1
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Lignereux L, Tong WH, Tan S, Vyas A, O'handley R. Presence of IgG antibodies is not a reliable marker of Toxoplasma gondii infection in feral mice. Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl 2023; 22:75-79. [PMID: 37727638 PMCID: PMC10506062 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2023.09.004] [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: 05/12/2023] [Revised: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023]
Abstract
The single-celled parasite Toxoplasma gondii uses mice as a vector to reach its definitive host, the cat, where it can accomplish its sexual reproduction and produce oocysts, which will contaminate the environment. In this study, we have captured 103 feral house mice (Mus musculus) on Kangaroo Island, Australia. We have measured the level of exposure to T.gondii serologically with the Modified Agglutination Test and conjointly with a T.gondii B1 gene PCR. We have included stringent quality control steps in the molecular analysis to reduce the risk of false positivity and false negativity. Our results indicated a low seroprevalence of 0.97%, 95%CI [-0.36; 0.58] associated with the detection of T.gondii genetic material in 51.46%, 95%CI [41.93, 60.88] of mice brains. Neither sex nor mice body weight had an effect on the PCR outcome. We postulate that both the transmission route, horizontal or vertical, and natural selection processes could lead to this discordance which has been observed elsewhere in wild mice. The question of the biological mechanisms allowing the chronic infection of wild mice in the absence of a measurable humoral immune response remains. Our findings indicate that serological studies should not be used to measure the level of exposure to T.gondii in feral house mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louis Lignereux
- School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Adelaide, Australia
| | - Wen Han Tong
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
| | - Sijie Tan
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
| | - Ajai Vyas
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
| | - Ryan O'handley
- School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Adelaide, Australia
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2
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Moyano A, Croce AC, Scolari F. Pathogen-Mediated Alterations of Insect Chemical Communication: From Pheromones to Behavior. Pathogens 2023; 12:1350. [PMID: 38003813 PMCID: PMC10675518 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12111350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Revised: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/11/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Pathogens can influence the physiology and behavior of both animal and plant hosts in a manner that promotes their own transmission and dispersal. Recent research focusing on insects has revealed that these manipulations can extend to the production of pheromones, which are pivotal in chemical communication. This review provides an overview of the current state of research and available data concerning the impacts of bacterial, viral, fungal, and eukaryotic pathogens on chemical communication across different insect orders. While our understanding of the influence of pathogenic bacteria on host chemical profiles is still limited, viral infections have been shown to induce behavioral changes in the host, such as altered pheromone production, olfaction, and locomotion. Entomopathogenic fungi affect host chemical communication by manipulating cuticular hydrocarbons and pheromone production, while various eukaryotic parasites have been observed to influence insect behavior by affecting the production of pheromones and other chemical cues. The effects induced by these infections are explored in the context of the evolutionary advantages they confer to the pathogen. The molecular mechanisms governing the observed pathogen-mediated behavioral changes, as well as the dynamic and mutually influential relationships between the pathogen and its host, are still poorly understood. A deeper comprehension of these mechanisms will prove invaluable in identifying novel targets in the perspective of practical applications aimed at controlling detrimental insect species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Moyano
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, Italian National Research Council (CNR), Via Abbiategrasso 207, I-27100 Pavia, Italy; (A.M.); (A.C.C.)
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, Via Ferrata 9, I-27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Anna Cleta Croce
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, Italian National Research Council (CNR), Via Abbiategrasso 207, I-27100 Pavia, Italy; (A.M.); (A.C.C.)
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, Via Ferrata 9, I-27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Francesca Scolari
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, Italian National Research Council (CNR), Via Abbiategrasso 207, I-27100 Pavia, Italy; (A.M.); (A.C.C.)
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, Via Ferrata 9, I-27100 Pavia, Italy
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3
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Nava M, Corlatti L, Formenti N, Trogu T, Pedrotti L, Gugiatti A, Lanfranchi P, Luzzago C, Ferrari N. Parasite-mediated manipulation? Toxoplasma gondii infection increases risk behaviour towards culling in red deer. Biol Lett 2023; 19:20230292. [PMID: 37848050 PMCID: PMC10581775 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2023.0292] [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: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Parasites can modify host behaviour to increase their chances of survival and transmission. Toxoplasma gondii is a globally distributed protozoan whose ability to modify host behaviour is well known in taxa such as rats and humans. Less well known are the effects on the behaviour of wild species, with the exception of a few studies on primates and carnivores. Taking advantage of a culling activity conducted in Stelvio National Park (Italy), the serological status of T. gondii was studied in 260 individuals of red deer Cervus elaphus with respect to the risk of being culled. A temporal culling rank index was fitted as a response variable, and T. gondii serological status as the main explanatory variable in linear models, accounting for covariates such as sex, age, jaw length, bone marrow fat and culling location. The overall seroprevalence of T. gondii was 31.5%, and the selected models suggested that seropositive deer were culled earlier than seronegative ones, but this effect was only evident in females, in individuals with medium-good body condition, and in areas with greater human presence. Our results suggest that T. gondii may be involved in risk behaviour in large herbivores, supporting its role as a facilitator of predation risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Nava
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, University of Milan, Lodi, Italy
| | - Luca Corlatti
- Stelvio National Park – ERSAF Lombardia, Bormio, Italy
- Chair of Wildlife Ecology and Management, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Nicoletta Formenti
- Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna ‘‘Bruno Ubertini’’, Brescia, Italy
| | - Tiziana Trogu
- Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna ‘‘Bruno Ubertini’’, Brescia, Italy
| | - Luca Pedrotti
- Stelvio National Park – ERSAF Lombardia, Bormio, Italy
| | | | - Paolo Lanfranchi
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, University of Milan, Lodi, Italy
| | - Camilla Luzzago
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, University of Milan, Lodi, Italy
- Wildlife Health Lab, University of Milan, Lodi, Italy
| | - Nicola Ferrari
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, University of Milan, Lodi, Italy
- Wildlife Health Lab, University of Milan, Lodi, Italy
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4
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Tao Q, Yang D, Qin K, Liu L, Jin M, Zhang F, Zhu J, Wang J, Luo Q, Du J, Yu L, Shen J, Chu D. Studies on the mechanism of Toxoplasma gondii Chinese 1 genotype Wh6 strain causing mice abnormal cognitive behavior. Parasit Vectors 2023; 16:30. [PMID: 36698166 PMCID: PMC9875435 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-022-05618-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alzheimer's disease presents an abnormal cognitive behavior. TgCtwh6 is one of the predominant T. gondii strains prevalent in China. Although T. gondii type II strain infection can cause host cognitive behavioral abnormalities, we do not know whether TgCtwh6 could also cause host cognitive behavioral changes. So, in this study, we will focus on the effect of TgCtwh6 on mouse cognitive behavior and try in vivo and in vitro to explore the underlying mechanism by which TgCtwh6 give rise to mice cognitive behavior changes at the cellular and molecular level. METHODS C57BL/6 mice were infected orally with TgCtwh6 cysts. From day 90 post-infection on, all mice were conducted through the open field test and then Morris water maze test to evaluate cognitive behavior. The morphology and number of cells in hippocampus were examined with hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) and Nissl staining; moreover, Aβ protein in hippocampus was determined with immunohistochemistry and thioflavin S plaque staining. Synaptotagmin 1, apoptosis-related proteins, BACE1 and APP proteins and genes from hippocampus were assessed by western blotting or qRT-PCR. Hippocampal neuronal cell line or mouse microglial cell line was challenged with TgCtwh6 tachyzoites and then separately cultured in a well or co-cultured in a transwell device. The target proteins and genes were analyzed by immunofluorescence staining, western blotting and qRT-PCR. In addition, mouse microglial cell line polarization state and hippocampal neuronal cell line apoptosis were estimated using flow cytometry assay. RESULTS The OFT and MWMT indicated that infected mice had cognitive behavioral impairments. The hippocampal tissue assay showed abnormal neuron morphology and a decreased number in infected mice. Moreover, pro-apoptotic proteins, as well as BACE1, APP and Aβ proteins, increased in the infected mouse hippocampus. The experiments in vitro showed that pro-apoptotic proteins and p-NF-κBp65, NF-κBp65, BACE1, APP and Aβ proteins or genes were significantly increased in the infected HT22. In addition, CD80, pro-inflammatory factors, notch, hes1 proteins and genes were enhanced in the infected BV2. Interestingly, not only the APP and pro-apoptotic proteins in HT22, but also the apoptosis rate of HT22 increased after the infected BV2 were co-cultured with the HT22 in a transwell device. CONCLUSIONS Neuron apoptosis, Aβ deposition and neuroinflammatory response involved with microglia polarization are the molecular and cellular mechanisms by which TgCtwh6 causes mouse cognitive behavioral abnormalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing Tao
- grid.186775.a0000 0000 9490 772XDepartment of Pathogen Biology, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Microbiology & Parasitology, Anhui Provincial Laboratory of Zoonoses of High Institutions, School of Basic Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Di Yang
- grid.186775.a0000 0000 9490 772XDepartment of Pathogen Biology, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Microbiology & Parasitology, Anhui Provincial Laboratory of Zoonoses of High Institutions, School of Basic Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Kunpeng Qin
- grid.412679.f0000 0004 1771 3402Department of Orthopaedics, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Anhui, China
| | - Lei Liu
- grid.59053.3a0000000121679639Department of Blood Transfusion, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Mengmeng Jin
- grid.186775.a0000 0000 9490 772XMaternity and Child Health Hospital of Anhui Province, The Affiliated Maternity and Child Health Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Famin Zhang
- grid.186775.a0000 0000 9490 772XDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Jinjin Zhu
- grid.186775.a0000 0000 9490 772XDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Jie Wang
- grid.186775.a0000 0000 9490 772XDepartment of Microbiology and Parasitology, Anhui Provincial Laboratory of Microbiology and Parasitology, Anhui Provincial Laboratory of Zoonoses of High Institutions, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Qingli Luo
- grid.186775.a0000 0000 9490 772XDepartment of Pathogen Biology, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Microbiology & Parasitology, Anhui Provincial Laboratory of Zoonoses of High Institutions, School of Basic Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Jian Du
- grid.186775.a0000 0000 9490 772XDepartment of Microbiology and Parasitology, Anhui Provincial Laboratory of Microbiology and Parasitology, Anhui Provincial Laboratory of Zoonoses of High Institutions, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Li Yu
- grid.186775.a0000 0000 9490 772XDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Jilong Shen
- grid.186775.a0000 0000 9490 772XDepartment of Pathogen Biology, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Microbiology & Parasitology, Anhui Provincial Laboratory of Zoonoses of High Institutions, School of Basic Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Deyong Chu
- grid.186775.a0000 0000 9490 772XDepartment of Pathogen Biology, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Microbiology & Parasitology, Anhui Provincial Laboratory of Zoonoses of High Institutions, School of Basic Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
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Cromar GL, Epp JR, Popovic A, Gu Y, Ha V, Walters BJ, St. Pierre J, Xiong X, Howland JG, Josselyn SA, Frankland PW, Parkinson J. Toxoplasma infection in male mice alters dopamine-sensitive behaviors and host gene expression patterns associated with neuropsychiatric disease. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2022; 16:e0010600. [PMID: 35857765 PMCID: PMC9342775 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0010600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Revised: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
During chronic infection, the single celled parasite, Toxoplasma gondii, can migrate to the brain where it has been associated with altered dopamine function and the capacity to modulate host behavior, increasing risk of neurocognitive disorders. Here we explore alterations in dopamine-related behavior in a new mouse model based on stimulant (cocaine)-induced hyperactivity. In combination with cocaine, infection resulted in heightened sensorimotor deficits and impairment in prepulse inhibition response, which are commonly disrupted in neuropsychiatric conditions. To identify molecular pathways in the brain affected by chronic T. gondii infection, we investigated patterns of gene expression. As expected, infection was associated with an enrichment of genes associated with general immune response pathways, that otherwise limits statistical power to identify more informative pathways. To overcome this limitation and focus on pathways of neurological relevance, we developed a novel context enrichment approach that relies on a customized ontology. Applying this approach, we identified genes that exhibited unexpected patterns of expression arising from the combination of cocaine exposure and infection. These include sets of genes which exhibited dampened response to cocaine in infected mice, suggesting a possible mechanism for some observed behaviors and a neuroprotective effect that may be advantageous to parasite persistence. This model offers a powerful new approach to dissect the molecular pathways by which T. gondii infection contributes to neurocognitive disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Graham L. Cromar
- Program in Molecular Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
| | - Jonathan R. Epp
- Program in Neurosciences & Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
| | - Ana Popovic
- Program in Molecular Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
- Dept. of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Yusing Gu
- Program in Neurosciences & Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
| | - Violet Ha
- Program in Neurosciences & Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
| | - Brandon J. Walters
- Program in Neurosciences & Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
| | - James St. Pierre
- Program in Molecular Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
| | - Xuejian Xiong
- Program in Molecular Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
| | - John G. Howland
- Dept. of Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada
| | - Sheena A. Josselyn
- Program in Neurosciences & Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
- Dept. of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- Dept. of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Paul W. Frankland
- Program in Neurosciences & Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
- Dept. of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- Dept. of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- * E-mail: (PF); (JP)
| | - John Parkinson
- Program in Neurosciences & Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
- Dept. of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- Dept. of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- * E-mail: (PF); (JP)
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6
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Castaño BL, Silva AA, Hernandez-Velasco LL, Pinheiro APDS, Gibaldi D, Mineo JR, Silva NM, Lannes-Vieira J. Sulfadiazine Plus Pyrimethamine Therapy Reversed Multiple Behavioral and Neurocognitive Changes in Long-Term Chronic Toxoplasmosis by Reducing Brain Cyst Load and Inflammation-Related Alterations. Front Immunol 2022; 13:822567. [PMID: 35572567 PMCID: PMC9091718 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.822567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii infects one-third of the world population. For decades, it has been considered a silent lifelong infection. However, chronically T. gondii-infected persons may present psychiatric and neurocognitive changes as anxiety, depression, and memory loss. In a model of long-term chronic infection, behavioral alterations parallel neuroinflammation and systemic high cytokine levels, and may reflect brain cyst load. Recent findings support that in chronic infection an active parasite-host interplay involves an immune-mediated control of tissue cysts. Here, we tested the idea that etiological treatment in chronic phase may add advantage to intrinsic immune-mediated cyst control and impact behavioral changes. Thus, we combined sulfadiazine-plus-pyrimethamine (S+P), the first-choice therapy for toxoplasmosis, to study the association of brain cyst load and biological processes related to the immune response (neuroinflammation, blood-brain barrier -BBB- disruption and serum cytokine levels), with behavioral and neurocognitive changes of long-term chronic infection. Female C57BL/6 mice (H-2b) were infected (5 cysts, ME-49 strain) and treated with S+P from 30 to 60 days postinfection (dpi), compared with vehicle (Veh)-treated and noninfected controls. At endpoints (pre-therapy, 30 dpi; S+P therapy, 60 dpi; after ceased therapy, 90 dpi), independent groups were subjected to behavioral tests, and brain tissues and sera were collected. Multiple behavioral and neurocognitive changes were detected in the early (30 dpi) and long-term (60 and 90 dpi) chronic infection. S+P therapy resolved locomotor alterations, anxiety, and depressive-like behavior, partially or transiently ameliorated hyperactivity and habituation memory loss. Analysis after therapy cessation showed that S+P therapy reduced the number of stimuli required for aversive memory consolidation. S+P therapy resulted in reduced brain cyst load, neuroinflammation and BBB disruption, and lowered systemic Th1-cytokine levels. Correlation analysis revealed association between IFNγ, TNF and MCP-1/CCL2 serum levels, brain cyst load and behavioral and neurocognitive alterations. Moreover, principal-component analysis (PCA-2D and 3D projections) highlighted distinction between clusters (noninfected; Veh-treated and S+P-treated infected). Thus, our data suggest that S+P therapy added gain to intrinsic brain cyst control and, direct or indirectly, ameliorated inflammation-related alterations, traits associated with behavioral and neurocognitive alterations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barrios Leda Castaño
- Laboratory of Biology of the Interactions, Oswaldo Cruz Institute/Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Andrea Alice Silva
- Multiuser Laboratory for Research Support in Nephrology and Medical Sciences, Federal University Fluminense, Niterói, Brazil
| | | | | | - Daniel Gibaldi
- Laboratory of Biology of the Interactions, Oswaldo Cruz Institute/Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - José Roberto Mineo
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Brazil
| | - Neide Maria Silva
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Brazil
| | - Joseli Lannes-Vieira
- Laboratory of Biology of the Interactions, Oswaldo Cruz Institute/Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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7
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Rees KC, Dou Z, Whitehead DC. Oxadiazon Derivatives Elicit Potent Intracellular Growth Inhibition against Toxoplasma gondii by Disrupting Heme Biosynthesis. ACS Infect Dis 2022; 8:911-917. [PMID: 35363476 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.2c00020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Infections of Toxoplasma gondii can cause severe and sometimes fatal diseases in immunocompromised individuals. The de novo heme biosynthesis pathway is required for intracellular growth and pathogenesis, making it an appealing therapeutic target. We synthesized a small library of derivatives of the herbicide oxadiazon, a known inhibitor of the penultimate reaction within the heme biosynthesis pathway in plants, catalyzed by protoporphyrinogen oxidase (PPO). Seven of the 18 analogs exhibit potent intracellular growth inhibition of wild-type T. gondii (IC50 = 1 to 2.4 μM). An assay of the compounds against Toxoplasma PPO knockout and complementation strains confirmed the mode of action to be due to the potent inhibition of PPO. The most potent compounds have no detectable cytotoxicity against human foreskin fibroblast cells up to 100 μM. This study suggests that oxadiazon derivatives may represent a new molecular scaffold for the effective treatment of T. gondii infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerrick C. Rees
- Department of Chemistry, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina 29634, United States
| | - Zhicheng Dou
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina 29634, United States
- Eukaryotic Pathogens Innovation Center, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina 29634, United States
| | - Daniel C. Whitehead
- Department of Chemistry, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina 29634, United States
- Eukaryotic Pathogens Innovation Center, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina 29634, United States
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8
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Klein CJMI, Budiman T, Homberg JR, Verma D, Keijer J, van Schothorst EM. Measuring Locomotor Activity and Behavioral Aspects of Rodents Living in the Home-Cage. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:877323. [PMID: 35464142 PMCID: PMC9021872 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.877323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Automatization and technological advances have led to a larger number of methods and systems to monitor and measure locomotor activity and more specific behavior of a wide variety of animal species in various environmental conditions in laboratory settings. In rodents, the majority of these systems require the animals to be temporarily taken away from their home-cage into separate observation cage environments which requires manual handling and consequently evokes distress for the animal and may alter behavioral responses. An automated high-throughput approach can overcome this problem. Therefore, this review describes existing automated methods and technologies which enable the measurement of locomotor activity and behavioral aspects of rodents in their most meaningful and stress-free laboratory environment: the home-cage. In line with the Directive 2010/63/EU and the 3R principles (replacement, reduction, refinement), this review furthermore assesses their suitability and potential for group-housed conditions as a refinement strategy, highlighting their current technological and practical limitations. It covers electrical capacitance technology and radio-frequency identification (RFID), which focus mainly on voluntary locomotor activity in both single and multiple rodents, respectively. Infrared beams and force plates expand the detection beyond locomotor activity toward basic behavioral traits but discover their full potential in individually housed rodents only. Despite the great premises of these approaches in terms of behavioral pattern recognition, more sophisticated methods, such as (RFID-assisted) video tracking technology need to be applied to enable the automated analysis of advanced behavioral aspects of individual animals in social housing conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian J. M. I. Klein
- Human and Animal Physiology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
- TSE Systems GmbH, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Judith R. Homberg
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | | | - Jaap Keijer
- Human and Animal Physiology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
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9
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Soares GLDS, Leão ERLPD, Freitas SF, Alves RMC, Tavares NDP, Costa MVN, Menezes GCD, Oliveira JHPD, Guerreiro LCF, Assis ACLD, Araújo SC, Franco FTDC, Anaissi AKM, Carmo ELD, Morais RDAPB, Demachki S, Diniz JAP, Nunes HM, Anthony DC, Diniz DG, Diniz CWP. Behavioral and Neuropathological Changes After Toxoplasma gondii Ocular Conjunctival Infection in BALB/c Mice. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:812152. [PMID: 35372100 PMCID: PMC8965508 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.812152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Ocular infection with Toxoplasma gondii causes toxoplasmosis in mice. However, following ocular infection with tachyzoites, the cause of the accompanying progressive changes in hippocampal-dependent tasks, and their relationship with the morphology and number of microglia, is less well understood. Here, in 6-month-old, female BALB/c mice, 5 μl of a suspension containing 48.5 × 106 tachyzoites/ml was introduced into the conjunctival sac; control received an equal volume of saline. Before and after instillation, all mice were subject to an olfactory discrimination (OD) test, using predator (cat) feces, and to an open-field (OF) task. After the behavioral tests, the animals were culled at either 22 or 44 days post-instillation (dpi), and the brains and retinas were dissected and processed for immunohistochemistry. The total number of Iba-1-immunolabeled microglia in the molecular layer of the dentate gyrus was estimated, and three-dimensional reconstructions of the cells were evaluated. Immobility was increased in the infected group at 12, 22, and 43 dpi, but the greatest immobility was observed at 22 dpi and was associated with reduced line crossing in the OF and distance traveled. In the OD test, infected animals spent more time in the compartment with feline fecal material at 14 and at 43 dpi. No OD changes were observed in the control group. The number of microglia was increased at 22 dpi but returned to control levels by 44 dpi. These changes were associated with the differentiation of T. gondii tachyzoites into bradyzoite-enclosed cysts within the brain and retina. Thus, infection of mice with T. gondii alters exploratory behavior, gives rise to a loss in predator’s odor avoidance from 2 weeks after infection, increased microglia number, and altered their morphology in the molecular layer of the dentate gyrus.
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10
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Yin K, Xu C, Zhao G, Xie H. Epigenetic Manipulation of Psychiatric Behavioral Disorders Induced by Toxoplasma gondii. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:803502. [PMID: 35237531 PMCID: PMC8882818 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.803502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is known to have a complex life cycle and infect almost all kinds of warm-blooded animals around the world. The brain of the host could be persistently infected by cerebral cysts, and a variety of psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and suicide have been reported to be related with latent toxoplasmosis. The infected animals showed fear reduction and a tendency to be preyed upon. However, the mechanism of this “parasites manipulation” effects have not been elucidated. Here, we reviewed the recent infection prevalence of toxoplasmosis and the evidence of mental and behavioral disorders induced by T. gondii and discussed the related physiological basis including dopamine dysregulation and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) pathway and the controversial opinion of the necessity for cerebral cysts existence. Based on the recent advances, we speculated that the neuroendocrine programs and neurotransmitter imbalance may play a key role in this process. Simultaneously, studies in the evaluation of the expression pattern of related genes, long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), and mRNAs of the host provides a new point for understanding the mechanism of neurotransmitter dysfunction induced by parasite manipulation. Therefore, we summarized the animal models, T. gondii strains, and behavioral tests used in the related epigenetic studies and the responsible epigenetic processes; pinpointed opportunities and challenges in future research including the causality evidence of human psychiatric disorders, the statistical analysis for rodent-infected host to be more vulnerable preyed upon; and identified responsible genes and drug targets through epigenetics.
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11
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Michel AO, Donovan TA, Roediger B, Lee Q, Jolly CJ, Monette S. Chaphamaparvovirus antigen and nucleic acids are not detected in kidney tissues from cats with chronic renal disease or immunocompromised cats. Vet Pathol 2022; 59:120-126. [PMID: 34601998 PMCID: PMC9393070 DOI: 10.1177/03009858211045439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a common cause of morbidity and mortality in domestic cats, but the cause is still largely elusive. While some viruses have been associated with this disease, none have been definitively implicated as causative. Recently, Rodent chaphamaparvovirus 1 was recognized as the cause of murine inclusion body nephropathy, a disease reported for over 40 years in laboratory mice. A novel virus belonging to the same genus, Carnivore chaphamaparvovirus 2, was recently identified in the feces of cats with diarrhea. The goal of this study was to investigate the possible role of chaphamaparvoviruses including members of Rodent chaphamaparvovirus 1 and Carnivore chaphamaparvovirus 2 in the development of feline CKD. The presence of these viruses was retrospectively investigated in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded feline kidney samples using polymerase chain reaction, in situ hybridization, and immunohistochemistry. Cats were divided into 3 groups: normal (N = 24), CKD (N = 26), and immunocompromised (N = 25). None of the kidney tissues from any of the 75 cats revealed the presence of chaphamaparvovirus DNA, RNA, or antigen. We conclude that viruses belonging to the chaphamaparvovirus genus are unlikely to contribute to the occurrence of feline CKD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam O Michel
- Laboratory of Comparative Pathology, Center of Comparative Medicine and Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, The Rockefeller University, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
- Drug Safety and Pharmacometrics, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Tarrytown, NY 10591, USA
| | - Taryn A Donovan
- Department of Anatomic Pathology, The Animal Medical Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Ben Roediger
- Centenary Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2050, Australia
- Autoimmunity, Transplantation, Inflammation (ATI) Disease Area, Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Quintin Lee
- Centenary Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2050, Australia
| | - Christopher J Jolly
- Centenary Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2050, Australia
- Lowy Cancer Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Sebastien Monette
- Laboratory of Comparative Pathology, Center of Comparative Medicine and Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, The Rockefeller University, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
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12
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Rossi VS, de Mello IM, Barki A, Giaquinto PC. The attraction trick: males in early stages of disease become more chemically attractive to Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) females. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2021; 99:1632-1639. [PMID: 34350984 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.14870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2021] [Revised: 07/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
In aquatic systems, olfaction plays an important role in acquiring information about the social environment and influences important behaviours in various contexts, including predator avoidance, foraging, aggressive and reproductive behaviour and mate selection. As the presence of diseases might modify individual odour, fish may use the variability in conspecifics' odours as an indicator of the health status and infectious load of potential mates. Here, female Nile tilapia were tested for their ability to detect infected males and discriminate between bacterial infected and uninfected individuals by means of chemical cues. Females were allowed to choose between the odours of males infected by Aeromonas hydrophila bacteria and uninfected males. The findings show that female Nile tilapia initially showed a preference for infected males in terms of their first choice in a dichotomous choice test, but the total duration of time spent with the stimulus from infected males was not longer than that for the uninfected males. This may indicate that males at early stages of infection, i.e., without advanced clinical signs of infection, emit odours that allow them to enjoy the benefits of socialization when the infection is not yet detected by conspecifics. Thus, in the context of reproduction, males might attract female partners and have some chance of reproducing, before being avoided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Stramantinoli Rossi
- Laboratory of Physiology and Animal Behaviour/Physiology Department, State University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Isabela Maria de Mello
- Laboratory of Physiology and Animal Behaviour/Physiology Department, State University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Assaf Barki
- Institute of Animal Science, The Volcani Center, Agricultural Research Organization, Rishon LeZion, Israel
| | - Percilia Cardoso Giaquinto
- Laboratory of Physiology and Animal Behaviour/Physiology Department, State University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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13
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Castaño Barrios L, Da Silva Pinheiro AP, Gibaldi D, Silva AA, Machado Rodrigues e Silva P, Roffê E, da Costa Santiago H, Tostes Gazzinelli R, Mineo JR, Silva NM, Lannes-Vieira J. Behavioral alterations in long-term Toxoplasma gondii infection of C57BL/6 mice are associated with neuroinflammation and disruption of the blood brain barrier. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0258199. [PMID: 34610039 PMCID: PMC8491889 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0258199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The Apicomplexa protozoan Toxoplasma gondii is a mandatory intracellular parasite and the causative agent of toxoplasmosis. This illness is of medical importance due to its high prevalence worldwide and may cause neurological alterations in immunocompromised persons. In chronically infected immunocompetent individuals, this parasite forms tissue cysts mainly in the brain. In addition, T. gondii infection has been related to mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, as well as mood, personality, and other behavioral changes. In the present study, we evaluated the kinetics of behavioral alterations in a model of chronic infection, assessing anxiety, depression and exploratory behavior, and their relationship with neuroinflammation and parasite cysts in brain tissue areas, blood-brain-barrier (BBB) integrity, and cytokine status in the brain and serum. Adult female C57BL/6 mice were infected by gavage with 5 cysts of the ME-49 type II T. gondii strain, and analyzed as independent groups at 30, 60 and 90 days postinfection (dpi). Anxiety, depressive-like behavior, and hyperactivity were detected in the early (30 dpi) and long-term (60 and 90 dpi) chronic T. gondii infection, in a direct association with the presence of parasite cysts and neuroinflammation, independently of the brain tissue areas, and linked to BBB disruption. These behavioral alterations paralleled the upregulation of expression of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and CC-chemokines (CCL2/MCP-1, CCL3/MIP-1α, CCL4/MIP-1β and CCL5/RANTES) in the brain tissue. In addition, increased levels of interferon-gamma (IFNγ), TNF and CCL2/MCP-1 were detected in the peripheral blood, at 30 and 60 dpi. Our data suggest that the persistence of parasite cysts induces sustained neuroinflammation, and BBB disruption, thus allowing leakage of cytokines of circulating plasma into the brain tissue. Therefore, all these factors may contribute to behavioral changes (anxiety, depressive-like behavior, and hyperactivity) in chronic T. gondii infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leda Castaño Barrios
- Laboratory of Biology of the Interactions, Oswaldo Cruz Institute/Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Ana Paula Da Silva Pinheiro
- Laboratory of Biology of the Interactions, Oswaldo Cruz Institute/Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Daniel Gibaldi
- Laboratory of Biology of the Interactions, Oswaldo Cruz Institute/Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Andrea Alice Silva
- Multiuser Laboratory for Research Support in Nephrology and Medical Sciences, Federal University Fluminense, Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | - Ester Roffê
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Helton da Costa Santiago
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Ricardo Tostes Gazzinelli
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - José Roberto Mineo
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Neide Maria Silva
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Joseli Lannes-Vieira
- Laboratory of Biology of the Interactions, Oswaldo Cruz Institute/Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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Correa Leite PE, de Araujo Portes J, Pereira MR, Russo FB, Martins-Duarte ES, Almeida Dos Santos N, Attias M, Barrantes FJ, Baleeiro Beltrão-Braga PC, de Souza W. Morphological and biochemical repercussions of Toxoplasma gondii infection in a 3D human brain neurospheres model. Brain Behav Immun Health 2021; 11:100190. [PMID: 34589727 PMCID: PMC8474451 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbih.2020.100190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2020] [Accepted: 12/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Toxoplasmosis is caused by the parasite Toxoplasma gondii that can infect the central nervous system (CNS), promoting neuroinflammation, neuronal loss, neurotransmitter imbalance and behavioral alterations. T. gondii infection is also related to neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia. The pathogenicity and inflammatory response in rodents are different to the case of humans, compromising the correlation between the behavioral alterations and physiological modifications observed in the disease. In the present work we used BrainSpheres, a 3D CNS model derived from human pluripotent stem cells (iPSC), to investigate the morphological and biochemical repercussions of T. gondii infection in human neural cells. Methods We evaluated T. gondii ME49 strain proliferation and cyst formation in both 2D cultured human neural cells and BrainSpheres. Aspects of cell morphology, ultrastructure, viability, gene expression of neural phenotype markers, as well as secretion of inflammatory mediators were evaluated for 2 and 4 weeks post infection in BrainSpheres. Results T. gondii can infect BrainSpheres, proliferating and inducing cysts formation, neural cell death, alteration in neural gene expression and triggering the release of several inflammatory mediators. Conclusions BrainSpheres reproduce many aspects of T. gondii infection in human CNS, constituting a useful model to study the neurotoxicity and neuroinflammation mediated by the parasite. In addition, these data could be important for future studies aiming at better understanding possible correlations between psychiatric disorders and human CNS infection with T. gondii. T. gondii infects, proliferates and induce cysts formation in neurospheres. T. gondii infection induces neural cell death in neurospheres. T. gondii infection promotes alteration in neural gene expression in neurospheres. T. gondii infection promotes release of inflammatory mediators in neurospheres.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulo Emilio Correa Leite
- Institute of Biophysics Carlos Chagas Filho and National Center for Structural Biology and Bioimaging (CENABIO), Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.,Directory of Metrology Applied to Life Sciences (Dimav), National Institute of Metrology Quality and Technology (INMETRO), Duque de Caxias, RJ, Brazil
| | - Juliana de Araujo Portes
- Institute of Biophysics Carlos Chagas Filho and National Center for Structural Biology and Bioimaging (CENABIO), Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | | | - Fabiele Baldino Russo
- Laboratory of Disease Modeling, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Erica S Martins-Duarte
- Institute of Biophysics Carlos Chagas Filho and National Center for Structural Biology and Bioimaging (CENABIO), Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.,Department of Parasitology, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Nathalia Almeida Dos Santos
- Laboratory of Disease Modeling, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.,Centre for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, King's College London, Guy's Hospital, London, UK
| | - Marcia Attias
- Institute of Biophysics Carlos Chagas Filho and National Center for Structural Biology and Bioimaging (CENABIO), Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Francisco J Barrantes
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, Institute for Biomedical Research (BIOMED), UCA-CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Patricia Cristina Baleeiro Beltrão-Braga
- Laboratory of Disease Modeling, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.,Scientific Platform Pasteur-USP, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Wanderley de Souza
- Institute of Biophysics Carlos Chagas Filho and National Center for Structural Biology and Bioimaging (CENABIO), Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
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Ma J, He JJ, Wang M, Hou JL, Elsheikha HM, Zhu XQ. Toxoplasma gondii induces metabolic disturbances in the hippocampus of BALB/c mice. Parasitol Res 2021; 120:2805-2818. [PMID: 34219189 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-021-07222-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii can cross the blood-brain barrier and infect different regions of the brain including the hippocampus. In the present study, we examined the impact of Toxoplasma gondii infection on the metabolism of the hippocampus of female BALB/c mice compared to control mice using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Multivariate analysis revealed significant differences between infected and control hippocampi and identified 25, 82, and 105 differential metabolites (DMs) in the infected hippocampi at 7, 14, and 21 days post-infection (dpi), respectively. One DM (sphingosyl-phosphocholine in the sphingolipid metabolism pathway) and 11 dysregulated pathways were detected at all time points post-infection, suggesting their important roles in the neuropathogenesis of T. gondii infection. These pathways were related to neural activity, such as inflammatory mediator regulation of TRP channels, retrograde endocannabinoid signaling, and arachidonic acid metabolism. Weighted correlation network analysis and receiver operating characteristic analysis identified 33 metabolites significantly associated with T. gondii infection in the hippocampus, and 30 of these were deemed as potential biomarkers for T. gondii infection. This study provides, for the first time, a global view of the metabolic perturbations that occur in the mouse hippocampus during T. gondii infection. The potential relevance of the identified metabolites and pathways to the pathogenesis of cognitive impairment and psychiatric disorders are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute
- Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, 730046, People's Republic of China
| | - Jun-Jun He
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute
- Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, 730046, People's Republic of China
| | - Meng 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, Gansu Province, 730046, People's Republic of China
| | - Jun-Ling Hou
- 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, Gansu Province, 730046, People's Republic of China
| | - Hany M Elsheikha
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Loughborough, LE12 5RD, UK.
| | - Xing-Quan Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute
- Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, 730046, People's Republic of China. .,College of Veterinary Medicine, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, Shanxi Province, 030801, People's Republic of China. .,Key Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health of Higher Education of Yunnan Province, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, People's Republic of China.
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Dupont D, Lin JS, Peyron F, Akaoka H, Wallon M. Chronic Toxoplasma gondii infection and sleep-wake alterations in mice. CNS Neurosci Ther 2021; 27:895-907. [PMID: 34085752 PMCID: PMC8265947 DOI: 10.1111/cns.13650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Revised: 03/21/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
AIM Toxoplasma gondii (Tg) is an intracellular parasite infecting more than a third of the human population. Yet, the impact of Tg infection on sleep, a highly sensitive index of brain functions, remains unknown. We designed an experimental mouse model of chronic Tg infection to assess the effects on sleep-wake states. METHODS Mice were infected using cysts of the type II Prugniaud strain. We performed chronic sleep-wake recordings and monitoring as well as EEG power spectral density analysis in order to assess the quantitative and qualitative changes of sleep-wake states. Pharmacological approach was combined to evaluate the direct impact of the infection and inflammation caused by Tg. RESULTS Infected mouse exhibited chronic sleep-wake alterations over months, characterized by a marked increase (>20%) in time spent awake and in cortical EEG θ power density of all sleep-wake states. Meanwhile, slow-wave sleep decreased significantly. These effects were alleviated by an anti-inflammatory treatment using corticosteroid dexamethasone. CONCLUSION We demonstrated for the first time the direct consequences of Tg infection on sleep-wake states. The persistently increased wakefulness and reduced sleep fit with the parasite's strategy to enhance dissemination through host predation and are of significance in understanding the neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders reported in infected patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damien Dupont
- Institut des Agents Infectieux, Parasitologie Mycologie, Hôpital de la Croix-Rousse, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon, France.,Physiologie intégrée du système d'éveil, Faculté de Médecine, Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon, INSERM U1028-CNRS UMR 5292, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - Jian-Sheng Lin
- Physiologie intégrée du système d'éveil, Faculté de Médecine, Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon, INSERM U1028-CNRS UMR 5292, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - François Peyron
- Institut des Agents Infectieux, Parasitologie Mycologie, Hôpital de la Croix-Rousse, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Hideo Akaoka
- Physiologie intégrée du système d'éveil, Faculté de Médecine, Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon, INSERM U1028-CNRS UMR 5292, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - Martine Wallon
- Institut des Agents Infectieux, Parasitologie Mycologie, Hôpital de la Croix-Rousse, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon, France.,Physiologie intégrée du système d'éveil, Faculté de Médecine, Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon, INSERM U1028-CNRS UMR 5292, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
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Polymicrobial Interactions Operative during Pathogen Transmission. mBio 2021; 12:mBio.01027-21. [PMID: 34006664 PMCID: PMC8262881 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01027-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Pathogen transmission is a key point not only for infection control and public health interventions but also for understanding the selective pressures in pathogen evolution. The “success” of a pathogen lies not in its ability to cause signs and symptoms of illness but in its ability to be shed from the initial hosts, survive between hosts, and then establish infection in a new host. Recent insights have shown the importance of the interaction between the pathogen and both the commensal microbiome and coinfecting pathogens on shedding, environmental survival, and acquisition of infection. Pathogens have evolved in the context of cooperation and competition with other microbes, and the roles of these cooperations and competitions in transmission can inform novel preventative and therapeutic strategies.
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18
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Cai J, Sheng Z, Jin Y, Du Y, Yan X, Yao Y. Potential linkage between Toxoplasma gondii infection and physical education scores of college students. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0241653. [PMID: 33657102 PMCID: PMC7928503 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0241653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 02/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective Toxoplasma gondii is a worldwide protozoan parasite that could infect virtually all warm-blooded animals, including humans. Our study aimed to investigate the prevalence of T. gondii infection in college students at Anhui province, China and to assess risk factors for T. gondii infection in college students. Moreover, growing studies demonstrated the association between T. gondii infection and host behavioral changes. We also studied the linkage between T. gondii and physical education (PE) scores of college students. Methods A total of 2704 serum samples of medical school students attending physical education lessons were collected from September 2017 to September 2019 and evaluated for T. gondii IgG antibodies using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Questionnaires and statistical analysis were used to determine the risk factors for T. gondii infection. We also analysed PE scores of T. gondii -infected students and T. gondii-uninfected students. Results The overall seroprevalence of T. gondii was 11.5%. The main risk factors related to T. gondii infection in college students were cat in the household and gardening or agriculture activity. Furthermore, in the basketball group and the soccer group, scores of T. gondii seropositive students were significantly higher than those of seronegative students, while in other sports there was no difference between scores of T. gondii-infected students and T. gondii uninfected students. Conclusion This is the first report of T. gondii seroprevalence in college students in Anhui province, China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Cai
- Department of Physical Education of Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, Anhui, P. R China
| | - Zhijin Sheng
- Department of Physical Education, College of Humanistic Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, P. R China
| | - Yu Jin
- Anhui Provincial Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Hefei, Anhui, P. R China
| | - Yinan Du
- Department of Human Parasitology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, P. R China
| | - Xinlei Yan
- Food Science and Engineering College of Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, China
- * E-mail: (XY); (YY)
| | - Yong Yao
- College of Life Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, P. R China
- * E-mail: (XY); (YY)
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Tong WH, Pavey C, O'Handley R, Vyas A. Behavioral biology of Toxoplasma gondii infection. Parasit Vectors 2021; 14:77. [PMID: 33494777 PMCID: PMC7831251 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-020-04528-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite with a complex life cycle and a cosmopolitan host range. The asexual part of its life cycle can be perpetually sustained in a variety of intermediate hosts through a combination of carnivory and vertical transmission. However, T. gondii produces gametes only in felids after the predation of infected intermediate hosts. The parasite changes the behavior of its intermediate hosts by reducing their innate fear to cat odors and thereby plausibly increasing the probability that the definitive host will devour the infected host. Here, we provide a short description of such parasitic behavioral manipulation in laboratory rodents infected with T. gondii, along with a bird's eye view of underpinning biological changes in the host. We also summarize critical gaps and opportunities for future research in this exciting research area with broad implications in the transdisciplinary study of host-parasite relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen Han Tong
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University (SBS-NTU), 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore, 637551, Singapore
| | - Chris Pavey
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Land and Water, Darwin, Australia
| | - Ryan O'Handley
- School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Adelaide, Roseworthy Campus, Roseworthy, Australia
| | - Ajai Vyas
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University (SBS-NTU), 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore, 637551, Singapore.
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Behavioral Manipulation by Toxoplasma gondii: Does Brain Residence Matter? Trends Parasitol 2021; 37:381-390. [PMID: 33461902 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2020.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2020] [Revised: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 12/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii infects a wide range of intermediate hosts. The parasite produces brain cysts during the latent phase of its infection, in parallel to causing a loss of innate aversion in the rat host towards cat odors. Host behavioral change presumably reflects a parasitic manipulation to increase predation by definitive felid hosts, although evidence for increased predation is not yet available. In this opinion piece, we propose a neuroendocrine loop to explain the role of gonadal steroids in the parasitized hosts in mediating the behavioral manipulation. We argue that the presence of tissue cysts within the host brain is merely incidental to the behavioral change, without a necessary or sufficient role.
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21
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Cook JR, Bennett KV, Barton MC, Platek SM. SARS/CoV-2: Behavioral Host Manipulation. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2021; 1353:71-80. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-85113-2_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Valdebenito JO, Liker A, Halimubieke N, Figuerola J, Székely T. Mortality cost of sex-specific parasitism in wild bird populations. Sci Rep 2020; 10:20983. [PMID: 33268803 PMCID: PMC7710712 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-77410-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2020] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex-specific mortality is frequent in animals although the causes of different male versus female mortalities remain poorly understood. Parasitism is ubiquitous in nature with widespread detrimental effects to hosts, making parasitism a likely cause of sex-specific mortalities. Using sex-specific blood and gastrointestinal parasite prevalence from 96 and 54 avian host species, respectively, we test the implications of parasites for annual mortality in wild bird populations using phylogenetic comparative methods. First, we show that parasite prevalence is not different between adult males and females, although Nematodes showed a statistically significant but small male-biased parasite prevalence. Second, we found no correlation between sex-biased host mortalities and sex-biased parasite prevalence. These results were consistent in both blood and gastrointestinal parasites. Taken together, our results show little evidence for sex-dependent parasite prevalence in adults in wild bird populations, and suggest that parasite prevalence is an unlikely predictor of sex difference in adult mortalities, not withstanding sampling limitations. We propose that to understand causes of sex-biased mortalities, more complex analyses are needed that incorporate various ecological and life history components of animals life that may include sex differences in exposure to predators, immune capacity and cost of reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- José O Valdebenito
- Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath, UK
| | - András Liker
- MTA-PE Evolutionary Ecology Research Group, University of Pannonia, Veszprém, Hungary.,Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Center for Natural Sciences, University of Pannonia, Veszprém, Hungary
| | - Naerhulan Halimubieke
- Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath, UK
| | - Jordi Figuerola
- Department of Wetland Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Seville, Spain.,CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Seville, Spain
| | - Tamás Székely
- Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath, UK. .,Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary.
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Pérez-Grisales LJ, Cruz-Moncada M, Peláez-Sánchez R, Díaz-Nieto JF. Toxoplasma gondii infection in Colombia with a review of hosts and their ecogeographic distribution. Zoonoses Public Health 2020; 68:38-53. [PMID: 33249768 DOI: 10.1111/zph.12787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2020] [Revised: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is one of the most prevalent zoonotic protozoan parasites among warm-blooded animal populations (humans included) around the world, causing multiple clinic manifestations including death in the most severe cases of infection. Due to the versatile life cycle of T. gondii and its diversity of potential hosts, there is a common perception that natural areas and wildlife are highly prevalent reservoirs for the parasite; however, information and reports of the parasite on wildlife populations in Colombia are scarce. Using PRC-based detection analyses of the B1 gene, we evaluated the presence of T. gondii in 49 native small mammal species (10% of the mammal species of Colombia) from 4 different undisturbed natural habitats. Additionally, to understand the ecogeographical distribution of the parasite in Colombia, we developed a literature search of infection reports including information on the host species, density of records and occurrence patterns (using landcover and ecoregions) in natural, rural and urban areas. Our literature review showed a total of 8,103 reports of T. gondii for Colombia of which 86% were related to humans, and 14% to non-human mammals and other categories, with just a single report associated to wildlife; additionally, 82% of all reports were associated to urban areas whereas only 18% to rural sites. Based on the negative results for the presence of T. gondii in our PCR-based analyses and our literature search, we suggest that T. gondii has a synanthropic distribution in Colombia occurring in ecoregions as variable as the xeric scrubs in the northern lowlands and humid montane Andean forests, also we show a lack of information on the parasite relationship with wildlife, a concerning fact given that zoonoses are the leading mechanism for the emergence of infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis Javier Pérez-Grisales
- Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Escuela de Ciencias, Grupo de investigación en Biodiversidad Evolución y Conservación (BEC), Universidad EAFIT, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Mariana Cruz-Moncada
- Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Escuela de Ciencias, Grupo de investigación en Biodiversidad Evolución y Conservación (BEC), Universidad EAFIT, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Ronald Peláez-Sánchez
- Grupo de Investigación en Ciencias Básicas, Escuela de Graduados, Universidad CES, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Juan Fernando Díaz-Nieto
- Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Escuela de Ciencias, Grupo de investigación en Biodiversidad Evolución y Conservación (BEC), Universidad EAFIT, Medellín, Colombia
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24
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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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Crippen M. Enactive Pragmatism and Ecological Psychology. Front Psychol 2020; 11:538644. [PMID: 33192781 PMCID: PMC7606921 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.538644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
A widely cited roadblock to bridging ecological psychology and enactivism is that the former identifies with realism and the latter identifies with constructivism, which critics charge is subjectivist. A pragmatic reading, however, suggests non-mental forms of constructivism that simultaneously fit core tenets of enactivism and ecological realism. After advancing a pragmatic version of enactive constructivism that does not obviate realism, I reinforce the position with an empirical illustration: Physarum polycephalum, a communal unicellular organism that leaves slime trails that form chemical barriers that it avoids in foraging explorations. Here, environmental building and sensorimotor engagement are part of the same process with P. polycephalum coordinating around self-created, affordance-bearing geographies, which nonetheless exist independently in ways described by ecological realists. For ecological psychologists, affordances are values, meaning values are external to the perceiver. I argue that agent-enacted values have the same status and thus do not obviate ecological realism or generate subjectivism. The constructivist-realist debate organizes around the emphasis that enactivists and ecological theorists respectively place on the inner constitution of organisms vs. the structure of environments. Building on alimentary themes introduced in the P. polycephalum example and also in Gibson’s work, I go on to consider how environment, brain, visceral systems, and even bacteria within them enter perceptual loops. This highlights almost unfathomable degrees of mutually modulating internal and external synchronization. It also shows instances in which internal conditions alter worldly configurations and invert values, in Gibson’s sense of the term, albeit without implying subjectivism. My aim is to cut across the somatic focus of enactive constructivism and the external environment-oriented emphasis of ecological realism and show that enactivism can enrich ecological accounts of value.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Crippen
- Department of Philosophy, Grand Valley State University, Allendale Charter Township, MI, United States.,Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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26
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Toxoplasma gondii: AnUnderestimated Threat? Trends Parasitol 2020; 36:959-969. [PMID: 33012669 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2020.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Revised: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 08/21/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Traditionally, the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii has been thought of as relevant to public health primarily within the context of congenital toxoplasmosis or postnatally acquired disease in immunocompromised patients. However, latent T.gondii infection has been increasingly associated with a wide variety of neuropsychiatric disorders and, more recently, causal frameworks for these epidemiological associations have been proposed. We present assimilated evidence on the associations between T.gondii and various human neuropsychiatric disorders and outline how these may be explained within a unifying causal framework. We argue that the occult effects of latent T.gondii infection likely outweigh the recognised overt morbidity caused by toxoplasmosis, substantially raising the public health importance of this parasite.
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27
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Ma J, He JJ, Hou JL, Zhou CX, Elsheikha HM, Zhu XQ. Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry-Based Metabolomics Reveals Metabolic Alterations in the Mouse Cerebellum During Toxoplasma gondii Infection. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:1555. [PMID: 32765450 PMCID: PMC7381283 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.01555] [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: 03/02/2020] [Accepted: 06/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite with a remarkable neurotropism. We recently showed that T. gondii infection can alter the global metabolism of the cerebral cortex of mice. However, the impact of T. gondii infection on the metabolism of the cerebellum remains unknown. Here we apply metabolomic profiling to discover metabolic changes associated with T. gondii infection of the mouse cerebellum using ultra performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). Multivariate statistics revealed differences in the metabolic profiles between the infected and control mouse groups and between the infected mouse groups as infection advanced. We also detected 10, 22, and 42 significantly altered metabolites (SAMs) in the infected cerebellum at 7, 14, and 21 days post infection (dpi), respectively. Four metabolites [tabersonine, arachidonic acid (AA), docosahexaenoic acid, and oleic acid] were identified as potential biomarker or responsive metabolites to T. gondii infection in the mouse cerebellum. Three of these metabolites (AA, docosahexaenoic acid, and oleic acid) play roles in the regulation of host behavior and immune response. Pathway analysis showed that T. gondii infection of the cerebellum involves reprogramming of amino acid and lipid metabolism. These results showcase temporal metabolomic changes during cerebellar infection by T. gondii in mice. The study provides new insight into the neuropathogenesis of T. gondii infection and reveals new metabolites and pathways that mediate the interplay between T. gondii and the mouse cerebellum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - 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
| | - Jun-Ling Hou
- 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
| | - Chun-Xue Zhou
- Department of Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Hany M Elsheikha
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, 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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Chronic toxoplasmosis and sleepiness in obstructive sleep apnea: Is there a link? PLoS One 2020; 15:e0235463. [PMID: 32609758 PMCID: PMC7329112 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0235463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2019] [Accepted: 06/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Sleepiness is the main clinical expression of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) syndrome resulting from upper airway collapse. Recent studies have discussed the fact that the presence of T. gondii cysts in the brain and the resulting biochemical and immunological mechanisms could be linked to neurobehavioral disorders. The aim of the present study was to explore the potential impact of chronic toxoplasmosis on sleepiness and on obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) severity in OSA obese patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS A case control study on obese patients screened for OSA was performed. According to the sleep disorder and matched based on gender, age and body mass index (BMI), two groups of obese patients were selected from our sample collection database. All patients were tested for toxoplasmosis serological status measuring anti-Toxoplasma IgG and IgM levels. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression models were performed to assess the impact of chronic toxoplasmosis on sleepiness and OSA severity. RESULTS 107 obese patients suffering from OSA were included in the study (median age: 53.3 years Interquartile range (IQR): [41.9-59.9]; median BMI: 39.4 kg/m2 IQR: [35.5-44.1], apnea-hypopnea index = 27.5 events/h [10.7-49.9]). Chronic toxoplasmosis was present in 63.4% and 70.7% of patients with or without sleepiness (p = 0.48), respectively and was not associated either to sleepiness (OR: 0.76, 95% CI: [0.52; 2.33], p = 0.64) or OSA severity (OR = 1.75, 95% CI: [0.51; 5.98] p = 0.37). CONCLUSION Although chronic Toxoplasma infection in immunocompetent humans has been associated to several behavioral disorders or pathologies in recent literature, we demonstrate here that chronic toxoplasmosis is not associated to sleepiness and to sleep apnea syndrome severity in obese patients suspected of sleep apnea syndrome.
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Zhao XY, Ewald SE. The molecular biology and immune control of chronic Toxoplasma gondii infection. J Clin Invest 2020; 130:3370-3380. [PMID: 32609097 PMCID: PMC7324197 DOI: 10.1172/jci136226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is an incredibly successful parasite owing in part to its ability to persist within cells for the life of the host. Remarkably, at least 350 host species of T. gondii have been described to date, and it is estimated that 30% of the global human population is chronically infected. The importance of T. gondii in human health was made clear with the first reports of congenital toxoplasmosis in the 1940s. However, the AIDS crisis in the 1980s revealed the prevalence of chronic infection, as patients presented with reactivated chronic toxoplasmosis, underscoring the importance of an intact immune system for parasite control. In the last 40 years, there has been tremendous progress toward understanding the biology of T. gondii infection using rodent models, human cell experimental systems, and clinical data. However, there are still major holes in our understanding of T. gondii biology, including the genes controlling parasite development, the mechanisms of cell-intrinsic immunity to T. gondii in the brain and muscle, and the long-term effects of infection on host homeostasis. The need to better understand the biology of chronic infection is underscored by the recent rise in ocular disease associated with emerging haplotypes of T. gondii and our lack of effective treatments to sterilize chronic infection. This Review discusses the cell types and molecular mediators, both host and parasite, that facilitate persistent T. gondii infection. We highlight the consequences of chronic infection for tissue-specific pathology and identify open questions in this area of host-Toxoplasma interactions.
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Mathuru AS, Libersat F, Vyas A, Teseo S. Why behavioral neuroscience still needs diversity?: A curious case of a persistent need. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 116:130-141. [PMID: 32565172 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.06.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2020] [Revised: 04/29/2020] [Accepted: 06/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
In the past few decades, a substantial portion of neuroscience research has moved from studies conducted across a spectrum of animals to reliance on a few species. While this undoubtedly promotes consistency, in-depth analysis, and a better claim to unraveling molecular mechanisms, investing heavily in a subset of species also restricts the type of questions that can be asked, and impacts the generalizability of findings. A conspicuous body of literature has long advocated the need to expand the diversity of animal systems used in neuroscience research. Part of this need is utilitarian with respect to translation, but the remaining is the knowledge that historically, a diverse set of species were instrumental in obtaining transformative understanding. We argue that diversifying matters also because the current approach limits the scope of what can be discovered. Technological advancements are already bridging several practical gaps separating these two worlds. What remains is a wholehearted embrace by the community that has benefitted from past history. We suggest the time for it is now.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ajay S Mathuru
- Yale-NUS College, 12 College Avenue West, Singapore; Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, A⁎STAR, 61 Biopolis Drive, Singapore; Dept. of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
| | - Frédéric Libersat
- Dept. of Life Sciences and Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Ben Gurion University, Beer Sheva 8410501 Israel
| | - Ajai Vyas
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, 637551, Singapore
| | - Serafino Teseo
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, 637551, Singapore
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31
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Aging with Toxoplasma gondii results in pathogen clearance, resolution of inflammation, and minimal consequences to learning and memory. Sci Rep 2020; 10:7979. [PMID: 32409672 PMCID: PMC7224383 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-64823-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2019] [Accepted: 04/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Persistent inflammation has been identified as a contributor to aging-related neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease. Normal aging, in the absence of dementia, also results in gradual cognitive decline and is thought to arise, in part, because of a chronic pro-inflammatory state in the brain. Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular parasite that establishes a persistent, asymptomatic infection of the central nervous system (CNS) accompanied by a pro-inflammatory immune response in many of its hosts, including humans and rodents. Several studies have suggested that the inflammation generated by certain strains of T. gondii infection can be neuroprotective in the context of a secondary insult like beta-amyloid accumulation or stroke. Given these neuroprotective studies, we hypothesized that a prolonged infection with T. gondii may protect against age-associated decline in cognition. To test this hypothesis, we infected young adult mice with either of two genetically distinct, persistent T. gondii strains (Prugniaud/type II/haplogroup 2 and CEP/type III/haplogroup 3) and monitored mouse weight, survival, and learning and memory over the ensuing 20 months. At the end of the study, we evaluated CNS inflammation and parasite burden in the surviving mice. We found that parasite infection had no impact on age-associated decline in learning and memory and that by 20 months post infection, in the surviving mice, we found no evidence of parasite DNA, cysts, or inflammation in the CNS. In addition, we found that mice infected with type III parasites, which are supposed to be less virulent than the type II parasites, had a lower rate of long-term survival. Collectively, these data indicate that T. gondii may not cause a life-long CNS infection. Rather, parasites are likely slowly cleared from the CNS and infection and parasite clearance neither positively nor negatively impacts learning and memory in aging.
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He JJ, Ma J, Wang JL, Zhang FK, Li JX, Zhai BT, Elsheikha HM, Zhu XQ. iTRAQ-based Quantitative Proteomics Analysis Identifies Host Pathways Modulated during Toxoplasma gondii Infection in Swine. Microorganisms 2020; 8:microorganisms8040518. [PMID: 32260483 PMCID: PMC7232346 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8040518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2020] [Revised: 03/28/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is a leading cause of foodborne illness and consumption of undercooked pig meat is a major risk factor for acquiring toxoplasmosis, which causes a substantial burden on society. Here, we used isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ) labelling coupled with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to identify cellular proteins and pathways altered during T. gondii infection in pigs. We also used parallel reaction monitoring-based LC-MS/MS to verify the levels of protein expression of infected spleens and mesenteric lymph nodes (MLNs). At 6 days post-infection (dpi), 156, 391, 170, 292, and 200 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were detected in the brain, liver, lung, MLNs and spleen, respectively. At 18 dpi, 339, 351, 483, 388, and 303 DEPs were detected in the brain, liver, lung, MLNs and spleen, respectively. Although proteins involved in immune responses were upregulated in all infected tissues, protein expression signature in infected livers was dominated by downregulation of the metabolic processes. By weighted gene co-expression network analysis, we could further show that all proteins were clustered into 25 co-expression modules and that the pink module significantly correlated with the infection status. We also identified 163 potential anti-T. gondii proteins (PATPs) and provided evidence that two PATPs (HSP70.2 and PDIA3) can reduce T. gondii burden in porcine macrophages in vitro. This comprehensive proteomics analysis reveals new facets in the pathogenesis of T. gondii infection and identifies key proteins that may contribute to the pig’s defense against this infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun-Jun He
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou 730046, China; (J.-J.H.); (J.M.); (J.-L.W.); (F.-K.Z.); (J.-X.L.); (B.-T.Z.)
| | - Jun Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou 730046, China; (J.-J.H.); (J.M.); (J.-L.W.); (F.-K.Z.); (J.-X.L.); (B.-T.Z.)
| | - Jin-Lei 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 730046, China; (J.-J.H.); (J.M.); (J.-L.W.); (F.-K.Z.); (J.-X.L.); (B.-T.Z.)
| | - Fu-Kai Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou 730046, China; (J.-J.H.); (J.M.); (J.-L.W.); (F.-K.Z.); (J.-X.L.); (B.-T.Z.)
| | - Jie-Xi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou 730046, China; (J.-J.H.); (J.M.); (J.-L.W.); (F.-K.Z.); (J.-X.L.); (B.-T.Z.)
| | - Bin-Tao Zhai
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou 730046, China; (J.-J.H.); (J.M.); (J.-L.W.); (F.-K.Z.); (J.-X.L.); (B.-T.Z.)
| | - Hany M. Elsheikha
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough LE12 5RD, UK
- Correspondence: (H.M.E.); (X.-Q.Z.)
| | - Xing-Quan Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou 730046, China; (J.-J.H.); (J.M.); (J.-L.W.); (F.-K.Z.); (J.-X.L.); (B.-T.Z.)
- Correspondence: (H.M.E.); (X.-Q.Z.)
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Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is a ubiquitous, intracellular protozoan parasite with a broad range of intermediate hosts, including humans and rodents. In many hosts, T. gondii establishes a latent long-term infection by converting from its rapidly dividing or lytic form to its slowly replicating and encysting form. In humans and rodents, the major organ for encystment is the central nervous system (CNS), which has led many to investigate how this persistent CNS infection might influence rodent and human behavior and, more recently, neurodegenerative diseases. Toxoplasma gondii is a ubiquitous, intracellular protozoan parasite with a broad range of intermediate hosts, including humans and rodents. In many hosts, T. gondii establishes a latent long-term infection by converting from its rapidly dividing or lytic form to its slowly replicating and encysting form. In humans and rodents, the major organ for encystment is the central nervous system (CNS), which has led many to investigate how this persistent CNS infection might influence rodent and human behavior and, more recently, neurodegenerative diseases. Given the interest in this topic, here we seek to take a global approach to the data for and against the effects of latent T. gondii on behavior and neurodegeneration and the proposed mechanisms that might underlie behavior modifications.
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Endo K, Yamasaki S, Ando S, Kikusui T, Mogi K, Nagasawa M, Kamimura I, Ishihara J, Nakanishi M, Usami S, Hiraiwa-Hasegawa M, Kasai K, Nishida A. Dog and Cat Ownership Predicts Adolescents' Mental Well-Being: A Population-Based Longitudinal Study. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17030884. [PMID: 32023841 PMCID: PMC7037461 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17030884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2019] [Revised: 01/24/2020] [Accepted: 01/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
A potential association between pet ownership and mental well-being is suggested, but there is a shortage of high-quality longitudinal studies that consider probable differences among different species. We aimed to examine whether ownership of the most popular pets (dogs and cats) would predict mental well-being. The Tokyo Teen Cohort (TTC), a prospective population-based birth cohort study, had dog and cat ownership data at age 10 and mental well-being score at ages 10 and 12 from 2584 adolescents. Linear regression analysis with adjusting for covariates showed that dog ownership had a positive effect on mental well-being compared to no dog ownership, however, cat ownership had a negative effect compared to no cat ownership. Two-factor mixed-design analysis of variance showed that dog ownership predicted maintained mental well-being, while cat ownership predicted progressing decline of mental well-being. Thus, dog and cat ownership may have different effects on adolescents’ mental well-being, implying that the underlying mechanisms that are activated by these types of ownership may differ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaori Endo
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, 2-1-6 Kamikitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 156-8506, Japan; (K.E.); (M.N.); (A.N.)
| | - Syudo Yamasaki
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, 2-1-6 Kamikitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 156-8506, Japan; (K.E.); (M.N.); (A.N.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +81-3-6834-2296
| | - Shuntaro Ando
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8655, Japan; (S.A.); (K.K.)
| | - Takefumi Kikusui
- Department of Animal Science and Biotechnology, Azabu University, 1-17-71 Fuchinobe, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara-shi, Kanagawa 252-5201, Japan; (T.K.); (K.M.); (M.N.); (I.K.)
| | - Kazutaka Mogi
- Department of Animal Science and Biotechnology, Azabu University, 1-17-71 Fuchinobe, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara-shi, Kanagawa 252-5201, Japan; (T.K.); (K.M.); (M.N.); (I.K.)
| | - Miho Nagasawa
- Department of Animal Science and Biotechnology, Azabu University, 1-17-71 Fuchinobe, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara-shi, Kanagawa 252-5201, Japan; (T.K.); (K.M.); (M.N.); (I.K.)
| | - Itsuka Kamimura
- Department of Animal Science and Biotechnology, Azabu University, 1-17-71 Fuchinobe, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara-shi, Kanagawa 252-5201, Japan; (T.K.); (K.M.); (M.N.); (I.K.)
| | - Junko Ishihara
- Department of Food and Life Science, Azabu University, 1-17-71 Fuchinobe, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara-shi, Kanagawa 252-5201, Japan;
| | - Miharu Nakanishi
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, 2-1-6 Kamikitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 156-8506, Japan; (K.E.); (M.N.); (A.N.)
| | - Satoshi Usami
- Graduate School of Education, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan;
| | - Mariko Hiraiwa-Hasegawa
- School of Advanced Science, SOKENDAI (Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Shonan Village, Hayama, Kanagawa 240-0193, Japan;
| | - Kiyoto Kasai
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8655, Japan; (S.A.); (K.K.)
| | - Atsushi Nishida
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, 2-1-6 Kamikitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 156-8506, Japan; (K.E.); (M.N.); (A.N.)
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Boillat M, Hammoudi PM, Dogga SK, Pagès S, Goubran M, Rodriguez I, Soldati-Favre D. Neuroinflammation-Associated Aspecific Manipulation of Mouse Predator Fear by Toxoplasma gondii. Cell Rep 2020; 30:320-334.e6. [PMID: 31940479 PMCID: PMC6963786 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.12.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2019] [Revised: 10/27/2019] [Accepted: 12/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In rodents, the decrease of felid aversion induced by Toxoplasma gondii, a phenomenon termed fatal attraction, is interpreted as an adaptive manipulation by the neurotropic protozoan parasite. With the aim of understanding how the parasite induces such specific behavioral modifications, we performed a multiparametric analysis of T. gondii-induced changes on host behavior, physiology, and brain transcriptome as well as parasite cyst load and distribution. Using a set of complementary behavioral tests, we provide strong evidence that T. gondii lowers general anxiety in infected mice, increases explorative behaviors, and surprisingly alters predator aversion without selectivity toward felids. Furthermore, we show a positive correlation between the severity of the behavioral alterations and the cyst load, which indirectly reflects the level of inflammation during brain colonization. Taken together, these findings refute the myth of a selective loss of cat fear in T. gondii-infected mice and point toward widespread immune-related alterations of behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madlaina Boillat
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, Faculty of Sciences, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Pierre-Mehdi Hammoudi
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine-University of Geneva CMU, 1 rue Michel-Servet 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland
| | - Sunil Kumar Dogga
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine-University of Geneva CMU, 1 rue Michel-Servet 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland
| | - Stéphane Pagès
- Wyss Center for Bio- and Neuroengineering, Geneva, Switzerland; Department of Basic Neurosciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Maged Goubran
- Hurvitz Brain Sciences Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Ivan Rodriguez
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, Faculty of Sciences, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland.
| | - Dominique Soldati-Favre
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine-University of Geneva CMU, 1 rue Michel-Servet 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland.
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Singh DK, Hari Dass SA, Abdulai-Saiku S, Vyas A. Testosterone Acts Within the Medial Amygdala of Rats to Reduce Innate Fear to Predator Odor Akin to the Effects of Toxoplasma gondii Infection. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:630. [PMID: 32714222 PMCID: PMC7343892 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00630] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2019] [Accepted: 06/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Rats infected with the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii exhibit a reduced aversion to cat odor. This behavioral change is thought to increase trophic transmission of the parasite. Infected male rats also show a greater testicular synthesis of testosterone and epigenetic change in arginine vasopressin within the medial amygdala. Here, we show that exogenous supply of testosterone within MeA of uninfected castrates recapitulates reduction in innate fear akin to behavioral change attributed to the parasite. We also show that castration post establishment of chronic infection precludes changes in fear and medial amygdala arginine vasopressin in the infected male rats. These observations support the role of gonadal hormones and pursuant neuroendocrine changes in mediating the loss of fear in the infected rats. This work also demonstrates that testosterone acting specifically within the medial amygdala sufficiently explains reduced defensive behaviors often observed during the appetitive component of reproductive behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dhiraj Kumar Singh
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - Samira Abdulai-Saiku
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Ajai Vyas
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
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Imaging the dynamic recruitment of monocytes to the blood-brain barrier and specific brain regions during Toxoplasma gondii infection. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:24796-24807. [PMID: 31727842 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1915778116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Brain infection by the parasite Toxoplasma gondii in mice is thought to generate vulnerability to predation by mechanisms that remain elusive. Monocytes play a key role in host defense and inflammation and are critical for controlling T. gondii However, the dynamic and regional relationship between brain-infiltrating monocytes and parasites is unknown. We report the mobilization of inflammatory (CCR2+Ly6Chi) and patrolling (CX3CR1+Ly6Clo) monocytes into the blood and brain during T. gondii infection of C57BL/6J and CCR2RFP/+CX3CR1GFP/+ mice. Longitudinal analysis of mice using 2-photon intravital imaging of the brain through cranial windows revealed that CCR2-RFP monocytes were recruited to the blood-brain barrier (BBB) within 2 wk of T. gondii infection, exhibited distinct rolling and crawling behavior, and accumulated within the vessel lumen before entering the parenchyma. Optical clearing of intact T. gondii-infected brains using iDISCO+ and light-sheet microscopy enabled global 3D detection of monocytes. Clusters of T. gondii and individual monocytes across the brain were identified using an automated cell segmentation pipeline, and monocytes were found to be significantly correlated with sites of T. gondii clusters. Computational alignment of brains to the Allen annotated reference atlas [E. S. Lein et al., Nature 445:168-176 (2007)] indicated a consistent pattern of monocyte infiltration during T. gondii infection to the olfactory tubercle, in contrast to LPS treatment of mice, which resulted in a diffuse distribution of monocytes across multiple brain regions. These data provide insights into the dynamics of monocyte recruitment to the BBB and the highly regionalized localization of monocytes in the brain during T. gondii CNS infection.
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Figarella K, Wolburg H, Garaschuk O, Duszenko M. Microglia in neuropathology caused by protozoan parasites. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2019; 95:333-349. [PMID: 31682077 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2019] [Revised: 10/04/2019] [Accepted: 10/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Involvement of the central nervous system (CNS) is the most severe consequence of some parasitic infections. Protozoal infections comprise a group of diseases that together affect billions of people worldwide and, according to the World Health Organization, are responsible for more than 500000 deaths annually. They include African and American trypanosomiasis, leishmaniasis, malaria, toxoplasmosis, and amoebiasis. Mechanisms underlying invasion of the brain parenchyma by protozoa are not well understood and may depend on parasite nature: a vascular invasion route is most common. Immunosuppression favors parasite invasion into the CNS and therefore the host immune response plays a pivotal role in the development of a neuropathology in these infectious diseases. In the brain, microglia are the resident immune cells active in defense against pathogens that target the CNS. Beside their direct role in innate immunity, they also play a principal role in coordinating the trafficking and recruitment of other immune cells from the periphery to the CNS. Despite their evident involvement in the neuropathology of protozoan infections, little attention has given to microglia-parasite interactions. This review describes the most prominent features of microglial cells and protozoan parasites and summarizes the most recent information regarding the reaction of microglial cells to parasitic infections. We highlight the involvement of the periphery-brain axis and emphasize possible scenarios for microglia-parasite interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine Figarella
- Institute of Physiology, Department of Neurophysiology, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Hartwig Wolburg
- Institute of Pathology and Neuropathology, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Olga Garaschuk
- Institute of Physiology, Department of Neurophysiology, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Michael Duszenko
- Institute of Physiology, Department of Neurophysiology, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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Abstract
Putting cat lovers on notice: Toxoplasma gondii is here to control your brain…or is it? Kochanowsky and Koshy shine the spotlight on this notorious pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anita A Koshy
- Department of Neurology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA.
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Del Giudice M. Invisible Designers: Brain Evolution Through the Lens of Parasite Manipulation. QUARTERLY REVIEW OF BIOLOGY 2019. [DOI: 10.1086/705038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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Ihara F, Tanaka S, Fereig RM, Nishimura M, Nishikawa Y. Involvement of Toll-like receptor 2 in the cerebral immune response and behavioral changes caused by latent Toxoplasma infection in mice. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0220560. [PMID: 31404078 PMCID: PMC6690529 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0220560] [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: 01/22/2019] [Accepted: 07/18/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Subacute and chronic infections with the intracellular protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii are associated with an increased risk of psychiatric diseases like schizophrenia. However, little is known about the mechanisms involved in T. gondii-induced neuronal disorders. Recently, we reported that Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) was required to initiate the innate immune response in cultured mouse brain cells. However, how TLR2 contributes to latent infection with T. gondii remains unclear. Therefore, we examined the role of TLR2 in brain pathology and behavior using wild-type (TLR2+/+) and TLR2-deficient (TLR2-/-) mice. The behavioral analyses showed that TLR2 deficiency increased the anxiety state of the uninfected and infected animals alike, and TLR2 deficiency showed no relationship with the infection. In the contextual and cued fear-conditioning tests, T. gondii infection decreased the mouse freezing reaction while TLR2 deficiency increased it, but there was no interaction between the two factors. Our histopathological analysis showed that the TLR2+/+ and TLR2-/- mice had similar brain lesions at 30 days post infection (dpi) with T. gondii. Higher numbers of parasites were detected in the brains of the TLR2-/- mice than in those from the TLR2+/+ mice at 30 dpi, but not at 7 and 14 dpi. No significant differences were observed in the proinflammatory gene expression levels in the TLR2+/+ and TLR2-/- mice. Therefore, it appears that TLR2 signaling in the brain might contribute to the control of parasite growth, but not to brain pathology or the impaired fear memory response induced by infection with T. gondii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fumiaki Ihara
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Sachi Tanaka
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Ragab M. Fereig
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido, Japan
- Department of Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, South Valley University, Qena City, Qena, Egypt
| | - Maki Nishimura
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Yoshifumi Nishikawa
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido, Japan
- * E-mail:
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Ma J, He JJ, Hou JL, Zhou CX, Zhang FK, Elsheikha HM, Zhu XQ. Metabolomic signature of mouse cerebral cortex following Toxoplasma gondii infection. Parasit Vectors 2019; 12:373. [PMID: 31358041 PMCID: PMC6664753 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-019-3623-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2019] [Accepted: 07/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii infects and alters the neurotransmission in cerebral cortex and other brain regions, leading to neurobehavioral and neuropathologic changes in humans and animals. However, the molecules that contribute to these changes remain largely unknown. METHODS We have investigated the impact of T. gondii infection on the overall metabolism of mouse cerebral cortex. Mass-spectrometry-based metabolomics and multivariate statistical analysis were employed to discover metabolomic signatures that discriminate between cerebral cortex of T. gondii-infected and uninfected control mice. RESULTS Our results identified 73, 67 and 276 differentially abundant metabolites, which were involved in 25, 37 and 64 pathways at 7, 14 and 21 days post-infection (dpi), respectively. Metabolites in the unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis pathway were upregulated as the infection progressed, indicating that T. gondii induces the biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids to promote its own growth and survival. Some of the downregulated metabolites were related to pathways, such as steroid hormone biosynthesis and arachidonic acid metabolism. Nine metabolites were identified as T. gondii responsive metabolites, namely galactosylsphingosine, arachidonic acid, LysoSM(d18:1), L-palmitoylcarnitine, calcitetrol, 27-Deoxy-5b-cyprinol, L-homophenylalanine, oleic acid and ceramide (d18:1/16:0). CONCLUSIONS Our data provide novel insight into the dysregulation of the metabolism of the mouse cerebral cortex during T. gondii infection and have important implications for studies of T. gondii pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, 730046, Gansu, People's Republic of China
| | - Jun-Jun He
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, 730046, Gansu, People's Republic of China
| | - Jun-Ling Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, 730046, Gansu, People's Republic of China
| | - Chun-Xue Zhou
- Department of Parasitology, Shandong University School of Basic Medicine, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Fu-Kai Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, 730046, Gansu, People's Republic of China
| | - Hany M Elsheikha
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough, LE12 5RD, UK.
| | - Xing-Quan Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, 730046, Gansu, People's Republic of China.
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Morar N, Bohannan BJM. The Conceptual Ecology of the Human Microbiome. QUARTERLY REVIEW OF BIOLOGY 2019. [DOI: 10.1086/703582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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Guanabenz Reverses a Key Behavioral Change Caused by Latent Toxoplasmosis in Mice by Reducing Neuroinflammation. mBio 2019; 10:mBio.00381-19. [PMID: 31040237 PMCID: PMC6495372 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00381-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is an intracellular parasite that has infected one-third of humans. The infection is permanent because the replicative form (tachyzoite) converts into a latent tissue cyst form (bradyzoite) that evades host immunity and is impervious to current drugs. The continued presence of these parasitic cysts hinders treatment and leads to chronic infection that has been linked to behavioral changes in rodents and neurological disease in humans. How these behavioral changes occur, and whether they are due to parasite manipulation or the host response to infection, remains an outstanding question. We previously showed that guanabenz possesses antiparasitic activity; here, we show that guanabenz reproducibly lowers brain cyst burden up to 80% in chronically infected male and female BALB/cJ mice when given intraperitoneally but not when administered by gavage or in food. Regardless of the administration route, guanabenz reverses Toxoplasma-induced hyperactivity in latently infected mice. In contrast, guanabenz increases cyst burden when given to chronically infected C57BL/6J mice yet still reverses Toxoplasma-induced hyperactivity. Examination of the brains from chronically infected BALB/cJ and C57BL/6J mice shows that guanabenz decreases inflammation and perivascular cuffing in each strain. Our study establishes a robust model for cyst reduction in BALB/cJ mice and shows for the first time that it is possible to reverse a key behavioral change associated with latent toxoplasmosis. The rescue from parasite-induced hyperactivity correlates with a decrease in neuroinflammation rather than reduced cyst counts, suggesting that some behavioral changes arise from host responses to infection.IMPORTANCE Toxoplasma gondii is a common parasite of animals, including up to one-third of humans. The single-celled parasite persists within hosts for the duration of their life as tissue cysts, giving rise to chronic infection. Latent toxoplasmosis is correlated with neurological dysfunction in humans and results in dramatic behavioral changes in rodents. When infected, mice and rats adapt behaviors that make them more likely to be devoured by cats, the only host that supports the sexual stage of the parasite. In this study, we establish a new mouse model of tissue cyst depletion using a drug called guanabenz and show that it is possible to reverse a key behavior change back to normal in infected animals. We also show that the mechanism appears to have nothing to do with parasite cyst burden but rather the degree of neuroinflammation produced by chronic infection.
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Arraiano CM. Stories of the future: manipulating RNA and Intra/Interkingdom communication. Microb Biotechnol 2019; 12:48-50. [PMID: 30485669 PMCID: PMC6302701 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.13344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2018] [Accepted: 11/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia Maria Arraiano
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António XavierUniversidade Nova de LisboaAv. da República2780‐157OeirasPortugal
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Tyebji S, Seizova S, Hannan AJ, Tonkin CJ. Toxoplasmosis: A pathway to neuropsychiatric disorders. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2018; 96:72-92. [PMID: 30476506 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2018] [Revised: 10/23/2018] [Accepted: 11/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular parasite that resides, in a latent form, in the human central nervous system. Infection with Toxoplasma drastically alters the behaviour of rodents and is associated with the incidence of specific neuropsychiatric conditions in humans. But the question remains: how does this pervasive human pathogen alter behaviour of the mammalian host? This fundamental question is receiving increasing attention as it has far reaching public health implications for a parasite that is very common in human populations. Our current understanding centres on neuronal changes that are elicited directly by this intracellular parasite versus indirect changes that occur due to activation of the immune system within the CNS, or a combination of both. In this review, we explore the interactions between Toxoplasma and its host, the proposed mechanisms and consequences on neuronal function and mental health, and discuss Toxoplasma infection as a public health issue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiraz Tyebji
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, 3052, Australia; Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, 3052, Australia; Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, 3052, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Simona Seizova
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, 3052, Australia; Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, 3052, Australia.
| | - Anthony J Hannan
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, 3052, Victoria, Australia; Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University of Melbourne, Parkville, 3052, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Christopher J Tonkin
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, 3052, Australia; Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, 3052, Australia.
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Behavioral evaluation of BALB/c (Mus musculus) mice infected with genetically distinct strains of Toxoplasma gondii. Microb Pathog 2018; 126:279-286. [PMID: 30447421 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2018.11.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2018] [Revised: 11/09/2018] [Accepted: 11/13/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
In relation to behavioral changes in rodents infected with Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii), it is believed that the genotype of the infecting strain can have some influence. In this sense, the present work has sought to evaluate the effect of chronic infection by genetically distinct cystogenic strains of T. gondii on the behavior of mice. For this, experimental models of infection with ME-49 (type II) and VEG (type III) strains were developed in isogenic BALB/c mice. ELISA test was performed to evaluate the humoral immune response and real-time PCR test to quantify parasites in the CNS. Behavioral tests such as passive avoidance, open-field and Y-maze tests were also used for, respectively, evaluation of learning and memory, locomotor activity and aversion to feline odor. The results showed that mice infected with VEG strain had higher total IgG level of anti-toxoplasma, higher tissue burden of T. gondii in the CNS, reduction in the long-term memory, lower activity (mobility) and lower aversion to cat urine and l-felinine than mice infected with ME-49 strain. The results suggest that different T. gondii genotypes have a differential impact on behavioral changes in infected mice.
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Prandovszky E, Li Y, Sabunciyan S, Steinfeldt CB, Avalos LN, Gressitt KL, White JR, Severance EG, Pletnikov MV, Xiao J, Yolken RH. Toxoplasma gondii-Induced Long-Term Changes in the Upper Intestinal Microflora during the Chronic Stage of Infection. SCIENTIFICA 2018; 2018:2308619. [PMID: 30515345 PMCID: PMC6236704 DOI: 10.1155/2018/2308619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2018] [Revised: 08/12/2018] [Accepted: 09/03/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular parasite with worldwide distribution. Felines are the definitive hosts supporting the complete life cycle of T. gondii. However, other warm-blooded animals such as rodents and humans can also be infected. Infection of such secondary hosts results in long-term infection characterized by the presence of tissue cysts in the brain and other organs. While it is known that T. gondii infection in rodents is associated with behavioral changes, the mechanisms behind these changes remain unclear. Alterations of the host intestinal microflora are recognized as a prominent role player in shaping host behavior and cognition. It has been shown that acute T. gondii infection of mice results in microflora changes as a result of gastrointestinal inflammation in inbred mouse models. The long-term effects of chronic T. gondii infection on microbial communities, however, are unknown. In this study, after we verified using our model in terms of measuring microflora changes during an acute episode of toxoplasmosis, we assessed the microbiome changes that occur during a long-term infection; then we further investigated these changes in a follow-up study of chronic infection. These analyses were performed by constructing and sequencing 16S rRNA amplicon DNA libraries from small intestine fecal specimens. We found that acute infection with the GT1 strain of T. gondii caused an enrichment of Bacteroidetes compared with controls in CD1 mice. Strikingly, this enrichment upheld throughout long-term chronic infection. The potential biological consequences of this alteration in rodents and humans should be subjected to further exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emese Prandovszky
- Stanley Division of Developmental Neurovirology, Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Blalock Bldg. 600 N. Wolfe St., Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Ye Li
- Stanley Division of Developmental Neurovirology, Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Blalock Bldg. 600 N. Wolfe St., Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Sarven Sabunciyan
- Stanley Division of Developmental Neurovirology, Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Blalock Bldg. 600 N. Wolfe St., Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Curtis B. Steinfeldt
- Stanley Division of Developmental Neurovirology, Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Blalock Bldg. 600 N. Wolfe St., Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Lauro Nathaniel Avalos
- Stanley Division of Developmental Neurovirology, Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Blalock Bldg. 600 N. Wolfe St., Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Kristin L. Gressitt
- Stanley Division of Developmental Neurovirology, Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Blalock Bldg. 600 N. Wolfe St., Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - James R. White
- Resphera Biosciences LLC, 1529 Lancaster Street, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA
| | - Emily G. Severance
- Stanley Division of Developmental Neurovirology, Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Blalock Bldg. 600 N. Wolfe St., Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Mikhail V. Pletnikov
- Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jianchun Xiao
- Stanley Division of Developmental Neurovirology, Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Blalock Bldg. 600 N. Wolfe St., Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Robert H. Yolken
- Stanley Division of Developmental Neurovirology, Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Blalock Bldg. 600 N. Wolfe St., Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
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Syn G, Anderson D, Blackwell JM, Jamieson SE. Epigenetic dysregulation of host gene expression in Toxoplasma infection with specific reference to dopamine and amyloid pathways. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2018; 65:159-162. [PMID: 30055328 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2018.07.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2018] [Revised: 07/24/2018] [Accepted: 07/25/2018] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Recent interest has focussed on the influence of infectious disease organisms on the host epigenome. Toxoplasma gondii infection acquired congenitally or in early life is associated with severe ocular and brain developmental anomalies, while persistent asymptomatic infection is a proposed risk factor for neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders, including Parkinson's and Alzheimer's Diseases, and schizophrenia. Genome-wide analysis of the host methylome and transcriptome following T. gondii infection in a retinal cell line identified genes (132, 186 and 128 genes at 2, 6 and 24 h post-infection) concordant for methylation and expression, i.e. hypermethylated and decreased expression or hypomethylated and increased expression. Pathway analyses showed perturbation of two neurologically-associated pathways: dopamine-DARPP32 feedback in cAMP signalling (p-value = 8.3 × 10-5; adjusted p-value = 0.020); and amyloid processing (p-value = 1.0 × 10-3; adjusted p-value = 0.043). Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP) decreased in level following T. gondii infection. These results are of interest given the expression of APP early in nervous system development affecting neural migration and the role of amyloid processing in Alzheimer's disease, while dopamine has roles in the developing retina as well as in Parkinson's disease and schizophrenia. Our results provide a possible functional link between T. gondii infection and congenital/early life and adult neurological clinical signs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Genevieve Syn
- Telethon Kids Institute, The University of Western Australia, PO Box 855, West Perth, Western Australia 6872, Australia.
| | - Denise Anderson
- Telethon Kids Institute, The University of Western Australia, PO Box 855, West Perth, Western Australia 6872, Australia
| | - Jenefer M Blackwell
- Telethon Kids Institute, The University of Western Australia, PO Box 855, West Perth, Western Australia 6872, Australia.
| | - Sarra E Jamieson
- Telethon Kids Institute, The University of Western Australia, PO Box 855, West Perth, Western Australia 6872, Australia
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Sarkar A, Harty S, Lehto SM, Moeller AH, Dinan TG, Dunbar RIM, Cryan JF, Burnet PWJ. The Microbiome in Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience. Trends Cogn Sci 2018; 22:611-636. [PMID: 29907531 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2018.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 120] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2017] [Revised: 04/23/2018] [Accepted: 04/25/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Psychology and microbiology make unlikely friends, but the past decade has witnessed striking bidirectional associations between intrinsic gut microbes and the brain, relationships with largely untested psychological implications. Although microbe-brain relationships are receiving a great deal of attention in biomedicine and neuroscience, psychologists have yet to join this journey. Here, we illustrate microbial associations with emotion, cognition, and social behavior. However, despite considerable enthusiasm and potential, technical and conceptual limitations including low statistical power and lack of mechanistic descriptions prevent a nuanced understanding of microbiome-brain-behavior relationships. Our goal is to describe microbial effects in domains of cognitive significance and the associated challenges to stimulate interdisciplinary research on the contribution of this hidden kingdom to psychological processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amar Sarkar
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Department of Physiology, Development, and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK; Trinity College, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Siobhán Harty
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience and School of Psychology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Soili M Lehto
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland; Institute of Clinical Medicine / Psychiatry, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland; Department of Psychiatry, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Andrew H Moeller
- Miller Institute for Basic Research in Science, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Timothy G Dinan
- APC Microbiome Institute, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioural Sciences, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Robin I M Dunbar
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - John F Cryan
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioural Sciences, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
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