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Grochow T, Beck B, Rentería-Solís Z, Schares G, Maksimov P, Strube C, Raqué L, Kacza J, Daugschies A, Fietz SA. Reduced neural progenitor cell count and cortical neurogenesis in guinea pigs congenitally infected with Toxoplasma gondii. Commun Biol 2023; 6:1209. [PMID: 38012384 PMCID: PMC10682419 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05576-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma (T.) gondii is an obligate intracellular parasite with a worldwide distribution. Congenital infection can lead to severe pathological alterations in the brain. To examine the effects of toxoplasmosis in the fetal brain, pregnant guinea pigs are infected with T. gondii oocysts on gestation day 23 and dissected 10, 17 and 25 days afterwards. We show the neocortex to represent a target region of T. gondii and the parasite to infect neural progenitor cells (NPCs), neurons and astrocytes in the fetal brain. Importantly, we observe a significant reduction in neuron number at end-neurogenesis and find a marked reduction in NPC count, indicating that impaired neurogenesis underlies the neuronal decrease in infected fetuses. Moreover, we observe focal microglioses to be associated with T. gondii in the fetal brain. Our findings expand the understanding of the pathophysiology of congenital toxoplasmosis, especially contributing to the development of cortical malformations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Grochow
- Institute of Veterinary Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Britta Beck
- Institute of Veterinary Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Zaida Rentería-Solís
- Institute of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Gereon Schares
- National Reference Laboratory for Toxoplasmosis, Institute of Epidemiology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Pavlo Maksimov
- National Reference Laboratory for Toxoplasmosis, Institute of Epidemiology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Christina Strube
- Institute for Parasitology, Centre for Infection Medicine, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Lisa Raqué
- Veterinary practice Raqué, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Johannes Kacza
- BioImaging Core Facility, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Arwid Daugschies
- Institute of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Simone A Fietz
- Institute of Veterinary Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany.
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Grochow T, Beck B, Rentería-Solís Z, Schares G, Maksimov P, Strube C, Seeger J, Raqué L, Ulrich R, Daugschies A, Fietz SA. Establishment and validation of a guinea pig model for human congenital toxoplasmosis. Parasit Vectors 2021; 14:389. [PMID: 34362413 PMCID: PMC8344189 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-021-04890-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 07/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular parasite with a worldwide distribution. Congenital infection in humans and animals may lead to severe symptoms in the offspring, especially in the brain. A suitable animal model for human congenital toxoplasmosis is currently lacking. The aim of this study is to establish and validate the guinea pig as a model for human congenital toxoplasmosis by investigating the impact of the T. gondii infection dose, the duration of infection and the gestational stage at infection on the seroconversion, survival rate of dams, fate of the offspring, T. gondii DNA loads in various offspring tissues and organs and the integrity of the offspring brain. Methods Pregnant guinea pigs were infected with three different doses (10, 100, 500 oocysts) of T. gondii strain ME49 at three different time points during gestation (15, 30, 48 days post-conception). Serum of dams was tested for the presence of T. gondii antibodies using immunoblotting. T. gondii DNA levels in the dam and offspring were determined by qPCR. Offspring brains were examined histologically. Results We found the survival rate of dams and fate of the offspring to be highly dependent on the T. gondii infection dose with an inoculation of 500 oocysts ending lethally for all respective offspring. Moreover, both parameters differ depending on the gestational stage at infection with infection in the first and third trimester of gestation resulting in a high offspring mortality rate. The duration of infection was found to substantially impact the seroconversion rate of dams with the probability of seroconversion exceeding 50% after day 20 post-infection. Furthermore, the infection duration of dams influenced the T. gondii DNA loads in the offspring and the integrity of offspring brain. Highest DNA levels were found in the offspring brain of dams infected for ≥ 34 days. Conclusion This study contributes to establishing the guinea pig as a suitable model for human congenital toxoplasmosis and thus lays the foundation for using the guinea pig as a suitable animal model to study scientific questions of high topicality and clinical significance, which address the pathogenesis, diagnosis, therapy and prognosis of congenital toxoplasmosis. Graphical abstract ![]()
Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13071-021-04890-4.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Grochow
- Institute of Veterinary Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.,Institute of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Britta Beck
- Institute of Veterinary Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.,Institute of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Zaida Rentería-Solís
- Institute of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Gereon Schares
- National Reference Laboratory for Toxoplasmosis, Institute of Epidemiology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Pavlo Maksimov
- National Reference Laboratory for Toxoplasmosis, Institute of Epidemiology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Christina Strube
- Institute for Parasitology, Centre for Infection Medicine, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Johannes Seeger
- Institute of Veterinary Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Lisa Raqué
- Veterinary Practice Raqué, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Reiner Ulrich
- Institute of Veterinary Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Arwid Daugschies
- Institute of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Simone A Fietz
- Institute of Veterinary Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
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Stollberg KC, Schares G, Mayer-Scholl A, Hrushetska I, Diescher S, Johne A, Richter MH, Bier NS. Comparison of Direct and Indirect Toxoplasma gondii Detection and Genotyping in Game: Relationship and Challenges. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9081663. [PMID: 34442742 PMCID: PMC8399173 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9081663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Revised: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 07/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The importance of game as a source of Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) infection in humans is largely unknown. New data on the presence of T. gondii in game hunted in the Federal State of Brandenburg, Germany, were obtained by direct and indirect detection (ELISA). DNA extracted either directly (5 g heart or foreleg muscle, DE) or after acid pepsin digestion (50 g heart, PD) or enriched by magnetic capture (50 g heart, MC) was examined by real-time PCR (qPCR). ELISA revealed seroprevalences of 20% in wild boar (Sus scrofa), 11% in roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) and 6% in red deer (Cervus elaphus). T. gondii DNA was detected by at least one direct detection method in 12% of wild boar, 6% of roe deer, 2% of fallow deer (Dama dama) and 2% of red deer. In both, positive wild boar and roe deer, T. gondii type II specific alleles were the most prevalent, as assessed by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism. The highest proportion of positive animals was detected by MC qPCR, followed by PD qPCR with a similar proportion of positive findings. Investigation of 50 g of heart muscle revealed a significantly higher proportion of positive qPCR results than analysis of 5 g (p = 0.048). An association between seropositivity and direct detection was evident in wild boar and roe deer (p < 0.001). Infectivity of T. gondii DNA–positive samples was confirmed by bioassay (4/4), providing evidence that game could represent a relevant source of viable T. gondii posing a risk for human infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaya C. Stollberg
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Department for Safety in the Food Chain, 10589 Berlin, Germany;
| | - Gereon Schares
- National Reference Laboratory for Toxoplasmosis, Institute of Epidemiology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (FLI), Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, 17493 Greifswald, Insel Riems, Germany;
| | - Anne Mayer-Scholl
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Department for Biological Safety, 12277 Berlin, Germany; (A.M.-S.); (I.H.); (S.D.); (A.J.); (M.H.R.)
| | - Iryna Hrushetska
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Department for Biological Safety, 12277 Berlin, Germany; (A.M.-S.); (I.H.); (S.D.); (A.J.); (M.H.R.)
| | - Susanne Diescher
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Department for Biological Safety, 12277 Berlin, Germany; (A.M.-S.); (I.H.); (S.D.); (A.J.); (M.H.R.)
| | - Annette Johne
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Department for Biological Safety, 12277 Berlin, Germany; (A.M.-S.); (I.H.); (S.D.); (A.J.); (M.H.R.)
| | - Martin H. Richter
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Department for Biological Safety, 12277 Berlin, Germany; (A.M.-S.); (I.H.); (S.D.); (A.J.); (M.H.R.)
| | - Nadja S. Bier
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Department for Biological Safety, 12277 Berlin, Germany; (A.M.-S.); (I.H.); (S.D.); (A.J.); (M.H.R.)
- Correspondence:
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Slana I, Bier N, Bartosova B, Marucci G, Possenti A, Mayer-Scholl A, Jokelainen P, Lalle M. Molecular Methods for the Detection of Toxoplasma gondii Oocysts in Fresh Produce: An Extensive Review. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9010167. [PMID: 33451081 PMCID: PMC7828537 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9010167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Revised: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Human infection with the important zoonotic foodborne pathogen Toxoplasma gondii has been associated with unwashed raw fresh produce consumption. The lack of a standardised detection method limits the estimation of fresh produce as an infection source. To support method development and standardisation, an extensive literature review and a multi-attribute assessment were performed to analyse the key aspects of published methods for the detection of T. gondii oocyst contamination in fresh produce. Seventy-seven published studies were included, with 14 focusing on fresh produce. Information gathered from expert laboratories via an online questionnaire were also included. Our findings show that procedures for oocyst recovery from fresh produce mostly involved sample washing and pelleting of the washing eluate by centrifugation, although washing procedures and buffers varied. DNA extraction procedures including mechanical or thermal shocks were identified as necessary steps to break the robust oocyst wall. The most suitable DNA detection protocols rely on qPCR, mostly targeting the B1 gene or the 529 bp repetitive element. When reported, validation data for the different detection methods were not comparable and none of the methods were supported by an interlaboratory comparative study. The results of this review will pave the way for an ongoing development of a widely applicable standard operating procedure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iva Slana
- Department of Microbiology and Antimicrobial Resistance, Veterinary Research Institute, Hudcova 296/70, 621 00 Brno, Czech Republic; (I.S.); (B.B.)
| | - Nadja Bier
- Department of Biological Safety, German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Max-Dohrn-Str. 8-10, 10589 Berlin, Germany; (N.B.); (A.M.-S.)
| | - Barbora Bartosova
- Department of Microbiology and Antimicrobial Resistance, Veterinary Research Institute, Hudcova 296/70, 621 00 Brno, Czech Republic; (I.S.); (B.B.)
| | - Gianluca Marucci
- Unit of Foodborne and Neglected Parasitic Diseases, European Union Reference Laboratory for Parasites, Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy; (G.M.); (A.P.)
| | - Alessia Possenti
- Unit of Foodborne and Neglected Parasitic Diseases, European Union Reference Laboratory for Parasites, Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy; (G.M.); (A.P.)
| | - Anne Mayer-Scholl
- Department of Biological Safety, German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Max-Dohrn-Str. 8-10, 10589 Berlin, Germany; (N.B.); (A.M.-S.)
| | - Pikka Jokelainen
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Infectious Disease Preparedness, Department of Bacteria, Parasites & Fungi, Statens Serum Institut, Artillerivej 5, DK-2300 Copenhagen S, Denmark;
| | - Marco Lalle
- Unit of Foodborne and Neglected Parasitic Diseases, European Union Reference Laboratory for Parasites, Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy; (G.M.); (A.P.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-0649902670
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