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Effect of endosymbionts on composition and properties of Trichomonas vaginalis exosomes
Zdrha, Alois ; Tachezy, Jan (advisor) ; Černý, Jan (referee)
Trichomonas vaginalis is a parasite of the human reproductive tract and the causative agent of trichomoniasis, the most spread non-viral sexually transmitted disease. Although trichomoniasis usually has mild symptoms, it can lead to serious adverse effects. The course of the disease is influenced by the host immune system, microbiome and virulence of the parasite. Importantly, the virulence of T. vaginalis is extremely variable, and it depends on secreted and surface molecules. Among these are proteases and adhesins, which can be secreted as part of the secretome or through extracellular vesicles (EVs). Further potential virulence factors are the endosymbionts of T. vaginalis: Trichomonas vaginalis virus (TVV) and Mycoplasma hominis. Although extensively studied, no consensus on whether TVV exacerbates trichomoniasis has been reached. The aim of this thesis is to analyse the effect of TVV on the protein and RNA exosomal cargo and to assess the cytokines induced by exosomes of TVV-positive T. vaginalis. Key words endosymbionts, dsRNA virus, TVV, exosome, parasite, Trichomonas vaginalis, bioinfor- matics
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Prokaryotic symbionts of protists living in the intestine of wood eating cockroaches and termites
Kubánková, Aneta ; Hampl, Vladimír (advisor) ; Rotterová, Johana (referee)
Termites and wood-eating cockroaches are worldwide successful especially because of their ability to digest lignocellulose efficiently. After a long period of coevolution a complex ecosystem of diverse microorganisms was established in their hindgut. A lot of lineages of flagellates live solely within this unique environment and it is impossible to cultivate them in vitro. As termites are unable to survive without their eukaryotic endosymbionts, also protists are strongly linked to prokaryotes colonizing their cytoplasm and cytoplasmic membrane. Numerous phyla of bacteria participate in nitrogen fixation and efficient nitrogen utilization, synthesis of amino acids, cofactors and vitamines. Some of them take part in the degradation of lignocellulose. Representatives of another domain of prokaryotes, Archea, are important in the final stages of lignocellulose fermentation, because they utilize the produced hydrogen gas in a process of methanogenesis. Large part of our knowledge about the composition and function of the termite gut biota was acquired thanks to metagenomic studies.
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Origins of bacterial endosymbionts in arthropods
CHRUDIMSKÝ, Tomáš
Current bioinformatic methods such as molecular phylogenetics and phylogenomics provide us with good insight to symbiont evolution. Though modern science evolves rapidly, accelerates speed of acquiring novel discoveries and improves their quality, there is still endless row of questions waiting to be answered. This thesis focuses on origins of symbiosis between insects and Enterobacteria, and the mechanisms promoting association of bacteria with arthropods. The main emphasis is put on the secondary symbionts of the genus Sodalis (Enterobacteriaceae) and the pathogenic Anaplasma phagocytophilum (Anaplasmataceae) that seems to be undergoing first steps to become hereditary mutualist.
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