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Wang X, Qu L, Chen J, Hu K, Zhou Z, Zhang J, An Y, Zheng J. Rhoptry proteins affect the placental barrier in the context of Toxoplasma gondii infection: Signaling pathways and functions. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2024; 280:116567. [PMID: 38850700 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2024.116567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2024] [Revised: 05/21/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024]
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is an opportunistic and pathogenic obligate intracellular parasitic protozoan that is widespread worldwide and can infect most warm-blooded animals, seriously endangering human health and affecting livestock production. Toxoplasmosis caused by T. gondii infection has different clinical manifestations, which are mainly determined by the virulence of T. gondii and host differences. Among the manifestations of this condition, abortion, stillbirth, and fetal malformation can occur if a woman is infected with T. gondii in early pregnancy. Here, we discuss how the T. gondii rhoptry protein affects host pregnancy outcomes and speculate on the related signaling pathways involved. The effects of rhoptry proteins of T. gondii on the placental barrier are complex. Rhoptry proteins not only regulate interferon-regulated genes (IRGs) to ensure the survival of parasites in activated cells but also promote the spread of worms in tissues and the invasive ability of the parasites. The functions of these rhoptry proteins and the associated signaling pathways highlight relevant mechanisms by which Toxoplasma crosses the placental barrier and influences fetal development and will guide future studies to uncover the complexity of the host-pathogen interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinlei Wang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Lai Qu
- Department of Intensive Care Unit, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Jie Chen
- Institute of Theoretical Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Kaisong Hu
- Department of Pathogenobiology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Zhengjie Zhou
- Department of Pathogenobiology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Jiaqi Zhang
- Department of Pathogenobiology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Yiming An
- Department of Pathogenobiology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Jingtong Zheng
- Department of Pathogenobiology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, China.
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Anaya-Martínez V, Anacleto-Santos J, Mondragón-Flores R, Zepeda-Rodríguez A, Casarrubias-Tabarez B, de Jesús López-Pérez T, de Alba-Alvarado MC, Martínez-Ortiz-de-Montellano C, Carrasco-Ramírez E, Rivera-Fernández N. Changes in the Proliferation of the Neural Progenitor Cells of Adult Mice Chronically Infected with Toxoplasma gondii. Microorganisms 2023; 11:2671. [PMID: 38004683 PMCID: PMC10673519 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11112671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Revised: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/29/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
During Toxoplasma gondii chronic infection, certain internal factors that trigger the proliferation of neural progenitor cells (NPCs), such as brain inflammation, cell death, and changes in cytokine levels, are observed. NPCs give rise to neuronal cell types in the adult brain of some mammals. NPCs are capable of dividing and differentiating into a restricted repertoire of neuronal and glial cell types. In this study, the proliferation of NPCs was evaluated in CD-1 adult male mice chronically infected with the T. gondii ME49 strain. Histological brain sections from the infected mice were evaluated in order to observe T. gondii tissue cysts. Sagittal and coronal sections from the subventricular zone of the lateral ventricles and from the subgranular zone of the hippocampal dentate gyrus, as well as sagittal sections from the rostral migratory stream, were obtained from infected and non-infected mice previously injected with bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU). A flotation immunofluorescence technique was used to identify BrdU+ NPC. The scanning of BrdU+ cells was conducted using a confocal microscope, and the counting was performed with ImageJ® software (version 1.48q). In all the evaluated zones from the infected mice, a significant proliferation of the NPCs was observed when compared with that of the control group. We concluded that chronic infection with T. gondii increased the proliferation of NPCs in the three evaluated zones. Regardless of the role these cells are playing, our results could be useful to better understand the pathogenesis of chronic toxoplasmosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Verónica Anaya-Martínez
- Centro de Investigación en Ciencias de la Salud, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Anáhuac, Lomas Anáhuac, Naucalpan de Juárez 52786, Estado de México, Mexico;
| | - Jhony Anacleto-Santos
- Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Coyoacán, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico; (J.A.-S.); (T.d.J.L.-P.); (M.C.d.A.-A.); (E.C.-R.)
| | | | - Armando Zepeda-Rodríguez
- Departamento de Biología Celular y Tisular, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Coyoacán, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico; (A.Z.-R.); (B.C.-T.)
| | - Brenda Casarrubias-Tabarez
- Departamento de Biología Celular y Tisular, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Coyoacán, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico; (A.Z.-R.); (B.C.-T.)
| | - Teresa de Jesús López-Pérez
- Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Coyoacán, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico; (J.A.-S.); (T.d.J.L.-P.); (M.C.d.A.-A.); (E.C.-R.)
| | - Mariana Citlalli de Alba-Alvarado
- Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Coyoacán, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico; (J.A.-S.); (T.d.J.L.-P.); (M.C.d.A.-A.); (E.C.-R.)
| | - Cintli Martínez-Ortiz-de-Montellano
- Departamento de Parasitología, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico;
| | - Elba Carrasco-Ramírez
- Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Coyoacán, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico; (J.A.-S.); (T.d.J.L.-P.); (M.C.d.A.-A.); (E.C.-R.)
| | - Norma Rivera-Fernández
- Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Coyoacán, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico; (J.A.-S.); (T.d.J.L.-P.); (M.C.d.A.-A.); (E.C.-R.)
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Bai RX, Chen XZ, Ren JF, Hu L, Li H, Wang H, He C. Toxoplasma gondii rhoptry protein (TgROP18) enhances the expression of pro-inflammatory factor in LPS/IFN-γ-induced murine BV2 microglia cells via NF-κB signal pathway. Acta Trop 2022; 235:106650. [PMID: 35963313 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2022.106650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Revised: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii, an opportunistic pathogenic protozoan, exhibits a strong predilection to infect the brain, causing severe neurological diseases, such as toxoplasmic encephalitis (TE), in immunocompromised patients. Microglia, the resident immune cells in the brain, is reported to play important roles in regulating the neuroinflammation mediated by T. gondii infection. Here we demonstrated that the tachyzoites of T. gondii RH strain could significantly upregulate the expression levels of microglial M1 phenotype markers including IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, iNOS and IL18 in activated murine BV2 microglia cells, which were regulated by T. gondii rhoptry protein 18 (TgROP18). Moreover, we found that TgROP18 could enhance the expression of M1 phenotype markers in activated murine BV2 microglia cells via activating NF-κB signal pathway. Additionally, TgROP18 was suggested to interact with the host p65 in activated murine BV2 microglia cells and induce the phosphorylation of p65 at S536. In summary, the present study demonstrated that TgROP18 could promote the activated microglia to polarize to M1 phenotype and enhanced the expression of pro-inflammatory factors via activating NF-κB signal pathway, which could contribute to elucidating the mechanism underlying the neuroinflammation mediated by activated microglia in the brain with T. gondii infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui-Xue Bai
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province 221004, China
| | - Xin-Zhu Chen
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province 221004, China
| | - Jin-Feng Ren
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province 221004, China
| | - Lang Hu
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province 221004, China
| | - Hui Li
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province 221004, China
| | - Hui Wang
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province 221004, China.
| | - Cheng He
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province 221004, China.
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Zhao H, Ming T, Tang S, Ren S, Yang H, Liu M, Tao Q, Xu H. Wnt signaling in colorectal cancer: pathogenic role and therapeutic target. Mol Cancer 2022; 21:144. [PMID: 35836256 PMCID: PMC9281132 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-022-01616-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 369] [Impact Index Per Article: 123.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The Wnt signaling pathway is a complex network of protein interactions that functions most commonly in embryonic development and cancer, but is also involved in normal physiological processes in adults. The canonical Wnt signaling pathway regulates cell pluripotency and determines the differentiation fate of cells during development. The canonical Wnt signaling pathway (also known as the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway) is a recognized driver of colon cancer and one of the most representative signaling pathways. As a functional effector molecule of Wnt signaling, the modification and degradation of β-catenin are key events in the Wnt signaling pathway and the development and progression of colon cancer. Therefore, the Wnt signaling pathway plays an important role in the pathogenesis of diseases, especially the pathogenesis of colorectal cancer (CRC). Objective Inhibit the Wnt signaling pathway to explore the therapeutic targets of colorectal cancer. Methods Based on studying the Wnt pathway, master the biochemical processes related to the Wnt pathway, and analyze the relevant targets when drugs or inhibitors act on the Wnt pathway, to clarify the medication ideas of drugs or inhibitors for the treatment of diseases, especially colorectal cancer. Results Wnt signaling pathways include: Wnt/β-catenin or canonical Wnt signaling pathway, planar cell polarity (Wnt-PCP) pathway and Wnt-Ca2+ signaling pathway. The Wnt signaling pathway is closely related to cancer cell proliferation, stemness, apoptosis, autophagy, metabolism, inflammation and immunization, microenvironment, resistance, ion channel, heterogeneity, EMT/migration/invasion/metastasis. Drugs/phytochemicals and molecular preparations for the Wnt pathway of CRC treatment have now been developed. Wnt inhibitors are also commonly used clinically for the treatment of CRC. Conclusion The development of drugs/phytochemicals and molecular inhibitors targeting the Wnt pathway can effectively treat colorectal cancer clinically.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Department of Pharmacology, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China
| | - Tianqi Ming
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Department of Pharmacology, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China
| | - Shun Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Department of Pharmacology, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China
| | - Shan Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Department of Pharmacology, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China
| | - Han Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Department of Pharmacology, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China
| | - Maolun Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Department of Pharmacology, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China
| | - Qiu Tao
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Department of Pharmacology, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China
| | - Haibo Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Department of Pharmacology, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China.
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Li JX, He JJ, Elsheikha HM, Ma J, Xu XP, Zhu XQ. ROP18-Mediated Transcriptional Reprogramming of HEK293T Cell Reveals New Roles of ROP18 in the Interplay Between Toxoplasma gondii and the Host Cell. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2020; 10:586946. [PMID: 33330132 PMCID: PMC7734210 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.586946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 10/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii secretes a number of virulence-related effector proteins, such as the rhoptry protein 18 (ROP18). To further broaden our understanding of the molecular functions of ROP18, we examined the transcriptional response of human embryonic kidney cells (HEK293T) to ROP18 of type I T. gondii RH strain. Using RNA-sequencing, we compared the transcriptome of ROP18-expressing HEK293T cells to control HEK293T cells. Our analysis revealed that ROP18 altered the expression of 750 genes (467 upregulated genes and 283 downregulated genes) in HEK293T cells. Gene ontology (GO) and pathway enrichment analyses showed that differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were significantly enriched in extracellular matrix– and immune–related GO terms and pathways. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis revealed that DEGs were involved in several disease-related pathways, such as nervous system diseases and eye disease. ROP18 significantly increased the alternative splicing pattern “retained intron” and altered the expression of 144 transcription factors (TFs). These results provide new insight into how ROP18 may influence biological processes in the host cells via altering the expression of genes, TFs, and pathways. More in vitro and in vivo studies are required to substantiate these findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie-Xi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Jun-Jun He
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Hany M Elsheikha
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Loughborough, United Kingdom
| | - Jun Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Xiao-Pei Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, China.,Heilongjiang Key Laboratory for Zoonosis, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
| | - Xing-Quan Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, China.,College of Veterinary Medicine, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, China
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Kong L, Jiang D, He C, Xia J, Wei H, Zhou L, Peng H. TgROP18 targets IL20RB for host-defense-related-STAT3 activation during Toxoplasma gondii infection. Parasit Vectors 2020; 13:400. [PMID: 32767999 PMCID: PMC7412674 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-020-04251-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Toxoplasma gondii is an opportunistic protozoan infecting almost one-third of the world’s population. Toxoplasma gondii rhoptry protein 18 (TgROP18) is a key virulence factor determining the parasite’s acute virulence and is secreted into host cells during infection. We previously identified the interaction of TgROP18 and host cell immune-related receptor protein IL20RB, and observed the activation of STAT3 in human keratinocytes (HaCaT) cells infected by the rop16 knockout RH strain, though TgROP16 is regarded as being responsible for host STAT3 activation during T. gondii invasion. Therefore, we hypothesize TgROP18 can activate host STAT3 through binding to IL20RB. Methods CRISPR-CAS9 technology was used to generate the ROP16 and ROP18 double knockout RH strain, RH-∆rop16∆rop18. SDS-PAGE and western blot were used to detect STAT3 activation in different HaCaT cells with high endogenous IL20RB expression treated with T. gondii tachyzoites infection, recombinant ROP18, or IL-20. FRET and co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) was used to detect the protein-protein interaction. Results We observed that TgROP18 was involved in a synergic activation of the host JAK/STAT3 pathway together with TgROP16 in human HaCaT cells infected with T. gondii or treated with recombinant TgROP18 protein, stimulating host proinflammatory immune responses such as expression of TNF-α. The effect of recombinant ROP18 on STAT3 phosphorylation was presented in a dose-dependent manner. Additionally, TgROP18 was identified to target IL20RB on its extracellular domain. When we treated different cell lines with the recombinant ROP18, STAT3 phosphorylation could only be observed in the cells with endogenous IL20RB expression, such as HaCaT cells. Conclusions These findings indicate that TgROP18-IL20RB interaction upon T. gondii invasion was involved in STAT3 activation, which is associated with host cell defense.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling Kong
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Research, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Dan Jiang
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Research, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Cheng He
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Research, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Jing Xia
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Research, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Haixia Wei
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Research, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Lijuan Zhou
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Research, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Hongjuan Peng
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Research, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, Guangdong Province, China.
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Harun MSR, Taylor M, Zhu XQ, Elsheikha HM. Transcriptome Profiling of Toxoplasma gondii-Infected Human Cerebromicrovascular Endothelial Cell Response to Treatment with Monensin. Microorganisms 2020; 8:microorganisms8060842. [PMID: 32512820 PMCID: PMC7356316 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8060842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2020] [Revised: 05/26/2020] [Accepted: 06/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Central to the progression of cerebral toxoplasmosis is the interaction of Toxoplasma gondii with the blood-brain barrier (BBB) endothelial cells. In the present work, we tested the hypothesis that inhibition of Wnt pathway signalling by the monovalent ionophore monensin reduces the growth of T. gondii infecting human brain microvascular endothelial cells (hBMECs) or microglial cells. The anti-parasitic effect of monensin (a Wnt signalling inhibitor) on the in vitro growth of T. gondii tachyzoites was investigated using two methods (Sulforhodamine B staining and microscopic parasite counting). The monensin inhibited T. gondii growth (50% inhibitory concentration [IC50] = 0.61 μM) with a selective index = 8.48 when tested against hBMECs (50% cytotoxic concentration [CC50] = 5.17 μM). However, IC50 of monensin was 4.13 μM with a SI = 13.82 when tested against microglia cells (CC50 = 57.08 μM), suggesting less sensitivity of microglia cells to monensin treatment. The effect of T. gondii on the integrity of the BBB was assessed by the transendothelial electrical resistance (TEER) assay using an in vitro human BBB model. The results showed that T. gondii infection significantly decreased hBMECs' TEER resistance, which was rescued when cells were treated with 0.1 µM monensin, probably due to the anti-parasitic activity of monensin. We also investigated the host-targeted effects of 0.1 µM monensin on global gene expression in hBMECs with or without T. gondii infection. Treatment of hBMECs with monensin did not significantly influence the expression of genes involved in the Wnt signalling pathway, suggesting that although inhibition of the Wnt signalling pathway did not play a significant role in T. gondii infection of hBMECs, monensin was still effective in limiting the growth of T. gondii. On the contrary, monensin treatment downregulated pathways related to steroids, cholesterol and protein biosynthesis and their transport between endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus, and deregulated pathways related to cell cycle and DNA synthesis and repair mechanisms. These results provide new insight into the host-modulatory effect of monensin during T. gondii infection, which merits further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad S. R. Harun
- Infectomics Cluster, Advanced Medical & Dental Institute, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Bertam, Kepala Batas, Pulau Pinang 13200, Malaysia;
| | - Mica Taylor
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough LE12 5RD, UK;
| | - Xing-Quan Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou 730046, China
- Correspondence: (X.-Q.Z.); (H.M.E.); Tel.: +86-(0)931-834-2837 (X.-Q.Z.); +44-(0)115-951-6445 (H.M.E); Fax: +44-(0)115-951-6440 (H.M.E.)
| | - Hany M. Elsheikha
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough LE12 5RD, UK;
- Correspondence: (X.-Q.Z.); (H.M.E.); Tel.: +86-(0)931-834-2837 (X.-Q.Z.); +44-(0)115-951-6445 (H.M.E); Fax: +44-(0)115-951-6440 (H.M.E.)
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Marcos AC, Siqueira M, Alvarez-Rosa L, Cascabulho CM, Waghabi MC, Barbosa HS, Adesse D, Stipursky J. Toxoplasma gondii infection impairs radial glia differentiation and its potential to modulate brain microvascular endothelial cell function in the cerebral cortex. Microvasc Res 2020; 131:104024. [PMID: 32502488 DOI: 10.1016/j.mvr.2020.104024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2019] [Revised: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 05/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Congenital toxoplasmosis is a parasitic disease that occurs due vertical transmission of the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) during pregnancy. The parasite crosses the placental barrier and reaches the developing brain, infecting progenitor, glial, neuronal and vascular cell types. Although the role of Radial glia (RG) neural stem cells in the development of the brain vasculature has been recently investigated, the impact of T. gondii infection in these events is not yet understood. Herein, we studied the role of T. gondii infection on RG cell function and its interaction with endothelial cells. By infecting isolated RG cultures with T. gondii tachyzoites, we observed a cytotoxic effect with reduced numbers of RG populations together with decrease neuronal and oligodendrocyte progenitor populations. Conditioned medium (CM) from RG control cultures increased ZO-1 protein levels and organization on endothelial bEnd.3 cells membranes, which was impaired by CM from infected RG, accompanied by decreased trans-endothelial electrical resistance (TEER). ELISA assays revealed reduced levels of anti-inflammatory cytokine TGF-β1 in CM from T. gondii-infected RG cells. Treatment with recombinant TGF-β1 concomitantly with CM from infected RG cultures led to restoration of ZO-1 staining in bEnd.3 cells. Congenital infection in Swiss Webster mice led to abnormalities in the cortical microvasculature in comparison to uninfected embryos. Our results suggest that infection of RG cells by T. gondii negatively modulates cytokine secretion, which might contribute to endothelial loss of barrier properties, thus leading to impairment of neurovascular interaction establishment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michele Siqueira
- Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Liandra Alvarez-Rosa
- Laboratório de Biologia Estrutural, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Brazil; Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Cynthia M Cascabulho
- Laboratório de Inovação em Terapias, Ensino e Bioprodutos, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Brazil
| | - Mariana C Waghabi
- Laboratório de Genômica Funcional e Bioinformática, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Brazil
| | - Helene S Barbosa
- Laboratório de Biologia Estrutural, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Brazil
| | - Daniel Adesse
- Laboratório de Biologia Estrutural, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Brazil
| | - Joice Stipursky
- Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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Matthews H, Noulin F. Unexpected encounter of the parasitic kind. World J Stem Cells 2019; 11:904-919. [PMID: 31768219 PMCID: PMC6851008 DOI: 10.4252/wjsc.v11.i11.904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2019] [Revised: 08/10/2019] [Accepted: 09/13/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Both parasitology and stem cell research are important disciplines in their own right. Parasites are a real threat to human health causing a broad spectrum of diseases and significant annual rates morbidity and mortality globally. Stem cell research, on the other hand, focuses on the potential for regenerative medicine for a range of diseases including cancer and regenerative therapies. Though these two topics might appear distant, there are some “unexpected encounters”. In this review, we summarise the various links between parasites and stem cells. First, we discuss how parasites’ own stem cells represent interesting models of regeneration that can be translated to human stem cell regeneration. Second, we explore the interactions between parasites and host stem cells during the course of infection. Third, we investigate from a clinical perspective, how stem cell regeneration can be exploited to help circumvent the damage induced by parasitic infection and its potential to serve as treatment options for parasitic diseases in the future. Finally, we discuss the importance of screening for pathogens during organ transplantation by presenting some clinical cases of parasitic infection following stem cell therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holly Matthews
- Centre for Applied Entomology and Parasitology, School of Life Sciences, Keele University, Keele ST5 5BG, United Kingdom
| | - Florian Noulin
- Centre for Applied Entomology and Parasitology, School of Life Sciences, Keele University, Keele ST5 5BG, United Kingdom
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10
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Majumdar T, Sharma S, Kumar M, Hussain MA, Chauhan N, Kalia I, Sahu AK, Rana VS, Bharti R, Haldar AK, Singh AP, Mazumder S. Tryptophan-kynurenine pathway attenuates β-catenin-dependent pro-parasitic role of STING-TICAM2-IRF3-IDO1 signalosome in Toxoplasma gondii infection. Cell Death Dis 2019; 10:161. [PMID: 30770800 PMCID: PMC6377608 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-019-1420-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2018] [Revised: 01/25/2019] [Accepted: 01/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Recent studies have documented the diverse role of host immunity in infection by the protozoan parasite, Toxoplasma gondii. However, the contribution of the β-catenin pathway in this process has not been explored. Here, we show that AKT-mediated phosphorylated β-catenin supports T. gondii multiplication which is arrested in the deficiency of its phosphorylation domain at S552 position. The β-catenin-TCF4 protein complex binds to the promoter region of IRF3 gene and initiates its transcription, which was also abrogated in β-catenin knockout cells. TBK-independent phosphorylation of STING(S366) and its adaptor molecule TICAM2 by phospho-AKT(T308S473) augmented downstream IRF3-dependent IDO1 transcription, which was also dependent on β-catenin. But, proteasomal degradation of IDO1 by its tyrosine phosphorylation (at Y115 and Y253) favoured parasite replication. In absence of IDO1, tryptophan was catabolized into melatonin, which supressed cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and boosted parasite growth. Conversely, when tyrosine phosphorylation was abolished by phosphosite mutations, IDO1 escaped its ubiquitin-mediated proteasomal degradation system (UPS) and the stable IDO1 prevented parasite replication by kynurenine synthesis. We propose that T. gondii selectively utilizes tryptophan to produce the antioxidant, melatonin, thus prolonging the survival of infected cells through functional AKT and β-catenin activity for better parasite replication. Stable IDO1 in the presence of IFN-γ catabolized tryptophan into kynurenine, promoting cell death by suppressing phospho-AKT and phospho-β-catenin levels, and circumvented parasite replication. Treatment of infected cells with kynurenine or its analogue, teriflunomide suppressed kinase activity of AKT, and phosphorylation of β-catenin triggering caspase-3 dependent apoptosis of infected cells to inhibit parasite growth. Our results demonstrate that β-catenin regulate phosphorylated STING-TICAM2-IRF3-IDO1 signalosome for a cell-intrinsic pro-parasitic role. We propose that the downstream IRF3-IDO1-reliant tryptophan catabolites and their analogues can act as effective immunotherapeutic molecules to control T. gondii replication by impairing the AKT and β-catenin axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanmay Majumdar
- Immunobiology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Delhi, Delhi, 110007, India.
| | - Shagun Sharma
- Immunobiology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Delhi, Delhi, 110007, India
| | - Manmohan Kumar
- Immunobiology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Delhi, Delhi, 110007, India
| | - Md Arafat Hussain
- Immunobiology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Delhi, Delhi, 110007, India
| | - Namita Chauhan
- Department of Zoology, University of Delhi, Delhi, 110007, India
| | - Inderjeet Kalia
- Infectious Diseases Laboratory, National Institute of Immunology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, Delhi, 110067, India
| | - Amit Kumar Sahu
- Infectious Diseases Laboratory, National Institute of Immunology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, Delhi, 110067, India
| | - Vipin Singh Rana
- Department of Zoology, University of Delhi, Delhi, 110007, India
| | - Ruchi Bharti
- Immunobiology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Delhi, Delhi, 110007, India
| | - Arun Kumar Haldar
- Division of Biochemistry, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Sector-10, Jankipuram Ext., Lucknow, 226031, India
| | - Agam P Singh
- Infectious Diseases Laboratory, National Institute of Immunology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, Delhi, 110067, India
| | - Shibnath Mazumder
- Immunobiology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Delhi, Delhi, 110007, India
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11
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Li JX, He JJ, Elsheikha HM, Chen D, Zhai BT, Zhu XQ, Yan HK. Toxoplasma gondii ROP17 inhibits the innate immune response of HEK293T cells to promote its survival. Parasitol Res 2019; 118:783-792. [PMID: 30675671 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-019-06215-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2018] [Accepted: 01/10/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii secretes a group of rhoptry-secreted kinases (ROPs), which play significant roles in promoting intracellular infection. T. gondii rhoptry organelle protein 17 (ROP17) is one of these important effector proteins. However, its role in modulating host cell response during infection remains poorly understood. Here, we reveal that ROP17 (genotype I) induces significant changes in the expression genes and transcription factors of host cells. HEK293T cells were transfected with PCMV-N-HA-ROP17 plasmid or empty control PCMV-N-HA plasmid. Transcriptomic analysis revealed 3138 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in PCMV-N-HA-ROP17-transfected HEK293T cells, including 1456 upregulated, 1682 downregulated DEGs. Also, 715 of the DEGs were transcription factors (TFs), including 423 downregulated TFs and 292 upregulated TFs. Most differentially expressed TFs, whether belong to signal transduction, cancer-related pathways or immune-related pathways, were downregulated in ROP17-expressing cells. ROP17 also decreased alternative splicing events in host cells, presumably via alteration of the expression of genes involved in the alternative splicing pathway. Taken together, our findings suggest a novel strategy whereby T. gondii ROP17 manipulates various cellular processes, including immune response through reprogramming host gene expression to promote its own colonization and survival in the infected host cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie-Xi Li
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China.,State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, 730046, Gansu Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Jun-Jun He
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, 730046, Gansu Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Hany M Elsheikha
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough, LE12 5RD, UK
| | - Dan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, 730046, Gansu Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Bin-Tao Zhai
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, 730046, Gansu Province, People's Republic of China.,Inner Mongolia Agriculture University, Hohhot, 010018, People's Republic of China
| | - Xing-Quan Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, 730046, Gansu Province, People's Republic of China. .,Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for the Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China.
| | - Hai-Kuo Yan
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China.
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12
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Protein targets of thiazolidinone derivatives in Toxoplasma gondii and insights into their binding to ROP18. BMC Genomics 2018; 19:856. [PMID: 30497375 PMCID: PMC6267824 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-018-5223-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2018] [Accepted: 11/05/2018] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Thiazolidinone derivatives show inhibitory activity (IC50) against the Toxoplasma gondii parasite, as well as high selectivity with high therapeutic index. To disclose the target proteins of the thiazolidinone core in this parasite, we explored in silico the active sites of different T. gondii proteins and estimated the binding-free energy of reported thiazolidinone molecules with inhibitory effect on invasion and replication of the parasite inside host cells. This enabled us to describe some of the most suitable structural characteristics to design a compound derived from the thiazolidinone core. Results The best binding affinity was observed in the active site of kinase proteins, we selected the active site of the T. gondii ROP18 kinase, because it is an important factor for the virulence and survival of the parasite. We present the possible effect of a derivative of thiazolidinone core in the active site of T. gondii ROP18 and described some characteristics of substituent groups that could improve the affinity and specificity of compounds derived from the thiazolidinone core against T. gondii. Conclusions The results of our study suggest that compounds derived from the thiazolidinone core have a preference for protein kinases of T. gondii, being promising compounds for the development of new drugs with potential anti-toxoplasmosis activity. Our findings highlight the importance of use computational studies for the understanding of the action mechanism of compounds with biological activity. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12864-018-5223-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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