1
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Wang Y, Li J, Zhu J, Ma H, Zhuang B, Zhao J, Zhang F, Yu L. TgMIC6 inhibition of autophagy is partially responsible for the phenotypic differences between Chinese 1 Toxoplasma gondii strains. Int Immunopharmacol 2024; 140:112857. [PMID: 39116491 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2024.112857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2024] [Revised: 07/28/2024] [Accepted: 07/30/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024]
Abstract
Chinese1 is the predominant Toxoplasma gondii lineage in China, and significant phenotypic differences are observed within the lineage. WH3 and WH6 are two representative strains of Chinese 1, which exhibit divergent virulence and pathogenicity in mice. However, virulence determinants and their modulating mechanisms remain elusive. A global genome expression analysis of the WH3 and WH6 transcriptional profiles identified microneme secretory protein 6 (MIC6), which may be associated with the phenotypic difference observed in WH3. In the present study, the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9 genome-editing technique was used to generate a T. gondii microneme secretory protein (TgMIC6) knockout in WH3. Wild-type mice and different mouse and human cell lines were infected with the WH3, WH3-Δmic6, and WH6 strains. The survival rate of mice, related cytokine levels in serum, and the proliferation of parasites were observed. These results suggested that TgMIC6 is an important effector molecule that determines the differential virulence of WH3 in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, MIC6 may enhance WH3 virulence via inhibition of host cell autophagy and activation of key molecules in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-Akt-mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) classical autophagy pathway. CD40L was cleared in vivo by i.p injection of CD40L monoclonal antibody, and it was found that the virulence of WH3-Δmic6 to mice was restored to a certain extent in the absence of CD40L. This study elucidates the virulence determinants and immune escape strategies of Toxoplasma gondii in China. Moreover, these data will aid the development of effective strategies for the prevention and control of toxoplasmosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Wang
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Zoonoses, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Jingyang Li
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Zoonoses, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China; Department of Medical Laboratory, The Third People's Hospital of Hefei, The Third Clinical Medical College of Hefei of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Jinjin Zhu
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Zoonoses, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Haiyang Ma
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Zoonoses, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Baocan Zhuang
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Zoonoses, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Ji Zhao
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Zoonoses, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Famin Zhang
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Zoonoses, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Li Yu
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Zoonoses, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.
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2
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Murillo-Léon M, Bastidas-Quintero AM, Steinfeldt T. Decoding Toxoplasma gondii virulence: the mechanisms of IRG protein inactivation. Trends Parasitol 2024; 40:805-819. [PMID: 39168720 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2024.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2024] [Revised: 07/17/2024] [Accepted: 07/18/2024] [Indexed: 08/23/2024]
Abstract
Toxoplasmosis is a common parasitic zoonosis that can be life-threatening in immunocompromised patients. About one-third of the human population is infected with Toxoplasma gondii. Primary infection triggers an innate immune response wherein IFN-γ-induced host cell GTPases, namely IRG and GBP proteins, serve as a vital component for host cell resistance. In the past decades, interest in elucidating the function of these GTPase families in controlling various intracellular pathogens has emerged. Numerous T. gondii effectors were identified to inactivate particular IRG proteins. T. gondii is re-optimizing its effectors to combat IRG function and in this way secures transmission. We discuss the IRG-specific effectors employed by the parasite in murine infections, contributing to a better understanding of T. gondii virulence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mateo Murillo-Léon
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Medical Center University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany; CIBSS, Centre for Integrative Biological Signalling Studies, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany; Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Aura María Bastidas-Quintero
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany; Institute of Virology, Medical Center University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany; Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Tobias Steinfeldt
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany; Institute of Virology, Medical Center University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany.
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3
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Angel SO, Vanagas L, Alonso AM. Mechanisms of adaptation and evolution in Toxoplasma gondii. Mol Biochem Parasitol 2024; 258:111615. [PMID: 38354788 DOI: 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2024.111615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Revised: 12/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
Toxoplasma has high host flexibility, infecting all nucleated cells of mammals and birds. This implies that during its infective process the parasite must constantly adapt to different environmental situations, which in turn leads to modifications in its metabolism, regulation of gene transcription, translation of mRNAs and stage specific factors. There are conserved pathways that support these adaptations, which we aim to elucidate in this review. We begin by exploring the widespread epigenetic mechanisms and transcription regulators, continue with the supportive role of Heat Shock Proteins (Hsp), the translation regulation, stress granules, and finish with the emergence of contingency genes in highly variable genomic domains, such as subtelomeres. Within epigenetics, the discovery of a new histone variant of the H2B family (H2B.Z), contributing to T. gondii virulence and differentiation, but also gene expression regulation and its association with the metabolic state of the parasite, is highlighted. Associated with the regulation of gene expression are transcription factors (TFs). An overview of the main findings on TF and development is presented. We also emphasize the role of Hsp90 and Tgj1 in T. gondii metabolic fitness and the regulation of protein translation. Translation regulation is also highlighted as a mechanism for adaptation to conditions encountered by the parasite as well as stress granules containing mRNA and proteins generated in the extracellular tachyzoite. Another important aspect in evolution and adaptability are the subtelomeres because of their high variability and gene duplication rate. Toxoplasma possess multigene families of membrane proteins and contingency genes that are associated with different metabolic stresses. Among them parasite differentiation and environmental stresses stand out, including those that lead tachyzoite to bradyzoite conversion. Finally, we are interested in positioning protozoa as valuable evolution models, focusing on research related to the Extended Evolutionary Synthesis, based on models recently generated, such as extracellular adaptation and ex vivo cyst recrudescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio O Angel
- Laboratorio de Parasitología Molecular, INTECH, CONICET-UNSAM, Av. Intendente Marino Km. 8.2, C.C 164, (B7130IIWA), Chascomús, Prov, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Laura Vanagas
- Laboratorio de Parasitología Molecular, INTECH, CONICET-UNSAM, Av. Intendente Marino Km. 8.2, C.C 164, (B7130IIWA), Chascomús, Prov, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Andres M Alonso
- Laboratorio de Parasitología Molecular, INTECH, CONICET-UNSAM, Av. Intendente Marino Km. 8.2, C.C 164, (B7130IIWA), Chascomús, Prov, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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4
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Nayeri T, Sarvi S, Daryani A. Effective factors in the pathogenesis of Toxoplasmagondii. Heliyon 2024; 10:e31558. [PMID: 38818168 PMCID: PMC11137575 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e31558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Revised: 05/11/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is a cosmopolitan protozoan parasite in humans and animals. It infects about 30 % of the human population worldwide and causes potentially fatal diseases in immunocompromised hosts and neonates. For this study, five English-language databases (ScienceDirect, ProQuest, Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus) and the internet search engine Google Scholar were searched. This review was accomplished to draw a global perspective of what is known about the pathogenesis of T. gondii and various factors affecting it. Virulence and immune responses can influence the mechanisms of parasite pathogenesis and these factors are in turn influenced by other factors. In addition to the host's genetic background, the type of Toxoplasma strain, the routes of transmission of infection, the number of passages, and different phases of parasite life affect virulence. The identification of virulence factors of the parasite could provide promising insights into the pathogenesis of this parasite. The results of this study can be an incentive to conduct more intensive research to design and develop new anti-Toxoplasma agents (drugs and vaccines) to treat or prevent this infection. In addition, further studies are needed to better understand the key agents in the pathogenesis of T. gondii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tooran Nayeri
- Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Center, Dezful University of Medical Sciences, Dezful, Iran
- Student Research Committee, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Shahabeddin Sarvi
- Department of Parasitology, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Ahmad Daryani
- Department of Parasitology, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
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5
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Gupta P, Hiller A, Chowdhury J, Lim D, Lim DY, Saeij JPJ, Babaian A, Rodriguez F, Pereira L, Morales-Tapia A. A parasite odyssey: An RNA virus concealed in Toxoplasma gondii. Virus Evol 2024; 10:veae040. [PMID: 38817668 PMCID: PMC11137675 DOI: 10.1093/ve/veae040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Revised: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024] Open
Abstract
We are entering a 'Platinum Age of Virus Discovery', an era marked by exponential growth in the discovery of virus biodiversity, and driven by advances in metagenomics and computational analysis. In the ecosystem of a human (or any animal) there are more species of viruses than simply those directly infecting the animal cells. Viruses can infect all organisms constituting the microbiome, including bacteria, fungi, and unicellular parasites. Thus the complexity of possible interactions between host, microbe, and viruses is unfathomable. To understand this interaction network we must employ computationally assisted virology as a means of analyzing and interpreting the millions of available samples to make inferences about the ways in which viruses may intersect human health. From a computational viral screen of human neuronal datasets, we identified a novel narnavirus Apocryptovirus odysseus (Ao) which likely infects the neurotropic parasite Toxoplasma gondii. Previously, several parasitic protozoan viruses (PPVs) have been mechanistically established as triggers of host innate responses, and here we present in silico evidence that Ao is a plausible pro-inflammatory factor in human and mouse cells infected by T. gondii. T. gondii infects billions of people worldwide, yet the prognosis of toxoplasmosis disease is highly variable, and PPVs like Ao could function as a hitherto undescribed hypervirulence factor. In a broader screen of over 7.6 million samples, we explored phylogenetically proximal viruses to Ao and discovered nineteen Apocryptovirus species, all found in libraries annotated as vertebrate transcriptome or metatranscriptomes. While samples containing this genus of narnaviruses are derived from sheep, goat, bat, rabbit, chicken, and pigeon samples, the presence of virus is strongly predictive of parasitic Apicomplexa nucleic acid co-occurrence, supporting the fact that Apocryptovirus is a genus of parasite-infecting viruses. This is a computational proof-of-concept study in which we rapidly analyze millions of datasets from which we distilled a mechanistically, ecologically, and phylogenetically refined hypothesis. We predict that this highly diverged Ao RNA virus is biologically a T. gondii infection, and that Ao, and other viruses like it, will modulate this disease which afflicts billions worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Purav Gupta
- The Woodlands Secondary School, 3225 Erindale Station Rd,Mississauga, ON L5C 1Y5, Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, 1 King’s College Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
- The Donnelly Centre for Cellular + Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, 160 College St, Toronto, ON M5S 3E1, Canada
- The Woodlands Secondary School, 3225 Erindale Station Rd, Mississauga, ON L5C 1Y5, Canada
| | - Aiden Hiller
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, 1 King’s College Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
- The Donnelly Centre for Cellular + Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, 160 College St, Toronto, ON M5S 3E1, Canada
- The Woodlands Secondary School, 3225 Erindale Station Rd, Mississauga, ON L5C 1Y5, Canada
| | - Jawad Chowdhury
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, 1 King’s College Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
- The Donnelly Centre for Cellular + Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, 160 College St, Toronto, ON M5S 3E1, Canada
- The Woodlands Secondary School, 3225 Erindale Station Rd, Mississauga, ON L5C 1Y5, Canada
| | - Declan Lim
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, 1 King’s College Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
- The Donnelly Centre for Cellular + Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, 160 College St, Toronto, ON M5S 3E1, Canada
- The Woodlands Secondary School, 3225 Erindale Station Rd, Mississauga, ON L5C 1Y5, Canada
| | - Dillon Yee Lim
- The Woodlands Secondary School, 3225 Erindale Station Rd, Mississauga, ON L5C 1Y5, Canada
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Sherrington Building, Sherrington Road, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX1 3PT, UK
| | - Jeroen P J Saeij
- The Woodlands Secondary School, 3225 Erindale Station Rd, Mississauga, ON L5C 1Y5, Canada
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, 1 Shields Ave, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Artem Babaian
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, 1 King’s College Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
- The Donnelly Centre for Cellular + Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, 160 College St, Toronto, ON M5S 3E1, Canada
- The Woodlands Secondary School, 3225 Erindale Station Rd, Mississauga, ON L5C 1Y5, Canada
| | - Felipe Rodriguez
- The Woodlands Secondary School, 3225 Erindale Station Rd, Mississauga, ON L5C 1Y5, Canada
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, 1 Shields Ave, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Luke Pereira
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, 1 King’s College Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
- The Donnelly Centre for Cellular + Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, 160 College St, Toronto, ON M5S 3E1, Canada
- The Woodlands Secondary School, 3225 Erindale Station Rd, Mississauga, ON L5C 1Y5, Canada
| | - Alejandro Morales-Tapia
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, 1 King’s College Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
- The Donnelly Centre for Cellular + Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, 160 College St, Toronto, ON M5S 3E1, Canada
- The Woodlands Secondary School, 3225 Erindale Station Rd, Mississauga, ON L5C 1Y5, Canada
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6
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Lüder CGK. IFNs in host defence and parasite immune evasion during Toxoplasma gondii infections. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1356216. [PMID: 38384452 PMCID: PMC10879624 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1356216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Interferons (IFNs) are a family of cytokines with diverse functions in host resistance to pathogens and in immune regulation. Type II IFN, i.e. IFN-γ, is widely recognized as a major mediator of resistance to intracellular pathogens, including the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii. More recently, IFN-α/β, i.e. type I IFNs, and IFN-λ (type III IFN) have been identified to also play important roles during T. gondii infections. This parasite is a widespread pathogen of humans and animals, and it is a model organism to study cell-mediated immune responses to intracellular infection. Its success depends, among other factors, on the ability to counteract the IFN system, both at the level of IFN-mediated gene expression and at the level of IFN-regulated effector molecules. Here, I review recent advances in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying IFN-mediated host resistance and immune regulation during T. gondii infections. I also discuss those mechanisms that T. gondii has evolved to efficiently evade IFN-mediated immunity. Knowledge of these fascinating host-parasite interactions and their underlying signalling machineries is crucial for a deeper understanding of the pathogenesis of toxoplasmosis, and it might also identify potential targets of parasite-directed or host-directed supportive therapies to combat the parasite more effectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carsten G. K. Lüder
- Institute for Medical Microbiology and Virology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
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7
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Brito RMDM, de Lima Bessa G, Bastilho AL, Dantas-Torres F, de Andrade-Neto VF, Bueno LL, Fujiwara RT, Magalhães LMD. Genetic diversity of Toxoplasma gondii in South America: occurrence, immunity, and fate of infection. Parasit Vectors 2023; 16:461. [PMID: 38115102 PMCID: PMC10729521 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-023-06080-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/03/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is an intracellular parasite with a worldwide distribution. Toxoplasma gondii infections are of great concern for public health, and their impact is usually most severe in pregnant women and their foetuses, and in immunocompromised individuals. Displaying considerable genetic diversity, T. gondii strains differ widely according to geographical location, with archetypal strains predominantly found in the Northern Hemisphere and non-archetypal (atypical) strains, with highly diverse genotypes, found mainly in South America. In this review, we present an overview of the identification and distribution of non-archetypal strains of T. gondii. Special attention is paid to the strains that have been isolated in Brazil, their interaction with the host immunological response, and their impact on disease outcomes. The genetic differences among the strains are pivotal to the distinct immunological responses that they elicit. These differences arise from polymorphisms of key proteins released by the parasite, which represent important virulence factors. Infection with divergent non-archetypal strains can lead to unusual manifestations of the disease, even in immunocompetent individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramayana Morais de Medeiros Brito
- Laboratory of Immunobiology and Control of Parasites, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
- Laboratory of Malaria and Toxoplasmosis Biology, Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Biosciences Centre, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | | | - Alexandre Lazoski Bastilho
- Laboratory of Malaria and Toxoplasmosis Biology, Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Biosciences Centre, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | | | - Valter Ferreira de Andrade-Neto
- Laboratory of Malaria and Toxoplasmosis Biology, Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Biosciences Centre, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Lilian Lacerda Bueno
- Laboratory of Immunobiology and Control of Parasites, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Ricardo Toshio Fujiwara
- Laboratory of Immunobiology and Control of Parasites, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
| | - Luisa M D Magalhães
- Laboratory of Immunobiology and Control of Parasites, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
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8
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Dos Santos EH, Barreira GA, Yamamoto L, Rocha MC, Rodrigues KA, Cruz MCP, Kanunfre KA, Okay TS. New Allele-Specific Oligonucleotide (ASO) amplifications for Toxoplasma gondii rop18 allele typing: Analysis of 86 human congenital infections in Brazil. Acta Trop 2023; 247:107011. [PMID: 37652181 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2023.107011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
This study aimed to detect and differentiate Toxoplasma gondii by the allele typing of its polymorphic rop18 gene. For this purpose, a novel genotyping system using allele-specific oligonucleotides (ASOs) was designed, consisting of three ASO pairs. The first and third pairs specifically amplify rop18 allele I and allele III, while the second pair amplify both allele I and II. Genomic DNA from 86 congenital infections was analyzed by ASO-PCRs, successfully typing 82 (95.35%) samples. The remaining 4 samples (4.65%) required sequencing and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis of the amplification products. The distribution of samples according to rop18 alleles was: 39.5% of allele III, 38.4% of allele II, 19.8% of mixed rop18 alleles (I/III or II/III), and 2.3% of allele I. The six severely compromised infants exhibited the highest parasite load levels and were infected during the first and early second trimesters of pregnancy. Among these cases, two were associated with rop18 allele I parasites, two with mixed rop18 alleles (I/III), one with allele II, and one with allele III parasites. In conclusion, all severe cases of congenital toxoplasmosis were infected during early pregnancy, but they were not exclusively associated with rop18 allele I parasites, as observed in murine toxoplasmosis. Furthermore, nearly one-fifth of parasites were non-archetypal, exhibiting more than one rop18 allele, indicating a higher genetic diversity of Toxoplasma gondii in this South American sample. Overall, a robust T. gondii rop18 allele typing was developed and suggested that congenital toxoplasmosis in humans involves complex mechanisms beyond the parasite genotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilly Henrique Dos Santos
- Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, Brasil; Departamento de Pediatria, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, Brasil
| | - Gabriel Acca Barreira
- Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, Brasil; Faculdade Israelita de Ciências da Saúde Albert Einstein (FICSAE), São Paulo, Brasil
| | - Lidia Yamamoto
- Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, Brasil
| | - Mussya Cisotto Rocha
- Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, Brasil
| | - Karen Alessandra Rodrigues
- Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, Brasil; Departamento de Pediatria, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, Brasil
| | | | | | - Thelma Suely Okay
- Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, Brasil; Departamento de Pediatria, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, Brasil.
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9
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Brito RMDM, da Silva MCM, Vieira-Santos F, de Almeida Lopes C, Souza JLN, Bastilho AL, de Barros Fernandes H, de Miranda AS, de Oliveira ACP, de Almeida Vitor RW, de Andrade-Neto VF, Bueno LL, Fujiwara RT, Magalhães LMD. Chronic infection by atypical Toxoplasma gondii strain induces disturbance in microglia population and altered behaviour in mice. Brain Behav Immun Health 2023; 30:100652. [PMID: 37396335 PMCID: PMC10308216 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbih.2023.100652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2023] [Revised: 06/03/2023] [Accepted: 06/04/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii chronic infection is characterized by the establishment of tissue cysts in the brain and increased levels of IFN-γ, which can lead to brain circuitry interference and consequently abnormal behaviour in mice. In this sense, the study presented here sought to investigate the impact of chronic infection by two T. gondii strains in the brain of infection-resistant mice, as a model for studying the involvement of chronic neuroinflammation with the development of behavioural alterations. For that, male BALB/c mice were divided into three groups: non-infected (Ni), infected with T. gondii ME49 clonal strain (ME49), and infected with TgCkBrRN2 atypical strain (CK2). Mice were monitored for 60 days to establish the chronic infection and then submitted to behavioural assessment. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used for measurement of specific IgG in the blood and levels of inflammatory cytokines and neurotrophic factors in the brain, and the cell's immunophenotype was determined by multiparametric flow cytometry. Mice infected with ME49 clonal strain displayed hyperlocomotor activity and memory deficit, although no signs of depressive- and/or anxiety-like behaviour were detected; on the other hand, chronic infection with CK2 atypical strain induced anxiety- and depressive-like behaviour. During chronic infection by CK2 atypical strain, mice displayed a higher number of T. gondii brain tissue cysts and inflammatory infiltrate, composed mainly of CD3+ T lymphocytes and Ly6Chi inflammatory monocytes, compared to mice infected with the ME49 clonal strain. Infected mice presented a marked decrease of microglia population compared to non-infected group. Chronic infection with CK2 strain produced elevated levels of IFN-γ and TNF-ɑ in the brain, decreased NGF levels in the prefrontal cortex and striatum, and altered levels of fractalkine (CX3CL1) in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. The persistent inflammation and the disturbance in the cerebral homeostasis may contribute to altered behaviour in mice, as the levels of IFN-γ were shown to be correlated with the behavioural parameters assessed here. Considering the high incidence and life-long persistence of T. gondii infection, this approach can be considered a suitable model for studying the impact of chronic infections in the brain and how it impacts in behavioural responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramayana Morais de Medeiros Brito
- Laboratory of Immunobiology and Control of Parasites, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
- Laboratory of Malaria and Toxoplasmosis Biology, Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Biosciences Centre, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil
| | - Maria Carolina Machado da Silva
- Neuropharmacology Laboratory, Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Flaviane Vieira-Santos
- Laboratory of Immunobiology and Control of Parasites, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Camila de Almeida Lopes
- Laboratory of Immunobiology and Control of Parasites, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Jorge Lucas Nascimento Souza
- Laboratory of Immunobiology and Control of Parasites, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Alexandre Lazoski Bastilho
- Laboratory of Malaria and Toxoplasmosis Biology, Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Biosciences Centre, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil
| | - Heliana de Barros Fernandes
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Department of Morphology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Aline Silva de Miranda
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Department of Morphology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Antônio Carlos Pinheiro de Oliveira
- Neuropharmacology Laboratory, Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Ricardo Wagner de Almeida Vitor
- Laboratory of Toxoplasmosis, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Valter Ferreira de Andrade-Neto
- Laboratory of Malaria and Toxoplasmosis Biology, Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Biosciences Centre, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil
| | - Lilian Lacerda Bueno
- Laboratory of Immunobiology and Control of Parasites, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Ricardo Toshio Fujiwara
- Laboratory of Immunobiology and Control of Parasites, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Luísa Mourão Dias Magalhães
- Laboratory of Immunobiology and Control of Parasites, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
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10
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Hamed EFA, Mostafa NES, Fawzy EM, Ibrahim MN, Ibrahim BH, Radwan M, Salama MA. Toxoplasma gondii Suppresses Th2-Induced by Trichinella spiralis Infection and Downregulates Serine Protease Genes Expression: A Critical Role in Vaccine Development. IRANIAN JOURNAL OF PARASITOLOGY 2023; 18:172-181. [PMID: 37583627 PMCID: PMC10423907 DOI: 10.18502/ijpa.v18i2.13183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/17/2023]
Abstract
Background Toxoplasma gondii coinfection can modify host immune responses and the severity and spread of other parasites. We investigated how T. gondii and Trichinella spiralis infections counter-regulate each other's immune responses. Methods The parasite burden, the expression of T. gondii rhoptry kinase ROP18 and T. spiralis putative serine protease (TsSP), the IgG1 and IgG2a responses, besides histopathological and immunohistochemical staining with iNOS and arginase were used to evaluate the dynamics of coinfection. Results Through their effects on host immune responsiveness, coinfection with T. gondii modified the virulence of T. spiralis infection. Coinfected animals with high and low doses of T. gondii demonstrated significant reductions in the T. spiralis burden of 75.2% and 68.2%, respectively. TsSP expression was downregulated in both groups by 96.2% and 86.7%, whereasROP18 expression was downregulated by only 6% and10.6%, respectively. In coinfected mice, elevated levels of T. gondii-specific IgG2a antibodies were detected. Th1 induced by T. gondii inhibits the Th2 response to T. spiralis in coinfected animals with high iNOS expression andlow-arginine1 expression. Conclusion T. gondii infection induces a shift toward a Th1-type immune response while suppressing a helminth-specific Th2 immune response, paving the way for developing novel vaccines and more efficient control strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nahed El-Sayed Mostafa
- Department of Medical Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Sharkia, Egypt
| | - Eman Magdy Fawzy
- Department of Medical Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Sharkia, Egypt
| | - Mohamed Nabil Ibrahim
- Department of Clinical Laboratories, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Jouf University, Qurrayat, KSA
| | - Basma Hamed Ibrahim
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Sharkia, Egypt
| | - Mona Radwan
- Department of Community and Occupational Medicine, Faculty of medicine, Zagazig University, Sharkia, Egypt
| | - Marwa Ahmed Salama
- Department of Medical Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Sharkia, Egypt
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11
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Esmaeilifallah M, Sadraei J, Pirestani M, Kalantari R. Molecular characterization and genotyping of Toxoplasma gondii in free-living animals in Iran: Effect of One Health. Vet Parasitol Reg Stud Reports 2022; 36:100808. [PMID: 36436895 DOI: 10.1016/j.vprsr.2022.100808] [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: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
To understand the transmission of Toxoplasma gondii, this parasite's genetic diversity distribution in free-living hosts is essential. This research's objective is the molecular genotyping of T. gondii isolates from the brain and muscles of Columbidae, Corvidae, Rattus, and Felidae of Mianeh County, East-Azerbaijan Province, Northwest Iran. Three hundred fifty samples were taken. For the genotyping of T. gondii, the GRA6 gene was amplified and digested by the Tru1I (MseI) enzyme. Results of RFLP were confirmed by sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. In total, 52%, 34%, 24%, and 50% of Columbidae, Corvidae, Rattus, and Felidae were positive for T. gondii DNA, respectively. All isolated Columbidae were identified as genotype III (100%). Also, 94.1% and 5.9% of Corvidae isolates, 84.4% and 15.6% of the Rattus isolates, and 51.7% and 48.3% of the Felidae isolates belonged to genotypes III and II, respectively. This study is the first to evaluate genetic similarity and phylogenetic analysis between many definitive and intermediated hosts in northwestern Iran. The finding indicates that the T. gondii cycle is maintained among these hosts. As a result, their presence in the environment can be a risk factor for transmitting the infection to humans. Due to demographic and geographic differences in various regions, further studies are required to determine the genetic population structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahsa Esmaeilifallah
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Javid Sadraei
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Majid Pirestani
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Reza Kalantari
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
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12
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Quintero M, Blandón LM, Vidal OM, Guzman JD, Gómez-Marín JE, Patiño AD, Molina DA, Puerto-Castro GM, Gómez-León J. In vitro biological activity of extracts from marine bacteria cultures against Toxoplasma gondii and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. J Appl Microbiol 2021; 132:2705-2720. [PMID: 34856041 DOI: 10.1111/jam.15397] [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: 09/11/2020] [Revised: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
AIMS To evaluate the biological activity of extracts from cultures of marine bacteria against Toxoplasma gondii and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. METHODS AND RESULTS Ethyl acetate extracts obtained from seven marine bacteria were tested against T. gondii GFP-RH and M. tuberculosis H37Rv. The cytotoxicity on HFF-1 cells was measured by a microplate resazurin fluorescent approach, and the haemolytic activity was determined photometrically. The extracts from Bacillus sp. (INV FIR35 and INV FIR48) affected the tachyzoite viability. The extracts from Bacillus, Pseudoalteromonas, Streptomyces and Micromonospora exhibited effects on infection and proliferation processes of parasite. Bacillus sp. INV FIR48 extract showed an minimum inhibitory concentration value of 50 µg ml-1 against M. tuberculosis H37Rv. All the extracts exhibited relatively low toxicity to HFF-1 cells and the primary culture of erythrocytes, except Bacillus sp. INV FIR35, which decreased cell viability under 20%. Liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry analysis of the most active bacterial extract Bacillus sp. INV FIR48 showed the presence of peptide metabolites related to surfactin. CONCLUSIONS The extract from culture of deep-sea Bacillus sp. INV FIR48 showed anti-T. gondii and anti-tuberculosis (TB) biological activity with low cytotoxicity. In addition, peptide metabolites were detected in the extract. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY Toxoplasmosis and TB are among the most prevalent diseases worldwide, and the current treatment drugs exhibit side effects. This study confirm that marine bacteria are on hand sources of anti-infective natural products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marynes Quintero
- Marine Bioprospecting Line, Evaluation and Use of Marine and Coastal Resources Program-VAR, Marine and Coastal Research Institute-INVEMAR, Santa Marta, Colombia
| | - Lina M Blandón
- Marine Bioprospecting Line, Evaluation and Use of Marine and Coastal Resources Program-VAR, Marine and Coastal Research Institute-INVEMAR, Santa Marta, Colombia
| | - Oscar M Vidal
- Division of Health Sciences, Medicine Department, Universidad del Norte, Barranquilla, Colombia
| | - Juan D Guzman
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Giessen, Germany
| | - Jorge E Gómez-Marín
- GEPAMOL, Center for Biomedical Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad del Quindío, Armenia, Colombia
| | - Albert D Patiño
- Marine Bioprospecting Line, Evaluation and Use of Marine and Coastal Resources Program-VAR, Marine and Coastal Research Institute-INVEMAR, Santa Marta, Colombia
| | - Diego A Molina
- GEPAMOL, Center for Biomedical Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad del Quindío, Armenia, Colombia
| | - Gloria M Puerto-Castro
- Red Nacional de Investigación Innovación y Gestión del Conocimiento en Tuberculosis, Instituto Nacional de Salud, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Javier Gómez-León
- Marine Bioprospecting Line, Evaluation and Use of Marine and Coastal Resources Program-VAR, Marine and Coastal Research Institute-INVEMAR, Santa Marta, Colombia
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13
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Fernández-Escobar M, Calero-Bernal R, Regidor-Cerrillo J, Vallejo R, Benavides J, Collantes-Fernández E, Ortega-Mora LM. In vivo and in vitro models show unexpected degrees of virulence among Toxoplasma gondii type II and III isolates from sheep. Vet Res 2021; 52:82. [PMID: 34112256 PMCID: PMC8194156 DOI: 10.1186/s13567-021-00953-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is an important zoonotic agent with high genetic diversity, complex epidemiology, and variable clinical outcomes in animals and humans. In veterinary medicine, this apicomplexan parasite is considered one of the main infectious agents responsible for reproductive failure in small ruminants worldwide. The aim of this study was to phenotypically characterize 10 Spanish T. gondii isolates recently obtained from sheep in a normalized mouse model and in an ovine trophoblast cell line (AH-1) as infection target cells. The panel of isolates met selection criteria regarding such parameters as genetic diversity [types II (ToxoDB #1 and #3) and III (#2)], geographical location, and sample of origin (aborted foetal brain tissues or adult sheep myocardium). Evaluations of in vivo mortality, morbidity, parasite burden and histopathology were performed. Important variations between isolates were observed, although all isolates were classified as “nonvirulent” (< 30% cumulative mortality). The isolates TgShSp16 (#3) and TgShSp24 (#2) presented higher degrees of virulence. Significant differences were found in terms of in vitro invasion rates and tachyzoite yield at 72 h post-inoculation (hpi) between TgShSp1 and TgShSp24 isolates, which exhibited the lowest and highest rates, respectively. The study of the CS3, ROP18 and ROP5 loci allelic profiles revealed only type III alleles in ToxoDB #2 isolates and type II alleles in the #1 and #3 isolates included. We concluded that there are relevant intra- and inter-genotype virulence differences in Spanish T. gondii isolates, which could not be inferred by genetic characterization using currently described molecular markers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mercedes Fernández-Escobar
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Rafael Calero-Bernal
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Javier Regidor-Cerrillo
- SALUVET-Innova S.L., Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | | | | | - Esther Collantes-Fernández
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Luis Miguel Ortega-Mora
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
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14
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Berná L, Marquez P, Cabrera A, Greif G, Francia ME, Robello C. Reevaluation of the Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum genomes reveals misassembly, karyotype differences, and chromosomal rearrangements. Genome Res 2021; 31:823-833. [PMID: 33906964 PMCID: PMC8092007 DOI: 10.1101/gr.262832.120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Neosporacaninum primarily infects cattle, causing abortions, with an estimated impact of a billion dollars on the worldwide economy annually. However, the study of its biology has been unheeded by the established paradigm that it is virtually identical to its close relative, the widely studied human pathogen Toxoplasma gondii. By revisiting the genome sequence, assembly, and annotation using third-generation sequencing technologies, here we show that the N. caninum genome was originally incorrectly assembled under the presumption of synteny with T. gondii. We show that major chromosomal rearrangements have occurred between these species. Importantly, we show that chromosomes originally named Chr VIIb and VIII are indeed fused, reducing the karyotype of both N. caninum and T. gondii to 13 chromosomes. We reannotate the N. caninum genome, revealing more than 500 new genes. We sequence and annotate the nonphotosynthetic plastid and mitochondrial genomes and show that although apicoplast genomes are virtually identical, high levels of gene fragmentation and reshuffling exist between species and strains. Our results correct assembly artifacts that are currently widely distributed in the genome database of N. caninum and T. gondii and, more importantly, highlight the mitochondria as a previously oversighted source of variability and pave the way for a change in the paradigm of synteny, encouraging rethinking the genome as basis of the comparative unique biology of these pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luisa Berná
- Laboratory of Host Pathogen Interactions-Molecular Biology Unit, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, 11400 Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Pablo Marquez
- Laboratory of Host Pathogen Interactions-Molecular Biology Unit, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, 11400 Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Andrés Cabrera
- Laboratory of Host Pathogen Interactions-Molecular Biology Unit, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, 11400 Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Gonzalo Greif
- Laboratory of Host Pathogen Interactions-Molecular Biology Unit, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, 11400 Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - María E Francia
- Laboratory of Apicomplexan Biology, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, 11400 Montevideo, Uruguay.,Departamento de Parasitología y Micología, Facultad de Medicina-Universidad de la República, 11600 Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Carlos Robello
- Laboratory of Host Pathogen Interactions-Molecular Biology Unit, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, 11400 Montevideo, Uruguay.,Departamento de Bioquímica, Facultad de Medicina-Universidad de la República, 11300 Montevideo, Uruguay
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15
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Hamidović A, Etougbétché JR, Tonouhewa ABN, Galal L, Dobigny G, Houémènou G, Da Zoclanclounon H, Amagbégnon R, Laleye A, Fievet N, Piry S, Berthier K, Pena HFJ, Dardé ML, Mercier A. A hotspot of Toxoplasma gondii Africa 1 lineage in Benin: How new genotypes from West Africa contribute to understand the parasite genetic diversity worldwide. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2021; 15:e0008980. [PMID: 33571262 PMCID: PMC7904144 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2020] [Revised: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Through international trades, Europe, Africa and South America share a long history of exchanges, potentially of pathogens. We used the worldwide parasite Toxoplasma gondii to test the hypothesis of a historical influence on pathogen genetic diversity in Benin, a West African country with a longstanding sea trade history. In Africa, T. gondii spatial structure is still non-uniformly studied and very few articles have reported strain genetic diversity in fauna and clinical forms of human toxoplasmosis so far, even in African diaspora. Sera from 758 domestic animals (mainly poultry) in two coastal areas (Cotonou and Ouidah) and two inland areas (Parakou and Natitingou) were tested for T. gondii antibodies using a Modified Agglutination Test (MAT). The hearts and brains of 69 seropositive animals were collected for parasite isolation in a mouse bioassay. Forty-five strains were obtained and 39 genotypes could be described via 15-microsatellite genotyping, with a predominance of the autochthonous African lineage Africa 1 (36/39). The remaining genotypes were Africa 4 variant TUB2 (1/39) and two identical isolates (clone) of Type III (2/39). No difference in terms of genotype distribution between inland and coastal sampling sites was found. In particular, contrarily to what has been described in Senegal, no type II (mostly present in Europe) was isolated in poultry from coastal cities. This result seems to refute a possible role of European maritime trade in Benin despite it was one of the most important hubs during the slave trade period. However, the presence of the Africa 1 genotype in Brazil, predominant in Benin, and genetic analyses suggest that the triangular trade was a route for the intercontinental dissemination of genetic strains from Africa to South America. This supports the possibility of contamination in humans and animals with potentially imported virulent strains. The parasite Toxoplasma gondii is a worldwide-distributed pathogen, able to infect all warm-blooded animals. There are important differences in the clinical expression of the infection in direct relation with the parasite genetic profile. In some regions, the geographical structuration of its genetic diversity points towards a crucial role of human activities in some lineages introduction or sorting. Benin is a West African country with a history of extensive transcontinental exchanges. Our genetic study of Toxoplasma in Benin shows a surprisingly homogeneous and autochthonous diversity, which contrasts with previous studies from other West and Central African countries. In Benin, the absence of European Toxoplasma lineages may be explained by the extreme rarity of the house mouse (Mus musculus), a host species that was previously described as highly susceptible to the mouse-virulent African strains. Might Benin be the origin region for the Africa 1 lineage, our results suggest that Guinean Gulf coasts may be a starting point of this lineage towards South America, especially Brazil, during the slave trade. As a whole, the present study provides further insights into the recent evolutionary history of Toxoplasma gondii and its consequences on human and animal health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Azra Hamidović
- INSERM, Univ. Limoges, CHU Limoges, IRD, U1094, Tropical Neuroepidemiology, Institute of Epidemiology and Tropical Neurology, GEIST, Limoges, France
- * E-mail:
| | - Jonas Raoul Etougbétché
- UAC, EPAC, Laboratoire de Recherche en Biologie Appliquée, Unité de Recherche sur les Invasions Biologiques, Cotonou, Benin
| | | | - Lokman Galal
- INSERM, Univ. Limoges, CHU Limoges, IRD, U1094, Tropical Neuroepidemiology, Institute of Epidemiology and Tropical Neurology, GEIST, Limoges, France
| | - Gauthier Dobigny
- UAC, EPAC, Laboratoire de Recherche en Biologie Appliquée, Unité de Recherche sur les Invasions Biologiques, Cotonou, Benin
- Centre de Biologie pour la Gestion des Populations, IRD, CIRAD, INRA, Montpellier SupAgro, MUSE, Montpellier, France
| | - Gualbert Houémènou
- UAC, EPAC, Laboratoire de Recherche en Biologie Appliquée, Unité de Recherche sur les Invasions Biologiques, Cotonou, Benin
| | - Honoré Da Zoclanclounon
- Laboratoire d’Expérimentation Animale, Unité de Biologie Humaine, Faculté des Sciences de la Santé, Université d’Abomey-Calavi, Cotonou, Benin
| | - Richard Amagbégnon
- Laboratoire de biologie médicale, Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire de la Mère et de l’Enfant Lagune (CHU-MEL), Cotonou, Bénin
| | - Anatole Laleye
- Laboratoire d’Expérimentation Animale, Unité de Biologie Humaine, Faculté des Sciences de la Santé, Université d’Abomey-Calavi, Cotonou, Benin
| | - Nadine Fievet
- UMR216-MERIT, IRD, Université Paris-5, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France; Centre d’Etude et de Recherche sur le Paludisme Associé à la Grossesse et à l’Enfance (CERPAGE), Cotonou, Bénin
| | - Sylvain Piry
- Centre de Biologie pour la Gestion des Populations, IRD, CIRAD, INRA, Montpellier SupAgro, MUSE, Montpellier, France
| | - Karine Berthier
- Centre de Biologie pour la Gestion des Populations, IRD, CIRAD, INRA, Montpellier SupAgro, MUSE, Montpellier, France
| | - Hilda Fátima Jesus Pena
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marie-Laure Dardé
- INSERM, Univ. Limoges, CHU Limoges, IRD, U1094, Tropical Neuroepidemiology, Institute of Epidemiology and Tropical Neurology, GEIST, Limoges, France
- Centre National de Référence Toxoplasmose/Toxoplasma Biological Resource Center, CHU Limoges, Limoges, France
| | - Aurélien Mercier
- INSERM, Univ. Limoges, CHU Limoges, IRD, U1094, Tropical Neuroepidemiology, Institute of Epidemiology and Tropical Neurology, GEIST, Limoges, France
- Centre National de Référence Toxoplasmose/Toxoplasma Biological Resource Center, CHU Limoges, Limoges, France
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16
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Fernández-Escobar M, Calero-Bernal R, Regidor-Cerrillo J, Vallejo R, Benavides J, Collantes-Fernández E, Ortega-Mora LM. Isolation, Genotyping, and Mouse Virulence Characterization of Toxoplasma gondii From Free Ranging Iberian Pigs. Front Vet Sci 2020; 7:604782. [PMID: 33330725 PMCID: PMC7714755 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2020.604782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The present study aimed to isolate and perform molecular and phenotypic characterization of Toxoplasma gondii strains infecting Iberian pigs bred under semi-free conditions and destined for human consumption. Blood and heart tissue samples from 361 fattening pigs from 10 various herds selected in the main areas of Iberian pig production were collected at a slaughterhouse; the sera were tested for anti-T. gondii antibodies using a commercial indirect ELISA kit, and a mouse bioassay was carried out using heart muscle of seropositive individual representatives from each geographical location. Seventy-nine (21.9%) of the 361 animals tested positive for anti-T. gondii antibodies according to the serology test. Fifteen samples of myocardial tissue were subjected to bioassay and 5 isolates (TgPigSp1 to TgPigSp5) were obtained. The isolates were characterized by using 11 PCR-RFLP genetic markers; three isolates had a ToxoDB #3 genotype (3/5) and two isolates had a ToxoDB #2 genotype (2/5). The TgPigSp1 and TgPigSp4 isolates were selected for virulence in mice characterization as instances of each different RFLP-genotype found. The TgPigSp1 isolate (#2 genotype) was virulent in mice with notable cumulative mortality (87.5%) and morbidity rates (100%); the TgPigSp4 (#3) was nonvirulent and triggered mild clinical signs in 42.1% of seropositive mice. Infection dynamics and organ distribution of both isolates were analyzed; the data revealed significant differences, including substantially higher parasite load in the lung during the acute phase of infection, in mice infected with TgPigSp1 than in the case of TgPigSp4 (median parasite load 7.6 vs. 0 zoites/mg, respectively; p < 0.05). Furthermore, degrees of severity of detected histopathological lesions appeared to be related to higher parasite burdens. Taking into account the unexpectedly high mortality rate and parasite load associated with the clonal genotype III, which is traditionally considered nonvirulent in mice, the need for further investigation and characterization of the T. gondii strains circulating in any host in Europe is emphasized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mercedes Fernández-Escobar
- Salud Veterinaria y Zoonosis (SALUVET) Group, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Rafael Calero-Bernal
- Salud Veterinaria y Zoonosis (SALUVET) Group, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier Regidor-Cerrillo
- SALUVET-innova S.L., Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Raquel Vallejo
- Mountain Livestock Institute, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad de León (CSIC-ULE), León, Spain
| | - Julio Benavides
- Mountain Livestock Institute, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad de León (CSIC-ULE), León, Spain
| | - Esther Collantes-Fernández
- Salud Veterinaria y Zoonosis (SALUVET) Group, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Luis Miguel Ortega-Mora
- Salud Veterinaria y Zoonosis (SALUVET) Group, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
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17
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In Vivo and In Vitro Virulence Analysis of Four Genetically Distinct Toxoplasma gondii Lineage III Isolates. Microorganisms 2020; 8:microorganisms8111702. [PMID: 33142663 PMCID: PMC7693757 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8111702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Revised: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii archetypes II and III are mildly virulent, yet virulence of variant strains is largely unknown. While lineage II dominates in humans in Europe, lineage III strains are present in various intermediate hosts. In Serbia, lineage III represents 24% of the population structure and occurs most frequently in domestic animals, implying a significant presence in the human food web. In this study, the virulence of four genetically distinct lineage III variants was assessed in vivo and in vitro. In vivo, two strains were shown to be intermediately virulent and two mildly virulent, with cumulative mortalities of 69.4%, 38.8%, 10.7%, and 6.8%, respectively. The strain with the highest mortality has previously been isolated in Europe and may be endemic; the strain with the lowest mortality matches ToxoDB#54, while the remaining two represent novel genotypes. Identical alleles were detected at ROP5, ROP16, ROP18, and GRA15. A set of in vitro analyses revealed proliferation and plaque formation as virulence factors. Higher levels of expression of ENO2 in intermediately virulent strains point to enhanced metabolism as the underlying mechanism. The results suggest that metabolic attenuation, and possibly stage conversion, may be delayed in virulent strains.
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18
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Song Y, Song L, Wan X, Shen B, Fang R, Hu M, Zhao J, Zhou Y. A Comparison of Transcriptional Diversity of Swine Macrophages Infected With TgHB1 Strain of Toxoplasma gondii Isolated in China. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2020; 10:526876. [PMID: 33102248 PMCID: PMC7546811 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.526876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is an apicomplexan parasite infecting human and animals, causing huge public health concerns and economic losses. Swine alveolar macrophage plays an important role in controlling T. gondii infection. However, the mechanism by which macrophages infected with T. gondii function in the immunity to the infection is unclear, especially for local isolates such as TgHB1 isolated in China. RNA-seq as a valuable tool was applied to simultaneously analyze transcriptional changes of pig alveolar macrophages infected with TgRH (typeI), TgME49 (typeII) or TgHB1 at different time points post infection (6, 12, and 24 h). Paired-end clean reads were aligned to the Sscrofa10.2 pig genome and T. gondii ME49 genome. The differentially expressed genes of macrophages and T. gondii were enriched through Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes, respectively. Compared to the TgRH and TgME49 infection groups, 307 down-regulated macrophage genes (mainly enriched for development and metabolism) and 419 up-regulated genes (mainly enriched for immune pathways) were uniquely expressed in the TgHB1 infection group. Additionally, 557 down-regulated and 674 up-regulated T. gondii genes (mainly enriched in metabolism and biosynthesis) were uniquely expressed in the TgHB1 infection group. For validation purposes, some of the differentially expressed genes of macrophages involved in immune-related signaling pathways were used for further analysis via real time quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase-chain reaction (qRT-PCR). This work provides important insights into the temporal immune responses of swine alveolar macrophages to infection by the strain TgHB1 isolated from China, and is helpful for better understanding of the T. gondii genotype-associated activation of macrophages during early phase of the infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongle Song
- Key Laboratory Preventive Veterinary of Hubei Province, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.,State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Lindong Song
- Key Laboratory Preventive Veterinary of Hubei Province, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.,State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiaoting Wan
- Key Laboratory Preventive Veterinary of Hubei Province, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.,State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Bang Shen
- Key Laboratory Preventive Veterinary of Hubei Province, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.,State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Rui Fang
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Min Hu
- Key Laboratory Preventive Veterinary of Hubei Province, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.,State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Junlong Zhao
- Key Laboratory Preventive Veterinary of Hubei Province, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.,State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yanqin Zhou
- Key Laboratory Preventive Veterinary of Hubei Province, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.,State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
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19
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Fernández-Escobar M, Calero-Bernal R, Benavides J, Regidor-Cerrillo J, Guerrero-Molina MC, Gutiérrez-Expósito D, Collantes-Fernández E, Ortega-Mora LM. Isolation and genetic characterization of Toxoplasma gondii in Spanish sheep flocks. Parasit Vectors 2020; 13:396. [PMID: 32758283 PMCID: PMC7404076 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-020-04275-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Toxoplasma gondii is a major cause of abortion in small ruminants and presents a zoonotic risk when undercooked meat containing cysts is consumed. The aim of the present study was to investigate the genetic diversity among the T. gondii strains circulating in ovine livestock in Spain. Methods Selected samples collected from abortion outbreaks due to toxoplasmosis (n = 31) and from chronically infected adult sheep at slaughterhouses (n = 50) in different Spanish regions were bioassayed in mice, aiming at parasite isolation. In addition, all original clinical samples and the resulting isolates were genotyped by multi-nested PCR-RFLP analysis of 11 molecular markers and by PCR-DNA sequencing of portions of the SAG3, GRA6 and GRA7 genes. Results As a result, 30 isolates were obtained from 9 Spanish regions: 10 isolates from abortion-derived samples and 20 isolates from adult myocardial tissues. Overall, 3 genotypes were found: ToxoDB#3 (type II PRU variant) in 90% (27/30) of isolates, ToxoDB#2 (clonal type III) in 6.7% (2/30), and ToxoDB#1 (clonal type II) in 3.3% (1/30). When T. gondii-positive tissue samples (n = 151) were directly subjected to RFLP genotyping, complete restriction profiles were obtained for 33% of samples, and up to 98% of the specimens belonged to the type II PRU variant. A foetal brain showed a clonal type II pattern, and four specimens showed unexpected type I alleles at the SAG3 marker, including two foetal brains that showed I + II alleles as co-infection events. Amplicons of SAG3, GRA6 and GRA7 obtained from isolates and clinical samples were subjected to sequencing, allowing us to confirm RFLP results and to detect different single-nucleotide polymorphisms. Conclusions The present study informed the existence of a predominant type II PRU variant genotype (ToxoDB#3) infecting domestic sheep in Spain, in both abortion cases and chronic infections in adults, coexisting with other clonal (ToxoDB#1 and ToxoDB#2), much less frequent genotypes, as well as polymorphic strains as revealed by clinical sample genotyping. The use of multilocus sequence typing aided in accurately estimating T. gondii intragenotype diversity. ![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Mercedes Fernández-Escobar
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Rafael Calero-Bernal
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Julio Benavides
- Instituto de Ganadería de Montaña (CSIC-ULE), 24346, León, Spain
| | - Javier Regidor-Cerrillo
- SALUVET-innova S.L, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - María Cristina Guerrero-Molina
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Esther Collantes-Fernández
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Luis Miguel Ortega-Mora
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
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20
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Calarco L, Ellis J. Species diversity and genome evolution of the pathogenic protozoan parasite, Neospora caninum. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2020; 84:104444. [PMID: 32619639 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2020.104444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2020] [Revised: 04/16/2020] [Accepted: 06/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Neospora caninum is a cyst-forming coccidian parasite of veterinary and economical significance, affecting dairy and beef cattle industries on a global scale. Comparative studies suggest that N. caninum consists of a globally dispersed, diverse population of lineages, distinguished by their geographical origin, broad host range, and phenotypic features. This viewpoint is however changing. While intraspecies diversity, and more specifically pathogenic variability, has been experimentally demonstrated in a myriad of studies, the underlying contributors and sources responsible for such diversity have remained nebulous. However, recent large-scale sequence and bioinformatics studies have aided in revealing intrinsic genetic differences distinguishing isolates of this species, that await further characterisation as causative links to virulence and pathogenicity. Furthermore, progress on N. caninum research as a non-model organism is hindered by a lack of robust, annotated genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic data for the species, especially compared to other thoroughly studied Apicomplexa such as Toxoplasma gondii and Plasmodium species. This review explores the current body of knowledge on intra-species diversity within N. caninum. This includes the contribution of sequence variants in both coding and non-coding regions, the presence of genome polymorphic hotspots, and the identification of non-synonymous mutations. The implications of such diversity on important parasite phenotypes such as pathogenicity and population structure are also discussed. Lastly, the identification of potential virulence factors from both in-silico and next generation sequencing studies is examined, offering new insights into potential avenues for future research on neosporosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Larissa Calarco
- School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, PO Box 123, Broadway, NSW 2007, Australia.
| | - John Ellis
- School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, PO Box 123, Broadway, NSW 2007, Australia
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21
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Coombs RS, Blank ML, English ED, Adomako-Ankomah Y, Urama ICS, Martin AT, Yarovinsky F, Boyle JP. Immediate Interferon Gamma Induction Determines Murine Host Compatibility Differences between Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum. Infect Immun 2020; 88:e00027-20. [PMID: 32014892 PMCID: PMC7093116 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00027-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2020] [Accepted: 01/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Rodents are critical for the transmission of Toxoplasma gondii to the definitive feline host via predation, and this relationship has been extensively studied as a model for immune responses to parasites. Neospora caninum is a closely related coccidian parasite of ruminants and canines but is not naturally transmitted by rodents. We compared mouse innate immune responses to N. caninum and T. gondii and found marked differences in cytokine levels and parasite growth kinetics during the first 24 h postinfection (hpi). N. caninum-infected mice produced significantly higher levels of interleukin-12 (IL-12) and interferon gamma (IFN-γ) by as early as 4 hpi, but the level of IFN-γ was significantly lower or undetectable in T. gondii-infected mice during the first 24 hpi. "Immediate" IFN-γ and IL-12p40 production was not detected in MyD88-/- mice. However, unlike IL-12p40-/- and IFN-γ-/- mice, MyD88-/- mice survived N. caninum infections at the dose used in this study. Serial measures of parasite burden showed that MyD88-/- mice were more susceptible to N. caninum infections than wild-type (WT) mice, and control of parasite burdens correlated with a pulse of serum IFN-γ at 3 to 4 days postinfection in the absence of detectable IL-12. Immediate IFN-γ was partially dependent on the T. gondii mouse profilin receptor Toll-like receptor 11 (TLR11), but the ectopic expression of N. caninum profilin in T. gondii had no impact on early IFN-γ production or parasite proliferation. Our data indicate that T. gondii is capable of evading host detection during the first hours after infection, while N. caninum is not, and this is likely due to the early MyD88-dependent recognition of ligands other than profilin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel S Coombs
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Matthew L Blank
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Elizabeth D English
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Yaw Adomako-Ankomah
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | | | - Andrew T Martin
- Center for Vaccine Biology and Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Felix Yarovinsky
- Center for Vaccine Biology and Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Jon P Boyle
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
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22
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Fukumoto J, Yamano A, Matsuzaki M, Kyan H, Masatani T, Matsuo T, Matsui T, Murakami M, Takashima Y, Matsubara R, Tahara M, Sakura T, Takeuchi F, Nagamune K. Molecular and biological analysis revealed genetic diversity and high virulence strain of Toxoplasma gondii in Japan. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0227749. [PMID: 32012177 PMCID: PMC6996823 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0227749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2019] [Accepted: 12/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is classified into 16 haplogroups based on a worldwide genotyping study of the parasite. However, only a few isolates from Japan were included in this analysis. To conduct more precise genotyping of T. gondii, we examined the genotypes of Japanese isolates in this study. DNA sequences of 6 loci were determined in 17 Japanese isolates and compared with those of strains of 16 haplogroups. As a result, Japanese isolates were classified into four groups. We investigated the virulence of some Japanese isolates and found a highly virulent strain in mice, comparable to that of RH strain, although this Japanese isolate was sister to strains of haplogroup 2, which show moderate virulence in mice. We further investigated whether this high virulence isolate had different virulence mechanism and strategy to adapt to Japanese host from other strains by comparing the virulence-related genes, ROP5, 18 and the immunomodulatory gene, ROP16 of the isolate with those of archetypical strains (GT1, ME49 and VEG). This analysis indicated the high virulence of the isolate in mice was partly explained by gene sequences of ROP5 and ROP16. These findings lead to the elucidation of biodiversity of T. gondii and have potential to optimize the diagnostic protocol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junpei Fukumoto
- Department of Parasitology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Shinjyuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Akinori Yamano
- Department of Parasitology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Shinjyuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Motomichi Matsuzaki
- Department of Parasitology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Shinjyuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan
- RIKEN Center for Advanced Intelligence Project, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hisako Kyan
- Okinawa Prefectural Institute of Health and Environment, Uruma, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Tatsunori Masatani
- Transboundary Animal Diseases Research Center, Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kagoshima University, Korimoto, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Tomohide Matsuo
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kagoshima University, Korimoto, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Toshihiro Matsui
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kagoshima University, Korimoto, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Mami Murakami
- Graduate School of Applied Biological Sciences and Faculty of Applied Biological Sciences, University of Gifu, Gifu, Gifu, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Takashima
- Graduate School of Applied Biological Sciences and Faculty of Applied Biological Sciences, University of Gifu, Gifu, Gifu, Japan
| | - Ryuma Matsubara
- Department of Parasitology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Shinjyuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Michiru Tahara
- Department of Parasitology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Shinjyuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takaya Sakura
- Department of Parasitology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Shinjyuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Fumihiko Takeuchi
- Department of Gene Diagnostics and Therapeutics, Research Institute National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Shinjyuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kisaburo Nagamune
- Department of Parasitology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Shinjyuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
- * E-mail:
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23
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Contribution of introns to the species diversity associated with the apicomplexan parasite, Neospora caninum. Parasitol Res 2020; 119:431-445. [PMID: 31901106 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-019-06561-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2019] [Accepted: 11/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Neospora caninum is an intracellular parasite considered a leading cause of bovine reproduction failure worldwide, and a serious neurological disease of canines. Transplacental transmission in intermediate hosts is considered the most efficient means of transmission, which strictly involves asexual reproduction. Nonetheless, extensive genetic diversity has been reported within the species. What is yet to be elucidated are the major drivers of such diversity, and their impact on important parasite phenotypes such as virulence. Instead of protein-encoding sequences, genome and transcriptome data were used to investigate SNPs in introns between two distinct N. caninum isolates, with reported differences in pathogenicity. Variant analysis identified 840 and 501 SNPs within intergenic regions and introns, respectively, distinctly concentrated on chromosomes VI and XI, whereas the rest of the genome was monomorphic in comparison. Gene ontologies for SNP-dense intron-containing genes included ATP binding, transmembrane transport, protein kinase activity, and transcription and translation processes. This study shows that variation in non-coding DNA is contributing to N. caninum intraspecies genetic diversity, and potentially influencing and contributing to important parasite mechanisms. Finally, we present an assembled and annotated N. caninum apicoplast genome and show that this essential organelle is highly conserved between the two isolates, and related Coccidia.
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24
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Deactivation and mislocalization of Toxoplasma gondii rhoptry protein 18 induced by a single amino acid mutation on the proton transport catalytic aspartic acid. Microbiol Res 2020; 230:126352. [DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2019.126352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2019] [Revised: 10/03/2019] [Accepted: 10/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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25
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Calarco L, Barratt J, Ellis J. Detecting sequence variants in clinically important protozoan parasites. Int J Parasitol 2019; 50:1-18. [PMID: 31857072 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2019.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2019] [Revised: 09/29/2019] [Accepted: 10/01/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Second and third generation sequencing methods are crucial for population genetic studies, and variant detection is a popular approach for exploiting this sequence data. While mini- and microsatellites are historically useful markers for studying important Protozoa such as Toxoplasma and Plasmodium spp., detecting non-repetitive variants such as those found in genes can be fundamental to investigating a pathogen's biology. These variants, namely single nucleotide polymorphisms and insertions and deletions, can help elucidate the genetic basis of an organism's pathogenicity, identify selective pressures, and resolve phylogenetic relationships. They also have the added benefit of possessing a comparatively low mutation rate, which contributes to their stability. However, there is a plethora of variant analysis tools with nuanced pipelines and conflicting recommendations for best practise, which can be confounding. This lack of standardisation means that variant analysis requires careful parameter optimisation, an understanding of its limitations, and the availability of high quality data. This review explores the value of variant detection when applied to non-model organisms such as clinically important protozoan pathogens. The limitations of current methods are discussed, including special considerations that require the end-users' attention to ensure that the results generated are reproducible, and the biological conclusions drawn are valid.
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Affiliation(s)
- Larissa Calarco
- School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, PO Box 123, Broadway, NSW 2007, Australia.
| | - Joel Barratt
- School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, PO Box 123, Broadway, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - John Ellis
- School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, PO Box 123, Broadway, NSW 2007, Australia
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26
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García-Sánchez M, Jiménez-Pelayo L, Horcajo P, Regidor-Cerrillo J, Collantes-Fernández E, Ortega-Mora LM. Gene Expression Profiling of Neospora caninum in Bovine Macrophages Reveals Differences Between Isolates Associated With Key Parasite Functions. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2019; 9:354. [PMID: 31681630 PMCID: PMC6803445 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2019.00354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2019] [Accepted: 10/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Intraspecific differences in biological traits between Neospora caninum isolates have been widely described and associated with variations in virulence. However, the molecular basis underlying these differences has been poorly studied. We demonstrated previously that Nc-Spain7 and Nc-Spain1H, high- and low-virulence isolates, respectively, show different invasion, proliferation and survival capabilities in bovine macrophages (boMØs), a key cell in the immune response against Neospora, and modulate the cell immune response in different ways. Here, we demonstrate that these differences are related to specific tachyzoite gene expression profiles. Specifically, the low-virulence Nc-Spain1H isolate showed enhanced expression of genes encoding for surface antigens and genes related to the bradyzoite stage. Among the primary up-regulated genes in Nc-Spain7, genes involved in parasite growth and redox homeostasis are particularly noteworthy because of their correlation with the enhanced proliferation and survival rates of Nc-Spain7 in boMØs relative to Nc-Spain1H. Genes potentially implicated in induction of proinflammatory immune responses were found to be up-regulated in the low-virulence isolate, whereas the high-virulence isolate showed enhanced expression of genes that may be involved in immune evasion. These results represent a further step in understanding the parasite effector molecules that may be associated to virulence and thus to disease traits as abortion and transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta García-Sánchez
- Saluvet, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Laura Jiménez-Pelayo
- Saluvet, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Pilar Horcajo
- Saluvet, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier Regidor-Cerrillo
- Saluvet, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain.,Saluvet-Innova, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Esther Collantes-Fernández
- Saluvet, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Luis Miguel Ortega-Mora
- Saluvet, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
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27
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Wang ZX, Zhou CX, Calderón-Mantilla G, Petsalaki E, He JJ, Song HY, Elsheikha HM, Zhu XQ. iTRAQ-Based Global Phosphoproteomics Reveals Novel Molecular Differences Between Toxoplasma gondii Strains of Different Genotypes. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2019; 9:307. [PMID: 31508380 PMCID: PMC6716450 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2019.00307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2019] [Accepted: 08/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
To gain insights into differences in the virulence among T. gondii strains at the post-translational level, we conducted a quantitative analysis of the phosphoproteome profile of T. gondii strains belonging to three different genotypes. Phosphopeptides from three strains, type I (RH strain), type II (PRU strain) and ToxoDB#9 (PYS strain), were enriched by titanium dioxide (TiO2) affinity chromatography and quantified using iTRAQ technology. A total of 1,441 phosphopeptides, 1,250 phosphorylation sites and 759 phosphoproteins were detected. In addition, 392, 298, and 436 differentially expressed phosphoproteins (DEPs) were identified in RH strain when comparing RH/PRU strains, in PRU strain when comparing PRU/PYS strains, and in PYS strain when comparing PYS/RH strains, respectively. Functional characterization of the DEPs using GO, KEGG, and STRING analyses revealed marked differences between the three strains. In silico kinase substrate motif analysis of the DEPs revealed three (RxxS, SxxE, and SxxxE), three (RxxS, SxxE, and SP), and five (SxxE, SP, SxE, LxRxxS, and RxxS) motifs in RH strain when comparing RH/PRU strains, in PRU strain when comparing PRU/PYS, and in PYS strain when comparing PYS/RH strains, respectively. This suggests that multiple overrepresented protein kinases including PKA, PKG, CKII, IKK, and MAPK could be involved in such a difference between T. gondii strains. Kinase associated network analysis showed that ROP5, ROP16, and cell-cycle-associated protein kinase CDK were the most connected kinase peptides. Our data reveal significant changes in the abundance of phosphoproteins between T. gondii genotypes, which explain some of the mechanisms that contribute to the virulence heterogeneity of this parasite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ze-Xiang Wang
- 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, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Chun-Xue Zhou
- Department of Parasitology, Shandong University School of Basic Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Guillermo Calderón-Mantilla
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, United Kingdom
| | - Evangelia Petsalaki
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, United Kingdom
| | - 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
| | - Hai-Yang Song
- 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, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China
| | - Hany M Elsheikha
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough, United Kingdom
| | - 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
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28
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Galal L, Sarr A, Cuny T, Brouat C, Coulibaly F, Sembène M, Diagne M, Diallo M, Sow A, Hamidović A, Plault N, Dardé ML, Ajzenberg D, Mercier A. The introduction of new hosts with human trade shapes the extant distribution of Toxoplasma gondii lineages. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2019; 13:e0007435. [PMID: 31295245 PMCID: PMC6622481 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2018] [Accepted: 05/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is a zoonotic protozoan with a worldwide occurrence, but the determinants of the current pattern in the geographical distribution of T. gondii lineages and strains remain poorly understood. To test the influence of human trade on T. gondii populations, we conducted a population genetic study of 72 T. gondii animal isolates from Senegal, a West African country in which the ongoing inland progress of invasive murine hosts (introduced in port cities of Senegal since the 16th century by European sailors) is well described. Isolates were mainly collected on free-range poultry, which are considered as relevant bioindicators of T. gondii strain diversity in the domestic environment. Sampling was conducted in two port cities of Senegal (Dakar and Saint-Louis) and in one inland region (Kedougou). Population genetic analyses using 15 microsatellite markers revealed different patterns between port cities where lineages non-virulent for mice (type II, type III, and Africa 4) were predominant, and Kedougou where the mouse-virulent Africa 1 lineage was the most common. By considering the current spatial pattern in the inland progress of invasive rodents in Senegal, our results suggest that the invasive house mouse Mus musculus domesticus counter-selects the Africa 1 lineage in the invaded areas. The comparison of the microsatellite alleles of type II strains from Senegal to type II strains from other areas in Africa and Western Europe, using discriminant analysis of principal components and Network analysis, point to a mainly Western European origin of the type II lineage in Senegal. Collectively, these findings suggest that human-mediated intercontinental migrations of murine hosts are important vectors of T. gondii strains. Differential susceptibility of endemic and introduced murine hosts to various T. gondii strains probably determines the persistence of these strains in the environment, and therefore their availability for human and animal infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lokman Galal
- INSERM, Univ. Limoges, CHU Limoges, UMR 1094, Tropical Neuroepidemiology, Institute of Epidemiology and Tropical Neurology, GEIST, Limoges, France
| | - Amedine Sarr
- INSERM, Univ. Limoges, CHU Limoges, UMR 1094, Tropical Neuroepidemiology, Institute of Epidemiology and Tropical Neurology, GEIST, Limoges, France
| | - Thomas Cuny
- INSERM, Univ. Limoges, CHU Limoges, UMR 1094, Tropical Neuroepidemiology, Institute of Epidemiology and Tropical Neurology, GEIST, Limoges, France
| | - Carine Brouat
- CBGP, IRD, CIRAD, INRA, Montpellier SupAgro, Univ. Montpellier, Cedex, France
| | - Fatoumata Coulibaly
- Laboratory of Parasitology-Mycology, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Cheikh Anta Diop, Dakar, Senegal
- Département de Biologie, Unité de formation et de recherche en Sciences Biologiques, Université Péléforo Gon Coulibaly, Korhogo, Côte d'Ivoire
| | - Mbacké Sembène
- Département de Biologie Animale, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Université Cheikh Anta Diop (UCAD), Dakar, Senegal
| | - Moustapha Diagne
- Département de Biologie Animale, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Université Cheikh Anta Diop (UCAD), Dakar, Senegal
| | | | - Aliou Sow
- BIOPASS, CBGP-IRD, ISRA, UCAD, Dakar, CP, Senegal
| | - Azra Hamidović
- INSERM, Univ. Limoges, CHU Limoges, UMR 1094, Tropical Neuroepidemiology, Institute of Epidemiology and Tropical Neurology, GEIST, Limoges, France
| | - Nicolas Plault
- INSERM, Univ. Limoges, CHU Limoges, UMR 1094, Tropical Neuroepidemiology, Institute of Epidemiology and Tropical Neurology, GEIST, Limoges, France
| | - Marie-Laure Dardé
- INSERM, Univ. Limoges, CHU Limoges, UMR 1094, Tropical Neuroepidemiology, Institute of Epidemiology and Tropical Neurology, GEIST, Limoges, France
- Centre National de Référence Toxoplasmose/Toxoplasma Biological Resource Center, CHU Limoges, Limoges, France
| | - Daniel Ajzenberg
- INSERM, Univ. Limoges, CHU Limoges, UMR 1094, Tropical Neuroepidemiology, Institute of Epidemiology and Tropical Neurology, GEIST, Limoges, France
| | - Aurélien Mercier
- INSERM, Univ. Limoges, CHU Limoges, UMR 1094, Tropical Neuroepidemiology, Institute of Epidemiology and Tropical Neurology, GEIST, Limoges, France
- Centre National de Référence Toxoplasmose/Toxoplasma Biological Resource Center, CHU Limoges, Limoges, France
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Tokiwa T, Yoshimura H, Hiruma S, Akahori Y, Suzuki A, Ito K, Yamamoto M, Ike K. Toxoplasma gondii infection in Amami spiny rat on Amami-Oshima Island, Japan. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY-PARASITES AND WILDLIFE 2019; 9:244-247. [PMID: 31211046 PMCID: PMC6562108 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2019.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2019] [Revised: 06/04/2019] [Accepted: 06/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
The Amami spiny rat (Tokudaia osimensis) is an endangered rodent species that is endemic to the forests of Amami-Oshima Island, Kagoshima, Japan. In July 2018, a deceased adult male Amami spiny rat was found on the Yuwandake Mountain Trail on the south-central coast of Amami-Oshima Island. Histopathological observations revealed protozoan infections in the liver, lungs, and heart. Nested or semi-nested PCRs targeting the B1, SAG3, GRA6, and ROP18 genes successfully detected the genomic DNA of Toxoplasma gondii in the formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded specimen. Sequence analyses of the SAG3, GRA6, and ROP18 genes suggested that the strain detected in the study specimen was related to the type II strain of T. gondii. This is the first confirmed case of T. gondii infection in an Amami spiny rat. A deceased Amami spiny rat was diagnosed with disseminated toxoplasmosis. We present the first case report of T. gondii infection in the Amami spiny rat. Feral cat populations require control to avoid the spread of T. gondii infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toshihiro Tokiwa
- Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Nippon Veterinary and Life Science University, Kyonan-cho, Musashino-shi, Tokyo, 180-8602, Japan
| | - Hisashi Yoshimura
- Division of Physiological Pathology, Department of Applied Science, School of Veterinary Nursing and Technology, Nippon Veterinary and Life Science University, Kyonan-cho, Musashino-shi, Tokyo, 180-8602, Japan
| | - Sayoko Hiruma
- Amami Wildlife Conservation Center, Ministry of the Environment, Koshinohata, Ongachi, Yamato-son, Oshima-gun, Kagoshima, 894-3104, Japan
| | - Yukie Akahori
- Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Nippon Veterinary and Life Science University, Kyonan-cho, Musashino-shi, Tokyo, 180-8602, Japan
| | - Ayami Suzuki
- Division of Physiological Pathology, Department of Applied Science, School of Veterinary Nursing and Technology, Nippon Veterinary and Life Science University, Kyonan-cho, Musashino-shi, Tokyo, 180-8602, Japan
| | - Keiko Ito
- Amami Dog & Cat Animal Hospital, Nakagachi, Tatsugo-cho, Oshima-gun, Kagoshima, 894-0106, Japan
| | - Masami Yamamoto
- Division of Physiological Pathology, Department of Applied Science, School of Veterinary Nursing and Technology, Nippon Veterinary and Life Science University, Kyonan-cho, Musashino-shi, Tokyo, 180-8602, Japan
| | - Kazunori Ike
- Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Nippon Veterinary and Life Science University, Kyonan-cho, Musashino-shi, Tokyo, 180-8602, Japan
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30
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Galal L, Hamidović A, Dardé ML, Mercier M. Diversity of Toxoplasma gondii strains at the global level and its determinants. Food Waterborne Parasitol 2019; 15:e00052. [PMID: 32095622 PMCID: PMC7033991 DOI: 10.1016/j.fawpar.2019.e00052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2018] [Revised: 03/26/2019] [Accepted: 03/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The population structure of Toxoplasma gondii is characterized by contrasting geographic patterns of strain diversity at different spatial scales: global, regional and even local scales in some regions. The determinants of this diversity pattern and its possible evolutionary mechanisms are still largely unexplored. This review will focus on three main dichotomies observed in the population structure of the parasite: (1) domestic versus wild, (2) South America versus the rest of the world and (3) intercontinental clonal lineages versus regional or local clonal lineages. Here, the impact in terms of public health of this remarkably contrasting geographic diversity of T. gondii populations is discussed, with emphasis on the role of globalization of exchanges that could lead to rapid evolution of T. gondii population spatial structure and new challenges in a One Health context. Recombination events drive the evolution of population structure of Toxoplasma gondii. The population structure of Toxoplasma is different in wild and domestic environments. Virulence of Toxoplasma strains in reservoir hosts influences selection of local strains. Globalization of exchanges will impact the population structure of the parasite. Clinicians should be aware of more pathogenic strains imported from the wild environment or from South America.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Galal
- INSERM, Univ. Limoges, CHU Limoges, UMR 1094, Institut d'Epidémiologie et de Neurologie Tropicale, GEIST, 87000 Limoges, France
| | - A Hamidović
- INSERM, Univ. Limoges, CHU Limoges, UMR 1094, Institut d'Epidémiologie et de Neurologie Tropicale, GEIST, 87000 Limoges, France
| | - M L Dardé
- INSERM, Univ. Limoges, CHU Limoges, UMR 1094, Institut d'Epidémiologie et de Neurologie Tropicale, GEIST, 87000 Limoges, France.,Centre National de Référence Toxoplasmose/Toxoplasma Biological Resource Center, CHU Limoges, 87042 Limoges, France
| | - M Mercier
- INSERM, Univ. Limoges, CHU Limoges, UMR 1094, Institut d'Epidémiologie et de Neurologie Tropicale, GEIST, 87000 Limoges, France.,Centre National de Référence Toxoplasmose/Toxoplasma Biological Resource Center, CHU Limoges, 87042 Limoges, France
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31
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Rochet E, Argy N, Greigert V, Brunet J, Sabou M, Marcellin L, de-la-Torre A, Sauer A, Candolfi E, Pfaff AW. Type I ROP16 regulates retinal inflammatory responses during ocular toxoplasmosis. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0214310. [PMID: 30901349 PMCID: PMC6430381 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0214310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2018] [Accepted: 03/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Ocular toxoplasmosis (OT), mostly retinochorioditis, is a major feature of infection with the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii. The pathophysiology of this infection is still largely elusive; especially mouse models are not yet well developed. In contrast, numerous in vitro studies showed the highly Toxoplasma strain dependent nature of the host-parasite interactions. Some distinct polymorphic virulence factors were characterized, notably the rhoptry protein ROP16. Here, we studied the strain-dependent pathophysiology in our OT mouse model. Besides of two wild type strains of the canonical I (RH, virulent) and II (PRU, avirulent) types, we used genetically engineered parasites, RHΔROP16 and PRU ROP16-I, expressing the type I allele of this virulence factor. We analyzed retinal integrity, parasite proliferation and retinal expression of cytokines. PRU parasites behaved much more virulently in the presence of a type I ROP16. In contrast, knockout of ROP16 in the RH strain led to a decrease of intraocular proliferation, but no difference in retinal pathology. Cytokine quantification in aqueous humor showed strong production of Th1 and inflammatory markers following infection with the two strains containing the ROP16-I allele. In strong contrast, immunofluorescence images showed that actual expression of most cytokines in retinal cells is rapidly suppressed by type I strain infection, with or without the involvement of its homologous ROP16 allele. This demonstrates the particular immune privileged situation of the retina, which is also revealed by the fact that parasite proliferation is nearly exclusively observed outside the retina. In summary, we further developed a promising OT mouse model and demonstrated the specific pathology in retinal tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elise Rochet
- Institut de Parasitologie et Pathologie Tropicale, EA, Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Nicolas Argy
- Institut de Parasitologie et Pathologie Tropicale, EA, Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Valentin Greigert
- Institut de Parasitologie et Pathologie Tropicale, EA, Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Julie Brunet
- Institut de Parasitologie et Pathologie Tropicale, EA, Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
- Service de Parasitologie et Mycologie Médicale, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, Centre National de Référence de la Toxoplasmose, Pôle Sérologie, Strasbourg, France
| | - Marcela Sabou
- Institut de Parasitologie et Pathologie Tropicale, EA, Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
- Service de Parasitologie et Mycologie Médicale, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, Centre National de Référence de la Toxoplasmose, Pôle Sérologie, Strasbourg, France
| | - Luc Marcellin
- Service de Pathologie, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Alejandra de-la-Torre
- Institut de Parasitologie et Pathologie Tropicale, EA, Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
- Grupo NeURos, Unidad de Inmunología, Universidad del Rosario, Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Arnaud Sauer
- Service d’Ophtalmologie, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Ermanno Candolfi
- Institut de Parasitologie et Pathologie Tropicale, EA, Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
- Service de Parasitologie et Mycologie Médicale, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, Centre National de Référence de la Toxoplasmose, Pôle Sérologie, Strasbourg, France
| | - Alexander W. Pfaff
- Institut de Parasitologie et Pathologie Tropicale, EA, Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
- Service de Parasitologie et Mycologie Médicale, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, Centre National de Référence de la Toxoplasmose, Pôle Sérologie, Strasbourg, France
- * E-mail:
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Murillo-León M, Müller UB, Zimmermann I, Singh S, Widdershooven P, Campos C, Alvarez C, Könen-Waisman S, Lukes N, Ruzsics Z, Howard JC, Schwemmle M, Steinfeldt T. Molecular mechanism for the control of virulent Toxoplasma gondii infections in wild-derived mice. Nat Commun 2019; 10:1233. [PMID: 30874554 PMCID: PMC6420625 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-09200-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2018] [Accepted: 02/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Some strains of the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii (such as RH) are virulent in laboratory mice because they are not restricted by the Immunity-Related GTPase (IRG) resistance system in these mouse strains. In some wild-derived Eurasian mice (such as CIM) on the other hand, polymorphic IRG proteins inhibit the replication of such virulent T. gondii strains. Here we show that this resistance is due to direct binding of the IRG protein Irgb2-b1CIM to the T. gondii virulence effector ROP5 isoform B. The Irgb2-b1 interface of this interaction is highly polymorphic and under positive selection. South American T. gondii strains are virulent even in wild-derived Eurasian mice. We were able to demonstrate that this difference in virulence is due to polymorphic ROP5 isoforms that are not targeted by Irgb2-b1CIM, indicating co-adaptation of host cell resistance GTPases and T. gondii virulence effectors. Toxoplasma gondii virulence in wild-derived mice is restricted by Immunity-Related GTPases (IRG). Here, the authors show specific binding of the IRG tandem protein Irgb2-b1 with the virulence effector ROP5, and provide insights into how different ROP5 isoforms and IRG alleles shape virulence among T. gondii strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mateo Murillo-León
- Institute of Virology, Medical Center University of Freiburg, 79104, Freiburg, Germany.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79104, Freiburg, Germany.,Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Urs B Müller
- Institute for Genetics, University of Cologne, 50674, Cologne, Germany
| | - Ines Zimmermann
- Institute of Virology, Medical Center University of Freiburg, 79104, Freiburg, Germany.,Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Shishir Singh
- Institute of Virology, Medical Center University of Freiburg, 79104, Freiburg, Germany.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79104, Freiburg, Germany.,Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Pia Widdershooven
- Institute for Genetics, University of Cologne, 50674, Cologne, Germany.,Department of Biology, University of Cologne, 50674, Cologne, Germany
| | - Cláudia Campos
- Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciencia, 2780-156, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Catalina Alvarez
- Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciencia, 2780-156, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Stephanie Könen-Waisman
- Department for Dermatology and Venereology, University Hospital of Cologne, 50937, Cologne, Germany
| | - Nahleen Lukes
- Institute of Immunology, University Hospital Aachen, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Zsolt Ruzsics
- Institute of Virology, Medical Center University of Freiburg, 79104, Freiburg, Germany.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Jonathan C Howard
- Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciencia, 2780-156, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Martin Schwemmle
- Institute of Virology, Medical Center University of Freiburg, 79104, Freiburg, Germany.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Tobias Steinfeldt
- Institute of Virology, Medical Center University of Freiburg, 79104, Freiburg, Germany. .,Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79104, Freiburg, Germany.
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Franco PS, Gois PSG, de Araújo TE, da Silva RJ, de Freitas Barbosa B, de Oliveira Gomes A, Ietta F, Dos Santos LA, Dos Santos MC, Mineo JR, Ferro EAV. Brazilian strains of Toxoplasma gondii are controlled by azithromycin and modulate cytokine production in human placental explants. J Biomed Sci 2019; 26:10. [PMID: 30665403 PMCID: PMC6340180 DOI: 10.1186/s12929-019-0503-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2018] [Accepted: 01/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite that causes congenital toxoplasmosis by transplacental transmission. Parasite strains are genetically diverse and disease severity is related to the genotype. In Uberlândia city, Brazil, two virulent strains were isolated: TgChBrUD1 and TgChBrUD2. Congenital toxoplasmosis is more prevalent in South America compared to Europe, and more often associated with severe symptoms, usually as a result of infection with atypical strains. METHODS Considering that T. gondii has shown high genetic diversity in Brazil, the effectiveness of traditional treatment may not be the same, as more virulent strains of atypical genotypes may predominate. Thus, the aim of this study were to evaluate the Brazilian strain infection rate in human villous explants and the azithromycin efficacy with regard to the control of these strains compared to traditional therapy. Villi were infected with RH, ME49, TgChBrUD1 or TgChBrUD2 strains and treated with azithromycin, spiramycin or a combination of pyrimethamine plus sulfadiazine. The villous viability was analyzed by LDH assay and morphological analysis. Parasite proliferation, as well as production of cytokines was analyzed by qPCR and ELISA, respectively. Statistical analysis was performed using the GraphPad Prism 5.0. RESULTS The treatments were not toxic and TgChBrUD1 infected villi showed a higher parasite burden compared with others strains. Treatments significantly reduced the intracellular proliferation of T. gondii, regardless of the strain. TgChBrUD1-infected villi produced a larger amount of MIF, IL-6 and TGF-β1 compared with other infected villi. Azithromycin treatment increased MIF production by RH- or TgChBrUD2-infected villi, but in ME49- or TgChBrUD1-infected villi, the MIF production was not altered by treatment. On the other hand, azithromycin treatment induced lower IL-6 production by ME49- or TgChBrUD1-infected villi. CONCLUSIONS Azithromycin treatment was effective against T. gondii Brazilian strains compared with conventional treatment. Also, the TgChBrUD1 strain replicated more in villi and modulated important cytokines involved in parasite control, showing that different strains use different strategies to evade the host immune response and ensure their survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priscila Silva Franco
- Laboratório de Imunofisiologia da Reprodução, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Av. Pará, 1720, Building: 2B, CEP, Uberlândia, 38405-320, Brazil
| | - Paula Suellen Guimarães Gois
- Laboratório de Imunofisiologia da Reprodução, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Av. Pará, 1720, Building: 2B, CEP, Uberlândia, 38405-320, Brazil
| | - Thádia Evelyn de Araújo
- Laboratório de Imunofisiologia da Reprodução, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Av. Pará, 1720, Building: 2B, CEP, Uberlândia, 38405-320, Brazil
| | - Rafaela José da Silva
- Laboratório de Imunofisiologia da Reprodução, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Av. Pará, 1720, Building: 2B, CEP, Uberlândia, 38405-320, Brazil
| | - Bellisa de Freitas Barbosa
- Laboratório de Imunofisiologia da Reprodução, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Av. Pará, 1720, Building: 2B, CEP, Uberlândia, 38405-320, Brazil
| | - Angelica de Oliveira Gomes
- Laboratório de Biologia Celular, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas e Naturais, Universidade Federal do Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, Brazil
| | - Francesca Ietta
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Lara Affonso Dos Santos
- Laboratório de Imunofisiologia da Reprodução, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Av. Pará, 1720, Building: 2B, CEP, Uberlândia, 38405-320, Brazil
| | - Maria Célia Dos Santos
- Laboratório de Imunofisiologia da Reprodução, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Av. Pará, 1720, Building: 2B, CEP, Uberlândia, 38405-320, Brazil
| | - José Roberto Mineo
- Laboratório de Imunoparasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Brazil
| | - Eloisa Amália Vieira Ferro
- Laboratório de Imunofisiologia da Reprodução, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Av. Pará, 1720, Building: 2B, CEP, Uberlândia, 38405-320, Brazil.
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Hassan MA, Olijnik AA, Frickel EM, Saeij JP. Clonal and atypical Toxoplasma strain differences in virulence vary with mouse sub-species. Int J Parasitol 2019; 49:63-70. [PMID: 30471286 PMCID: PMC6344230 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2018.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2018] [Revised: 08/29/2018] [Accepted: 08/31/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The severe virulence of Toxoplasma gondii in classical laboratory inbred mouse strains contradicts the hypothesis that house mice (Mus musculus) are the most important intermediate hosts for its transmission and evolution because death of the mouse before parasite transmission equals death of the parasite. However, the classical laboratory inbred mouse strains (Mus musculus domesticus), commonly used to test Toxoplasma strain differences in virulence, do not capture the genetic diversity within Mus musculus. Thus, it is possible that Toxoplasma strains that are severely virulent in laboratory inbred mice are avirulent in some other mouse sub-species. Here, we present insight into the responses of individual mouse strains, representing strains of the genetically divergent Mus musculus musculus, Mus musculus castaneus and Mus musculus domesticus, to infection with individual clonal and atypical Toxoplasma strains. We observed that, unlike M. m. domesticus, M. m. musculus and M. m. castaneus are resistant to the clonal Toxoplasma strains. For M. m. musculus, we show that this is due to a locus on chromosome 11 that includes the genes that encode the interferon gamma (IFNG)-inducible immunity-related GTPases (Irgs) that can kill the parasite by localising and subsequently vesiculating the parasitophorous vacuole membrane. However, despite the localization of known effector Irgs to the Toxoplasma parasitophorous vacuole membrane, we observed that some atypical Toxoplasma strains are virulent in all the mouse strains tested. The virulence of these atypical strains in M. m. musculus could not be attributed to individual rhoptry protein 5 (ROP5) alleles, a secreted parasite pseudokinase that antagonises the canonical effector Irgs and is indispensable for parasite virulence in laboratory inbred mice (M. m. domesticus). We conclude that murine resistance to Toxoplasma is modulated by complex interactions between host and parasite genotypes and may be independent of known effector Irgs on murine chromosome 11.
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Affiliation(s)
- Musa A Hassan
- Division of Infection and Immunity, The Roslin Institute, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK; Centre for Tropical Livestock Health and Genetics, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
| | - Aude-Anais Olijnik
- Division of Infection and Immunity, The Roslin Institute, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK; Centre for Tropical Livestock Health and Genetics, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Eva-Maria Frickel
- Host-Toxoplasma Interaction Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Jeroen P Saeij
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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Diversity of Toxoplasma gondii strains shaped by commensal communities of small mammals. Int J Parasitol 2018; 49:267-275. [PMID: 30578812 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2018.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2018] [Revised: 10/26/2018] [Accepted: 11/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Commensal rodent species are key reservoirs for Toxoplasma gondii in the domestic environment. In rodents, different T. gondii strains show variable patterns of virulence according to host species. Toxoplasma gondii strains causing non-lethal chronic infections in local hosts will be more likely to persist in a given environment, but few studies have addressed the possible role of these interactions in shaping the T. gondii population structure. In addition, the absence of validated techniques for upstream detection of T. gondii chronic infection in wild rodents hinders exploration of this issue under natural conditions. In this study, we took advantage of an extensive survey of commensal small mammals in three coastal localities of Senegal, with a species assemblage constituted of both native African species and invasive species. We tested 828 individuals for T. gondii chronic infection using the modified agglutination test for antibody detection in serum samples and a quantitative PCR assay for detection of T. gondii DNA in brain samples. The infecting T. gondii strains were genotyped whenever possible by the analysis of 15 microsatellite markers. We found (i) a very poor concordance between molecular detection and serology in the invasive house mouse, (ii) significantly different levels of prevalence by species and (iii) the autochthonous T. gondii Africa 1 lineage strains, which are lethal for laboratory mice, only in the native African species of commensal small mammals. Overall, this study highlights the need to reconsider the use of MAT serology in natural populations of house mice and provides the first known data about T. gondii genetic diversity in invasive and native species of small mammals from Africa. In light of these results, we discuss the role of invasive and native species, with their variable adaptations to different T. gondii strains, in shaping the spatial structure of T. gondii genetic diversity in Africa.
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Galal L, Ajzenberg D, Hamidović A, Durieux MF, Dardé ML, Mercier A. Toxoplasma and Africa: One Parasite, Two Opposite Population Structures. Trends Parasitol 2017; 34:140-154. [PMID: 29174610 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2017.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2017] [Revised: 10/25/2017] [Accepted: 10/26/2017] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Exploring the genetic diversity of Toxoplasma gondii is essential for an understanding of its worldwide distribution and the determinants of its evolution. Africa remains one of the least studied areas of the world regarding T. gondii genetic diversity. This review has compiled published data on T. gondii strains from Africa to generate a comprehensive map of their continent-wide geographical distribution. The emerging picture about T. gondii strain distribution in Africa suggests a geographical separation of the parasite populations across the continent. We discuss the potential role of a number of factors in shaping this structure. We finally suggest the next steps towards a better understanding of Toxoplasma epidemiology in Africa in light of the strains circulating on this continent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lokman Galal
- INSERM UMR_S 1094, Neuroépidémiologie Tropicale, Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Limoges, Limoges 87025, France
| | - Daniel Ajzenberg
- INSERM UMR_S 1094, Neuroépidémiologie Tropicale, Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Limoges, Limoges 87025, France; Service de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Limoges, 87042 Limoges, France
| | - Azra Hamidović
- INSERM UMR_S 1094, Neuroépidémiologie Tropicale, Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Limoges, Limoges 87025, France
| | - Marie-Fleur Durieux
- Service de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Limoges, 87042 Limoges, France
| | - Marie-Laure Dardé
- INSERM UMR_S 1094, Neuroépidémiologie Tropicale, Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Limoges, Limoges 87025, France; Service de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Limoges, 87042 Limoges, France; Centre National de Référence Toxoplasmose/Toxoplasma Biological Resource Center, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Limoges, 87042 Limoges, France
| | - Aurélien Mercier
- INSERM UMR_S 1094, Neuroépidémiologie Tropicale, Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Limoges, Limoges 87025, France; Centre National de Référence Toxoplasmose/Toxoplasma Biological Resource Center, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Limoges, 87042 Limoges, France.
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Rêgo WMF, Costa JGL, Baraviera RCA, Pinto LV, Bessa GL, Lopes REN, Vitor RWA. Association of ROP18 and ROP5 was efficient as a marker of virulence in atypical isolates of Toxoplasma gondii obtained from pigs and goats in Piauí, Brazil. Vet Parasitol 2017; 247:19-25. [PMID: 29080759 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2017.09.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2017] [Revised: 09/20/2017] [Accepted: 09/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Recent studies indicate that proteins GRA15, ROP5, ROP16, ROP17, and ROP18 of Toxoplasma gondii are involved in the process of interaction, cellular invasion, and immune response of the host. Among these proteins, alleles of the polymorphic ROP18 and ROP5 seem to be directly associated with T. gondii virulence in mice. The purpose of this work was to isolate and genotype T. gondii from pig, goat, and sheep slaughtered for human consumption in the state of Piauí, Northeastern Brazil and relate the variability of genes that express virulence proteins of the parasite to virulence in mice. T. gondii was isolated from 16 pigs and 9 goats. The parasite was not isolated from sheep samples. Eleven different genotypes were identified using PCR-RFLP. A unique genotype not yet described in any other host and or anywhere else was common to three pig isolates. Eighteen isolates (72%) were characterized as avirulent, four (16%) as intermediate virulence and three (12%) as virulent to mice. The combined analysis of ROP18 and ROP5 in the isolates studied in Piauí, showed four different allele associations: 4/3 (virulent strains), 3/3, 3/1, and 2/3 (avirulent strains). The association 2/3 was not previously described in the literature. Our results indicated that GRA15, ROP16, and ROP17 alleles were not associated with T. gondii virulence in mice. Pigs and goats raised and slaughtered for human consumption in the state of Piauí are infected with isolates of T. gondii presenting different genotypes. We concluded that the virulence protein ROP18, analyzed alone or in combination with ROP5, was effective in determining virulence for mice for the new isolates of T. gondii.
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Affiliation(s)
- W M F Rêgo
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (ICB-UFMG), CEP: 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - J G L Costa
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (ICB-UFMG), CEP: 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - R C A Baraviera
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (ICB-UFMG), CEP: 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - L V Pinto
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (ICB-UFMG), CEP: 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - G L Bessa
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (ICB-UFMG), CEP: 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - R E N Lopes
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (ICB-UFMG), CEP: 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - R W A Vitor
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (ICB-UFMG), CEP: 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
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Schares G, Herrmann D, Maksimov P, Matzkeit B, Conraths F, Moré G, Preisinger R, Weigend S. Chicken line-dependent mortality after experimental infection with three type IIxIII recombinant Toxoplasma gondii clones. Exp Parasitol 2017; 180:101-111. [DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2016.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2016] [Revised: 11/11/2016] [Accepted: 11/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Gao JM, Xie YT, Xu ZS, Chen H, Hide G, Yang TB, Shen JL, Lai DH, Lun ZR. Genetic analyses of Chinese isolates of Toxoplasma gondii reveal a new genotype with high virulence to murine hosts. Vet Parasitol 2017; 241:52-60. [DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2017.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2017] [Revised: 05/10/2017] [Accepted: 05/13/2017] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
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Abstract
Early electron microscopy studies revealed the elaborate cellular features that define the unique adaptations of apicomplexan parasites. Among these were bulbous rhoptry (ROP) organelles and small, dense granules (GRAs), both of which are secreted during invasion of host cells. These early morphological studies were followed by the exploration of the cellular contents of these secretory organelles, revealing them to be comprised of highly divergent protein families with few conserved domains or predicted functions. In parallel, studies on host-pathogen interactions identified many host signaling pathways that were mysteriously altered by infection. It was only with the advent of forward and reverse genetic strategies that the connections between individual parasite effectors and the specific host pathways that they targeted finally became clear. The current repertoire of parasite effectors includes ROP kinases and pseudokinases that are secreted during invasion and that block host immune pathways. Similarly, many secretory GRA proteins alter host gene expression by activating host transcription factors, through modification of chromatin, or by inducing small noncoding RNAs. These effectors highlight novel mechanisms by which T. gondii has learned to harness host signaling to favor intracellular survival and will guide future studies designed to uncover the additional complexity of this intricate host-pathogen interaction.
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Klun I, Uzelac A, Villena I, Mercier A, Bobić B, Nikolić A, Rajnpreht I, Opsteegh M, Aubert D, Blaga R, van der Giessen J, Djurković-Djaković O. The first isolation and molecular characterization of Toxoplasma gondii from horses in Serbia. Parasit Vectors 2017; 10:167. [PMID: 28376902 PMCID: PMC5379513 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-017-2104-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2016] [Accepted: 03/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Consumption of undercooked or insufficiently cured meat is a major risk factor for human infection with Toxoplasma gondii. Although horsemeat is typically consumed rare or undercooked, information on the risk of T. gondii from infected horse meat to humans is scarce. Here, we present the results of a study to determine the presence of T. gondii infection in slaughter horses in Serbia, and to attempt to isolate viable parasites. Methods The study included horses from all regions of Serbia slaughtered at two abattoirs between June 2013 and June 2015. Blood sera were tested for the presence of specific IgG T. gondii antibodies by the modified agglutination test (MAT), and samples of trypsin-digested heart tissue were bioassayed in mice. Cyst-positive mouse brain homogenates were subjected to DNA extraction and T. gondii strains were genotyped using 15 microsatellite markers (MS). Results A total of 105 slaughter horses were sampled. At the 1:6 cut-off 48.6% of the examined horses were seropositive, with the highest titre being 1:400. Viable parasites were isolated from two grade type mares; both parasite isolates (RS-Eq39 and RS-Eq40) were T. gondii type III, and both displayed an increased lethality for mice with successive passages. These are the first cases of isolation of T. gondii from horses in Serbia. When compared with a worldwide collection of 61 type III and type III-like strains, isolate RS-Eq39 showed a combination of MS lengths similar to a strain isolated from a duck in Iran, and isolate RS-Eq40 was identical in all markers to three strains isolated from a goat from Gabon, a sheep from France and a pig from Portugal. Interestingly, the source horses were one seronegative and one weakly seropositive. Conclusions The isolation of viable T. gondii parasites from slaughter horses points to horsemeat as a potential source of human infection, but the fact that viable parasites were isolated from horses with only a serological trace of T. gondii infection presents further evidence that serology may not be adequate to assess the risk of toxoplasmosis from horsemeat consumption. Presence of T. gondii type III in Serbia sheds more light into the potential origin of this archetypal lineage in Europe. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13071-017-2104-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivana Klun
- National Reference Laboratory for Toxoplasmosis, Centre of Excellence for Food- and Vector-Borne Zoonoses, Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade, Dr Subotića 4, 11129, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Aleksandra Uzelac
- National Reference Laboratory for Toxoplasmosis, Centre of Excellence for Food- and Vector-Borne Zoonoses, Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade, Dr Subotića 4, 11129, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Isabelle Villena
- Centre National de Référence de la Toxoplasmose, Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, CHU Maison Blanche, EA 3800 SFR CAP-SANTE, UFR Médecine Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, 45 rue Cognacq-Jay, 51092, Reims, France
| | - Aurélien Mercier
- INSERM, UMR_S 1094, Neuroépidémiologie Tropicale, Université de Limoges, 2 rue du Docteur Marcland, 87025, Limoges, France.,Toxoplasma Biological Resource Center (BRC), Centre Hospitalier-Universitaire Dupuytren, 87042, Limoges, France
| | - Branko Bobić
- National Reference Laboratory for Toxoplasmosis, Centre of Excellence for Food- and Vector-Borne Zoonoses, Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade, Dr Subotića 4, 11129, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Aleksandra Nikolić
- National Reference Laboratory for Toxoplasmosis, Centre of Excellence for Food- and Vector-Borne Zoonoses, Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade, Dr Subotića 4, 11129, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Irena Rajnpreht
- National Reference Laboratory for Toxoplasmosis, Centre of Excellence for Food- and Vector-Borne Zoonoses, Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade, Dr Subotića 4, 11129, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Marieke Opsteegh
- National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Antonie van Leeuwenhoeklaan 9, 3520BA, Bilthoven, Netherlands
| | - Dominique Aubert
- Centre National de Référence de la Toxoplasmose, Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, CHU Maison Blanche, EA 3800 SFR CAP-SANTE, UFR Médecine Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, 45 rue Cognacq-Jay, 51092, Reims, France
| | - Radu Blaga
- Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, UMR BIPAR, ANSES, INRA, Université Paris-Est, Laboratoire de santé animale de Maisons-Alfort, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Joke van der Giessen
- National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Antonie van Leeuwenhoeklaan 9, 3520BA, Bilthoven, Netherlands
| | - Olgica Djurković-Djaković
- National Reference Laboratory for Toxoplasmosis, Centre of Excellence for Food- and Vector-Borne Zoonoses, Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade, Dr Subotića 4, 11129, Belgrade, Serbia.
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Saraf P, Shwab EK, Dubey JP, Su C. On the determination of Toxoplasma gondii virulence in mice. Exp Parasitol 2017; 174:25-30. [PMID: 28153801 DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2017.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2016] [Revised: 01/04/2017] [Accepted: 01/27/2017] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is one of the most successful pathogens on earth, capable of infecting an extremely broad range of mammals and birds and causing potentially fatal disease in humans. The house mouse (Mus musculus) has been used as the primary laboratory animal model for determining the virulence of T. gondii strains. Epidemiological evidence also suggests a potential association between virulence in mice and disease severity in human toxoplasmosis. However, many factors can affect virulence measurements, including route of infection, life stage of the parasite, number of passages of the parasite in mice or cell culture, and the mouse host line used. Variability among these factors makes it difficult to compare results between different studies in different laboratories. Here, we discuss important factors that should be considered when carrying out T. gondii murine virulence assays and propose a standardized methodology that should facilitate integration of T. gondii virulence data throughout the research community in future studies and thereby enable more efficient and effective analysis of genetic and virulence patterns for this important parasite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pooja Saraf
- Department of Microbiology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
| | - E Keats Shwab
- Department of Microbiology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
| | - Jitender P Dubey
- Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
| | - Chunlei Su
- Department of Microbiology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA.
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Badouin H, Gladieux P, Gouzy J, Siguenza S, Aguileta G, Snirc A, Le Prieur S, Jeziorski C, Branca A, Giraud T. Widespread selective sweeps throughout the genome of model plant pathogenic fungi and identification of effector candidates. Mol Ecol 2017; 26:2041-2062. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.13976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2016] [Revised: 12/15/2016] [Accepted: 12/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- H. Badouin
- Ecologie Systématique Evolution, Univ. Paris-Sud, CNRS, AgroParisTech; Université Paris-Saclay; 91400 Orsay France
| | - P. Gladieux
- Ecologie Systématique Evolution, Univ. Paris-Sud, CNRS, AgroParisTech; Université Paris-Saclay; 91400 Orsay France
- UMR BGPI; Campus International de Baillarguet; INRA; 34398 Montpellier France
| | - J. Gouzy
- Laboratoire des Interactions Plantes-Microorganismes (LIPM); UMR441; INRA; 31326 Castanet-Tolosan France
- Laboratoire des Interactions Plantes-Microorganismes (LIPM); UMR2594; CNRS; 31326 Castanet-Tolosan France
| | - S. Siguenza
- Laboratoire des Interactions Plantes-Microorganismes (LIPM); UMR441; INRA; 31326 Castanet-Tolosan France
- Laboratoire des Interactions Plantes-Microorganismes (LIPM); UMR2594; CNRS; 31326 Castanet-Tolosan France
| | - G. Aguileta
- Ecologie Systématique Evolution, Univ. Paris-Sud, CNRS, AgroParisTech; Université Paris-Saclay; 91400 Orsay France
| | - A. Snirc
- Ecologie Systématique Evolution, Univ. Paris-Sud, CNRS, AgroParisTech; Université Paris-Saclay; 91400 Orsay France
| | - S. Le Prieur
- Ecologie Systématique Evolution, Univ. Paris-Sud, CNRS, AgroParisTech; Université Paris-Saclay; 91400 Orsay France
| | - C. Jeziorski
- Genotoul; GeT-PlaGe; INRA Auzeville 31326 Castanet-Tolosan France
- UAR1209; INRA Auzeville 31326 Castanet-Tolosan France
| | - A. Branca
- Ecologie Systématique Evolution, Univ. Paris-Sud, CNRS, AgroParisTech; Université Paris-Saclay; 91400 Orsay France
| | - T. Giraud
- Ecologie Systématique Evolution, Univ. Paris-Sud, CNRS, AgroParisTech; Université Paris-Saclay; 91400 Orsay France
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ZHAO Y, ZHOU D, CHEN J, SUN X. Sequence Variation in Rhoptry Neck Protein 10 Gene among Toxoplasma gondii Isolates from Different Hosts and Geographical Locations. IRANIAN JOURNAL OF PARASITOLOGY 2017; 12:332-338. [PMID: 28979342 PMCID: PMC5623912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Toxoplasma gondii, as a eukaryotic parasite of the phylum Apicomplexa, can infect almost all the warm-blooded animals and humans, causing toxoplasmosis. Rhoptry neck proteins (RONs) play a key role in the invasion process of T. gondii and are potential vaccine candidate molecules against toxoplasmosis. METHODS The present study examined sequence variation in the rhoptry neck protein 10 (TgRON10) gene among 10 T. gondii isolates from different hosts and geographical locations from Lanzhou province during 2014, and compared with the corresponding sequences of strains ME49 and VEG obtained from the ToxoDB database, using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification, sequence analysis, and phylogenetic reconstruction by Bayesian inference (BI) and maximum parsimony (MP). RESULTS Analysis of all the 12 TgRON10 genomic and cDNA sequences revealed 7 exons and 6 introns in the TgRON10 gDNA. The complete genomic sequence of the TgRON10 gene ranged from 4759 bp to 4763 bp, and sequence variation was 0-0.6% among the 12 T. gondii isolates, indicating a low sequence variation in TgRON10 gene. Phylogenetic analysis of TgRON10 sequences showed that the cluster of the 12 T. gondii isolates was not completely consistent with their respective genotypes. CONCLUSION TgRON10 gene is not a suitable genetic marker for the differentiation of T. gondii isolates from different hosts and geographical locations, but may represent a potential vaccine candidate against toxoplasmosis, worth further studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu ZHAO
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, 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, China
| | - Donghui ZHOU
- 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
| | - Jia 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, China
| | - Xiaolin SUN
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China,Correspondence
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Tibayrenc M, Ayala FJ. Is Predominant Clonal Evolution a Common Evolutionary Adaptation to Parasitism in Pathogenic Parasitic Protozoa, Fungi, Bacteria, and Viruses? ADVANCES IN PARASITOLOGY 2016; 97:243-325. [PMID: 28325372 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apar.2016.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
We propose that predominant clonal evolution (PCE) in microbial pathogens be defined as restrained recombination on an evolutionary scale, with genetic exchange scarce enough to not break the prevalent pattern of clonal population structure. The main features of PCE are (1) strong linkage disequilibrium, (2) the widespread occurrence of stable genetic clusters blurred by occasional bouts of genetic exchange ('near-clades'), (3) the existence of a "clonality threshold", beyond which recombination is efficiently countered by PCE, and near-clades irreversibly diverge. We hypothesize that the PCE features are not mainly due to natural selection but also chiefly originate from in-built genetic properties of pathogens. We show that the PCE model obtains even in microbes that have been considered as 'highly recombining', such as Neisseria meningitidis, and that some clonality features are observed even in Plasmodium, which has been long described as panmictic. Lastly, we provide evidence that PCE features are also observed in viruses, taking into account their extremely fast genetic turnover. The PCE model provides a convenient population genetic framework for any kind of micropathogen. It makes it possible to describe convenient units of analysis (clones and near-clades) for all applied studies. Due to PCE features, these units of analysis are stable in space and time, and clearly delimited. The PCE model opens up the possibility of revisiting the problem of species definition in these organisms. We hypothesize that PCE constitutes a major evolutionary strategy for protozoa, fungi, bacteria, and viruses to adapt to parasitism.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Tibayrenc
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Montpellier, France
| | - F J Ayala
- University of California at Irvine, United States
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Fernández C, Jaimes J, Ortiz MC, Ramírez JD. Host and Toxoplasma gondii genetic and non-genetic factors influencing the development of ocular toxoplasmosis: A systematic review. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2016; 44:199-209. [PMID: 27389360 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2016.06.053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2016] [Revised: 06/29/2016] [Accepted: 06/30/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Toxoplasmosis is a cosmopolitan infection caused by the apicomplexan parasite Toxoplasma gondii. This infectious disease is widely distributed across the world where cats play an important role in its spread. The symptomatology caused by this parasite is diverse but the ocular affectation emerges as the most important clinical phenotype. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review of the current knowledge of ocular toxoplasmosis from the genetic diversity of the pathogen towards the treatment available for this infection. This review represents an update to the scientific community regarding the genetic diversity of the parasite, the genetic factors of the host, the molecular pathogenesis and its association with disease, the available diagnostic tools and the available treatment of patients undergoing ocular toxoplamosis. This review will be an update for the scientific community in order to encourage researchers to deploy cutting-edge investigation across this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Fernández
- Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia; Grupo de Investigaciones Microbiológicas - UR (GIMUR), Programa de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Matemáticas, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Jesús Jaimes
- Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia; Grupo de Investigaciones Microbiológicas - UR (GIMUR), Programa de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Matemáticas, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - María Camila Ortiz
- Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia; Grupo de Investigaciones Microbiológicas - UR (GIMUR), Programa de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Matemáticas, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Juan David Ramírez
- Grupo de Investigaciones Microbiológicas - UR (GIMUR), Programa de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Matemáticas, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia.
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Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is a widespread parasite of warm-blooded vertebrates that also causes opportunistic infections in humans. Rodents are a natural host for asexually replicating forms, whereas cats serve as the definitive host for sexual development. The laboratory mouse provides a model to study pathogenesis. Strains of T. gondii are globally diverse, with more than 16 distinct haplogroups clustered into 6 major clades. Forward genetic analysis of genetic crosses between different lineages has been used to define the molecular basis of acute virulence in the mouse. These studies have identified a family of secretory serine/threonine rhoptry kinases that target innate immune pathways to protect intracellular parasites from destruction. Rhoptry kinases target immunity-related GTPases, a family of immune effectors that is expanded in rodents. Similar forward genetic studies may be useful to define the basis of pathogenesis in other hosts, including humans, where infections of different strains present with variable clinical severity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael S Behnke
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803
| | - J P Dubey
- Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, US Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, Maryland 20705
| | - L David Sibley
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110;
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48
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Simpson C, Jones NG, Hull-Ryde EA, Kireev D, Stashko M, Tang K, Janetka J, Wildman SA, Zuercher WJ, Schapira M, Hui R, Janzen W, Sibley LD. Identification of small molecule inhibitors that block the Toxoplasma gondii rhoptry kinase ROP18. ACS Infect Dis 2016; 2:194-206. [PMID: 27379343 PMCID: PMC4930114 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.5b00102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
The protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii secretes a family of serine-threonine protein kinases into its host cell in order to disrupt signaling and alter immune responses. One prominent secretory effector is the rhoptry protein 18 (ROP18), a serine-threonine kinase that phosphorylates immunity related GTPases (IRGs) and hence blocks interferon gamma-mediated responses in rodent cells. Previous genetic studies show that ROP18 is a major virulence component of T. gondii strains from North and South America. Here, we implemented a high throughput screen to identify small molecule inhibitors of ROP18 in vitro and subsequently validated their specificity within infected cells. Although ROP18 was not susceptible to many kinase-directed inhibitors that affect mammalian kinases, the screen identified several sub micromolar inhibitors that belong to three chemical scaffolds: oxindoles, 6-azaquinazolines, and pyrazolopyridines. Treatment of interferon gamma-activated cells with one of these inhibitors enhanced immunity related GTPase recruitment to wild type parasites, recapitulating the defect of Δrop18 mutant parasites, consistent with targeting ROP18 within infected cells. These compounds provide useful starting points for chemical biology experiments or as leads for therapeutic interventions designed to reduce parasite virulence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Simpson
- Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, UNC
Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, 125 Mason Farm Road,
CB#7363, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7363
| | - Nathaniel G. Jones
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University Sch.
Med. St. Louis MO 63110
| | - Emily A. Hull-Ryde
- Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, UNC
Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, 125 Mason Farm Road,
CB#7363, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7363
| | - Dmitri Kireev
- Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, UNC
Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, 125 Mason Farm Road,
CB#7363, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7363
| | - Michael Stashko
- Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, UNC
Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, 125 Mason Farm Road,
CB#7363, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7363
| | - Keliang Tang
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University Sch.
Med. St. Louis MO 63110
| | - Jim Janetka
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington
University Sch. Med. St. Louis MO 63110
| | - Scott A. Wildman
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington
University Sch. Med. St. Louis MO 63110
| | - William J. Zuercher
- SGC-UNC, Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, UNC
Eshelman School of Pharmacy, 120 Mason Farm Rd, 1070H Genetic Medicine Building,
University of North Carolina, NC 27599-7363
| | - Matthieu Schapira
- Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Toronto, MaRS South
Tower, 101 College St, Toronto, ON, M5G 1L7, Canada
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, 1
King’s College Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Raymond Hui
- Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Toronto, MaRS South
Tower, 101 College St, Toronto, ON, M5G 1L7, Canada
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, 200 Elizabeth St.,
Toronto, ON M5G 2C4, Canada
| | - William Janzen
- Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, UNC
Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, 125 Mason Farm Road,
CB#7363, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7363
| | - L. David Sibley
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University Sch.
Med. St. Louis MO 63110
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49
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Cabral CM, Tuladhar S, Dietrich HK, Nguyen E, MacDonald WR, Trivedi T, Devineni A, Koshy AA. Neurons are the Primary Target Cell for the Brain-Tropic Intracellular Parasite Toxoplasma gondii. PLoS Pathog 2016; 12:e1005447. [PMID: 26895155 PMCID: PMC4760770 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1005447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 127] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2015] [Accepted: 01/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii, a common brain-tropic parasite, is capable of infecting most nucleated cells, including astrocytes and neurons, in vitro. Yet, in vivo, Toxoplasma is primarily found in neurons. In vitro data showing that interferon-γ-stimulated astrocytes, but not neurons, clear intracellular parasites suggest that neurons alone are persistently infected in vivo because they lack the ability to clear intracellular parasites. Here we test this theory by using a novel Toxoplasma-mouse model capable of marking and tracking host cells that directly interact with parasites, even if the interaction is transient. Remarkably, we find that Toxoplasma shows a strong predilection for interacting with neurons throughout CNS infection. This predilection remains in the setting of IFN-γ depletion; infection with parasites resistant to the major mechanism by which murine astrocytes clear parasites; or when directly injecting parasites into the brain. These findings, in combination with prior work, strongly suggest that neurons are not incidentally infected, but rather they are Toxoplasma's primary in vivo target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla M Cabral
- BIO5 Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Shraddha Tuladhar
- Department of Immunobiology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Hans K Dietrich
- BIO5 Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Elizabeth Nguyen
- BIO5 Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Wes R MacDonald
- Undergraduate Biology Research Program, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Tapasya Trivedi
- BIO5 Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Asha Devineni
- BIO5 Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Anita A Koshy
- BIO5 Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America.,Department of Immunobiology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America.,Department of Neurology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America
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50
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Shwab EK, Jiang T, Pena HFJ, Gennari SM, Dubey JP, Su C. The ROP18 and ROP5 gene allele types are highly predictive of virulence in mice across globally distributed strains of Toxoplasma gondii. Int J Parasitol 2015; 46:141-6. [PMID: 26699401 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2015.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2015] [Revised: 10/20/2015] [Accepted: 10/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii is one of the most successful known eukaryotic pathogens on Earth. Virulence of T. gondii strains varies greatly in mice, and mounting evidence suggests that such variations may be relevant to the manifestation of human toxoplasmosis. Polymorphic rhoptry-secreted kinases and pseudokinases (ROP) have been demonstrated to account for murine virulence among the archetypal clonal parasite lineages that dominate the populations of North America and Europe. However, the distribution of virulence gene alleles in natural populations and the broad influence of these allele combinations on T. gondii virulence have not been examined in depth. In the present study, we performed PCR-RFLP genotyping analysis on a diverse array of globally distributed T. gondii strains at four ROP gene loci including ROP18, ROP5, ROP16 and ROP17 that were previously implicated in influencing T. gondii virulence and pathogenesis. We demonstrated through correlation with published virulence data that the combination of ROP18 and ROP5 allele types is highly predictive of T. gondii virulence across a broad range of global T. gondii isolates. These findings indicate that the importance of ROP18 and ROP5 in determining strain virulence is not limited to the North American/European archetypal lineages most commonly used in molecular studies, but also appears to apply to diverse isolates from South/central America and Asia. Restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of these loci may thus serve as a valuable tool in determining the potential virulence of uncharacterized T. gondii strains in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elliot Keats Shwab
- Department of Microbiology, University of Tennessee, 1414 W. Cumberland Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37996-0845, USA
| | - Tiantian Jiang
- Department of Microbiology, University of Tennessee, 1414 W. Cumberland Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37996-0845, USA
| | - Hilda F J Pena
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, Avenida Professor Doutor Orlando Marques de Paiva, 87, São Paulo, SP 05508-270, Brazil
| | - Solange M Gennari
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, Avenida Professor Doutor Orlando Marques de Paiva, 87, São Paulo, SP 05508-270, Brazil
| | - Jitender P Dubey
- Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
| | - Chunlei Su
- Department of Microbiology, University of Tennessee, 1414 W. Cumberland Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37996-0845, USA.
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