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The role of capsid protein in hepatitis B virus life cycle
Eliáš, Vratislav ; Weber, Jan (advisor) ; Drda Morávková, Alena (referee)
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) can cause either an acute or a chronic infection of hepatocytes, often leading to a hepatocellular carcinoma or a liver cirrhosis. HBV encodes seven proteins in its 3.2kb genome. Two of these proteins are transcribed from the same ORF (HBcAg and HBeAg). HBeAg, as a soluble variant of the core protein, plays a crucial role in virus immunogenicity. HBcAg, apart from building viral capsid, represents a pleiotropic protein engaging in multiple viral stages. Its primary structure is divided into two domains: an assembly domain and a C-terminal domain (CTD). The latter, containing four arginine clusters, is an important life cycle regulation element. By interaction with multiple viral and cellular factors, it directs the virus through a successful replication. In this thesis, we have collected the available data about the various roles of HBcAg in viral life cycle. We believe that further investigation of this field could lead to therapeutic advances resulting in the decrease of HBV infections worldwide, subsequently to a lower lethality connected with the diseases caused by HBV. Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)
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Innovative method of HIV/AIDS prevention in high schools
Peterková, Julie ; Drda Morávková, Alena (advisor) ; Španielová, Hana (referee)
A B S T R A C T Almost every day each of us can read or hear in the media a lot of distorted information concerning HIV or AIDS. Therefore it is necessary to have knowledge about the possible risks of HIV transmission and all ways the HIV can be transferred. These attitudes and preventive measures of knowledge should be developed in high school students who are experiencing very rapid physical and psychosocial growth. Sufficient amount of information available in the problem group of 15-24 year olds has a positive impact on their sexual behavior and thus on prevention. My research methods of knowledge about HIV were done in two schools, one is an eight-year high school, where 24 students of fifth year were questioned and second is a four- year high school, where 24 students of first year were questioned. I used a cross-sectional pre-test and post-test. Students of the fifth year were taken deeper into the problems through creation of posters on topics connected with the problem of HIV. The aim of my research is to develop proposals for the scientific conference, which will be lead by the students and will be accompanied by the created images (posters). This is a non-violent way of repeating the HIV prevention. Creating a pre-test and post-test to determine the extent of knowledge gained after completing the...
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Expression analysis of new follicullar B cell populations characterized by absence of CD27 molecule and down-modulation of CD38 molecule.
Kerdíková, Zuzana ; Růžičková, Šárka (advisor) ; Drda Morávková, Alena (referee)
Two novel B cell populations were characterized in peripheral blood of patients with common variable immunodeficiency and healthy controls were observed using flow cytometry in the study supported by the grant IGA MZ ČR NKT11414-3. These B cell populations were defined as CD19+ CD27- CD21+ CD38low CD24+ IgM+ FO I and CD19+ CD27- CD21+ CD38low CD24++ IgM++ cells. Since none of found populations has ever been described, the aim of this thesis was to characterize these populations with focus on analysis of variable regions of the heavy chains of immunoglobulins and genes coding proteins participating in the process of VHDHJH formation (Rag 1, Rag 2, and TdT) produced by cells of these populations. Flow cytometry, single cell sorting, single-cell RT-PCR, IgVH, Rag 1, Rag 2, and TdT specific PCR amplification and cycle sequencing were employed to perform the molecular analysis in individual B lymphocytes. Both populations in two patients with common variable immunodeficiency, two healthy controls, and in two patients with autoimmune diseases - rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus (as the disease control) - were examined. Finally, the statistical analysis was used to evaluate the differences in expression of variable regions of the heavy chains of immunoglobulins and in Rag1 and 2, and...
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Research of protective immunity on patients after transplantation.
Pelák, Ondřej ; Kalina, Tomáš (advisor) ; Drda Morávková, Alena (referee)
Depletion of immune functions in patients after hematopoetic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) results in higher frekvencies of several types of oportunistic infections. Especially the reactivation of human cytomegalovirus (CMV) may cause life-threating infections and require antiviral treatment. Within this diploma thesis we compare the function signatures of CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells stimulated by CMV antigens, which were obtained from 63 pacients after HSCT. Polychromatic flow cytometry measurements of CD154 (CD40L), intracellular cytokines (INF-γ and IL-2) and marker of degranulation (CD107a) allowed us to determine the function status of various T-cells simultaneously. We have discovered, that dual production of INF-γ and IL-2 on CD8+ T-cells was present only in pacients controling their CMV reactivations, but was absent in noncontrolers. Single production of INF-γ on CD8+ T-cells was the most abundat subtype, but they most probably represent non-protective memory cells. We have further created two test of NK-cells functionality, one that aims on the detection of their degranulation ability and second, that detects cytotoxic capability of NK-cells. Key words: transplantation, hematopoetic stem cells, T-lymfocytes, immune system recovery, cytomegalovirus, INF-γ, IL-2
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Analysis of selected secondary structures of nucleic acids
Skružný, Petr ; Mokrejš, Martin (advisor) ; Drda Morávková, Alena (referee)
This work introduces a database of experimentally verified structures of nucleic acids which were collected from published scientific literature. The database is annotated and the structures are analysed from the perspective of quality and it was found that the experimentally obtained data are not always sufficient - their supporting evidence is often limited and their quality is not convincing. This work also discusses some of the problems, that can be encountered when the structures are experimentally probed. Contents of the database were compared to the RFAM database and despite of its small range it contains 80 new structures. The complete database of 166 structures can be possibly used to optimise software used to predict derived structures of nucleic acids. Furthermore, the work presents several possible ways of improvement of the quality of contained structures.
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Teaching Biotechnology at Secondary School
Ouřadová, Věra ; Čížková, Věra (advisor) ; Drda Morávková, Alena (referee)
Biotechnology accompanies human society from its distant past and certainly will have a major impact on its future. For this reason, young people should become familiar with biotechnology in matters of its nature, potential and risks, not only through the media, but also and particulary in context of school education. This work is dedicated to teaching of biotechnology at the secondary level, and its first objective is to characterise its current state. For this purpose an analysis of curriculum and textbooks of secondary level was performed and indicative survey of knowledge of biotechnology and attitudes towards it among students aged 14-19 years was conducted. The second goal is to propose a possible way of including biotechnology topics in education, firstly as a part of school curriculum, and furthermore through educational materials oriented on the practical work of students connected with active knowledge acquisition and shaping their attitude towards it.
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Seroprevalence of polyomaviruses in human
Blagoevová, Kateřina ; Drda Morávková, Alena (advisor) ; Kuthan, Martin (referee)
Human BK polyomavirus, also known as Polyomavirus hominis type 1, is a small animal tumorigenic virus. It penetrates into the host cell by caveolin-mediated endocytosis and then through the ER pathway to get into the nucleus where the virus replicates and expresses viral proteins. BKV primary infection typically occurs during childhood and id mostly asymptomatic, it is only occasionally accompanied by mild respiratory or urinary tract illnesses associated with viruria. After primary infection the virus occurs mainly in the kidney and urinary tract and in immunocompetent individuals remains in nonreplicative state. Healthy individuals have no health problems and it persists as a lifelong infection. In immunosuppressed individuals, particularly renal and bone marrow transplant patients, causing virurie, viremia, ureteral stenosis and serious nephropathy, this can lead to graft failure. The prevalence of this virus in the world is significant, scientific publications indicate that up to 80% of the human population has specific antibodies. Any small amounts of the virus prevalence reported in some publications are probably caused by using various sensitive detection methods and different types of samples.
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DNA - topic for biology or chemistry?
Andělová, Denisa ; Drda Morávková, Alena (advisor) ; Rajsiglová, Jiřina (referee)
This work is focused in teaching DNA. The aim is to determine whether the subject matter of the nucleic acids rather biological in nature, or rather the nature of thechemical. The work is concerned with explaining the concept of nucleic acid and its types and functions, as well as view into the history of teaching about DNA and analyzing the current situation in the CR and abroad. Finally, the opinions of teachers are devoted to assessing and evaluating the results of some studies.
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Activating methods and forms in teaching of natural science
Kolková, Jiřina ; Drda Morávková, Alena (advisor) ; Vašutová, Jaroslava (referee) ; Škoda, Jiří (referee)
The theme and scope of submitted thesis is "Activating methods and forms in teaching of natural sciences" then followed with regard to the author's certification in chemistry and biology. The thesis is solved in conformity with requirements of the Framework Educational Programme, especially the change of the teaching style in schools. The thesis is written down with respect of a natural continuation of previous work of the author - diploma thesis dealt with project teaching and rigorous thesis was focused on cooperative activities. With regard to the objectives of submitted work the design of the research project is divided into two component parts: a questionnaire survey and a video study.
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