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
Note: enabled for web enrollment
Guarantor: RNDr. Ondřej Černý, Ph.D.
Teacher(s): RNDr. Ondřej Černý, Ph.D.
RNDr. Mgr. Jana Kamanová, Ph.D.
Opinion survey results   Examination dates   WS schedule   
Annotation -
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.
Last update: Marková Hana, RNDr., Ph.D. (28.03.2024)
Literature -

KUDVA, Indira T.; CORNICK, Nancy A.; PLUMMER, Paul J.; ZHANG, Qijing; NICHOLSON, Tracy L. et al. (ed.). Virulence mechanisms of bacterial pathogens. 5th edition. Washington, DC: ASM Press, [2016]. ISBN 9781555819286.

Prezetations in PDF format at Moodle.

Scientific articles.

Last update: Černý Ondřej, RNDr., Ph.D. (06.10.2024)
Requirements to the exam -
Students will be evaluated on the basis of a written test and oral presentation. Source: lectures, presentations, scientific articles.
Last update: Černý Ondřej, RNDr., Ph.D. (06.10.2024)
Syllabus -

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

Last update: Marková Hana, RNDr., Ph.D. (29.04.2024)