Syllabus
Introduction to evolutionary thinking in immunology and biomedical research
Outline of the lecture
Evolution in diseases and its implications for biomedical research
Definition of basic terms in evolutionary biology, immunology, epidemiology and parasitology that are needed to begin
Brief recapitulation of basic evolutionary principles
Evolutionary forces posing on the parasite
Interaction of parasite with host population
Basics of epidemiology and disease ecology
Immune system as a complex system of protective layers
Immune system structure
Anti-parasite behaviour
Immune system s.str. (principles and mechanisms)
Brief phylogeny of immunological mechanisms
Strategies of immune defence
Specificity and adaptivity
Immunologically relevant variation in animal genomes
Sources and types of genetic variability
What can be learnt from individual molecular markers
Human genetic variability
Interspecific and intraspecific genetic variability
Variability in inbred strains
Somatic genetic variability
Variability in adaptive immunity
Cancer as a microevolutionary process
Host-parasite coevolution: Drift & selection
Heritability of immune function
Genetic drift
Parasite-mediated natural selection
Red queen model
Arms race
Conditions of host-parasite coevolution
Testing selection
Selection for loss
Coevolution within proteins and on distance
Evolutionary constraints
Host-parasite coevolution: Maintenance of variability in immune related genes
Polymorphism observed in immune-related genes
Parasite-mediated natural selection
Balancing selection and its types
Gene-for-gene model, Matching alleles model and a continuum between them
Qualitative and quantitative resistance
Trans-species polymorphism
Immunity-immunopathology balance
Parasite-induced pathogenesis - types
Inflammation
Response exhaustion
Parasite-induced immunopathology
Evolutionary consequences of immunopathology
Association between genotype and immunopathology
Evolutionary causes for immunopathology and autoimmune diseases
Trade-off principle in immunopathology
Autoimmunity and molecular mimicry
Hygiene hypothesis of allergy
Speciation, hybridization and evolution of immunity
Types of speciation
Parasite pressures on differential adaptations in populations
Interspecific variability in immune defence
Host-parasite relationships in phylogeny
Effect of hybridisation
Convergence in immunity
Ecological immunology
Ecological factors modulating immune function
Non-genetic variability in immune function (environment, maternal effects)
Costs of immune defence
Obligatory vs. facultative costs
Resistance vs. tolerance
Immunological trade-offs
Immunocompetence
Physiological factors modulating immune function
Neuro-immune interactions
Direct and indirect effects of immunity on behaviour
Fever
Hormones and immunity
Melatonin and biorhythms
Stress and decrease in immune responsiveness
Testosterone
Immunological differences between sexes
Sexual selection and evolution of anti-parasite resistance
Concept of sexual selection
Models of parasite-mediated sexual selection
Indicator hypothesis - ornaments and health
"Good genes" vs. "Complementary genes" hypothesis
MHC-based mate choice
Hypotheses on evolution of MHC variability
Linking outer phenotypic traits to health and immunogenetics
Honesty of health signalling
Carotenoid-based ornaments as a model system
Hypotheses on significance of ornamentation in disease resistance evolution
Physiological pathways linking ornaments to health (Foraging ability hypothesis, Carotenoid trade-off hypothesis, Immunocompetence handicap hypothesis, Antioxidant role hypothesis, Oxidation handicap hypothesis, ‘Red herring‘ hypothesis, Carotenoid maintenance handicap hypothesis)
Evolutionary context of aging and degenerative diseases
Ontogeny of immunity
Physiological causes of aging
Ageing and immunosenescence
Possible evolutionary reasons for aging
Implications of aging and immunosenescence to reproduction
Terminal investment hypothesis
Final seminar
Brief presentations of students’ essays and discussion
The course is taught with the support of the project reg. number CZ.02.2.69/0.0/0.0/16_015/0002362
Annotation
Evolutionary ecology combines aspects of various biological disciplines that where earlier distinct, such as evolutionary biology, immunology and parasitology. Evolutionary thinking has recently started to infiltrate into immunological research, establishing a new branch of investigation termed evolutionary and ecological immunology.
This change in perspectives is potentially valuable both for basic research and practical applications in biomedicine as it may help to explain differences between individuals in their immune function. Understanding the circumstances of emergence and evolution of the immune system is also important from the point of view of zoological research of animal evolution and ecological investigation of relationships between organisms.
This series of lectures devoted to evolutionary and ecological immunology links information on the immune system function (variability and redundancy of mechanisms, molecular polymorphism, constrains and failures of immunity) with the knowledge of principles and mechanisms of host-parasite/pathogen evolution. Where possible examples from biomedicine are provided and usage of the evolutionary ecology in classical immunology is mentioned.
The concept of lectures allows students to gain basics of evolutionary biology even without previous experience in this discipline. The course is taught in English and only if at least 5 students are enrolled.
In cases of ordered or recommended distance learning, the teaching of this course is realised through online presentations that are subsequently shared with the students through Moodle and/or Google Apps. The course begins in the week from 2rd October 2023.