Original title: IrAM4: Partial characterisation of a molecule similar to \recke{alpha}\dindex{2}-macroglobulin from a tick \kur{Ixodes ricinus}
Authors: ABSOLONOVÁ, Markéta
Document type: Bachelor's theses
Year: 2011
Language: eng
Abstract: Ixodes ricinus is a hard tick that can transmit several diseases that are capable of affecting humans. Among those are tick-borne encephalitis and Lyme disease. The focus of this work is on IrAM4, a member of tick ?2-macroglobulin family (?2M-F) of proteins which belong to the evolutionarily oldest constituents of the innate immune system. ?2-macroglobulins are protease inhibitors and act primarily in inactivation of proteases secreted by invading pathogens within their infection cycle. The aim of this study was to identify ?2-M of Ixodes ricinus (IrAM4) from corresponding ortholog of protein ?2-M named IsAM4 present in the genome of closely related Ixodes scapularis. The partial sequence was determined by amplification of cDNA and subsequent sequencing of PCR products. RT-PCR tissue profiling revealed that IrAM4 is present in ovaries and salivary glands but not in the tick gut. The recombinant fragment of IrAM4 was afterwards prepared for immunization of a rabbit and the obtained polyclonal antibodies were used for Western blot analysis. The results showed that IrAM4 is mainly present in the hemolymph and probably in salivary glands and ovaries but it is not expressed in the gut. The native IrAM4 seems to be composed of two disulfide bound subunits. However, the exact structure of the molecule was not analyzed in this work.
Keywords: ?2-macroglobulin; IrAM4; Ixodes ricinus; protease inhibitor
Citation: ABSOLONOVÁ, Markéta. IrAM4: Partial characterisation of a molecule similar to \recke{alpha}\dindex{2}-macroglobulin from a tick \kur{Ixodes ricinus}. České Budějovice, 2011. bakalářská práce (Bc.). JIHOČESKÁ UNIVERZITA V ČESKÝCH BUDĚJOVICÍCH. Přírodovědecká fakulta

Institution: University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice (web)
Document availability information: Fulltext is available in the Digital Repository of University of South Bohemia.
Original record: http://www.jcu.cz/vskp/19686

Permalink: http://www.nusl.cz/ntk/nusl-55391


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Universities and colleges > Public universities > University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice
Academic theses (ETDs) > Bachelor's theses