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Nayeri T, Sarvi S, Daryani A. Effective factors in the pathogenesis of Toxoplasmagondii. Heliyon 2024; 10:e31558. [PMID: 38818168 PMCID: PMC11137575 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e31558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Revised: 05/11/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is a cosmopolitan protozoan parasite in humans and animals. It infects about 30 % of the human population worldwide and causes potentially fatal diseases in immunocompromised hosts and neonates. For this study, five English-language databases (ScienceDirect, ProQuest, Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus) and the internet search engine Google Scholar were searched. This review was accomplished to draw a global perspective of what is known about the pathogenesis of T. gondii and various factors affecting it. Virulence and immune responses can influence the mechanisms of parasite pathogenesis and these factors are in turn influenced by other factors. In addition to the host's genetic background, the type of Toxoplasma strain, the routes of transmission of infection, the number of passages, and different phases of parasite life affect virulence. The identification of virulence factors of the parasite could provide promising insights into the pathogenesis of this parasite. The results of this study can be an incentive to conduct more intensive research to design and develop new anti-Toxoplasma agents (drugs and vaccines) to treat or prevent this infection. In addition, further studies are needed to better understand the key agents in the pathogenesis of T. gondii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tooran Nayeri
- Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Center, Dezful University of Medical Sciences, Dezful, Iran
- Student Research Committee, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Shahabeddin Sarvi
- Department of Parasitology, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Ahmad Daryani
- Department of Parasitology, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
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Cudjoe O, Afful R, Hagan TA. Toxoplasma-host endoplasmic reticulum interaction: How T. gondii activates unfolded protein response and modulates immune response. CURRENT RESEARCH IN MICROBIAL SCIENCES 2024; 6:100223. [PMID: 38352129 PMCID: PMC10861954 DOI: 10.1016/j.crmicr.2024.100223] [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] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is a neurotropic single-celled zoonotic parasite that can infect human beings and animals. Infection with T. gondii is usually asymptomatic in immune-competent individual, however, it can cause symptomatic and life-threatening conditions in immunocompromised individuals and in developing foetuses. Although the mechanisms that allow T. gondii to persist in host cells are poorly understood, studies in animal models have greatly improved our understanding of Toxoplasma-host cell interaction and how this interaction modulates parasite proliferation and development, host immune response and virulence of the parasite. T. gondii is capable of recruiting the host endoplasmic reticulum (ER), suggesting it may influence the host ER function. Herein, we provide an overview of T. gondii infection and the role of host ER during stressed conditions. Furthermore, we highlight studies that explore T. gondii's interaction with the host ER. We delve into how this interaction activates the unfolded protein response (UPR) and ER stress-mediated apoptosis. Additionally, we examine how T. gondii exploits these pathways to its advantage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Obed Cudjoe
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Klintaps College of Health and Allied Sciences, DTD TDC Plot 30A, Klagon, Tema, Ghana
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medical Sciences, College of Health and Allied Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Ghana
| | - Roger Afful
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Klintaps College of Health and Allied Sciences, DTD TDC Plot 30A, Klagon, Tema, Ghana
| | - Tonny Abraham Hagan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, China
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Recent Advances in the Development of Adenovirus-Vectored Vaccines for Parasitic Infections. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2023; 16:ph16030334. [PMID: 36986434 PMCID: PMC10058461 DOI: 10.3390/ph16030334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Vaccines against parasites have lagged centuries behind those against viral and bacterial infections, despite the devastating morbidity and widespread effects of parasitic diseases across the globe. One of the greatest hurdles to parasite vaccine development has been the lack of vaccine strategies able to elicit the complex and multifaceted immune responses needed to abrogate parasitic persistence. Viral vectors, especially adenovirus (AdV) vectors, have emerged as a potential solution for complex disease targets, including HIV, tuberculosis, and parasitic diseases, to name a few. AdVs are highly immunogenic and are uniquely able to drive CD8+ T cell responses, which are known to be correlates of immunity in infections with most protozoan and some helminthic parasites. This review presents recent developments in AdV-vectored vaccines targeting five major human parasitic diseases: malaria, Chagas disease, schistosomiasis, leishmaniasis, and toxoplasmosis. Many AdV-vectored vaccines have been developed for these diseases, utilizing a wide variety of vectors, antigens, and modes of delivery. AdV-vectored vaccines are a promising approach for the historically challenging target of human parasitic diseases.
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Serce Unat D, Ulusan Bagci O, Unat OS, Kose S, Caner A. The Spectrum of Infections in Patients with Lung Cancer. Cancer Invest 2023; 41:25-42. [PMID: 36445108 DOI: 10.1080/07357907.2022.2153860] [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: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Although diagnostic and therapeutic advances in lung cancer (LC) have increased the survival of patients, infection and its complications are still among the most important causes of mortality. The disruption of tissue caused by tumor mass, management of cancer therapy and alteration in the humoral/cellular immune systems due to both cancer itself and therapy considerably increase susceptibility to infection in cancer patients. Particularly, opportunistic microorganisms should be considered, then applying rapid and sensitive diagnostic methods for them. Thus, cancer patients who are already exposed to difficult, long-term and expensive treatments can be prevented from dying from complications related to infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damla Serce Unat
- Department of Chest Disease, Dr. Suat Seren Chest Disease and Surgery Training and Research Hospital, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Ozlem Ulusan Bagci
- Department of Microbiology, Ataturk Training and Research Hospital, Katip Celebi University, Izmir, Turkey.,Department of Basic Oncology, Institute of Health Sciences, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Omer Selim Unat
- Department of Chest Disease, Faculty of Medicine, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Sukran Kose
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, University of Health Sciences, Tepecik Training and Research Hospital, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Ayse Caner
- Department of Basic Oncology, Institute of Health Sciences, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey.,Translational Pulmonary Research Group (EGESAM), Ege University, Izmir, Turkey.,Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey.,Cancer Research Center, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey
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Sánchez-López EF, Corigliano MG, Oliferuk S, Ramos-Duarte VA, Rivera M, Mendoza-Morales LF, Angel SO, Sander VA, Clemente M. Oral Immunization With a Plant HSP90-SAG1 Fusion Protein Produced in Tobacco Elicits Strong Immune Responses and Reduces Cyst Number and Clinical Signs of Toxoplasmosis in Mice. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:726910. [PMID: 34675949 PMCID: PMC8525317 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.726910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2021] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Plant 90kDa heat shock protein (HSP90) is a potent adjuvant that increases both humoral and cellular immune responses to diverse proteins and peptides. In this study, we explored whether Arabidopsis thaliana HSP90 (AtHsp81.2) can improve the immune effects of a Toxoplasma gondii surface antigen 1 (SAG1). We designed two constructs containing the sequence of mature antigen (SAG1m), from aa77 to aa322, and B- and T-cell antigenic epitope-containing SAG1HC, from aa221 to aa319 fused to AtHsp81.2 sequence. When comparing the transient expression in Nicotiana tabacum X-27-8 leaves, which overexpress the suppressor helper component protease HC-Pro-tobacco etch virus (TEV), to that in N. benthamiana leaves, co-agroinfiltrated with the suppressor p19, optimal conditions included 6-week-old N. benthamiana plants, 7-day time to harvest, Agrobacterium tumefaciens cultures with an OD600nm of 0.6 for binary vectors and LED lights. While AtHsp81.2-SAG1m fusion protein was undetectable by Western blot in any of the evaluated conditions, AtHsp81.2-SAG1HC was expressed as intact fusion protein, yielding up to 90μg/g of fresh weight. Besides, the AtHsp81.2-SAG1HC mRNA was strongly expressed compared to the endogenous Nicotiana tabacum elongation factor-alpha (NtEFα) gene, whereas the AtHsp81.2-SAG1m mRNA was almost undetectable. Finally, mice were orally immunized with AtHsp81.2-SAG1HC-infiltrated fresh leaves (plAtHsp81.2-SAG1HC group), recombinant AtHsp81.2-SAG1HC purified from infiltrated leaves (rAtHsp81.2-SAG1HC group), non-infiltrated fresh leaves (control group), or phosphate-buffered saline (PBS group). Serum samples from plAtHsp81.2-SAG1HC-immunized mice had significantly higher levels of IgGt, IgG2a, and IgG2b anti-SAG1HC antibodies than serum from rAtHsp81.2-SAG1HC, control, and PBS groups. The number of cysts per brain in the plAtHsp81.2-SAG1HC-immunized mice was significantly reduced, and the parasite load in brain tissue was also lower in this group compared with the remaining groups. In an immunoblot assay, plant-expressed AtHsp81.2-SAG1HC was shown to react with antibodies present in sera from T. gondii-infected people. Therefore, the plant expression of a T. gondii antigen fused to the non-pathogenic adjuvant and carrier plant HSP90 as formulations against T. gondii can improve the vaccine efficacy, and plant extract can be directly used for vaccination without the need to purify the protein, making this platform a suitable and powerful biotechnological system for immunogenic antigen expression against toxoplasmosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edwin F. Sánchez-López
- Laboratorio de Molecular Farming y Vacunas, Instituto Tecnológico Chascomús (INTECH), Universidad Nacional de General San Martín (UNSAM), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Chascomús, Argentina
| | - Mariana G. Corigliano
- Laboratorio de Molecular Farming y Vacunas, Instituto Tecnológico Chascomús (INTECH), Universidad Nacional de General San Martín (UNSAM), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Chascomús, Argentina
| | - Sonia Oliferuk
- Laboratorio de Molecular Farming y Vacunas, Instituto Tecnológico Chascomús (INTECH), Universidad Nacional de General San Martín (UNSAM), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Chascomús, Argentina
| | - Victor A. Ramos-Duarte
- Laboratorio de Molecular Farming y Vacunas, Instituto Tecnológico Chascomús (INTECH), Universidad Nacional de General San Martín (UNSAM), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Chascomús, Argentina
| | - Maximiliano Rivera
- Laboratorio de Parasitología Molecular, Instituto Tecnológico Chascomús (INTECH), Universidad Nacional de General San Martín (UNSAM), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Chascomús, Argentina
| | - Luisa F. Mendoza-Morales
- Laboratorio de Molecular Farming y Vacunas, Instituto Tecnológico Chascomús (INTECH), Universidad Nacional de General San Martín (UNSAM), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Chascomús, Argentina
| | - Sergio O. Angel
- Laboratorio de Parasitología Molecular, Instituto Tecnológico Chascomús (INTECH), Universidad Nacional de General San Martín (UNSAM), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Chascomús, Argentina
| | - Valeria A. Sander
- Laboratorio de Molecular Farming y Vacunas, Instituto Tecnológico Chascomús (INTECH), Universidad Nacional de General San Martín (UNSAM), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Chascomús, Argentina
| | - Marina Clemente
- Laboratorio de Molecular Farming y Vacunas, Instituto Tecnológico Chascomús (INTECH), Universidad Nacional de General San Martín (UNSAM), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Chascomús, Argentina
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da Silva Castro A, Angeloni MB, de Freitas Barbosa B, de Miranda RL, Teixeira SC, Guirelli PM, de Oliveira FC, José da Silva R, Franco PS, Ribeiro M, Milian ICB, de Oliveira Gomes A, Ietta F, Júnior SF, Mineo TWP, Mineo JR, de Oliveira Simões Alves CM, Ferro EAV. BEWO trophoblast cells and Toxoplasma gondii infection modulate cell death mechanisms in THP-1 monocyte cells by interference in the expression of death receptor and intracellular proteins. Tissue Cell 2021; 73:101658. [PMID: 34597888 DOI: 10.1016/j.tice.2021.101658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Revised: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Crosstalk between trophoblast and monocytes is essential for gestational success, and it can be compromised in congenital toxoplasmosis. Cell death is one of the mechanisms involved in the maintenance of pregnancy, and this study aimed to evaluate the role of trophoblast in the modulation of monocyte cell death in the presence or absence of Toxoplasma gondii infection. THP-1 cells were stimulated with supernatants of BeWo cells and then infected or not with T. gondii. The supernatants were collected and analyzed for the secretion of human Fas ligand, and cells were used to determine cell death and apoptosis, cell death receptor, and intracellular proteins expression. Cell death and apoptosis index were higher in uninfected THP-1 cells stimulated with supernatants of BeWo cells; however, apoptosis index was reduced by T. gondii infection. Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1, secreted by BeWo cells, altered the cell death and apoptosis rates in THP-1 cells. In infected THP-1 cells, the expression of Fas/CD95 and secretion of FasL was significantly higher; however, caspase 3 and phosphorylated extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2) were downregulated. Results suggest that soluble factors secreted by BeWo cells induce cell death and apoptosis in THP-1 cells, and Fas/CD95 can be involved in this process. On the other hand, T. gondii interferes in the mechanism of cell death and inhibits THP-1 cell apoptosis, which can be associated with active caspase 3 and phosphorylated ERK1/2. In conclusion, our results showed that human BeWo trophoblast cells and T. gondii infection modulate cell death in human THP-1 monocyte cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andressa da Silva Castro
- Laboratory of Immunophysiology of Reproduction, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Uberlândia, MG, Brazil
| | - Mariana Bodini Angeloni
- School of Medicine, Healthy Sciences Special Academic Unit, University of Goiás-Jataí, Jataí, GO, Brazil
| | - Bellisa de Freitas Barbosa
- Laboratory of Immunophysiology of Reproduction, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Uberlândia, MG, Brazil
| | - Renata Lima de Miranda
- Laboratory of Immunophysiology of Reproduction, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Uberlândia, MG, Brazil
| | - Samuel Cota Teixeira
- Laboratory of Immunophysiology of Reproduction, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Uberlândia, MG, Brazil
| | - Pâmela Mendonça Guirelli
- Laboratory of Immunophysiology of Reproduction, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Uberlândia, MG, Brazil
| | - Fernanda Chaves de Oliveira
- Laboratory of Immunophysiology of Reproduction, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Uberlândia, MG, Brazil
| | - Rafaela José da Silva
- Laboratory of Immunophysiology of Reproduction, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Uberlândia, MG, Brazil
| | - Priscila Silva Franco
- Laboratory of Immunophysiology of Reproduction, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Uberlândia, MG, Brazil
| | - Mayara Ribeiro
- Laboratory of Immunophysiology of Reproduction, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Uberlândia, MG, Brazil
| | - Iliana Claudia Balga Milian
- Laboratory of Immunophysiology of Reproduction, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Uberlândia, MG, Brazil
| | - Angélica de Oliveira Gomes
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Institute of Biological and Natural Sciences, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, MG, Brazil
| | - Francesca Ietta
- Department of Life Science, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | | | - Tiago Wilson Patriarca Mineo
- Laboratory of Immunoparasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Uberlandia, Uberlândia, MG, Brazil
| | - José Roberto Mineo
- Laboratory of Immunoparasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Uberlandia, Uberlândia, MG, Brazil
| | | | - Eloisa Amália Vieira Ferro
- Laboratory of Immunophysiology of Reproduction, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Uberlândia, MG, Brazil.
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The Immunogenic and Immunoprotective Activities of Recombinant Chimeric T. gondii Proteins Containing AMA1 Antigen Fragments. Vaccines (Basel) 2020; 8:vaccines8040724. [PMID: 33276579 PMCID: PMC7761622 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines8040724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Revised: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 11/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasmosis, one of the most common parasitoses worldwide, is potentially dangerous for individuals with a weakened immune system, but specific immunoprophylaxis intended for humans is still lacking. Thus, efforts have been made to create an efficient universal vaccine for both animals and humans to overcome the shortcomings of currently used treatment methods and protect all hosts against toxoplasmosis. The current work represents a relatively new approach to vaccine development based on recombinant chimeric Toxoplasma gondii antigens. In the present research, three tetravalent chimeric proteins containing different portions of the parasite’s AMA1 antigen—AMA1domainI-SAG2-GRA1-ROP1L (ANSGR), AMA1domainsII,III-SAG2-GRA1-ROP1L (ACSGR) and AMA1fullprotein-SAG2-GRA1-ROP1L (AFSGR)—were tested for their immunogenic and immunoprotective capacities. All tested proteins were immunogenic, as evidenced by the triggering of specific humoral and cellular immune responses in vaccinated C3H/HeOuJ mice, defined by the production of specific IgG (IgG1/IgG2a) antibodies in vivo and synthesis of key Th1/Th2 cytokines by Toxoplasma lysate antigen-stimulated splenocytes in vitro. Although all tested preparations provided partial protection against chronic toxoplasmosis in immunized and T. gondii-challenged mice, the intensity of the generated immunoprotection depended on the fragment of the AMA1 antigen incorporated into the chimeric antigen’s structure.
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Li YX, Wei CY, Zhang XY, Duan YH, Zhang PN, Guo MJ, Niu HT. Toxoplasma gondii infection in patients with lung diseases in Shandong province, eastern China. Acta Trop 2020; 211:105554. [PMID: 32504591 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2020.105554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2020] [Revised: 05/21/2020] [Accepted: 05/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii, an intracellular protozoan parasite, can induce various clinical symptoms. T. gondii has been considered to play an important role in the pathogenesis of lung diseases. This survey was conducted to explore the correlation between T. gondii infection and lung diseases through a case-control study carried out in Shandong province, eastern China. In the present survey, T. gondii IgG antibodies were found in 76/398 (19.10%) of patients with lung diseases, which was significantly higher (P < 0.001) than the level found in the control subjects (35/398; 8.79%) through serological diagnosis. Patients with lung cancer have the highest T. gondii seroprevalence (26.19%), followed by Pulmonary cyst (25.00%), Tuberculosis (17.07%), Pneumonia (16.33%) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (16.05%). Moreover, a semi-nest PCR targeted T. gondii B1 gene was employed to detect the T. gondii DNA in the blood samples. T. gondii DNA was detected in 5.53% blood samples of patients with lung diseases and 2.51% control subjects, respectively. The present study firstly shows that T. gondii has a high probability to infect the patients with lung diseases. Thus, the potential presence of T. gondii in patients with lung diseases should be appreciated during in the course of treatment and safeguard procedures should be implemented to protect vulnerable patients with lung diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong-Xin Li
- Department of Vascular Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, People's Republic of China
| | - Cui-Ying Wei
- Department of Medical Imaging, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiang-Yan Zhang
- Department of Pathology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, People's Republic of China
| | - Yu-He Duan
- Department of Pediatricr Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, People's Republic of China
| | - Pi-Ning Zhang
- Department of Medical Imaging, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, People's Republic of China
| | - Ming-Jin Guo
- Department of Vascular Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, People's Republic of China.
| | - Hai-Tao Niu
- Department of Urinary Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, People's Republic of China.
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Molan A, Nosaka K, Hunter M, Wang W. Seroprevalence and associated risk factors of Toxoplasma gondii infection in a representative Australian human population: The Busselton health study. CLINICAL EPIDEMIOLOGY AND GLOBAL HEALTH 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cegh.2020.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
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Wu SZ, Wei HX, Jiang D, Li SM, Zou WH, Peng HJ. Genome-Wide CRISPR Screen Identifies Host Factors Required by Toxoplasma gondii Infection. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2020; 9:460. [PMID: 32039045 PMCID: PMC6987080 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2019.00460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2019] [Accepted: 12/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii are obligate intracellular protoza, and due to their small genome and limited encoded proteins, they have to exploit host factors for entry, replication, and dissemination. Such host factors can be defined as host dependency factors (HDFs). Though HDFs are inessential for cell viability, they are critical for pathogen infection, and potential ideal targets for therapeutic intervention. However, information about these HDFs required by T. gondii infection is highly deficient. In this study, the genes of human foreskin fibroblast (HFF) cells were comprehensively edited using the lentiviral CRISPR-Cas9-sgRNA library, and then the lentivirus-treated cells were infected with T. gondii at multiplication of infection 1 (MOI = 1) for 10 days to identify HDFs essential for T. gondii infection. The survival cells were harvested and sent for sgRNA sequencing. The sgRNA sequence matched genes or miRNAs were potential HDFs. Some cells in the lentivirus-treated group could survive longer than those in the untreated control group after T. gondii infection. From a pool of 19,050 human genes and 1,864 human pri-miRNAs, 1,193 potential HDFs were identified, including 1,183 genes and 10 pri-miRNAs (corresponding with 17 mature miRNAs). Among them, seven genes and five mature miRNAs were validated with siRNAs, miRNA inhibitors, and mimics, respectively. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that, among the 1,183 genes, 53 potential HDFs were associated with regulation of host actin cytoskeleton and 23 potential HDFs coded immune negative regulators. This result indicated that actin dynamics were indispensable for T. gondii infection, and some host immune negative regulators may be involved in disarming host defenses. Our findings contribute to the current limited knowledge about host factors required by T. gondii infection and provide us with new targets for medication therapy and vaccine exploitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shui-Zhen Wu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Research, Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hai-Xia Wei
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Research, Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Dan Jiang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Research, Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Sheng-Min Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Research, Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wei-Hao Zou
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Research, Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hong-Juan Peng
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Research, Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
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Bajnok J, Tarabulsi M, Carlin H, Bown K, Southworth T, Dungwa J, Singh D, Lun ZR, Smyth L, Hide G. High frequency of infection of lung cancer patients with the parasite Toxoplasma gondii. ERJ Open Res 2019; 5:00143-2018. [PMID: 31149623 PMCID: PMC6536861 DOI: 10.1183/23120541.00143-2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2018] [Accepted: 03/23/2019] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Toxoplasma gondii is an intracellular protozoan parasite that can cause a wide range of clinical conditions, including miscarriage and pneumonia. The global prevalence is 30% in humans, but varies by locality (e.g. in the UK it is typically 10%). The association between lung cancer and T. gondii infection was investigated by direct detection in lung tissue samples. METHODS Lung tissue samples were taken from patients undergoing lung resection surgery (n=72) for suspected lung cancer (infection prevalence 100% (95% CI: 93.9-100%)). All 72 participants were confirmed as having lung cancer following subsequent diagnostic tests. In addition, bronchial biopsy samples were collected from non-lung cancer healthy control subjects (n=10). Samples were tested for T. gondii using PCR amplification of T. gondii specific gene markers and T. gondii specific immunohistochemistry. RESULTS All 72 lung cancer patients were infected with T. gondii (prevalence 100% (95% CI: 93.9-100%)). Of which, 95.8% (n=69) of patients showed evidence of active parasite stages. Infection prevalence in the controls (10%) was significantly lower (p<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS Clinicians treating lung cancer patients should be aware of the potential presence of the parasite, the potential for induction of symptomatic complications and interference with treatment success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaroslav Bajnok
- Biomedical Research Centre and Ecosystems and Environment Research Centre, School of Science, Engineering and Environment, University of Salford, Salford, UK
| | - Muyassar Tarabulsi
- Biomedical Research Centre and Ecosystems and Environment Research Centre, School of Science, Engineering and Environment, University of Salford, Salford, UK
| | - Helen Carlin
- Biomedical Research Centre and Ecosystems and Environment Research Centre, School of Science, Engineering and Environment, University of Salford, Salford, UK
| | - Kevin Bown
- Biomedical Research Centre and Ecosystems and Environment Research Centre, School of Science, Engineering and Environment, University of Salford, Salford, UK
| | - Thomas Southworth
- The University of Manchester, Division of Infection, Immunity and Respiratory Medicine, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, The University of Manchester and University Hospital of South Manchester NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK
| | - Josiah Dungwa
- The University of Manchester, Division of Infection, Immunity and Respiratory Medicine, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, The University of Manchester and University Hospital of South Manchester NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK
| | - Dave Singh
- The University of Manchester, Division of Infection, Immunity and Respiratory Medicine, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, The University of Manchester and University Hospital of South Manchester NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK
| | - Zhao-Rong Lun
- Biomedical Research Centre and Ecosystems and Environment Research Centre, School of Science, Engineering and Environment, University of Salford, Salford, UK
- Center for Parasitic Organisms, State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences and Key laboratory of Tropical Diseases Control, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Lucy Smyth
- Biomedical Research Centre and Ecosystems and Environment Research Centre, School of Science, Engineering and Environment, University of Salford, Salford, UK
| | - Geoff Hide
- Biomedical Research Centre and Ecosystems and Environment Research Centre, School of Science, Engineering and Environment, University of Salford, Salford, UK
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12
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A new iron(III) complex-containing sulfadiazine inhibits the proliferation and induces cystogenesis of Toxoplasma gondii. Parasitol Res 2018; 117:2795-2805. [PMID: 29934691 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-018-5967-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2018] [Accepted: 06/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
We have previously shown that metallocomplexes can control the growth of Toxoplasma gondii, the agent that causes toxoplasmosis. In order to develop new metallodrugs to treat this disease, we investigated the influence of the coordination of sulfadiazine (SDZ), a drug used to treat toxoplasmosis, on the biological activity of the iron(III) complex [Fe(HBPClNOL)Cl2]·H2O, 1, (H2BPClNOL=N-(2-hydroxybenzyl)-N-(2-pyridylmethyl)(3-chloro)(2-hydroxy)-propylamine). The new complex [(Cl)(SDZ)Fe(III)(μ-BPClNOL)2Fe(III)(SDZ)(Cl)]·2H2O, 2, which was obtained by the reaction between complex 1 and SDZ, was characterized using a range of physico-chemical techniques. The cytotoxic effect of the complexes and the ability of T. gondii to infect LLC-MK2 cells were assessed. It was found that both complexes reduced the growth of T. gondii while also causing low cytotoxicity in the host cells. After 48 h of treatment, complex 2 reduced the parasite's ability to proliferate by about 50% with an IC50 of 1.66 μmol/L. Meanwhile, complex 1 or SDZ alone caused a 40% reduction in proliferation, and SDZ displayed an IC50 of 5.3 μmol/L. In addition, complex 2 treatment induced distinct morphological and ultrastructural changes in the parasites and triggered the formation of cyst-like forms. These results show that the coordination of SDZ to the iron(III) complex is a good strategy for increasing the anti-toxoplasma activity of these compounds.
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Costa JG, Vilariño MJ. Antigens to detect the acute phase of toxoplasmosis in pregnant women: standardized comparison. Biomark Med 2018; 12:517-534. [DOI: 10.2217/bmm-2017-0345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
A key element in any diagnostic technique is the antigen (Ag), a biomarker, but this is usually a protein that has a function to the parasite. Some biological aspects of the Ags and of the Toxoplasma gondii can influence the effectiveness of the diagnosis, as well as the antibody isotype and the characteristics of the assay. A large number of papers have assessed different proteins to distinguish the phases of infection, but the ‘indices of effectiveness’ differ among reports. This work presents for the first time a summary of all the Ags that have been evaluated, with standardized measurements of sensitivity and specificity. These values were calculated with information presented in the papers on Ag evaluations to differentiate the infection phases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Gabriel Costa
- Laboratorio de Microbiología, Hospital provincial del Centenario, Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina
- Cátedra de Fisicoquímica, Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas de Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Ciudad Universitaria, Santa Fe, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - María Julia Vilariño
- Departamento de Neurología pediátrica, Hospital Escuela Eva Perón, Granadero Baigorria, Santa Fe, Argentina
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Costa JG, Vilariño MJ. Semiquantitative Dot Blot with the GRA8 antigen to differentiate the stages of toxoplasmosis infection. J Microbiol Methods 2018; 149:9-13. [PMID: 29684398 DOI: 10.1016/j.mimet.2018.04.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2018] [Revised: 04/16/2018] [Accepted: 04/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
In this work we present a novel methodology to differentiate the phases of toxoplasmosis infection: the "semiquantitative Dot Blot". It is a simple technique that does not require expensive equipment, does not involve a long technique development, and can be used in a low-complexity laboratory. In this study, two recombinant sequences of Toxoplasma gondii GRA8 antigen were used, and specific IgG antibodies were detected in selected patient samples. This method makes it possible to obtain a score for each serum and define whether the patient is in the acute or chronic phase of the infection. The sensitivity and specificity results varied depending on the antigenic sequence used. With GRA8A, 62.1% and 72.7% were obtained, while with GRA8B, 82.8% and 72.1% were obtained, respectively. Although the sensitivity and specificity values were not close to 100%, they were similar to those reported with the same antigens in ELISA. Therefore, this quantitative technique would be a good alternative to ELISA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Gabriel Costa
- Cátedra de Fisicoquímica, Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Ciudad Universitaria, Santa Fe, Santa Fe, Argentina.
| | - María Julia Vilariño
- Hospital Escuela Eva Perón, Av. San Martín 1645, Granadero Baigorria, Santa Fe, Argentina
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Nassief Beshay EV, El-Refai SA, Helwa MA, Atia AF, Dawoud MM. Toxoplasma gondii as a possible causative pathogen of type-1 diabetes mellitus: Evidence from case-control and experimental studies. Exp Parasitol 2018; 188:93-101. [PMID: 29627328 DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2018.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2017] [Revised: 02/18/2018] [Accepted: 04/04/2018] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is the causative parasite of an important worldwide disease. This obligate intracellular parasite can infect and replicate inside any nucleated cells including those of pancreas. Insulin is a hormone secreted by the pancreas and is responsible for controlling blood glucose concentration. Deficiency of insulin production accounts for the occurrence of type-1 diabetes mellitus (T1D). Thus, theoretically, toxoplasmosis could play a possible role in the development of T1D. However, the studies on this theory are still insufficient; therefore, this work was designed. Interestingly, in the case-control study, seropositivity of anti-Toxoplasma IgG was significantly higher among T1D (86.37%) in comparison with T2D (66.67%) and the control group (60%). Moreover, the odd ratio of chronic toxoplasmosis was 4.2 folds higher among T1D patients than among controls. The experimental study included acute and chronic Me49 T. gondii infected mice groups in addition to a control group. Pathological examination revealed the presence of T. gondii zoites adjacent to the islets of Langerhans and in pancreatic parenchyma of acutely infected mice. With chronic infection, there was a significant reduction of islets number and sizes in association with grade-1 insulitis. Additionally, the immunohistochemical study showed significant infiltration of the islets of chronically infected mice by CD8+ and CD45+ immune cells. In contrary to the control group, the islets of the chronic group showed significantly higher expression of the apoptotic marker caspase-3 and a significantly lower expression of the proliferation marker Ki69. Finally, a significant reduction of insulin expression in the islets of chronic infection group was detected in association with a significant increase in serum glucose concentrations; however, the establishment of diabetes did not occur throughout this work. Thus, this study presents an evidence for the probable role of chronic toxoplasmosis in the development of T1D which should be considered in further studies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Samar A El-Refai
- Parasitology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Menoufia University, Menoufia, Egypt
| | - Mohamed A Helwa
- Clinical Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Menoufia University, Menoufia, Egypt
| | - Amany Fawzy Atia
- Parasitology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Menoufia University, Menoufia, Egypt
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Portes J, Motta C, Azeredo N, Fernandes C, Horn A, De Souza W, DaMatta R, Seabra S. In vitro treatment of Toxoplasma gondii with copper(II) complexes induces apoptosis-like and cellular division alterations. Vet Parasitol 2017; 245:141-152. [DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2017.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2016] [Revised: 03/21/2017] [Accepted: 04/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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17
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He C, Chen AY, Wei HX, Feng XS, Peng HJ. Phosphoproteome of Toxoplasma gondii Infected Host Cells Reveals Specific Cellular Processes Predominating in Different Phases of Infection. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2017; 97:236-244. [PMID: 28719319 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.16-0901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
The invasion of Toxoplasma gondii tachyzoites into the host cell results in extensive host cell signaling activation/deactivation that is usually regulated by the phosphorylation/dephosphorylation. To elucidate how T. gondii regulates host cell signal transduction, the comparative phosphoproteome of stable isotope labeling with amino acids in cell culture-labeled human foreskin fibroblast cells was analyzed. The cells were grouped (Light [L], Medium [M], and Heavy [H] groups) based on the labeling isotope weight and were infected with T. gondii for different lengths of time (L: 0 hour; M: 2 hours; and H: 6 hours). A total of 892 phosphoproteins were identified with 1,872 phosphopeptides and 1,619 phosphorylation sites. The M versus L comparison revealed 694 significantly regulated phosphopeptides (436 upregulated and 258 downregulated). The H versus L comparison revealed 592 significantly regulated phosphopeptides (146 upregulated and 446 downregulated). The H versus M comparison revealed 794 significantly regulated phosphopeptides (149 upregulated and 645 downregulated). At 2 and 6 hours post-T. gondii infection, the most predominant host cell reactions were cell cycle regulation and cytoskeletal reorganization, which might be required for the efficient invasion and multiplication of T. gondii. Similar biological process profiles but different molecular function categories of host cells infected with T. gondii for 2 and 6 hours, which suggested that the host cell processes were not affected significantly by T. gondii infection but emphasized some differences in specific cellular processes at this two time points. Western blotting verification of some significantly regulated phosphoprotein phosphorylation sites was consistent with the mass spectra data. This study provided new insights into and further understanding of pathogen-host interactions from the host cell perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng He
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Research, and Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control for Emerging Infectious Diseases of Guangdong Higher Institutes, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, 510515, China
| | - Ai-Yuan Chen
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Research, and Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control for Emerging Infectious Diseases of Guangdong Higher Institutes, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, 510515, China
| | - Hai-Xia Wei
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Research, and Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control for Emerging Infectious Diseases of Guangdong Higher Institutes, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, 510515, China
| | - Xiao-Shuang Feng
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Research, and Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control for Emerging Infectious Diseases of Guangdong Higher Institutes, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, 510515, China
| | - Hong-Juan Peng
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Research, and Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control for Emerging Infectious Diseases of Guangdong Higher Institutes, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, 510515, China
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18
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Costa JG, Duré AB. Immunochemical evaluation of two Toxoplasma gondii GRA8 sequences to detect acute toxoplasmosis infection. Microb Pathog 2016; 100:229-236. [DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2016.09.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2016] [Revised: 08/19/2016] [Accepted: 09/26/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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The morphological analysis of autophagy in primary skeletal muscle cells infected with Toxoplasma gondii. Parasitol Res 2016; 115:2853-61. [DOI: 10.1007/s00436-016-5040-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2016] [Accepted: 04/05/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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20
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Lindsay DS. Presidential Address: My Time with the Parasites. J Parasitol 2015; 101:610-5. [PMID: 26312546 DOI: 10.1645/15-857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- David S Lindsay
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061-0342
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21
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Trophoblast-macrophage crosstalk on human extravillous under Toxoplasma gondii infection. Placenta 2015; 36:1106-14. [PMID: 26324321 DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2015.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2015] [Revised: 08/14/2015] [Accepted: 08/17/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The interaction between human extravillous trophoblasts and macrophages has an important role in implantation and placentation. However, any dysfunction in this communication system is associated with pregnancy pitfalls, and a Toxoplasma gondii infection can be a potential problem in this crosstalk. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the influence of infected macrophages on cytokine production and the incidence of apoptosis in T. gondii-infected extravillous trophoblast cells. METHODS HTR-8/SVneo cells were treated with supernatant from macrophages infected or not by T. gondii (conditioned medium) in order to analyze apoptosis and cytokine production in comparison to uninfected control conditions. RESULTS The IL-6 secretion by HTR-8/SVneo cells increased synergistically by treatment with conditioned medium and T. gondii infection. The apoptosis index of HTR-8/SVneo cells was also upregulated by treatment with conditioned medium and infection. In addition, a low expression of Fas/CD95 and a high soluble FasL release were observed during infection, although no significant change was observed in the proliferation of T. gondii. DISCUSSION The parasite modulates the high apoptosis index in HTR-8/SVneo cells in order to favor its establishment inside its host cells. On the other hand, the conditioned medium from uninfected macrophages restores the apoptosis rates, although the effect of the infection seems to be stronger. In conclusion, our results showed that T. gondii infection in human extravillous trophoblasts is able to modulate the trophoblast-macrophage crosstalk.
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Fabiani S, Pinto B, Bonuccelli U, Bruschi F. Neurobiological studies on the relationship between toxoplasmosis and neuropsychiatric diseases. J Neurol Sci 2015; 351:3-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jns.2015.02.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2014] [Revised: 01/21/2015] [Accepted: 02/16/2015] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
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23
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Angeloni MB, Guirelli PM, Franco PS, Barbosa BF, Gomes AO, Castro AS, Silva NM, Martins-Filho OA, Mineo TWP, Silva DAO, Mineo JR, Ferro EAV. Differential apoptosis in BeWo cells after infection with highly (RH) or moderately (ME49) virulent strains of Toxoplasma gondii is related to the cytokine profile secreted, the death receptor Fas expression and phosphorylated ERK1/2 expression. Placenta 2013; 34:973-82. [PMID: 24074900 DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2013.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2013] [Revised: 08/27/2013] [Accepted: 09/06/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Alterations of apoptosis are commonly associated with pregnancy complications and abortion. Modulation of apoptosis is a relevant feature of Toxoplasma gondii infection and it is related to parasite strain types. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the possible factors that are involved in the differential apoptosis of BeWo cells infected with distinct T. gondii strain types. METHODS Human trophoblastic cells (BeWo cell line) were infected with RH or ME49 strains, the cytokine production was measured and the phosphorylation of anti-apoptotic ERK1/2 protein was analyzed. Also, cells were treated with different cytokines, infected with RH or ME49 strain, and analyzed for apoptosis index and Fas/CD95 death receptor expression. RESULTS ME49-infected BeWo cells exhibited a predominantly pro-inflammatory cytokine profile, whereas cells infected with RH strain had a higher production of anti-inflammatory cytokines. Also, the incidence of apoptosis was higher in ME49-infected cells, which have been treated with pro-inflammatory cytokines compared to cells infected with RH and treated with anti-inflammatory cytokines. Moreover, Fas/CD95 expression was higher in cells infected with either ME49 or RH strain and treated with pro-inflammatory cytokines compared to anti-inflammatory cytokine treatment. The phosphorylation of ERK1/2 protein increased after 24 h of infection only with the RH strain. CONCLUSION These results suggest that opposing mechanisms of interference in apoptosis of BeWo cells after infection with RH or ME49 strains of T. gondii can be associated with the differential cytokine profile secreted, the Fas/CD95 expression and the phosphorylated ERK1/2 expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- M B Angeloni
- Laboratory of Histology and Embryology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Uberlândia, Av. Pará, 1720, 38405-320 Uberlândia, MG, Brazil.
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Snopkova S, Pohanka M, Polak P, Havlickova K, Jarkovsky J, Moulis M, Stroblova H, Husa P. Acute toxoplasmosis—etiological factor for development of Hodgkin's lymphoma? ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013; 45:953-6. [DOI: 10.3109/00365548.2013.807937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
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25
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Na RH, Zhu GH, Luo JX, Meng XJ, Cui L, Peng HJ, Chen XG, Gomez-Cambronero J. Enzymatically active Rho and Rac small-GTPases are involved in the establishment of the vacuolar membrane after Toxoplasma gondii invasion of host cells. BMC Microbiol 2013; 13:125. [PMID: 23721065 PMCID: PMC3681593 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2180-13-125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2013] [Accepted: 05/27/2013] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background GTPases are the family of hydrolases that bind and hydrolyze guanosine triphosphate. The large Immunity-related GTPases and the small GTPase ADP-ribosylation factor-6 in host cells are known to accumulate on the parasitophorous vacuole membrane (PVM) of Toxoplasma gondii and play critical roles in this parasite infection, but these GTPases cannot explain the full extent of infection. Results In this research, RhoA and Rac1 GTPases from the host cell were found to accumulate on the PVM regardless of the virulence of the T. gondii strains after T. gondii invasion, and this accumulation was dependent on their GTPase activity. The real-time micrography of T. gondii tachyzoites invading COS-7 cells overexpressing CFP-RhoA showed that this GTPase was recruited to the PVM at the very beginning of the invasion through the host cell membrane or from the cytosol. Host cell RhoA and Rac1 were also activated after T. gondii tachyzoites invasion, which was needed for host cell cytoskeleton reorganization to facilitate intracellular pathogens invasion. The decisive domains for the RhoA accumulation on the PVM included the GTP/Mg2+ binding site, the mDia effector interaction site, the G1 box, the G2 box and the G5 box, respectively, which were related to the binding of GTP for enzymatic activity and mDia for the regulation of microtubules. The recruited CFP-RhoA on the PVM could not be activated by epithelial growth factor (EGF) and no translocation was observed, unlike the unassociated RhoA in the host cell cytosol that migrated to the cell membrane towards the EGF activation spot. This result supported the hypothesis that the recruited RhoA or Rac1 on the PVM were in the GTP-bound active form. Wild-type RhoA or Rac1 overexpressed cells had almost the same infection rates by T. gondii as the mock-treated cells, while RhoA-N19 or Rac1-N17 transfected cells and RhoA, Rac1 or RhoA + Rac1 siRNA-treated cells showed significantly diminished infection rates compared to mock cells. Conclusions The accumulation of the RhoA and Rac1 on the PVM and the requisite of their normal GTPase activity for efficient invasion implied their involvement and function in T. gondii invasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ren-Hua Na
- Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control for Emerging Infectious Diseases of Guangdong Higher Institutes, Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China
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Kemp LE, Yamamoto M, Soldati-Favre D. Subversion of host cellular functions by the apicomplexan parasites. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2012. [PMID: 23186105 DOI: 10.1111/1574-6976.12013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Rhoptries are club-shaped secretory organelles located at the anterior pole of species belonging to the phylum of Apicomplexa. Parasites of this phylum are responsible for a huge burden of disease in humans and animals and a loss of economic productivity. Members of this elite group of obligate intracellular parasites include Plasmodium spp. that cause malaria and Cryptosporidium spp. that cause diarrhoeal disease. Although rhoptries are almost ubiquitous throughout the phylum, the relevance and role of the proteins contained within the rhoptries varies. Rhoptry contents separate into two intra-organellar compartments, the neck and the bulb. A number of rhoptry neck proteins are conserved between species and are involved in functions such as host cell invasion. The bulb proteins are less well-conserved and probably evolved for a particular lifestyle. In the majority of species studied to date, rhoptry content is involved in formation and maintenance of the parasitophorous vacuole; however some species live free within the host cytoplasm. In this review, we will summarise the knowledge available regarding rhoptry proteins. Specifically, we will discuss the role of the rhoptry kinases that are used by Toxoplasma gondii and other coccidian parasites to subvert the host cellular functions and prevent parasite death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise E Kemp
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
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A review of the infection, genetics, and evolution of Neospora caninum: from the past to the present. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2012; 13:133-50. [PMID: 22985682 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2012.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2012] [Revised: 08/05/2012] [Accepted: 08/07/2012] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
This paper is a review of current knowledge on Neospora caninum in the context of other apicomplexan parasites and with an emphasis on: life cycle, disease, epidemiology, immunity, control and treatment, evolution, genomes, and biological databases and web resources. N. caninum is an obligate, intracellular, coccidian, protozoan parasite of the phylum Apicomplexa. Infection can cause the clinical disease neosporosis, which most notably is associated with abortion in cattle. These abortions are a major root cause of economic loss to both the dairy and beef industries worldwide. N. caninum has been detected in every country in which a study has been specifically conducted to detect this parasite in cattle. The major mode of transmission in cattle is transplacental (or vertical) transmission and several elements of the N. caninum life cycle are yet to be studied in detail. The outcome of an infection is inextricably linked to the precise timing of the infection coupled with the status of the immune system of the dam and foetus. There is no community consensus as to whether it is the dam's pro-inflammatory cytotoxic response to tachyzoites that kills the foetus or the tachyzoites themselves. From economic analysis the most cost-effective approach to control neosporosis is a vaccine. The perfect vaccine would protect against both infection and the clinical disease, and this implies a vaccine is needed that can induce a non-foetopathic cell mediated immunity response. Researchers are beginning to capitalise on the vast potential of -omics data (e.g. genomes, transcriptomes, and proteomes) to further our understanding of pathogens but especially to identify vaccine and drug targets. The recent publication of a genome for N. caninum offers vast opportunities in these areas.
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Cheng L, Chen Y, Chen L, Shen Y, Shen J, An R, Luo Q, Du J. Interactions between the ROP18 kinase and host cell proteins that aid in the parasitism of Toxoplasma gondii. Acta Trop 2012; 122:255-60. [PMID: 22365922 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2012.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2011] [Revised: 01/20/2012] [Accepted: 02/08/2012] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Serine/threonine kinases secreted from rhoptry organelles are important virulence factors for Toxoplasma gondii. Among rhoptry proteins, the ROP18 kinase has been identified as a key virulence determinant mediating pathogenesis in T. gondii; however, the molecular mechanisms by which this kinase exerts its pathogenic action remain poorly understood. In this study, the interactions between the ROP18 kinase of Toxoplasma gondii and the host cell proteins were analyzed using a yeast two-hybrid technique. The cMyc-ROP18(25-251) fusion proteins expressed by pGBKT7 plasmids in AH109 yeast were bound to host cell proteins from a human fetal brain cDNA library transformed to AH109 yeast using a mating method. Using these selection procedures, we identified seven host proteins that had not previously been reported to interact with ROP18 such as DDB1, TOR1AIP1, integrin, SLC3A2, TPST2, DERL2 and OCIAD1. These host proteins are associated with DNA repair, transcriptional regulation, translation modification, protein degradation and cell adhesion. Our data strongly support the hypothesis that the secreted kinase ROP18 is involved in several complex cellular pathways for the invasion and commandeering of host functions.
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