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He J, Hou Y, Lu F. Blockage of Galectin-Receptor Interactions Attenuates Mouse Hepatic Pathology Induced by Toxoplasma gondii Infection. Front Immunol 2022; 13:896744. [PMID: 35911679 PMCID: PMC9327616 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.896744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii), one of the most important Apicomplexan protozoa, causes toxoplasmosis in human throughout the world. Galectin (Gal)-9 triggers a series of immune events via binding to its receptors, including T cell immunoglobulin and mucin-containing molecule 3, CD137, CD44, and protein disulfide isomerase. To examine the regulatory role of galectin-receptor interactions in anti-toxoplasmic activities, C57BL/6 mice were infected with T. gondii RH strain and intraperitoneally injected with alpha (α)-lactose to block the interactions of galectins and their receptors. Heatmaps showed upregulated values for Gal-9 and CD137 in the livers of T. gondii-infected mice and T. gondii-infected mice treated with α-lactose. Compared with T. gondii-infected mice, T. gondii-infected mice treated with α-lactose showed significantly increased survival rate, decreased tissue parasite burden, attenuated liver histopathology, increased mRNA expression levels of CD137, IFNγ, IL-4, and IL-10 in the liver, and increased Gal-9 mRNA expression level in the spleen. Correlation analysis showed that significant positive correlations existed between the mRNA expression levels of Gal-9 and CD137, Gal-9 and IFNγ, as well as between CD137 and IFNγ in the liver and spleen of T. gondii-infected mice; between CD137 and IFNγ in the liver of T. gondii-infected mice treated with α-lactose. In addition, blockage of galectin-receptor interactions showed enhanced M2 macrophage polarization in the liver of T. gondii-infected mice. Our data indicate that Gal-9-CD137 interaction may play an important role in T. gondii proliferation and liver inflammation in mice during acute T. gondii infection, through regulating T cell and macrophage immune responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian He
- Department of Parasitology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yongheng Hou
- Department of Parasitology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Fangli Lu
- Department of Parasitology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control of Ministry of Education, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Fangli Lu,
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Landrith TA, Sureshchandra S, Rivera A, Jang JC, Rais M, Nair MG, Messaoudi I, Wilson EH. CD103 + CD8 T Cells in the Toxoplasma-Infected Brain Exhibit a Tissue-Resident Memory Transcriptional Profile. Front Immunol 2017; 8:335. [PMID: 28424687 PMCID: PMC5372813 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2017.00335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2016] [Accepted: 03/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
During chronic infection, memory T cells acquire a unique phenotype and become dependent on different survival signals than those needed for memory T cells generated during an acute infection. The distinction between the role of effector and memory T cells in an environment of persistent antigen remains unclear. Here, in the context of chronic Toxoplasma gondii infection, we demonstrate that a population of CD8 T cells exhibiting a tissue-resident memory (TRM) phenotype accumulates within the brain. We show that this population is distributed throughout the brain in both parenchymal and extraparenchymal spaces. Furthermore, this population is transcriptionally distinct and exhibits a transcriptional signature consistent with the TRM observed in acute viral infections. Finally, we establish that the CD103+ TRM population has an intrinsic capacity to produce both IFN-γ and TNF-α, cytokines critical for parasite control within the central nervous system (CNS). The contribution of this population to pro-inflammatory cytokine production suggests an important role for TRM in protective and ongoing immune responses in the infected CNS. Accession number: GSE95105
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler A Landrith
- School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | | | - Andrea Rivera
- School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Jessica C Jang
- School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Maham Rais
- School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Meera G Nair
- School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Ilhem Messaoudi
- School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Emma H Wilson
- School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
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Konradt C, Ueno N, Christian DA, Delong JH, Pritchard GH, Herz J, Bzik DJ, Koshy AA, McGavern DB, Lodoen MB, Hunter CA. Endothelial cells are a replicative niche for entry of Toxoplasma gondii to the central nervous system. Nat Microbiol 2016; 1:16001. [PMID: 27572166 PMCID: PMC4966557 DOI: 10.1038/nmicrobiol.2016.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 139] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2015] [Accepted: 12/23/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
An important function of the blood-brain barrier is to exclude pathogens from the central nervous system, but some microorganisms benefit from the ability to enter this site. It has been proposed that Toxoplasma gondii can cross biological barriers as a motile extracellular form that uses transcellular or paracellular migration, or by infecting a host cell that then crosses the blood-brain barrier. Unexpectedly, analysis of acutely infected mice revealed significant numbers of free parasites in the blood and the presence of infected endothelial cells in the brain vasculature. The use of diverse transgenic parasites combined with reporter mice and intravital imaging demonstrated that replication in and lysis of endothelial cells precedes invasion of the central nervous system, and highlight a novel mechanism for parasite entry to the central nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoph Konradt
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, USA
| | - Norikiyo Ueno
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry and Institute for Immunology, University of California, Irvine, California, 92697, USA
| | - David A. Christian
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, USA
| | - Jonathan H. Delong
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, USA
| | - Gretchen Harms Pritchard
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, USA
| | - Jasmin Herz
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, The National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892, USA
| | - David J. Bzik
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, New Hampshire, 03756, USA
| | - Anita A. Koshy
- Department of Neurology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, 85724, USA
| | - Dorian B. McGavern
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, The National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892, USA
| | - Melissa B. Lodoen
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry and Institute for Immunology, University of California, Irvine, California, 92697, USA
| | - Christopher A. Hunter
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, USA
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Harms Pritchard G, Hall AO, Christian DA, Wagage S, Fang Q, Muallem G, John B, Glatman Zaretsky A, Dunn WG, Perrigoue J, Reiner SL, Hunter CA. Diverse roles for T-bet in the effector responses required for resistance to infection. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2015; 194:1131-40. [PMID: 25556247 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1401617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The transcription factor T-bet has been most prominently linked to NK and T cell production of IFN-γ, a cytokine required for the control of a diverse array of intracellular pathogens. Indeed, in mice challenged with the parasite Toxoplasma gondii, NK and T cell responses are characterized by marked increases of T-bet expression. Unexpectedly, T-bet(-/-) mice infected with T. gondii develop a strong NK cell IFN-γ response that controls parasite replication at the challenge site, but display high parasite burdens at secondary sites colonized by T. gondii and succumb to infection. The loss of T-bet had a modest effect on T cell production of IFN-γ but did not impact on the generation of parasite-specific T cells. However, the absence of T-bet resulted in lower T cell expression of CD11a, Ly6C, KLRG-1, and CXCR3 and fewer parasite-specific T cells at secondary sites of infection, associated with a defect in parasite control at these sites. Together, these data highlight T-bet-independent pathways to IFN-γ production and reveal a novel role for this transcription factor in coordinating the T cell responses necessary to control this infection in peripheral tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gretchen Harms Pritchard
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Aisling O'Hara Hall
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - David A Christian
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Sagie Wagage
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Qun Fang
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Gaia Muallem
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Beena John
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Arielle Glatman Zaretsky
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - William G Dunn
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Jacqueline Perrigoue
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Steven L Reiner
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10032; and Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10032
| | - Christopher A Hunter
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104;
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Toxoplasma on the brain: understanding host-pathogen interactions in chronic CNS infection. J Parasitol Res 2012; 2012:589295. [PMID: 22545203 PMCID: PMC3321570 DOI: 10.1155/2012/589295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2011] [Accepted: 01/04/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is a prevalent obligate intracellular parasite which chronically infects more than a third of the world's population. Key to parasite prevalence is its ability to form chronic and nonimmunogenic bradyzoite cysts, which typically form in the brain and muscle cells of infected mammals, including humans. While acute clinical infection typically involves neurological and/or ocular damage, chronic infection has been more recently linked to behavioral changes. Establishment and maintenance of chronic infection involves a balance between the host immunity and parasite evasion of the immune response. Here, we outline the known cellular interplay between Toxoplasma gondii and cells of the central nervous system and review the reported effects of Toxoplasma gondii on behavior and neurological disease. Finally, we review new technologies which will allow us to more fully understand host-pathogen interactions.
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El-Ahwany E, Bauiomy IR, Nagy F, Zalat R, Mahmoud O, Zada S. T regulatory cell responses to immunization with a soluble egg antigen in Schistosoma mansoni-infected mice. THE KOREAN JOURNAL OF PARASITOLOGY 2012; 50:29-35. [PMID: 22451731 PMCID: PMC3309048 DOI: 10.3347/kjp.2012.50.1.29] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2011] [Revised: 12/19/2011] [Accepted: 12/22/2011] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
The aim of the study is to characterize the phenotypes of CD4+ CD25+ T regulatory cells within the liver granulomas and association with both Foxp-3 gene expression and splenic cytokines. Naïve C57BL/6 mice were intravenously injected with multiple doses of the soluble egg antigen (SEA) 7 days before cercarial infection. The immunized and infected control groups were sacrificed 8 and 16 weeks post-infection (PI). Histopathology, parasitological parameters, splenic phenotypes for T regulatory cells, the FOXP-3 expression in hepatic granuloma using real-time PCR, and the associated splenic cytokines were studied. Histopathological examination of the liver revealed remarkable increase in degenerated ova within hepatic granuloma which decreased in diameter at weeks 8 and 16 PI (P<0.01). The percentage of T regulatory cells (CD4+ CD25+) increased significantly (P<0.01) in the immunized group compared to the infected control at weeks 8 and 16 PI. The FOXP-3 expression in hepatic granulomas increased from 10 at week 8 to 30 fold at week 16 PI in the infected control group. However, its expression in the immunized group showed an increase from 30 at week 8 to 70 fold at week 16 PI. The splenic cytokine levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, IFN-γ, IL-4, and TNF-α, showed significant decreases (P<0.05) compared to the infected control group. In conclusion, the magnitude and phenotype of the egg-induced effects on T helper responses were found to be controlled by a parallel response within the T regulatory population which provides protection in worm parasite-induced immunopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eman El-Ahwany
- Department of Immunology, Theodor Bilharz Research Institute, Imbaba, Giza, Egypt
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Whitmarsh RJ, Gray CM, Gregg B, Christian DA, May MJ, Murray PJ, Hunter CA. A critical role for SOCS3 in innate resistance to Toxoplasma gondii. Cell Host Microbe 2012; 10:224-36. [PMID: 21925110 DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2011.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2011] [Revised: 06/08/2011] [Accepted: 07/25/2011] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
The innate and adaptive immune responses that confer resistance to the intracellular pathogen Toxoplasma gondii critically depend on IL-12 production, which drives interferon-γ (IFN-γ) expression. Certain cytokines can activate STAT3 and limit IL-12 production to prevent infection-associated immune pathology, but T. gondii also directly activates STAT3 to evade host immunity. We show that suppressor of cytokine signaling molecule 3 (SOCS3), a target of STAT3 that limits signaling by the pleiotropic cytokine IL-6, is upregulated in response to infection but is dispensable for the immune-inhibitory effects of T. gondii. Unexpectedly, mice with targeted deletion of SOCS3 in macrophages and neutrophils have reduced IL-12 responses and succumb to toxoplasmosis. Anti-IL-6 administration or IL-12 treatment blocked disease susceptibility, suggesting that in the absence of SOCS3, macrophages are hypersensitive to the anti-inflammatory properties of IL-6. Thus, SOCS3 has a critical role in suppressing IL-6 signals and promoting immune responses to control T. gondii infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan J Whitmarsh
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
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Yang J, Zhao J, Yang Y, Zhang L, Yang X, Zhu X, Ji M, Sun N, Su C. Schistosoma japonicum egg antigens stimulate CD4 CD25 T cells and modulate airway inflammation in a murine model of asthma. Immunology 2006; 120:8-18. [PMID: 17042799 PMCID: PMC1890919 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2567.2006.02472.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
A number of epidemiological and clinical studies have suggested an inverse association between allergy and helminth infection, such as Schistosomiasis. Therefore, we hypothesize that Schistosoma japonicum egg antigens, a type of native antigen, can induce production of CD4(+) CD25(+) T cells with regulatory activity, modulating airway inflammation and inhibiting asthma development. The frequency of CD4(+) CD25(+) T cells was determined by flow cytometry for mice treated with ovalbumin (OVA), CD25(+) depletion/OVA, schistosome egg antigens, schistosome egg antigens/OVA and for control mice. The ability of CD25(+) T cells from these mice to suppress T-cell proliferation and cytokine production was investigated both in vivo and in vitro. Results showed that the CD4(+) CD25(+) T cells of OVA-treated mice exhibited impaired control of dysregulated mucosal T helper 2 responses compared to the controls (P < 0.05). Depletion of CD25(+) cells accelerated OVA-induced airway inflammation and increased the expression of interleukin (IL)-5 and IL-4. Treatment with schistosome egg antigens increased the number and suppressive activity of CD4(+) CD25(+) T cells, which made IL-10, but little IL-4. In a murine model of asthma, S. japonicum egg antigens decreased the expression of Th2 cytokines, relieved antigen-induced airway inflammation, and inhibited asthma development. Thus, we provided evidence that S. japonicum egg antigens induced the production of CD4(+) CD25(+) T cells, resulting in constitutive immunosuppressive activity and inhibition of asthma development. These results reveal a novel form of protection against asthma and suggest a mechanistic explanation for the protective effect of helminth infection on the development of allergy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianghua Yang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityNanjing, P. R. China
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Affiliated Yijishan Hospital of Wannan Medical CollegeWuhu, P. R. China
| | - Jiaqing Zhao
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Jiangsu Province Laboratory of Pathogen Biology, Nanjing Medical UniversityNanjing, P. R. China
| | - Yanfeng Yang
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Jiangsu Province Laboratory of Pathogen Biology, Nanjing Medical UniversityNanjing, P. R. China
| | - Lei Zhang
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Jiangsu Province Laboratory of Pathogen Biology, Nanjing Medical UniversityNanjing, P. R. China
| | - Xue Yang
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Jiangsu Province Laboratory of Pathogen Biology, Nanjing Medical UniversityNanjing, P. R. China
| | - Xiang Zhu
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Jiangsu Province Laboratory of Pathogen Biology, Nanjing Medical UniversityNanjing, P. R. China
| | - Minjun Ji
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Jiangsu Province Laboratory of Pathogen Biology, Nanjing Medical UniversityNanjing, P. R. China
| | - Nanxiong Sun
- Department of Infectious Diseases, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityNanjing, P. R. China
| | - Chuan Su
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Jiangsu Province Laboratory of Pathogen Biology, Nanjing Medical UniversityNanjing, P. R. China
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Yap GS, Shaw MH, Ling Y, Sher A. Genetic analysis of host resistance to intracellular pathogens: lessons from studies of Toxoplasma gondii infection. Microbes Infect 2006; 8:1174-8. [PMID: 16513380 DOI: 10.1016/j.micinf.2005.10.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2005] [Accepted: 10/19/2005] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Cell-mediated immunity to Toxoplasma gondii establishes and maintains a balanced host-pathogen relationship. Recent analyses using spontaneous and genetically engineered mouse mutants have yielded a clearer picture of factors positively and negatively regulating the host immune response and a better understanding of cytokine-inducible intracytoplasmic mechanisms that lead to intracellular pathogen suppression and demise.
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Affiliation(s)
- George S Yap
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA.
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