More Mixed Mnemonics

(Day 4/100 days of productivity) - Haemophilus Influenzae card!

Today was mostly spent working on research, textbooks, but and making flashcards like this for microbiology!

Live, attenuated Vaccines Available in the US

Live vaccines induce HUMORAL & CELL-MEDIATED immunity

MRS.  V.Z.  FYI  MAP

M umps / M easles

R ubella

S mallpox

.

V aricella Z oster

.

F rancisella tularensis

Y ellow Fever

In fluenza (intranasal)

.

M icobaterium bovis (BCG)

A denovirus

P olio (sabin)

Mechanism of Fever

study tip request: studying on public transport (or sth related like how to know what to record when you record yourself saying notes so that you can listen to them on public transport)

Best Way to Make Study Recordings for Yourself

Testing yourself is the most effective way to learn a topic, so this one is fairly straightforward. For recording:

Formulate an examination style question, and run through the answer in your head, organising your thoughts. 

Then record the question, and mouth silently the answer fluently (reason being that just thinking in your head may result in too little or too much silence. 

Leave a few extra seconds of silence for thinking time (~3-5 seconds). 

Answer the question aloud in the recording (I’d suggest a brief one)

Rinse and repeat until you have enough to last you the whole commute. 

Hope that helps! For more tips on how to spend time on commutes, check out my post on Staying Productive No Matter How Much Time You Have :)

Cysteine Growth Requirements

MICROBIOLOGY MNEMONIC

BoyFriend Lost Penis

B rucella

F rancisella

L egionella

P asteurella

or….

The four sisters “Ella” worship in the “cystein” chapel

Brucella

Francisella

Legionella

Pasteurella

Antibodies (Human)

The ‘foot’ (bottom) of the antibody is known as the Fc fragment - binds to cells, binds to complement = effector function (kills or removes antigen)

The top (antigen binding) is the Fab fragment

Chains are held together with disulphide binds

Associated molecules allow intracellular signalling 

Normally 3X constant heavy chain domains per chain and a hinge region (except μ and ε which have 4 and no hinge region)

Classes of Immunoglobulins

The five primary classes of immunoglobulins are IgG, IgM, IgA, IgD and IgE,  distinguished by the type of heavy chain found in the molecule. 

IgG - gamma-chains

IgMs - mu-chains

IgAs - alpha-chains

IgEs - epsilon-chains

IgDs - delta-chains.

Differences in heavy chain polypeptides allow different types of immune responses. The differences are found primarily in the Fc fragment. There are only two main types of light chains: kappa (κ) and lambda (λ), and any antibody can have any combination of these 2 (variation).

IgG 

monomer

Gamma chains

70-85% of Ig in human serum. 

secondary immune response 

only class that can cross the placenta - protection of the newborn during first 6 months of life

principle antibody used in immunological research and clinical diagnostics

21 day half life

Hinge region (allows it to make Y and T shapes - increasing chance of being able to bind to more than one site)

Fc strongly binds to Fcγ receptor on phagocyte - opsono-phagocytosis

Activates complement pathway

IgM

Serum = pentamer 

Primary immune responses - first Ig to be synthesised

complement fixing 

10% of serum Ig 

also expressed on the plasma membrane of B lymphocytes as a monomer - B cell antigen receptor

H chains each contain an additional hydrophobic domain for anchoring in the membrane

Monomers are bound together by disulfide bonds and a joining (J) chain.

Each of the five monomers = two light chains (either kappa or lambda) and two mu heavy chains.

heavy chain = one variable and four constant regions (no hinge region)

can cause cell agglutination as a result of recognition of epitopes on invading microorganisms. This antibody-antigen immune complex is then destroyed by complement fixation or receptor mediated endocytosis by macrophages.

In humans there are four subclasses of IgG: IgG1, IgG2, IgG3 and IgG4. IgG1 and IgG3 activate complement.

IgD 

B cell receptor

<1% of blood serum Ig

has tail pieces that anchor it across B cell membrane

forms an antigen specific receptor on mature B cells - consequently has no known effector function (don’t kill antigens, purely a receptor) (IgM as a monomer can also do this)

IgE 

Extra rigid central domain

has the most carbohydrates

IgE primarily defends against parasitic invasion and is responsible for allergic reactions.

basophils and tissue mast cells express very high affinity Fc receptors for IgE - mast cells then release histamine

so high that almost all IgE is bound

sensitizes (activates) mucosal cells and tissues 

protects against helminth parasites

IgE’s main purpose is to protect against parasites but due to improved sanitation these are no longer a prevalent issue across most of the world. Consequently it is thought that they become over activated and over sensitive while looking for parasites and start reacting to eg pollen and causing allergies.

IgA

Exists in serum in both monomeric (IgA1) and dimeric (IgA2) forms (dimeric when 2 Fcs bind via secretory complex)

15% of the total serum Ig.

4-7 day half life

Secretory IgA2 (dimer) = primary defense against some local infections

Secreted as a dimer in mucous (e.g., saliva, tears)

prevents passage of foreign substances into the circulatory system

Isotype: class of antibody (IgD, IgM etc)

Allotype: person specific alleles 

Idiotype: (hyper) variable region - antibody specificity 

Sketchy Micro To Do List: 

• 01 - Gram Positive Cocci o 1.1 - Staph Aureus (11:03) o 1.2 - Staph Epidermidis (6:54) o 1.3 - Strep pyogenes (Group A Strep) (14:30) o 1.4 - Strep agalactiae (Group B Strep) (5:23) o 1.5 - Strep. pneumoniae Strep viridans (9:17) o 1.6 - Enterococcus (4:06) • 02 - Gram Positive Bacilli o 2.1 - Bacillus anthracis and Bacillus cereus (9:50) o 2.2 - Clostridium tetani (6:42) o 2.3 - Clostridium botulinum (7:35) o 2.4 - Clostridium difficile (8:17) o 2.5 - Clostridium perfringens (5:31) o 2.6 - Corynebacterium diphtheriae (6:49) o 2.7 - Listeria monocytonegenes (4:04) • 03 - Gram-Positive Branching Filamentous Rods o 3.1 - Actinomyces (3:01) o 3.2 - Nocardia (6:50) • 04 - Gram-Negative Cocci o 4.1 - Neisseria species overview (5:07) o 4.2 - Neisseria meningitidis (8:59) o 4.3 - Neisseria gonorrheae (7:33) • 05 - Gram-Negative Bacilli - Enteric tract o 5.1 - Klebsiella, Enterobacter, Serratia (7:49) o 5.10 - Proteus mirabilis (2:54) o 5.2 - Salmonella (5:51) o 5.3 - Shigella (6:26) o 5.4 - Escherichia coli (ETEC, EHEC) (8:51) o 5.5 - Yersinia enterocolitica (7:54) o 5.6 - Campylobacter (5:30) o 5.7 - Vibrio (5:45) o 5.8 - Helicobacter (5:23) o 5.9 - Pseudomonas (9:59) • 06 - Gram-Negative Bacilli - Respiratory tract o 6.1 - Bordatella pertussis (7:39) o 6.2 - Haemophilus influenzae (8:46) o 6.3 - Legionella (7:26)

• 07 - Gram-Negative Bacilli - Zoonotics o 7.1 - Bartonella henselae (4:15) o 7.2 - Brucella (4:41) o 7.3 - Francisella tularensis (3:50) o 7.4 - Pasteurella multocida (3:55) • 08 - Mycobacteria o 8.1 - Mycobacterium tuberculosis (16:35) o 8.2 - Mycobacterium leprae (9:17) • 09 - Spirochetes o 9.1 - Borrelia (8:16) o 9.2 - Leptospirosis (4:18) o 9.3 - Treponema Pallidum (12:52) • 10 - Gram-Indeterminate Bacteria o 10.1 - Chlamydia (15:08) o 10.2 - Coxiella burnetii (4:57) o 10.3 - Gardnerella vaginalis (5:32) o 10.4 - Mycoplasma pneumoniae (5:57) o 10.5 - Rickettsia species overview (3:34) o 10.6 - Rickettsia prowazekii (4:11) o 10.7 - Rickettsia rickettsii (4:00) • Fungi • 1 - Systemic Mycoses o 1.1 - Histoplasmosis (9:38) o 1.2 - Blastomycosis (6:09) o 1.3 - Coccidioidomycosis (7:26) o 1.4 - Paracoccidioidomycosis (4:55) • 2 - Cutaneous Mycoses o 2.1 - Malassezia furfur :0Pityriasis Versicolor (5:10) o 2.2 - Dermatophytes (6:01) o 2.3 - Sporothrix schenckii (4:24) • 3 - Opportunistic Fungal Infections o 3.1 - Candida albicans (12:49) o 3.2 - Aspergillus fumigatus (10:51) o 3.3 - Cryptococcus neoformans (9:00) o 3.4 - Mucormycosis (6:17) o 3.5 - Pneumocystis pneumonia (5:49)

• Parasites • 1 - Protozoa of the Intestinal Tract o 1.1 - Giardia (5:19) o 1.2 - Entamoeba histolytica (7:55) o 1.3 - Cryptosporidium (4:31) • 2 - Protozoa of the CNS o 2.1 - Toxoplasmosis (10:21) o 2.2 - Trypanosoma brucei (4:45) o 2.3 - Naegleria fowleri (6:01) • 3 - Protozoa of the Blood o 3.1 - Trypanosoma cruzi (5:43) o 3.2 - Babesia (6:59) o 3.3 - Plasmodium species (13:57) o 3.4 - Leishmaniasis (5:47) • 4 - Protozoa - Other Tissue o 4.1 - Trichomoniasis (5:37) • 5 - Helminths - Nematodes o 5.1 - Intestinal nematodes (13:09) o 5.2 - Tissue Nematodes (11:29) • 6 - Helminths - Trematodes and Cestodes o 6.1 - Cestodes (10:20) o 6.2 - Trematodes (10:56)

• Viruses • 1 - RNA Viruses - Positive Sense o 1.1 - Picornavirus Overview (10:47) o 1.2 - (Pico) Poliovirus (7:18) o 1.3 - (Pico) Coxsackievirus (5:10) o 1.4 - (Pico) Rhinovirus (4:45) o 1.5 - (Pico) Hepatitis A (7:00) o 1.6 - (Norwalk) Calicivirus (5:26) o 1.7 - Flavivirus (8:16) o 1.8 - Hepatitis C Virus (10:24) o 1.9 - Togavirus (11:20) o 1.10 - Coronavirus (3:32) o 1.11 - HIV (16:24) • 2 - RNA Viruses - Negative Sense o 2.1 - Orthomyxovirus (18:23) o 2.2 - Paramyxovirus (15:57) o 2.3 - Rhabdovirus (9:02) o 2.4 - Filovirus (4:54) o 2.5 - Bunyavirus (5:41) o 2.6 - Arenavirus (5:15) o 2.7 - Reovirus (7:15) • 3 - DNA Viruses o 3.1 - HSV-1 and HSV-2 (11:15) o 3.10 - Adenovirus (4:52) o 3.11 - Poxvirus (8:26) o 3.12 - Hepatitis B Virus (18:38) o 3.2 - EBV (13:24) o 3.3 - CMV (11:51) o 3.4 - VZV (11:45) o 3.5 - HHV-6 (5:12) o 3.6 - HHV-8 (7:10) o 3.7 - Polyomavirus JC & BK (6:31) o 3.8 - Papillomavirus (13:47) o 3.9 - Parvovirus (7:07)

Tularemia as a biological weapon

It was viewed as an attractive agent because:

it is easy to aerosolize,

it is highly infective; 10-50 bacteria are required to infect,

it is nonpersistent and easy to decontaminate (unlike anthrax),

it is highly incapacitating to infected persons,

it has comparatively low lethality, which is useful where enemy soldiers are in proximity to noncombatants, e.g. civilians

can you see the irony……we are working our ass off to kill these bugs.At th same time some weirdo working in one lab is making bio weapon.

Parasitology