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Effect of small DNA viruses on regulation of interferon production
Hofman, Tomáš ; Hirsch, Ivan (advisor) ; Elleder, Daniel (referee)
Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDC) represent innate immune cells capable to detect viruses in their endosomal environment via Toll-like receptors (TLRs). Viral nuclear acid recognition leads to the massive production of type I interferon (IFN I) and induction of the antiviral state in uninfected cells. Crosslinking of the surface regulatory receptors, such as BDCA-2, with monoclonal antibodies or with some viruses leads to the activation of MEK1/2- ERK signaling pathway and inhibition of IFN I production in pDC. In this study, the role of MEK1/2 kinase has been highlighted. Its inhibition reversed the inhibitory effect of BDCA-2 crosslinking and its direct activation with PMA led to the inhibition of IFN-α production. Yet an unclear role of pDC in sensing of BK polyomavirus virus (BKV) responsible for kidney transplant rejection was investigated as a major topic of this thesis. Experiments with the pDC cell line Gen2.2 and HRPTEC primary cell line showed that pDCs were not able to detect BKV particles, however, exposure of activated Gen2.2 cells to BKV inoculum dramatically upregulated production of IFN-α. Most importantly, coculture of Gen2.2 cells with BKV- infected HRPTEC cells resulted in IFN-α and TNF-α production, which was prevented by Bafilomycin. These results suggest that BKV-infected...
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Effects of heme arginate in HIV-1 acute infection and in latency reversal
Prakash, Shankaran ; Mělková, Zora (advisor) ; Hirsch, Ivan (referee) ; Hejnar, Jiří (referee)
The available antiretroviral compounds can effectively suppress the replication of HIV-1 and block the disease progression. However it is impossible to eradicate the virus from the organism as the HIV-1 integrated in the genome is not affected by the existing anti-HIV-1 drugs. Therefore, new latency reversing agents are being actively developed as part of "shock and kill" therapy to reactivate the provirus and clear the reservoir. Normosang (heme arginate; HA) is a human hemin- containing compound used to treat acute porphyria. Heme is physiologically catabolised by heme oxygenases to form iron (Fe2+ ), carbon monoxide (CO) and biliverdin that is further converted to bilirubin by biliverdin reductase. In this study, we have demonstrated that HA inhibited HIV-1 replication during the acute infection, which was accompanied by the inhibition of reverse transcription. On the other hand, HA synergised with phorbol myristyl acetate (PMA) and reactivated the HIV-1 provirus in ACH-2 cells and the HIV-1 "mini-virus" in Jurkat cell clones A2 and H12. HIV-1 ''mini-virus'' was reactivated also by HA-alone. Further, we have studied the effects of heme degradation products on latent HIV-1 reactivation when added individually. We employed addition of ascorbate to generate Fe2+ , resulting in an increased...
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Retroviral variants and their relationship to nonpermisive cells
Přikryl, David ; Hejnar, Jiří (advisor) ; Hirsch, Ivan (referee) ; Rumlová, Michaela (referee)
In my doctoral thesis, I focused on studying the envelope glycoprotein of ALV (Avian Leukosis Viruses), a group of retroviruses infecting Galliformes and inducing a variety of diseases. Eradication of these viruses in the farming industry is in progress and information about the virus spread, namely corresponding receptors, is needed to successfully accomplish this feat. Furthermore, many variants of retroviruses infect cells regardless of the absence of the corresponding receptor, and understanding of this phenomenon is also crucial. We analyzed a newly emerged subgroup of ALV, termed K for its sequence divergence from other subgroups, and determined its host range, interference, and receptor usage, to confirm whether this group deserves a new letter for its designation. We identified a receptor of ALV-K that proved to be Tva, the receptor also used by ALV-A. However, since the K subgroup differs from the A subgroup by its host range and inhibition by the soluble form of Tva, we expect the two subgroups use different epitopes of the Tva receptor. We also analyzed a variant of ALV-C exhibiting an extended host range as it successfully infected hamster cells. We found that the extended host range correlates with the ability of the envelope glycoprotein to acquire activated prefusion state...
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Gene expression in chicken embryo: micromanipulation and visualization methods
Bendová, Michaela ; Dvořák, Michal (advisor) ; Hirsch, Ivan (referee) ; Krylov, Vladimír (referee)
The aim of this work was to obtain better insight into the principles of cell structures and organs in the chicken embryo development. To reach this goal special methods of micromanipulations and visualization in vitro, ex vivo, ex ovo and in ovo were implemented and adjusted. These methods were used to study gene expression in neural crest development and eye development. In the course of long term research in our laboratory we observed that oncoprotein v-Myb influences the development of the neural crest and has the capacity to change natural cell fate. We performed a series of experiments to investigate v-Myb protein influence on neural crest cells differentiation, especially melanocyte lineage development, and its influence on gene expression in the neural crest. Therefore we focused on Gremlin 2 (PRDC), the gene upregulated by v-Myb in the neural crest. The established procedure of electroporation in ovo was adjusted to transfect cells of the developing eye and used to study gene expression during lens induction. The results obtained from chicken embryo experiments endorsed the study performed on mouse embryos. Futhermore, the electroporation technique was slightly modified for manipulations of the neural retina in the developing eye in ovo. Thereafter, the retinas were processed ex vivo and...
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Effect of HBV protein HBx on activation of MEK1/2 signaling and inhibition of type I IFN in hepatoma cell line Huh7
Berehovska, Olena ; Hirsch, Ivan (advisor) ; Zábranský, Aleš (referee)
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is one of the major causes of chronic and cancerous liver disease. Elimination of HBV from chronically infected patients by recombinant interferon α (IFNα) monotherapy shows that the mechanisms of the innate immunity play an important role in suppressing viral infection. However, the mechanisms of recognition of the HBV genome and its escape from the mechanisms of natural immunity are still little known. One of the principal factors enabling the virus to escape from cellular restriction mechanisms is the HBx viral protein. HBx is a 154 amino acid pleiotropic multifunctional protein affecting transcription, signal transduction, cell cycle, protein degradation, apoptosis, and chromosomal stability in the host cell. Previous results from our laboratory have shown that activation of the MEK1/2-ERK signaling pathway in plasmacytoid dendritic cells leads to inhibition of IFNα production. The aim of my work was to determine whether HBx activates the MEK1/2-ERK pathway and thus inhibits IFN type I production also in hepatocytes. For this purpose, I monitored HBx production in the Huh7 hepatoma cell line by transfecting the bicistronic plasmid pHBx- IRES-EGFP and Western blotting. Using the same method, I monitored activation of the MEK1/2-ERK signaling pathway by ERK...
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Raccoon polyomavirus: example or exception of polyomavirus driven oncogenesis?
Schreiberová, Lucie ; Španielová, Hana (advisor) ; Hirsch, Ivan (referee)
Polyomaviruses (PyV) are widespread through human and animal populations and typically associated with asymptomatic persistent infection. Rarely, natural PyV infections can lead to oncogenic transformation. Virus genome is usually integrated into the host DNA of tumour tissue. Over the past few years, an increased number of very aggressive brain tumours and olfactory tumours have been observed in raccoons. These tumours are associated with the newly discovered raccoon polyomavirus, which was found as an intact episome in host cells. This bachelor thesis is therefore focused on comparison of current state of knowledge on raccoon polyomavirus with previously described mechanisms of PyV tumorogenesis. Unlike for other PyVs, the fact that primary neuronal stem cell infection is most likely to occur can play a key role in raccoon polyomavirus driven oncogenesis. Tumours also exhibit unusually high expression of virus-encoded micro RNA that can be connected with tumour induction. Similary to other tumours caused by PyV, a large amount of early viral proteins with oncogenic potential is found in tumours. Revealing unknown factors responsible for the development of tumours caused by raccoon polyomavirus may help in understanding of mechanisms of oncogenesis. Key words Polyomavirus, oncogenesis, raccoon...
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Effect of small DNA viruses on regulation of interferon production
Hofman, Tomáš ; Hirsch, Ivan (advisor) ; Elleder, Daniel (referee)
Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDC) represent innate immune cells capable to detect viruses in their endosomal environment via Toll-like receptors (TLRs). Viral nuclear acid recognition leads to the massive production of type I interferon (IFN I) and induction of the antiviral state in uninfected cells. Crosslinking of the surface regulatory receptors, such as BDCA-2, with monoclonal antibodies or with some viruses leads to the activation of MEK1/2- ERK signaling pathway and inhibition of IFN I production in pDC. In this study, the role of MEK1/2 kinase has been highlighted. Its inhibition reversed the inhibitory effect of BDCA-2 crosslinking and its direct activation with PMA led to the inhibition of IFN-α production. Yet an unclear role of pDC in sensing of BK polyomavirus virus (BKV) responsible for kidney transplant rejection was investigated as a major topic of this thesis. Experiments with the pDC cell line Gen2.2 and HRPTEC primary cell line showed that pDCs were not able to detect BKV particles, however, exposure of activated Gen2.2 cells to BKV inoculum dramatically upregulated production of IFN-α. Most importantly, coculture of Gen2.2 cells with BKV- infected HRPTEC cells resulted in IFN-α and TNF-α production, which was prevented by Bafilomycin. These results suggest that BKV-infected...
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Study of endogenous retroviruses: Insight into the retroviral evolution and virus-host interactions
Hron, Tomáš ; Elleder, Daniel (advisor) ; Kejnovský, Eduard (referee) ; Hirsch, Ivan (referee)
In my doctoral project, I studied the evolution of retroviruses and long-term interactions with their hosts. Retroviruses infect a broad range of species including possibly all vertebrates. They are unique in their ability to efficiently create endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) - viral copies integrated into the host genomes and consequently inherited by successive generations as usual genomic locus. ERVs represent a significant portion of vertebrate genomes and play an important role in a variety of cellular processes and pathologies; however, their sequences are still largely unexplored. The results of my work contributed to the uncovering of ancient evolutionary history of retroviruses. In this regard, I employed the ERV sequences, as they represent "genetic fossils" of viral infections that occurred throughout entire retroviral evolution. By discovery and analysis of ancient ERV lineages, I shed light on the deep history of retroviruses and revealed how the past infections shaped the evolution of vertebrate antiviral defense. In addition to the investigation of retroviral evolution, I also studied process of ongoing endogenization and fixation of newly emerged ERVs in a mammalian host population. In this part of my work, I focused on a unique model of ERV that have been recently invading mule deer genome.
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Interaction of hepatitis B virus proteins with mechanisms of innate immunity
Vávrová, Petra ; Hirsch, Ivan (advisor) ; Horníková, Lenka (referee)
Specific aim of this bibliographic research is to elucidate interaction of hepatitis B virus proteins with mechanisms of the innate immunity. The work will specially analyze the role of viral proteins before and after their transport from the infected cell. Because of the central role of cccDNA for virus persistence in human organism, the work will study the effects of restriction factors on its possible destruction and eradication. The research will be focused on the effect of viral proteins during acute, chronic and occult infection.
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Employing an RNA interference method (RNAi) to sudy oncogenic properties of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV)
Riegerová, Petra ; Lubyová, Barbora (advisor) ; Hirsch, Ivan (referee) ; Pávová, Marcela (referee)
Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is a DNA tumor virus that has been associated with all epidemiological forms of Kaposi's sarcoma, primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) and multicentric Castleman disease (MCD). Like other herpesviruses, KSHV undergoes two phases of life cycle (latent and lytic replication). During latency, the viral genome persists as a circular episome in the nucleus of the host cell and only a few viral genes are expressed, namely LANA (latency- associated nuclear antigen), Kaposin, vFLIP (viral FLICE inhibitory protein), vCyclin, and vIRF3/LANA2 (viral interferon regulatory factor 3). These viral genes are responsible for regulation of host cell proliferation, prevention of apoptosis, facilitation of immune evasion, and maintenance of the extrachromosomal viral genome during cell divisions. vIRF3 is a multifunctional nuclear protein that is constitutively expressed in KSHV positive PEL cells and Castleman's disease tumors, which expression causes dramatic changes of critical host pathways that are involved in the regulation of apoptosis, cell cycle, antiviral immunity, and tumorigenesis. In our study, we have demonstrated and elucidated predicted mechanism, by which vIRF3 enhances transcription activity of c-Myc. Moreover, we have clarified the previously unappreciated...
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