Both during the ovogenesis and immediately after the laying is a bird egg exposed to strong pressure from the microorganisms which are able to penetrate the egg through eggshell pores and infect its inner structures. With regard to the proved negative effects on hatchability, viability and phenotype of offspring, a cascade of obstacles has evolved which are able to minimize the risk of bacterial infection. The deposition of antimicrobial components into the eggshell and the egg white is considered to be one of them. A whole group of egg white proteins belong to them, among which lysozyme and ovotransferrin, which are also partially deposited into the eggshell and cuticular layer of the eggshell, dominate with their antimicrobial effect. The implication of the newest studies is that the microbial protection of the egg can be also performed by the eggshell pigments - biliverdin and protoporphyrin, which protect the egg from being colonized by microorganisms with an increased UV light and regulation of conductivity and water vapour condensation on the egg surface. Even though the presence of these antimicrobial components in different structures of the egg has been proved, there is no known comparative study which addresses the relation between deposition of selected antimicrobial components into...

Shigella flexneri verursacht im Verlauf der Infektion eine massive Enzündungsreaktion sowie Schädigung des humanen Darmepithels. Neutrophile sind die ersten Zellen des angeborenen Immunsystems, welche den Infektionsherd infiltrieren. Diese Zellen greifen Mikroorganismen mittels Phagozytose, Neutrophiler extrazellulärer Fallen (Neutrophil Extracellular Traps, NETs) oder Degranulierung an. In dieser Arbeit haben wir untersucht, wie die Degranulierung von Neutrophilen die Virulenz von Shigellen beeinflußt und konnten zeigen, dass die Exposition von Shigellen mit Proteinen aus den Granula von Neutrophilen die Invasion in Epithelzellen stark erhöht. Während dieser Exposition binden kationische Proteine der Granula an die Oberfläche von Shigella und bewirken eine verstärkte Adhesion, welche dann schließlich zu “Hyperinvasion” führt. Dieser Effekt wird durch Änderungen der Oberflächenladung bewirkt, da eine Lipopolysaccharid (LPS) Mutante mit negativer Oberflächenladung eine zusätzliche erhöhte Hyperinvasion im Vergleich zu Wildtyp Shigellen zeigt. Zusätzlich zur Hyperinvasion bewirkt die Infektion von Epithelzellen mit Shigellen, die mit Granula Proteinen in Kontakt gekommenen sind, eine Verminderung der IL-8 Sekretion. Dieses Zytokin bewirkt eine starke Rekrutierung von Neutrophilen. Daher stellen wir die Hypothese auf, dass Shigella in der Lage ist, antimikrobielle Proteine des Wirtes zur Erhöhung seiner Virulenz durch Hyperinvasion zu verwenden sowie eine weitere Rekrutierung von Neutrophilen durch Inhibition der IL-8 Sekretion zu verhindern. Somit unterwandert Shigella das angeborenen Immunsystem und nutzt dessen Angriff zu seinem Vorteil. / Shigella flexneri is an enteric pathogen that causes massive inflammation and destruction of the human intestinal epithelium. Neutrophils are the first cells of the innate immune system recruited to the site of infection. These cells can attack microbes by phagocytosis, Neutrophil Extracellular Trap (NET) formation and degranulation. Here, we investigated how neutrophil degranulation affects virulence and show that exposure of Shigella to granular proteins enhances infection of epithelial cells. During this process, cationic granular proteins bind to the Shigella surface causing increased adhesion which ultimately leads to hyperinvasion. This effect is mediated by changes in the surface charge, since a lipopolysaccharide (LPS) mutant with a negative surface shows enhanced hyperinvasion compared to wild-type Shigella. In addition, infection with Shigella exposed to granular proteins leads to the inhibition of secretion of the neutrophil attracting cytokine IL-8. We propose that Shigella uses host defense molecules to enhance its virulence by increased infection of its host cells and reduced recruitment of neutrophils after hyperinvasion through inhibition of IL-8 secretion. With this Shigella subverts the innate immune system and uses its attack for its own benefit.

Microorganisms are considered to be crucial selective factor affecting reproductive success of birds. It is hypothesized that egg-white antimicrobial proteins and incubation behavior are the most important defense mechanisms that eliminates the risk of microbial trans-shell infection. The latest studies supposed that incubation temperatures may significantly affect the antimicrobial activity of egg white proteins. The concentration of egg white antimicrobial proteins as well as incubation patterns differ among altricial and precocial species of birds. However, experimental study testing the effect of incubation temperature on the antimicrobial potential of antimicrobial egg white proteins in altricial and precocial birds is missing. In this study we tested in manipulative experiment the effect of partial and full incubation, the concentration of lysozyme and ovotransferrin and their interactions on the antimicrobial activity of egg whites of two model species - Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) and home pigeon (Columba livia). Antimicrobial protein activity was determined by the agar well diffusion method against two Gram-positive bacteria - Bacillus subtilis and Micrococcus luteus that have been documented as pathogenic egg-white invaders of several birds. Moreover, we analyzed the effect of...