Principles of Bacterial Virulence - MB140P35

• Title: Principles of Bacterial Virulence
• Czech title: Principy bakteriální virulence
• Guaranteed by: Department of Genetics and Microbiology (31-140)
• Faculty: Faculty of Science
• Actual: from 2024
• Semester: winter
• E-Credits: 3
• Examination process: winter s.:
• Hours per week, examination: winter s.:2/0, Ex [HT]
• Capacity: unlimited
• Min. number of students: unlimited
• 4EU+: no
• Virtual mobility / capacity: no
• State of the course: taught
• Language: English
• Level: specialized
• Guarantor: RNDr. Ondřej Černý, Ph.D.

Annotation

English

Last update: Mgr. Hana Marková (28.03.2024)

The Principles of Bacterial Virulence course is designed for MSc or PhD students seeking a deeper
understanding of how pathogenic bacteria interact with their host. The course is taught in English. The course
focuses on the evolutionary pressures driving bacterial lifestyle, mechanisms that allow pathogenic bacteria to
overcome colonisation barriers, and immune processes that protect the host from bacterial invasion. Treatment
and protection methods, including vaccines, and research approaches to study the bacterial virulence are also
covered. The main objective of the course is to understand the variety of mechanisms used by pathogenic
bacteria in colonising and spreading between their hosts.

Czech

Last update: Mgr. Hana Marková (28.03.2024)

Kurz Principy bakteriální virulence je určen pro studenty magisterského nebo doktorského studia se zájmem o
hlubší porozumění interakce patogenních bakterií s jejich hostitelem. Tento kurz se vyučuje v anglickém jazyce.
Kurz se zaměřuje na evoluční tlaky, které řídí bakteriální životní styl, mechanizmy, které umožňují patogenním
bakteriím překonat kolonizačních bariéry, a také imunitní procesy, které chrání hostitele před bakteriálními
patogeny. Jsou zahrnuty i metody léčby a ochrany, včetně vakcín, a výzkumné přístupy ke studiu bakteriální
virulence. Hlavním cílem tohoto kurzu je porozumět rozmanitosti mechanizmů používaných patogenními bakteriemi
při kolonizaci a šíření mezi hostiteli.

Syllabus

Last update: Mgr. Hana Marková (29.04.2024)

Introduction (Lecture 01) (OČ)

• infectious diseases and pathogens; taxonomy (relatedness vs similarity); definition of basic terms; Koch's postulates and molecular Koch's postulates

• facultative/obligatory/opportunistic pathogen; reservoirs and vectors; host species

• definition of virulence; principles of action and category of virulence factors

Evolution of bacterial pathogens (Lecture 02) (OČ)

• evolutionary pressures; horizontal genetic transfer; evolution of virulence factors

Ecology of bacterial pathogens within the host organism (Lectures 03 and 04) (JK)

• regulation of gene expression of bacterial pathogens; detection of host clues; quorum sensing; metabolites

• interaction with the local microflora; bacteriocins and T6SS; acquisition of nutrients and essential metals

Routes of entry, modes of transmission and host defense (Lectures 05 and 06) (OČ)

• what determines how the pathogen is transmitted; direct/indirect transmission mechanisms

• barrier immune processes; innate (non-specific) immunity; complement; pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) and damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), pasive protective mechanisms enabling bacteria to overcome innate immunity

Pathogenicity and virulence from the perspective of the pathogen (Lectures 07 and 08) (JK)

• extracellular/intracellular pathogens and vacuolar/cytosolic pathogens

• secretion systems and cell biology of bacterial effector proteins and toxins; subversion and exploitation of host cell processes, active protective mechanisms enabling bacteria to overcome innate immunity

Methods of treatment (Lecture 09) (OČ)

• antibiotics and methods of increasing sensitivity to antiobiotics; inhibitors; new possible targets; phage therapy; sensitive/tolerant/resistant/persistent pathogen vs persistent disease

Control and prevention (Lectures 10 - OČ - and 11 - JK)

• adaptive (specific) immunity; vaccines as tool for modulation of host response and protection from infection (OČ)

• mechanisms of escape from the adaptive immune system, antigenic and phase variation, escape mutations (JK)

Research systems (Lecture 12) (JK)

• experimental systems for host-pathogen interaction studies; state-of-the-art methodology