|
|
Sexual dimorphism in the mouse olfactory system
Kuntová, Barbora ; Stopka, Pavel (advisor) ; Havlíček, Jan (referee) ; Žídek, Lukáš (referee)
Sexually dimorphic behaviour of the house mouse (Mus musculus musculus) relies on various physical and chemical cues, however, chemical signals are the most essential cues for individual recognition and in causing various priming effects on reproductive behaviour of the receiver. House mice belong to macrosmatic mammals, and thus, their sense of smell is highly developed and is able to recognize a wide spectrum of ligands from other individuals and from their surrounding environment. Volatile signals belong to organic compounds that are produced by most tissues, and may have harmfull effects on cells, and thus they are transported out of the body with lipocalin transporters where some of them may function as signals. These volatile signals are able to stimulate chemosensory neuronal receptors, and thus, yield particular responses in neural circuits. The ligand sensing has a differential effect upon males and females, however, it has not been shown yet in wild mice whether these differences are also caused by the variation in receptors and neural processing, or rather by differential expression of signals typical for each sex. The aim of this thesis was to perform comparative analysis of orofacial mucosal tissues to determine the specificity of expression of particular lipocalins. For the first time...
|
|
|
Regulation of triglyceride metabolism in circulation in postprandial phase.
Zemánková, Kateřina ; Kovář, Jan (advisor) ; Kazdová, Ludmila (referee) ; Zlatohlávek, Lukáš (referee)
Increased triglyceride (TG) concentration has been generally accepted as a risk factor for ischemic heart disease and, therefore, lowering TG is therapeutic target that should reduce cardiovascular disease risk. Traditionally, concentration of TG is measured in the fasting state (8-12 hours after an overnight fasting) mainly because the rise in TG levels after meal leads to the high variation in TG values. However, human beings spend larger portion of the day in a postprandial state and postprandial hypertriglyceridemia may then play a substantial role in determination of cardiovascular disease risk. The increased and prolonged postprandial lipemia has been found in patients with coronary heart disease. Moreover, recent data from Copenhagen Heart Study point out that the non-fasting TG concentration is associated with cardiovascular disease risk more tightly than the fasting TG concentration. Importantly, concentration of non-fasting TG is substantially affected by individual behavioural habits such as diet composition and physical activity. It remains to be determined whether it would be appropriate to identify individuals at higher risk of cardiovascular disease due to increased postprandial TG using tolerance test analogous to glucose tolerance test. The protocol of standardized fat tolerance...
|
|
|
Identification of key regulators of gene expression in mammalian oocyte and embryo
Jansová, Denisa ; Šušor, Andrej (advisor) ; Gahurová, Lenka (referee) ; Lin, Chih-Jen Lance (referee)
Mammalian oocyte is a highly differentiated cell which gives rise to an embryo after fertilization. Importantly, fully-grown oocytes become transcriptionally inactive at the end of the growth phase. During following stages of development, i. e. meiotic maturation of the oocyte and early embryonic development, only transcripts previously synthesized and stored are used. The tight correlation between mRNA distribution and subsequent protein localization and function provides a mechanism of spatial and temporal regulation of gene expression used by various cell types. However, not much is known about mRNA localization and translation in the mammalian oocyte and early embryo. The aim of my thesis was to determine the localization of transcripts and components of translational machinery in the mammalian oocyte and embryo and to uncover the mechanisms of spatiotemporal regulation of translation as a prerequisite for correct oocyte and embryo development. We have shown that nuclei of both mouse and human oocytes contain RNA molecules and RNA binding proteins. Following the nuclear envelope breakdown (NEBD), translational hot-spots occur in the area surrounding the nuclear region. We suppose that mRNAs previously retained in the nucleus are released to the cytoplasm during NEBD and their subsequent...
|
|
|
Discursive Transformation during the Czech Catholic Exile in Italy 1962-1969
Blažek, Ondřej ; Šebek, Jaroslav (advisor) ; Šmíd, Marek (referee) ; Jonová, Jitka (referee)
This thesis deals with events during the Czech Catholic exile in Italy with a focus on the 1960's. It provides a closer look at the institutional and discursive changes that took place at the time of the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) and the subsequent stay of Cardinal Josef Beran in Rome (1965-1969). The work focuses mainly on the development of the publishing house Christian Academy, the Velehrad Center and the Nepomucenum Papal College where the leading figures of Czech Catholic exile, mostly priests, worked. By using the method of historical discourse analysis the work studies how the pro-conciliary orientation which defined itself in opposition towards conservative tendency in the Church became increasingly predominant in the exile environment. Last but not least, the work also shows how the form of Catholic exile discourse in Italy was influenced by the changing relationship between papal diplomacy and Communist Czechoslovakia.
|
|
|
The Theological and Comparative Religious Aspects of the Scholarly Dispute ,,Babel-Bibel"
Sýkorová, Jitka ; Charvát, Petr (advisor) ; Nosek, Bedřich (referee) ; Bándy, Juraj (referee)
This dissertation thematically belongs to the field of "History of Science and Scholarly Knowledge" with significant reach to theology and exegesis. It concerns the dispute of whether the annunciated text of the Old Testament was in all respects original or if it in some respects followed the traditions of ancient Near Eastern civilizations, particularly the Sumero-Akkadian one. The purpose of this thesis is to introduce the fundamental information on the "Babel-Bibel" dispute to the Czech scholarly community for the very first time. The dissertation includes an analysis of the course and consequences of the dispute as well as a discussion of the impact of Oriental scholarship on Old Testament exegesis.
|
|
|
Dynamics of carbon and phosphorus flows in arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis
Konvalinková, Tereza ; Jansa, Jan (advisor) ; Baláž, Milan (referee) ; Kolaříková, Zuzana (referee)
Dynamics of carbon and phosphorus flows in arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis Mgr. Tereza Konvalinková (doctoral thesis) Abstract Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are widespread and highly specialized root symbionts, which gain all of their carbon (C) from the hosts, supplying plants with mineral nutrients (particularly with phosphorus, P) in return. This thesis focuses on the size and flexibility of C and P flows in arbuscular mycorrhiza in relation to environmental conditions, in particular to light and P availability. The indications that the symbiotic flows are regulated actively by both partners are discussed. The main findings are presented as a compilation of separate scientific works (two research articles, one review and one book section). A glasshouse experiment has shown that both mycorrhizal benefits and mycorrhizal colonization of medic (Medicago truncatula) by an AMF species (R. irregularis) decline along the gradient of decreasing light intensity. Interestingly, morphological adaptation of medic to the long-term light deprivation was boosted by mycorrhiza, probably because of C demand of AMF and due to the improved nutrition of the mycorrhizal plants. On the other hand, sudden 6-day shading caused rapid decline of shoot P content of mycorrhizal plants, accompanied with the accumulation of P...
|
|
|
Path of Czechoslovakia from Support of Zionism to Anti-Zionist Position (1947-1957)
Habermann, Tomáš ; Charvátová, Kateřina (advisor) ; Galandauer, Jan (referee) ; Pejčoch, Ivo (referee)
The theme of this thesis is attitude of the Communist Party and Czechoslovak totalitarian regime to Zionism in 1947-1957. The main aim of the archive research was to map gradual change of the communist regime from its position of the supporter of Zionism to that one of convinced anti-Zionism (nearly to anti-Semitism). Support of Zionism was primarily presented by help to the nascent state of Israel in 1947-1949. The evidence is given by the role of Czechoslovakia at meetings of the United Nations General Assembly in 1947 and its role as a member of United Nations Special Committee on Palestine. Furthermore, supplies of military equipment to Israel, diplomatic support, demographic support and training of Jewish brigade in Czechoslovak territory in 1948. Gradual change to anti-Zionist position at the end of 1940s and beginning of 1950s is illustrated with complicated negotiations on economic cooperation and with interfering of the regime in running of Jewish religious communities and Zionist organisations. During the first half of 1950s the support turned into downright opposition and lead in a diplomatic quarrel caused by the Slánský trial which had definitely anti-Semitic and anti-Zionist dimension. Utterly anti-Zionist position of the regime is also supported with further politically motivated trials -...
|
|
|
Gamma-Tubulin forms and functions in microtubule organization and beyond
Kourová, Hana ; Binarová, Pavla (advisor) ; Šolc, Petr (referee) ; Bíšová, Kateřina (referee)
Microtubules are highly dynamic structures forming complex arrays changing accordingly to cellular requirements. In most eukaryotes, microtubules are nucleated from defined organizing centres like centrosomes or spindle pole bodies. Despite conservation of the major cytoskeletal components in plants and animals, plant cells lack centrosome-like structures and have evolved a unique mechanism to control microtubule assembly and organization. γ-Tubulin is an essential component of microtubule organizing centres, highly conserved in all eukaryotes with a prominent role in microtubule nucleation. However, growing body of evidence suggests γ-tubulin as a multifunctional protein. Next to microtubule nucleation, γ-tubulin controls microtubule plus-end dynamics, regulates gene expression, associates with DNA repair proteins and is implemented in mitotic and cell cycle regulation. We focused on γ-tubulin complexes and aimed to characterize interactors of γ-tubulin and their function in Arabidopsis. Next to characterizing microtubule dependent functions, we analyzed cell cycle and division. We also studied DNA damage response and involvement of E2F/RBR (retinoblastoma related) pathway and possible link to γ-tubulin. We characterized NodGS protein as a novel interactor of γ-tubulin in Arabidopsis and proposed...
|
|
|
Chemical signals and reproductive processes of the house mouse (Mus musculus)
Černá, Martina ; Stopka, Pavel (advisor) ; Petr, Jaroslav (referee) ; Sedláček, Radislav (referee)
The aim of my thesis was to identify proteins involved in chemical communication and especially those that are involved in sexual signalling. Volatile chemical signals are transported with lipocalins in their beta-barrel structure to present their ligands to receptors or out of the body. Thus, I focused on the identification of these proteins in saliva and vaginal secretion of the house mouse using proteomic and transcriptomic approaches. Due to a cyclic manner of reproduction and its hormonal control, I have also focused on the role of estradiol on sperm phenotype in the laboratory mouse. We have identified an elevated sexual dimorphism in several lipocalins (i.e. 10 out of 20) in the saliva proteome where they may play a role in sexual signalling (i.e. similar to their described roles in the mouse urine). Interestingly, vaginal secretion also contains lipocalins and they rise from proestrus to estrus and remain steady during metestrus. Such variation provides evidence that they serve sexual signalling, however, due to their elevated levels during metestrus it is most likely that their ligands function as signals and not the proteins themselves. On the level of sperm phenotype, we have provided evidence, that experimental concentrations of estradiol have differential effects on sperm. This is due...
|
|
|
Effects of microbiota on defense system of earthworms
Dvořák, Jiří ; Bilej, Martin (advisor) ; Kopečný, Jan (referee) ; Horák, Petr (referee)
Earthworms are important soil invertebrate organisms that participate in nutrient cycling in terrestrial ecosystems and in the formation of the soil profile from the physical, chemical and also microbial point of view. Soils are considered the most microbially diverse environments on earth. All invertebrates living in soil therefore need to possess a complex immune system. Earthworms are used as a model organism in immunology for decades. Their simple body plan consists of two main body cavities: true coelom and digestive tube. Both coelomic cavity and digestive tract represent open systems with permanent contact with soil microorganisms. Eisenia andrei species is used as a standard immunological model in our laboratory for many years. E andrei earthworms live in compost, microbially abundant environment, which is reflected in their well-developed immune system. Some new mechanisms of E. andrei defense system are described in this work. Two novel pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), Toll-like receptor (TLR) and lipopolysaccharide binding protein/bactericidal permeability-increasing protein (LBP/BPI) were characterized in earthworms. These molecules are expressed in coelomocytes and their production is upregulated after microbial challenge. Moreover, both receptors were detected in digestive tract...
|
guest ::
RSS feed.