔX25-2-CBM20 were over-expressed using magic media. To purify these recombinant enzymes, purification was achieved in three steps by using metal affinity chromatography, ion exchange chromatography and heat purification respectively. Then, the pullulanase and α-amylase activities of TbbApu and its six variants were checked by the red pullulan and starch-containing polyacrylamide gel. The biochemical characterisation of the enzymes was completed. As a result of the studies, the optimum reaction temperature for pullulanase activities was determined as 70 °C for TbbApu, TbbApuΔSH3 and TbbApuΔCBM20, 75 °C for TbbApuΔX25-1-SH3, TbbApuΔX25-2-SH3 and TbbApuΔX25-1-CBM20 and also 80 °C for TbbApuΔX25-2-CBM20 domain. The optimum reaction temperature for α-amylase activities was specified as 75 °C for TbbApu, TbbApuΔSH3 and TbbApuΔCBM20, and 80 °C for TbbApuΔX25-1-SH3, TbbApuΔX25-2-SH3, TbbApuΔX25-1-CBM20 and TbbApuΔX25-2-CBM20. The pure variants were incubated for 24 hours at variable temperatures to examine the effect of temperature on the stability of enzymes. It was observed that the most stable temperature of 60 °C for TbbApu, TbbApuΔSH3, TbbApuΔCBM20, TbbApuΔX25-1-SH3 and TbbApuΔX25-2-SH3, 50 °C for TbbApuΔX25-1-CBM20 and 40 °C for TbbApuΔX25-2-CBM20. Optimum pH values for both activities were found to be 6.5 for TbbApu, TbbApuΔX25-1-SH3 and TbbApuΔX25-1-CBM20, 6 for TbbApuΔSH3, TbbApuΔCBM20 and TbbApuΔX25-2-SH3, and 7 for TbbApuΔX25-2-CBM20. It has been determined that the enzymes reached 80 % of their α-amylase activities with pH 5 and protected it up to pH 8. When the effects of different pH values on the stability of the enzymes were examined, the most stable pH according to pullulanase activities was found as pH 4 for TbbApu, TbbApuΔSH3, TbbApuΔCBM20 and TbbApuΔX25-2-CBM20, pH 6 for TbbApuΔX25-2-SH3, pH 6.5 for TbbApuΔX25-1-SH3 and TbbApuΔX25-1-CBM20 after 24 hours of incubation. According to their α-amylase activities, the most stable pH was found as pH 3 for TbbApu, TbbApuΔSH3, TbbApuΔCBM20, pH 6 for TbbApuΔX25-2-SH3, TbbApuΔX25-1-CBM20 and TbbApuΔX25-2-CBM20, pH 7 for TbbApuΔX25-1-SH3. In addition, it is represented that TbbApu and its variants can maintain their stability between pH 3 and 8 and TbbApu can be used in starch hydrolysis processes without pH adjustment. When the effect of metal ions was examined, while Mn2+ and Co2+ ions increased both pullulanase and α-amylase activities of TbbApu and its variants whereas, Mg2+, Zn2+ and Al3+ ions decreased both activities of all enzymes except pullulanase activity of TbbApuΔCBM20 variant. Although α-amylase enzymes used in starch processing are Ca2+ ion-dependent, TbbApu and its variants are not dependent on Ca2+ ion for activity and stability, making the enzyme and its variants a strong candidate for starch hydrolsis process. Also, in the presence of 20 % and 50 % hexane and acetone, with some exceptions, both activities of TbbApu and its variants were increased and 20 % and 50 % butanol, DMF and DMSO presence strongly inhibited both activities of the enzymes. When the effects of organic solvents on the stability of enzymes were examined, it was observed that, with some exceptions, the stability of the enzymes increased in the presence of 20 % and 50 % acetone and hexane, compared to both pullulanase and α-amylase activities, after 24 hours of incubation. In the case of inhibitors and detergents, it was observed that inhibitors moderately inhibited pullulanase and α-amylase activities of TbbApu and its variants with some exceptions, whereas all inhibitors increased the pullulanase activity of TbbApuΔCBM20 and nonionic and anionic enzymes inhibited both activities moderately with. However, the activities of all enzymes were strongly inhibited in the presence of CTAB, which is a cationic detergent. Then, the kinetic parameters of the enzymes were elucidated. The results imply that, truncation SH3 domain improves both α-amylase and pullanase activities of the enzyme. However, truncation of CBM20 and X25 domains from TbbApu caused to loss of affinity and specificity of the enzyme to soluble starch and to shift in the specificity of the enzyme to pullulan. The removal of the SH3 domain and also CBM20 domain, the carbohydrate-binding module in the enzymes did not have any effect on the raw starch binding capacity of TbbApu. The removal of the SH3 domain and also CBM20 domain, the carbohydrate binding module in the enzymes did not have any effect on the raw starch binding capacity of TbbApu. However, sequential removal of X25 and SH3 domains resulted in 27.3 % and 58.4 % reduction in raw starch binding ability, while removal of CBM20 and X25 domains resulted in a 90 % decrease in raw starch binding ability. Thus, it was revealed that the X25 domain is involved in binding raw starch. The results of TLC analysis represented that TbbApu and its variants released maltotriose and maltose as a result of pullulan hydrolysis and maltotriose starch hydrolysis, respectively. The results of TLC analysis represented that TbbApu and its variants released maltotriose and maltose in pullulan hydrolysis and maltotriose in starch hydrolysis, respectively.