Recent studies show that host switching is much more frequent than originally believed and constitutes an important driver in evolution of host-parasite associations. However, its frequency and ecological mechanisms at the population level have been rarely investigated. We address this issue by analyzing phylogeny and population genetics of an extensive sample, from a broad geographic area, for commonly occurring parasites of the genus Eimeria within the abundant rodent genera Apodemus, Microtus and Myodes, using two molecular markers. At the most basal level, we demonstrate polyphyletic arrangement, i.e. multiple origin, of the rodent-specific clusters within the Eimeria phylogeny, and strong genetic/phylogenetic structure within these lineages determined at least partially by specificities to different host groups. However, a novel and the most important observation is a repeated occurrence of host switches among closely related genetic lineages which may become rapidly fixed. Within the studied model, this phenomenon applies particularly to the switches between the eimerians from Apodemus flavicollis/Apodemus sylvaticus and Apodemus agrarius groups. We show that genetic differentiation and isolation between A. flavicollis/A. sylvaticus and A. agrarius faunas is a secondary recent event and does not reflect host-parasite coevolutionary history. Rather, it provides an example of rapid ecology-based differentiation in the parasite population.

• Klíčová slova
• Coevolution, Ecological fitting, Host specificity, Host switching, Parasite, Rodent,
• MeSH
• biodiverzita * MeSH
• časové faktory MeSH
• Coccidia klasifikace   genetika   fyziologie   MeSH
• fylogeneze MeSH
• haplotypy genetika   MeSH
• hostitelská specificita * MeSH
• interakce hostitele a parazita * genetika   MeSH
• Murinae parazitologie   MeSH
• populační genetika MeSH
• zeměpis MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH

HU protein is a member of nucleoid-associated proteins (NAPs) and is an important regulator of bacterial virulence, pathogenesis and survival. NAPs are mainly DNA structuring proteins that influence several molecular processes by binding the DNA. HU´s indispensable role in DNA-related processes in bacteria was described. HU protein is a necessary bacterial transcription factor and is considered to be a virulence determinant as well. Less is known about its direct role in host-pathogen interactions. The latest studies suggest that HU protein may be secreted outside bacteria and be a part of the extracellular matrix. Moreover, HU protein can be internalized in a host cell after bacterial infection. Its role in the host cell is not well described and further studies are extremely needed. Existing results suggest the involvement of HU protein in host cell immune response modulation in bacterial favor, which can help pathogens resist host defense mechanisms. A better understanding of the HU protein's role in the host cell will help to effective treatment development.

• Klíčová slova
• HU protein, bacterial secretion, histone-like protein, host-pathogen interaction, nucleoid-associated protein, virulence,
• MeSH
• bakteriální proteiny * genetika   MeSH
• DNA bakterií metabolismus   MeSH
• DNA vazebné proteiny * metabolismus   MeSH
• DNA chemie   MeSH
• faktory virulence MeSH
• interakce hostitele a patogenu MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• přehledy MeSH
• Názvy látek
• bakteriální proteiny * MeSH
• DNA bakterií MeSH
• DNA vazebné proteiny * MeSH
• DNA MeSH
• faktory virulence MeSH

Parasitic helminths are destined to share niches with a variety of microbiota that inevitably influence their interaction with the host. To modulate the microbiome for their benefit and defend against pathogenic isolates, helminths have developed host defense peptides (HDPs) and proteins as integral elements of their immunity. These often exert a relatively nonspecific membranolytic activity toward bacteria, sometimes with limited or no toxicity toward host cells. With a few exceptions, such as nematode cecropin-like peptides and antibacterial factors (ABFs), helminthic HDPs are largely underexplored. This review scrutinizes current knowledge on the repertoire of such peptides in helminths and promotes their research as potential leads for an anti-infective solution to the burgeoning problem of antibiotic resistance.

• Klíčová slova
• antimicrobial peptides, helminths, host defense peptides, immunity, microbiome,
• MeSH
• Bacteria MeSH
• cizopasní červi * MeSH
• kationické antimikrobiální peptidy MeSH
• paraziti * MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• přehledy MeSH
• Názvy látek
• kationické antimikrobiální peptidy MeSH

Bordetella pertussis is the causative agent of whooping cough in humans, a disease that has recently experienced a resurgence. In contrast, Bordetella bronchiseptica infects the respiratory tract of various mammalian species, causing a range of symptoms from asymptomatic chronic carriage to acute illness. Both pathogens utilize type III secretion system (T3SS) to deliver the effector protein BteA into host cells. Once injected, BteA triggers a cascade of events leading to caspase 1-independent necrosis through a mechanism that remains incompletely understood. We demonstrate that BteA-induced cell death is characterized by the fragmentation of the cellular endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria, the formation of necrotic balloon-like protrusions, and plasma membrane permeabilization. Importantly, genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 screen targeting 19,050 genes failed to identify any host factors required for BteA cytotoxicity, suggesting that BteA does not require a single nonessential host factor for its cytotoxicity. We further reveal that BteA triggers a rapid and sustained influx of calcium ions, which is associated with organelle fragmentation and plasma membrane permeabilization. The sustained elevation of cytosolic Ca2+ levels results in mitochondrial calcium overload, mitochondrial swelling, cristolysis, and loss of mitochondrial membrane potential. Inhibition of calcium channels with 2-APB delays both the Ca2+ influx and BteA-induced cell death. Our findings indicate that BteA exploits essential host processes and/or redundant pathways to disrupt calcium homeostasis and mitochondrial function, ultimately leading to host cell death.IMPORTANCEThe respiratory pathogens Bordetella pertussis and Bordetella bronchiseptica exhibit cytotoxicity toward a variety of mammalian cells, which depends on the type III secretion effector BteA. Moreover, the increased virulence of B. bronchiseptica is associated with enhanced expression of T3SS and BteA. However, the molecular mechanism underlying BteA cytotoxicity is elusive. In this study, we performed a CRISPR-Cas9 screen, revealing that BteA-induced cell death depends on essential or redundant host processes. Additionally, we demonstrate that BteA disrupts calcium homeostasis, which leads to mitochondrial dysfunction and cell death. These findings contribute to closing the gap in our understanding of the signaling cascades targeted by BteA.

• Klíčová slova
• Bordetella, calcium homeostasis, effector protein BteA, host cell death mechanism, type III secretion system (T3SS),
• MeSH
• bakteriální proteiny * metabolismus   genetika   MeSH
• Bordetella bronchiseptica genetika   metabolismus   účinky léků   MeSH
• Bordetella pertussis genetika   patogenita   metabolismus   účinky léků   MeSH
• buněčná smrt * účinky léků   MeSH
• endoplazmatické retikulum metabolismus   účinky léků   MeSH
• homeostáza * MeSH
• interakce hostitele a patogenu MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mitochondrie metabolismus   účinky léků   MeSH
• sekreční systém typu III metabolismus   genetika   MeSH
• vápník * metabolismus   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• bakteriální proteiny * MeSH
• sekreční systém typu III MeSH
• vápník * MeSH

Outer membrane vesicles (OMVs), nanoparticles released by Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), have been identified as novel efficient virulence tools of these pathogens. STEC O157 OMVs carry a cocktail of virulence factors including Shiga toxin 2a (Stx2a), cytolethal distending toxin V (CdtV), EHEC hemolysin, flagellin, and lipopolysaccharide. OMVs are taken up by human intestinal epithelial and microvascular endothelial cells, the major targets during STEC infection, and deliver the virulence factors into host cells. There the toxins separate from OMVs and are trafficked via different pathways to their target compartments, i.e., the cytosol (Stx2a-A subunit), nucleus (CdtV-B subunit), and mitochondria (EHEC hemolysin). This leads to a toxin-specific host cell injury and ultimately apoptotic cell death. Besides their cytotoxic effects, STEC OMVs trigger an inflammatory response via their lipopolysaccharide and flagellin components. In this chapter, we describe methods for the isolation and purification of STEC OMVs, for the detection of OMV-associated virulence factors, and for the analysis of OMV interactions with host cells including OMV cellular uptake and intracellular trafficking of OMVs and OMV-delivered toxins.

• Klíčová slova
• Confocal laser scanning microscopy, Flow cytometry, Host cell interactions, Immunogold labeling, OMVs, Outer membrane vesicles, STEC, Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli, Transmission electron microscopy, Virulence cargo, Western blot,
• MeSH
• bakteriální toxiny metabolismus   MeSH
• endoteliální buňky metabolismus   mikrobiologie   patologie   MeSH
• Escherichia coli O157 * metabolismus   patogenita   MeSH
• faktory virulence metabolismus   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mikropartikule metabolismus   MeSH
• shiga toxin 2 metabolismus   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• bakteriální toxiny MeSH
• cytolethal distending toxin MeSH Prohlížeč
• faktory virulence MeSH
• shiga toxin 2 MeSH

Parasites alter their host behaviour and vice versa as a result of mutual adaptations in the evolutionary arms race. One of these adaptations involves changes in host thermoregulation, which has the potential to harm the parasite and thereby act as a defence mechanism. We used a model of the brown trout (Salmo trutta) experimentally parasitised with glochidia ectoparasitic larvae from the endangered freshwater pearl mussel (Margaritifera margaritifera) to reveal whether parasitisation alters fish behavioural thermoregulation. A study using radiotelemetry temperature sensors was performed during almost one year of the M. margaritifera parasitic stage. Glochidia-infested S. trutta altered their thermoregulation through active searching for habitats with different thermal regimes. The general preference for temperatures in infested fish varied and was either above or below the temperature preferred by uninfested individuals. Infested fish also preferred different temperatures across localities, whereas uninfested fish maintained their thermal preference no matter which stream they inhabited. Glochidia further induced the expression of a behavioural syndrome among S. trutta personality traits, suggesting that it might increase the probability that the fish host would occur in the glochidia temperature optimum. Our findings present the first evidence that thermoregulation plays a fundamental role in the relationship of affiliated mussels and their fish hosts. Incorporating thermoregulation as a factor in the study of this relationship can help to interpret results from previous behavioural studies, as well as to optimise management measures related to endangered mussels.

• Klíčová slova
• Behavioural fever, Freshwater pearl mussel, Host–parasite interaction, Telemetry, Thermoregulation,
• MeSH
• aklimatizace MeSH
• interakce hostitele a parazita MeSH
• larva růst a vývoj   fyziologie   MeSH
• mlži růst a vývoj   fyziologie   MeSH
• nemoci ryb parazitologie   MeSH
• pstruh * MeSH
• termoregulace * MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH

Pathogens possess the ability to adapt and survive in some host species but not in others-an ecological trait known as host tropism. Transmitted through ticks and carried mainly by mammals and birds, the Lyme disease (LD) bacterium is a well-suited model to study such tropism. Three main causative agents of LD, Borrelia burgdorferi, B. afzelii, and B. garinii, vary in host ranges through mechanisms eluding characterization. By feeding ticks infected with different Borrelia species, utilizing feeding chambers and live mice and quail, we found species-level differences in bacterial transmission. These differences localize on the tick blood meal, and specifically complement, a defense in vertebrate blood, and a polymorphic bacterial protein, CspA, which inactivates complement by binding to a host complement inhibitor, Factor H (FH). CspA selectively confers bacterial transmission to vertebrates that produce FH capable of allele-specific recognition. CspA is the only member of the Pfam54 gene family to exhibit host-specific FH-binding. Phylogenetic analyses revealed convergent evolution as the driver of such uniqueness, and that FH-binding likely emerged during the last glacial maximum. Our results identify a determinant of host tropism in Lyme disease infection, thus defining an evolutionary mechanism that shapes host-pathogen associations.

• MeSH
• bakteriální proteiny genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• biologická evoluce MeSH
• Borrelia burgdorferi genetika   růst a vývoj   imunologie   MeSH
• druhová specificita MeSH
• imunitní únik fyziologie   MeSH
• interakce hostitele a patogenu fyziologie   MeSH
• klíšťata MeSH
• komplement - faktor H metabolismus   MeSH
• křepelky a křepelovití MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• lymeská nemoc imunologie   přenos   MeSH
• myši MeSH
• tropismus virů fyziologie   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• myši MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural MeSH
• Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. MeSH
• Názvy látek
• bakteriální proteiny MeSH
• cold shock protein CS7.4, Bacteria MeSH Prohlížeč
• komplement - faktor H MeSH

Host-pathogen interactions are complex associations which evolve over long co-evolutionary histories. Pathogens exhibit different mechanisms to gain advantage over their host. Mimicry of host factors is an influential tool in subverting host mechanisms to ensure pathogenesis. This chapter discusses such molecular mimicry exhibited during viral infections. Understanding the evolutionary relationships, shared identity and functional impact of the virus encoded mimics is critical. With a particular emphasis on viral mimics and their association with cancer and autoimmune diseases, this chapter highlights the importance of molecular mimicry in virus biology.

• Klíčová slova
• Autoimmune diseases, Cancer, Host-pathogen interaction, Infectious diseases, Virus,
• MeSH
• autoimunitní nemoci metabolismus   virologie   imunologie   MeSH
• endokrinní systém metabolismus   MeSH
• interakce hostitele a patogenu MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• molekulární mimikry * MeSH
• nádory metabolismus   virologie   MeSH
• virové nemoci metabolismus   virologie   imunologie   MeSH
• viry metabolismus   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• přehledy MeSH

Closely related host species share similar symbionts, but the effects of host genetic admixture and environmental conditions on these communities remain largely unknown. We investigated the influence of host genetic admixture and environmental factors on the intestinal prokaryotic and eukaryotic communities (fungi, parasites) of two house mouse subspecies (Mus musculus domesticus and M. m. musculus) and their hybrids in two settings: (i) wild-caught mice from the European hybrid zone and (ii) wild-derived inbred mice in a controlled laboratory environment before and during a community perturbation (infection). In wild-caught mice, environmental factors strongly predicted the overall microbiome composition. Subspecies' genetic distance significantly influenced the overall microbiome composition, and each component (bacteria, parasites and fungi). While hybridization had a weak effect, it significantly impacted fungal composition. We observed similar patterns in wild-derived mice, where genetic distances and hybridization influenced microbiome composition, with fungi being more stable to infection-induced perturbations than other microbiome components. Subspecies' genetic distance has a stronger and consistent effect across microbiome components than differences in expected heterozygosity among hybrids, suggesting that host divergence and host filtering play a key role in microbiome divergence, influenced by environmental factors. Our findings offer new insights into the eco-evolutionary processes shaping host-microbiome interactions.

• Klíčová slova
• host–microbiome interactions, hybridization, microbiome, spatial environment, species barriers,
• MeSH
• biologická evoluce MeSH
• hybridizace genetická * MeSH
• interakce mikroorganismu a hostitele MeSH
• mikrobiota MeSH
• myši MeSH
• střevní mikroflóra MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• myši MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

Factors that drive parasite specificity and differences in infection dynamics among alternative host species are important for ecology and evolution of host-parasite interactions, but still often poorly known in natural systems. Here, we investigated spatiotemporal dynamics of infection, host susceptibility and parasite-induced changes in host phenotype in a rarely explored host-parasite system, the Australapatemon sp. trematode infecting two sympatric species of freshwater leeches, Erpobdella octoculata and Helobdella stagnalis. We show significant variation in infection abundance between the host species in both space and time. Using experimental infections, we also show that most of this variation likely comes from interspecific differences in exposure rather than susceptibility. Moreover, we demonstrate that the hiding behaviour of E. octoculata, but not that of H. stagnalis, was impaired by the infection irrespective of the parasite abundance. This may increase susceptibility of E. octoculata to predation by the final avian host. We conclude that differences in patterns of infection and in behavioural alterations among alternative sympatric host species may arise in narrow spatial scales, which emphasises the importance of local infection and transmission dynamics for parasite life cycles.

• Klíčová slova
• Digenea, Trematoda, complex life cycle, host manipulation, host–parasite relationship, spatiotemporal variation, specificity,
• MeSH
• druhová specificita MeSH
• interakce hostitele a parazita * MeSH
• pijavice parazitologie   MeSH
• sympatrie MeSH
• Trematoda fyziologie   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• zvláštnosti životní historie * MeSH
• Check Tag
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH