PHENOTYPIC DIVERSITY OF SOME OLIVE TREE PROGENIES ISSUED FROM A TUNISIAN BREEDING PROGRAM

This work was done to quantify and to evaluate the distribution of the genetic diversity observed within and between olive tree seedlings issued from a Tunisian breeding program. Forty-eight ‘Chemlali’ olive tree seedlings which were issued from free-, self-, and cross pollination of cultivar ‘Chemlali’ with ‘Coratina’ were characterized by combining 17 quantitative and 32 qualitative traits. Principal component analysis was used for the identification of the pattern of morphological variation. Variance analysis revealed significant differences between progenies. Variation coefficients ranged from 8.36 to 32.93% for ‘Chemlali’ ×’Coratina’ descendants, from 7.93 to 80.91% for ‘Chemlali’ free pollination descendants and from 10.38 to 74.88% for ‘Chemlali’ self pollination descendants. Shannon and Nei indices indicated also the variation between descendants within crossings. However, some seedlings showed tree, leaf, fruit and endocarp shapes and sizes which differs from the typical of ‘Chemlali’ cultivar. An increase of the fruit size and an improvement of the flesh to stone ratio were noted; thus the first three principal components explained 72% of the total observed variability. PC1 was mainly correlated to fruit and endocarp sizes and flesh to stone ratio; and PC2 was mainly correlated to fruit and endocarp shapes. Descendants’clustering was done according to the main discriminant parameter which is the fruit size. Most ‘Chemlali’ × ‘Coratina’ descendants were closely clustered. ‘Chemlali’ free and self pollination descendants were not closely grouped, but shows clear overlapping data, which suggests that these two types of pollination can induce a comparative morphological variability

Multifunctional and Durable Coatings for Stone Protection Based on Gd-Doped Nanocomposites

The development of nanocomposite materials with multifunctional protective features is an urgent need in many fields. However, few works have studied the durability of these materials. Even though TiO2 nanoparticles have been extensively applied for self-cleaning effect, it displays a weak activity under visible light. Hence, in this study, pure and Gd-doped TiO2 nanoparticles (molar ratios of doping ions/Ti are 0.1 and 1) were synthesised, characterised, and then mixed with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), used as a binder, in order to produce a homogenised thin film on a very porous stone substrate. To our knowledge, Gd-doped TiO2/PDMS protective coatings are studied for the first time for application on historic structures. The protective coatings developed in this work are intended to reduce the surface wettability of the stone and protect the historic stones from dye pollution and microorganism colonisation. Moreover, in this study, the durability of the developed nanocomposite was deeply studied to evaluate the stability of the coatings. Results confirmed that samples treated with the lowest concentrations of Gd ions (0.1 mol%) showed acceptable chromatic variations, a good repellent feature, acceptable water vapour permeability, good durability, the highest self-cleaning activity, and good inhibitory behaviour against microbial colonisation

Silver Nanoparticles in the Cultural Heritage Conservation

Our cultural heritage is our invaluable social and environmental resource and concern. Moreover, it is a key global economic driver. However, they are subjected to deterioration process and aging. Particularly, microorganisms are nowadays considered harmful agents of biodeterioration of artistic materials due to the fact that their interactions with the material cause not only an esthetical damage due to their visible growth on the surface, but they may affect the interested materials in different ways and at different degrees via mechanical and biochemical processes leading to the formation of pitting, scaling and, in the worst scenario, to the loss of material by its detachment. To protect our shared tangible cultural heritage from biodeterioration and preserve it for future generations, several methods have been developed. Notably, using nanomaterials, with antimicrobial features, has been considered an interesting and economical method to preserve valuable heritage materials. In this chapter, we will present an overview of the decay mechanisms that participate in the deterioration of tangible artworks, in particular microorganisms’ colonization. Next, current works that have been developed to use silver nanoparticles to protect heritage items from microbial colonization and prevent their deterioration have been detailed

Antibacterial functionalization of textile fabrics through sol-gel routes

Au cours de cette thèse, plusieurs approches de fonctionnalisation anti-bactérienne passive, de type"bactériostatique" utilisant des espèces hydrophobes, et active (selon un standard ISO), de type"bactéricide" utilisant des nanoparticules d’argent métallique ou des espèces à base d’ammoniumquaternaire, ont été testées sur des tissus textiles. Des solutions liquides ont été élaborées par voie sol-gelet photochimique, en association ou non. Elles ont tout d’abord été caractérisées d’un point de vuephysico-chimique, morphologique et structural, afin d’optimiser leur formulation et les caractéristiquesdes espèces en solution vis-à-vis de différents cahiers des charges industriels. Ce travail d’optimisation aen particulier conduit à des solutions stables permettant leur utilisation reproductible au cours du temps.Les solutions ont ensuite été imprégnées sur des échantillons textiles, par un dispositif simplifié de "padcoating"mis au point au cours de la thèse, afin de tester la fonction anti-bactérienne des textiles traités.Selon la nature des espèces imprégnées, l’optimisation des solutions conduit à une fonctionnalité antibactériennepassive ou active respectant l’aspect visuel du textile et ne dénaturant pas son toucher. Destests de lavage de laboratoire ou de lavage ménager en conditions réelles ont également montré unaccrochage notable des espèces imprégnées sur les textiles. Des options ont finalement été proposées pouraccroître cet accrochage afin de répondre à des conditions de lavage industriel. En conclusion, ce travail met en évidence le potentiel des approches d’élaboration par chimie douce en vue de fonctionnaliser des textiles, en permettant en particulier de proposer des méthodologies originales et simplifiées en adéquation avec des impératifs industriels.In this thesis, several approaches have been tested for the passive ("bacteriostatic") and active (as definedby an ISO standard, "bactericidal") anti-bacterial fonctionalization of textile fabrics by using hydrophobicspecies and nanoparticles of metallic silver or quaternary ammonium species, respectively. Liquidsolutions were prepared by sol-gel and photochemistry methods, in association or not. Physicochemical,morphological and structural characterizations have first been realized to optimize the solutionformulations and the characteristics of active species in solutions towards various industrialspecifications. This optimization study has in particular led to stable solutions allowing their use inreproducible conditions over time. The optimized solutions were then imparted to textile samples, using asimplified "pad-coating device implemented during the thesis, in order to test the anti-bacterial functionof treated textiles. Depending on the nature of the species present on textiles, the optimized solutions ledto a passive or active anti-bacterial function while keeping the visual aspect and hand feeling of textiles.Laboratory washing tests or laundering washings in real conditions also showed a significant attachmentof impregnated species on textiles. Different options have finally been proposed to enhance thisattachment in order to fulfill industrial washing criteria. In conclusion, this thesis work highlights thepotential of soft chemistry approaches to functionalize textiles supports and enable us to propose originaland simplified methodologies in adequacy with industrial requirements

Fonctionnalisation anti-bactérienne passive ou active de tissus textiles par voie sol-gel ou photochimique - L'association du TiO2 et de la chimie douce

In this thesis, several approaches have been tested for the passive ("bacteriostatic") and active (as definedby an ISO standard, "bactericidal") anti-bacterial fonctionalization of textile fabrics by using hydrophobicspecies and nanoparticles of metallic silver or quaternary ammonium species, respectively. Liquidsolutions were prepared by sol-gel and photochemistry methods, in association or not. Physicochemical,morphological and structural characterizations have first been realized to optimize the solutionformulations and the characteristics of active species in solutions towards various industrialspecifications. This optimization study has in particular led to stable solutions allowing their use inreproducible conditions over time. The optimized solutions were then imparted to textile samples, using asimplified "pad-coating device implemented during the thesis, in order to test the anti-bacterial functionof treated textiles. Depending on the nature of the species present on textiles, the optimized solutions ledto a passive or active anti-bacterial function while keeping the visual aspect and hand feeling of textiles.Laboratory washing tests or laundering washings in real conditions also showed a significant attachmentof impregnated species on textiles. Different options have finally been proposed to enhance thisattachment in order to fulfill industrial washing criteria. In conclusion, this thesis work highlights thepotential of soft chemistry approaches to functionalize textiles supports and enable us to propose originaland simplified methodologies in adequacy with industrial requirements.Au cours de cette thèse, plusieurs approches de fonctionnalisation anti-bactérienne passive, de type"bactériostatique" utilisant des espèces hydrophobes, et active (selon un standard ISO), de type"bactéricide" utilisant des nanoparticules d’argent métallique ou des espèces à base d’ammoniumquaternaire, ont été testées sur des tissus textiles. Des solutions liquides ont été élaborées par voie sol-gelet photochimique, en association ou non. Elles ont tout d’abord été caractérisées d’un point de vuephysico-chimique, morphologique et structural, afin d’optimiser leur formulation et les caractéristiquesdes espèces en solution vis-à-vis de différents cahiers des charges industriels. Ce travail d’optimisation aen particulier conduit à des solutions stables permettant leur utilisation reproductible au cours du temps.Les solutions ont ensuite été imprégnées sur des échantillons textiles, par un dispositif simplifié de "padcoating"mis au point au cours de la thèse, afin de tester la fonction anti-bactérienne des textiles traités.Selon la nature des espèces imprégnées, l’optimisation des solutions conduit à une fonctionnalité antibactériennepassive ou active respectant l’aspect visuel du textile et ne dénaturant pas son toucher. Destests de lavage de laboratoire ou de lavage ménager en conditions réelles ont également montré unaccrochage notable des espèces imprégnées sur les textiles. Des options ont finalement été proposées pouraccroître cet accrochage afin de répondre à des conditions de lavage industriel. En conclusion, ce travail met en évidence le potentiel des approches d’élaboration par chimie douce en vue de fonctionnaliser des textiles, en permettant en particulier de proposer des méthodologies originales et simplifiées en adéquation avec des impératifs industriels

Splicing cis-regulatory sequences in the DMD gene : role in pseudoexons regulation and interest for the therapeutic exon skipping strategy.

L'épissage des ARN pré-messagers est une étape essentielle pour l'expression des gènes chez les eucaryotes supérieurs. La reconnaissance des exons par la machinerie d'épissage est réalisée grâce à différents éléments cis-régulateurs incluant les séquences consensus d'épissage et les séquences auxiliaires activatrices ou inhibitrices d'épissage. Le pré-ARNm représente une nouvelle cible thérapeutique pour le traitement des maladies génétiques. L'approche du saut d'exon thérapeutique, destinée à restaurer l'expression d'une protéine totalement ou partiellement fonctionnelle en interférant avec le processus d'épissage, suscite un grand intérêt notamment pour la dystrophie musculaire de Duchenne où la modification du transcrit permettrait d'obtenir une forme modérée de la maladie, la Dystrophie musculaire de Becker. Des oligonucléotides antisens sont utilisés pour masquer les signaux d'épissage de reconnaissance d'un exon par le spliceosome, et induire son excision (ou saut) du transcrit mature. La détermination de la meilleure séquence cible des AONs est une difficulté majeure de cette approche. Pour le gène DMD, nous avons pu établir grâce à des analyses bioinformatiques et statistiques combinées avec des tests fonctionnels utilisant des minigènes rapporteurs d'épissage, que le ciblage de motifs exoniques qui fixent le facteur d'épissage SF2/ASF permettait d'obtenir la meilleure efficacité des AONs. Par ailleurs, nous avons exploré la régulation de l'épissage des pseudoexons dans le gène DMD, et notamment les mécanismes conduisant à l'inclusion de ces séquences introniques dans le transcrit mature en condition pathologique. L'étude de deux cas exceptionnels d'activation de pseudoexons associée à des remaniements introniques rares (double délétion, inversion) élargit le spectre des mutations à l'origine de ces défauts d'épissage, et illustre le rôle encore mal connu des remaniements introniques en pathologie humaine.Splicing of pre-messenger RNAs to mature transcripts is a crucial step in eukaryotic gene expression. The recognition of exon by the splicing machinery involves different cis-regulatory elements, including the splice site motifs and auxiliary sequences, which can act by stimulating or repressing splicing. The pre-mRNA represents a new therapeutic target for the treatment of genetic diseases. Notably, the exon skipping strategy is currently one of the most promising therapeutic approaches for the Duchenne muscular dystrophy. It intends to restore the expression of a partially functional protein by interfering with the splicing process, and converts the severe DMD phenotype into the moderate form of the disease, Becker muscular Dystrophy (BMD). Antisense oligonucleotides are used to mask the splicing signals involved in exon recognition by the spliceosome to induce its skipping from the mature transcript and restore an open reading frame. The determination of the best target sequence of the AONs is one of the major hurdles to overcome. For the DMD gene, a bioinformatic and statistical analysis combined with minigenes studies allowed us to establish that targeting binding sites for the splicing factor SF2/ASF maximizes the AONs efficiency. In a second part of this work, we investigated the splicing regulation of pseudoexons in the DMD gene, in particular the mechanisms leading to the inclusion of these intronic sequences in the mature transcript in pathological conditions. The study of two exceptional cases of pseudoexons activation associated with rare intronic rearrangements (double-deletions, inversion) expands the spectrum of missplicing mutations, and demonstrates the potential role of pure intronic rearrangements in human pathology

Durable Polymer Coatings: A Comparative Study of PDMS-Based Nanocomposites as Protective Coatings for Stone Materials

Nowadays, durable protective coatings receive more attention in the field of conservation for several reasons (they are cost effective, time consuming, more resistance, etc.). Hence, this study was focused on producing a multi-functional, durable coating to protect different stone materials, especially, Lecce stone, bricks, and marble. For this purpose, ZrO2-doped-ZnO-PDMS nanocomposites (PDMS, polydimethylsiloxane used as the binder) were synthesized by in situ reaction (doped nanoparticles were inserted into the polymer matrix during the synthesis of PDMS) and the performances of resulting coatings were examined by handling different experimental analyses. In particular, the study aimed to evaluate the durability properties of the coating along with the self-cleaning effect. As a result, the durability of the nanocomposite coating with respect to the well-known PDMS coating was assessed after exposure to two different ageing cycles: solar ageing (300 W, 1000 h) and humid chamber ageing (RH > 80%, T = 22 ± 3 °C, desiccator, 2 years). All the results were in good agreement with each other providing that newly prepared nanocomposite coating can be used as a durable protective coating for different stone materials

Suitability of Gadolinium doped TiO2 nanoparticles to protect heritage building materials from biodeterioration

Heritage buildings possess historical values coming from the attractive architecture and important events taking place around the heritage area. However, they are subjected to degradation process and ageing. Particularly, microorganisms are usually related to harmful biodegradation of artistic materials. Water also is an essential factor of deterioration precisely in porous materials. To protect heritage materials, several methods have been developed. Notably, using nanomaterials to preserve valuable heritage surfaces has been considered as an alternative method. In particular, TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) have been extensively regarded as one of the most interesting materials. Their interesting features make them a good candidate for photocatalytic application. However, the necessity of using only UV light hinders their practical application. For that reason doping with lanthanide ions, precisely, Gadolinium (Gd) could be an effective method to enhance TiO2 NPs photoactivity. In the present study, pure and Gadolinium doped TiO2 NPs were synthesized by sol-gel method. Prepared NPs were dispersed in a binder at different powder/binder ratios: (0.1, 0.2, 0.5 and 1%w/wTiO2). However, before any application on artefacts, the nanomaterials need to be tested for their biocide efficiency and importantly for being harmless to cultural heritage material. X-ray powder diffractometry (XRPD), UV-Visible and Raman spectroscopies, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energydispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) were used to characterize the as-prepared nanopowders. A set of experiments has been performed in order to investigate Gd3+-doped TiO2 nanomaterials as effective photocatalysts, for their photokilling activity against selected Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria and for the chromatic changes induced after their application on Lecce stone surfaces by performing colorimetric measurements

Shoot Architecture and Morphology of Different Branch Orders in Fig Tree (<em>Ficus carica</em> L.)

International audienceTree architecture describes plant form by defining the spatial organization of different structures. Shoot branching is an important step in understanding the tree architecture. Such studies are required for analyzing phenotypic diversity of plant architecture. Because such studies are rare on fig trees, the architecture diversity among nine Tunisian fig cultivars grown in Chott-Mariem (center-east Tunisia) was explored. Quantitative morphological descriptors were noted on six annual shoots and studied during four yearly growth cycles, from 2007–10. Coding strategy was adopted for fig branch description. Branch growth characteristics, location, and distribution of axillary shoots were determined for three axis orders. Results showed a great variability of fig branches, particularly in terms of branching density and position, branching angle, and shoot dimensions. Shoot length was closely related to its architectural position in the branch, i.e., all low-order shoots in all cultivars had more growth than high-order shoots. The meso-basitony tendency was frequent. Thus, an architectural typology characterizing all cultivars was established and three principal groups were distinguished. The first one (Type I) with orthotropic branches located at the basal and median parts of the bearer axis had dense and continuous ramification. The second group (Type II) with a diffuse branching differed in lateral shoot distribution, and finally, the third group (Type III) had open and diffuse branching located on the basal zone of the carrier axis. This typology could be used in future genetic improvement programs of local fig trees in Tunisia