Exam 4 Flashcards
A single microbe causes
a particular disease
Symbiosis
an association of two or more different species of organisms
- organisms living together
- at least one benefits from relationship
- other may be injured, relatively unaffected, may also benefit
When microbe interacts with a larger organism:
- microbe =
- larger organism =
symbiont, host
T / F: the term symbiosis is restricted to mutually beneficial relationships
F
T / F: a disease can have multiple microbial causes
T
Ectosymbiont
organism located on surface of another organism
Example of ectosymbiosis
bacteria on skin
Endosymbiont
organism located within another organism
Endosymbiosis example
bacteria in gut
Consortium
hosts that have more than one associated symbiont
Types of microbial interactions (7)
mutualism, cooperation, commensalism, predation, parasitism, amensalism, competition
Microbial interactions/relationships can be
intermittent, cyclic or permanent
Mutualism
- reciprocal benefit to both partners
- relationship with some degree of obligation (typically cannot live separately)
- mutualist and host are codependent on each other
An example of mutualism between organisms supports the idea of
coevolution
Ruminants
animals (like cattle, sheep) that have a stomach with four compartments
Rumen
upper part of the ruminant stomach
Cooperation
relationship that benefits both organisms
- not an obligatory relationship (organisms could live independently)
Cooperation typically involves
- syntrophic relationships
- linked carbon and nitrogen/sulfur cycles
Commensalism
- similar to cooperation but it is unidirectional
- one organism benefits, other is not affected
- often syntrophic
- commensal can live separated from host
Commensal lives off
metabolic byproducts of host
An organism changing an environment, making it more suitable for another is an example of
commensalism
Formation of multispecies biofilms is an example of
commensalism
Predation
- one organism gains (predator) and the other is harmed (prey)
- predator usually kills prey
- predatory can attack from inside or outside
Parasitism
- one organism gains (parasite) and the other is harmed (host)
- typically, host is not killed (until parasite can reproduce)
T / F: parasitism is between commensalism and predation
T
There is always some degree of ____ in a parasitic relationship
co-existence
Successful parasites have evolved to
co-exist in equilibrium with their hosts
Hallmark of parasitic relationship
- not beneficial for host
- host grows better without parasite
Ammensalism
association between two organisms where one organism is inhibited (harmed) and other is unaffected
Antibiosis
- specific type of ammensalism
- based on release of a specific compound
Example of ammensalism
antibiotic production by fungi and bacteria (antibiosis)
Competition
occurs when two organisms try to acquire or use the same resource
Two possible outcomes of competition
- one organism dominates
- two organisms share the resource
What organism learned how to use antibiotics before humans?
ants
Microbiome/microbiota
all of the microbes living in/on the human body
___ : ___ ratio of bacteria to human cells
1 : 1
___ : ____ ratio of nucleated cells
10 : 1
Metagenome
all the genes of the host and microbiota
Human microbiome (numerical value)
1,000,000+ genes
Human genome (numerical value)
23,000 genes
Superorganisms
- the gene-encoded metabolic processes of the host become integrated with those of the symbiont
- a blend of host and microbial traits where host and microbial cells co-metabolize various substrates, resulting in unique products
Microbiota varies depending on
- anatomical site
- age
- sex
- diet
Human microbiota begins at
birth
- unborn baby is sterile, inoculated during birthing process
What can disrupt the human microbiota?
antibiotic treatment, returns to “normal” after antibiotics are removed
Consortium
when microbiome becomes reasonably stable
Normal microbiota interaction with humans
mutualism
Normal microbiota often prevent
colonization by pathogens
Opportunistic pathogens
- under certain circumstances, the normal microbiota can become pathogenic
- compromised host
- debilitated host with lowered resistance to infection
T / F: microbiota can be considered part of the immune system
T
Pathogen
any disease-producing microorganism
Dysbiosis
a change in the microbiome, can result in health risks/illness
Pathogenicity
ability to produce pathological change or disease
In order to cause disease pathogens must
- get inside the host
- survive inside the host
Immunology
science concerned with immune responses
Immune system composition
composed of widely distributed molecules, cells, tissues, and organs
Immune system function
recognizes foreign substances (or microbes) and acts to neutralize or destroy them
Immunity
ability of host to resist a particular disease or infection
Innate immune system, specific or non specific?
non specific
Adaptive immune system, specific or non specific?
specific
Innate immune system: speed
- very fast response
- components always present
Innate immune system: specificity
- not very specific
- active against a wide variety of infectious agents
Innate immune system: memory
- no memory
- not enhanced upon repeated contact with pathogen
Adaptive immune system: speed
- response is slow
- components must be made
Adaptive immune system: specificity
- very specific
- active against a narrow range of infectious agents
Adaptive immune system: memory
- retains memory of invading pathogen
- response is enhanced upon repeated contact with pathogen
Innate immunity first line of defense
- barriers (skin, mucus membranes)
Innate immunity second line of defense
- antimicrobial peptides
- complement
- cytokines
- inflammation
- phagocytes
- NK cells
Adaptive immunity specific defense mechanisms (third line of defense)
- antibodies
- lymphocytes
- B cells
- T cells
Examples of excretions that keep microbes out
mucous, tears, wax, skin oils
T / F: skin is a highly effective barrier
T
T / F: innate and adaptive are completely separate systems
F
First and second line of defense are specific or non specific?
non specific
Skin
- strong mechanical barrier to microbial invasion
- inhospitable environment for most microbes
What characteristics of skin make it inhospitable for most microbes?
- dry, acidic environment
- dead, keratinized cells
- sloughing of surface cells
- toxic lipids, lysozyme
- normal microbiota
Common areas with mucous membranes/secretion
- mouth
- eyes
- ears
- nares (nose)
- respiratory tract
- gastrointestinal tract
- urogenital tract
- anus
Common antimicrobial substances in mucous
- lysozyme
- RNAse enzymes
- lactoferrin
Lysozyme
hydrolyzes bond connecting sugars in peptidoglycan
^ disintegrates cell wall
RNAse enzymes
degrade RNA (found in tears!)
Lactoferrin
sequesters iron
^ most bacterial pathogens need iron, lactoferrins “hide it,” bacteria cannot get what they need
Two components of innate immune system
- chemical (humoral)
- cellular
Chemical (humoral) component of innate immune system
- antimicrobial peptides
- complement
- cytokines
Cellular component of innate immune system
- phagocytes
- natural killer cells
Antimicrobial peptides
small peptides ( ~ 12-50 amino acids) that have antimicrobial activity
Amphipathic
have hydrophobic and hydrophilic regions
Most antimicrobial activities function by
inserting into membrane
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are abundant in
- external mucosa (eyes, genitourinary, skin, lung, trachea, mouth)
- immune cells (neutrophils)
- intestinal tract (duodenum)
The complement system
- heat sensitive component of serum (human blood)
- complement antibodies in the killing of bacteria
- complex system of > 30 serum proteins
Major activities of the complement system
- directly kill bacteria
- opsonizing bacteria
Membrane attack complex (MAC)
5 different complement proteins combine to form this
- C5b, C6, C7, C8 and C9
Opsonization
a process in which the surface of a microbe is coated with a substance called opsonin
What is special about opsonized microbes?
they are much more easily recognized and destroyed by phagocytic cells
Two types of opsonins
- complement protein C3b
- antibodies
Opsonization by antibodies or complement _____ affinity of phagocytes for microbe
increases
Opsonization by antibodies and complement further ____ binding and phagocytosis
increases
Cytokines
- soluble proteins or glycoproteins
- signaling molecules released by one cells population that act as intercellular mediators
Opsonized with antibodies degree of binding
+
Opsonized with complement C3b degree of binding
++
Opsonized with antibody and complement C3b
+++
One primary function of cytokines is to
induce inflammation
The inflammatory response
response of host tissues to damage or infection
The inflammatory response purpose
to recruit components of the immune system to the site of damage/infection
Cytokine signaling makes the tissue
- leaky to fluid (influx of plasma; containing antibodies, complement, etc.)
- sticky for leukocytes, leading to influx of neutrophils (pus)
Phagocytosis
process by which phagocytic cells recognize, ingest, and kill extracellular microbes
Two mechanisms for recognition of microbe by phagocyte
- opsonin-dependent recognition
- opsonin-independent recognition
Phagocytosis is greatly increased by
opsonization
Opsonin-independent mechanism is based on
detection of conserved microbial molecular structures that occur in patterns
Pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs)
- molecule/polymer found on surface of microbe but not host
- LPS of Gram (-) bacteria
- peptidoglycan / teichoic acids of Gram (+) bacteria
PAMPs are recognized by _______ on ____ cells
PRRs, phagocytic
One class of PRRs important in fighting infection are
toll-like receptors (TLRs)
TLRs
recognize and bind unique PAMPs of virus, bacteria, or fungi
Binding of TLRs and PAMPs
triggers a signal within the host cell which initiates the host response, resulting in phagocytosis
Once bound, microbes can be internalized into a
phaogsome
Phagosome fuses with a lysosome to become a
phagolysosome
Exocytosis
process used by neutrophils to expel microbial fragments after they have been digested
Phagolysosome fuses with ____, resulting in
cell membrane, extracellular release of microbial fragments
Macrophages and dendritic cells undergo process called
antigen presentation
Antigen presentation
links innate immunity with adaptive immunity
Cells of the immune system are collectively known as
leukocytes
Leukocytes
white blood cells
Phagocytic cells
- monocytes
- macrophages
- dendritic cells
- neutrophils
Natural killer cells (NK)
small population of lymphocytes
NK cells play an important role in
innate immunity
NK cells kill what type of cells?
cells infected with pathogens
NK cells release
cytotoxic enzymes (granzymes)
NK cells play an important role in
innate immunity
Normal cells express a membrane protein called
class 1 major histocompatibility complex (MHC class 1)
Two ways NK cells recognize infected cells
- NK cell encounters a host cell without MHC-1, releases granzymes and kills cells
- ADCC (antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity): antibodies bind to antigens on surface of infected host cells, NK cells bind to antibodies, kill infected cell
Antigens
substances that elicit an immune response
T / F: antigens cannot be large or complex molecules
F
Epitopes
antigenic determinant sites
Antibody affinity
strength with which antibody binds to its antigen at a given antigen-binding site
Antibody or immunoglobulin
large glycoprotein made by B lymphocytes
Where are antibodies found in the body?
found free in the body
Antibodies function
recognize and bind specific antigen
Immunoglobulin structure
4 polypeptide chains
- 2 heavy chains
- 2 identical light chains
- chains connected by disulfide binds
2 different regions in immunoglobulin chains
- constant regions
- variable regions
5 main modes of transmission
- airborne
- contact (direct or indirect)
- vehicle (food, water)
- vector borne (arthropod [insects], zoonotic [animal])
- vertical
Example of indirect contact transmission
needle/syringe, contaminated public surface
Dust particles are an important route of ______ transmission
airborne
Airborne transmission: pathogen suspended in air and travels less than or equal to ____
1 meter
Droplet nuclei
- usually propelled from respiratory tract of source organisms by sneezing, coughing, or vocalization
- can travel long distances
- smaller droplets can remain suspended
- small particles (1-4 micro m diameter)
COVID-19 is the ___ name
disease/syndrome
SARS-CoV-2 is the name of the ______
virus
SARS-CoV-2 genome is approximately _________ nt long
30,000
SARS-CoV-2 genome structure
- 4 structural genes it encodes
- 16 NSPs (non-structural proteins)
- 9 accessory factors
Influenza (the flu)
disease
Influenza is caused by
influenza virus
Influenza virus
- RNA virus; segmented genome
- 3 groups (A, B, C)
- family Orthomyxoviridae
Total genome size of influenza virus
12,000-15,000 nts
___ segments of RNA (-) in influenza virus
8
____ genes/proteins in influenza virus
11
Flu virus structure
- enveloped virus
- 2 viral proteins in the envelope (hemagglutinin [HA], neuraminidase [NA])
Influenza virus viral replication
- HA attaches to host sialic acid receptors
- receptor mediate endocytosis
- HA undergoes conformational change
- releases nucleocapsid into cytoplasm
- viral replication, transcription and assembly of new virions
- release by budding
- NA protein cleaves receptors, releasing new virions
- NA inhibitor, Tamiflu
Rarest flu type
C
____ different types of HA
16
____ different types of NA
9
Antigenic drift
accumulation of mutations in a strain within a geographic area
- nucleotide/amino acid changes
Antigenic shift
re-assortment of genomes (8 RNAs)
- two different strains of flu viruses infect the same cell and are incorporated into a single new capsid
Arboviruses
viruses transmitted by bloodsucking arthropods from one vertebrate host to another
An important feature of the influenza viruses is the
frequency with which changes in antigenicity occur
Arboviruses multiplication
multiply in tissues of vector without producing disease
T / F: arboviruses typically have vaccines
F
Contact transmission
coming together or touching of source/reservoir and host
Direct contact
physical interaction between source/reservoir and host
Indirect contact
involves an intermediate (usually inanimate)
AIDS is caused by
HIV
T / F: (technically) HIV does not kill
T
AIDS leads to
infection by opportunistic pathogens
HIV is a(n) RNA, protein or DNA virus?
RNA
Zika virus is special because
it is an Arbovirus and a vertical transfer disease