Bi8250c Developmental and Comparative Immunology - practical course

Faculty of Science
Spring 2024
Extent and Intensity
0/2/0. 2 credit(s) (plus extra credits for completion). Type of Completion: z (credit).
Teacher(s)
doc. RNDr. Pavel Hyršl, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
Mgr. Pavel Dobeš, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
Guaranteed by
doc. RNDr. Pavel Hyršl, Ph.D.
Department of Experimental Biology – Biology Section – Faculty of Science
Contact Person: doc. RNDr. Pavel Hyršl, Ph.D.
Supplier department: Department of Experimental Biology – Biology Section – Faculty of Science
Timetable
Mon 19. 2. to Sun 26. 5. Thu 12:00–13:50 D36/215
Prerequisites (in Czech)
Bi5220 Immunology
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
The capacity limit for the course is 12 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 9/12, only registered: 0/12, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/12
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The aim of this course is to introduce the evolution of animal immune system using practical examples and to describe the differences between systematic groups, mostly between invertebrates and vertebrates. Highlighted is comparison of animal immune mechanisms with human immune system.
Learning outcomes
At the end of this course, students should be able to: understand and be able to explain differences in immune system between main animal groups using practical examples; compare immune system of invertebrates and vertebrates.
Syllabus
  • 1. Insect immunity – hemocytes, specific staining of G. mellonella hemocytes: acridine orange (granulocytes), adhesion of plasmatocytes after calcium ions treatment, D. melanogaster hemocytes marked by RFP and GFP, circulation/sessile hemocytes, fotodocumentation.
  • 2. Insect immunity – nodulation of injected bacteria and parasite encapsulation, hemolymph coagulation, melanisation in wound site, fotodocumentation.
  • 3. Entomopathogenic nematode and their symbiotic bacteria, microscopy of nematodes and bacteria labelled by GFP, infection development, bacteria and cadavers bioluminescence measured by luminometry, fotodocumentation.
  • 4. Insect infection model - entomopathogenic nematodes + G. melonella a D. melanogaster, luminometric measurement of hemolymph antibacterial activity.
  • 5. Entomopathogenic fungi – Beauveria sp., insect host infection, cultivation on artificial media, microscopy.
  • 6. Genetics of D. melanogaster – Actin Gal4 system of gene expression, driver and responder line crossing, mutant line BcImd, larval and imago markers of Drosophila.
  • 7. + 8. Drosophila RNAi lines – experiment with immune gene cnockdown, proof of increasing sensitivity to bacterial infection.
  • 9. Fish immunity – blood collection, blood smears – microscopy, luminometric complement activity determination, classical and alternative pathway, comparison with other methods – erythrocyte hemolysis, determination of C3 part.
  • 10. Bird immunity – blood collection, luminometric determination of oxidative burst with luminophor Pholasin, proof of MPO missing in bird heterophils.
  • 11. + 12. Acrylamide elctrophoresis of hemolymph/plasma proteins with silver staining, comparison of insect hemolymph, fish, birds and human plasma samples.
Literature
  • Comparative immunology. info
  • Turner R. J.: Immunology: A Comparative Approach, John Wiley & Sons Inc. 1994.
  • BECKAGE, N. E. Insect immunology. 1st ed. Amsterdam: Elsevier, 2008, 348 s. ISBN 9780123739766. info
  • CRUSE, Julius M. and Robert Edwin LEWIS. Illustrated dictionary of immunology. Boca Raton: CRC Press, 1994, 327 s.,6. ISBN 084934557X. info
Teaching methods
practical courses, study materials available on IS
Assessment methods
Credits are granted for attendance on practical courses (with possibility of two excuse miss outs), submitting protocols and final written test. Evaluation by the teacher, 50% of correct answers is needed to pass.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
Information on course enrolment limitations: Na předmět se vztahuje povinnost registrace, bez registrace může být znemožněn zápis předmětu!
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2023, Spring 2025.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2024, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/sci/spring2024/Bi8250c