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Physiological basis of extended longevity in termite kings and queens - is activation of telomerase mechanism linked with extended longevity of termites?
Pangrácová, Marie ; Hanus, Robert (advisor) ; Kodrík, Dalibor (referee)
- Extended longevity and high fecundity are two phenomena typical for reproductive castes (queens, eventually kings) of eusocial insects. In my thesis, we explore the hypothesis that the longevity of reproductives in the termite Prorhinotermes simplex is linked with the activation of the telomerase enzyme complex. Telomerase is well known for its life-extension functions, due especially to its capacity to prolong the telomeric ends of chromosomes. Therefore, we studied here the gene expression of: (1) the gene TERT coding for the catalytic subunit of the telomerase and (2) the genes of the main endocrine regulatory pathways, known to be responsible for the control of reproduction and longevity in insects. Expression dynamics of these genes were measured in sterile and reproductive castes of P. simplex during their development and sexual maturation. Based on our results obtained from the TERT expression analyses and their comparison with telomerase enzyme activities, we assume that the telomerase action in the long-lived reproductive individuals is regulated at a post-transcription level. Furthermore, we observed in reproductive castes a simultaneous upregulation of some transcription variants of vitellogenin and the genes for insulin signalling pathways. We can, therefore, conclude that in...
Cell senescence with a focus on telomerase theory
Laštůvková, Viktorie ; Tlapáková, Tereza (advisor) ; Hanus, Robert (referee)
Cell senescence is an irreversible state in which the cell cycle ends. The cell remains metabolically active, but its physiological functions are limited. Cell cycle arrest is a response to the action of a number of factors, most of which affect the secondary structure of DNA in various ways and cause damage to it. Other initiators of cell entry into the senescent state are oncogenes and chemotherapeutics. One of the best studied factors, which is also in a way the "fairest", is the shortening of the telomere. Telomeres are non-coding regions of DNA at the chromosome ends that shorten slightly with each division of the cell. If the cell does not have mechanisms to compensate for this loss, the Hayflick limit is reached after a certain time. In general, senescence can be considered as a protective mechanism to prevent DNA damage pathologies. However, the presence of senescent cells in tissues is often ambivalent, accumulates with age, and can cause many degenerative diseases. The senescent phenotype includes a wide range of signs such as changes in cell size and shape, increased granularity, or altered range of expressed genes. A significant phenomenon of senescent cells is the secretion of biologically active factors contributing to physiological or pathological changes in the organism. Key words:...
Maintenance of chromosomes integrity in Giardia intestinails as a model organism.
Uzlíková, Magdalena ; Nohýnková, Eva (advisor) ; Lalle, Marco (referee) ; Stejskal, František (referee)
Giardia intestinalis is a protozoan causing diarrhea worldwide. Beside its medical importance, it is evolutionary distant protist with two nuclei within a cell adapted for parasitic life in the environment poor of oxygen. Its genome is small and compact in term of gene content and size. It is therefore an attractive model organism for studies of minimal requirements for cellular processes. Present work brings new partial information on different levels of chromosome integrity maintenance of this parasite. Our study presents characteristics of chromosome termini and their protection. We localized telomeres during all stages of the trophozoite cell cycle and determined the length of Giardia telomeres ranging from 0.5 to 2.5 kb, we proved an existence of an active telomerase enzyme synthesizing telomeric repeats in in this parasite, despite the fact that giardial telomerase is structurally divergent. Present data support the view that the chromosomal termini in Giardia are maintained in a conservative manner that is common to other eukaryotes. We described effects of commonly used drug for treatment of anaerobic infections, metronidazole, on DNA and cell cycle progression in susceptible and resistant cell lines. Incubation of cells with this drug causes phosphorylation of histone H2A in cell nuclei...
Změny v telomerázové aktivitě u dlouhověké zimní generace dělnic včely medonosné (\kur{Apis mellifera})
BREJCHA, Miloslav
Telomerase activity was compared between the long-lived winter generation and the short-lived summer generation of Apis mellifera workers. Transcription levels of endocrine signaling determinants associated with aging were compared between these generations. Effects of photoperiod and egg laying rate on the telomerase activity of the winter generation of honey bee workers were tested.
Physiological basis of extended longevity in termite kings and queens - is activation of telomerase mechanism linked with extended longevity of termites?
Pangrácová, Marie ; Hanus, Robert (advisor) ; Kodrík, Dalibor (referee)
- Extended longevity and high fecundity are two phenomena typical for reproductive castes (queens, eventually kings) of eusocial insects. In my thesis, we explore the hypothesis that the longevity of reproductives in the termite Prorhinotermes simplex is linked with the activation of the telomerase enzyme complex. Telomerase is well known for its life-extension functions, due especially to its capacity to prolong the telomeric ends of chromosomes. Therefore, we studied here the gene expression of: (1) the gene TERT coding for the catalytic subunit of the telomerase and (2) the genes of the main endocrine regulatory pathways, known to be responsible for the control of reproduction and longevity in insects. Expression dynamics of these genes were measured in sterile and reproductive castes of P. simplex during their development and sexual maturation. Based on our results obtained from the TERT expression analyses and their comparison with telomerase enzyme activities, we assume that the telomerase action in the long-lived reproductive individuals is regulated at a post-transcription level. Furthermore, we observed in reproductive castes a simultaneous upregulation of some transcription variants of vitellogenin and the genes for insulin signalling pathways. We can, therefore, conclude that in...
Aktivita telomerázy u termita \kur{Prorhinotermes simplex}
JEHLÍK, Tomáš
Social insect is known for its unique caste system, coherence and effective division of labor, but also for the extreme longevity of reproductive individuals in comparison with asexual castes. Although mechanisms leading to lifespan differences between reproductive and non-reproductive castes of social insects are not sufficiently explained, one of the longevity determinants might be telomere length and activity of telomerase as the most common mechanism of telomere length maintenance. Telomere length belongs to general indicators of organismal lifespan. This work is focused on monitoring of telomerase activity in various stages, castes and organs of the termite Prorhinotermes simplex (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) showing up-regulation of telomerase in reproductive castes.
Alternativní telomerické kompenzační mechanismy jako způsob adaptace telomer vůči stresovým podmínkám v průběhu evoluce hmyzu
KRŮČEK, Tomáš
Telomeres are special nucleoprotein structures at the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes. Because of incomplete DNA replication telomere length becomes shorter with each cell cycle. Several mechanisms of telomere maintenance have been identified. Although the most common mechanism is the activity of telomerase that synthesizes short telomeric sequences onto chromosome ends, telomere length might be elongated by alternative ways such as the retrotransposition of special telomeric mobile elements targeted to chromosome ends, found in Drosophila, and homologous recombination. Homologous recombination extends satelite sequences in some dipteran species and also serves in vertebrates as the alternative mechanism to telomerase. The (TTAGG)n sequence was designated as the insect telomeric sequence. Although the (TTAGG)n sequence was found at telomeres of most of the tested insect orders in previous studies, there are numerous insect species showing the (TTAGG)n absence. Diptera is the large insect order, which shows the lost of the (TTAGG)n sequence together with telomerase system and its replacement by the transposition of telomeric elements in Drosophila or homologous recombination in mosquitoes or midges. The (TTAGG)n sequence was reported as telomeric sequence in most insect orders, however, the (TTAGG) specific telomerase activity was not tested in these orders.Therefore, I first speculated that non-telomerase systems in insects may not be limited only to Diptera and the presence of non-telomerase systems in insect might be underestimated. When I tested a distribution of the TTAGG-specific telomerase activity I confirmed that the telomerase system is the most comon telomere length compensation mechanism in insect, however, it is not present in Zygentoma, Orthoptera and Phasmida, which are insect orders with a previously reported presence of the (TTAGG)n telomeric motif. Data of the thesis showed that the activity of telomeric retrolements at Drosophila is up-regulated by mild-levels of free radical species, enhancing telomere extension. The role of non-telomerase mechanisms to overcome stress conditions during evolution of insect telomeres is hypothesized.

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