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Cui W, Wang C, Luo Q, Xing T, Shen J, Wang W. Toxoplasma gondii ROP16 I Deletion: The Exacerbated Impact on Adverse Pregnant Outcomes in Mice. Front Microbiol 2020; 10:3151. [PMID: 32082272 PMCID: PMC7005636 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.03151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2019] [Accepted: 12/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Imbalance of Th1 and Th2 response at the maternal-fetal interface is considered as a radical event in the pathogenesis of immunity-related pregnant diseases. It has been demonstrated that the ROP16I, a rhoptry protein of Toxoplasma gondii, and the viable parasite with ROP16I may induce M2 macrophage polarization in host innate immunity and may be involved in the adverse pregnant outcomes. However, the mechanisms by which T. gondii-derived effectors subvert the immune tolerance in the pathology of pregnancy remain unclear. Here, we constructed the RH strain with ROP16I deletion (RHΔrop16) to explore the pathogenesis of abnormal pregnancy. We found that C57BL/6 mice infected with RHΔrop16 exhibited the increased resorption of fetuses and more severe adverse pathology of placentae at the early phase of gestation, as compared to the mice infected with RH wild type (RH WT) parasite. Additionally, RHΔrop16 strain infection significantly promoted M1 macrophage phenotypes of CD80 and CD86, and decreased CD206 expression of M2 macrophages, with upregulation of the iNOS and downregulation of the Arg-1 expression in placental homogenates. Simultaneously, the pro-inflammatory cytokines of IL-12 and TNF-α were elevated whereas the anti-inflammatory cytokine of TGF-β1 was dampened. Moreover, the p38α mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38α MAPK) was notably phosphorylated in placental macrophages infected with both RHΔrop16 and RH WT strains compared with the control. Taken together, our findings indicated that ROP16I deletion of type I RH strain may cause exacerbated adverse pregnant outcomes, which is attributable to subversion of the maternal immune tolerance due to the increased pro-inflammatory cytokines in the pregnant animals. The results also suggest that ROP16I might be a protective factor and other T. gondii-derived molecules might be involved in the M1-Th1 biased pathological process in aberrant pregnancy at the early phase of gestation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen Cui
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Provincial Laboratories of Pathogen Biology and Zoonoses Anhui, School of Basic Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Cong Wang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Second Hospital of Hefei, Hefei, China
| | - Qingli Luo
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Provincial Laboratories of Pathogen Biology and Zoonoses Anhui, School of Basic Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Tian Xing
- The Key Laboratory of Oral Disease Research of Anhui, College and Hospital of Stomatology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Jilong Shen
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Provincial Laboratories of Pathogen Biology and Zoonoses Anhui, School of Basic Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.,Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Provincial Laboratories of Pathogen Biology and Zoonoses Anhui, School of Basic Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
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Wang HF, Jiang YZ, Ren LQ, Liu XB, Zhang HX, Hu XM. [The Role of Soluble HLA-G in the Vertical Transmission of Toxoplasma gondii]. Mol Biol (Mosk) 2019; 53:303-310. [PMID: 31099780 DOI: 10.1134/s0026898419020162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2018] [Accepted: 07/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Soluble human leukocyte antigen G (sHLA-G) plays a key role in pregnancy through interaction with decidual natural killer (dNK) cell inhibitory receptors at the maternal-fetal interface. To demonstrate the possible role of sHLA-G during the pregnancy with Toxoplasma gondii infection, we compared the concentration of a murine functional homolog of sHLA-G, Qa-2, in T. gondii infected and non-infected pregnant C57BL/6 mice, and that of sHLA-G in BeWo culture supernatant. In addition, the levels of KIR2DL4 expressed on human dNK cells and NKG2A in pregnant mice were evaluated. We showed that T. gondii infection result in significant increase in the level of Qa-2 and NKG2A in pregnant mice. sHLA-G and KIR2DL4 in human samples were also significantly upregulated under the condition of T. gondii infection. The further treatment with sHLA-G antibody could reduce the expression level of KIR2DL4 which was upregulated by T. gondii infection. In summary, sHLA-G could upregulate the expression level of KIR2DL4 which lead to excessive immunological tolerance, and further contributed to T. gondii immunity escaping and affecting fetus via vertical transmission which may lead to adverse outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- H F Wang
- Department of Immunology, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, Shandong Province, 264003 China.,Department of Immunology, Shandong College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Yantai, Shandong Province, 264003 China
| | - Y Z Jiang
- Department of Immunology, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, Shandong Province, 264003 China
| | - L Q Ren
- Medical and Pharmaceutical Research Center, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, Shandong Province, 264003 China
| | - X B Liu
- Department of Immunology, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, Shandong Province, 264003 China
| | - H X Zhang
- Department of Immunology, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, Shandong Province, 264003 China
| | - X M Hu
- Department of Immunology, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, Shandong Province, 264003 China.,Medical and Pharmaceutical Research Center, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, Shandong Province, 264003 China.,
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Wang C, Cheng W, Yu Q, Xing T, Chen S, Liu L, Yu L, Du J, Luo Q, Shen J, Xu Y. Toxoplasma Chinese 1 Strain of WH3Δ rop16I/III / gra15II Genetic Background Contributes to Abnormal Pregnant Outcomes in Murine Model. Front Immunol 2018; 9:1222. [PMID: 29910815 PMCID: PMC5992278 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.01222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2018] [Accepted: 05/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii infection evokes a strong Th1-type response with interleukin (IL)-12 and interferon (IFN)-γ secretion. Recent studies suggest that the infection of pregnant mice with T. gondii may lead to adverse pregnancy results caused by subversion of physiological immune tolerance at maternofetal interface rather than direct invasion of the parasite. Genotype-associated dense granule protein GRA15II tends to induce classically activated macrophage (M1) differentiation and subsequently activating NK, Th1, and Th17 cells whereas rhoptry protein ROP16I/III drives macrophages to alternatively activated macrophage (M2) polarization and elicits Th2 immune response. Unlike the archetypal strains of types I, II, and III, type Chinese 1 strains possess both GRA15II and ROP16I/III, suggesting a distinct pathogenesis of Toxoplasma-involved adverse pregnancies. We constructed T. gondii type Chinese 1 strain of WH3Δrop16 based on CRISPR/Cas9 technology to explore the ROP16I/III-deficient/GRA15II-dominant parasites in induction of trophoblast apoptosis in vitro and abnormal pregnant outcomes of mice in vivo. Our study showed that Toxoplasma WH3Δrop16 remarkably induced apoptosis of trophoblasts. C57BL/6 pregnant mice injected with the tachyzoites of WH3Δrop16 presented increased absorptivity of fetuses in comparison with the mice infected with WH3 wild type (WH3 WT) parasites although no remarkable difference of virulence to mice was seen between the two strains. Additionally, the mice inoculated with WH3Δrop16 tachyzoites exhibited a notable expression of both IL-17A and IFN-γ, while the percentage of CD4+CD25+FoxP3 [T regulatory cells (Tregs)] were diminished in splenocytes and placenta tissues compared to those infected with WH3 WT parasites. Accordingly, expressions of IL-4, IL-10, and transforming growth factor beta 1, the pivotal cytokines of Th2 and Tregs response, were significantly dampened whereas IFN-γ and IL-12 expressions were upregulated in WH3Δrop16-infected mice, which gave rise to more prominent outcomes of abnormal pregnancies. Our results indicated that the WH3Δrop16 parasites with gra15II background of T. gondii type Chinese 1 strains may cause miscarriage and stillbirth due to subversion of the maternal immune tolerance and system immunity of the animals and the GRA15II effector contributes to the process of adverse pregnant consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cong Wang
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Provincial Laboratories of Pathogen Biology and Zoonoses, School of Basic Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Weisheng Cheng
- Department of Medical Genetics, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, The Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qian Yu
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Provincial Laboratories of Pathogen Biology and Zoonoses, School of Basic Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Tian Xing
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Provincial Laboratories of Pathogen Biology and Zoonoses, School of Basic Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Shoubin Chen
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Provincial Laboratories of Pathogen Biology and Zoonoses, School of Basic Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Lei Liu
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Provincial Laboratories of Pathogen Biology and Zoonoses, School of Basic Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Li Yu
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Provincial Laboratories of Pathogen Biology and Zoonoses, School of Basic Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Jian Du
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Provincial Laboratories of Pathogen Biology and Zoonoses, School of Basic Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Qingli Luo
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Provincial Laboratories of Pathogen Biology and Zoonoses, School of Basic Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Jilong Shen
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Provincial Laboratories of Pathogen Biology and Zoonoses, School of Basic Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Yuanhong Xu
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Provincial Laboratories of Pathogen Biology and Zoonoses, School of Basic Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
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