Eukaryotic mikrobiology and protistology












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            * Eukaryotic mikrobiology and protistology
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            The research is focused on unicellular eukaryotes (protists) and covers three main directi

            parasitic and free?living protists, research on phototrophic organisms, and research on ye

            The first topic includes the study of organisms at the level of diversity, evolution and e

            obligate anaerobic protists. Studied include both free?living organisms occurring in fresh
            anoxic sediments, symbionts as well as parasites of different groups of invertebrates and 
            including humans, who inhabit mainly gastrointestinal or genitourinary tract. Attention is

            to various types of symbiosis between anaerobic ciliates and prokaryotic organisms. Resear
            protists is mainly focused on free?living and parasitic protists of Euglenozoa group. For 

            protists, emphasis is given to evolution of secondary plastids in the group Euglenida. Stu
            protists of Kinetoplastida group are focused on leishmania, serious pathogens of humans an
            animals, and their development in vectors. We have defined the current view of interspecie

            Leishmania?vector relationship, demonstrated sexual multiplication of Leishmania in vector
            a unique method for determining the risk of infection using antibodies against the saliva 
            addition to laboratory experiments, we carry out field investigations in endemic areas of 

            At the subcellular level, we study evolution and function of semiautonomic organelles (mit
            plastids), particularly specific adaptations of these organelles in relation to the evolut
            and adaptation to anaerobic environments. Emphasis is given to investigations of the role 

            evolution and lateral gene transfer in transition of classical mitochondria to their anaer
            hydrogenosomes and mitosomes. The main findings include the discovery of complete loss of 
            specific lineage within Preaxostyla group. At the molecular level, we studied complete gen

            organisms, changes in transcriptomes under various environmental conditions, and proteomes
            subcellular structures.


            The second direction is concentrated on research of phylogenetic diversity of phototrophic
            eukaryotes. Using techniques of molecular phylogenetics, microscopy and metabolomics, the 
            with the mechanisms that generate and maintain diversity and structure of micro?algae comm

            nature. Part of this activity is the study of the molecular diversity of micro?algae habit
            aeric biofilms, microbentos). Parallel direction is also studying precipitation of inorgan
            and colloidal nanostructures in algal cells. The main model groups include flagellates of 

            diatoms and unicellular green algae.

            The most important result in the third direction of research is the finding that yeast col

            primitive multicellular organisms in which the cells differentiate and form specialized ce
            which mutually cooperate or compete. One of the studied subpopulations, which is long?live
            to metabolic stress, is markedly similar to cells of mammalian tumors. Specialized subpopu

            biofilm colonies are important for protection against external influences.




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            * Selected outputs

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            • Makki A., Rada P, Žárský V., Kereiche S., Kovacik L., Novotny M., Jores T., Rapaport D.,
              (2019): Triplet-pore structure of a highly divergent TOM complex of hydrogenosomes in Tr

              vaginalis. PLoS Biology. 17(1):e3000098. doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000098
            • Karnkowska A, Vacek V, Zubáčová Z, Treitli SC, Petrželková R, Eme L, Novák L, Žárský V, 
              Herman EK, Soukal P, Hroudová M, Doležal P, Stairs CW, Roger AJ, Eliáš M, Dacks JB, Vlče

              V. (2016): A Eukaryote without a mitochondrial organelle. Curr Biol. 2016 May 23;26(10):
              10.1016/j.cub.2016.03.053
            • Nguyen PV, Hlaváček O, Maršíková J, Váchová L, Palková Z. (2018) Cyc8p and Tup1p transcr

              regulators antagonistically regulate Flo11p expression and complexity of yeast colony bi
              Genet. 14(7):e1007495
            • Sumova P, Sima M, Spitzova T, Osman ME, Guimaraes-Costa AB, Oliveira F, Elnaiem DA, Hail

              A, Valenzuela JG, Volf P. (2018) Human antibody reaction against recombinant salivary pr
              Phlebotomus orientalis in Eastern Africa. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2018 Dec 4;12(12):e0006981