Adaptation of host receptor system to optimal detection of infection-related structures is one of the key evolutionary challenges of immunity in host-pathogen interactions. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are genetically variable molecules of vertebrate innate immunity that recognise danger signals, e.g. pathogenic molecules. Examination of genetic variation in TLRs may reveal mechanisms of host immunity adaptation to pathogenic pressure at molecular level. Trans-species polymorphism (TSP) is a phenomenon which assumes that several identical alleles or allelic lineages are inherited from ascendant to descendant species and these may be subsequently maintained over a long period of time in a polymorphic state. Whereas in adaptive immune genes the concept of TSP is well understood, little is presently known about TSP in innate immune genes such as TLRs. In this thesis I describe genetic polymorphism in functionally-relevant regions of TLR4 and TLR5 in 192 individuals representing 20 species Paridae family (tits, chickadees and titmice). These two receptors bind mainly bacterial ligands (TLR4 detects lipopolysaccharide and TLR5 detects flagellin), being among the first ones to trigger immune response to bacterial pathogens. To differentiate presumed TSP from gene flow among species, intron sequences of six...
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:nusl.cz/oai:invenio.nusl.cz:411457 |
| Date | January 2016 |
| Creators | Těšický, Martin |
| Contributors | Vinkler, Michal, Štefka, Jan |
| Source Sets | Czech ETDs |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | info:eu-repo/semantics/masterThesis |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess |
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