Bacterial Physiology 1400-215FB

The main objective of the lecture is to draw attention to the prevalence of bacteria and the enormous diversity of this astounding group of organisms, which is reflected in vast metabolic potential, divergence and ability to occupy various seemingly "unlivable" niches. The lecture series embraces selected topics from the very broad domain of bacterial physiology.
Several main blocks can be distinguished in the lecture:
1. Cytoplasmic membrane of bacteria and archaea: structure, the systems of transport of substances through the membrane, pump multidrug resistance;
2. Structure and function of gram-negative bacteria cell envelopes : periplasmic space, the outer membrane;
3. Peptidoglycan - heteropolimer creating "exoskeleton" of bacteria:
3.1. Structure, stages of biosynthesis, structure and function of penicillin-binding proteins;
4. Structure and function of gram-positive bacteria cell envelopes - peptidoglycan of polymers associated with gram-positive bacteria;
5. Structure and function of the S-layer, capsules and slime layers;
6. Prokaryotic cytoskeletal proteins;
7. Structure and mechanism of action of bacteriocins, antibiotics and chemotherapeutic agents;
8. Mechanisms of bacterial resistance to antimicrobial agents;
9. Bacterial enzymes involved in the hydrolysis and modification of murein (autolysins, de-N-acetylases, etc.);
10. The surface proteins, characterization and properties, relationship with architecture of peptidoglycan and teichoic acids;
11. Extracellular structures: the cilia and chemotaxis, and ways of moving bacteria, fimbriae, celusomes, fibrils;
12. Membrane vesicles of Gram-negative bacteria - properties and potential applications in medicine;
13. Mutual interactions between bacteria and the environment, including interactions between bacterial cells (e.g. quorum sensing), various microorganisms (e.g. biofilms) and between bacteria and higher organisms;
14. The soil as a reservoir of genes for resistance to antibiotics;
15. The search for new antibacterials - alternatives for antibiotics, vaccines, pro- and prebiotics;
16. Methods for the identification of bacteria and issues related to bioterrorism.

The students get acquainted with specific topics from the very broad domain of bacterial physiology: structure, metabolism, action of antibiotics, activity of select enzymes, the ability to form biofilms, methods used to identify bacterial species, the effect of bacteria on the environment and the effect of environmental factors on bacteria. The experiments are usually carried out by two-student teams, occasionally by somewhat larger groups.
Main topics:

1. Susceptibility testing of bacteria to antimicrobial agents using a disc difusions methods and determination of minimum inhibitory concentration of antibiotic - MIC (called Minimal inhibitory concentrations).
2. Action of beta-lactam antibiotics on Gram negative bacteria.
3. Detection of Listeria in food
4. Activity of beta-lactamases, bacterial enzymes hydrolyzing beta-lactam antibiotics.
5. The induction phenomenon of autolysis in bacteria using detergents, surfactants and antibiotics inhibit the steps of mureiny biosynthesis
6. Isolation and determination of the activity of selected enzymes present in the periplasmic.
7. Investigation of the activity of murein hydrolases.
8. Identification of the esistance genes to tetracycline, streptomycin and erythromycin in some soil bacteria.
9. Research capacity biofilm formation by bacteria.
10. Effect of tetracycline and ampicillin gene to expression for the lac operon of Escherichia coli.
11. The test of tolerance of bacteria to β-lactam antibiotics.
12. Phenotypic typing of enterobacteria β-lactamases.