Banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO: LUAN VALIM DOS SANTOS

Uma banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO de DOUTORADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : LUAN VALIM DOS SANTOS
DATE: 22/05/2024
TIME: 13:00
LOCAL: Sala multimídia da biblioteca central
TITLE:

Proteases as a target for controlling Sporothrix brasiliensis infections

KEY WORDS:

sporotrichosis, fungus, control, silencing

PAGES: 40
BIG AREA: Ciências Exatas e da Terra
AREA: Química
SUMMARY:

Sporothrix is a genus of fungi that has been extensively studied due to its significance in public health as the causative agent of sporotrichosis. This disease is characterized by fungal infection of living mammalian tissues, often occurring through exposed wounds in direct contact with contaminated materials or soils containing high levels of organic matter. Additionally, infection is commonly observed through scratches from infected animals. Once spores enter the body, they can implant in the skin or subcutaneous tissues, where they find favorable conditions for multiplication. The majority of sporotrichosis cases in Brazil are associated with Sporothrix brasiliensis, and treatment is lengthy and highly hepatotoxic. Therefore, new methods of controlling this organism that are less toxic to hosts are of interest for the development of more effective treatments with less nonspecific impact. The objective of this project is to evaluate the occurrence of proteases from S. brasiliensis excreted during the mycelial (saprophytic) and yeast (parasitic) phases by identifying them, observing their abundance, and function to propose new perspectives for control. A fungal colony will be established from isolates from infected felines at the Veterinary Hospital of the Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, which will be used in all experiments in this study. The identification of the protease profile will be performed using zymography to demonstrate differences between the mycelial and yeast phases. Bands occurring exclusively in the yeast phase will undergo proteomic analysis to identify the specific sequences of proteases present. From this identification, in silico analyses will be conducted to determine conserved domains and infer their specific functions, thus identifying targets involved in their virulence potential. After target identification, silencing of these proteases will occur via RNAi, where synthesized dsRNA will be added to the culture medium and incorporated by the fungi. Cell viability and expression of these proteases will be observed after 24 hours to confirm silencing. With this silencing, an in vitro adhesion assay of S. brasiliensis yeast to epithelial cells will be conducted to determine which proteases are most impactful. Another aspect of this project aims at developing extension activities with the creation of educational material on risks, prevention, and treatment of sporotrichosis, focusing on the community of Seropédica, RJ. With these data, it will be possible to propose new strategies for controlling Sporothrix and contribute to the dissemination of relevant information for sporotrichosis control.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Interno - 1700480 - ARTHUR EUGEN KUMMERLE
Interno - 1220404 - CARLOS MAURICIO RABELLO DE SANT ANNA
Interna - 1979542 - RENATA BARBOSA LACERDA
Externa ao Programa - 4073611 - AGUIDA APARECIDA DE OLIVEIRA - UFRRJExterna ao Programa - 1792175 - PATRICIA FAMPA NEGREIROS LIMA - UFRRJ