Dr. Michail Kotsyfakis, Ph.D.

Position

Job Position: Head of Laboratory - Laboratory of Genomics and Proteomics of Disease Vectors
Department: Tick-Borne Diseases
Workplace: Institute of Parasitology

Contact details

Phone: +420 387775492
E-mail: kotsyfakis@paru.cas.cz
Room: 232

Others

CV:

• For an updated Pubmed record please click here.
• 'For an updated Metrics record please click here.

 

I.  CURRICULUM VITAE

Personal details

Name                                                         Nationality
Michail Kotsyfakis                                      Greek - Passport number AN2399282

Date and place of birth                              Family status
 20/01/1976 - Athens, Greece                    Married (father of a son)

Current Role

I am an established group leader at the front-line of systems biology research into arthropod disease vectors. My current research focuses on understanding and using arthropod vectors as a model to address two fundamental practical problems: how to combat the public health threat posed by the pathogens carried by these vectors and how the mechanisms adopted by vectors can be translated into treatments for human diseases. This focus has enabled me to establish a strong publication record, attract external funding, and recruit high-quality post-doctoral scientists from abroad. I am an enthusiastic, thoughtful, and supportive teacher, advisor, and mentor to students and group members, and have a particular interest in mentoring and retaining young scientific talent.

Employment history

9/2009 – present: Principal Investigator (currently at Grade 5, equivalent to Full Professor) at the Laboratory of Genomics and Proteomics of Disease Vectors, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Czechia.  

3/2005 - 9/2009: Post-doctoral research associate at the Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, USA.
Mentor: Professor José M. C. Ribeiro

12/2004 - 3/2005: Post-doctoral fellow at the Laboratory of Insect Molecular Genetics, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation of Research and Technology - Hellas (F.O.R.T.H.), Heraklion Crete, Greece.
Mentor: Professor Christos (Kitsos) Louis

Academic record

11/2000 - 12/2004: Ph.D. in Biology, Joint Graduate Program of the Departments of Medicine and Biology, University of Crete, and the Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, F.O.R.T.H., Heraklion Crete, Greece.
Thesis title: A study of the Anopheles annexin family as proteins that bind Plasmodium berghei parasites (2004, University of Crete)
Ph.D. Advisor: Professor Christos (Kitsos) Louis

11/1998 - 11/2000: M.Sc. in Molecular Biology and Biomedicine, Joint Graduate Program of the Departments of Medicine and Biology, University of Crete, and the Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, F.O.R.T.H., Heraklion Crete, Greece.
Thesis title: Studies on the interaction of Plasmodium parasites with Anopheles mosquitoes
(2000, University of Crete)
M.Sc. Advisor: Professor Christos (Kitsos) Louis

10/1994 - 11/1998: B.Sc. in Biology, University of Crete, Heraklion Crete, Greece.

Current team composition

• Engineers and technicians
  KREMLOVA, Marketa MSc (full-time contractor)
• Ph.D. student
  MAKKI, Imen MSc

Grants (since group establishment in 2009)

Agency & grant type	Coordinator name	Coordinator’s laboratory	Partner’s Name & lab	Duration 20xx-201y	Amount in k€ Team budget (Total to the consortium)
EU FP7 transnational facility access program TRANSVAC, Project acronym DUALVAC-ANTIRICINUS	Michail Kotsyfakis	Laboratory of Genomics and Proteomics of Disease Vectors	None	2010-2011	50
Marie Curie EU FP7 Reintegration grant, Grant agreement PIRG07-GA-2010-268177	Michail Kotsyfakis	Laboratory of Genomics and Proteomics of Disease Vectors	None	2010-2014	100
National Institutes of Health, USA, R01 grant, Grant Number 1R01AI093653-01A1	Joao Pedra	Department of Microbiology and Immunology University of Maryland School of Medicine	Michail Kotsyfakis	2011-2016	100 (1000)
Bilateral collaborative grant between German and Czech Research Institutions, Grant Agency of Czech Republic, Grant number: P302/11/J029	Jan Kopecky and Edgar Schmitt	Biology Centre of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic and Department of Immunology, Mainz University	Michail Kotsyfakis	2011-2013	24 (120)
Grant Agency of Czech Republic, Grant number: P502/12/2409	Michail Kotsyfakis	Laboratory of Genomics and Proteomics of Disease Vectors	None	2012-2015	360
FP7-specific program Capacities, THEME: Research Potential, REGPOT-2008-1, Call identifier: FP7-REGPOT-2012-2013-1, Project acronym: MODBIOLIN,Grant agreement No.: 316304	Biology Centre of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic	Biology Centre of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic	14 principal investigators at the Biology Centre receive benefits from the actions of the program	2013-2015	(3,433)
MŠMT (The Czech Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports), Grant number : CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/16_019/0000759	Biology Centre of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic	Biology Centre of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic	8 principal investigators at the Biology Centre receive benefits from the actions of the program	2018-2022	210 (3800)
Grant Agency of Czech Republic, Grant number: 19-07247	Michail Kotsyfakis	Laboratory of Genomics and Proteomics of Disease Vectors	None	2019-2021	440
Czech Academy of Sciences bilateral collaborative grant with NSF China Number NSFC-19-15	Michail Kotsyfakis	Laboratory of Genomics and Proteomics of Disease Vectors	None	2019-2020	24
Czech Academy of Sciences bilateral collaborative grant with CNRS France, Grant number: CNRS-22-06	Michail Kotsyfakis	Laboratory of Genomics and Proteomics of Disease Vectors	None	2022-2023	14
MŠMT (The Czech Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports), program INTER-EXCELLENCE, subprogram INTER-ACTION, Grant number: LUABA22020	Michail Kotsyfakis	Laboratory of Genomics and Proteomics of Disease Vectors	None	2022-2024	48

Selected oral presentations/talks at international conferences
(last 5 years, 41 throughout entire career)

• Second edition of the Arthromint Group Virtual Meeting, 11 November 2020, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil (invited webinar).
• Annual meeting of the American Society for Exosomes and Microvesicles, 20-24 October 2018, Baltimore, USA (invited speaker).
• Invited talk at the Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, 1 December 2017, Heracklion-Crete, Greece.
• 25th International Congress of Entomology, 25-30 September 2016, Orlando, USA (invited speaker).
• ​Joint Dutch/Belgian Parasitology Society Spring meeting, 20 May 2016, Rotterdam, The Netherlands (keynote speaker).

On-going collaborations (alphabetically)

Michael Hackenberg, Professor, Dpto. de Genética, Facultad de Ciencias, Campus Fuentenueva s/n, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain.
Sebastien Pfeffer, Professor, University of Strasbourg and Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology (IBMC), CNRS, Strasbourg, France.
Tobias Bopp, Professor, Director, Institute of Immunology, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany.
Stefan Tenzer, Head of Mass-Spec Core Facility, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany.

Fellowships / Research abroad

10/2013: EMBO laboratory management course for group leaders, Leimen, Germany.

8/2013: Research stay in the Department of Internal Medicine, University Clinic Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden University of Technology, Dresden, Germany (Laboratory head: Professor Triantafyllos Chavakis).

3/2013 - 4/2013, 9/2013: EMBO Short-Term Fellowship (ASTF number 482-2012). 7,200 Euros in total. This fellowship supported a visit as a Special Volunteer to the Laboratory of Malaria & Vector Research, Division of Intramural Research, National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, USA (Laboratory head: Professor Jose' MC Ribeiro). 

2/2010 - 2/2012: Alexander von Humboldt fellowship to Dr Alexandra Schwarz to join my group as a post-doctoral fellow (host laboratory). 26,000 Euros per year, 52,000 Euros in total. This fellowship supported the stay of Dr. Schwarz as a post-doctoral fellow in my laboratory at the Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Budweis, Czech Republic.

9/2009 - 8/2014: Jan Evangelista Purkyně Fellowship from the Czech Academy of Sciences (the first to receive the fellowship in South Bohemia and the first non-Czech speaker). 30,000 Euros per year, 150,000 Euros in total. The fellowship supported my salary as a group leader at the Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Budweis, Czech Republic.

3/2005 - 10/2009: Post-doctoral Visiting Fellowship, Laboratory of Malaria & Vector Research, Division of Intramural Research, National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, USA. (Intramural grant number 0012117069). 45,000 US dollars per year, ~ 200,000 US dollars in total.

6/2002 - 8/2002: EMBO Short-Term Fellowship (ASTF number 67-2002). The fellowship supported my stay as a graduate student in the Institut de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Strasbourg, France under the directorship of the Nobel laureate Professor Jules Hoffmann.

Memberships and awards

4/2016: President’s award from the Grant Agency of the Czech Republic for excellent research performance.

10/2005 - present: International Proteolysis Society Member.

1/2008: American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Post-doctoral Travel Award to participate in the 2008 society meeting in San Diego, USA.

11/2007 - present: American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Member (ID: 23561).

9/2007: NIH/USA Fellows Award for Research Excellence in Biomedical Research.

8/2007: International Proteolysis Society (IPS) travel award to participate in the 5th IPS meeting in Patras, Greece.

1/2007: Young Scientist Award to participate in the 10th International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology/Sociedade Brasileira de Bioquimica e Biologia (IUBMB/SBBq) meeting in Salvador, Brazil.

9/2006: NIH/USA Fellows Award for Research Excellence in Biomedical Research.

8/2005: International Proteolysis Society travel award to participate in the 4th IPS meeting in Quebec, Canada.

Scientific reviewer

• Associate editor for: International Journal of Molecular Sciences [I.F.=6.2; (2/2021-to date: 2 manuscripts edited, special issue editor)], Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology [I.F.=6.1; (3/2020-to date: 20 manuscripts edited)], BMC Genomics [I.F.=4.5; (12/2014-to date: 94 manuscripts edited)], Life (Basel) [I.F.=3.3; (12/2020-to date: 12 manuscripts edited)],  American Journal of Blood Research (02/2013-to date) and Parasites&Vectors [I.F.=3.16 at the time I stopped; (1/2016-12/2018: 25 manuscripts edited)].
• Member of the Bio 2 Fellowship panel on Functional Biology of the Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO), Belgium for the evaluation of the 2020 Postdoc and PhD call.
• External reviewer for the promotion of Professor Christine Maritz-Olivier to Full Professor in the Department of Biochemistry, Genetics, and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, South Africa (peer review on June 2021).
• External grant reviewer for: France’s Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR), the Swiss Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI), the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO), the National Science Centre of Poland (NCN), and the Slovak Research and Development Agency (APVV), CINECA consortium of Italian Universities.
• External reviewer for: Blood, PNAS, Trends in Biochemical Sciences, Trends in Parasitology, Journal of Proteome Research, Scientific Reports, PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, BMC Genomics, Journal of Proteomics, The FEBS Journal, FEBS Letters, Developmental & Comparative Immunology, PLoS One, Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Infection Genetics and Evolution, International Journal for Parasitology, Parasites and Vectors, Insect Molecular Biology, Biochimie, Peptides, Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases, Gene, Veterinary Parasitology, Expert review of Proteomics, Pest Management Science, Pesticide Biochemistry and Physiology, Sensors, Parasite, Physiological Entomology.

Teaching and supervisory experience
(please also see the table below)

2010-to date: affiliation with the Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Budweis, Czechia.

11/2020-06/2021: Supervision of Ms. Hanne Voet and Mr. Brent Cuveele as a graduate Erasmus visiting student (Coming from University of Antwerp, Belgium and doing their Master thesis experimental work).

9/2020 - 12/2020: Supervision of Ms. Hajer Aounallah, visiting Ph.D student in Institut Pasteur de Tunis (Tunisia) and Instituto Butantan (Brazil). One publication published.

05, 06/2019: Supervision of Ms. Magdalena Szczotko as a graduate Erasmus visiting student.

10/2012 - 09/2015: Undergraduate student supervision (Ms. Lovelyna Eromonsele), Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Budweis, Czechia.

10/2011 - 01/2014: M.Sc. supervision (Mr. Jan Kotal), Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Budweis, Czechia.

09/2011 and every winter semester until 2018: Teaching ‘The Human Plasma Proteome’ course (course leader, affiliation with the Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Budweis, Czechia).

01/2011 - present: Reviewer and committee member for graduate and undergraduate students of the Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Budweis, Czechia.

09/2010 - 01/2011: Teaching Molecular and Biochemical Parasitology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Budweis, Czechia.

10/2009 - 06/2011: Undergraduate supervision (Ms. Barbora Singerova and Mr. Jan Kotal) at the Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Budweis, Czechia.

Previous PhD students

Previous PhD students			Number of Publications
Name	Start Date	Defence Date	1st author	Co-author
Jindrich Chmelar (co-supervisor)	January 2008	November 2010	2	2
Helena Horka (co-supervisor)	January 2009	May 2011	2	2
Jan Kotal	February 2014	December 2020	5	10

Current PhD student

PhD student Name	Start Date	Planned End Date	Number of Publications
			1st author	Co-author
Imen Makki	July 2020	September 2024	0	3

Post-Doc mentoring (1st author, co-authoring)

Post-Doc Name	Year of PhD	Start Date	End Date	Number of Publications
				1st author	Co-author
Chaima Bensaoud (coming from Tunisia)	2018	June 2019	April 2022	6	7
Parwez Ahmad (coming from Czechia)	2019	July 2020	April 2021	1	-
Larissa Martins (coming from Brazil)	2018	March 2019	October 2020	2	5
Jindrich Chmelar (20% part time)	2010	December 2010	December 2013	2	-
Alexandra Schwarz (coming from Germany)	2009	February 2010	February 2014	6	4
James Valdes (coming from the USA)	2009	August 2011	September 2012	1	3

Honours

• I was awarded the NIH Fellows Award for Research Excellence in Biomedical Research for two consecutive years, which places me in the top 10% of NIH intramural research fellows. I have twice been supported by an EMBO-Short-Term fellowship and selected to attend the EMBO Laboratory management course for group leaders.
• I was the first non-Czechoslovakian honoured with a Jan Evangelista Purkyně Fellowship, established by the Czech Academy of Sciences to facilitate the recruitment and integration of recognised senior investigators in the national research infrastructure. This was the first fellowship awarded to an individual at a research institution outside Prague and to a non-Czech speaker, highlighting the recognition by the Czech academia of my scientific contribution.
• The completion of my first research grant from the Grant Agency of the Czech Republic (the main independent funding agency in the Czech Republic) resulted in an award from the President of the Agency for excellent research performance (we were among the top three teams in research outcome, at the national level, in all disciplines).
• I am an internationally recognised researcher at the front-line of my research field. This has enabled me to recruit high-quality post-doctoral scientists from the USA, Brazil, Tunisia and Germany, including one sponsored by a prestigious Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship (this fellowship is usually awarded to attract a scientist in Germany).

II. PUBLICATION LIST (Journal Impact Factor for 2020 from Clarivative Analytics)

 

IIA. 20 most significant publications
(in chronological order out of 80 total publications, 4 book chapters and 3 patents,
underlined the 5 most significant)

20. Medina JM, Jmel MA, Cuveele B, Gómez-Martín C, Aparicio-Puerta E, Mekki I, Kotal J, Martins LA, Hackenberg M, Bensaoud C, Kotsyfakis M†. Transcriptomic analysis of single tick midgut and salivary gland responses upon repeated blood-feeding on a vertebrate host. Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 12: 919786. (I.F.: 6.1)

19. Bensaoud C, Tenzer S, Poplawski A, Medina JM, Jmel MA, Voet H, Mekki I, Aparicio-Puerta E, Cuveele B, Distler U, Marini F, Hackenberg M, Kotsyfakis M†. Quantitative proteomics analysis reveals core and variable tick salivary proteins at the tick-vertebrate host interface. Mol Ecol. 31: 4162–4175. doi:10.1111/mec.16561. PMID: 35661311. (I.F.: 6.6)

18. Oliva Chávez AS, Wang X, Marnin L, Archer NK, Hammond HL, Carroll EEM, Shaw DK, Tully BG, Buskirk AD, Ford SL, Butler LR, Shahi P, Morozova K, Clement CC, Lawres L, Neal AJO, Mamoun CB, Mason KL, Hobbs BE, Scoles GA, Barry EM, Sonenshine DE, Pal U, Valenzuela JG, Sztein MB, Pasetti MF, Levin ML, Kotsyfakis M, Jay SM, Huntley JF, Miller LS, Santambrogio L, Pedra JHF (2021). Tick extracellular vesicles enable arthropod feeding and promote distinct outcomes of bacterial infection. Nat Commun. 12(1):3696. (I.F.: 17.7)

17. Kotál J, Buša M, Urbanová V, Řezáčová P, Chmelař J, Langhansová H, Sojka D, Mareš M, Kotsyfakis M† (2021). Mialostatin, a novel midgut cystatin from Ixodes ricinus ticks: crystal structure and regulation of host blood digestion. Int J Mol Sci. 22(10):5371. (I.F.: 6.2)

16. Chai J, Chen X, Ye T, Zeng B, Zeng Q, Wu J, Kascakova B, Martins LA, Prudnikova T, Smatanova IK, Kotsyfakis M, Xu X (2021). Characterization and functional analysis of cathelicidin-MH, a novel frog-derived peptide with anti-septicemic properties. Elife. 10:e64411. (I.F.: 8.7)

15. Chlastáková A, Kotál J, Beránková Z, Kaščáková B, Martins LA, Langhansová H, Prudnikova T, Ederová M, Kutá Smatanová I, Kotsyfakis M, Chmelař J (2021). Iripin-3, a new salivary protein isolated from Ixodes ricinus ticks, displays immunomodulatory and anti-hemostatic properties in vitro. Front Immunol. 12:626200. (I.F.: 8.8)

14. Aounallah H, Bensaoud C, M'ghirbi Y, Faria F, Chmelar J, Kotsyfakis M† (2020). Tick salivary compounds for targeted immunomodulatory therapy. Front Immunol. 11:583845. (I.F.: 8.8)

13. Bensaoud C, Hackenberg M, Kotsyfakis M (2019). Noncoding RNAs in parasite-vector-host interactions. (Most read article in Trends in Parasitology) Trends Parasitol. 35(9):715-724. (I.F.: 10.5) 

12. Kotál J, Stergiou N, Buša M, Chlastáková A, Beránková Z, Řezáčová P, Langhansová H, Schwarz A, Calvo E, Kopecký J, Mareš M, Schmitt E, Chmelař J, Kotsyfakis M (2019). The structure and function of Iristatin, a novel immunosuppressive tick salivary cystatin. Cell Mol Life Sci. 76(10):2003-2013. (I.F.: 9.2)

11. Hackenberg M, Kotsyfakis M† (2018). Exosome-mediated pathogen transmission by arthropod vectors. Trends Parasitol. 34(7):549-552. (I.F.: 10.5)

10. Wang X, Shaw DK, Hammond HL, Sutterwala FS, Rayamajhi M, Shirey KA, Perkins DJ, Bonventre JV, Velayutham TS, Evans SM, Rodino KG, VieBrock L, Scanlon KM, Carbonetti NH, Carlyon JA, Miao EA, McBride JW, Kotsyfakis M, Pedra JHF (2016). The prostaglandin E2-EP3 receptor axis regulates Anaplasma phagocytophilum-mediated NLRC4 inflammasome activation. PLoS Pathogens 12(8):e1005803. (I.F.: 7.5)

9. Chmelař J, Kotál J, Kopecky J, Pedra JH, Kotsyfakis M (2016). All for οne and οne for all on the tick-host battlefield. Trends Parasitol. 32(5):368-377. (I.F.: 10.5)

8. Chmelař J, Kotál J, Karim S, Kopacek P, Francischetti IMB, Pedra JH, Kotsyfakis M (2016). Sialomes and mialomes: a systems biology view of tick tissues and tick-host interactions. Trends Parasitol. 32(3):242-254. (I.F.: 10.5)

7. Schwarz A, Tenzer S, Hackenberg M, Erhart J, Gerhold-Ay A, Mazur J, Kuharev J, Ribeiro JMC, Kotsyfakis M (2014). A systems level analysis reveals transcriptomic and proteomic complexity in Ixodes ricinus midgut and salivary glands during early attachment and feeding. Molecular and Cellular Proteomics, 13(10):2725-2735. (I.F.: 7.4)

6. Ma D, Mizurini DM, Assumpção TCF, Li Y, Qi Y, Kotsyfakis M, Ribeiro JMC, Monteiro RQ, Francischetti IMB (2013). Desmolaris, a novel Factor XIa anticoagulant from the salivary gland of the vampire bat (Desmodus rotundus) inhibits inflammation and thrombosis. Blood 122(25):4094-4106. (I.F.: 25.5)

5. Schwarz A, von Reumont BM, Erhart J, Chagas AC, Ribeiro JMC, Kotsyfakis M (2013). De novo Ixodes ricinus salivary transcriptome analysis using two different next generation sequencing methodologies. The FASEB Journal 27(12):4745-4756.     (I.F.: 5.8)

4. Francischetti IM, Oliveira CJ, Ostera GR, Yager SB, Debierre-Grockiego F, Carregaro V, Jaramillo-Gutierrez G, Hume JC, Jiang L, Moretz SE, Lin CK, Ribeiro JM, Long CA, Vickers BK, Schwarz RT, Seydel KB, Iacobelli M, Ackerman HC, Srinivasan P, Gomes RB, Wang X, Monteiro RQ, Kotsyfakis M, Sá-Nunes A, Waisberg M (2012). Defibrotide interferes with several steps of the coagulation inflammation cycle and exhibits therapeutic potential to treat severe malaria. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 32(3):786-798. (I.F.: 10.5)

3. Chmelar J, Oliveira CJ, Rezacova P, Francischetti IMB, Kovarova Z, Pejler G, Kopacek P, Ribeiro JMC, Mares M, Kopecky J and Kotsyfakis M (2011).  A tick salivary protein targets cathepsin G and chymase and inhibits host inflammation and platelet aggregation. Blood 117(3):736-744. Cover of the issue. (I.F.: 25.5)

2.  Kotsyfakis M, Anderson JM, Andersen JF, Calvo E, Francischetti IMB, Mather TN, Valenzuela JG, Ribeiro JMC (2008). Immunity against a "silent" salivary antigen of the Lyme vector Ixodes scapularis impairs its ability to feed. J Immunol. 181(8):5209-5212. Cutting Edge Article.  (I.F.: 5.4)

1. Kotsyfakis M, Sá-Nunes A, Francischetti IMB, Mather TN, Andersen JF, Ribeiro JMC (2006). Antiinflammatory and immunosuppressive activity of sialostatin L, a salivary cystatin from the tick Ixodes scapularis. J Biol Chem. 281(36):26298-26307. (I.F.: 5.5)

IIB. Full publication list
IIB1) Publication of research articles in international peer-reviewed journals
Total Impact Factor of research publications: 336.8
Mean Impact Factor per research publication: 6.1

Publication of research articles in international peer-reviewed journals
since 2009 (since group establishment in Czech Republic)
(† corresponding author, * equal contribution, # equal senior author)

 

55. Medina JM, Jmel MA, Cuveele B, Gómez-Martín C, Aparicio-Puerta E, Mekki I, Kotal J, Martins LA, Hackenberg M, Bensaoud C, Kotsyfakis M†. Transcriptomic analysis of single tick midgut and salivary gland responses upon repeated blood-feeding on a vertebrate host. Front Cell Infect Microbiol. In Press. (I.F.: 6.1)

54. Bensaoud C, Tenzer S, Poplawski A, Medina JM, Jmel MA, Voet H, Mekki I, Aparicio-Puerta E, Cuveele B, Distler U, Marini F, Hackenberg M, Kotsyfakis M†. Quantitative proteomics analysis reveals core and variable tick salivary proteins at the tick-vertebrate host interface. Mol Ecol. 2022 Jun 4. doi:10.1111/mec.16561. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 35661311. (I.F.: 6.6)

53. Kotál J, Polderdijk SGI, Langhansová H, Ederová M, Martins LA, Beránková Z, Chlastáková A, Hajdušek O, Kotsyfakis M, Huntington JA, Chmelař J (2021). Ixodes ricinus salivary serpin Iripin-8 inhibits the intrinsic pathway of coagulation and complement. Int J Mol Sci. 22(17):9480. (I.F.: 6.2)

52. Kascakova B, Kotal J, Martins LA, Berankova Z, Langhansova H, Calvo E, Crossley JA, Havlickova P, Dycka F, Prudnikova T, Kuty M, Kotsyfakis M, Chmelar J, Kuta Smatanova I (2021). Structural and biochemical characterization of the novel serpin Iripin-5 from Ixodes ricinus. Acta Crystallogr D Struct Biol. 77(Pt 9):1183-1196. (I.F.: 5.7)

51. Oliva Chávez AS, Wang X, Marnin L, Archer NK, Hammond HL, Carroll EEM, Shaw DK, Tully BG, Buskirk AD, Ford SL, Butler LR, Shahi P, Morozova K, Clement CC, Lawres L, Neal AJO, Mamoun CB, Mason KL, Hobbs BE, Scoles GA, Barry EM, Sonenshine DE, Pal U, Valenzuela JG, Sztein MB, Pasetti MF, Levin ML, Kotsyfakis M, Jay SM, Huntley JF, Miller LS, Santambrogio L, Pedra JHF (2021). Tick extracellular vesicles enable arthropod feeding and promote distinct outcomes of bacterial infection. Nat Commun. 12(1):3696. (I.F.: 17.7)

50. Kotál J, Buša M, Urbanová V, Řezáčová P, Chmelař J, Langhansová H, Sojka D, Mareš M, Kotsyfakis M† (2021). Mialostatin, a novel midgut cystatin from Ixodes ricinus ticks: crystal structure and regulation of host blood digestion. Int J Mol Sci. 22(10):5371. (I.F.: 6.2)

49. Chai J, Chen X, Ye T, Zeng B, Zeng Q, Wu J, Kascakova B, Martins LA, Prudnikova T, Smatanova IK, Kotsyfakis M, Xu X (2021). Characterization and functional analysis of cathelicidin-MH, a novel frog-derived peptide with anti-septicemic properties. Elife. 10:e64411. (I.F.: 8.7)

48. Chlastáková A, Kotál J, Beránková Z, Kaščáková B, Martins LA, Langhansová H, Prudnikova T, Ederová M, Kutá Smatanová I, Kotsyfakis M, Chmelař J (2021). Iripin-3, a new salivary protein isolated from Ixodes ricinus ticks, displays immunomodulatory and anti-hemostatic properties in vitro. Front Immunol. 12:626200. (I.F.: 8.8)

47. Dorrah M, Bensaoud C, Mohamed AA, Sojka D, Bassal TTM, Kotsyfakis M† (2021). Comparison of the hemolysis machinery in two evolutionarily distant blood-feeding arthropod vectors of human diseases. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 15(2):e0009151. (I.F.: 4.8)

46. Zeng Q, Zeng B, Chai J, Wu J, Guo R, Gao Y, Han X, Yang J, Kotsyfakis M, Xu X (2020). Antioxidant properties and neuroprotective effects of Esc-1GN through the regulation of MAPK and AKT signaling. Life Sci. 254:117753. (I.F.: 6.8)

45. Kotál J, Stergiou N, Buša M, Chlastáková A, Beránková Z, Řezáčová P, Langhansová H, Schwarz A, Calvo E, Kopecký J, Mareš M, Schmitt E, Chmelař J, Kotsyfakis M† (2019). The structure and function of Iristatin, a novel immunosuppressive tick salivary cystatin. Cell Mol Life Sci. 76(10):2003-2013. (I.F.: 9.2)

44. Assumpção TC, Mizurini DM, Ma D, Monteiro RQ, Ahlstedt S, Reyes M, Kotsyfakis M, Mather TN, Andersen JF, Lukszo J, Ribeiro JMC, Francischetti IMB (2018). Ixonnexin from tick saliva promotes fibrinolysis by interacting with plasminogen and tissue-type plasminogen activator, and prevents arterial thrombosis. Sci Rep. 8(1):4806. (I.F.: 5)

43. Hackenberg M, Langenberger D, Schwarz A, Erhart J, Kotsyfakis M† (2017). In silico target network analysis of de novo-discovered, tick saliva-specific microRNAs reveals important combinatorial effects in their interference with vertebrate host physiology. RNA 23(8):1259-1269. (I.F.: 5)

42. Cabezas-Cruz A, Tonk M, Bouchut A, Pierrot C, Pierce RJ, Kotsyfakis M, Rahnamaeian M, Vilcinskas A, Khalife J, Valdes JJ (2016). Antiplasmodial activity is an ancient and conserved feature of tick defensins. Frontiers in Microbiology 7:1682. (I.F.: 6.1)

41. Wang X, Shaw DK, Hammond HL, Sutterwala FS, Rayamajhi M, Shirey KA, Perkins DJ, Bonventre JV, Velayutham TS, Evans SM, Rodino KG, VieBrock L, Scanlon KM, Carbonetti NH, Carlyon JA, Miao EA, McBride JW, Kotsyfakis M, Pedra JHF (2016). The prostaglandin E2-EP3 receptor axis regulates Anaplasma phagocytophilum-mediated NLRC4 inflammasome activation. PLoS Pathogens 12(8):e1005803. (I.F.: 7.5)

40. Wang X, Shaw DK, Sakhon OS, Snyder GA, Sundberg EJ, Santambrogio L, Sutterwala FS, Dumler S, Shirey KA, Perkins DJ, Richard K, Chagas AC, Calvo E, Kopecky J, Kotsyfakis M, Pedra JHF (2016). The tick protein Sialostatin L2 binds to Annexin A2 and inhibits NLRC4-mediated inflammasome activation. Infect Immun. 84(6):1796-1805. (I.F.: 3.4)

39. Ferreira VP, Vale VF, Pangburn MK, Abdeladhim M, Mendes-Sousa AF, Coutinho-Abreu IV, Rasouli M, Brandt EA, Meneses C, Lima III KF, Araújo RN, Pereira MH, Kotsyfakis M, Oliveira F, Kamhawi S, Ribeiro JMC, Gontijo NF, Collin N, Valenzuela JG (2016). SALO, a novel classical pathway complement inhibitor from saliva of the sand fly Lutzomyia longipalpis. Sci Rep. 6:19300. (I.F.: 5)

38. Francischetti IMB, Assumpção TCF, Ma D, Mizurini DM, Kini RM, Ribeiro JMC, Kotsyfakis M, Monteiro RQ (2016). In vitro mode of action and anti-thrombotic activity of Boophilin, a multifunctional Kunitz protease inhibitor from the midgut of a tick vector of Babesiosis, Rhipicephalus microplus. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 10(1):e0004298. (I.F.: 4.8)

37. Tonk M, Cabezas-Cruz A, Valdés JJ, Rego RO, Grubhoffer L, Estrada-Peña A, Vilcinskas A, Kotsyfakis M, Rahnamaeian M (2015). Ixodes ricinus defensins attack distantly-related pathogens. Developmental & Comparative Immunology, 53(2):358-365. (I.F.: 3.6)

36. Jablonka W, Kotsyfakis M, Mizurini DM, Monteiro RQ, Lukszo J, Drake SK, Ribeiro JMC, Andersen JF (2015). Identification and mechanistic analysis of a novel tick-derived inhibitor of thrombin. PLoS One, 10(8):e0133991. (I.F.: 3.2)

35. Klein M*, Brühl TJ*, Staudt V*, Reuter S, Grebe N, Gerlitzki B, Hoffmann M, Bohn T, Ulges A, Stergiou N, de Graaf J, Löwer M, Taube C, Becker M, Stassen M, Huber M, Lohoff M, Chagas AC, Andersen JF, Kotal J, Langhansová H, Kopecky J, Schild H, Kotsyfakis M, Schmitt E#, Bopp T# (2015). Tick salivary Sialostatin L represses the initiation of immune responses by targeting IRF4-dependent transcription in murine mast cells. The Journal of Immunology, 195(2):621-631. (I.F.: 5.4)

34. Lieskovská J, Palenikova J, Langhansova H, Chagas AC, Calvo E, Kotsyfakis M, Kopecky J (2015). Tick sialostatins L and L2 differentially influence dendritic cell responses to Borrelia spirochetes. Parasit Vectors 8(1):275. (I.F.: 3.9)

33. Kotsyfakis M*†, Kopacek P*, Franta Z, Pedra JHF, Ribeiro JMC (2015). Deep sequencing analysis of the Ixodes ricinus haemocytome. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 9(5):e0003754. (I.F.: 4.8)

32. Kotsyfakis M†, Schwarz A, Erhart J, Ribeiro JMC (2015). Tissue- and time-dependent transcription in Ixodes ricinus salivary glands and midguts when blood feeding on the vertebrate host. Sci Rep. 5:9103. (I.F.: 5)

31. Palenikova J, Lieskovska J, Langhansova H, Kotsyfakis M, Chmelar J, Kopecky J (2015). Ixodes ricinus salivary serpin IRS-2 affects Th17 differentiation via inhibition of IL-6/STAT-3 signaling pathway. Infect Immun. 83(5):1949-1956. (I.F.: 3.4)

30. Lieskovska J, Palenikova J, Sirmarova J, Elsterova J, Kotsyfakis M, Campos Chagas A, Calvo E, Ruzek D, Kopecky J (2015). Tick salivary cystatin sialostatin L2 suppresses IFN responses in mouse dendritic cells. Parasite Immunol. 37(2):70-78. (I.F.: 2.2)

29. Waisberg M, Molina-Cruz A, Mizurini DM, Gera N, Sousa BC, Ma D, Leal AC, Gomes T, Kotsyfakis M, Ribeiro JMC, Lukszo J, Reiter K, Porcella S, Oliveira CJ, Monteiro RQ, Barillas-Mury, Pierce SK, Francischetti IMB (2014). Plasmodium sp infection induces expression of a mosquito salivary protein (Agaphelin) that targets neutrophil function and inhibits thrombosis without impairing hemostasis. PLoS Pathogens, 10(9):e1004338. (I.F.: 7.5)

28. Schwarz A*, Tenzer S*, Hackenberg M, Erhart J, Gerhold-Ay A, Mazur J, Kuharev J, Ribeiro JMC#, Kotsyfakis M#† (2014). A systems level analysis reveals transcriptomic and proteomic complexity in Ixodes ricinus midgut and salivary glands during early attachment and feeding. Molecular and Cellular Proteomics, 13(10):2725-2735. (I.F.: 7.4)

27. Chen G*, Wang X*, Severo MS, Sakhon OS, Sohail M, Brown L, Sircar M, Snyder G, Sundberg E, Ulland TK, Olivier AK, Andersen JF, Zhou Y, Shi GP, Sutterwala FS , Kotsyfakis M, Pedra JHF (2014). Sialostatin L2 inhibits caspase-1-mediated inflammation during Anaplasma phagocytophilum infection. Infect Immun. 82(6):2553-2564. Selected by the editors as a Spotlight of the issue. (I.F.: 3.4)

26. Bizzarro B, Barros MS, Maciel C, Gueroni DI, Campopiano J, Kotsyfakis M, Amarante-Mendes GP, Calvo E, Capurro ML, Sá-Nunes A (2013). Effects of Aedes aegypti salivary components on dendritic cell and lymphocyte biology. Parasit Vectors 6(1):329. (I.F.: 3.9)

25. Ma D, Mizurini DM, Assumpção TCF, Li Y, Qi Y, Kotsyfakis M, Ribeiro JMC, Monteiro RQ, Francischetti IMB (2013). Desmolaris, a novel Factor XIa anticoagulant from the salivary gland of the vampire bat (Desmodus rotundus) inhibits inflammation and thrombosis. Blood 122(25):4094-4106. (I.F.: 25.5)

24. Schwarz A, von Reumont BM, Erhart J, Chagas AC, Ribeiro JMC#, Kotsyfakis M# (2013). De novo Ixodes ricinus salivary transcriptome analysis using two different next generation sequencing methodologies. The FASEB Journal 27(12):4745-4756. (I.F.: 5.8)

23. Valdes JJ, Schwarz A, Cabeza de Vaca I, Calvo E, Pedra JHF, Guallar V#, Kotsyfakis M# (2013). Tryptogalinin is a tick Kunitz serine protease inhibitor with a unique intrinsic disorder. PLoS One 8(5):e62562. (I.F.: 3.2)

22. Chen G, Severo MS, Sohail M, Sakhon OS, Wikel SK, Kotsyfakis M, Pedra JH (2012). Ixodes scapularis saliva mitigates inflammatory cytokine secretion during Anaplasma phagocytophilum stimulation of immune cells. Parasit Vectors 5(1):229. (I.F.: 3.9)

21. Collin N*, Assumpção TCF*, Mizurini DM, Gilmore D, Dutra-Oliveira A, Kotsyfakis M, Sá-Nunes A, Teixeira C, Ribeiro JMC, Monteiro RQ, Valenzuela JG, Francischetti IMB (2012). Lufaxin, a novel Factor Xa inhibitor from the salivary gland of the sand fly Lutzomyia longipalpis, blocks PAR2 activation and inhibits inflammation and thrombosis in vivo. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 32(9):2185-2198. (I.F.: 10.5)

20. Chen G, Severo MS, Sakhon OS, Choy A, Herron MJ, Felsheim RF, Wiryawan H, Liao J, Johns JL, Munderloh UG, Sutterwala FS, Kotsyfakis M, Pedra JHF (2012). Anaplasma phagocytophilum LPDA1 affects host-derived immunopathology during microbial colonization. Infect Immun. 80(9):3194-3205. (I.F.: 3.4)

19. Ronca R*, Kotsyfakis M*, Lombardo F*, Rizzo C, Curra C, Ponzi M, Fiorentino G, Ribeiro JMC and Arca B (2012). The Anopheles gambiae cE5, a tight- and fast-binding thrombin inhibitor with post-transcriptionally regulated salivary-restricted expression. Insect Biochem Mol Biol. 42(9):610-620. (I.F.: 4.7)

18. Rodrigues J, Oliveira GA, Kotsyfakis M, Dixit R, Molina-Cruz A, Jochim R, Barillas-Mury C (2012). An epithelial serine protease, AgESP, is required for Plasmodium invasion in the mosquito Anopheles gambiae. PLoS One 7(4):e35210. (I.F.: 3.2)

17. Tsujimoto H, Kotsyfakis M, Francischetti IM, Eum JH, Strand MR, Champagne DE (2012). Simukunin from the salivary glands of the black fly Simulium vittatum inhibits enzymes that regulate clotting and inflammatory responses. PLoS One 7(2):e29964. (I.F.: 3.2)

16. Horka H*, Staudt V*, Klein M*, Taube C, Reuter S, Dehzad N, Andersen JF, Kopecky J, Schild H, Kotsyfakis M, Hoffmann M, Gerlitzki B, Stassen M, Bopp T, Schmitt E (2012). The tick salivary protein sialostatin L inhibits the Th9-derived production of the asthma-promoting cytokine IL-9 and is effective in the prevention of experimental asthma. J Immunol. 188(6):2669-2676. (I.F.: 5.4)

15. Francischetti IM, Oliveira CJ, Ostera GR, Yager SB, Debierre-Grockiego F, Carregaro V, Jaramillo-Gutierrez G, Hume JC, Jiang L, Moretz SE, Lin CK, Ribeiro JM, Long CA, Vickers BK, Schwarz RT, Seydel KB, Iacobelli M, Ackerman HC, Srinivasan P, Gomes RB, Wang X, Monteiro RQ, Kotsyfakis M, Sá-Nunes A, Waisberg M (2012). Defibrotide interferes with several steps of the coagulation inflammation cycle and exhibits therapeutic potential to treat severe malaria. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 32(3):786-798. (I.F.: 10.5)

14. Calvo E, Mizurini DM, Sá-Nunes A, Ribeiro JMC, Andersen JF, Mans BJ, Monteiro RQ, Kotsyfakis M, Francischetti IMB (2011). Alboserpin, a Factor Xa inhibitor from the mosquito vector of Yellow Fever, binds heparin and membrane phospholipids and exhibits antithrombotic activity. J Biol Chem. 286(32):27998-28010. (I.F.: 5.5)

13. Chmelar J, Oliveira CJ, Rezacova P, Francischetti IMB, Kovarova Z, Pejler G, Kopacek P, Ribeiro JMC, Mares M, Kopecky J and Kotsyfakis M† (2011). A tick salivary protein targets cathepsin G and chymase and inhibits host inflammation and platelet aggregation. Blood 117(3):736-744. Cover of the issue. (I.F.: 25.5)

12. Kotsyfakis M, Horka H, Salat J, Andersen JF (2010). The crystal structures of two salivary cystatins from the tick Ixodes scapularis and the effect of these inhibitors on the establishment of Borrelia burgdorferi infection in a murine model. Mol Microbiol. 77(2):456-470. (I.F.: 3.8)

11. Salat J, Paesen GC, Rezacova P, Kotsyfakis M, Kovarova Z, Sanda M, Majtan J, Grunclova L, Horka H, Andersen JF, Brynda J, Horn M, Nunn MA, Kopacek P, Kopecky J, Mares M (2010). Crystal structure and functional characterisation of an immunomodulatory salivary cystatin from the soft tick Ornithodoros moubata. Biochem J. 429(1):103-112. (I.F.: 3.5)

10. Francischetti IMB, Kotsyfakis M, Andersen JF, Lukszo J (2010). Cyr61/CCN1 displays high-affinity binding to the Somatomedin B 1–44 domain of Vitronectin. PLoS One 5(2):e9356. (I.F.: 3.2)

9. Calvo E, Sanchez-Vargas I, Kotsyfakis M, Favreau AJ, Barbian KD, Pham VM, Olson KE, Ribeiro JMC (2010). The salivary gland transcriptome of the eastern treehole mosquito, Ochlerotatus triseriatus. J Med Entomol. 47(3):376-386. (I.F.: 2.3)

8. Sá-Nunes A, Bafica A, Antonelli LRV, Choi EY, Francischetti IMB, Andersen JF, Shi GP, Chavakis T, Ribeiro JMC, Kotsyfakis M† (2009). Sialostatin L inhibits antigen‑specific T cell proliferation and ameliorates experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. J Immunol. 182(12):7422-7429. (I.F.: 5.4) 

Publication of research articles in international peer-reviewed journals prior to 2009 (as a postdoc and PhD student, † corresponding author)

7. Francischetti IMB, Meng Z, Mans BJ, Gudderra N, Hall M, Veenstra TD, Pham VM, Kotsyfakis M, Ribeiro JMC (2008). An insight into the salivary transcriptome and proteome of the soft tick and vector of epizootic bovine abortion, Ornithodoros coriaceus. J Proteomics. 71(5):493-512. (I.F.: 4)

6. Kotsyfakis M†, Anderson JM, Andersen JF, Calvo E, Francischetti IMB, Mather TN, Valenzuela JG, Ribeiro JMC (2008). Immunity against a "silent" salivary antigen of the Lyme vector Ixodes scapularis impairs its ability to feed. J Immunol. 181(8):5209-5212. Cutting Edge Article. (I.F.: 5.4)

5. Kotsyfakis M, Karim S, Andersen JF, Mather TN, Ribeiro JMC (2007). Selective cysteine protease inhibition contributes to blood feeding success of the tick Ixodes scapularis. J Biol Chem. 282(5):29256-29263. (I.F.: 5.5)

4. Kotsyfakis M, Sá-Nunes A, Francischetti IMB, Mather TN, Andersen JF, Ribeiro JMC (2006). Antiinflammatory and immunosuppressive activity of sialostatin L, a salivary cystatin from the tick Ixodes scapularis. J Biol Chem. 281(36):26298-26307. (I.F.: 5.5)

3. Kotsyfakis M, Vontas J, Siden-Kiamos I, Louis C (2005). The annexin gene family in the malaria mosquito Anopheles gambiae. Insect Mol Biol. 14(5):555-562. (I.F.: 3.4)

2. Kotsyfakis M, Ehret-Sabatier L, Siden-Kiamos I, Mendoza J, Sinden RE, Louis C (2005). Plasmodium berghei ookinetes bind to Anopheles gambiae and Drosophila melanogaster annexins. Mol Microbiol. 57(1):171-179. (I.F.: 3.8)

1. Spanos L, Koutroumbas G, Kotsyfakis M, Louis C (2000). The mitochondrial genome of the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata. Insect Mol Biol. 9(4):139-144.

Teaching

The Human Plasma Proteome
Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia