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Evaluation of elastic parameters for models of isolated cells
Krbálek, Jaroslav ; Fuis, Vladimír (referee) ; Burša, Jiří (advisor)
This diploma thesis focuses on computational modeling of the cell mechanical tests. The goal of this thesis is to build a cell model and to simulate compression test on this model. If necessary, the model should be adjusted so the model reflects real cell behavior. It was created the cell model reflecting cytoplasm, nucleus, membrane and cell cytoskeleton. Cytoskeleton was modeled as tensegrity structure. After this, the pressure test was simulated on this model. The behavior of the cell model and real cell was compared using the stress force. The stress force - cell deformation curve was markedly different for the cell model and the real cell. For this reason, the cytoplasm material model was adjusted. The difference between the curves was acceptable after this modification. It was found during computations that the cytoskeleton model influence on the cell load is minimal. These results does not reflects real cell behavior, which means that the model is considered inadequate for performing stress load simulation.
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The role of ATM in breast cancer
Soukupová, Jana ; Pohlreich, Petr (advisor) ; Souček, Pavel (referee) ; Foretová, Lenka (referee)
Incidence of breast cancer is continuously increasing in the Czech Republic. Tumor development is a result of gene alterations'accumulation, particulary associated with genes involved in regulation of cell growth and division. Hereditary carcinomas account for approximately 5-10% of all breast tumors and in 60-80% cases are caused by a germline mutation in the major predisposition genes BRCA1 and BRCA2. Nevertheless, other genes, mostly of lower penetrance, may play a role in breast pathogenesis such as the ATM tumor-suppressor gene. ATM is the apex of the repair pathway of DSB. This protein kinase activates through phosphorylation of its substrates cell cycle checkpoints, which leads either to the delay of the cell cycle progression until DSB are repaired or to the promotion of apoptosis. To sum up, the ATM gene seems to have a role in breast cancer development in a minority of the high-risk families in our population which is significantly lower compared to BRCA1/2 and it also seems to be involved in pathogenesis of sporadic breast cancer. Despite the ATM gene's length, we do not perform the preventive screening of this gene in breast cancer high-risk families. Nevertheless, we offer the molecular diagnostics of ATM to ataxia telangiectasia patients.
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Emergent properties of the G1/S network
Dražková, Jana ; Tomášek, Petr (referee) ; Palumbo,, Pasquale (advisor)
Tato práce se zabývá buněčným cyklem kvasinky Saccgaromyces cerevisiae. Oblastí našeho zájmu je přechod mezi G1 a S fází, kde je naším cílem identifikovat velikosti buňky v době počátku DNA replikace. Nejprve se věnujeme nedávno publikovanému matematickému modelu, který popisuje mechanismy vedoucí k S fázi. Práce poskytuje detailní popis tohoto modelu, stejně jako časový průběh některých důležitých proteinů či jejich sloučenin. Dále se zabýváme pravděpodobnostním modelem aktivace replikačních počátků DNA. Nově uvažujeme vliv šíření DNA replikace mezi sousedícími počátky a analyzujeme jeho důsledky. Poskytujeme také senzitivní analýzu kritické velikosti buňky vzhledem ke konstantám popisujícím dynamiku reakcí v modelu G1/S přechodu.
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Computational modelling of mechanical tests of isolated cells
Sůkal, Petr ; Fuis, Vladimír (referee) ; Burša, Jiří (advisor)
The master’s thesis deals with computational modelling of mechanical testing of isolated cells, particularly of single-axle tensile test. The aim is to imitate the real deformed shape known from experiments. At first, the structure of each cell component is described and analyzed according to their significance for mechanical behavior. The outline of basic mechanical tests used for cell testing is discussed next. A structural computational model comprising all components significant for mechanical purposes is created for the modelling. Those components are nucleus, cytoplasm, cell membrane and cytoskeleton. Due to the problems with convergence the model was divided into two parts. The first one treats separately the shape of cytoskeleton and the second one treats the shape of communicating components (nucleus, cytoplasm and cell membrane). Both of those partial models succeed in reaching the deformations according to the experiments.
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Single cell expression analysis of genes with potential mrna gradient in mouse oocytes
Dorosh, Andriy ; Margaryan, Hasmik ; Vodička, Martin ; Ergang, Peter ; Šídová, Monika ; Dvořáková-Hortová, Kateřina
In frogs, there are clearly visible differently pigmented animal and vegetal poles of the egg determined before fertilization and leading to asymmetrical divisions. Mammalian egg does not show any comparable differentiation and it has been generally accepted that even the individual blastomeres in 2-cell and 4-cell embryos are homogenous. However, recent findings suggest that those blastomeres display different gene expression patterns and might already possess some inclinations to specific cell lineages. We therefore raised a question, whether there could be any mRNA or protein gradients in pre-fertilization oocytes similar to a previously described amphibian egg one. In mammalian eggs, there is a membrane region that is poor in microvilli, cortical granules are absent beneath plasma membrane and sperm cells generally do not bind to this location. This microvilli free region also covers the egg nucleus, and cytoskeleton localization differs markedly to the rest of the cortical space, forming actin –myosin II cortical cap/ring and is considered as animal pole. The purpose of this study was to determine gene products that can be detected at single cell level using qPCR and display gradient like distribution in mature oocytes. We checked expression of 12 selected genes in a pool of 10 oocytes and single mature oocytes. Then, we analysed gene expression in fixed intact oocytes and those undergoing laser capture microdissection procedure (LCMD). Eventually, we have determined six candidate genes for the study of intracellular spatial gene expression in mature mammalian oocytes by subcellular qPCR and in situ hybridization.
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Estrogen receptor beta (ERβ) in testicular cells and sperm
Dostálová, Pavla ; Žatecká, Eva ; Děd, Lukáš ; Dorosh, Andriy ; Postlerová, Pavla ; Jonáková, Věra ; Dvořáková-Hortová, Kateřina ; Pěknicová, Jana
Estrogen is a steroid hormone that plays an important role during sperm development in the male and female reproductive tract. Estrogen signalling is a complex process that depends on cell milieu and presence of receptors. Thanks to the steroid nature of estrogens, they can pass through the plasmatic membrane and bind to the intracellular estrogen receptors (ERs). Within the cell, there are several pools of ERs. One of them is localized to the cell nucleus and their activation leads to direct or indirect binding to DNA and ultimately to alternation in gene expression (genomic pathway). Other pools of ERs are associated with plasma membrane or are located in cytosol. Activation of membrane associated ERs leads to rapid non-genomic responses. Nowadays, two classical estrogen receptors are known – ERα and ERβ. Since ERβ is a predominant variant in testes, we focused our study on expression of ERβ variants in murine testes and sperm. We detected two variants of ERβ at mRNA level in both, testes and sperm. These variants differ in 54 nucleotids within the ligand binding domain and this variability results in different affinity to estrogen. We analyzed individual testicular cell types (spermatogonia, spermatocytes, spermatids, Sertoli cells) by RT-qPCR. Our results suggest that both ERβ variants are coexpressed in the same cell type and may therefore interact together. This may have consequences in mediating of estrogen signalling. Moreover, ERβ is expressed more in the later stages of spermatogenesis suggesting the role of ERβ in these stages or alternatively in spermatozoa alone. At the protein level, we detected ERβ in nuclear, membrane and cytosolic fraction prepared from testicular tissue suggesting the involvement of both, genomic and non-genomic, pathways of estrogen signaling in testes. In sperm, anti-ERβ antibodies localized ERβ in acrosome region and tail which is in accordance with the known role of estrogen on capacitation, acrosome reaction and motility.
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Účinky xenobiotik na oxidační stres, metabolizmus lipidů, integritu DNA a životaschopnost lidských buněk a rybích spermií in vitro
LINHARTOVÁ, Pavla
Pollution of the aquatic environment by inorganic and organic chemicals is a major factor posing a serious threat to the survival of aquatic organisms including fish. In addition balancing risks and benefits of fish consumption is nowadays an intensively discussed public health topic. Spermatozoa of almost all fish species are released into water environment where they can be directly exposed to various compounds, such as xenobiotics including toxic metals, prior to fertilization. In addition, exposure of parental adults to various xenobiotics may affect gamete quality, which may subsequently reduce fertilization success. On the other hand the advantages of eating fish are well-known, not only in the point that fish is a healthy source of protein and other nutrients, but eating contaminated fish may also confer various health benefits. Research over the past few decades has shown that the nutrients and particularly the n-3 fatty acids (FA) found in fish and seafood, are for examples protective against cardiac diseases and have a positive impact on brain development. The thesis provides a focus on two different cell model types. Firstly, human hepatocellular cells (Hep G2, ATCC) were used as in vitro tool for studying the effect of the intake of cadmium (Cd2+) contaminated fish on cytotoxicity, oxidative stress and fatty acid and phospholipid class compositions. Secondly, spermatozoa of one threatened species of fish, sterlet (Acipenser ruthenus) were used as in vitro model for studying effect of potentially hazardous xenobiotic compounds' occurring in open waters. Sperm from sterlet were exposed for 2h to environmentally relevant concentrations of DQ (0-150
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