Host Responses to Microbial Infection

Host Responses to Microbial Infection

Coordinators
Sérgio Raposo Filipe
Luís Jaime Mota

Objectives
This curricular unit will present details of the overall molecular and cellular response of a eukaryotic organism to a microbial infection. The main focus will be on the host responses to bacterial infection, but the responses to viruses, fungi and parasites will also be covered.
The students should be able to understand the different components of the innate and adaptive immune system, both of vertebrates and invertebrates. An additional objective of this curricular unit will be to present the overall plant response to eliminate invading microbes. This is directed related to a strong component of research on plant sciences at one of the proponent institutions.
After the completion of this curricular unit, the students should acquire the required competences to understand both the complexity of the defenses of the infected host organism and the mechanisms used by the different microbes to evade and/or resist these responses.

Syllabus
Mechanisms of induction of an immunological response in an infected host organism.
Introduction to the adaptive immune system (humoral and cell-mediated responses).
Introduction to the innate immune system (physical and chemical barriers, intracellular mechanisms leading to the expression and secretion of cytokines or apoptosis, the complement system, phagocytsis)
Description and comparison of the components of the immune system in different organisms
Overall responses triggered by a bacterium in mice models of infection.
Activation of the immune system in the fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) by a microbial infection. Regulation of the specificity of an immune response to an infection by Gram-positive or Gram-negative bacteria, fungi, viruses,
and parasites.
Introduction to the overall responses triggered in plants by a microbial infection.
Host tolerance to the activation of an immune response. Inhibition of an exacerbated activation in face of an invading agent.

Evaluation
Evaluation will have a written component (50%) and a component of continuous assessment (50%). For the written component, students will have to write a two-page proposal aiming to answer a scientific question related with the overall subject of the curricular unit. The continuous assessment will value the effort, presence and participation of the students in the lectures and problem solving/practical classes.

Main Bibliography

• The Immune Response to Infection by Stefan Kaufmann (Editor), Barry Rouse (Editor), David Sacks (Editor). American Society Microbiology (2010) 700 pages ISBN-10: 978-1-55581-514-1
• The Innate Immune Response to Infection by Stefan Kaufmann (Editor), Ruslan Medzhitov (Editor), Siamon Gordon (Editor). American Society Microbiology (2004) 482 pages ISBN-10: 978-1-55581-291-1
• Immunology of Infectious Diseases by Stefan Kaufmann (Editor), Alan Sher (Editor), Rafi Ahmed (Editor). American Society Microbiology (2002) 520 pages ISBN-10: 978-1-55581-514-1
• Cellular and Molecular Immunology by Abul K. Abbas, Andrew H. Lichtman, Shiv Pillai. Saunders Elsevier 6th edition (2007) 566 pages ISBN 978-1-4160-3122-2
• Cellular Microbiology by Pascale Cossart (Editor), Patrice Boquet (Editor), Staffan Normark (Editor), Rino Rappuoli (Editor), Steffan Normark (Author). American Society Microbiology 2nd ed (2004) 636 pages ISBN-10: 155581302X